At current count I am at 77 Blu-rays. That includes 5 seasons of Lost and a few of The Office and Mad Men. There are a few movies that are out on Blu-ray that I haven't purchased because Fox decided not to add the Special Features onto the Blu-ray like Man on Fire and The Usual Suspects. Argh. Your list will of course be dependent on your favorite movies. You should own your favorites in High Definition. These aren't necessarily my favorites, but they are outstanding on Blu-ray. Go to Amazon. The best deals on Blu-rays and free shipping on any order over $25.
I also use this a lot. It updates deals and prices seemingly every 5 minutes Blu-ray Deals
Apocalypse Now - Coppola's masterpiece has never looked better. The 2-disc collection is packed with great special features including an hour long conversation with Coppola and Martin Sheen
Children of Men - No special features but worth it
Fight Club - Buy it already
The Godfather Collection
Grindhouse - The full Tarantino/Rodriguez double feature is only available on Blu-ray
Kill Bill Vol. 1/Inglourious Basterds - Gotta own at least one of these
The Matrix - Despite the badness of 2 and 3, this first one is a stunner
Moulin Rouge
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World- An exhaustive amount of special features. 4 audio commentaries (the best being the cast commentary with Michael Cera, Mary Winstead, Ellen Wong and Jason Schwartzman), documentaries on the music, pre-production, post-production, and on and on. Thank you Edgar Wright
Star Trek- The movies more recently released do in fact look better on Blu-ray. It helps that the movie itself is incredible to look at.
Eclipse 3 stars I had every intention of not liking Eclipse. Twilight is one of the most bizarre and puzzling phenomenons. Even more than Pokemon and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I can't fully understand it. I understand to a certain extent, but how in the world does this movie make over $300 million at the box office? It makes no sense!
Eclipse takes place toward the end of the summer. Edward has proposed to Bella, she hasn't accepted yet and wants to make a deal with him that she will accept if he turns her into a vampire. Edward is reluctant. Good for him. At the same time, she hasn't spoken to Jacob for a long time and it is obvious that he still has strong feelings for her. "You wouldn't have to change for me Bella. I'm in love with you, and I want you to pick me instead of him." He kisses her and then she sprains her hand punching him in the face. Haha.
The best part of the movie is this stretch where Bella has to deal with possibly becoming a vampire and leaving everything behind. This is a genuinely interesting idea. What would you do with the last month of your human life? When she goes and visits her mom in Florida, it will be the last time she will ever see her. She won't get to eat ever again, she won't the feel the warmth of a human body ever again. In terms of making his case, Jacob does a pretty great job. I have to say, from an adult perspective, the choice is obvious. Choose the Native American werewolf, lady. Choose not losing your soul and having to drink blood. I don't know about you guys, but living forever sounds like torture not pleasure. But these are not adults (although Edward is a pervy old man for dating someone 100 years younger than him) but like any movie, you have to judge it on what it wants to be. It wants to be a teenage romantic fantasy and I admit that it is good at being that. One thing the movie does a bad job of though is showing the passion between Edward and Bella. It seems much more palpable between her and Jacob. Their scenes together are alive with tension and emotion. Edward is a lot more passive this time around and seems a bit emasculated. Listen to me getting into all of this.
The bad part of the movie is the plot involving Victoria seeking her revenge against Edward for killing her mate. She starts to create newborn vampires. She wants a mini army to take down the Cullens and kill Bella. Sorry but the Cullen family is a freaking snore. They are pasty face stiffs. They might be slightly interesting in their flashbacks of the past, but they are boring as hell in the present. Bryce Dallas Howard is unfortunately miscast as Victoria. The original actress was replaced for some reason and is still probably crying her eyes out. Howard is too sweet, too proper, and doesn't convey the rage and pain she should be feeling. As for that big battle with the newborns vs. The Cullens and the Wolf Pack, what a letdown. This minor fist fight in the woods is supposed to be the big ending set piece? It all seemed like something you would see on a TV show. Harry Potter has huge sequences of action and special effects. This rumble in the forest is small and completely forgettable. Also, the entire movie is shot in close-ups. Okay, not the entire movie, but the vast majority of the movie involves big heads talking to one another. Sorry David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night) but that is some lazy directing.
And yet despite all of this, Bella's story still tracks. Kristen Stewart was absolutely the right choice for this role. She is smart, modest, and not annoying. Girls in the middle of these love triangles usually start to get hated on, but I still really like Bella even if she is set on marrying Count Chocula. I miss her friends from high school though. Even Oscar nominated Anna Kendrick is in it for maybe 5 minutes total. I won't see Breaking Dawn Part 1 or 2 in the theater but at this point I should finish the whole thing. Still like the first one the best, hate New Moon, this one ain't bad. And now this review is on the internet to embarrass me for the rest of my life.
The Kids are All Right3 ½starsWhat a nice surprise. The logline of two kids with lesbian mothers seeking out their sperm donor father felt kind of lame. The movie is anything but. It may be one of the best movies about family and marriage in recent memory. Julianne Moore and Annette Bening (who I had a serious crush on in the 90s) are the lesbian couple. They've been together over 20 years and their oldest daughter Joni played by Alice in Wonderland's Mia Wasikowska contacts their biological father Paul one day. He's played by Mark Ruffalo who has always been good, but here in this movie he is particularly great. He's an ex-hippie, an owner of a restaurant, and a organic farmer on the side that drives a motorcycle. He is sort of one of those guys that never really grew up, and the relationship he starts with Joni and her brother Laser (I'm not kidding) is very interesting. I love seeing relationships you don't usually see in movies. Sperm donor father and teenage kids is definitely a new one.
Paul of course starts to cause some friction in the family as Joni is about to go off to college and the mothers are holding on tight. I don't want to give too much away but despite drifting into a little cliche territory involving infidelity, the movie is constantly compelling. This family is constantly compelling and I'm someone who instinctively dislikes movies about families (there are always too many dulls scenes in the dining room). I don't think we've seen lesbians portrayed in this way before. They are a middle aged couple and are dealing with middle aged issues. Julianne Moore is pretty great as the less successful of the two who is trying to start a landscaping design business. The true enjoyment comes from watching everything unfold and I hope you get to.
Knight and Day 2 starsWhat a stinker. Haven't we all seen this movie before? I've been trying to think of the specific movie it rips off, but even though I can't, the whole thing feels so painfully familiar. Tom Cruise is too old to be doing this. He should be doing serious acting work like in Collateral, but time and time again he wants to be what he was when he was in his 20s. The charming hero, only now he honestly isn't that charming anymore. Another star who is getting a bit old is Cameron however she is very charming and likable in this movie and I remembered why she became such a big star in the first place. Her best performance still is from Vanilla Sky of which this movie is kind of a reunion. Professional spy, normal girl, the comedy and adventure ensue. The comedy is not funny, the adventure is tiresome. I like director James Mangold a lot (Cop Land, Walk the Line) but the action is so humdrum and CGI. And in a movie that is wall to wall action this is a bad thing. For all of the mayhem, I grew more and more bored as the minutes passed. And like everyone else is wondering, why the hell is it called Knight and Day?
Other movie titles that make no sense: Braveheart, Rush Hour, Eclipse
That Thing You Do 3 ½starsDo you want to feel good? Then watch this movie again. I was driving home from work one day and I have no idea why I started thinking about That Thing You Do. I came home and popped it in and I did in fact feel good. Very good. Tom Hanks wrote and directed this film about a Beatles like band in the 60s creating this one hit wonder that takes them out of Erie, PA and into the world of pop music. The movie isn't about anything other than light-hearted comedy and some very good songs. The title song is catchy and it has to be since it's played an awful lot during the movie. Imagine how painful it would be if it wasn't. But I like all of The Wonders songs especially "Dance with me Tonight". Liv Tyler's first big movie, Charlize Theron's first big movie, but sadly other than Steve Zahn, the guys haven't really done much. Don't watch the bloated extended cut. Btw, other than LOTR, I hate extended cuts. Hanks is directing another movie as I write this, but this first one is a movie with moments of true joy and fun throughout.
Watched this Week: The Good: Eclipse, That Thing You Do, Yes Man, Walk the Line, Crazy Heart, Good Hair, School of Rock, The Taking of Pelham 123, Blue Collar, HP 1-4, 6 The Bad: A Life Less Ordinary, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, HP 5, Knight and Day The Ugly: None Trips to the Theater: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I (2nd and an embarrassing 3rd time) Actors of the Week: Jim Carrey, Jeff Bridges Directors of the Week: Tom Hanks
Trailers/Clips of the Week: The Green Hornet. Yeah baby. I still can't believe they got Michel Gondry. Also I can't stand that trailer for The Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds. The last time it played in a theater I was in, I walked out and came back 2 minutes later.
(SPOILERS. If you haven't watched, absolutely do not read) I did go see it again, so I have more thoughts.
1. I love that small opening montage of Harry, Hermione and Ron getting ready to leave. There’s so much weight to those moments, particularly Hermione removing her parents memory (a fantastic addition that is not in the book). Wasn’t it nice to see her bedroom and her parents? I don’t think we ever do in the books. The score by Alexandre Desplat (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) sets the tone wonderfully.
2. That scene with the 7 Harrys. We completely take for granted that it is all special effects. We just believe that there are 7 of him. Even if he is wearing a bra. LOL. Btw, how is Daniel Radcliffe so ripped? Nice finally meeting Bill Weasley.
3. Very cool seeing the three in the middle of London and sitting in a café. That wand shootout is well cut together with Hermione slamming that last guy into the wall.
4. I love that the series has broadened its scope of UK actors beyond posh Brits. Peter Mullan (Trainspotting, Braveheart) is a magnificent Scottish actor with that magnificent voice. I wish my voice was that cool. How did they get him to play Yaxley? (the guy in the Ministry with the ponytail) Also great is Andy Linden as Mundungus. Perfect casting. No one beats Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix though. She steals every scene she’s in, your eyes go to her whenever she’s in frame. That opening Voldemort clubhouse meeting is very well done as well. Someone equated it to Capone and his lieutenants in The Untouchables.
5. Ron getting splinched. This is the kind of thing movies can do better. Reading about it didn’t have half the impact of seeing his arm pouring out blood with Hermione crying over him trying to help. The stakes are really getting real and that’s a good thing. Also those are some beautiful locations they shot for their journey. It totally exceeded my expectations. But Godric’s Hollow was exactly how I’d imagined it. Not in a bad way I mean. That whole sequence is exactly how I imagined it. Other than that swinging light fixture during the snake attack which was very cool. This whole section with them on the road is one of my favorite sections of all the movies.
6. Ron and Hemione. I liked how the film handled their relationship with a lot of looks and small moments. Playing the piano, I loved that they included the image of their hands close to one another while they sleep. That’s straight from the book. Even Ron’s growing jealousy avoids a lot of bad clichés. As much as the story interests me, the relationships are just as interesting to me.
7. The scene where Ron leaves is very well acted. These aren’t kid actors anymore, and I think the Brits are better at arguing than us Americans. Haha. And as I said the scene with Harry and Hermione dancing is so sweet and says a lot about their friendship. It’s another scene that is not in the book and can only really work on film. I don’t think it’s a romantic one since it’s so silly and she’s obviously saddened because Ron has left. What song was that btw?
8. When that Horcrux opened and Ron has to kill it, I never imagined Harry and Hermione half naked making out. That was more disturbing than anything. I enjoy the chaste nature of the series so something like Ginny showing her back seems so shocking. We must alert the church elders! Haha.
9. There are things I didn’t like. The animated sequence explaining the Deathly Hallows is pretty mediocre. Bad if you ask me. I still have minor problems with the pace as it could be clicked up a notch. I definitely missed all of the supporting characters during the last ¾ of the film including the teachers, Neville, Ginny, the twins. The ministry heist is clever but we’re spending a long period of time watching three adult actors who we don’t know. Although that slow motion image of Ron’s face as he’s trying to escape Yaxley is awesome. Overall, I didn’t feel anything major was left out of the book. I flipped through the book over the weekend and couldn't find any major lifts.
10. The movie does suffer from not really having a climax. They escape the Malfoy house but it doesn’t feel like an ending, which it isn't. It is Lando and Chewie going off to find Han Solo. It isn’t as abrupt as The Matrix Reloaded but there is a bit of dissatisfaction. I think that feeling will go away once the last movie comes out and we won’t care anymore. I honestly don’t know what other way they could’ve ended it though. Like I said, I am so happy they split the book into 2 movies. Way too much would’ve been lost otherwise.
11. Dobby. We haven’t seen him for 4 films but we all remember him and strangely I had a lot of affection seeing him again. His pushing Kreacher out of the way to talk to Harry Potter is some clever animation. I was worried that his scene at the end wouldn’t have much impact since he had been gone for so long, but man did it hit hard. Harry in desperation saying, “Help me.” I kind of think that line and the way he says it sums up the end of this first part. “Such a beautiful place to be with friends.” Stupid CGI characters making me cry.
I did call it. This is exactly where I thought the movie would split. In your face! Original Review
4 stars If I didn't chime on this earlier, I was extremely happy that they decided to split Book 7 into two films. There's just too much story. There's too much to wrap up in a 2 hour 30 minute film. I think everyone, even people who haven't read the books, would've been disappointed and short changed if this was it.
I love Harry Potter so if you don't like it just go away. They are a tremendous set of books and other than #5 The Order of the Phoenix, the movies have been all good to great. I loved that last one The Half-Blood Prince. HP and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 begins soon after the last movie with Dumbledore dead, Voldemort gaining strength and followers, and Harry about to turn 17. If you don't remember, Voldemort's ingenious (not to mention evil) idea was to split his soul into several parts so that if any one part is killed, he can still survive. The parts are kept in objects called Horcruxes and Harry, Hermione, and Ron begin their mission to destroy them.
The best part of the book and this movie is that it completely takes a left turn from the previous in that Harry, Hermione and Ron decide to forgo their last year at Hogwarts and go on this mission alone. No school robes, no studying, sadly no Quidditch. It's the three of them on the road, sleeping in a tent, trying to evade an entire world that seems to be looking for Harry Potter. It was a bold masterstroke by J.K. Rowling and it's so incredibly enjoyable to see Harry, Hermione, and Ron in the real world. They make camp in these beautiful remote locations, they have to cook their own food, and they have to fend for themselves against a lot of bad people.
It is a darker, much more serious film with a great sense of dread throughout. It is scary and rightly so. No danger, no heroism. There are a few very good action sequences including an amazing flying broom chase and an impressive wand shootout in a cafe, but what I remember are these incredible scary sequences of suspense. And I read the book, I knew what was going to happen, but they tensed me out anyway. The stakes are also real in the real world. At one point Ron gets seriously injured (strange to see so much blood in the Harry Potter world) and there's a scene where Hermione is tortured and she is screaming at the top of her lungs in pain. I loved it. Not that she was being tortured, but I loved how dramatic the films have become. I love that they have moved passed the family film genre into serious PG-13 territory. That huge snake is pretty freaky too. (shudder)
That being said, the movie is still filled with a lot of great humor which I credit a lot to the fine screenwriter Steve Kloves who wrote all of the movies except for #5 which of course is the only one I didn't like. Small moments like Ron and Hermione playing piano together and there's a sweet dance between two characters that genuinely lifts theirs and our spirits. What a great scene. We've spent so much time with all of these characters and it's like a reunion to see them again, even if it's only for a scene or two. Fred and George, Ginny (who is alarmingly forward with Harry), Mad Eye Moody, Luna, Neville, and the baddies like Bellatrix (Helena Bonham!) and the Malfoys(F you Draco!). At the core, and the reason I love the series so much are those three characters. Harry, Hermione and Ron. I could watch a sitcom with them in it. They are very special and how fortunate it was that all three actors are very good even after all of these years. Rupert Grint has some wonderful comic timing and all the instinctive likability of Ron Weasley. Emma Watson is Hermione Granger. At no point does she seem to be playing the character, she just is her. I can't say enough about how much Daniel Radcliffe has grown as an actor. He was this cute small boy in the first films but look at him now with that five o'clock shadow and some serious acting chops. So much of the story has to be felt through Harry. It's his experience of what is going on and it is ultimately becoming about Harry Potter vs. Voldemort. Everything that has come before has led to this and the movie and he capture the weight of that brilliantly. He stands out in this one with strong moments of silence and emotion. It's a great performance.
However, and there is however, it is Part 1 so a lot of payoffs of not only this first part but of all 6 movies are going to be in that last film. I was acutely aware of that when I checked the time and realized the movie was going to end soon and the story had only gotten so far. When was the last time we felt that? The Two Towers maybe? I will proudly say that I called it. I called when the cutoff was going to be, and I will brag about that to my fellow HP fans to their faces. But because of this, ultimately it's not up there with The Half-Blood Prince or The Goblet of Fire (which is still my favorite of the films and the books). It kind of can't be. It's function is to tell the beginning of the end. And in that matter it is very successful, but we'll see how the two parts fit together.
The movie could not look better. I marvel at how much the movies knock me out visually every time. This doesn't look like any of the previous films and yet it is the same world. The visual effects are still unbelievable and as good as any movie you'll see this year. You just don't know what is real and what was created. And the camera work and lighting by cinematographer Eduardo Serra (Unbreakable) is sumptuous. It's one of the best looking movies I've seen all year. They know where to spend the money.
Movie #7. Star Trek, Michael Myers, Freddy and Jason. I think those are the only movie franchises that had that many. Btw if you haven't kept up, don't see it since you'll have no idea what is going on. To have a story this good, to have this superb collection of British actors, to have the same core cast over 10 years, to have the movies continue to be so great, I can't tell you how rare this all is in cinema history.
DVDsWatched this Week: The Good: The Kids are All Right, I Knew it Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale, Beowulf, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Expendables The Bad: The City of Lost Children, Avatar Extended Edition The Ugly: None Trips to the Theater: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I Actors of the Week: Mark Ruffalo, Julianne Moore, Daniel Radcliffe Directors of the Week: David Yates
I've been watching and listening to a ton of Flight of the Conchords lately. Two guys from New Zealand, trying to make it New York in a novelty folk band. There were only 2 seasons on HBO but they are great seasons. Hysterical writing, and there was the genius aspect of their songs. Not only would Bret and Jemaine break into song during the show, but the show would break into these hilarious often impressive music videos. It's a series that you want to share with all of your friends. And I thank the friend who shared it with me.
I can't say enough about Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie. They are so frickin' talented. They wrote and starred in all of the episodes as well as wrote all of those great songs. Jemaine, that guy has some perfect comic timing. He's one of the funniest people ever. Of their videos, here are my favorites.
Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros
The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)
Sugalumps
Think About It
You Don't Have to be a Prostitute - "Male prostitution seems to be my only option."
Too Many Dicks on the Dance Floor - directed by Michel Gondry
3 starsGotta see a Tony Scott movie in the theater. At least I have to. Like him or lump him, he is one of the best shooter's around. Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, True Romance, Top Gun, Man on Fire, Spy Game. Not all of his movies are great movies, but they always look great.
Unstoppable (what a generic title) is indeed about an unstoppable train carrying hazardous chemicals, going about 70mph, heading toward populated areas in Southern PA. There is no one on board and no air brakes. Apparently a version of this happened back in 2001 which sounds scarily irresponsible. On a separate train on the same track, Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and Will Colson (Chris Pine) hatch a plan to stop it.
You know how in action movies the last act usually involves one mission. You gotta take the castle, you gotta escape the prison, you gotta blow up a theater where Goebbels and Hitler are watching the premiere of Nation's Pride. Unstoppable is a movie that is entirely that last third. There's some filler information about the two men having families and children, but the train is going and they gotta stop it and that's all the movie is. It's a not as successful version of Speed. We've been getting so many comic book and fantasy movies lately that admittedly it was weird watching an action movie with such a basic concept. It's a throwback.
On that level, the movie works. It's a good premise, you got good actors like Rosario Dawson (who is very good here) in the supporting cast, and give Tony Scott freight trains moving at high speed, it's gonna be exciting. And the movie is exciting. There are a lot of hairy moments with real trains heading toward each other, at some point someone tries to get on the train by dangling from a helicopter, and Tony Scott loves to shoot real for real. He doesn't like CGI, and at no point did I doubt that these things were happening on these train tracks. You could feel the wind whipping your face. And as with all of these third act scenarios, things of course go wrong. One after another, more and more obstacles, and it's the movies job to solve those problems. That's the enjoyment of good action movies. How will they survive? How will they save the day? I'm much more invested in that than in the size of an explosion.
However, the movie is a self contained 90 minute action movie. It doesn't transcend its one premise. The characters are pretty thin so it's just about the train. I'm actually surprised that Chris Pine decided to do this as his follow up to Star Trek. Even Denzel doesn't have that much to do. A lot of their time is spent sitting in the front cab of the train talking over the radio. They get to do heroic things when the movie calls for it but overall it's not all that distinctive. There are some amazing visuals but there is also way too much news footage and not enough personal emotional investment in the two main characters.I'd put this one in the category of lesser Tony Scott films like Days of Thunder and Deja Vu. Still good, but nothing you're going to put in your collection. I will say that trains have never been shot like this. Never with as much intensity and beauty. Btw, I love trains. It's one thing I really miss about not living in Chicago anymore. There are some gorgeous helicopter shots following these trains early on that are pretty special. I hate to use the word majestic but that's what they felt like. Also the very basic idea that they're on a track that they can't off of works extremely well. There aren't many options, the train is on the tracks. It ups the stakes significantly.
Honestly, unless you really want to see it, wait for the rental. I was engaged and had sweaty palms a few times, but once the ride is over, you don't really think about it on the way home.
The Last Airbender 1 ½ starsI wish I had horrible things to say. I wish this could be a hateful review. Unfortunately, like Transformers 2, the bad hype works the opposite way. Good hype causes disappointment. Bad hype causes leniency. It’s terrible, but not that terrible. The Last Airbender is a huge departure for Shyamalan and any departure from a moody thriller set in Philadelphia is a good one. The departure though heads into territory which I hate. This kind of fantasy world is either great or plain bad. Great: LOTR. Bad: Narnia, The Golden Compass, Percy Jackson, Stardust. Almost universally the dialogue is bad as the characters are forced to speak this faux medieval English that becomes so painful to listen to. I think that’s what makes the movie terrible. There are tons of long, long sequences with characters talking about earth, water, and fire, and goodness is it boring. The world may be ending but no one seems all that bothered by it. They just talk and talk and talk. I think the other Airbenders killed themselves just so they wouldn’t have to listen to all of this talking.
I don’t like to criticize child actors as a lot of it is because of the script, but none of them are very good. They don’t seem of the time period, and their wooden American accents fall so flat. Aang (the last airbender) seems like some kid from the suburbs who just shaved his head. Shouldn’t the Avatar be more exotic? Why is the girl Katara so lame? Why are the kids the focus of this world? Why is this all so stupid! I’ve heard good things about the Nickelodeon cartoon but this movie is dead in the water. It’s an hour and 40 minutes but it feels like sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. When the action finally does happen, it happens in long slow motion takes that are supposed to be impressive but are not. The circling cameras slow things down and the fight scenes are completely unmemorable. Also, the movie looks pretty cheap. Shyamalan’s movies usually look pretty good, but there is a bland, bright Photoshop touch-up quality to the movie that is not appealing. Strange since cinematographer Andrew Lesnie is usually pretty good (LOTR, I Am Legend).
As for the story, it’s too tedious to recap. Nations defined by their natural element all set against a lackluster snowy backdrop. Who cares who wins. You know what, these are actually some horrible things I am saying. As I try to recall my experience watching the movie, I grow more and more angry. Haha.
I don’t know. Maybe I’ll write a full post about M.Night. Has there been another director where the first 3 movies are so good and then the rest slowly deteriorate? Where did the talent go? Where did the taste go? The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs. All excellent movies. Also very good performances in those movies, something that has been lost over the last few films. The trailer for Devil was in theaters recently and when this came up: “From the mind of M.Night Shyamalan”, there was huge laughter. Sorry Night. I don’t know what you can do to comeback. You crank out a movie every 2 years. Maybe it’s time for a break. We need a break from you.
Micmacs 3 ½starsI adore Amelie. It was in my top 10 of the decade. It’s a magical film. Sadly A Very Long Engagement is surprisingly forgettable despite the lovely Audrey Tautou. Micmacs is Jean-Pierre Jeunet all the way. There is no mistaking it. The saturated colors, the wide angle lenses, and of course the strange and wonderful cast of French characters. The full French title is Micmacs à tire-larigot (non-stop shenanigans) which sort of translates. Micmacs as a word itself kind of captures the spirit of the movie. Dany Boon plays Bazil, who is one day shot by a stray bullet while working in a video store. The bullet is lodged in his brain, possibly going to kill him at any moment. He loses his job, his apartment, and starts to live on the street. If any of this sounds like the beginnings of some serious drama, don’t worry. It’s handled charmingly and Bazil finds a family of fellow orphans who live in a junk yard. Yet their home is magical, filled with knick knacks and visual splendor. The art direction alone is worth the price of admission. Eventually Bazil plans revenge against two ammunition companies. One put the bullet in his head. Another killed his father in the war with a land mine. When you hear about Jeunet making a satire about arms dealers, this is exactly what you’d expect the movie to be. I mean that in a great way.
From here, the movie takes off into hilarious heist-like territory with the team putting together elaborate Mouse Trap plots and schemes that would impress Danny Ocean. It’s one of those scripts that you just can’t imagine how they put it together. All of the players fit perfectly into place and I loved it. In particular I loved the characters of Calculette (The Calculator) played by Marie-Julie Baup and Fracasse (the human cannonball) played by the great Dominique Pinon who is in all of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's films. Even Alien Resurrection (boo). He was the jealous ex-boyfriend talking into his tape recorder in Amelie. I’ve never seen Marie-Julie Baup before but her look in this film will be forever burned in memory. So many films seem like other films. This film seems like it was made on another planet. Even the France depicted here seems like some fantastic bizarro world. It’s not out on Blu-ray and DVD until December, but you have to rent it then.
Lastly, there is one scene toward the end where a character is bombarded by press and paparazzi. He tries to push his way through them and then suddenly screams at the top of his lungs in frustration. You have to see it because I can’t really describe it, but I’m not kidding, I laughed continuously for 5 minutes. I had to stop the movie. I was crying laughing. Even now when I think about it driving in my car or sitting at my desk, I start to laugh again.
I’m Still Here 2 starsI wonder what it would’ve been like if I had seen it before they announced that it was all staged. Knowing it was, I couldn’t engage. Sorry, didn't mean to rhyme. Sacha Baron Cohen was playing a character named Borat and everyone in the audience knew that, only the people in the movie did not. Now we all know that Joaquin Phoenix was playing Joaquin Phoenix as a egomaniac stupid rapper and what’s enjoyable about that. I don't enjoy watching people vomit as much as this movie imagines I do. Is it an examination of a self-destructive celebrity? There are aspects of that but maybe it would’ve been better as a normal fictional film. The fact that I respect Joaquin so much as an actor makes the film feel silly and unnecessary. I mean, 2 years you’re committing to this. Was it worth it? Probably not since no one saw it in the theater and hardly anyone seems to like it. I also feel bad for his friends in the movie including Edward James Olmos and Ben Stiller. They’re trying to help him but he’s just pulling a Daniel Day Lewis as a lifestyle. Ultimately what is the movie trying to say? I don't really know. And despite his rejection of the label, it kind of is one of the most elaborate episodes Punk'd. Only we were the ones being Punk'd by trying to convince us that this was really happening. Director Casey Affleck (who is also Phoenix’s brother-in-law) really swung for the fences with what he calls gonzo filmmaking, but it’s a swing and a miss. I’m sure there is a good movie to be made about a modern day actor destroying himself. This is not it.
DVDsWatched this Week: The Good: Micmacs, P.S., Monsoon Wedding, The Usual Suspects, The Book of Eli, Slumdog Millionaire, Bored to Death Season 1, Flight of the Conchords Seasons 1-2, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World many many times The Bad: I'm Still Here, Charlie St. Cloud, Monster House, The Polar Express The Ugly: None Trips to the Theater: 127 Hrs Actors of the Week: James Franco, Bret McKenzie, Jemaine Clement Directors of the Week: Danny Boyle, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
4 stars Danny Boyle's 127 Hours may not be a movie. I've seen a lot of movies, all kinds. But I think the hour and 40 minutes I spent in the theater tonight was not a movie going experience. It didn't feel like watching a movie, it felt like being in a situation. A painful, arduous, exhilarating, sometimes punishing situation.
If you don't know, Aron Ralston went hiking by himself in Blue John Canyon in Moab, Utah sometime in 2003. A boulder above him dislodged, it fell on his his right forearm, and pinned his arm against a canyon wall. And there he was for 127 hours.
I've said it before, but the best movies go beyond passive observation into subjective participation. We aren't just watching what is going on, we are invested, we feel what the character is feeling himself/herself. That's really all the movie is. It's not a story, it's a situation. There are some brief scenes with some hikers Aron meets along his path, he shows them to the spot their going to, but soon they are gone and he is gone on his own way. Then this happens, a lot earlier than I expected it to, and for the next 90 minutes, we are in that canyon. There are cutaways to what Aron is thinking, we see aerial shots and a couple dream sequences, but they never feel like relief. We are there. My arm was stuck there under that rock with 16oz of water in a Nalgene bottle, some food, a cheap dull knife, some climbing rope, and a camera and a camcorder to record all of this. It is possibly the most unrelenting and intense experience I've ever had watching a movie.
Danny Boyle more and more seems like the most contemporary of the major directors. His films aren't throwbacks to old movies. He doesn't make retreads of 70s films and rarely does any of his movies fall into a genre. Really, does Slumdog Millionaire feel like any other movie you've seen? The style of it, the story? How about Trainspotting? Working with a lot of the Slumdog crew (writer, cinematographer, composer A.R. Rahman!), the same great thing happens here. The camera angles are all different, the editing style (particularly the use of 3 split screens) inject the movie with so much energy. This does not feel like a movie made by a guy who is in his mid 50s. He is a master filmmaker. He's always trying new technology (the cameras are tiny and experimental), he even uses 2 cinematographers shooting separate parts of the movie, and he isn't some old man observing these young people from afar. He is with them, he is Aron Ralston and wants us to feel everything he felt and he does everything he can do visually to accomplish that. He is completely successful. 98 degrees during the day, dropping down into the 40s at night. At one point the camera flies away across the desert, all the way to Aron's car where we find a full Gatorade bottle in the back seat. And the entire audience groaned. Goodness, the fricking frustration. Btw, Aron's also wearing contacts.
James Franco is pretty phenomenal as Aron. The movie is him and he's in nearly every second of it. I think from a surface level we just see him doing things like hacking away at the boulder or trying create a pulley, but this is a tough role for an actor. He can't move, he can't interact with anybody, and yet he has to hold our interest. He plays Aron as a guy who makes you want to be as alive and adventurous as he is. I honestly believe I would've fallen apart if I was there. I don't have his fortitude to do what he did. He has plenty of doubtful moments down there, but the will inside of him is unbelievable. All of this being said, it's not the kind of movie I would say, "Hey, you should really go see this." I wouldn't use the word "enjoyed". It doesn't allow us to breathe, it doesn't want us to. It wants us to be on high alert, suffocating all the way through it. Even flashbacks do not have Franco in the scenes. We see his family or his friends, but never him in those flashbacks. Even then, the movie will not allow us to escape. And I'm not joking, but my heart rate was very high all throughout and despite wearing anti-perspirant, my arm pits were working too hard. If that at all seems disturbing or upsetting to you, don't watch the movie. The things Aron had to do to survive are much more shocking. Honestly I had to turn away at certain points, it was sometimes too hard to take. I think I burned 300 calories watching it and after I exited the theater I went outside and took in huge heaving gulps of air and thought about that man who had a heart attack during a screening at the Toronto Film Festival. It doesn't seem that unreasonable anymore. Lastly, the movie has something powerful to say about self-reliance, but not the way you would think. Aron is a loner and that's why he's off hiking by himself and hadn't told anybody where he was going. As a person who likes be alone myself, it made me think a lot about the real value everyone, anyone. Humanity as a community. I'm surprised how much it got to me.
127 Hours should be opening across the country next week. I never think of hell is some fiery cavernous place underground, I think of it as scenarios. Like sitting in a warm waiting room for eternity or reliving a painful memory on a constant loop. Being trapped in a canyon in Moah, Utah with my arm pinned under a boulder makes the list. Lord willing that will never happen to me. But if you're brave enough, you can get a glimpse of what it might have felt like. And you can get a glimpse of someone being reborn into a new life. Tough as it was, it is a stunning movie to see and I'm so glad I did. Danny Boyle, absolutely one of the best.
Actually you know what, you should go see it. There's just nothing like it. It's not always fun, but it is an unforgettable experience. How many movies can claim to be that.
DVDs Watched this Week: The Good: Toy Story 3, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, The Special Relationship, Winter's Bone, Back to the Future I-III, Terminator Salvation, The Goonies The Bad: Machete, Dead Calm The Ugly: The Last Airbender (review coming soon) Trips to the Theater: None Actors of the Week: Christopher Lloyd, Michael J. Fox, Sam Worthington Directors of the Week: Robert Zemeckis, McG
TRAILERS/CLIPS of the Week: Machete (original trailer from Grindhouse). NSFW.
Machete 2 stars The 2 minute trailer that played in front of Grindhouse is awesome. The 1 hour and 40 minute movie is not. I don’t know how much I wanted to see an entire movie about a Mexican day laborer who is really a Federale caught up in a conspiracy to re-elect a Senator who wants to create an electrified fence on the U.S./Mexico border. It’s full of intentional bad 70s editing, scratches on the film and gratuitous violence and nudity, but it’s kind of like watching one of those bad Scary Movie rip-offs. Things are happening but who cares. Jessica Alba is a border cop, De Niro is the evil Senator, and Lindsay Lohan is a politician’s party girl daughter who puts on a nun's habit and starts shooting people. Also Steven Seagal shows up as a bad guy. It sounds like it would be, but there’s not enough fun in the movie. Danny Trejo as Machete is surprisingly uninteresting and the movie lacks the wit of Rodriguez’s Planet Terror. One great line though, “Machete don’t text!” That made me laugh out loud.
The Extra Man 2 ½ stars Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini directed the great American Splendor back in 2003. In between they directed The Nanny Diaries (unseen by me) and now comes The Extra Man with Kevin Kline playing an Eccentric with a capital E. He’s an escort to rich elderly women in New York and he takes in a young man as his roommate (There Will be Blood’s Paul Dano). It’s a movie where all of the best stuff is in the trailer. The best moments, the best jokes. Everyone’s trying so very hard to be so quirky that the movie never comes down to earth to be something real. Even John C. Reilly is disappointing as a high voiced neighbor who works in the subway and looks like Ted Kacynski. The worst parts of the movie are the dates with the old women as those scenes fall terribly flat. Also making no sense is why Katie Holmes took such a nothing part in this movie. Her character is so forgettable. I think she was a Vegan? I don’t know, I forget. Still, it’s always nice to see Kevin Kline and his timing is nothing if not impeccable. I just wish the movie was a little less concerned with being so odd. I also could’ve done without the subplot involving transvestite prostitutes and seeing Paul Dano in full drag.
Winter's Bone 3 stars I know the critics are touting this one as one of the best of the year, and it is a good movie, but I don’t see what the big deal is. Jennifer Lawrence plays Ree Dolly, a 17 year-old who is taking care of her two younger siblings and her sick mother. Her father cooks crank and if he doesn’t show for his upcoming trial date, the family will lose the house that he put up as collateral. She starts her own little search for him which works as a travel tour through this poor area of Missouri where apparently a lot of men cook crank and beat their women. Some scenes are fairly brutal, but Ree’s journey isn’t all that distinctive and critical plot points arrive at awkward times. It may be one of the few movies made about this region but that doesn’t mean it’s special. Also not special is the lazy/ugly cinematography and the terrible title. Still, the journey has some interesting stops. John Hawkes (Deadwood) is a standout as her uncle.
The Special Relationship 3 starsThe third film in the Tony Blair trilogy written by the fine British writer Peter Morgan takes place in the years after the events of The Queen (the best of the three). It is indeed a lot about the special relationship between Blair and Clinton as they consulted one another on various international events including the massacres in Kosovo that happened in the mid 90s. Michael Sheen is as always fantastic as Blair, both self-effacing and bold. His private moments are always so engaging to watch. The best scenes are with Blair and Clinton, who is played surprisingly well by Dennis Quaid. He doesn’t really look that much like Bill, but there’s a quality he captures that I think is a different side to the President than we saw in Primary Colors. The best performance in the film though is Hope Davis as Hillary Clinton. It is scary accurate down to the bitchy intelligence. I wish the movie had more of her in it but the movie is a bit unfocused as it tries to cover too much ground. The Lewinsky scandal is thrown in but that feels like it deserves its own movie. Also, a very interesting but late storyline involving Blair’s future relationship with W. seems short-ended. It’s probably best that it was released on HBO and not in the theater. I would love to see a last Tony Blair movie following his plummeting descent in popularity. He was so admired in Britain and what must it have been like to fall so far.
Terminator Salvation 3 ½ stars I still enjoy popping this in every once in a while. Like The Rock, I think it's a consistently satisfying action movie. The look of it, the concept of the future, the furthering of this machine vs. man war. I think it's a worthy follow up to T2 which is still Cameron's best film. Let's all try to forget T3. McG directed those awful Charlie's Angels movies but something must've happened since then as this one is well directed, dramatic, and very tasteful. Michael Bay is a good director and he knows how to make a movie, but his taste has passed the expiration date. Particularly great in this is Sam Worthington who is tremendous in the movie. The character is so tough, so strong, it's exactly what the series needed. The action sequences are all top notch. Intense and exciting and the special effects are pretty impressive too. It's hard to tell what's fake and what's real. The terminators are also appropriately scary. An early sequence includes one with its legs chopped off and yet it relentlessly comes after John Connor. It's very effective. Geez, those things are tough to stop. Also the ending is genuinely moving. That was unexpected. I'm disappointed that the movie disappointed at the box office and therefore there will probably not be a T5. Sad really. I think this one is very, very good.
Apocalypse Now - Coppola's masterpiece has never looked better. The 2-disc collection is packed with great special features including an hour long conversation with Coppola and Martin Sheen
Children of Men - No special features but worth it
Fight Club - Buy it already
The Godfather Collection 
Grindhouse - The full Tarantino/Rodriguez double feature is only available on Blu-ray
Kill Bill Vol. 1/Inglourious Basterds - Gotta own at least one of these
The Matrix - Despite the badness of 2 and 3, this first one is a stunner
Moulin Rouge 
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - An exhaustive amount of special features. 4 audio commentaries (the best being the cast commentary with Michael Cera, Mary Winstead, Ellen Wong and Jason Schwartzman), documentaries on the music, pre-production, post-production, and on and on. Thank you Edgar Wright
Star Trek - The movies more recently released do in fact look better on Blu-ray. It helps that the movie itself is incredible to look at.
