Kelly and I are still 2 episodes away from completing the "Freaks & Geeks" series, so again movie-watching has been scarce. Tonight will be the first in the "Film Script Watching Schedule (I really need to rename this)" though, as I sit down to watch The Age of Innocence. Still don't have a set schedule for the films though. Should I just list them for the rest of July as I see fit based on most glaring misses until we come up with a better system?
For now though, I will chime in with a couple recent watches...
Ratatouille. Pixar's latest great film and very reassuring after Cars signified a low point for their releases. Probably still ranks a notch or two below Finding Nemo and the first Toy Story but it's up there. Loved it absolutely. Maybe they go to the ghost of the dead chef one too many times for my taste, but other than that I can't think of anything that could have been done better. Pixar just proves time and time again, they ARE animation and everyone else is just faking it. The details, the story, the humor, the look, it's all great. I only hope Pixar can maintain this level after they really come under the influence of Disney (up to this point all these Pixar movies had been preplanned before the Disney buyout).
Live Free or Die Hard. I liked it okay, but I'd also be okay with never seeing it again... so that obviously shows it wasn't anything special. It did make me realize something about sequels and franchises though, you need to have character development. Seems like a pretty obvious point, but with a film like this is John McClane any different at the beginning of this film than he is at the end? I'd be hardpressed to point out one difference besides a bullet hole or two. On top of that, this is based on a short story that has absolutely nothing to do with the Die Hard series (Ocean's Twelve made the same mistake, trying to adapt material that wasn't intended for the characters). If it's not intended for John McClane, then obviously the stuff involving him is an afterthought... it's thrown in. The plotline about his troubles with his daughter seemed obvious, standard-issue stuff. And I got the feeling all they did was hire Willis, call him McClane and have him throw in a Yippie-Ki-Yay and suddenly this was supposed to be Die Hard. The reason that I felt Rocky Balboa succeeds where Live Free fails is the character, stupid. Rocky is a much different man at the end of his series than the beginning. He's beaten down by life. He's loved and lost. He's been hurt. Sure he has his moments, but the downs make the ups all that more enjoyable. He earns it and the crowd feels the euphoria of a victory. John McClane doesn't get down. His whole life is down. The one real interesting moment in Live Free was when McClane tries to explain to Justin Long's character that he doesn't want the life of a hero. It was the one moment of reflection in the whole movie. Other than that, it was McClane being McClane since Die Hard 2. He gets pissed off and kills a lotta people. At one point in the film, my girlfriend leaned over and whispered that if McClane teamed up with Jack Bauer, the U.S. would never have to worry about terrorists again. And she's right, because they both routinely slaughter about 30 guys in the course of a season/film. It's gotten ridiculous. The thing is though, I liked the movie okay. It was entertaining and kept my interest from beginning to end. I think Timothy Olyphant underplayed his part, but it was pretty good. But the whole concept of a "Fire Sale" attack on the U.S. in interesting on its own. This didn't have to be a Die Hard film (and might even have suffered because it was one). Plus, it needed a director who was gonna do more than point the camera at the action and it didn't get that. I would have liked to see John Woo do this film (where's he been anyway?). Len Wiseman relied on close-up shots of people firing guns wayyyy too often... and honestly it's just not that interesting. He found a couple ways of blowing people up that were new, but I felt he didn't hold his own or offer anything that any other director couldn't have done. I dunno. I know Chachi's got strong feelings on this and I can't wait to hear them, so let 'er rip.
And lastly, After Hours. After a huge paragraph of picking apart my faults with Die Hard, you'd expect a Scorsese film to be able to pull me out of it... but I think After Hours may be my least favorite Scorsese film to date, so no such luck. I just wasn't pulled in to this world. I could see interesting things happening, but for the most part I was thinking why would Scorsese waste his time depicting this takeoff of The Wizard of Oz in New York? What was the point? If someone knows, fill me in, but that this guy basically has a horrible night where everything goes wrong and he can't get home again isn't enough to keep me intrigued. Especially since it wasn't especially funny, it wasn't especially dark, and it wasn't especially good. And with Scorsese, I expect especially.
I dunno. 'Yay' for Ratatouille. 'Eh, they're okay' for the others. Nothing bad in the bunch, but a couple I expected more from.
So anyways, whose seen Transformers?
For now though, I will chime in with a couple recent watches...
Ratatouille. Pixar's latest great film and very reassuring after Cars signified a low point for their releases. Probably still ranks a notch or two below Finding Nemo and the first Toy Story but it's up there. Loved it absolutely. Maybe they go to the ghost of the dead chef one too many times for my taste, but other than that I can't think of anything that could have been done better. Pixar just proves time and time again, they ARE animation and everyone else is just faking it. The details, the story, the humor, the look, it's all great. I only hope Pixar can maintain this level after they really come under the influence of Disney (up to this point all these Pixar movies had been preplanned before the Disney buyout).
Live Free or Die Hard. I liked it okay, but I'd also be okay with never seeing it again... so that obviously shows it wasn't anything special. It did make me realize something about sequels and franchises though, you need to have character development. Seems like a pretty obvious point, but with a film like this is John McClane any different at the beginning of this film than he is at the end? I'd be hardpressed to point out one difference besides a bullet hole or two. On top of that, this is based on a short story that has absolutely nothing to do with the Die Hard series (Ocean's Twelve made the same mistake, trying to adapt material that wasn't intended for the characters). If it's not intended for John McClane, then obviously the stuff involving him is an afterthought... it's thrown in. The plotline about his troubles with his daughter seemed obvious, standard-issue stuff. And I got the feeling all they did was hire Willis, call him McClane and have him throw in a Yippie-Ki-Yay and suddenly this was supposed to be Die Hard. The reason that I felt Rocky Balboa succeeds where Live Free fails is the character, stupid. Rocky is a much different man at the end of his series than the beginning. He's beaten down by life. He's loved and lost. He's been hurt. Sure he has his moments, but the downs make the ups all that more enjoyable. He earns it and the crowd feels the euphoria of a victory. John McClane doesn't get down. His whole life is down. The one real interesting moment in Live Free was when McClane tries to explain to Justin Long's character that he doesn't want the life of a hero. It was the one moment of reflection in the whole movie. Other than that, it was McClane being McClane since Die Hard 2. He gets pissed off and kills a lotta people. At one point in the film, my girlfriend leaned over and whispered that if McClane teamed up with Jack Bauer, the U.S. would never have to worry about terrorists again. And she's right, because they both routinely slaughter about 30 guys in the course of a season/film. It's gotten ridiculous. The thing is though, I liked the movie okay. It was entertaining and kept my interest from beginning to end. I think Timothy Olyphant underplayed his part, but it was pretty good. But the whole concept of a "Fire Sale" attack on the U.S. in interesting on its own. This didn't have to be a Die Hard film (and might even have suffered because it was one). Plus, it needed a director who was gonna do more than point the camera at the action and it didn't get that. I would have liked to see John Woo do this film (where's he been anyway?). Len Wiseman relied on close-up shots of people firing guns wayyyy too often... and honestly it's just not that interesting. He found a couple ways of blowing people up that were new, but I felt he didn't hold his own or offer anything that any other director couldn't have done. I dunno. I know Chachi's got strong feelings on this and I can't wait to hear them, so let 'er rip.
And lastly, After Hours. After a huge paragraph of picking apart my faults with Die Hard, you'd expect a Scorsese film to be able to pull me out of it... but I think After Hours may be my least favorite Scorsese film to date, so no such luck. I just wasn't pulled in to this world. I could see interesting things happening, but for the most part I was thinking why would Scorsese waste his time depicting this takeoff of The Wizard of Oz in New York? What was the point? If someone knows, fill me in, but that this guy basically has a horrible night where everything goes wrong and he can't get home again isn't enough to keep me intrigued. Especially since it wasn't especially funny, it wasn't especially dark, and it wasn't especially good. And with Scorsese, I expect especially.
I dunno. 'Yay' for Ratatouille. 'Eh, they're okay' for the others. Nothing bad in the bunch, but a couple I expected more from.
So anyways, whose seen Transformers?
12 comments:
And no Chachi, I haven't forgotten about reactions to your "Haven't Seen" list (or checking out and responding to the 'Two Movies to See Before You Die' that you posted a while back).
You're Haven't Seen list is just intimidating to wade through. I'll get to it soon though.
Oh, and interesting news: might be moving back to the Fredericksburg area. Kelly and I found a townhouse we're putting an offer down on today, so we might be nearby again. The place is between Stafford and Fredericksburg, but it's much closer than Manassas, so we might be able to organize a screening or two at some point.
Okay here we go...I don't think Michael Bay did a bad job...There I said it.
Transformers was pretty much what you would expect from Bay, but this is where his bombastic nature is best suited. There is a lot I wish they did differently, but in the end I had a great time in the theater. I'm no hardcore fan of the cartoon, but I could see what they did to commemorate it...glad they used Peter Cullen for Optimus's voice. Liked the one note interplay between Starscream and Megatron. The use of the most memorable lines from the show...What I didn't like...the Transformers themselves are not characters, but simply set pieces designed for terrific action. A newcomer to the show would not care one inkling about who died and who lived. The movie focused too much on this army group that nobody cared for at all, but once again it allowed for some more action to occur. Shia was great, but Megan Fox is little more than a hot mannequin. Turturro is so over the top it isn't funny. Plus the final battle, while sometimes spectacular, can be really hard to follow. Everything just goes to shit and you can't tell what is going on...What I Loved...the FX really are amazing, the transformations are seamlessly done. Some of the action is utterly brilliant. It also has a good sense of humor. In the end, all I really hoped from it was a fun time at the theater and I got that. Thanks Michael Bay for not fucking it up entirely. Though it would have been so much better in Spielberg's hands.
License to Wed...absolutely horrendous. I'm officially over Robin Williams. As a kid, I thought he was God. But now he is just shit. Hated this movie. Made absolutely no sense whatsoever. I love the Office, but Krasinski just seemed out of place. God this movie sucked. Plus that damn little kid is the most annoying thing ever. Broke record for most Puns ever said in 90 min.
Live Free and Die Hard...I loved it. I can't disagree with you at all Mulligan, but in the end, I'm just such a huge fan of the franchise. I agree the last three films are not about development at all. And while that makes them lesser films, I don't know if I care. I was just so thrilled to see McClane kicking ass and spouting out some great lines. The one about dead asian hookers nearly made me piss myself. The plot is utterly preposterous, but still fascinating. Obviously the jet sequence was a bit much, but I thought it looked great. That is one place we differ. Having seen the Underworld movies, I really was cringing at the idea this guy was going to do Die Hard, but I thought Wiseman did an admirable job. I though everything was shot in focus, not all fast edited like Bay or Tony Scott, and I saw every puch, kick, explosion in full frame. I was really impressed with him here. One thing I respected a lot was his use of real stunts instead of merely relying on CGI like Transformers. He really drove that car into that helicoptor. It is all real minus the wires and the actor falling from it. Also liked Justin Long too. Always liked him since Galaxy Quest and Ed, the TV series, not the baseball playing chimp. Really pleased with it and had a terrific time. Anyone catch the Agent Johnson line?
Ratatouille was one I had huge expectations for, and somehow Pixar still surpassed it. I think O'Toole deserves his Oscar no simply for his voicing of Ego. The movie was absoultely gorgeous and so sublime. Absolutely timeless...no popculture jokes, very reminescent of early slapsticky films like Marx Bros or Abbott & Costello. This film will hold up 100 yrs from now when Shrek will be but a long forgotten memory. Amazing voice work from everyone and a really terrific story. I loved how Brad Bird used visuals to express differences in taste. Nearly cried when Ego first took a bite out of his ratatouille. Among Pixar's best, but still behind Toy Story 2 in my opinion. But if I rank it over the amazing Incredibles or Finding Nemo, it is simply because Ratatouille is a harder movie to make believable. What a wonderful film.
Also revisted three other Coen Bros films.
Raising Arizona...love it. Great humor with a pitch perfect ending. Loved Cage's narration.
Fargo...classic need I say more
Ladykillers...saw this in theaters and was disappointed. Saw it again and I disliked it even more. It relies too much on potty humor, which is so below the Coens. Marlon Wayans is just totally wrong for this movie. When JK Simmons char suddenly comes down with IBS, I wanted to turn it off. Tom Hanks is fun to see though and his dialog is pretty good. Well shot, but the humor is so...well not funny. Definitely among the worst, if not there worst movie.
Now to see Age of Innocence, which should be in my mailbox now.
OK...I may not hit them all now...kinda sleepy and my hot tub is whispering my name ever so sexily.
Ratatouille.
Loved it. Absolutely loved it. I'm in culinary school, so I may be a bit biased towards the story, but it may be my favorite Pixar film and Brad Bird film (not sure though...Iron Giant is amazing). The animation is beyond gorgeous. The details are incredible. I can't even put into words how much I loved watching this movie. I agree whole-heartedly with Chachi about how timeless this is. This is a film that I will be watching with my kids, and their kids and so on. Just spectacular work.
Live Free or Die Hard
I wish they had just gone all out and made it R. It needs to be R rated. They even cut off the end of the catch phrase with a damn gun shot. It's very over the top. Crazy over the top. All that said. I had such a damn good time watching it that I can't stay angry with it. It could and should have been better....but I'll take what I can get. Beats the fucking pants off of Pirates 3 that's for damn sure.
Battlestar Galactica
Not a movie. I know. But I'm finally catching up with it, and just need to say that for those who have not watched it....go do so now. Just fantastic stuff. Great acting. Great writing. Damn good effects.
The Bridge
Ok...this one will be long. For those who know nothing about this film, here's a brief overview. This is a documentary. The director and his camera crew filmed the Golden Gate bridge over the course of 2004, with the purpose of catching people jumping off of it. Not for fun. Not with bungee cords or parasails or anything. People jumping to commit suicide. More people have committed suicide at the Golden Gate bridge than anywhere else in the world. After getting this footage, the filmmaker interviews the friends and family of the deceased, all of whom are unaware of the footage he has. Tough stuff.
If you can get past the set-up, I cannot reccommend this film enough. It's hard to watch, without a doubt. But it isn't the Lifetime movie I expected. The interviews are not sappy and cheesy. They are intelligent. And, more often than not, they are more about the living and how they've dealt with and interpreted the suicide than about the deceased.
For the first third of the film or so, I kind of felt as if maybe it was all staged. It was so not what I expected of people who have been through this experience that I couldn't believe it was real. Then a couple from Midlothian, VA is interviewed. Their son was one of the ones caught on film. His father's...almost confessional is so heartbreaking and real that I almost turned the film off. He talks about how he basically told his son to do it. I don't want to go into too much detail about what these people have to say, but I will say that it sheds more light on depression and suicide and varioud other mental conditions than anything I've ever seen before. Even without the bridge footage, this film would be eye-opening.
So, is all that controversial footage necessary? I think so. It is, for the most part, respectfully done. At first, we don't really see the moment of death. We see them jump, and the camera cuts to the water so fast that we don't see the impact. It pans past it. Whether this is out of respect, or if the camera man just got nervous and anxious, or if it's for a sort of dramatic effect....it's hard to tell. The first few we see are from far away. We see a splash, and we know what has happened. As the film progresses, we see more and more. As characters come and go, we see different types of stories. Failed attempts. People rescued at the last moment.
One man's story is unfolded over the course of the film. And as we near the end, after having watched him walk back and forth on the bridge, having seen him sitting on the ledge staring at traffic, all while listening to his friends talk about his lifelong suicide joke, after connecting with this man that we have never spoken with, whose face we've never seen, we watch him stand on the rail, put his arms out, and fall backwards. We watch him tumble through the air, and, finally, we see him hit. We watch as this man dies. And it's devastating. More devastating than you think it'll be. Not because you've been manipulated. Not because of the shock of having just watched a man die. For real. But because through those interviews, we do connect with these doomed souls. We understand them through their loved ones.
It's hard to describe what this film does to you. It's not evident at first. I watched this around noon today, and it really hit me about 7-8 this evening. this is so much deeper than the premise makes it out to be. It sounds so gimmicky on paper. Controversy for the sake of controversy. This isn't making a moral or ethical or religious stand on suicide. It uses those shots (as sick as this is to say...the shots of the GG bridge are gorgeous. Simply beautiful. The landscape shots will blow you away...until you see that splash...then all the rest melts away.) and those interviews to show more about mental illness and depression than any psychology book or made-for-tv movie or prozac-sponsored commercial ever could. This will hit you hard. It will stick with you. Not just the images. Those people making their final leap. Its the people that loved them that will stand out. Their words. Their reactions. It's not easy to watch. You will probably be tempted to turn it off. Some will stay away from it altogether, and that's fine. I can't blame them. But, if you can get past what you know you will se, then this film will be more than worth it.
Okay got a few films here to mention.
Jabberwocky- first solo film from Terry Gilliam...and it sucks. I was so disappointed with this film. Okay I may have laughed a couple times, but I found it completely annoying. It is clearly trying to ride to coattails of Holy Grail, but with much less success. Its not funny, its boring, don't bother.
Battleship Potemkin- finally a silent film I could watch over and over again. Not to knock the genre, but I get anxious when I don't have spoken dialog. This film is only about 65 min long, so that helped, but it is also full of amazing imagery. It's a 1925 Russian film about the 1905 Potemkin uprising that helped stir the pot for the Bolshevik Revolution to come. (You like Russian history pengin, so give it a shot) I had heard about how amazing the Odessa Steps sequence is (in fact I've seen many a homage/parody to it), but I still was blown away. It quite possibly is the most devastating and most well made ten minutes of film ever. The tension, the use of shadows, the emotion, the music...absolutely brutal. Now this was propaganda, so that is the whole point (in fact the Odessa Steps massacre didn't actually happen, it is all created for the film), but when you make something so memorable that most people think it actually did happen, that is quite an achievement.
The next three films all have something in common...they are all directed by Michael Winterbottom.
A Mighty Heart- saw this a awhile ago, but forgot to mention it. Really solid filmmaking and acting from everyone. Jolie really has a big hurdle to get over inorder to make us believe she is Marianne Pearl, but she succeeds. Certainly worth a nomination. The film creates some amazing tension by focusing on the procedural that takes place in order to find Danny, especially when we already know the ending. Marianne Pearl is now one of my heroes. They way she approaches the situation, even during the worst part, with such dignity and class was such an admirable trait.
Tristram Shandy: a cock and bull story- another winner...really flipping funny and really inventive in how it plays with this movie within a movie. For a story that is ten volumes long, the script does a great job of honoring the spirit the volumes are told in. Really special film.
24 Hour Party People- I'm now the biggest Michael Winterbottom fan. Go see this one. Everyone will love it. Steve Coogan, much like in Tristram Shandy, is so brilliant. In both of those films he breaks the 4th wall and narrates the story. Here it is used particularly well allowing him to bend the rules of this true story about the rise of the Manchester music scene. Great soundtrack obviously. Also really fucking funny. I loved this one the most of the bunch. Imagine Trainspotting and Hedwig having a bastard child...that child would be 24 Hour Party People.
Ratatouille- First, why do I get the feeling that I am the only person in the world to consider Finding Nemo Pixar's worst film? Now, on with this movie. This is probably my favorite movie of theirs so far. All the voice acting was beyond excellent, and yes, O Toole definitely deserves an Oscar. I laughed, alot, thorughout, and I really card for these characters. I really enjoyed how real it all felt, and the scene where Remy is scurrying about the passages before he reaches the roof, it was wonderful.
Transformers- Fun, but severely flawed, mostly by Anthony Anderson. I can not explain how pointless, retarded, and vastly annoying I found his character. Did he honestly have to yell every line? Plus, there was no reason for his character, none to all. Aside from that, it takes to long to get to the main action sets, which leaves room for the weird Sector 7, which should've been handled in a smarter way. However, LaBeouf, again, proves why he's the man. And overall, it was fun.
License To Wed- Holy shit! Almost as bad as Evan Almighty, enough said.
Live Free or Die Hard- Total fun, and I thought Wiseman did a damn fine job at keeping up the pace. While, I do want a character arcs, this is one of those films in which it isn't an utter necessity. I love when he said "Yipee-kay yay...". It's one of the better mindless action films I've seen in awhile.
One last note: Can any name a bad Michael Winterbottom film? I can't.
The only Winterbottom film I've seen thus far was Code 46 and that was boring enough for me to avoid the rest of his filmography up to this point. I could see what Winterbottom was trying to do, but I felt like it was completely flat and really quite unmoving as a story.
At some point I'll get to A Mighty Heart, 24 Hour Party People and Tristram Shandy specifically, but for now... I have other things to catch up with.
OK...this was going to be a super long post, but I've allowed myself to cool down enough to keep it as short as I can.
First, we'll start with the good. I watched The Proposition last night. Totally deserved all the praise I read about it, from you all and the tons of critics that loved it. Great great film. Great writing (Nick fucking Cave!!!). Great direction. Most importantly, great acting. It proved once again that Ray Winstone and Danny Huston are the most talented under-utilized actors working today. And it made Guy Pearce watchable again (Fucking Time Machine). This was just spectacularly bleak...so of course I absolutely loved it. Highly recommended.
And now the bad...the worse than bad...Michael Bay and his latest crap "film" Transformers. Sucked. Hated it. Wasn't fun. Wasn't funny. Wasn't even action-packed. It was boring. Boring and unfunny. The transformers looked good enough...when you could tell what the hell they were doing (I personally believe Michael Bay hired Michael J. Fox as his cameraman...gonna catch some flak for that joke). The action pieces were few and far between...and you couldn't tell what the fuck was happening when they were going on.
Here's how I can sum up why this is a bad film: Anthony Anderson has a larger role than any of the robots. Enough said. Shia was the only decent thing in here, and even he is just playing his schtick. The "aw-shucks I'm super cute and geeky and awkward but some hottie's eventually gonna fall for me cuz I'm a nice guy and brave and smartass-y and everyone likes me..." I like the dude...but it's getting old fast. Needs to stretch out a bit before he becomes the male equivalent of Meg Ryan.
My biggest problem was simply that I expected an action film...and didn't get it. I got something that Michael Bay wanted to make deeper...to add a human element and blah blah blah....and since it's Michael Bay, who has never felt a human emotion in his life, it's impossible for him to make that movie. If he had made a movie in which robots blew the fuck out of each other for an hour and a half, I would've loved it. But instead we get 2 and a half (way too fucking long) hours of shit covered with shit filled with shit and then topped with shit sprinkles all that came out of the ass that is Michael Bay.
How the fuck did everyone get fooled by this? I know someone who's seen it 8 times. 8 fucking times!?!?!?!?!?!? I'd sooner cut off my big toe than watch it again. Everything about this is awful. I had no expectations coming into this, except that it was supposed to be an action film...and it was worse than I could have imagined. I'll write more if someone really wants to fight me about this, but otherwise I'm done. I want to forget about it. This may be Bay's best film (although I do like the first Bad Boys), but that's like saying you're the smartest kid on the shortbus.
I agree 99% of the time with pengin, so this is a bit of a surprise that we differ when it comes to Transformers. Believe me, it has many a problem (and many more pengin had spotlighted), but in the end I enjoyed myself. I think that was just it, he didn't, I did. I agree nearly with everything pengin says, but perhaps my expectations were lower. I don't know. I've seen it thrice, and with each viewing I dislike it more and more, but I certainly don't loathe it. Sometimes I just let nostalgia take over. I think this is the case for many people when it comes to "Hook." That movie is abysmal, yet so many of us loved it as kids that we forgive all that is wrong with it. A great example for me would be the third Ninja Turtles movie. It sucks, but its the Turtles so I still forgive it and enjoy it. I forgive this movie for a lot of its problems simply because I get to see beautiful cars change into amazing robots again.
Anyways, there will be a second one and lets hope you can find a little bit to enjoy next time around pengin. Hell even Fantastic Four 2 was better, but when your bottom barrel it isn't hard to improve yourself.
On to a few flicks I've seen recently.
Everything you always wanted to know about sex *but were afraid to ask- Early Woody Allen flick. A series of comic vignettes that answer some of the biggest mysteries about sex including "Are all trannies gay?" and "What is sodomy?" Like any other flick involving vignettes there are those that work and those that don't. I liked maybe three of the six or seven. But the last one had me laughing so hard that I would recommend checking it out simply for it.
Shark Attack 3: Megalodon- anyone not familiar with this film just search for it on YouTube. It is so awful, but I decided to see it for "the greatest line ever uttered" and to see the FX in all their atrocious glory. Don't rent it, just see the best bits on YouTube. But it is funny seeing the horrible Mexican accents/dialog on display throughout the movie.
Harry Potter 5- I think it wasn't as good as the last two, but still much better than the first two. I liked it a lot more the second time I saw it. The problems with it include rushed storyline that doesn't really lead to any revelations, the lack of Hermione & Ron, Luna Lovegood doesn't add anything, and worst of all, not enough humor & warmth. There is no doubt it is a dark story, but so were the last two and they still managed to inject some humor into the picture. That said they do an outstanding job with the final climatic battle. It was gorgeous, suspenseful, emotional, thrilling...I want to see it in IMAX 3D. I also loved how well they conveyed the Voldemort/Harry bond. The movie played more like a psychological thriller at times. The movie has the unfortunate task of simply setting the stage for the finale, which basically spans two books. The movie may not bring much in terms of forwarding the plot line, but it gave great depth to many characters including Neville, Snape, Dumbledore, and obviously Harry. These people will play an essential role in the upcoming movies. The movie is more a great big teaser for the next movies.
The Doors- more on that later
Just a couple of quick blurbs here.
My Neighbor Totoro- early Miyazaki film. Naturally is looks great, but it is a much simpler and more kid friendly film than his later work. Sweet enough for families, but I like a little more dread with my Miyazaki.
The Passion of Joan of Arc- 1928 silent film thought lost for 50 years, until a pristine copy was found in a janitor's closet at a Norwegian mental institution. How frickin weird. Thank god it was found because this is the best silent film I've ever seen. Falconetti as Joan is simply spectacular. She conveys more emotion in her eyes than any actor living today can do with there whole body. Too bad this was her last film because she could have been legendary. Carl Dreyer's imagery is amazing. Nearly all the actors are filmed from the neck up. It makes for a very confrontational feel as we witness Joan's trial unfold. There is more dialog in her than most silent films, but the dialog is so wonderful. Really was blown away by how emotional and suspenseful a silent film can be. Both this and Potemkin have made me realize just how much could be done even without sound.
Also, anyone who hasn't seen Rescue Me, check it out. It is so damn funny, yet really powerful too. I can't believe how much FX can get away with. I mean this show is dirtier than Taxicab Confessions.
I gotta say I'm just happy to hear some sense out of someone pertaining to The Transformers and what a bag of crap it is.
I still refuse to pay the money to see this in the theaters simply because I hate Michael Bay and I hate his absurd films. They're terrible. They're repetitive.
I'll see it at some point because I was a big Transformers nerd as a kid, but if I have to hear one more casual moviegoer (you know, the kind with no taste) talk about how great this film is... I'm gonna punch somebody, I swear to God.
Thank god...I'm not the only one...I've been getting death threats about hating Transformers...now someone else can too....makes me feel better.
New watches:
Harry Potter
I loved this so much more than I was expecting. I'm not a big fan of this book, and what I do love about it was all cut from the film. I knew that going in, and expected to be bothered by it. And I was to an extent, but never so much that it took me out of the film.
I'll start with what I missed: Longbottom's storyline. It was here ...kind of. They cut it so short that it basically became a nod to fans. It was my favorite part of the book, so I was happy to see the nod, but wanted so much more.
Ron and Hermione. They're only in the film if they are standing with Harry. But more on this later.
Snape's Occlumency classes. Again, they're here...but not much of them.
What I liked:
This is so much different from the other films in that it is Harry's storyline from beginning to end. There are no subplots. If a character isn't standing next to Harry, then you don't see them. Now, that sounds kinda bad. I've loved the subplots and side characters. But considering the length of the book, and the fact that much of it is just subplots, this is necessary. And welcome.
This film is about Harry's transformation to adulthood. Sounds cheesy...but it's true. Everything about this film is more grown up than the others. Harry's battling the guilt of what happened to Cedric at the end of the last film...and is battling a series of disturbing dreams that may or may not be visions of what Voldemort is doing...and, more importantly, may or may not be sent by the Dark Lord himself to draw Harry into a trap. Harry feels alone, as the ministry calls him a liar and denies that Voldemort is back. Few stand up for him, even fewer do so publicly. And worst of all, his mentor and constant protector, Dumbledore, is all but ignoring him.
The film starts bleak...and the worlds that were previously separate are now blurring together, as Dementors come to torment and attempt to kill Harry and his wonderfully douche-y cousin Dudley (it's great to see the Dudley's back). And it only gets bleaker as a rather evil Prof. Umbridge (played with vicious gusto by Imelda Staunton) slowly takes over Hogwarts with the Ministry's cooperation.
I won't go much further, on the off-chance that we have a non-reader in our midst. But, all the angst and confusion that Harry feels throughout the film really took me back that time when I was just becoming a teenager and hated everyone and was misunderstood and blahblahblah....then it takes it to a whole new level. As the story unfolds, and we realize what is to come, the pressures on Harry become more evident than ever.
When the Harry led D.A. (Dumbledore's Army) finally goes wand to wand (heh) with Voldemort's Death Eaters, the realization that this isn't a kids' series anymore is finally complete. Death is not only a possibility...it is a certainty. Magic isn't a little kid's trick anymore...the battle that ensues, after the Order of the Phoenix joins, is brutal. A life is lost, but oddly enough, it's not the hardest part.
Dumbledore and Voldemort finally fight...and...for the first time, Dumbledore isn't the best. He isn't a superhero. We've watched throughout the film as he seems to get weaker and weaker. Here he is strong...he matches Voldemort for awhile. But you can see the cracks in the armor. Harry's hero may not be able to save him after all. Then Harry and Voldemort battle it out.
It's internal. Voldemort is inside Harry's mind fighting for control. And Harry is doing what he can to preserve his sanity. It's brutal to watch. What makes it harder is knowing that in a few short days, we will finally know how this all ends, and seeing how hard Harry has to struggle to simply not lose, makes it nearly impossible to see how he could win. And of course, the knowledge of what we will have to watch in the next film is simply crushing.
And that's where this movie succeeds. It sets up everything that is too come so perfectly...much like the Two Towers. It's a great almost psychological thriller is its own right...but it's brilliant as the middle chapter of the overall story arch. We see characters' strengths and weaknesses, we see the setups for future stories, and we see the foreshadowing of those that might not make it.
I haven't touched on the technical aspects of the film yet. Stuff like acting, directing, fx, etc. It's all good. Better than good even. But the strength of this film lies within the person that watches it. I'm a total sucker for this story, and I can't help but be moved by what I saw...and how it set up what is to come. It may not do the same for a casual fan, but that's ok. We're all in for one hell of a ride over the course of the next two films.
Man it has been forever since I posted anything. Don't really have any excuses. Last weekend was devoted to the new Potter book, but I've been done with that for nearly a week now. Anyways these are the films I've seen since I last posted.
On DVD:
Tideland- I had heard terrible things, but it is Gilliam so I had to give it a shot. I'm glad I did because I now can hold conversations with LSD addicts, whom represent a large portion of VA. This movie was a awful mess, but only a director this good and a cast this superb can make such an atrocity. It has its merits, namely Gilliam's style is still sometimes wondrous to behold, but it has no joy or whimsy in this fantasy realm. The girl in the pic has the worst life imaginable, yet the world she "runs" too is even more disparaging. Gilliam introduces it before saying most will hate this film, but he pleads with you to imagine yourself as a innocent naive kid once again, and only than will you learn to love it. Worst Children's Film Ever!!! if that is the case.
Kiss Me Deadly- finished Filmspotting's film noir marathon. This was the last one in the series. The opening and the ending are amazing. Truly great cinema, but the problem is the middle lags and just seemed boring to me. This film was made during the Cold War, and the plot involves a lost case of nuclear material. Perhaps it was successful back than because it delved into the country's greatest fear, but it doesn't hold up today. Still worth checking out simply for one of the best opening's ever, and a pretty great ending to boot.
The Killers- second in the film noir series, but I only know got my hands on a copy. One of the best. The story unfolds through flashbacks much like Citizen Kane, but the sequences are told out of order, so you have to put the pieces together yourself. Burt Lancaster stars and is killed at the beginning! The story of why he was killed and by whom is of course the plot and so naturally Burt comes back ala Vincent Vega. Really smart taught thriller. Out of all the flicks in this marathon I would most recommend Double Indemnity, than Out of the Past, and than The Killers.
Naked Lunch- I was so prepared for just how bizarre this movie was supposed to be. To be honest I think it made more sense than I was expecting. It is still Cronenberg's weirdest and most incoherent, but once again he explores mankind's mental state in such a unique way. With Videodrome, he explored media and the mind. With the fly, he explored technology and the body. Here he explores a whole mess of stuff including drugs, homosexuality, the writing process, alien conspiracy. And you know what...I loved it. But than again I love Cronenberg. Does it make sense? Not really. Was it a fascinating and compelling watch? You bet. Peter Weller deserved a nomination as Bill Lee.
Great Expectations-
Very Long Engagement- don't know what was next on our Screening Room series, but I've watched both. More to come.
In Theaters:
Sicko- Michael Moore at his most subdued, but he still jumps in enough to ruin it at times. The first half I thought was nearly perfect. I never find he is manipulative or exploitive of his subjects. He lets them tell their story without interference. They alone are worth watching. Once he jumps in though, it looses some of that credibility. It may simply be because we know he hasn't always been the most truthful, so when he is on screen, you become more wary of what he is saying. His stunts, while funny, undermine what he is trying to say. Still I've always agreed with the guy. I'm not one of the converted, I've always swung left. I'm a fan simply because I find them to be very entertaining watches. But I don't watch them for hard facts. Yet anyone whom can make France look better than us deserves a medal.
Hairspray- just a whole lot of fun. The songs are catchy (I'm talking to you Dreamgirls). The cast is just about perfect (come on Dreamgirls). There was some great choreography (Dammit Dreamgirls step it up). And it had a fairly relevant moral tale to tell (WTF Dreamgirls). I can't believe I like a movie directed by Adam Shankman. Yep hell has risen to Earth (hey look its those fucking Dreamgirls).
I Now Prounce you Chuck and Larry- man did this suck...and this film would have taken that statement and turned it into a gay pun of some sort. It tried to have its cake and eat it too. We can trot out all the gay stereotypes we want as long as we than throw in a message about how it is okay to be gay at the end. I don't think I laughed at all. Biel is simply eye candy and lost all credibilty as a actress. Sandler has never been worse (and I saw Mr. Deeds). Kevin James just needed the money hopefully because he is so much better than this.
The Simpsons Movie- the most consistently funny film of the year next to Knocked Up or Hot Fuzz. Does it tell as an emotional or original tale as either of those flicks? Actually at times it does. There is a moment that devastated me. It may be only last a minute, but it was really powerful. How do you top British cops whom become action heroes? Well pig poop would be a great way to start. Brisk, funny, and gives everyone a moment to shine. I love Ralph Wiggum. But where was Mole Man? Maybe they are prepping his own movie to be released.
Post a Comment