This is the movie that at this year's Oscars is the wild-card nomination for Best Picture. I initially agreed with the consensus of critics who chastised the Academy for including The Blind Side in the running. But post viewing the movie, and some logical contemplation, I can see why it was included in the running.
First off, my opinion of The Blind Side is, it's bland. Let's call it the Bland Side. The short truth about this film, is there's nothing too it. It's very straight forward. A rich white family from the right side of town, take in a black youth from the wrong side of the city. He becomes an outstanding student and athlete and the white family feel morally warm and fuzzy. No surprises here.
And for this, the reason the Academy picked this film can be extrapolated. This film is very accessible to the majority of Americans. Sandra Bullock's character is Sarah Palin, with a bit of a different accent. She's a strong-willing, hard-working family woman and a card-carrying Republican. Whereas, the Academy is known for their liberal, at-times pretentious, thought-provoking films.
I'm not defending The Blind Side, but it represents a huge portion of America, and I think it deserves to be considered. I kind of like the idea that a paint-by-numbers film can be included as a nomination. And I've always thought that in order to really enjoy the thought-provoking, at times pretentious art film, you need to soak in a couple mindless saps.
I recommend this film if you plan on ragging it, because trashing a film to high heavens is lame, if you haven't even taken the time to watch at least half of it. Stream it, yo.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Crazy Heart (2009)
I thought this was a strong film: well acted, well shot, and well told.
Jeff Bridges is very convincing and natural as a fading country singer who's trying to get his wings back.
What I liked about this film was that it didn't go overboard in how it was done. I was sad when Jeff's character lost Maggie's kid because it really showed how he was not going to be able to turn his life around until he sobered up. I also liked the idea that Jeff and his former musician buddy, played by Colin Farrell obviously have so bad blood between them, but because of their situations, they are able to make enough peace that they are able to help one another, because they do have a bond from the past.
I recommend this film, it was cool to watch, but it doesn't necessarily need to be seen on the big screen to get the full effect. It's able to story, so DVD is sufficient.
Jeff Bridges is very convincing and natural as a fading country singer who's trying to get his wings back.
What I liked about this film was that it didn't go overboard in how it was done. I was sad when Jeff's character lost Maggie's kid because it really showed how he was not going to be able to turn his life around until he sobered up. I also liked the idea that Jeff and his former musician buddy, played by Colin Farrell obviously have so bad blood between them, but because of their situations, they are able to make enough peace that they are able to help one another, because they do have a bond from the past.
I recommend this film, it was cool to watch, but it doesn't necessarily need to be seen on the big screen to get the full effect. It's able to story, so DVD is sufficient.
October 2005 - March 2006
Unbeknown, before I created my blogger blog, I was posting film reviews on Myspace for about 6 months. All together I posted 52 unique reviews, most of them pretty crude compared to my current style. I didn't go through all of them myself, but I found it cool how my criticisms were pretty consistent (and I actually don't recognize myself a lot of the time, even though I overall agree with what I said back then, crazy). I decided I wanted to have everything at least in one place, so here's what I wrote back during my last year of undergrad, enjoy!
Corpse Bride (2005)
Hey yo, this is my first time posting a blog, I figured I'd give it a whirl, who knows, maybe it'll become a habit.
I saw Corpse Bride last night, I thought it was grand. Everything was really well done, it was great. I would have liked it to be longer, but I'll take 80 minutes over 120 minutes o'crap.
The voice of the maggot / town crier (Enn Reitel) was great. I think his characters stole their scenes, no question. When the crier is shouting that victor married a corpse bride, the inlaws go, "oh it's just the town crier, he probably is just low on things to cry about", and the maggot was funny as the Corpse Bride's conscience.
The soundtrack was also great (guess who will be downloading it)
I could say more, but this is my 3rd time trying to post this damn blog, fuck, i keep messing it up
Thanks for reading, luv ya
JooBoo
It’s all Gone Pete Tong (2004)
Hey, so I watched It's All Gone Pete Tong last night. I have to say that it was a flake. I say it's a flake just because I didn't get what I was expecting, and believe that the film strayed away from the documentary style, but still tried, with unsuccessful results to include them. They used testimonials from the characters to give it a documentary flare, but the majority of the film was shot in a comedy/drama style. The love story with the deaf teacher took up too much of the narrative, I thought. Even though the film got my emotionally, with the issue of losing one's hearing, I feel that overall the love story was in the narrative too much. Many scenes were just fluff I found, and could easily be taken out, without the story changing.
The length of the film was good, 90 minutes, and the soundtrack was good as well.
Downside is that it does not meet the same level of originality as Fubar, but it's worth checking out if you have an interest in what it takes to be a D.J.
Other films such as 24 Hour Party People, has a more raw edge to them, and stand out better in the crowd of films. It's All Gone, Pete Tong, is nothing extraordinary
La règle du jeu (1939)
I find it hard to comment on La Regle du Jeu. It's acclaimed as one of the best movies in the history of filmmaking and I'm finding it difficult to make an educated personal response to it.
First of all the story was good. There was richness in character development, and I found the love betrayal stories good. The mise en scene was also sophisticated. I didn't understand why so many men were in love with Christine, she's a friggin socialite, she's going to tell any man with money that she "loves them" geez. I blame her that Andre was killed. (maybe women are the cause for the destruction of man, hahaha). I'm sure Octave would have found a lovely lady if he only had more self-confidence, and if I had a hot war pilot hero fly over the atlantic just for me, I'd show up for his landing, can I get a HELLS YA?
For anyone who hasn't seen this film it was made by Jean Renoir right before WWII began. There are many political and historical references made in the film, which give it extra layers for peeps like me in film studies to rip apart and wrap up in neat little packages that we call essay, groan. Renoir is only one of the most famous french directors in the history of filmmaking, so give him some props.
My initial reaction to the film is that it is ok. I didn't find anything weak about it, besides the shitty print I rented and the bad subtitling job that was done. I would like to screen a copy of the Criterion edition one day, if I find one to rent.
I definitely recommend this film for anyone who is interested in getting a well rounded back ground in film. I agree that the film's complexity and historical significance makes it a very important film, but for someone who is looking for some simple entertainment, it's not the best pick for a Friday night flick. I give this film an 8 out of 10 for now. Even though I said Christine was a bitch, her character still makes for good cinema.
The scenes of the rabbit hunt can be a bit disturbing, I had a pet rabbit once, and witness it die, so it was kind of sad in that respect to revisit it. All that taken the scenes are still important for the film because it shows how the characters have a disregard for creatures below them on the food chain.
I could say more, but I'll leave that for later
Home Alone (1990)
Hey y'all,
I haven't watched any new movies lately, but I had an awesome time this evening watching "Home Alone" with my roommates. Of course all of us have seen it a gajillian times, of course we can recite most if not all the diologue, and of course it's corny as hell, but its soo good for those reasons. Everyone needs to watch a movie from when they were young every once and a while to remember what it was like to be carefree, and with a cast including Catherine O'Hara (woot) John Candy (woot) and Kieran Culkin (that's right Macaulay's bro steals a scene or two getting his face mashed in by a chair, and pretending to be a bed-wetter, bahaha) who wouldn't skip an hour and a half of clean fun; from start to finish.
This flick came out in 90' so anyone in my age range can definitely identify with Kevin, come on, jumping on your parents' bed when you were 8, who didn't do that at least a dozen times!
It's hilarious watching it now, my roommates and I were more laughing at the ridiculously irrational Harry and Marv use to rob the house, than anything. a conversation between them
Harry - they're loaded with jewelry, stereos, and VCRs
Marv - Yeah, and TOYS!
You're a thief, you go by the name "wet bandits" your name is Marv and you're concerned about stealing the people's toys
And who would climb out of a second floor room to catch the kid, when you're there to rob the house in the first place, Geez
Home Alone definitely brings people together, if you think it's lame and corny you watch it so you can make fun of it. I watched it last year with my dad, it was a hoot. The lack of a political message also makes this a good pic (yeah It's a wonderful life is a classic, but it's still a very raa raa lets support our troops flick...see if you can find the lincoln/ napoleon figures they put in strategically, I saw them) no need to write "notes" during this one.
So yeah I recommend during this holiday season give some peeps or family a ring, order up a tasty, warm cheese pizza, and have a ball.
Julia, one feisty cat
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
The Thin Blue Line was a fair film. I have to admit it's been on my conscience for 3 years to see this flick. Ever since I watched Dr. Death in Intro to film, Errol Morris documentary style has appealed to be. Side note I recommend Dr. Death and Morris' latest films Fog of War, both are of excellent taste. I like Morris' style because he gives all his subjects space to say what is on their mind. He portrays them all with dignity and respect, ever the real wackos that he sometimes talks to.
So I took the documentary class, thinking there'd be a couple of films I've been meaning to see, unfortunately most of them looked lame from the get go, but some of them were good. The Thin Blue Line was the last film we watched, which kind of irked me, because it was the only one I really wanted to see. Today during the screening because I was tired (about school and life) I was fidgeting in my seat and I couldn't enjoy it as much as I liked. I even sat in the front row so that I could "enjoy" the film more.
So yeah, for someone who's intrigued with what Errol has to offer, I say take the plunge! The Thin Blue Line is one of his earlier features so it shows how he's working with his style.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Line, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
I have mixed feelings about this film. On one hand the visuals were good, CGIs was used properly, in my opinion there was a good dose of fiction/fantasy...but on the other hand, gawd I feel like I walked out of a feature length bible studies class. Granted I walked in with that impression in my head, so the symbols seemed more obvious.
I was on a side note happy to see a performance from Jim Broadbent, that guy does great scatter-brain performances (are they performances? jk).
The acting of the children was pretty horrid, especially little Lucy. I thought the character Susan was a bit of a bitch, either that or she was on her period...quick get her some turkish delight!
The movie was overall a corn-fest, but I enjoyed watching it in a packed theatre where people were comfortable laughing at the cheese.
I personally don't recommend this film because I didn't see anything extraordinary about it. It was easy to digest and easy to forget.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
I enjoyed this movie, it was the second time I saw it and it served just as well as the first time around. I think this representation of the Douglas Adam's book was better than my expectations. I actually thought it would be crappy, and feel forced, but I was surprised.
It was a silly, fun movie, and it was very very tolerable, in fact i enjoyed the cheese factor, so cheesy makes me crave KD! sweet!
Performances by Sam Rockwell as Zaphods and Alan Rickman as the voice of Marvin cut me up, soo funny. There was definitely a good energy in this film, and I think it really shows.
It's a Disney flick, and that at first made me hesitate to watch it, but I didn't feel any stigma attached that made me recoil in sunshine cheer the majority of Disney's library gives me.
Sillyness is evident throughout the film, from the beginning when Mos Def shows up pushing a grocery cart and takes the Arthur Dent character out for a drink as the world is ending...to John Malcovich's hi-larious cameo as a torso with electro-beetle legs.
I recommend this film, the only weakness I found was the corny "there's no place like home" theme. While this gives me a warm and cozy feeling inside, I can't help but think that this idea has been done way to many times...and it takes away from the sillyness of the film.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
This movie is crazy! There are moments where I laugh til I cry: "Get down on your knees and tell me you love me!", moments where I want to commit Kevin because he seriously as issues for a kid, come on putting gas in the toilet, lighting Harry's head on fire than making him put his head in the toilet...in the background all you hear Kevin say: "YES!" with a big grin on his face and electrocuting Marv like that with the sink...Kev is a lil s.o.b, imo. There are moments when I wonder if Mr Duncan gives all the little boys and girls turtle doves, because he says it some reverently, as if he gives his heart away to all the children (ok that's probably pushing it).
Overall, this flick flows pretty smoothly. Like the first Home Alone, I can probably recite all the dialogue + song fade ins...But usually the story just seems TOO coincidental, The Wet Bandits are in New York at the exact same time and place as Kevin, and for that matter The Wet Bandits were able to break out of prison, sure...can we say suspended belief?
Who didn't want one of those talking gadgets where you can embarrass your Uncle Frank in the shower, haha...I think most people know how to do "The Cool Jerk!"
I can say I didn't like Catherine O'Hara's haircut in this film, she looks like she's on crack because her eyes are also looked they've been bleached, if that's possible. I think Kieran should have gone more screen time, I remember seeing him in only what ONE scene.
Overall though HA2 does a fair follow up to HA1, I recommend it, plus the idea that you can get separated from your family with exclusive access to their credit cards, that's a pretty sweet deal!
Holla!
A Day at the Races (1937)
For a Marx brothers film, I thought this film did not have enough slap-stick. There were many scenes where non-characters would step in and do 10 minute song and dance scene, I did not see a point of it. How is a ballet performance contributing to a Marx brothers film, other than to contrast the delicacy of it, but really I thought it too up time and energy
What I loved about this film is there was an awesome piano performance from Chico Marx, that guy was talented...he played a solid 5 minute piece, and played it so effortlessly as if it's second nature, major wow. Then it was followed by a smooth harp performance by Harpo Marx, I guess the kid's a natural.
Groucho was alright in this flick, he didn't have as many funny lines as in their film Duck Soup which made me laugh until I cried. Margaret Dumont also I found was only fair in this film. I think there was too much going on in this film for me to laugh, at least on the first viewing
oh well, better luck next time.
Meatballs (1979)
I have to say this film was pretty authentic when it comes to over night camp experiences. I enjoyed it. One thing that I found strange was the feeling I got that something tramatic was going to happen, whenever the depressed kid had a scene...I always had the feeling he was getting ready to hear bad news or that he was going to abuse himself.
There were some great scenes with Bill Murray, he carried the film without a doubt.
After this film I'm ready for the summer.
Giant (1956)
The best scene in my opinion was the last one. In it Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor's characters are reflecting on their lives. They have been married to one another for many years. They are looking at their two grand children and reflecting on how they came about. The chemistry between the two characters was sweet. Elizabeth Taylor's character is telling Rock that she was proud of him when he stood up to the racist restaurant owner, which had just happened. My two favourite lines from the scene were Rock Hudson saying "I don't need to take it from no sheep" when the sheep bahs at him, hahaha and then later after Elizabeth's character explains why she loves Rock's character, Rock goes "I don't think I'll ever understand you" then the movie ends, ah, le sigh The movie was long in general, but actually quite captivating. James Dean plays a great rich prick. As James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson's characters aged only their hair seemed to gather baby powder to show their aging, but not of them had wrinkles, I think they didn't want to know what they would actually look like, that or makeup wasn't advanced that far in 1956. I recommend this film if you like watching actors together that you wouldn't normally see in a film together...Dennis Hopper plays Rock Hudson's son, crazy! They had a couple confrontations, check it out.
A Night at the Opera (1935)
This Marx brother's film was quite better than "A Day at the Races" that I watched a week ago. A Night at the Races definitely had better comedic energy, one of my theories being because the Allan Jones didn't have as large of part. My favourite scene is when the 3 Marx brothers and Allan Jones are having breakfast right as the police are trying to catch them. Harpo (my favourite of the brothers) puts a pancake on a teacup, hands it to Chico, but Chico says "no thanks I don't like the cupcakes" haha. The rest of the scene has the Marx brothers and Allan Jones running between two connecting rooms from the policeman...there are many hijinks that take place, take my word. Chico and Harpo play their instruments again, it was good, not as long as in A Day at the Races, but still cool. Some of the lines from Groucho weren't that funny, and overall I think Harpo is the funniest Marx brother, he never says anything, but his facial expressions are GOLD! When they are on the boat and the brothers are hungry Harpo's face while they're getting food was priceless, his mouth was wide open and his eyes were round saucers. Check this one out if you want to pick between it and A Day at the Races.
Family Plot (1976)
This was definitely one of the weakest Alfred Hitchcock films I've ever seen, it was also the last film he directed. It's not that it was a bad movie to say, but Hitchcock is a director that most people have a level of expectancy when they watched them. Of course Hitchcock used all his familiar cinema elements that are signature to his style: the weak blonde woman, the greed of the main characters, a conspiracy where the audiences knows more than the characters, all leading to a suspenseful climax. But this film was only moderate with presenting these elements to the audience. I felt bored at times because I felt like it was 15 minutes too long. I think this film would have worked better if is was condensed into around the 90 minute mark. I think Hitchcock was lacking in his cinematic genius that is so better illustrated in his earlier work. I want to check out "Frenzy" which was the film he released before "Family Plot" to see if his style diminishing was a trend. I think it's also possible that Hitchcock didn't have the same energy he once had. I think it's also possible that he was trying to cater to a mainstream audience and decided to dilute his plot devices. It was still entertaining to watch
Designing Woman (1957)
It wasn't bad. Lauren Bacall was too fierce of a woman sometimes and it was hard to believe that she was weak when her character fell over a few times. What I found interesting about this film was that Lauren Bacall's character had a hard time trusting her husband. I guess it was hard for her to take a leap of faith, well honey, take a leap or I'm going to push you! The story of this film started out with Gregory Peck's character which leads the audience to believe that he is the main character, but as the film develops Lauren Bacal's character takes over some what. My favourite part of the film was when Lauren Bacall's dancer friend beat up all the mob bully's when before Gregory Peck said he looked like a pansey, he sure showed him. Another good performance was from the character Maxy. Maxy has a couple internal monologues that were more entertaining than most of the film. I though Maxy was grossly underrated.
Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
I enjoyed this film. Visually it was great, the composition kept my attention and the lighting tried to make the most with variety. I like watching black and white contemporary films from time to time. I find it's a choice the director has to think about before taking on, because it creates a level all its own. People obviously don't see in black and white and watching a black and white film adds a dimension for the viewer because it adds more into escapism. phew that was a long thought. The acting was also pretty good. I enjoyed the performances by Robert Downy Jr and Patricia Clarkson as a couple hiding their marriage from their employer so they don't lose their jobs. Jeff Daniels performance was also noteworthy. I have things I want to say about George Clooney, he definite tries to be Mr Smarty Pants. My thought on his performance and every other performance he does is a reflection of him voguing like a thinking man. Like Jim Carrey practiced his funny faces, I really think Clooney practiced making his profound thought and gestures. The guy can be pretty smug. His sense of humour sometimes reminds me of my dad's, someone who is comfortable and established in their profession and feels stable so he takes witty jabs at people around him. I could go on. I think Clooney's star persona is worth looking at. The flow of the film was pretty smooth, I didn't have any problems with it. I felt it was too slow at times when the newsmen were brainstorming or waiting around for a response to one of their pieces. I think this film made a good effort at capturing the attitude during the Mccarthy era, but the way it was wrapped up so easily at the end with the downfall of Mccarthy it seemed them didn't do the issue justice. I say check it out if you're interested in corruption and politics, but Clooney takes a pretty light stance so it feels like it's only doing a surface lever reading. I hope that wasn't too long.
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
This was a fun movie. Movies from the 50s seem to be hitting my sweet spot lately (that and there's nothing else I feel like renting from Blockbuster).I can't help but laugh at all the pastels, the huge ass appartments three women get in New Year (jealous), and the almost carefree attitude that is captured. They seem like films that are completely unrealistic and phony, but that's what keeps me going back for more, because it's Hi-larious. Marilyn Monroe as the dumb blonde is so funny, in this movie she refuses to wear her glasses so she constantly is tripping over things or banging into walls, then she just shrugs it off poses and walks on. Betty Grable is also great, her character is dead straight with the man she first dates. While her friends play with the question of asking their date if they have a wife already Betty flat out goes "So are you married?" *laughs*Lauren Bacall is a friggin maneater, I don't enjoy her characters too much, they're selfish in a conscious way (while Marilyn and Betty are just ignorant, so you can't blame them). Lauren's character is the only one that almost doesn't marry for love, lame. But it could be because her character was emotionally hurt in the past and she didn't want to have bad feelings again. This is a good chick flick. The best parts are with Marilyn and Betty because they have great comic timing, while Lauren is like a stick in the mud, in my opinion.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
I was somewhat disappointed with this instalment of Harry Potter. I felt like the film rushed through the plot so that they could cover a lot of ground. I think personally they should have broken up this book into 2 parts, like what they did with Kill Bill. They probably could have made a lot more money if they did a spring release for the first half and the winter release for the second half. It also would have got people in with the suspense. Because of all the cutting there's an awful gap in the storyline in the middle during the school ball...I'll just say the characters were all sitting with one another then in the next shot they're scattered around the room and teen drama unfolds without much explanation. I missed my Snape in this movie too. Alan Rickman's voice is so despondent and bitter, it just makes me giddy...I enjoyed this film during the two 5 minute scenes they allowed Snape to talk, there there dear. My favourite shot was at the beginning; all the characters are walking up a mountain side at dawn and the camera, while it's shot at knee level, catches their silhouettes against the sun, pretty good for a kids movie, I don't remember any stand out shots after that. Overall the film was entertaining and is worth checking out, because there was a lot of action versus story, someone who hasn't seen all the previous HP films can keep up.
Harvey (1950)
Harvey is a theatre production that they adapted for the screen in 1950. It shows through how the film is presented. First there is not much composition variety, the shots are mainly static and neutral and the there isn't a lot of importance put on the setting of the scene. And second the story relies on the dialogue between the characters to move the story along. Harvey is a fair film, I enjoyed it but I also didn't find it to be anything too special. I would have liked more attention put on the cinematography elements of the film, maybe different angles to make it seem that Jimmy Stewart is actually talking to a giant bunny rabbit, but my impression is they wanted to do a straight from stage to screen adaptation, probably not much was changed in the translation. The pacing was smooth and the casting was well done. Jimmy Stewart plays a gentle bumbling everyman with pizzaz (that's right, it's right up his alley), but his passiveness and stuttering can sometimes get on my nerves...spit it out Jimmy, sometime this year! Check out Harvey though if you're interested in a good feeling, good natured story the whole family can enjoy.
Fantastic Four (2005)
This movie was what I expected, a summer blockbuster, but there was one element that took me by surprise. There was a subplot with The Thing where his fiancé breaks up with him after seeing his mutation followed by his emotional breakdown. I thought this was such a sad element to the plot and it added a layer to the film...So that's one, two....two layers, not too shabby. The rest of the movie was limp, the special effects could have been way better and I would have been cool if they had more fight scenes, or urban wreckage scenes. I thought it was dumb that Jessica Alba and her brother character were scientist, they didn't no jack!The script was horrible also, the lines were something a grade 2 would make up for one of their plays, and that's being generous.The bad guy Von Doom wasn't that bad, he wasn't the best villain either, I would have liked the tension to rise a little more between Doom and the Four. I felt like nothing in the plot ever got a chance to develop. The love story between Reed and Sue was weak also, I didn't see any chemistry between them.I don't recommend this movie if you're looking for something bold, this is just a run of the mill type film.
Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy (1996)
Brain Candy was a fair film. I liked it's message: you can't be happy all the time, so just deal with periodic sadness. Brain Candy was disappointing in terms of slapstick. I think that, because Kids in the Hall are used to the sketch comedy framework, that it was difficult for them to translate their humour on the big screen (as the majority of SNL features are hella lame). The film had all the charm that the sketches The Kids in the Hall offer, men dressing up as women is one of their strengths, it's funny, but gets repetitive after half a dozen occurrences.
The film was shot in T. I thought it was cool seeing Yonge street in the background of a lot of their shots. (as soon as you see the Sam the Record Man lights all bets are off!).
The length of the film, 88 minutes, was good, anything more than 100 minutes would have dragged on. I think the way the film ended was good for what they were working with. Also the budget being low seemed to fit the film.
In essence, this film was decent, it did not get on my nerves at any part, so it was kind of enjoyable.
Suicide Kings (1997)
I thought this movie was great! Christopher Walken, Denis Leary gave their signature acting, which I feel were strengths. The film was a balance between a formula Hollywood film, and something profound and unique, it's really cool. Not many films, in my opinion, can strike this balance, the film is gold when it does.
So many human emotions are presented while the plot is unfolding, that's the genius behind this film. Christopher Walken, who plays the mob leader, has encounters with each of the young men, he teaches them all lessons about life, especially about how it is important to read your opponent before they have a chance to read you. I'd say this is evidence of borderline art cinema. Granted the cinematography doesn't indulge the audience in terms of composition, the character development is where this film is at. I loved when the film would expand on the back stories that brought all the characters to this point in their lives, I found it really enriched the connection the audience feels toward the characters. Knowing more about a characters motivations definitely brings more life to a film. Many times I didn't know which character to believe.
When I think about it this film had many characteristics similar to a Shakespearean drama, it's pretty cool.
I definitely recommend this film, it had layers of human drama, but it was able to create it to be very accessible to audiences, check it out!
Take the Money and Run (1969)
I thought this film was kind of weak, it didn't have much of a spark that did anything for me. It's the 2nd film Woody Allen directed, I was expecting something with raw self-indulgence. Mind you there was some self-indulgence, there wasn't much that appealed to me. Woody Allen plays a robber, who always gets caught. Somehow in the middle of this he hooks up with a beautiful woman and they get married, I don't understand why this girl stayed with him. The film seems illogical at many times.
I was glad that the movie was only 85 minutes long, it stopped before I could get bored with it, hahaha.
Casino Royale (1967)
Casino Royale is a spoof of the early James Bond movies, by reputation I was hoping this would be a side splitting flick. I thought it was a pretty good film, it wasn't spectacular, but it definitely had some quality moments. At the beginning it was funny when they made fun of all the lame gadgets that Bond uses: the poison flower, the flame throwing pen and so on.
My favour scene was when Bond's daughter went to Germany to infiltrate an evil organization and the interior decorating was all in an expressionistic style, it was hilarious. There was also a scene where representations from different countries think they're at war because they're shown footage of a battle and they get all geared up for action, crazy.
The casting was great, Orson Welles, Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, Jean Paul Belmondo, but they didn't get as much screen time as they were advertised, TEASE!
I say check it out for the campiness at least, the special effect are so cheesy and low budget it's hard to tell if they did it intentionally or because they didn't have enough funds.
Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
I have to say I was disappointed with this film. I had known about this film for years, and when I finally rent it, I get shafted! Gus Van Sant, what happened?
Granted this film came out before My Own Private Idaho (which I severely compared it to) it just didn't stack up.
The acting was weak, the quality in the composition was also weak. I also can't say that I was into the resolution of the narrative. It seemed interesting, a bunch of junkies robbing drugstore so that they can score drugs, the execution just wasn't there.
I resented Matt Dillon's wife in the film because she was a piece of trash through the entire thing. Matt Dillon tried to clean up his act, but ends up being the one who dies, I guess that's a realistic portrayal, but it's undeserved.
Suspicion (1941)
I thought Suspicion was pretty good. There were some elements of it that didn't sit well with me. For one Cary Grant is a great actor who plays virtuous, humble characters, and I found it hard seeing him try to be in the position of a suspicious murderer. I think he's fantastic in an Affair to Remember, His Girl Friday and others; he's one of my favourite actors from the classical period but seeing him play a potentially nasty character gave me a sour taste in my heart.
Jane Fontaine as the wife who suspects him put on a good performance, she was good in Rebecca, another Hitchcock film as well.
The flow of the film was also pretty good. It kept my attention and didn't have any slow moments. But I think what is stopping me from saying this was a fantastic film is that, while I was watching it I was comparing it to all of Hitchcock's classic films that I have known for years, there was nothing bold and unique that I found this film had in comparison to the other Hitchcock films. Granted, however, this film certainly holds it's own and I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a subtle drama/thriller.
I think more could have been done with the script, most of the emotions were made to me interpreted from the actor's performances, which were good, but a stronger script would have added more.
Blood Simple (1983)
I thought this film was alright. I'm personally not a big fan of horror/thrillers because they don't offer much in terms of studying the human condition. That being said, I think Blood Simple does well in this genre, it is subtle and really got my pulses going; when Frances stabbed that guy in the hand I thought MY blood was going to curd.
My favourite 2 shots were: 1 in the bar when the camera tracks along the bar counter and smoothly goes over the man sleeping face down on the counter, it was very well executed. My other favourite shot was when Frances and her lover are having a bit of a miscommunication in her apartment; the shot is taken from across the street outside. When the lights are on in Frances' apartment the shot looks like it's homaging a Hitchcock thriller, I thought that was cool.
Overall, I found the film to be kind of amateurish, it was enjoyable, but since it's not really my cup of tea I don't see myself watching it again anytime soon.
I recommend it to fans of this genre, take the plung!
The Parent Trap (1961)
This film is cute in the old-school kids movie cute. Hayley Mills was both funny and annoying. I think it was the overdose of saccharine they gave Hayley during the production that did it.
Parent Trap is the kind of movie you loved to watch when you were a kid, but then when you watch them as a young adult/adult you can't help but laugh at how ridiculous it is. One of the lines I'll always laugh at is the camp director saying "I got a cake in my hands" then lifting the cake to only have it fall in her face 5 seconds later, haha, looks like the cake is no longer in your hands.
It's also the kind of movie that revolves around the big C word: Coincidence. The whole movie is one coincidence after another: Oh geez, the twins just happen to go to the same camp one year when they live on opposite sides of the country! Good golly the Dad just so happens to be engaged the same year and it provokes the twins to cook up a zany scheme to break that up and get their parents back together!
It's fun to watch films like this every once and a while because they're sooo smooth, everything just goes exactly how it's supposed to, but after 2 or 3 films like this in a row I'd just want to gag myself with a spoon.
It's kind of ridiculous to think that the parents will live happily ever after, after their second marriage, they're bound to hit a few more bumps; the twins won't be living with them forever, but maybe it was having kids that ruined the marriage? (making a mental note) Parent Trap: The Empty Nest, coming a theatre near you!
The Celebration (1998)
I thought this film was phenomenal! The story was great, the cinematography was innovative and it didn't over do it, in the process.
This film revolves around a family getting together to celebrate a father's 60th birthday, like all families this one has it's own case of drama. The tension gets pretty intense when one of the sons, during his speech, reveals to the whole family that their father used to rape him and his sister when they were younger and kept it a secret from everyone for most of his life.
The film was shot using the Dogme 95 manifesto, with handheld cameras and with no props, I thought it was executed magnificently. I've seen a few other Dogme 95 films, but this one rates as one of the best.
The flow of the film was so natural the viewer feels as is they are at the celebration themselves. The story is extremely accessible as everyone in their lives has experienced family drama at one point or another, I found myself actively responding to the characters actions and reactions.
The films depressing ending does not have to be looked at as completely bleak, because there were some small hints that the children may get back on their feet, after this episode.
I definitely recommend this film for anyone. Even though the cinematography is regarded as the opposite of the norm, and maybe require some getting used to from some viewers, it's definitely a story worth knowing!
The Constant Gardener (2005)
I really enjoyed this film. The story was good, the cinematography was slick and I didn't barf from any cliché/overdone genre themes, sweet!
I think it was the combination of sappy love story (but not overdone) and socially conscious narrative thread that kept my attention. The love scenes in the beginning were so cute, I was jealous, however I did almost have enough when, during the flashbacks the characters said "I love you, honny". I get it, you were in love, maybe use another adjective.
The socially conscious thread worked well with what is going on in contemporary politics of corporate pharmaceuticals, it definitely had a place, however just as the "I love yous" with the couple was too much, I thought this thread was redundant at times; it didn't go into depth in terms of unearthing the corrupt corporations, probably because there were so many flashbacks going on through Ralph Fiennes of his wife saying "I love you" he did not have as much time to think about the pharmaceutical companies.
The direction of the film was fantastic! Fernando Meirelles is an awesome director, this film was right up his alley.
I say check out this film.
2046 (2004)
I enjoyed this picture almost only for its aesthetic values. What I didn't enjoy were the scenes where the main guy has sex with the prostitute next door, but then treats her as no more than an acquaintance when she has the urge to have a more than physical relationship with him. It's a kind of messed up narrative in this respect.
2046 is a Hong Kong film about twisted romances by trying to substitute one person for another. The main guy mostly had an affair with the prostitute next door because her room number was the same room number as the woman who he had an illicit affair with a few years ago. The guy also almost hooks up with another lady because she had the same name as the woman he used to be in love with. I guess this narrative is illustrating that you can't force yourself to stop loving someone? either way I feel bad for the women who were under the impression that the guy had feelings for them.
The aesthetics were incredible in my opinion. Wong Kar Wai uses some great colouring and composition style. I could just watch the images with no sound track and still enjoy the film. Everything seemed so natural, but at the same time perfectly chosen to look just so.
I definitely recommend this film for foreign enthusiast, or people who are interested in starting to watch foreign films. It's definitely accessible, except for the parts when they were in "the future" realm the main guy creates to try and escape him love for the woman he originally loved.
Capote (2005)
Capote was pretty emotionally intense; I felt myself being pulled in numerous directions in terms of who to sympathize with. I felt bad for Capote because he was going through while he was writing his book, I felt bad for the murderers because they were being exploited by Capote beyond their knowledge, and I felt bad for the community that had to live through the events after the murder. So I was feeling a bit emotionally drained afterwards.
Visually, I found Capote modest, it didn't try many daring set-ups having most of the emphasis on the actors' performances. Catherine Keener and Chris Cooper were awesome as supporting actors, and of course I'll give a nod of recognition to Hoffman, but come on who hasn't so I won't indulge his presently inflated ego.
Scenes to look out for: the re-enactment of the murder scene (disturbing); and the scene of Capote writing by the sea in Spain (gorgeous), the rest are depressing and pretty morbid to say the least.
Capote is worth checking out at a time that you feel neutral (you wouldn't want it to ruin a good mood, or make a sour mood even more sour).
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)
What I can say? This movie was CRAPPY!
They tried doing too much, and it ended up coming out messy; there were a lot of unanswered questions, the device of the "coincidence" was completely overdone. I saw this on the big screen too, so it's makes it awkward to stop watching it since I paid to go see it, bad move.
Putting murder/mystery/comedy together can sometimes work, but in this case the soda goes flat when the narrative begins. Using "intertitles" to make the film arts and crafty didn't help either.
It was mostly a crappy movie because the main girl just got on my nerves completely, I really think the producers wanted to cast Liv Tyler (who only moderately annoys me) but she turned it down so they had to substitute her with a really annoying chick.
Robert Downey Jr was fair (his losing a finger was the best part of his performance), but Val Kilmer totally carried the film, in my opinion. Playing the gay detective who can turn on flamboyancy whenever he wanted was the only funny aspect of this weak flick.
To Sleep with Anger (1990)
I did not have anything against this movie, there was just nothing that happened that could make me excited or turn me off.
Charles Burnett's story of an African American family who receives a not so welcome guest who upturns their lives, seems like if could be an interesting human interest films and family drama, but it didn't really come out saying anything.
My favourite scene, and one of the few that I reacted to was when the older brother is trying to get the younger brothers attention, because the younger brother beat his wife and is now sitting in his car, waiting. The older brother shakes the car yelling what sounds to be "babee bra, babee bra!, stop acting like a child". Um, Big Bro? I think you're acting like a child, hehe. Also having Danny Glover's body covered with a blanket when it's lying in the kitchen is hilarious.
But, overall I'm indifferent to this film. I didn't hate or love it, it was just there, and I watched it in class, bleh.
In Her Shoes (2005)
I thought this was an endearing film. The story of the bond between two sisters, through thick and thin, sigh. Makes me miss my sister poopi pants.
I thought it was funny how Toni Collette's character gets married at the end (Toni starred in Muriel's Wedding where her character's pathetic attempt to get married is the butt end of the joke).
Cameron Diaz's character was mostly sloppy, then ending with some grace, but not very convincingly. It's as if Cameron decided to put no effort into constructing her character and just showed up for shooting (her character is what I call a "blah" character because there's nothing extraordinary about it).
Shirley MacLaine I thought was wonderful in this picture. What I liked about her presence is that even before I say her on screen I was given the impression that Toni and Cameron's characters were similar to Shirley's character in "The Apartment". Shirley's character in "The Apartment" is a young woman who is insecure and who gets herself involved with a married man, who is Jack Lemmon's boss. It's a heavy movie, it really hit my heart at a few points. I think it's a neat coincidence that they can cast Shirley as the role of the mentor for the character that she played nearly 46 years ago, crazy! you go Shirley, you're one tough gal!
I have no comment on the direction, there was nothing I feel stood out mostly because the film was about showcasing Cameron's derriere (on side note, if that's what you're interested in, this is a great chance to check that out).
Overall, this movie is a tender piece about the importance of family bonds. It's a fair movie, but could have been 20 minutes shorter.
From The Journals of Jean Seberg (1995)
So I say to myself, Julia you've seen this movie 4 times because you did a presentation for it in class, and you haven't blogged in a dog's age, so you might as well bloggit!
This movie is in an essay style which would normally make me question why I'm watching it, but I actually found it kind of interesting, and kind of funny. The woman playing Seberg really ticked me off and I wanted to punch her throughout the film (gah that voice, shut up!)
The scenes making fun of Jane Fonda were definitely the highlight of the film (what a tool!), and I thought it was neat when they put together all the different Joan of Arc performances in one sequence.
This film is one that should be watched only if sought out for. The annoying voice of the lady almost made me not want to finish watching the movie, and therefore finishing my presentation.
The length was good. 97 minutes, any more and I would have gone bananas (and who's to say I haven't)
Weekend (1967)
This was the 2nd time I've seen this movie, and I have to say it lost some of it's magic this time around. Weekend is regarded as Godard's masterpiece, and I enjoy many of his films, but the political messages in this film did no interest me.
Godard is good for people who want something completely different than a narrative structure. The story is of a woman and her husband who go on a trip plotting to murder her mother in order to get all the inheritance from her father. During the trip they get into a lot of misshapes, it can be kind of annoying at time (really you have to want to see this movie, to enjoy it).
They do end up killing the mother by the end, but then the husband is killed and eaten by a bunch of cannibals who the wife is now a part of, and she eats her husband essentially.
Soo many metaphors in this film you have to already know about them to understand them. The monologues some of the characters have are interesting. As of now I can only enjoy the film as if i was watching in order to find patterns in all of Godard's films, like the intertitles and people gets ticked off at each other, hehe.
I do really like to cars that the characters were driving throughout their trip, they were très chic! and the countryside looked very beautiful.
If you're looking for a cool Godard film to watch I recommend 'A Woman is a Woman' about an exotic dancer who wants to get pregnant by her boyfriend who doesn't want to..."it'z dee way of dee french!"
Memento (2000)
I've seen this movie a couple of times now so it's hard not to be partial and drag my criticism for this film also. Memento is the kind of film that all film students have seen at one point or another in their film studies career, haha.
I enjoy this film because it has so much depth in terms of human nature and the structure of it is just so damn cool.
Guy Pierce playing the guy with no memory is slick; I was paying extra close attention to his mannerisms and they were so subtle, yet so defined, it was awesome! My favourite part of the movie is when for a split second you see Guy Pierce sitting in the mental hospital chair instead of Sammy Jenkins, it's soo eerie, i get goosebumps everytime, honestly!
Another cool part is when the movie at the end moves from B/W to colour because the story is almost done, or "at the beginning". I feel like the film has a good closure with the effect in place.
Christopher Nolan is good as a director, I enjoy his style. He was good for Batman Begins also, his psychological approach to characters that are damaged and intriguing and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
I thought the length was good, not too long not too short, that and I've seen is almost half a dozen times and I don't have to check my watch at all.
Memento should be watched by everyone at least once. It's accessible when you get past the idea that it is being shown in reverse; it's a great effect when done properly, makes me think I should have written a paper about it in my narrative theory class, PSYCKE!
The Aristocrats (2005)
This movie tries to be funny, but it just ain't. The premise of the flick that a bunch of comedians reminisce about a joke that has a long history and a great reputation and being absurdly funny, I didn't laugh once when it was being told.
I see this movie as movie where comedians can laugh on camera and act like they're all soooo funny. The joke it's funny, it's silly and therefore impossible to laugh at when it's being forced out, they're all acting like teenage school girls, come on, think of something original.
I can see the filmmakers saying hey lets get a bunch of celebrated comedians interviewed about this raunchy joke, everyone will want to see it because everyone has at least one comedian that they enjoy.
I did laugh for a brief second though, when one comedian randomly said "oh that disastrous event that happened January 3rd...pause...I left my visa at the 4 seasons" when he was poking fun at how everyone references 9/11.
The organization I found was too gimmicky and that they were making the joke out to be more than it is. It's a lame joke that comedian's want to hype up because it has no limits. I think personally that some of the comedian's could have cared less whether this documentary about this film was made.
One trick pony my friend, make a documentary about that! I lost some respect for comedians with this one.
Stars – Winterlude Snowbowl – Feb 18, 2006
This was a cool performance, even though it was in the freezing cold weather. I had been waiting to see Stars live for over a year, so I couldn't miss the opportunity of seeing them for free.
They played for about 80 minutes which is pretty impressive, I was surprised I lasted over 90 minutes in the ass cold weather (I also avoiding checking the temperature before I left, some things are best left unknown).
Some of the highlights for me were "Elevator Love Letter" and a cool acoustic rendition of "Life Effect". They played more songs off their "Set Yourself on Fire" album, but still added in some of their older songs. They also did a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart", it was pretty cool; as an introduction they called him a young artist from New Jersey, I guess he's young at heart.
Vocalist and frontman Torquil Campbell made a strong impression to get the audience excited, encouraging the crowd to jump up and down to warm up. Also making mildly politically active stances, such as pointing and at Parliment saying this is a song about vampires, kind of like the ones over there, and referring to the people who run the country as a bunch of morns...I don't contest. Torq seemed a bit drained up on stage, but still gave the crowd great enthusiasm.
Amy Millan was awesome, I want to be her. Playing lead guitar, doing most of the vocals, but still giving a humble stage presence, how could one not admire her. Wearing a spiffy grey wool coat, black frilly skirt, with tights and a furry hat, she seemed to be mirroring the Russian style from the turn of the century, aye comrade. Amy had an awesome voice and gave a great performance despite the crappy weather. During a short interlude when Torq left the stage, Amy did an impromtu of BSS's "Superconnected" it was way cool! (I was secretly hoping a BSS member or two would hope out on stage at this point, but no dice). She is definitely Stars' greatest asset (as long as she doesn't do what Gwen Stefani did to No Doubt, she'll always be one hip cat).
Their bassist is also SOO HOT! He was great (something about bassist in trendy Montreal indie bands gets me off, who knew).
Overall I enjoyed myself at this show and recommend people see them live whenever they have the chance.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
I thought this was a nice movie. It had a strong story, the acting was well done, and visually it was rich. However, it did not live up to the reputation that is has garnered over the past few months. I took a queer theory class last semester and I can contest that this is not really a gay film. It's a queer film, and I would say that leaves it more open to interpretation.
This film does not have a lot of actual dialogue between the two main characters, I find that to be the strength of the film, because it shows that even they had trouble pronouncing their feelings for one another. Most of the emotions were portrayed through facial gestures, and their mannerisms toward one another, a very good job done by both Heath and Jake.
I feel that Ang Lee was a good pick to direct this picture also, because his style is so eclectic, from Eat Drink Man Woman to Sense and Sensibility, to The Ice Storm the The Hulk, Ang Lee has proved that he is not interested in maintaining his film conventions, kudos.
I feel like I should comment on the politics of the film, this film is darn conservative in my opinion. Yes it does shead light on same-sex relationships, but I don't think that deserves much attention, because the film is about the bond between two people who can't make public their relationship.
I recommend it.
The Weather Man (2005)
I thought this was an alright movie, nothing extraordinary, but I didn't despise it either. Nicolas Cage plays a weather man from Chicago who seems to never get a break, his wife left him, his dad doesn't respect him, and is on the social black list of the whole city. But at the same time I blame him for his misfortunes, he doesn't listen to anyone, he lets everyone walk all over him, but he still says it's not his fault, get over it chump.
His daughter who is 12 has a camel toe problem. Yeah it really sucks, but she's 12 so she's ignorant of it, obviously someone has to fix it without hurting her feelings. And his son is spending way too much time with a potential pervert, ah geez.
Like any other film this one ends happily. Though he does not get back together with his wife, he is able to fix his relationship with his father, and clean up his kids.
Gore Verbinski does a commendable job with this modest script. I also think it would have been interesting if the weather man was played by Adam Sandler, the character has make similarities to his character in, hmmm everything.
Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
I was pleasantly surprised with this film, it was good. It is the story of a fictional jazz guitarist played by Sean Penn done in a semi bio-pic style, which makes it even more funny than it already is.
What I liked most of the film were the women that Sean Penn's character got involved with seriously, they are the complete opposite from one another. The first lady, named Hattie, is a mute; so Sean Penn can't complain to her that he can't get emotional involved with women because she never complains that he doesn't. She's such a sweet lady; she follows him around like a loyal puppy and even buys him the exact gloves that he wanted, for his birthday, ah, that's soo sweet.
The second lady, played by Uma Thurman is the complete opposite, and she's hilarious at it. She has my favourite lines in this film. Her character is a writer and she's always trying to understand why Sean Penn's character does what he does. Stuff like "Why do you like to watch trains?" "Why do you like to shoot rats at the dump?" haha (because that's what his character likes to do). Sean Penn just shrugs his shoulder and says, I dunno...this is the majority of guys in a nut shell, deal with it. Her character tries to uncover the emotional truth behind Sean Penn's passion (lady his character mostly just wants to screw around with women, why else has he not kept a relationship and is continuously touring on the road, duh!). She brings this trait further when she's having an affair with someone's bodyguard who has killed people before. "What do you think about right when you're killing a guy?" "Why do you like killing this guy?". Meanwhile this bodyguard is staring at her boobs and telling her, her hair is real soft. (gee, he might be thinking about something else).
Not to take anything away from Sean Penn, he was great, not one of his best performances though. Direction from Woody Allen was pretty good also.
I say check out this film, it's not extraordinary, but very enjoyable.
The Idiots (1998)
This was a good movie, I enjoyed it because it's a Dogme 95 movie and it was a good story, but after seeing half a dozen Dogme films, I feel it's redundant for me to be watching it for it's unique stylization.
I enjoyed it more for the story. The story is about a group of people who pretend to be mentally retarded in order to escape the realities of today's society. This is a pretty cool premise, in my opinion. The character's get into some pretty wacky situations in order to keep the authenticity of their performance going (eg. One guy has to let someone hold his dick to pee, because the guy things he doesn't know how to do it himself, haha).
At times their behaviour seems pathetic, and bizarre, like when they have a group orgy while acting retarded in their group home.
But in the end the film has a strong message when it becomes obvious that none of them can keep up the charade, and still have a functional life in society. The characters dare each other to act retarded at their jobs, therefore jeopardizing their employment, but none of them have the guts to sacrifice their positions. I found this to be interesting because it shows that most people sacrifice guilty pleasures in order to function in society.
This film was the 2nd official film under the Dogme code, so it is pretty original for it's time.
I recommend it for anyone who wants to examine how most people don't act the way they want in society because they are too afraid they'll be shunned for it.
The Limey (1999)
I watched The Limey after my friend Nicole raved that it was genius, I can't say I agree, sorry, Nicole :( , but it still had some elements I thought were cool.
The story of The Limey is a British man flies to LA after finding out his daughter dies a suspicious death, and he wants to sort out what actually happened, so he can heal emotionally. That's an alright premise, it's not my favourite genre, sadly.
What I really liked about the film, however, was the cinematography and all other visual techniques Steven Soderbergh gave for our eyes to feast on. Visually it's a rich film, not of the lame CGI persuasion, but cool compositions, lightings, and filters. Soderbergh gives a nice range in terms of these elements. I have come to expect this to Soderbergh, he never disappoints in this area. One of the techniques in particular was making all the subjects and objects of the frame go blurry as if it was out of focus. But not just that, I'm not sure how to explain it, but the subjects had that extended blurriness that is added on top of them and belong them (if anyone knows what I'm talking about, please post a comment to clarify).
Side note, it was pretty cool seeing Peter Fonda in this movie, even though his character is a slime bucket, he's still a charmer.
I say check out this film if you're looking for some stimulation cinematography, and slick revenge movies, of course ;)
Cries and Whispers (1972)
I thought this was a strong movie. The story of two sisters going to the bedside of their other sister as she is dying of cancer, is deeply moving, a bit too moving for me at times. But I was still able to appreciate it, for what is had to offer, because it was so honest and true to how people act in these hard times. The two visiting sisters, Karin and Maria, are equally going through the same trauma of losing a sister, but are also equally opposite with how they show their emotions. Karin, the stronger of the two, does not cry as her sister is dying, and is cold and blunt toward Maria when Maria is trying to reach out to her. Maria is very easy with showing her emotions, she weeps and weeps as her sister is dying and shows signs of the sting of rejection when Karin says she hates her (that's harsh) after their sister Agnes has died.
Agnes maid, Anna, seems to be the one most affected by her death. Anna is the only one who stays up late at night to care for Anges, and is still humble toward Maria and Karin afterwards, even though she has suffered a major loss.
At the end of the film, Karin and Maria seem to be on better terms, but unfortunately Anna has to leave her employment and go elsewhere. The film is strong, like I said earlier, from the beginning to the end. It's not something to watch for fun because most of the time the only sound are cries and whispers, literally.
I have to say that this isn't my favourite Ingmar Bergman film I've seen. I'm more partial to The Seven Seal, Wild Strawberries, and Scenes from a Marriage (Scenes is the most accessible film by the way), most of his films being quite archaic.
The DVD I watched it on had an interview with Bergman, I thought that was pretty cool. He talks about life, death, and love, it's a complete understatement to say that he's had his fair share in his lifetime, but it's hard to put into the right words.
The cinematography was also well done in this film, and the symbolic red fade-outs left a strong feeling on me. I can't categorize this film on a scale because of the intense emotions that are portrayed; it was hard to watch, but also hard to look away.
Dead Man (1995)
I thought this was a good movie, but it was too long for me to enjoy. Because of it's speed, I felt bored, and also hard to concentrate on what was progressing in the film. That's not to say that it was a bad film. I thought this film had a lot of depth, and I enjoyed the characters and the premise of the film.
The premise of the film is a man goes to a small town because he thinks he has a job, but finds out he's too late. He then goes on a journey, after getting caught in bed with another man's wife, and kills the other man in self-defence.
Johnny Depp plays the main character, and he does a good job at it.
What I liked about this film is that is made fun of the western genre a bunch of times. Stuff like a rough cow boy sleeping with a teddy bear, references to a Pinto as a horse, and one of the guys feeling embarrassed that his fly is down. These references make the film seem kind of self-aware, I thought it was cool. Dead Man is kind of like Blazing Saddles, but with actual dark tones.
I'm also not normally a fan of Jim Jarmusch films because they're too slow moving and that seem depressing, that applies to Dead Man also, but I can tolerate it more than Broken Flowers or Coffee and Cigarettes. If you muster up the energy to watch this one, enjoy!
Metric – Capital Music Hall – March 3, 2006
I was really excited for this show and I put some expectations on it, but unfortunately in the end I was disappointed with the end result. There were many reasons why I left the show feeling this way. I will now indulge in them. For one, it seemed to take forever for them to start playing. My friends and I got there around 8:30, only to wait in line in the doorway, and then it took forever for each of the bands to start their respective sets. Also the venue was way too crowded for me to enjoy myself. It got gross uncomfortable sometimes, and to make matters worse I was standing behind a guy 2 heads taller than me who stood like a post, which a) turned me off from rocking out to Metric, and b) not being able to see Emily do her thang on stage. I was also disappointed that they only played 2 tracks of Old World Underground: combat Baby and Dead Disco. Come on, I really you're pushing the new album, but succexy would have been fantastic to hear.
I can't say the night was a complete bust though. The sound of the venue was pretty good, in my opinion. I really think it works in that venue (but unfortunately it was also the first event they held as the new capital music hall, and I really think they were trying to work out the kinks still). I bumped into some people I knew, and it was cool seeing them there, and eventually, after I had it up to here with the giant post in front of me, and took to the balcony where I could see everything perfectly, and was able to breath comfortably. Metric is a good band to see I say, I just had the unfortunate opportunity of have a shitty experience.
End Note: don't get mad at people when they bud in front of you sometimes. The world is an imperfect place. To the lady who gave me grief when I did said act because my roommate and I were feeling nauseous: get a friggin grip! Whenever budding is involved the person doesn't have some malicious intention to ruin your evening, you ended up getting your coat before me in the end anyway, Geez!
Gummo (1997)
I've seen this movie twice now, and it's hard to say I despise it, and it's hard to say I like it. It's one of those films that hit you, and you're left questioning what it all meant. I think that could be a good thing. However, what disturbed me about Gummo is that, it still doesn't make much sense to me. The film is about a bunch of different people in Xenia, Ohio and how their lives are really decrepit after a tornado hit their town.
I think what had turned me off from this film is the grossness and stupidity of some of the scenes. The kid eating spaghetti in the dirty bath water and then dropping a chocolate bar in the water was pretty nasty. The group of hicks arm wrestling then destroying their own furniture (with many mise en scene discontinuities) seemed dumb too. I guess all of it probably has a point to it. I feel like I shouldn't knock the film in this blog, because it was successful at what it was trying to do, that is show the horrible aftermath of a tornado hitting a small community, the educated people probably left because they knew it was only going downhill.
The film does not have a goal, and it also does not have characters that develop or learn something about themselves or human nature. What I got from this film is that if a communities foundation is completely thrown off balance, there is little that can be done to repair the damage, unless people from the outside help them out. I may be completely off with that prognosis, let me know if you think otherwise.
I did love one element of this film, and that was the soundtrack. It plays both Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison tunes. I thought that was really cool, both musicians have been in my metaphysical ipod since I was a wee one.
I guess Harmony Korine was successful with his film. I take it he wanted to do something different than mainstream Hollywood and that he was not trying to impress anyone. It was a guilty pleasure to read Ebert's review. He so desperately was trying to retain his professionalism by not saying "I thought this movie was a piece of shit". Oh Ebert, you're such a tool!
I say check this film out if you want to broaden your horizon's, just don't be surprised if it initially turns you off.
Water (2005)
I thought this was an alright movie. It didn't do anything in particular for me, the visuals were strong, but I couldn't relate at all to the subject matter. Water is about the oppression women experienced in the 30s in India, and also has a sub narrative thread about the trials of Gandhi. It was director by a Canadian, I feel like I should at least say something about that, but I'm drawing a blank ah, geez.
Trivial side note: the main soundtrack tune was almost identical to the theme of the movie Titanic...that movie also has A LOT of water in it, coincidence? who knows!
I can't comment on recommending this film on not, if you're interested in the subject matter, go nuts.
Dial M for Murder (1954)
I thought this was a good movie. It was well acted, the story was strong and the visuals were rich. There are a few things I'd like to point in particular that I thought made this a good movie. The film was essentially
more or less shot in one room, the scene of the crime being that room, it was very theatrical in that respect. What I liked about it, is that I seamlessly did not think twice that so much was just in one room. I think the fluidity of the story suspended the audience from being aware that there is not much variety in terms of scenery; and whenever he is showing the characters outside the apartment going in or out of the building, he shoots it from inside the apartment. I guess an psychoanalytical reading will tell us that the apartment room is the film and it represents the oppression that the female character is
experiencing under his husband. It is also interesting because the wife is having an affair with another man, but we are never told where they have the affair, do they "do it" in the apartment? tisk tisk. There is one shot in the film that really stood out, and that was the overhead shot that seems to be placed on the ceiling looking down almost, I thought this was a really cool shot, and that it must have heavily influenced superseding directors.
I love that Grace Kelly was in the film, she is awesome and no wonder she's a princess. I think it was a good pick to have her play the helpless female, because the audience feels so sorry for her that she is falsely
accused of murder, even though she was obviously cheating on her husband. If Hitchcock was to have casted a fugly lady, people would think that they character deserves the death sentence, because if she can't prevent herself from veering away from her husband, who know's what she'd be capable of? murder, perhaps? I haven't completely decided what I think of Ray Milland as the husband character. It's as if he was casted because Cary Grant wasn't available, he looks almost like a complete double of Cary. Anyone who has seen a good Cary Grant film knows what I'm taking about. That guy can melt the polar caps with his charm, but maybe the role would have made him out to be a bad guy and in that case, I'm all for saving Cary's star persona. For Hitchcock, this is one of his good films. I've only been slightly disappointed with some of his films, but this one is a winner, check it out!
Jarhead (2005)
Moment of self-congratulation: this is my 51st blog! sweet!
"Jarhead is slang for a marine because their head is shaped like a jar"
I liked this movie because of how it identified and examined the psychology of the 20 year old boy/man who enlists in the army. I found this movie did not have much of an overt political message, and people who were disappointed with this film were probably expecting one.
Jarhead is one of those films that you read the cast and credits and think hey, this seems pretty reputable. Sam Mendes does a good job directing, and of course Jake and Peter are hot stuff. Yar, who'd want to miss the chance to see SarrsgaarrrrRd in action!
I really liked the cinematography and the visual effects. The shot when sand comes out of Jake's mouth into the sink when he seems to be vomiting is really cool. The shot of the maries in the oil fields at night digging up the earth is also cool, and the shot at the end when what Jake is looking at out his window becomes the desert area.
The soundtrack was bold and also self-reflexive. It had contemporary hip-hop, but also played The Doors - Welcome to the other Side to which one of the marine says "that's not even our war" because it is a song from the time of the Vietnam war. This film refers a lot to other war films. Before they fly overseas the troops watch "Apocalypse Now" and during their initial training the film echos the early scenes from "Full Metal Jacket". Also in the scene where one of the marines gets a video from his wife, it is titled Deer Hunter, and all the marine's gather to watch what they think is Deer Hunter. All these references point out that people in the army live, breath, and eat the army, while they are stationed with the army that is their life. When Jake is demoted he almost has a breakdown because, in his mind,
he has lost his station in life. I recommend this movie, it is interesting to watch. It may not have as much psychological depth as past war movies that deal with metaphysical issues, but it is still one worth watching.
George Washington (2000)
I thought this was a good movie because it was subtle and it was not pretentious. The visuals were solid and the script was eloquent, but accessible. It is the story of a group of children living in a small town, who accidentally kill their good friend, and try to live with the results, but keep his death a secret. The children are ashamed that they had killed their friend and they experience extreme remorse. I really liked the visuals of this film; I found it to be very rich. Each shot seemed to be thought out so precisely
because they were all so picturesque; it was as if Green was playing on shooting the film all as stills. The film is also subtle because there are no real character outbursts. There were 2 overtly comedic moments that I enjoyed though. One of them being when George very easily convinces a grown man volunteer his time and direct traffic, while he, George wears a costume that resembles a superhero's uniform. The other when George first wears his dog fur hat.
Corpse Bride (2005)
Hey yo, this is my first time posting a blog, I figured I'd give it a whirl, who knows, maybe it'll become a habit.
I saw Corpse Bride last night, I thought it was grand. Everything was really well done, it was great. I would have liked it to be longer, but I'll take 80 minutes over 120 minutes o'crap.
The voice of the maggot / town crier (Enn Reitel) was great. I think his characters stole their scenes, no question. When the crier is shouting that victor married a corpse bride, the inlaws go, "oh it's just the town crier, he probably is just low on things to cry about", and the maggot was funny as the Corpse Bride's conscience.
The soundtrack was also great (guess who will be downloading it
I could say more, but this is my 3rd time trying to post this damn blog, fuck, i keep messing it up
Thanks for reading, luv ya
JooBoo
It’s all Gone Pete Tong (2004)
Hey, so I watched It's All Gone Pete Tong last night. I have to say that it was a flake. I say it's a flake just because I didn't get what I was expecting, and believe that the film strayed away from the documentary style, but still tried, with unsuccessful results to include them. They used testimonials from the characters to give it a documentary flare, but the majority of the film was shot in a comedy/drama style. The love story with the deaf teacher took up too much of the narrative, I thought. Even though the film got my emotionally, with the issue of losing one's hearing, I feel that overall the love story was in the narrative too much. Many scenes were just fluff I found, and could easily be taken out, without the story changing.
The length of the film was good, 90 minutes, and the soundtrack was good as well.
Downside is that it does not meet the same level of originality as Fubar, but it's worth checking out if you have an interest in what it takes to be a D.J.
Other films such as 24 Hour Party People, has a more raw edge to them, and stand out better in the crowd of films. It's All Gone, Pete Tong, is nothing extraordinary
La règle du jeu (1939)
I find it hard to comment on La Regle du Jeu. It's acclaimed as one of the best movies in the history of filmmaking and I'm finding it difficult to make an educated personal response to it.
First of all the story was good. There was richness in character development, and I found the love betrayal stories good. The mise en scene was also sophisticated. I didn't understand why so many men were in love with Christine, she's a friggin socialite, she's going to tell any man with money that she "loves them" geez. I blame her that Andre was killed. (maybe women are the cause for the destruction of man, hahaha). I'm sure Octave would have found a lovely lady if he only had more self-confidence, and if I had a hot war pilot hero fly over the atlantic just for me, I'd show up for his landing, can I get a HELLS YA?
For anyone who hasn't seen this film it was made by Jean Renoir right before WWII began. There are many political and historical references made in the film, which give it extra layers for peeps like me in film studies to rip apart and wrap up in neat little packages that we call essay, groan. Renoir is only one of the most famous french directors in the history of filmmaking, so give him some props.
My initial reaction to the film is that it is ok. I didn't find anything weak about it, besides the shitty print I rented and the bad subtitling job that was done. I would like to screen a copy of the Criterion edition one day, if I find one to rent.
I definitely recommend this film for anyone who is interested in getting a well rounded back ground in film. I agree that the film's complexity and historical significance makes it a very important film, but for someone who is looking for some simple entertainment, it's not the best pick for a Friday night flick. I give this film an 8 out of 10 for now. Even though I said Christine was a bitch, her character still makes for good cinema.
The scenes of the rabbit hunt can be a bit disturbing, I had a pet rabbit once, and witness it die, so it was kind of sad in that respect to revisit it. All that taken the scenes are still important for the film because it shows how the characters have a disregard for creatures below them on the food chain.
I could say more, but I'll leave that for later
Home Alone (1990)
Hey y'all,
I haven't watched any new movies lately, but I had an awesome time this evening watching "Home Alone" with my roommates. Of course all of us have seen it a gajillian times, of course we can recite most if not all the diologue, and of course it's corny as hell, but its soo good for those reasons. Everyone needs to watch a movie from when they were young every once and a while to remember what it was like to be carefree, and with a cast including Catherine O'Hara (woot) John Candy (woot) and Kieran Culkin (that's right Macaulay's bro steals a scene or two getting his face mashed in by a chair, and pretending to be a bed-wetter, bahaha) who wouldn't skip an hour and a half of clean fun; from start to finish.
This flick came out in 90' so anyone in my age range can definitely identify with Kevin, come on, jumping on your parents' bed when you were 8, who didn't do that at least a dozen times!
It's hilarious watching it now, my roommates and I were more laughing at the ridiculously irrational Harry and Marv use to rob the house, than anything. a conversation between them
Harry - they're loaded with jewelry, stereos, and VCRs
Marv - Yeah, and TOYS!
You're a thief, you go by the name "wet bandits" your name is Marv and you're concerned about stealing the people's toys
And who would climb out of a second floor room to catch the kid, when you're there to rob the house in the first place, Geez
Home Alone definitely brings people together, if you think it's lame and corny you watch it so you can make fun of it. I watched it last year with my dad, it was a hoot. The lack of a political message also makes this a good pic (yeah It's a wonderful life is a classic, but it's still a very raa raa lets support our troops flick...see if you can find the lincoln/ napoleon figures they put in strategically, I saw them) no need to write "notes" during this one.
So yeah I recommend during this holiday season give some peeps or family a ring, order up a tasty, warm cheese pizza, and have a ball.
Julia, one feisty cat
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
The Thin Blue Line was a fair film. I have to admit it's been on my conscience for 3 years to see this flick. Ever since I watched Dr. Death in Intro to film, Errol Morris documentary style has appealed to be. Side note I recommend Dr. Death and Morris' latest films Fog of War, both are of excellent taste. I like Morris' style because he gives all his subjects space to say what is on their mind. He portrays them all with dignity and respect, ever the real wackos that he sometimes talks to.
So I took the documentary class, thinking there'd be a couple of films I've been meaning to see, unfortunately most of them looked lame from the get go, but some of them were good. The Thin Blue Line was the last film we watched, which kind of irked me, because it was the only one I really wanted to see. Today during the screening because I was tired (about school and life) I was fidgeting in my seat and I couldn't enjoy it as much as I liked. I even sat in the front row so that I could "enjoy" the film more.
So yeah, for someone who's intrigued with what Errol has to offer, I say take the plunge! The Thin Blue Line is one of his earlier features so it shows how he's working with his style.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Line, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
I have mixed feelings about this film. On one hand the visuals were good, CGIs was used properly, in my opinion there was a good dose of fiction/fantasy...but on the other hand, gawd I feel like I walked out of a feature length bible studies class. Granted I walked in with that impression in my head, so the symbols seemed more obvious.
I was on a side note happy to see a performance from Jim Broadbent, that guy does great scatter-brain performances (are they performances? jk).
The acting of the children was pretty horrid, especially little Lucy. I thought the character Susan was a bit of a bitch, either that or she was on her period...quick get her some turkish delight!
The movie was overall a corn-fest, but I enjoyed watching it in a packed theatre where people were comfortable laughing at the cheese.
I personally don't recommend this film because I didn't see anything extraordinary about it. It was easy to digest and easy to forget.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
I enjoyed this movie, it was the second time I saw it and it served just as well as the first time around. I think this representation of the Douglas Adam's book was better than my expectations. I actually thought it would be crappy, and feel forced, but I was surprised.
It was a silly, fun movie, and it was very very tolerable, in fact i enjoyed the cheese factor, so cheesy makes me crave KD! sweet!
Performances by Sam Rockwell as Zaphods and Alan Rickman as the voice of Marvin cut me up, soo funny. There was definitely a good energy in this film, and I think it really shows.
It's a Disney flick, and that at first made me hesitate to watch it, but I didn't feel any stigma attached that made me recoil in sunshine cheer the majority of Disney's library gives me.
Sillyness is evident throughout the film, from the beginning when Mos Def shows up pushing a grocery cart and takes the Arthur Dent character out for a drink as the world is ending...to John Malcovich's hi-larious cameo as a torso with electro-beetle legs.
I recommend this film, the only weakness I found was the corny "there's no place like home" theme. While this gives me a warm and cozy feeling inside, I can't help but think that this idea has been done way to many times...and it takes away from the sillyness of the film.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
This movie is crazy! There are moments where I laugh til I cry: "Get down on your knees and tell me you love me!", moments where I want to commit Kevin because he seriously as issues for a kid, come on putting gas in the toilet, lighting Harry's head on fire than making him put his head in the toilet...in the background all you hear Kevin say: "YES!" with a big grin on his face and electrocuting Marv like that with the sink...Kev is a lil s.o.b, imo. There are moments when I wonder if Mr Duncan gives all the little boys and girls turtle doves, because he says it some reverently, as if he gives his heart away to all the children (ok that's probably pushing it).
Overall, this flick flows pretty smoothly. Like the first Home Alone, I can probably recite all the dialogue + song fade ins...But usually the story just seems TOO coincidental, The Wet Bandits are in New York at the exact same time and place as Kevin, and for that matter The Wet Bandits were able to break out of prison, sure...can we say suspended belief?
Who didn't want one of those talking gadgets where you can embarrass your Uncle Frank in the shower, haha...I think most people know how to do "The Cool Jerk!"
I can say I didn't like Catherine O'Hara's haircut in this film, she looks like she's on crack because her eyes are also looked they've been bleached, if that's possible. I think Kieran should have gone more screen time, I remember seeing him in only what ONE scene.
Overall though HA2 does a fair follow up to HA1, I recommend it, plus the idea that you can get separated from your family with exclusive access to their credit cards, that's a pretty sweet deal!
Holla!
A Day at the Races (1937)
For a Marx brothers film, I thought this film did not have enough slap-stick. There were many scenes where non-characters would step in and do 10 minute song and dance scene, I did not see a point of it. How is a ballet performance contributing to a Marx brothers film, other than to contrast the delicacy of it, but really I thought it too up time and energy
What I loved about this film is there was an awesome piano performance from Chico Marx, that guy was talented...he played a solid 5 minute piece, and played it so effortlessly as if it's second nature, major wow. Then it was followed by a smooth harp performance by Harpo Marx, I guess the kid's a natural.
Groucho was alright in this flick, he didn't have as many funny lines as in their film Duck Soup which made me laugh until I cried. Margaret Dumont also I found was only fair in this film. I think there was too much going on in this film for me to laugh, at least on the first viewing
oh well, better luck next time.
Meatballs (1979)
I have to say this film was pretty authentic when it comes to over night camp experiences. I enjoyed it. One thing that I found strange was the feeling I got that something tramatic was going to happen, whenever the depressed kid had a scene...I always had the feeling he was getting ready to hear bad news or that he was going to abuse himself.
There were some great scenes with Bill Murray, he carried the film without a doubt.
After this film I'm ready for the summer.
Giant (1956)
The best scene in my opinion was the last one. In it Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor's characters are reflecting on their lives. They have been married to one another for many years. They are looking at their two grand children and reflecting on how they came about. The chemistry between the two characters was sweet. Elizabeth Taylor's character is telling Rock that she was proud of him when he stood up to the racist restaurant owner, which had just happened. My two favourite lines from the scene were Rock Hudson saying "I don't need to take it from no sheep" when the sheep bahs at him, hahaha and then later after Elizabeth's character explains why she loves Rock's character, Rock goes "I don't think I'll ever understand you" then the movie ends, ah, le sigh The movie was long in general, but actually quite captivating. James Dean plays a great rich prick. As James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson's characters aged only their hair seemed to gather baby powder to show their aging, but not of them had wrinkles, I think they didn't want to know what they would actually look like, that or makeup wasn't advanced that far in 1956. I recommend this film if you like watching actors together that you wouldn't normally see in a film together...Dennis Hopper plays Rock Hudson's son, crazy! They had a couple confrontations, check it out.
A Night at the Opera (1935)
This Marx brother's film was quite better than "A Day at the Races" that I watched a week ago. A Night at the Races definitely had better comedic energy, one of my theories being because the Allan Jones didn't have as large of part. My favourite scene is when the 3 Marx brothers and Allan Jones are having breakfast right as the police are trying to catch them. Harpo (my favourite of the brothers) puts a pancake on a teacup, hands it to Chico, but Chico says "no thanks I don't like the cupcakes" haha. The rest of the scene has the Marx brothers and Allan Jones running between two connecting rooms from the policeman...there are many hijinks that take place, take my word. Chico and Harpo play their instruments again, it was good, not as long as in A Day at the Races, but still cool. Some of the lines from Groucho weren't that funny, and overall I think Harpo is the funniest Marx brother, he never says anything, but his facial expressions are GOLD! When they are on the boat and the brothers are hungry Harpo's face while they're getting food was priceless, his mouth was wide open and his eyes were round saucers. Check this one out if you want to pick between it and A Day at the Races.
Family Plot (1976)
This was definitely one of the weakest Alfred Hitchcock films I've ever seen, it was also the last film he directed. It's not that it was a bad movie to say, but Hitchcock is a director that most people have a level of expectancy when they watched them. Of course Hitchcock used all his familiar cinema elements that are signature to his style: the weak blonde woman, the greed of the main characters, a conspiracy where the audiences knows more than the characters, all leading to a suspenseful climax. But this film was only moderate with presenting these elements to the audience. I felt bored at times because I felt like it was 15 minutes too long. I think this film would have worked better if is was condensed into around the 90 minute mark. I think Hitchcock was lacking in his cinematic genius that is so better illustrated in his earlier work. I want to check out "Frenzy" which was the film he released before "Family Plot" to see if his style diminishing was a trend. I think it's also possible that Hitchcock didn't have the same energy he once had. I think it's also possible that he was trying to cater to a mainstream audience and decided to dilute his plot devices. It was still entertaining to watch
Designing Woman (1957)
It wasn't bad. Lauren Bacall was too fierce of a woman sometimes and it was hard to believe that she was weak when her character fell over a few times. What I found interesting about this film was that Lauren Bacall's character had a hard time trusting her husband. I guess it was hard for her to take a leap of faith, well honey, take a leap or I'm going to push you! The story of this film started out with Gregory Peck's character which leads the audience to believe that he is the main character, but as the film develops Lauren Bacal's character takes over some what. My favourite part of the film was when Lauren Bacall's dancer friend beat up all the mob bully's when before Gregory Peck said he looked like a pansey, he sure showed him. Another good performance was from the character Maxy. Maxy has a couple internal monologues that were more entertaining than most of the film. I though Maxy was grossly underrated.
Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
I enjoyed this film. Visually it was great, the composition kept my attention and the lighting tried to make the most with variety. I like watching black and white contemporary films from time to time. I find it's a choice the director has to think about before taking on, because it creates a level all its own. People obviously don't see in black and white and watching a black and white film adds a dimension for the viewer because it adds more into escapism. phew that was a long thought. The acting was also pretty good. I enjoyed the performances by Robert Downy Jr and Patricia Clarkson as a couple hiding their marriage from their employer so they don't lose their jobs. Jeff Daniels performance was also noteworthy. I have things I want to say about George Clooney, he definite tries to be Mr Smarty Pants. My thought on his performance and every other performance he does is a reflection of him voguing like a thinking man. Like Jim Carrey practiced his funny faces, I really think Clooney practiced making his profound thought and gestures. The guy can be pretty smug. His sense of humour sometimes reminds me of my dad's, someone who is comfortable and established in their profession and feels stable so he takes witty jabs at people around him. I could go on. I think Clooney's star persona is worth looking at. The flow of the film was pretty smooth, I didn't have any problems with it. I felt it was too slow at times when the newsmen were brainstorming or waiting around for a response to one of their pieces. I think this film made a good effort at capturing the attitude during the Mccarthy era, but the way it was wrapped up so easily at the end with the downfall of Mccarthy it seemed them didn't do the issue justice. I say check it out if you're interested in corruption and politics, but Clooney takes a pretty light stance so it feels like it's only doing a surface lever reading. I hope that wasn't too long.
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
This was a fun movie. Movies from the 50s seem to be hitting my sweet spot lately (that and there's nothing else I feel like renting from Blockbuster).I can't help but laugh at all the pastels, the huge ass appartments three women get in New Year (jealous), and the almost carefree attitude that is captured. They seem like films that are completely unrealistic and phony, but that's what keeps me going back for more, because it's Hi-larious. Marilyn Monroe as the dumb blonde is so funny, in this movie she refuses to wear her glasses so she constantly is tripping over things or banging into walls, then she just shrugs it off poses and walks on. Betty Grable is also great, her character is dead straight with the man she first dates. While her friends play with the question of asking their date if they have a wife already Betty flat out goes "So are you married?" *laughs*Lauren Bacall is a friggin maneater, I don't enjoy her characters too much, they're selfish in a conscious way (while Marilyn and Betty are just ignorant, so you can't blame them). Lauren's character is the only one that almost doesn't marry for love, lame. But it could be because her character was emotionally hurt in the past and she didn't want to have bad feelings again. This is a good chick flick. The best parts are with Marilyn and Betty because they have great comic timing, while Lauren is like a stick in the mud, in my opinion.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
I was somewhat disappointed with this instalment of Harry Potter. I felt like the film rushed through the plot so that they could cover a lot of ground. I think personally they should have broken up this book into 2 parts, like what they did with Kill Bill. They probably could have made a lot more money if they did a spring release for the first half and the winter release for the second half. It also would have got people in with the suspense. Because of all the cutting there's an awful gap in the storyline in the middle during the school ball...I'll just say the characters were all sitting with one another then in the next shot they're scattered around the room and teen drama unfolds without much explanation. I missed my Snape in this movie too. Alan Rickman's voice is so despondent and bitter, it just makes me giddy...I enjoyed this film during the two 5 minute scenes they allowed Snape to talk, there there dear. My favourite shot was at the beginning; all the characters are walking up a mountain side at dawn and the camera, while it's shot at knee level, catches their silhouettes against the sun, pretty good for a kids movie, I don't remember any stand out shots after that. Overall the film was entertaining and is worth checking out, because there was a lot of action versus story, someone who hasn't seen all the previous HP films can keep up.
Harvey (1950)
Harvey is a theatre production that they adapted for the screen in 1950. It shows through how the film is presented. First there is not much composition variety, the shots are mainly static and neutral and the there isn't a lot of importance put on the setting of the scene. And second the story relies on the dialogue between the characters to move the story along. Harvey is a fair film, I enjoyed it but I also didn't find it to be anything too special. I would have liked more attention put on the cinematography elements of the film, maybe different angles to make it seem that Jimmy Stewart is actually talking to a giant bunny rabbit, but my impression is they wanted to do a straight from stage to screen adaptation, probably not much was changed in the translation. The pacing was smooth and the casting was well done. Jimmy Stewart plays a gentle bumbling everyman with pizzaz (that's right, it's right up his alley), but his passiveness and stuttering can sometimes get on my nerves...spit it out Jimmy, sometime this year! Check out Harvey though if you're interested in a good feeling, good natured story the whole family can enjoy.
Fantastic Four (2005)
This movie was what I expected, a summer blockbuster, but there was one element that took me by surprise. There was a subplot with The Thing where his fiancé breaks up with him after seeing his mutation followed by his emotional breakdown. I thought this was such a sad element to the plot and it added a layer to the film...So that's one, two....two layers, not too shabby. The rest of the movie was limp, the special effects could have been way better and I would have been cool if they had more fight scenes, or urban wreckage scenes. I thought it was dumb that Jessica Alba and her brother character were scientist, they didn't no jack!The script was horrible also, the lines were something a grade 2 would make up for one of their plays, and that's being generous.The bad guy Von Doom wasn't that bad, he wasn't the best villain either, I would have liked the tension to rise a little more between Doom and the Four. I felt like nothing in the plot ever got a chance to develop. The love story between Reed and Sue was weak also, I didn't see any chemistry between them.I don't recommend this movie if you're looking for something bold, this is just a run of the mill type film.
Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy (1996)
Brain Candy was a fair film. I liked it's message: you can't be happy all the time, so just deal with periodic sadness. Brain Candy was disappointing in terms of slapstick. I think that, because Kids in the Hall are used to the sketch comedy framework, that it was difficult for them to translate their humour on the big screen (as the majority of SNL features are hella lame). The film had all the charm that the sketches The Kids in the Hall offer, men dressing up as women is one of their strengths, it's funny, but gets repetitive after half a dozen occurrences.
The film was shot in T. I thought it was cool seeing Yonge street in the background of a lot of their shots. (as soon as you see the Sam the Record Man lights all bets are off!).
The length of the film, 88 minutes, was good, anything more than 100 minutes would have dragged on. I think the way the film ended was good for what they were working with. Also the budget being low seemed to fit the film.
In essence, this film was decent, it did not get on my nerves at any part, so it was kind of enjoyable.
Suicide Kings (1997)
I thought this movie was great! Christopher Walken, Denis Leary gave their signature acting, which I feel were strengths. The film was a balance between a formula Hollywood film, and something profound and unique, it's really cool. Not many films, in my opinion, can strike this balance, the film is gold when it does.
So many human emotions are presented while the plot is unfolding, that's the genius behind this film. Christopher Walken, who plays the mob leader, has encounters with each of the young men, he teaches them all lessons about life, especially about how it is important to read your opponent before they have a chance to read you. I'd say this is evidence of borderline art cinema. Granted the cinematography doesn't indulge the audience in terms of composition, the character development is where this film is at. I loved when the film would expand on the back stories that brought all the characters to this point in their lives, I found it really enriched the connection the audience feels toward the characters. Knowing more about a characters motivations definitely brings more life to a film. Many times I didn't know which character to believe.
When I think about it this film had many characteristics similar to a Shakespearean drama, it's pretty cool.
I definitely recommend this film, it had layers of human drama, but it was able to create it to be very accessible to audiences, check it out!
Take the Money and Run (1969)
I thought this film was kind of weak, it didn't have much of a spark that did anything for me. It's the 2nd film Woody Allen directed, I was expecting something with raw self-indulgence. Mind you there was some self-indulgence, there wasn't much that appealed to me. Woody Allen plays a robber, who always gets caught. Somehow in the middle of this he hooks up with a beautiful woman and they get married, I don't understand why this girl stayed with him. The film seems illogical at many times.
I was glad that the movie was only 85 minutes long, it stopped before I could get bored with it, hahaha.
Casino Royale (1967)
Casino Royale is a spoof of the early James Bond movies, by reputation I was hoping this would be a side splitting flick. I thought it was a pretty good film, it wasn't spectacular, but it definitely had some quality moments. At the beginning it was funny when they made fun of all the lame gadgets that Bond uses: the poison flower, the flame throwing pen and so on.
My favour scene was when Bond's daughter went to Germany to infiltrate an evil organization and the interior decorating was all in an expressionistic style, it was hilarious. There was also a scene where representations from different countries think they're at war because they're shown footage of a battle and they get all geared up for action, crazy.
The casting was great, Orson Welles, Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, Jean Paul Belmondo, but they didn't get as much screen time as they were advertised, TEASE!
I say check it out for the campiness at least, the special effect are so cheesy and low budget it's hard to tell if they did it intentionally or because they didn't have enough funds.
Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
I have to say I was disappointed with this film. I had known about this film for years, and when I finally rent it, I get shafted! Gus Van Sant, what happened?
Granted this film came out before My Own Private Idaho (which I severely compared it to) it just didn't stack up.
The acting was weak, the quality in the composition was also weak. I also can't say that I was into the resolution of the narrative. It seemed interesting, a bunch of junkies robbing drugstore so that they can score drugs, the execution just wasn't there.
I resented Matt Dillon's wife in the film because she was a piece of trash through the entire thing. Matt Dillon tried to clean up his act, but ends up being the one who dies, I guess that's a realistic portrayal, but it's undeserved.
Suspicion (1941)
I thought Suspicion was pretty good. There were some elements of it that didn't sit well with me. For one Cary Grant is a great actor who plays virtuous, humble characters, and I found it hard seeing him try to be in the position of a suspicious murderer. I think he's fantastic in an Affair to Remember, His Girl Friday and others; he's one of my favourite actors from the classical period but seeing him play a potentially nasty character gave me a sour taste in my heart.
Jane Fontaine as the wife who suspects him put on a good performance, she was good in Rebecca, another Hitchcock film as well.
The flow of the film was also pretty good. It kept my attention and didn't have any slow moments. But I think what is stopping me from saying this was a fantastic film is that, while I was watching it I was comparing it to all of Hitchcock's classic films that I have known for years, there was nothing bold and unique that I found this film had in comparison to the other Hitchcock films. Granted, however, this film certainly holds it's own and I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a subtle drama/thriller.
I think more could have been done with the script, most of the emotions were made to me interpreted from the actor's performances, which were good, but a stronger script would have added more.
Blood Simple (1983)
I thought this film was alright. I'm personally not a big fan of horror/thrillers because they don't offer much in terms of studying the human condition. That being said, I think Blood Simple does well in this genre, it is subtle and really got my pulses going; when Frances stabbed that guy in the hand I thought MY blood was going to curd.
My favourite 2 shots were: 1 in the bar when the camera tracks along the bar counter and smoothly goes over the man sleeping face down on the counter, it was very well executed. My other favourite shot was when Frances and her lover are having a bit of a miscommunication in her apartment; the shot is taken from across the street outside. When the lights are on in Frances' apartment the shot looks like it's homaging a Hitchcock thriller, I thought that was cool.
Overall, I found the film to be kind of amateurish, it was enjoyable, but since it's not really my cup of tea I don't see myself watching it again anytime soon.
I recommend it to fans of this genre, take the plung!
The Parent Trap (1961)
This film is cute in the old-school kids movie cute. Hayley Mills was both funny and annoying. I think it was the overdose of saccharine they gave Hayley during the production that did it.
Parent Trap is the kind of movie you loved to watch when you were a kid, but then when you watch them as a young adult/adult you can't help but laugh at how ridiculous it is. One of the lines I'll always laugh at is the camp director saying "I got a cake in my hands" then lifting the cake to only have it fall in her face 5 seconds later, haha, looks like the cake is no longer in your hands.
It's also the kind of movie that revolves around the big C word: Coincidence. The whole movie is one coincidence after another: Oh geez, the twins just happen to go to the same camp one year when they live on opposite sides of the country! Good golly the Dad just so happens to be engaged the same year and it provokes the twins to cook up a zany scheme to break that up and get their parents back together!
It's fun to watch films like this every once and a while because they're sooo smooth, everything just goes exactly how it's supposed to, but after 2 or 3 films like this in a row I'd just want to gag myself with a spoon.
It's kind of ridiculous to think that the parents will live happily ever after, after their second marriage, they're bound to hit a few more bumps; the twins won't be living with them forever, but maybe it was having kids that ruined the marriage? (making a mental note) Parent Trap: The Empty Nest, coming a theatre near you!
The Celebration (1998)
I thought this film was phenomenal! The story was great, the cinematography was innovative and it didn't over do it, in the process.
This film revolves around a family getting together to celebrate a father's 60th birthday, like all families this one has it's own case of drama. The tension gets pretty intense when one of the sons, during his speech, reveals to the whole family that their father used to rape him and his sister when they were younger and kept it a secret from everyone for most of his life.
The film was shot using the Dogme 95 manifesto, with handheld cameras and with no props, I thought it was executed magnificently. I've seen a few other Dogme 95 films, but this one rates as one of the best.
The flow of the film was so natural the viewer feels as is they are at the celebration themselves. The story is extremely accessible as everyone in their lives has experienced family drama at one point or another, I found myself actively responding to the characters actions and reactions.
The films depressing ending does not have to be looked at as completely bleak, because there were some small hints that the children may get back on their feet, after this episode.
I definitely recommend this film for anyone. Even though the cinematography is regarded as the opposite of the norm, and maybe require some getting used to from some viewers, it's definitely a story worth knowing!
The Constant Gardener (2005)
I really enjoyed this film. The story was good, the cinematography was slick and I didn't barf from any cliché/overdone genre themes, sweet!
I think it was the combination of sappy love story (but not overdone) and socially conscious narrative thread that kept my attention. The love scenes in the beginning were so cute, I was jealous, however I did almost have enough when, during the flashbacks the characters said "I love you, honny". I get it, you were in love, maybe use another adjective.
The socially conscious thread worked well with what is going on in contemporary politics of corporate pharmaceuticals, it definitely had a place, however just as the "I love yous" with the couple was too much, I thought this thread was redundant at times; it didn't go into depth in terms of unearthing the corrupt corporations, probably because there were so many flashbacks going on through Ralph Fiennes of his wife saying "I love you" he did not have as much time to think about the pharmaceutical companies.
The direction of the film was fantastic! Fernando Meirelles is an awesome director, this film was right up his alley.
I say check out this film.
2046 (2004)
I enjoyed this picture almost only for its aesthetic values. What I didn't enjoy were the scenes where the main guy has sex with the prostitute next door, but then treats her as no more than an acquaintance when she has the urge to have a more than physical relationship with him. It's a kind of messed up narrative in this respect.
2046 is a Hong Kong film about twisted romances by trying to substitute one person for another. The main guy mostly had an affair with the prostitute next door because her room number was the same room number as the woman who he had an illicit affair with a few years ago. The guy also almost hooks up with another lady because she had the same name as the woman he used to be in love with. I guess this narrative is illustrating that you can't force yourself to stop loving someone? either way I feel bad for the women who were under the impression that the guy had feelings for them.
The aesthetics were incredible in my opinion. Wong Kar Wai uses some great colouring and composition style. I could just watch the images with no sound track and still enjoy the film. Everything seemed so natural, but at the same time perfectly chosen to look just so.
I definitely recommend this film for foreign enthusiast, or people who are interested in starting to watch foreign films. It's definitely accessible, except for the parts when they were in "the future" realm the main guy creates to try and escape him love for the woman he originally loved.
Capote (2005)
Capote was pretty emotionally intense; I felt myself being pulled in numerous directions in terms of who to sympathize with. I felt bad for Capote because he was going through while he was writing his book, I felt bad for the murderers because they were being exploited by Capote beyond their knowledge, and I felt bad for the community that had to live through the events after the murder. So I was feeling a bit emotionally drained afterwards.
Visually, I found Capote modest, it didn't try many daring set-ups having most of the emphasis on the actors' performances. Catherine Keener and Chris Cooper were awesome as supporting actors, and of course I'll give a nod of recognition to Hoffman, but come on who hasn't so I won't indulge his presently inflated ego.
Scenes to look out for: the re-enactment of the murder scene (disturbing); and the scene of Capote writing by the sea in Spain (gorgeous), the rest are depressing and pretty morbid to say the least.
Capote is worth checking out at a time that you feel neutral (you wouldn't want it to ruin a good mood, or make a sour mood even more sour).
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)
What I can say? This movie was CRAPPY!
They tried doing too much, and it ended up coming out messy; there were a lot of unanswered questions, the device of the "coincidence" was completely overdone. I saw this on the big screen too, so it's makes it awkward to stop watching it since I paid to go see it, bad move.
Putting murder/mystery/comedy together can sometimes work, but in this case the soda goes flat when the narrative begins. Using "intertitles" to make the film arts and crafty didn't help either.
It was mostly a crappy movie because the main girl just got on my nerves completely, I really think the producers wanted to cast Liv Tyler (who only moderately annoys me) but she turned it down so they had to substitute her with a really annoying chick.
Robert Downey Jr was fair (his losing a finger was the best part of his performance), but Val Kilmer totally carried the film, in my opinion. Playing the gay detective who can turn on flamboyancy whenever he wanted was the only funny aspect of this weak flick.
To Sleep with Anger (1990)
I did not have anything against this movie, there was just nothing that happened that could make me excited or turn me off.
Charles Burnett's story of an African American family who receives a not so welcome guest who upturns their lives, seems like if could be an interesting human interest films and family drama, but it didn't really come out saying anything.
My favourite scene, and one of the few that I reacted to was when the older brother is trying to get the younger brothers attention, because the younger brother beat his wife and is now sitting in his car, waiting. The older brother shakes the car yelling what sounds to be "babee bra, babee bra!, stop acting like a child". Um, Big Bro? I think you're acting like a child, hehe. Also having Danny Glover's body covered with a blanket when it's lying in the kitchen is hilarious.
But, overall I'm indifferent to this film. I didn't hate or love it, it was just there, and I watched it in class, bleh.
In Her Shoes (2005)
I thought this was an endearing film. The story of the bond between two sisters, through thick and thin, sigh. Makes me miss my sister poopi pants.
I thought it was funny how Toni Collette's character gets married at the end (Toni starred in Muriel's Wedding where her character's pathetic attempt to get married is the butt end of the joke).
Cameron Diaz's character was mostly sloppy, then ending with some grace, but not very convincingly. It's as if Cameron decided to put no effort into constructing her character and just showed up for shooting (her character is what I call a "blah" character because there's nothing extraordinary about it).
Shirley MacLaine I thought was wonderful in this picture. What I liked about her presence is that even before I say her on screen I was given the impression that Toni and Cameron's characters were similar to Shirley's character in "The Apartment". Shirley's character in "The Apartment" is a young woman who is insecure and who gets herself involved with a married man, who is Jack Lemmon's boss. It's a heavy movie, it really hit my heart at a few points. I think it's a neat coincidence that they can cast Shirley as the role of the mentor for the character that she played nearly 46 years ago, crazy! you go Shirley, you're one tough gal!
I have no comment on the direction, there was nothing I feel stood out mostly because the film was about showcasing Cameron's derriere (on side note, if that's what you're interested in, this is a great chance to check that out).
Overall, this movie is a tender piece about the importance of family bonds. It's a fair movie, but could have been 20 minutes shorter.
From The Journals of Jean Seberg (1995)
So I say to myself, Julia you've seen this movie 4 times because you did a presentation for it in class, and you haven't blogged in a dog's age, so you might as well bloggit!
This movie is in an essay style which would normally make me question why I'm watching it, but I actually found it kind of interesting, and kind of funny. The woman playing Seberg really ticked me off and I wanted to punch her throughout the film (gah that voice, shut up!)
The scenes making fun of Jane Fonda were definitely the highlight of the film (what a tool!), and I thought it was neat when they put together all the different Joan of Arc performances in one sequence.
This film is one that should be watched only if sought out for. The annoying voice of the lady almost made me not want to finish watching the movie, and therefore finishing my presentation.
The length was good. 97 minutes, any more and I would have gone bananas (and who's to say I haven't)
Weekend (1967)
This was the 2nd time I've seen this movie, and I have to say it lost some of it's magic this time around. Weekend is regarded as Godard's masterpiece, and I enjoy many of his films, but the political messages in this film did no interest me.
Godard is good for people who want something completely different than a narrative structure. The story is of a woman and her husband who go on a trip plotting to murder her mother in order to get all the inheritance from her father. During the trip they get into a lot of misshapes, it can be kind of annoying at time (really you have to want to see this movie, to enjoy it).
They do end up killing the mother by the end, but then the husband is killed and eaten by a bunch of cannibals who the wife is now a part of, and she eats her husband essentially.
Soo many metaphors in this film you have to already know about them to understand them. The monologues some of the characters have are interesting. As of now I can only enjoy the film as if i was watching in order to find patterns in all of Godard's films, like the intertitles and people gets ticked off at each other, hehe.
I do really like to cars that the characters were driving throughout their trip, they were très chic! and the countryside looked very beautiful.
If you're looking for a cool Godard film to watch I recommend 'A Woman is a Woman' about an exotic dancer who wants to get pregnant by her boyfriend who doesn't want to..."it'z dee way of dee french!"
Memento (2000)
I've seen this movie a couple of times now so it's hard not to be partial and drag my criticism for this film also. Memento is the kind of film that all film students have seen at one point or another in their film studies career, haha.
I enjoy this film because it has so much depth in terms of human nature and the structure of it is just so damn cool.
Guy Pierce playing the guy with no memory is slick; I was paying extra close attention to his mannerisms and they were so subtle, yet so defined, it was awesome! My favourite part of the movie is when for a split second you see Guy Pierce sitting in the mental hospital chair instead of Sammy Jenkins, it's soo eerie, i get goosebumps everytime, honestly!
Another cool part is when the movie at the end moves from B/W to colour because the story is almost done, or "at the beginning". I feel like the film has a good closure with the effect in place.
Christopher Nolan is good as a director, I enjoy his style. He was good for Batman Begins also, his psychological approach to characters that are damaged and intriguing and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
I thought the length was good, not too long not too short, that and I've seen is almost half a dozen times and I don't have to check my watch at all.
Memento should be watched by everyone at least once. It's accessible when you get past the idea that it is being shown in reverse; it's a great effect when done properly, makes me think I should have written a paper about it in my narrative theory class, PSYCKE!
The Aristocrats (2005)
This movie tries to be funny, but it just ain't. The premise of the flick that a bunch of comedians reminisce about a joke that has a long history and a great reputation and being absurdly funny, I didn't laugh once when it was being told.
I see this movie as movie where comedians can laugh on camera and act like they're all soooo funny. The joke it's funny, it's silly and therefore impossible to laugh at when it's being forced out, they're all acting like teenage school girls, come on, think of something original.
I can see the filmmakers saying hey lets get a bunch of celebrated comedians interviewed about this raunchy joke, everyone will want to see it because everyone has at least one comedian that they enjoy.
I did laugh for a brief second though, when one comedian randomly said "oh that disastrous event that happened January 3rd...pause...I left my visa at the 4 seasons" when he was poking fun at how everyone references 9/11.
The organization I found was too gimmicky and that they were making the joke out to be more than it is. It's a lame joke that comedian's want to hype up because it has no limits. I think personally that some of the comedian's could have cared less whether this documentary about this film was made.
One trick pony my friend, make a documentary about that! I lost some respect for comedians with this one.
Stars – Winterlude Snowbowl – Feb 18, 2006
This was a cool performance, even though it was in the freezing cold weather. I had been waiting to see Stars live for over a year, so I couldn't miss the opportunity of seeing them for free.
They played for about 80 minutes which is pretty impressive, I was surprised I lasted over 90 minutes in the ass cold weather (I also avoiding checking the temperature before I left, some things are best left unknown).
Some of the highlights for me were "Elevator Love Letter" and a cool acoustic rendition of "Life Effect". They played more songs off their "Set Yourself on Fire" album, but still added in some of their older songs. They also did a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart", it was pretty cool; as an introduction they called him a young artist from New Jersey, I guess he's young at heart.
Vocalist and frontman Torquil Campbell made a strong impression to get the audience excited, encouraging the crowd to jump up and down to warm up. Also making mildly politically active stances, such as pointing and at Parliment saying this is a song about vampires, kind of like the ones over there, and referring to the people who run the country as a bunch of morns...I don't contest. Torq seemed a bit drained up on stage, but still gave the crowd great enthusiasm.
Amy Millan was awesome, I want to be her. Playing lead guitar, doing most of the vocals, but still giving a humble stage presence, how could one not admire her. Wearing a spiffy grey wool coat, black frilly skirt, with tights and a furry hat, she seemed to be mirroring the Russian style from the turn of the century, aye comrade. Amy had an awesome voice and gave a great performance despite the crappy weather. During a short interlude when Torq left the stage, Amy did an impromtu of BSS's "Superconnected" it was way cool! (I was secretly hoping a BSS member or two would hope out on stage at this point, but no dice). She is definitely Stars' greatest asset (as long as she doesn't do what Gwen Stefani did to No Doubt, she'll always be one hip cat).
Their bassist is also SOO HOT! He was great (something about bassist in trendy Montreal indie bands gets me off, who knew).
Overall I enjoyed myself at this show and recommend people see them live whenever they have the chance.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
I thought this was a nice movie. It had a strong story, the acting was well done, and visually it was rich. However, it did not live up to the reputation that is has garnered over the past few months. I took a queer theory class last semester and I can contest that this is not really a gay film. It's a queer film, and I would say that leaves it more open to interpretation.
This film does not have a lot of actual dialogue between the two main characters, I find that to be the strength of the film, because it shows that even they had trouble pronouncing their feelings for one another. Most of the emotions were portrayed through facial gestures, and their mannerisms toward one another, a very good job done by both Heath and Jake.
I feel that Ang Lee was a good pick to direct this picture also, because his style is so eclectic, from Eat Drink Man Woman to Sense and Sensibility, to The Ice Storm the The Hulk, Ang Lee has proved that he is not interested in maintaining his film conventions, kudos.
I feel like I should comment on the politics of the film, this film is darn conservative in my opinion. Yes it does shead light on same-sex relationships, but I don't think that deserves much attention, because the film is about the bond between two people who can't make public their relationship.
I recommend it.
The Weather Man (2005)
I thought this was an alright movie, nothing extraordinary, but I didn't despise it either. Nicolas Cage plays a weather man from Chicago who seems to never get a break, his wife left him, his dad doesn't respect him, and is on the social black list of the whole city. But at the same time I blame him for his misfortunes, he doesn't listen to anyone, he lets everyone walk all over him, but he still says it's not his fault, get over it chump.
His daughter who is 12 has a camel toe problem. Yeah it really sucks, but she's 12 so she's ignorant of it, obviously someone has to fix it without hurting her feelings. And his son is spending way too much time with a potential pervert, ah geez.
Like any other film this one ends happily. Though he does not get back together with his wife, he is able to fix his relationship with his father, and clean up his kids.
Gore Verbinski does a commendable job with this modest script. I also think it would have been interesting if the weather man was played by Adam Sandler, the character has make similarities to his character in, hmmm everything.
Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
I was pleasantly surprised with this film, it was good. It is the story of a fictional jazz guitarist played by Sean Penn done in a semi bio-pic style, which makes it even more funny than it already is.
What I liked most of the film were the women that Sean Penn's character got involved with seriously, they are the complete opposite from one another. The first lady, named Hattie, is a mute; so Sean Penn can't complain to her that he can't get emotional involved with women because she never complains that he doesn't. She's such a sweet lady; she follows him around like a loyal puppy and even buys him the exact gloves that he wanted, for his birthday, ah, that's soo sweet.
The second lady, played by Uma Thurman is the complete opposite, and she's hilarious at it. She has my favourite lines in this film. Her character is a writer and she's always trying to understand why Sean Penn's character does what he does. Stuff like "Why do you like to watch trains?" "Why do you like to shoot rats at the dump?" haha (because that's what his character likes to do). Sean Penn just shrugs his shoulder and says, I dunno...this is the majority of guys in a nut shell, deal with it. Her character tries to uncover the emotional truth behind Sean Penn's passion (lady his character mostly just wants to screw around with women, why else has he not kept a relationship and is continuously touring on the road, duh!). She brings this trait further when she's having an affair with someone's bodyguard who has killed people before. "What do you think about right when you're killing a guy?" "Why do you like killing this guy?". Meanwhile this bodyguard is staring at her boobs and telling her, her hair is real soft. (gee, he might be thinking about something else).
Not to take anything away from Sean Penn, he was great, not one of his best performances though. Direction from Woody Allen was pretty good also.
I say check out this film, it's not extraordinary, but very enjoyable.
The Idiots (1998)
This was a good movie, I enjoyed it because it's a Dogme 95 movie and it was a good story, but after seeing half a dozen Dogme films, I feel it's redundant for me to be watching it for it's unique stylization.
I enjoyed it more for the story. The story is about a group of people who pretend to be mentally retarded in order to escape the realities of today's society. This is a pretty cool premise, in my opinion. The character's get into some pretty wacky situations in order to keep the authenticity of their performance going (eg. One guy has to let someone hold his dick to pee, because the guy things he doesn't know how to do it himself, haha).
At times their behaviour seems pathetic, and bizarre, like when they have a group orgy while acting retarded in their group home.
But in the end the film has a strong message when it becomes obvious that none of them can keep up the charade, and still have a functional life in society. The characters dare each other to act retarded at their jobs, therefore jeopardizing their employment, but none of them have the guts to sacrifice their positions. I found this to be interesting because it shows that most people sacrifice guilty pleasures in order to function in society.
This film was the 2nd official film under the Dogme code, so it is pretty original for it's time.
I recommend it for anyone who wants to examine how most people don't act the way they want in society because they are too afraid they'll be shunned for it.
The Limey (1999)
I watched The Limey after my friend Nicole raved that it was genius, I can't say I agree, sorry, Nicole :( , but it still had some elements I thought were cool.
The story of The Limey is a British man flies to LA after finding out his daughter dies a suspicious death, and he wants to sort out what actually happened, so he can heal emotionally. That's an alright premise, it's not my favourite genre, sadly.
What I really liked about the film, however, was the cinematography and all other visual techniques Steven Soderbergh gave for our eyes to feast on. Visually it's a rich film, not of the lame CGI persuasion, but cool compositions, lightings, and filters. Soderbergh gives a nice range in terms of these elements. I have come to expect this to Soderbergh, he never disappoints in this area. One of the techniques in particular was making all the subjects and objects of the frame go blurry as if it was out of focus. But not just that, I'm not sure how to explain it, but the subjects had that extended blurriness that is added on top of them and belong them (if anyone knows what I'm talking about, please post a comment to clarify).
Side note, it was pretty cool seeing Peter Fonda in this movie, even though his character is a slime bucket, he's still a charmer.
I say check out this film if you're looking for some stimulation cinematography, and slick revenge movies, of course ;)
Cries and Whispers (1972)
I thought this was a strong movie. The story of two sisters going to the bedside of their other sister as she is dying of cancer, is deeply moving, a bit too moving for me at times. But I was still able to appreciate it, for what is had to offer, because it was so honest and true to how people act in these hard times. The two visiting sisters, Karin and Maria, are equally going through the same trauma of losing a sister, but are also equally opposite with how they show their emotions. Karin, the stronger of the two, does not cry as her sister is dying, and is cold and blunt toward Maria when Maria is trying to reach out to her. Maria is very easy with showing her emotions, she weeps and weeps as her sister is dying and shows signs of the sting of rejection when Karin says she hates her (that's harsh) after their sister Agnes has died.
Agnes maid, Anna, seems to be the one most affected by her death. Anna is the only one who stays up late at night to care for Anges, and is still humble toward Maria and Karin afterwards, even though she has suffered a major loss.
At the end of the film, Karin and Maria seem to be on better terms, but unfortunately Anna has to leave her employment and go elsewhere. The film is strong, like I said earlier, from the beginning to the end. It's not something to watch for fun because most of the time the only sound are cries and whispers, literally.
I have to say that this isn't my favourite Ingmar Bergman film I've seen. I'm more partial to The Seven Seal, Wild Strawberries, and Scenes from a Marriage (Scenes is the most accessible film by the way), most of his films being quite archaic.
The DVD I watched it on had an interview with Bergman, I thought that was pretty cool. He talks about life, death, and love, it's a complete understatement to say that he's had his fair share in his lifetime, but it's hard to put into the right words.
The cinematography was also well done in this film, and the symbolic red fade-outs left a strong feeling on me. I can't categorize this film on a scale because of the intense emotions that are portrayed; it was hard to watch, but also hard to look away.
Dead Man (1995)
I thought this was a good movie, but it was too long for me to enjoy. Because of it's speed, I felt bored, and also hard to concentrate on what was progressing in the film. That's not to say that it was a bad film. I thought this film had a lot of depth, and I enjoyed the characters and the premise of the film.
The premise of the film is a man goes to a small town because he thinks he has a job, but finds out he's too late. He then goes on a journey, after getting caught in bed with another man's wife, and kills the other man in self-defence.
Johnny Depp plays the main character, and he does a good job at it.
What I liked about this film is that is made fun of the western genre a bunch of times. Stuff like a rough cow boy sleeping with a teddy bear, references to a Pinto as a horse, and one of the guys feeling embarrassed that his fly is down. These references make the film seem kind of self-aware, I thought it was cool. Dead Man is kind of like Blazing Saddles, but with actual dark tones.
I'm also not normally a fan of Jim Jarmusch films because they're too slow moving and that seem depressing, that applies to Dead Man also, but I can tolerate it more than Broken Flowers or Coffee and Cigarettes. If you muster up the energy to watch this one, enjoy!
Metric – Capital Music Hall – March 3, 2006
I was really excited for this show and I put some expectations on it, but unfortunately in the end I was disappointed with the end result. There were many reasons why I left the show feeling this way. I will now indulge in them. For one, it seemed to take forever for them to start playing. My friends and I got there around 8:30, only to wait in line in the doorway, and then it took forever for each of the bands to start their respective sets. Also the venue was way too crowded for me to enjoy myself. It got gross uncomfortable sometimes, and to make matters worse I was standing behind a guy 2 heads taller than me who stood like a post, which a) turned me off from rocking out to Metric, and b) not being able to see Emily do her thang on stage. I was also disappointed that they only played 2 tracks of Old World Underground: combat Baby and Dead Disco. Come on, I really you're pushing the new album, but succexy would have been fantastic to hear.
I can't say the night was a complete bust though. The sound of the venue was pretty good, in my opinion. I really think it works in that venue (but unfortunately it was also the first event they held as the new capital music hall, and I really think they were trying to work out the kinks still). I bumped into some people I knew, and it was cool seeing them there, and eventually, after I had it up to here with the giant post in front of me, and took to the balcony where I could see everything perfectly, and was able to breath comfortably. Metric is a good band to see I say, I just had the unfortunate opportunity of have a shitty experience.
End Note: don't get mad at people when they bud in front of you sometimes. The world is an imperfect place. To the lady who gave me grief when I did said act because my roommate and I were feeling nauseous: get a friggin grip! Whenever budding is involved the person doesn't have some malicious intention to ruin your evening, you ended up getting your coat before me in the end anyway, Geez!
Gummo (1997)
I've seen this movie twice now, and it's hard to say I despise it, and it's hard to say I like it. It's one of those films that hit you, and you're left questioning what it all meant. I think that could be a good thing. However, what disturbed me about Gummo is that, it still doesn't make much sense to me. The film is about a bunch of different people in Xenia, Ohio and how their lives are really decrepit after a tornado hit their town.
I think what had turned me off from this film is the grossness and stupidity of some of the scenes. The kid eating spaghetti in the dirty bath water and then dropping a chocolate bar in the water was pretty nasty. The group of hicks arm wrestling then destroying their own furniture (with many mise en scene discontinuities) seemed dumb too. I guess all of it probably has a point to it. I feel like I shouldn't knock the film in this blog, because it was successful at what it was trying to do, that is show the horrible aftermath of a tornado hitting a small community, the educated people probably left because they knew it was only going downhill.
The film does not have a goal, and it also does not have characters that develop or learn something about themselves or human nature. What I got from this film is that if a communities foundation is completely thrown off balance, there is little that can be done to repair the damage, unless people from the outside help them out. I may be completely off with that prognosis, let me know if you think otherwise.
I did love one element of this film, and that was the soundtrack. It plays both Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison tunes. I thought that was really cool, both musicians have been in my metaphysical ipod since I was a wee one.
I guess Harmony Korine was successful with his film. I take it he wanted to do something different than mainstream Hollywood and that he was not trying to impress anyone. It was a guilty pleasure to read Ebert's review. He so desperately was trying to retain his professionalism by not saying "I thought this movie was a piece of shit". Oh Ebert, you're such a tool!
I say check this film out if you want to broaden your horizon's, just don't be surprised if it initially turns you off.
Water (2005)
I thought this was an alright movie. It didn't do anything in particular for me, the visuals were strong, but I couldn't relate at all to the subject matter. Water is about the oppression women experienced in the 30s in India, and also has a sub narrative thread about the trials of Gandhi. It was director by a Canadian, I feel like I should at least say something about that, but I'm drawing a blank ah, geez.
Trivial side note: the main soundtrack tune was almost identical to the theme of the movie Titanic...that movie also has A LOT of water in it, coincidence? who knows!
I can't comment on recommending this film on not, if you're interested in the subject matter, go nuts.
Dial M for Murder (1954)
I thought this was a good movie. It was well acted, the story was strong and the visuals were rich. There are a few things I'd like to point in particular that I thought made this a good movie. The film was essentially
more or less shot in one room, the scene of the crime being that room, it was very theatrical in that respect. What I liked about it, is that I seamlessly did not think twice that so much was just in one room. I think the fluidity of the story suspended the audience from being aware that there is not much variety in terms of scenery; and whenever he is showing the characters outside the apartment going in or out of the building, he shoots it from inside the apartment. I guess an psychoanalytical reading will tell us that the apartment room is the film and it represents the oppression that the female character is
experiencing under his husband. It is also interesting because the wife is having an affair with another man, but we are never told where they have the affair, do they "do it" in the apartment? tisk tisk. There is one shot in the film that really stood out, and that was the overhead shot that seems to be placed on the ceiling looking down almost, I thought this was a really cool shot, and that it must have heavily influenced superseding directors.
I love that Grace Kelly was in the film, she is awesome and no wonder she's a princess. I think it was a good pick to have her play the helpless female, because the audience feels so sorry for her that she is falsely
accused of murder, even though she was obviously cheating on her husband. If Hitchcock was to have casted a fugly lady, people would think that they character deserves the death sentence, because if she can't prevent herself from veering away from her husband, who know's what she'd be capable of? murder, perhaps? I haven't completely decided what I think of Ray Milland as the husband character. It's as if he was casted because Cary Grant wasn't available, he looks almost like a complete double of Cary. Anyone who has seen a good Cary Grant film knows what I'm taking about. That guy can melt the polar caps with his charm, but maybe the role would have made him out to be a bad guy and in that case, I'm all for saving Cary's star persona. For Hitchcock, this is one of his good films. I've only been slightly disappointed with some of his films, but this one is a winner, check it out!
Jarhead (2005)
Moment of self-congratulation: this is my 51st blog! sweet!
"Jarhead is slang for a marine because their head is shaped like a jar"
I liked this movie because of how it identified and examined the psychology of the 20 year old boy/man who enlists in the army. I found this movie did not have much of an overt political message, and people who were disappointed with this film were probably expecting one.
Jarhead is one of those films that you read the cast and credits and think hey, this seems pretty reputable. Sam Mendes does a good job directing, and of course Jake and Peter are hot stuff. Yar, who'd want to miss the chance to see SarrsgaarrrrRd in action!
I really liked the cinematography and the visual effects. The shot when sand comes out of Jake's mouth into the sink when he seems to be vomiting is really cool. The shot of the maries in the oil fields at night digging up the earth is also cool, and the shot at the end when what Jake is looking at out his window becomes the desert area.
The soundtrack was bold and also self-reflexive. It had contemporary hip-hop, but also played The Doors - Welcome to the other Side to which one of the marine says "that's not even our war" because it is a song from the time of the Vietnam war. This film refers a lot to other war films. Before they fly overseas the troops watch "Apocalypse Now" and during their initial training the film echos the early scenes from "Full Metal Jacket". Also in the scene where one of the marines gets a video from his wife, it is titled Deer Hunter, and all the marine's gather to watch what they think is Deer Hunter. All these references point out that people in the army live, breath, and eat the army, while they are stationed with the army that is their life. When Jake is demoted he almost has a breakdown because, in his mind,
he has lost his station in life. I recommend this movie, it is interesting to watch. It may not have as much psychological depth as past war movies that deal with metaphysical issues, but it is still one worth watching.
George Washington (2000)
I thought this was a good movie because it was subtle and it was not pretentious. The visuals were solid and the script was eloquent, but accessible. It is the story of a group of children living in a small town, who accidentally kill their good friend, and try to live with the results, but keep his death a secret. The children are ashamed that they had killed their friend and they experience extreme remorse. I really liked the visuals of this film; I found it to be very rich. Each shot seemed to be thought out so precisely
because they were all so picturesque; it was as if Green was playing on shooting the film all as stills. The film is also subtle because there are no real character outbursts. There were 2 overtly comedic moments that I enjoyed though. One of them being when George very easily convinces a grown man volunteer his time and direct traffic, while he, George wears a costume that resembles a superhero's uniform. The other when George first wears his dog fur hat.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)
I really liked this film. It's the 3rd Romanian film that I've seen now, all of them being exceptional, in my opinion, so I think I'm really developing a taste for this cinema. In the three movies that I've seen (others being "The Happiest Girl in the World" and "Police, Adjective") the principal style that stands out is the long static shots that are very evident. I think most people would find this boring and make the film less accessible because most people are accustomed to lots of editing and high tech camera work. In these Romanian films, it's completely the opposite. The camera hardly, if ever, moves, and the shots on average can last 10 minutes.
The scene I like the most in 4 Months is when Otilia is at her boyfriend's for dinner, and she doesn't want to be there because she wants to take care of her friend. Otilia's frustration is exhibited amazingly through her silent frustration, while everyone around her is eating, talking and laughing. The camera is static with Otilia in the center, with all this action going on around her. People are reaching, trying to talk to her, but they are too busy in their own world to see that she is silently in agony. This whole sequence was done in one shot, and from watching an interview with the director learned that it was the hardest sequence to shoot because there was so much that could have gone wrong, and they had to keep reshooting it. I was actually anticipating longer static shots than there were. Police, Adjective definitely stretched the length of single shots a lot more (and I loved that about the film). 4 Months makes this technique more accessible by not having the shots as long.
Another reason why I'm really digging Romanian cinema lately, that's quite evident in 4 Months, is the very unmaterialistic lifestyle that characters live. Granted, 4 Months takes place in 1987 when Romania was under Communist rule, but I really appreciate this way of life, from afar, since it is so different than the lifestyle I lead.
I really want to check out more Romanian films, and plan on making a point to seek them out. I recommend 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days if you feel like appreciating something that's different than Hollywood films. While the story is very heavy, it's depiction is amazing, and I feel like it shouldn't be missed.
The scene I like the most in 4 Months is when Otilia is at her boyfriend's for dinner, and she doesn't want to be there because she wants to take care of her friend. Otilia's frustration is exhibited amazingly through her silent frustration, while everyone around her is eating, talking and laughing. The camera is static with Otilia in the center, with all this action going on around her. People are reaching, trying to talk to her, but they are too busy in their own world to see that she is silently in agony. This whole sequence was done in one shot, and from watching an interview with the director learned that it was the hardest sequence to shoot because there was so much that could have gone wrong, and they had to keep reshooting it. I was actually anticipating longer static shots than there were. Police, Adjective definitely stretched the length of single shots a lot more (and I loved that about the film). 4 Months makes this technique more accessible by not having the shots as long.
Another reason why I'm really digging Romanian cinema lately, that's quite evident in 4 Months, is the very unmaterialistic lifestyle that characters live. Granted, 4 Months takes place in 1987 when Romania was under Communist rule, but I really appreciate this way of life, from afar, since it is so different than the lifestyle I lead.
I really want to check out more Romanian films, and plan on making a point to seek them out. I recommend 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days if you feel like appreciating something that's different than Hollywood films. While the story is very heavy, it's depiction is amazing, and I feel like it shouldn't be missed.
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