Yes, this is the movie about the guy who cuts off his own arm. Yes, that part is shown, and it's definitely graphic. But it's also a tiny segment - easily avoided with a quick turtle duck into your scarf - in an otherwise interesting and beautiful movie.
How can a movie with only one actor that's onscreen for more than 10 minutes be interesting? The credit goes largely to James Franco who has real, how do you say?, "presence." As Aron Ralston, a 20-something daredevil who takes a bad step and winds up pinned by a boulder in an isolated ravine - Franco isn't the space cadet you might expect. He's grounded, funny sometimes, but also somber, reflective and relatable.
(This review isn't the place for it, but someday I'd like to do a serious case study on James Franco - the go-to guy for a stoner role, who has gone from total Spiderman cheeseball to someone who makes daring projects like this one, his Allen Ginsberg project, or 'Milk' and succeeds.)
As impressive as Franco is, I'd say the real credit here goes to director Danny Boyle, who's always made a very specific kind of movie. In a word: Manic. Okay, yes: 'Slumdog Millionaire' was such an overdone, contrived piece of crap that it made 'Crash''s unexpected Best Picture victory over 'Brokeback Mountain' look positively earned. But the colorful, loud, quick thing worked in 'Trainspotting' and in '28 Days Later,' and it's working again here. Steel yourself for a bit of gore, and get yourself to see this one.
8 Twix bars!
Showing posts with label movie trailers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movie trailers. Show all posts
December 29, 2010
November 4, 2010
Movie Review: Going the Distance
The weirdest thing happens when I try to think about 'Going the Distance', the summer romantic comedy starring perennial on/off/on/off/on/off real-life couple, Drew Barrymore & Justin Long: I instead immediately think of 'Date Night,' the earlier summer romantic action comedy starring never-been couple Tina Fey & Steve Carrell.
I don't know why. Maybe I think Justin Long should replace Steve Carrell on 'The Office' when he departs at the end of this season. Maybe I'm envisioning a future when Drew Barrymore & Justin Long are a bit older, and settled in their ways and can live happily ever after. It's probably just because we saw them around the same time.
Here's what was good about 'Going the Distance':
Boston friends, did you see the movie/watch the trailer? How much is the guy on the right like Zura??
Here's what was less-than-good:
I keep confusing it with a different film movie.
So, I really enjoyed the movie while I was watching it: laughed, cried, all the goods. But the long term effects just aren't there. 7 Twix bars!
I don't know why. Maybe I think Justin Long should replace Steve Carrell on 'The Office' when he departs at the end of this season. Maybe I'm envisioning a future when Drew Barrymore & Justin Long are a bit older, and settled in their ways and can live happily ever after. It's probably just because we saw them around the same time.
Here's what was good about 'Going the Distance':
- The ups-and-downs, priorities and downfall of the relationship were realistic (way more realistic than the likelihood that he'd work at a record company and she in journalism - hello, it's 2010 - but, hey, they kind of addressed that.)
- Drew Barrymore was seriously funny - just the right amount of raunchy. It was nice to watch a romantic comedy where the woman has some personality.
- Mustaches. Justin Long's buddies in this movie are hilarious.
Boston friends, did you see the movie/watch the trailer? How much is the guy on the right like Zura??Here's what was less-than-good:
I keep confusing it with a different film movie.
So, I really enjoyed the movie while I was watching it: laughed, cried, all the goods. But the long term effects just aren't there. 7 Twix bars!
October 26, 2010
Movie Review: The Kids Are All Right
'The Kids Are All Right' was the first independent movie to garner some serious Oscar buzz this year. Not a shocker, as it stars perennial Academy favorites, Julianne Moore and Annette Bening, and features a hot-button topic, gay marriage.
But here's the thing: The movie isn't actually about gay marriage. It's about a brother, who convinces his just-turned-18 sister to find out who their sperm donor father is, and the subsequent interactions of that father with the nuclear family. It's a totally average family - angsty sibling and his older, put-upon sister; tired parents just trying to do right by their kids and keep any semblance of their own selves. Anyone who's ever had a long-term partner will recognize aspects of their relationship in the one being shown on screen. And that's the point, politically-speaking: Completely intentionally, this film makes a statement about gay marriage by not making one.
A lot of weight is put on Mark Ruffalo and his sexual appeal - it's basically the crux of this movie, the kids' and their mothers' varying levels of ability/willingness to resist his charm. He's rocking the salt and pepper hair and it's-been-exactly-three-weeks-since-I-shaved-that's-how-effortless-this-is look, and in general is all smolder. For me, it tipped a bit to the smarmy side - it was like everyone else in the movie had to be extra pale so it was clear how tan and handsome and desirable Ruffalo is.
Speaking of pale, it was really fun watching Julianne Moore be spacy and kind of generally inept. I feel like I'm always watching her as a Strong Woman and it had long grown boring (I'm talking to you 'The Forgotten' and that one about the abandoned orphanage.). So watching her be the ditzy one was a nice reminder of what a great actress she can really be.
My main issue with this movie was how heavily it, at certain points, echoed one of my favorites - a little seen beaut called 'Something New.' On its surface, 'Something New' is about the challenges of interracial dating, but, just like 'The Kids are All Right,' it's also this beautifully shot, incredibly colorful love poem to the non-entertainment side of LA, a side all about native plant-heavy landscape architecture and farm-to-table restaurants.
But, I suppose, if my main issue with a movie is that it's too much like one of my favorites, I'm kind of stretching for complaints.
8 Twix bars!
But here's the thing: The movie isn't actually about gay marriage. It's about a brother, who convinces his just-turned-18 sister to find out who their sperm donor father is, and the subsequent interactions of that father with the nuclear family. It's a totally average family - angsty sibling and his older, put-upon sister; tired parents just trying to do right by their kids and keep any semblance of their own selves. Anyone who's ever had a long-term partner will recognize aspects of their relationship in the one being shown on screen. And that's the point, politically-speaking: Completely intentionally, this film makes a statement about gay marriage by not making one.
A lot of weight is put on Mark Ruffalo and his sexual appeal - it's basically the crux of this movie, the kids' and their mothers' varying levels of ability/willingness to resist his charm. He's rocking the salt and pepper hair and it's-been-exactly-three-weeks-since-I-shaved-that's-how-effortless-this-is look, and in general is all smolder. For me, it tipped a bit to the smarmy side - it was like everyone else in the movie had to be extra pale so it was clear how tan and handsome and desirable Ruffalo is.
Speaking of pale, it was really fun watching Julianne Moore be spacy and kind of generally inept. I feel like I'm always watching her as a Strong Woman and it had long grown boring (I'm talking to you 'The Forgotten' and that one about the abandoned orphanage.). So watching her be the ditzy one was a nice reminder of what a great actress she can really be.
My main issue with this movie was how heavily it, at certain points, echoed one of my favorites - a little seen beaut called 'Something New.' On its surface, 'Something New' is about the challenges of interracial dating, but, just like 'The Kids are All Right,' it's also this beautifully shot, incredibly colorful love poem to the non-entertainment side of LA, a side all about native plant-heavy landscape architecture and farm-to-table restaurants.
But, I suppose, if my main issue with a movie is that it's too much like one of my favorites, I'm kind of stretching for complaints.
8 Twix bars!
January 19, 2010
Movie Review: The Hurt Locker
I get the hype around 'The Hurt Locker.' Totally intense, beautifully shot and well written, it's the first critically and commercially successful film about the war in Iraq.
The movie centers around the final 30 days of service for a 3-man bomb squad in Iraq - they are charged with neutralizing the risk of all reported bombs. A variety of different scenarios - roadside bomb, body bomb, desert ambush - are shown as we learn about these three men and their demons and drivers. As you wait for the bomb to go off, or to see the right wire clipped, each sequence is so tense and harrowing that my neck muscles are now sore.
The ending wasn't great, wrapping things up a little too neatly so that it was bordering on contrived. But I love that this movie was directed by a woman (especially because that woman, Kathryn Bigelow, also directed 'Point Break' - and what's not to love about 'Point Break'?) and that where movies like 'Black Hawk Down' are all A-list stars and flashy special effects, this movie was mostly no names and grittier, down-to-earth cinematography.
I enjoyed the surprise cameos - Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, Evangeline Lilly - among the cast of no names. And those no names were great - the acting was truly one of the high points of the film - once I figured out who the main actor reminded me of:
The OC's Benjamin McKenzie
+
Kiefer Sutherland
=
The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner
8 Twix bars!
The movie centers around the final 30 days of service for a 3-man bomb squad in Iraq - they are charged with neutralizing the risk of all reported bombs. A variety of different scenarios - roadside bomb, body bomb, desert ambush - are shown as we learn about these three men and their demons and drivers. As you wait for the bomb to go off, or to see the right wire clipped, each sequence is so tense and harrowing that my neck muscles are now sore.
The ending wasn't great, wrapping things up a little too neatly so that it was bordering on contrived. But I love that this movie was directed by a woman (especially because that woman, Kathryn Bigelow, also directed 'Point Break' - and what's not to love about 'Point Break'?) and that where movies like 'Black Hawk Down' are all A-list stars and flashy special effects, this movie was mostly no names and grittier, down-to-earth cinematography.
I enjoyed the surprise cameos - Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, Evangeline Lilly - among the cast of no names. And those no names were great - the acting was truly one of the high points of the film - once I figured out who the main actor reminded me of:
The OC's Benjamin McKenzie
+
Kiefer Sutherland
=
The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner
8 Twix bars!
November 25, 2009
Movie Review: The Big Chill
I've always associated 'The Big Chill' with 'Diner'. Possibly because of its release date and large ensemble cast, more likely because they were next to one another in my Netflix queue for years.
While entertained enough and even occasionally moved by the film's depiction of aging friendships, I wasn't blown away. It hasn't aged particularly well, and not just because of its outdated plotlines (like a woman trying to seduce her male friends in order to get pregnant). The thing that put me off the most was its use of self-taped video confessions and conversations. This is a dated device that drives me crazy: Especially in the 80s, filmmakers used it as an attempt to comment on the voyeurism of their characters, but it rarely doesn't feel forced and insincere.
Most of the time, I was wishing the ensemble cast featured other actors, like Andie MacDowell instead of JoBeth Williams, and anyone else except Jeff Goldblum who was clunky in his role as a writer for People magazine who's more ambitious career plans involve opening a club (How noble?). I feel like Glenn Close was only nominated for an Academy Award because she cried, naked. And I won't even bring up Tom Berenger, since I'll never forgive him for not being Tom Bergeron - host of 'Dancing with the Stars' - which cost us a trivia victory. William Hurt & Kevin Kline (though the latter used a totally unnecessary Southern accent) really held the ensemble together.
All this being said, I can see where this film might fit into a film major's curriculum. I especially liked that the filmmaker really used the soundtrack as a storytelling device: While all of the movie takes place in the 80s, it relies on the audience understanding the characters' 60s-based backstories. The soundtrack - jammed full of 60s hits - serves this purpose.
7.5 Twix bars!
While entertained enough and even occasionally moved by the film's depiction of aging friendships, I wasn't blown away. It hasn't aged particularly well, and not just because of its outdated plotlines (like a woman trying to seduce her male friends in order to get pregnant). The thing that put me off the most was its use of self-taped video confessions and conversations. This is a dated device that drives me crazy: Especially in the 80s, filmmakers used it as an attempt to comment on the voyeurism of their characters, but it rarely doesn't feel forced and insincere.
Most of the time, I was wishing the ensemble cast featured other actors, like Andie MacDowell instead of JoBeth Williams, and anyone else except Jeff Goldblum who was clunky in his role as a writer for People magazine who's more ambitious career plans involve opening a club (How noble?). I feel like Glenn Close was only nominated for an Academy Award because she cried, naked. And I won't even bring up Tom Berenger, since I'll never forgive him for not being Tom Bergeron - host of 'Dancing with the Stars' - which cost us a trivia victory. William Hurt & Kevin Kline (though the latter used a totally unnecessary Southern accent) really held the ensemble together.
All this being said, I can see where this film might fit into a film major's curriculum. I especially liked that the filmmaker really used the soundtrack as a storytelling device: While all of the movie takes place in the 80s, it relies on the audience understanding the characters' 60s-based backstories. The soundtrack - jammed full of 60s hits - serves this purpose.
7.5 Twix bars!
September 10, 2009
Movie Review: Funny People
Let's just get this out of the way: 'Funny People' sucked. I wish there was a nicer way to put it, but there's not. It's the kind of movie that is dully painful while you're watching, and then gets worse and worse the more you think about it.
In the musical 'You're a Good Man Charlie Brown,' Lucy – you know her, she's the one who always pulls the football away – tells a depressed Charlie Brown that the best way to feel better “is to come right out and admit all of the things that are wrong with you.” Maybe doing that will help me feel better about this movie: 'Funny People' lacked depth, originality and warmth, and was way too long. Nope, didn't help. I'm just getting angry. Just how long is it? The first half might have been an okay movie on its own. As is, Judd Apatow, he of the golden touch who brought us '40 Year Old Virgin' and 'Knocked Up' tried way too hard and gave us 2 hours and 26 minutes of humorless blah. Does that sound harsh? It should.
The movie's about a famous comedian/actor who's diagnosed with a deadly illness. An aspiring comedian starts working as his assistant, they bond, and then the famous one discovers he isn't sick anymore. A girl and some roommates figure in there somewhere too.
Seth Rogen has been in almost everything that Judd Apatow has done – from 'Freaks & Geeks' through 'Knocked Up.' It's almost like he's his muse or something. He's one of the stars of this movie. Adam Sandler used to be Apatow's roommate. He's another star in this movie. Leslie Mann, she of the squeaky voice, is Judd Apatow's wife. She's the third star of this movie (also, their kids feature fairly prominently). The fourth star – kind of, since he doesn't appear until a good 2 hours in – is Eric Bana (You know, the Hulk). I'm not sure how he fits into Judd Apatow's life, but I'm willing to bet they celebrate Hanukkah together or something. The overzealous, obvious nepotism was at times painful to watch, because no one fit their character particularly well – it's like everyone was playing some vague version of themselves, and nothing else.
Here's something that was good: Jason Schwarztman. He played Seth Rogen's friend, a formerly struggling actor, recently made successful by starring on a totally lame, TGIF/Saturday morning-type sitcom called 'Yo, Teach.' As a self-absorbed guy, convinced that everything is, in fact, about him, he offered some of the only laugh-out-loud moments of the movie.
5 Twix bars!
In the musical 'You're a Good Man Charlie Brown,' Lucy – you know her, she's the one who always pulls the football away – tells a depressed Charlie Brown that the best way to feel better “is to come right out and admit all of the things that are wrong with you.” Maybe doing that will help me feel better about this movie: 'Funny People' lacked depth, originality and warmth, and was way too long. Nope, didn't help. I'm just getting angry. Just how long is it? The first half might have been an okay movie on its own. As is, Judd Apatow, he of the golden touch who brought us '40 Year Old Virgin' and 'Knocked Up' tried way too hard and gave us 2 hours and 26 minutes of humorless blah. Does that sound harsh? It should.
The movie's about a famous comedian/actor who's diagnosed with a deadly illness. An aspiring comedian starts working as his assistant, they bond, and then the famous one discovers he isn't sick anymore. A girl and some roommates figure in there somewhere too.
Seth Rogen has been in almost everything that Judd Apatow has done – from 'Freaks & Geeks' through 'Knocked Up.' It's almost like he's his muse or something. He's one of the stars of this movie. Adam Sandler used to be Apatow's roommate. He's another star in this movie. Leslie Mann, she of the squeaky voice, is Judd Apatow's wife. She's the third star of this movie (also, their kids feature fairly prominently). The fourth star – kind of, since he doesn't appear until a good 2 hours in – is Eric Bana (You know, the Hulk). I'm not sure how he fits into Judd Apatow's life, but I'm willing to bet they celebrate Hanukkah together or something. The overzealous, obvious nepotism was at times painful to watch, because no one fit their character particularly well – it's like everyone was playing some vague version of themselves, and nothing else.
Here's something that was good: Jason Schwarztman. He played Seth Rogen's friend, a formerly struggling actor, recently made successful by starring on a totally lame, TGIF/Saturday morning-type sitcom called 'Yo, Teach.' As a self-absorbed guy, convinced that everything is, in fact, about him, he offered some of the only laugh-out-loud moments of the movie.
5 Twix bars!
September 9, 2009
Movie Review: Paper Heart
'Paper Heart' is a fake documentary about Charlyne Yi, a Los Angeles comedian who dates Michael Cera (of 'Arrested Development,' 'Superbad' and 'Juno.'). The movie was made while they were dating, as if they weren't yet dating, and released after they'd broken up. So, I guess you could say it's kind of a true story. Also, an actor plays the real movie's director. With me so far?
Well, the plot is kind of beside the point anyway. The documentary part is about love, and whether or not it exists for Yi. She doesn't think so, and travels middle America hearing from couples young and old (mostly the latter) about their loves, lost and present. Often, these vignettes are wrapped up with a kind of puppet show that insert Yi's quirky sense of art and humor into the mix. Those parts are quite lovely.
In fact, the whole movie is quite lovely, in a somewhat forgettable way. As is, the only thing that really sticks out in the viewer's mind is that looming question about what is real and what is not; if Cera had been anyone even marginally less famous, there would have been little else to latch onto. 7 Twix bars!
Well, the plot is kind of beside the point anyway. The documentary part is about love, and whether or not it exists for Yi. She doesn't think so, and travels middle America hearing from couples young and old (mostly the latter) about their loves, lost and present. Often, these vignettes are wrapped up with a kind of puppet show that insert Yi's quirky sense of art and humor into the mix. Those parts are quite lovely.
In fact, the whole movie is quite lovely, in a somewhat forgettable way. As is, the only thing that really sticks out in the viewer's mind is that looming question about what is real and what is not; if Cera had been anyone even marginally less famous, there would have been little else to latch onto. 7 Twix bars!
July 31, 2009
Better than 'Being Julia'
Considering that I spent yesterday defending my lack of blogging because of how insanely busy things have been, it probably doesn't make much sense that I just finished a 300-page book, which I started 2 days ago. But, I did.
'Julia & Julie' (which I consistently find impossible to say correctly) is a book based on a blog about a year-long project for Julie Powell, a frustrated 29-year old in a dead-end job, who invents the Julia/Julie Project to reinvigorate her life by cooking every recipe - all 524 - in Julia Child's seminal cookbook, 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' over the course of a year. Why? She's not quite sure - it just seems like something she needs to do.
I picked it up off Jessica's bookcase months ago, but got distracted by various book group books and selections from the New Classics list that I've been working on, but with three days of 1 1/2 hours of train commuting to deal with, I decided that this was the week. Plus, I wanted to read it before the movie version comes out next Friday. The movie stars Meryl Streep who, post-'Death Becomes Her' anyway, can do no wrong, and Amy Adams who is beyond cute as a button, so I'm not that worried about the movie sucking compared to the book, as most adaptations do. But, I did want to read it first, so I could reserve my right to be uppity and indignant just in case.
The book went quickly because it's written a lot like a blog - including isolated stories, punch lines and cursing - and it's been a long time since I enjoyed reading something so much. The author's relatable, with a self-deprecating eye on herself, and some wicked/wonderful insight into life on the cusp of 30, in the era of the 2000s, in urban America.
Sure, it's hard to imagine what I would find so attractive about the book: The author's a Buffy-devout, ex-theater nerd who married her high school sweetheart when she was in her early 20s and often feels like the old married woman amongst her sea of single friends. She has no idea what she wants to do with her life, and crafts a project for herself that involves a ton of eating and drinking, thus paving the way to a happier marriage, successful career and well-adjusted self.
Actually, on second thought, maybe I hated this book. Because, seriously: Why didn't I think of this?
'Julia & Julie' (which I consistently find impossible to say correctly) is a book based on a blog about a year-long project for Julie Powell, a frustrated 29-year old in a dead-end job, who invents the Julia/Julie Project to reinvigorate her life by cooking every recipe - all 524 - in Julia Child's seminal cookbook, 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' over the course of a year. Why? She's not quite sure - it just seems like something she needs to do.
I picked it up off Jessica's bookcase months ago, but got distracted by various book group books and selections from the New Classics list that I've been working on, but with three days of 1 1/2 hours of train commuting to deal with, I decided that this was the week. Plus, I wanted to read it before the movie version comes out next Friday. The movie stars Meryl Streep who, post-'Death Becomes Her' anyway, can do no wrong, and Amy Adams who is beyond cute as a button, so I'm not that worried about the movie sucking compared to the book, as most adaptations do. But, I did want to read it first, so I could reserve my right to be uppity and indignant just in case.
The book went quickly because it's written a lot like a blog - including isolated stories, punch lines and cursing - and it's been a long time since I enjoyed reading something so much. The author's relatable, with a self-deprecating eye on herself, and some wicked/wonderful insight into life on the cusp of 30, in the era of the 2000s, in urban America.
Sure, it's hard to imagine what I would find so attractive about the book: The author's a Buffy-devout, ex-theater nerd who married her high school sweetheart when she was in her early 20s and often feels like the old married woman amongst her sea of single friends. She has no idea what she wants to do with her life, and crafts a project for herself that involves a ton of eating and drinking, thus paving the way to a happier marriage, successful career and well-adjusted self.
Actually, on second thought, maybe I hated this book. Because, seriously: Why didn't I think of this?
July 16, 2009
Sort of a Movie Review: Almost Famous
I have seen 'Almost Famous' probably 15 times, so it’s probably not fair to call this a review. Last night, we hooked up a projector and our iPod speaker deck and watched the movie upstairs on our roof deck, projecting it onto a building across the way. We had talked about this hypothetically for years, and in the spirit of Getting Things Done before we leave Boston, we just decided to make it happen. We chose ‘Almost Famous’ because it’s such a crowd pleaser, and it seemed like the type of movie that should be projected on a brick wall.
Maybe it was the setting, maybe it was the company, maybe it’s the ever-increasing sentimentality as we prepare to move, but every second of the movie was even better than the first 14 times I saw it. Some thoughts:
Maybe it was the setting, maybe it was the company, maybe it’s the ever-increasing sentimentality as we prepare to move, but every second of the movie was even better than the first 14 times I saw it. Some thoughts:
- After the credits, the movie shows San Diego during Christmas time in 1969. The Chipmunk Song is playing. This cracked me up last night, because of how Jason Lee was just in the movie version of ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks.’
- Why did Patrick Fugit disappear after this? The only other thing I’ve ever seen him in was the movie version of ‘White Oleanders’. Did he not age well? Was he *too* William Miller to make it seem like he could play other characters?
- When I had this thought last night, I thought it was totally insightful…now I’m realizing I brought the same thing up with ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’: Do you think that movies set in the past (at the time of release) age better?
- Jessica shared with us some trivia about the movie, and Jack Black was up for the role of Lester Bangs, which eventually went to Philip Seymour Hoffman. I find it mindblowing how much this could have changed his career. This was after Tenacious D, and right around the time of ‘High Fidelity’ – it could have really reshaped him. Instead, he did ‘Shallow Hal.’
- Frances McDormand is so good: She says more with one eyebrow raise than I could get out in a week. Her character is so strongly developed – she is this powerful, hard headed woman, with this amazing soft heart. I think this is one of my favorite movie characters of all time.
- Two Elton John songs feature prominently in the movie: 'Tiny Dancer' and 'Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.' Beautiful stuff. He’s so not lame, I don’t understand how he became a mainstay of soft rock stations (and I wonder if he does).
July 7, 2009
Man of the Month: July
From 8th-12th grades, I had a video tape that I used to keep snippets of important television happenings (So, yes: I've always been this pop culture obsessed.). It was labeled “Melrose Place Tape #5” from a project I had undertaken of recording an entire season’s worth of 'Melrose Place' on VHS to send to my friend Ayesha who was spending 6 months of our 8th grade year with her grandparents in Pakistan. Upon her (and the tapes’) return, 'Melrose Place' quickly got replaced. Aside from 'General Hospital' which I’d record every day, and shows like 'Party of 5,' 'Buffy' and 'Felicity' which I recorded weekly, I kept careful track of when my many celebrity boyfriends would be on various talk shows so that I could tape them all. Then, I’d transfer scenes that I liked or interviews I wanted to keep onto this video tape. Man, I really knew my way around a VCR. Life skills, you know.
With ‘Brothers Bloom’ recent release (from the director of 'Brick'), all the film festival/indie rock love hoopla around the upcoming '500 Days of Summer' and the premiere of a TV version of one of my favorite 1990s movies, '10 Things I Hate About You,' I’ve been thinking about Joseph Gordon-Levitt quite a bit these days. And when I think of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, I think about an interview I kept of him on this tape – it was with Jay Leno during the time that he was on '3rd Rock From the Sun,' but towards the end, because he had short '10 Things I Hate About You' hair, not the bob.
In this interview, he talks about having a hyphenated name, and how it really is both of his parents’ last names joined, and about how they used to be hippies but now they drive BMWs. As a member of the hyphenated last-name club, I actually think about this quite a bit. But, I feel like I’ve already told that story on this blog, so I have come up with some new reasons to like this seemingly well-adjusted, smart guy who likes what he does and just happens to be our latest Man of the Month:
With ‘Brothers Bloom’ recent release (from the director of 'Brick'), all the film festival/indie rock love hoopla around the upcoming '500 Days of Summer' and the premiere of a TV version of one of my favorite 1990s movies, '10 Things I Hate About You,' I’ve been thinking about Joseph Gordon-Levitt quite a bit these days. And when I think of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, I think about an interview I kept of him on this tape – it was with Jay Leno during the time that he was on '3rd Rock From the Sun,' but towards the end, because he had short '10 Things I Hate About You' hair, not the bob.
In this interview, he talks about having a hyphenated name, and how it really is both of his parents’ last names joined, and about how they used to be hippies but now they drive BMWs. As a member of the hyphenated last-name club, I actually think about this quite a bit. But, I feel like I’ve already told that story on this blog, so I have come up with some new reasons to like this seemingly well-adjusted, smart guy who likes what he does and just happens to be our latest Man of the Month:
- This trailer:
- This interview (From Entertainment Weekly, 4/24/2009):
EW: How would you describe your character in '(500) Days of Summer?'
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT: He's a bit of a hopeless romantic who has taken perhaps a little bit too seriously pop songs and love stories. He has to figure some s--- out and man up a little bit.
EW: You've never made a movie as outright romantic as (500) Days. Are you a fan of the standard romantic comedy?
JGL: Well, who is a fan of the standard romantic comedy? The vast majority of Hollywood love stories — let's be honest, they're full of s---. Love is not about winning and losing. Love is not about happy endings or good guys and bad guys. [At] most movie studios, the big decisions get made by accountants and lawyers. They don't get made by artists.
EW: Is that why you've done so many independent dramas since 1999's '10 Things I Hate About You?'
JGL: I'll stand up for '10 Things I Hate About You.' I think that was a good movie. [Laughs] The A-R-T word is a complicated one. I shouldn't have brought it up because you can sound pretentious calling things art. But when I make a movie, it's because it inspires me. People always smirk when I say this, but when I saw the designs for the character that I play in 'G.I. Joe,' it was like, ''Wow! How'd I get to be that guy?'' That's exciting to me.
EW: 'G.I. Joe,' in which you play Cobra Commander, opens three weeks after '(500) Days of Summer.' Are you prepared for the amount of fame that could bring?
JGL: I don't know. When I was younger, I used to hate that kind of recognition. I still kind of have a problem with the intersection of this word called ''celebrity'' and acting. What makes it worth it for me is that people that saw '(500) Days of Summer' at Sundance have been coming up and saying, ''Wow, that really meant something to me.'' So if you're asking, ''Are you prepared for so many more people to connect with you in that way?'' I want that connection. That's a dream come true.
Movie Review: The Proposal
My hopes weren’t too high for this movie. I’m not big for the prat falls of ‘Miss Congeniality,’ and I’ve never seen ‘Two Weeks Notice.’ I'm really more of a Sandra Bullock-in-Speed person. So while I find her very likable and am super into the fact that she married that motorcycle guy (though I can't help but wonder how on earth she's okay with him starring on a television show essentially designed to kill him), I was more attracted to ‘The Proposal’ by Ryan Reynolds (who I found just delightful in ‘Definitely, Maybe’) and Betty White (who is just delightful period). No one was more surprised than me to realize, upon leaving the movie theater, that I liked it more than ‘The Hangover.’ I was pretty embarrassed by this, but thankfully, over post-movie fresh fruit margaritas and mojitos, Sarah confessed that she did too.
Let’s get the negative stuff out of the way first: They really tried to make Ryan Reynolds seem a lot younger than he is (He was supposed to be playing a guy 3 years out of college. Can't you tell? He’s listening to an iPod! Look at this hip jacket and messenger bag he wears ALL the time!), the immigration officer part was way over the top at the end, and there’s this gag that almost works, where, because it’s a small town, one person appears to do every job (general store manager, catering staff, stripper, you know). If that one person wasn’t played by Oscar from 'The Office,' I think I would have been annoyed by it.
Negativity done. There was way more to like about this movie.
Most importantly, I laughed out loud. A lot. The “naked” scene has gotten a lot of play on the talk show circuit, and its payoff was much funnier than I expected. There was also a scene that involved Sandra Bullock's character, a hard-nosed, high-powered book editor, singing wildly inappropriate song lyrics ("Sweat drips off my..."), and a second scene with Ryan Reynolds doing an amazing falsetto that had my throat hurting from laughing so hard. Betty White was everything you’d hope for – over the top granny-rific, not above guilt-tripping her children & grandchildren by pulling the What-if-I-Die-and-this-is-the-last-thing-I-remember card, and with some great one liners ("She sure comes with a lot of baggage."). Mary Steenburgen played Ryan Reynolds’s mom, and she’s just so darn nice and mom-like, I really loved her. (Sometime after the early 90s - 'Prancer,' 'Back to the Future 3,' 'Philadelphia' - it seems like Mary Steenburgen began just playing herself. I feel equipped to say this, since I saw her actually play herself on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.' So she really must just be the nicest person ever. Who’s with me?) Also, she wears really great sweaters in this movie.
Sure, the movie was full of overused rom-com clichés (They hate one another! Her parents died when she was young! She forgot what it was like to have a family!), but there were also bits that felt, if not original, at least fresh. Laugh out loud funny, I will gladly queue this up for any girl bonding night in the future. 7.5 Twix bars!
(Sidenote: I get a lot of flack for the fact that all of my Twix bar ratings fall between 6.5 and 8. There's a reason for this: I am not actually a movie critic. Shocking, I know. But I’m not getting paid to go see everything. So, if I've committed to paying $11 to see something, I expect to like it. If you get rated less than a 7, you disappointed me. If you get more than an 8, I will buy your DVD for our collection and probably also give you to someone for Christmas. If you fall somewhere in between, you did your job. I also try to consider/balance how much the movie was Trying, and a few other highly mathematical factors, but there's the basic logic. Do you disagree? Let me hear it!)
Let’s get the negative stuff out of the way first: They really tried to make Ryan Reynolds seem a lot younger than he is (He was supposed to be playing a guy 3 years out of college. Can't you tell? He’s listening to an iPod! Look at this hip jacket and messenger bag he wears ALL the time!), the immigration officer part was way over the top at the end, and there’s this gag that almost works, where, because it’s a small town, one person appears to do every job (general store manager, catering staff, stripper, you know). If that one person wasn’t played by Oscar from 'The Office,' I think I would have been annoyed by it.
Negativity done. There was way more to like about this movie.
Most importantly, I laughed out loud. A lot. The “naked” scene has gotten a lot of play on the talk show circuit, and its payoff was much funnier than I expected. There was also a scene that involved Sandra Bullock's character, a hard-nosed, high-powered book editor, singing wildly inappropriate song lyrics ("Sweat drips off my..."), and a second scene with Ryan Reynolds doing an amazing falsetto that had my throat hurting from laughing so hard. Betty White was everything you’d hope for – over the top granny-rific, not above guilt-tripping her children & grandchildren by pulling the What-if-I-Die-and-this-is-the-last-thing-I-remember card, and with some great one liners ("She sure comes with a lot of baggage."). Mary Steenburgen played Ryan Reynolds’s mom, and she’s just so darn nice and mom-like, I really loved her. (Sometime after the early 90s - 'Prancer,' 'Back to the Future 3,' 'Philadelphia' - it seems like Mary Steenburgen began just playing herself. I feel equipped to say this, since I saw her actually play herself on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.' So she really must just be the nicest person ever. Who’s with me?) Also, she wears really great sweaters in this movie.
Sure, the movie was full of overused rom-com clichés (They hate one another! Her parents died when she was young! She forgot what it was like to have a family!), but there were also bits that felt, if not original, at least fresh. Laugh out loud funny, I will gladly queue this up for any girl bonding night in the future. 7.5 Twix bars!
(Sidenote: I get a lot of flack for the fact that all of my Twix bar ratings fall between 6.5 and 8. There's a reason for this: I am not actually a movie critic. Shocking, I know. But I’m not getting paid to go see everything. So, if I've committed to paying $11 to see something, I expect to like it. If you get rated less than a 7, you disappointed me. If you get more than an 8, I will buy your DVD for our collection and probably also give you to someone for Christmas. If you fall somewhere in between, you did your job. I also try to consider/balance how much the movie was Trying, and a few other highly mathematical factors, but there's the basic logic. Do you disagree? Let me hear it!)
June 24, 2009
Movie Review: State of Play
I really shouldn't make it a habit to review movies 6 weeks after seeing them, but I took actual notes about ‘State of Play’ and don't want that to have been a waste.
‘State of Play’ is a political/journalistic thriller about a Senatorial aide who is mysteriously killed, leading to all sorts of questions about her boss, the committee he’s running, corruption in Washington, etc. Ben Affleck’s the Senator, and his old college buddy, Russell Crowe is an investigative journalist for a Washington Post-like newspaper. Helen Mirren is the paper’s editor, who lets him cover the story, thinking he’ll get the inside scoop. Rachel McAdams is the decidedly-not-a-journalist blogger who’s interested in only the salacious (Read: sexy) details of the story.
There are dark alleys and mysterious photographs and, of course, history between Ben Affleck’s wife (Robin Wright Penn) and Russell Crowe. In neat bookends (which made for good trailer clips if not much else), it also sort of tries to be about the death of the printed word, and there may or may not have been commentary on war. I'm going to try to leave this spoiler free, because there are a lot of twists and turns and that's definitely where the fun of this movie was. But, to be honest, I'm not sure I could spoil the movie if I tried because I'm not entirely sure what happened – that's how knotted up everything winds up in the end.
Some miscellaneous points:
‘State of Play’ is a political/journalistic thriller about a Senatorial aide who is mysteriously killed, leading to all sorts of questions about her boss, the committee he’s running, corruption in Washington, etc. Ben Affleck’s the Senator, and his old college buddy, Russell Crowe is an investigative journalist for a Washington Post-like newspaper. Helen Mirren is the paper’s editor, who lets him cover the story, thinking he’ll get the inside scoop. Rachel McAdams is the decidedly-not-a-journalist blogger who’s interested in only the salacious (Read: sexy) details of the story.
There are dark alleys and mysterious photographs and, of course, history between Ben Affleck’s wife (Robin Wright Penn) and Russell Crowe. In neat bookends (which made for good trailer clips if not much else), it also sort of tries to be about the death of the printed word, and there may or may not have been commentary on war. I'm going to try to leave this spoiler free, because there are a lot of twists and turns and that's definitely where the fun of this movie was. But, to be honest, I'm not sure I could spoil the movie if I tried because I'm not entirely sure what happened – that's how knotted up everything winds up in the end.
Some miscellaneous points:
- Helen Mirren's character, a hard nosed editor, well aware that in this day and age journalistic integrity means less than selling newspapers, was written as a male. It doesn't seem like they changed the script one bit with casting (At one point, she tells a belligerent Russell Crowe to suck her balls) and I really respect that.
- Ben Affleck's character was named Stephen Collins. This is the name of the actor who played the murderous father that forced Keri Russell, a high school diving phenom, to dive out of the attic window to escape him in that Lifetime movie. You know, Father Camden from 7th Heaven. For some reason, this really bothered me.
- Another thing that really bugged me. Ben Affleck is 8 years younger than Russell Crowe (wouldn’t you think it’d be more?), but they were supposed to be college friends?
- I apparently also had an issue with Jason Bateman in this movie, because my notes read: "Michael Bluth? Really?", but it probably says more that I no longer remember what his significance was to the overall plot. I do remember that he wore eyeliner.
June 22, 2009
Movie Review: Away We Go
There's a problem with great movie trailers – it's almost inevitable that the actual movie can't live up to the promise. This was the case with 'Away We Go, a trailer that I've been swooning over since it debuted early this year. Don't get me wrong, I liked the movie – a lot – but, like when a single is the best song on the album, I couldn't help but feel a little let down.
'Away We Go' could almost have been two separate movies. The first half is knee-slapping funny, telling a road trip story about an almost-loser couple (Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski) redeemed by their love for one another, searching for a new place to settle down and raise their first child. As in a classic road trip story, we meet quirky characters, like the boozing middle aged couple that takes their kids to the greyhound racetrack. Allison Janney and the brother from 'My Boys' were seriously hilarious. But it's the second quirky character that really stole the show – Maggie Gyllenhaal's LN (Ellen). She's a wacky liberal professor, who we first meet with two children too old to be breast feeding doing just that. We learn that her family doesn't believe in strollers and all sleep in the same bed, and they dismiss the idea that one must "make a living” - it's just the right amount of over-the-top to be laugh out-loud funny (And if you don't believe me, just ask the guy behind us in the theater – I'd hate to hear how loudly he guffaws during actual comedies.).
Alternating with the funny characters, there are some real poignant moments. We meet Maya Rudolph's sister and learn that their parents died when she was 22. We meet the couple's college friends, who have an amazing marriage and a big, ol' happy family of adopted children – and learn that they've suffered through 5 miscarriages. We meet John Krasinksi's brother, whose wife has just left him and their young daughter. As the movie meanders along, the quietly uplifting sobriety of these plotlines takes over, leading to a final 3 minutes that are completely (and satisfyingly) dialogue-free.
Aside from the brilliance of Maggie Gyllenhaal and some truly beautifully framed shots (the movie was directed by Sam Mendes, who must have really needed a Happy Couple story after the disaster that was 'Revolutionary Road.'), Maya Rudolph is insanely likable in the movie, and I was almost able to forget the John Krasinski is Jim Halpert (I won't go into the details, since it'd be a multi-tiered spoiler alert around the last season finale of 'The Office' and the movie, but there were two minor plot points just too close to the Jim and Pam relationship for me to ignore).
What I enjoyed most about the movie was being put directly into the middle of the couple's relationship. We didn't have to learn how they met, or watch them fight and realize that they're in love, it was a given that this was the real thing, and I really enjoyed that rare-in-the-movie-world stability. 7.75 Twix bars!
'Away We Go' could almost have been two separate movies. The first half is knee-slapping funny, telling a road trip story about an almost-loser couple (Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski) redeemed by their love for one another, searching for a new place to settle down and raise their first child. As in a classic road trip story, we meet quirky characters, like the boozing middle aged couple that takes their kids to the greyhound racetrack. Allison Janney and the brother from 'My Boys' were seriously hilarious. But it's the second quirky character that really stole the show – Maggie Gyllenhaal's LN (Ellen). She's a wacky liberal professor, who we first meet with two children too old to be breast feeding doing just that. We learn that her family doesn't believe in strollers and all sleep in the same bed, and they dismiss the idea that one must "make a living” - it's just the right amount of over-the-top to be laugh out-loud funny (And if you don't believe me, just ask the guy behind us in the theater – I'd hate to hear how loudly he guffaws during actual comedies.).
Alternating with the funny characters, there are some real poignant moments. We meet Maya Rudolph's sister and learn that their parents died when she was 22. We meet the couple's college friends, who have an amazing marriage and a big, ol' happy family of adopted children – and learn that they've suffered through 5 miscarriages. We meet John Krasinksi's brother, whose wife has just left him and their young daughter. As the movie meanders along, the quietly uplifting sobriety of these plotlines takes over, leading to a final 3 minutes that are completely (and satisfyingly) dialogue-free.
Aside from the brilliance of Maggie Gyllenhaal and some truly beautifully framed shots (the movie was directed by Sam Mendes, who must have really needed a Happy Couple story after the disaster that was 'Revolutionary Road.'), Maya Rudolph is insanely likable in the movie, and I was almost able to forget the John Krasinski is Jim Halpert (I won't go into the details, since it'd be a multi-tiered spoiler alert around the last season finale of 'The Office' and the movie, but there were two minor plot points just too close to the Jim and Pam relationship for me to ignore).
What I enjoyed most about the movie was being put directly into the middle of the couple's relationship. We didn't have to learn how they met, or watch them fight and realize that they're in love, it was a given that this was the real thing, and I really enjoyed that rare-in-the-movie-world stability. 7.75 Twix bars!
June 16, 2009
Going wild
I have been really looking forward to the upcoming (October) 'Where the Wild Things Are.' As most do, I have very fond memories of this book, both from my childhood and from reading it with some of my favorite babysitting kids. The announcement of a collaborative adaptation from dormant-for-much-too-long Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers literally gave me chills. Then, the trailer was revealed and I might have done a little tearing up. Check it out for yourself (this is the only embeddable version I could find - the actual preview begins at :26):
Now (thank you Entertainment Weekly!), come to find out that Dave Eggers is releasing a "tie-in" novel to the classic children's tale, also due out in November. I've been getting more into the updates-to-classic-books thing lately (See: March, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, etc.), and this one might take the cake.
What do you think? Is this beyond exciting, or is it blasphemy?
Now (thank you Entertainment Weekly!), come to find out that Dave Eggers is releasing a "tie-in" novel to the classic children's tale, also due out in November. I've been getting more into the updates-to-classic-books thing lately (See: March, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, etc.), and this one might take the cake.
What do you think? Is this beyond exciting, or is it blasphemy?
June 2, 2009
Movie Review: Drag Me to Hell
I think about people who like scary movies this way: They're the kind of people who, in a game of Truth-or-Dare, always picks the latter, because they're curious what the challenge will be, are truly up for anything, or want to prove they can. This isn't me – I much prefer Truth, and I don't typically do scary movies.
I made an exception this weekend to go see ‘Drag Me to Hell.’ Why the exception? Despite the fact that every time the commercial would come on, I'd find myself muttering "no, no, no," for some reason, I promised Sarah (that would be my Dare-devout, tried out for ‘Fear Factor’ friend) that I'd give it a chance.
The movie throws you right into it – there’s a gypsy curse that, quite literally, drags the person to hell 3 days after they are cursed – and it's pretty constant in-your-face-scares from the set-up through the conclusion. Here are 2 words to describe it: absurd and gross. Sure, it was also pretty fun, but it was SO gross that I had a lump in my throat for hours afterward. It definitely went for shocks over creepiness: We're talking multiple instances of fluid (be it bile, bodily or embalming) being expelled/projected onto faces, popping out eye balls, sacrificing cats, etc. It’s a catch 22: For my own psychological well-being, I prefer shock (I can get over bile, while I might never recover from something too realistically/quietly/psychologically creepy), but I know that there are smarter horror movies out there that one can also appreciate cinematically.
This isn’t one of them – the story was fine, if a little abruptly wrapped up, the acting was okay (bonus points to Trevor for pointing out that cleverly framed shot of Justin Long behind an iPhone) and the effects (once you got past the first scene, which I think was intentionally cheesy) were, well, effective. The most I can say about this movie is that I survived – and, hey, that’s actually something. 6.5 Twix bars!
I made an exception this weekend to go see ‘Drag Me to Hell.’ Why the exception? Despite the fact that every time the commercial would come on, I'd find myself muttering "no, no, no," for some reason, I promised Sarah (that would be my Dare-devout, tried out for ‘Fear Factor’ friend) that I'd give it a chance.
The movie throws you right into it – there’s a gypsy curse that, quite literally, drags the person to hell 3 days after they are cursed – and it's pretty constant in-your-face-scares from the set-up through the conclusion. Here are 2 words to describe it: absurd and gross. Sure, it was also pretty fun, but it was SO gross that I had a lump in my throat for hours afterward. It definitely went for shocks over creepiness: We're talking multiple instances of fluid (be it bile, bodily or embalming) being expelled/projected onto faces, popping out eye balls, sacrificing cats, etc. It’s a catch 22: For my own psychological well-being, I prefer shock (I can get over bile, while I might never recover from something too realistically/quietly/psychologically creepy), but I know that there are smarter horror movies out there that one can also appreciate cinematically.
This isn’t one of them – the story was fine, if a little abruptly wrapped up, the acting was okay (bonus points to Trevor for pointing out that cleverly framed shot of Justin Long behind an iPhone) and the effects (once you got past the first scene, which I think was intentionally cheesy) were, well, effective. The most I can say about this movie is that I survived – and, hey, that’s actually something. 6.5 Twix bars!
May 22, 2009
Movie Review: Drillbit Taylor
Despite all the reviews that told me to run run run away from ‘Drillbit Taylor’ – Owen Wilson’s first post-suicide-scare release about a homeless guy hired to be a bodyguard to some bullied high school freshmen – Owen Wilson can't do much wrong by me (And how much worse could it be than 'Marley & Me'??), so I was willing to give it a shot, especially as a mindless vacation night activity. Imagine my delight that the movie was actually enjoyable, amusing and even occasionally laugh out loud funny.
Sure, the plot was predictable and the kids were over the top in their dorkiness (My favorite touch: the über dork that even the nerds don't want to hang out with often sports t-shirts from Broadway musicals), but they were also pretty endearing. Owen Wilson was self-effacing, sarcastic and just a little bit wounded (the guys a homeless war deserter after all, he clearly has some issues. Whoops! Spoiler alert!) – and his deadpan delivery is a true gift. There were some smart gags, like when Drillbit takes Leslie Mann on a date and busts out the Charles Shaw, and they bond over how much they love Two Buck Chuck, though we know it’s for very different reasons (Get it? Because he's homeless! Oh, Trader Joes jokes.).
I wasn’t a fan of Danny Boyle in ‘Pineapple Express’, and this movie didn’t make me one – his bits just feel really forced to me. Also, the real heart of the story was in the relationship between the kids and Drillbit, so I could have done without the love story, which I think was thrown in to make people think it’s not a “kids” movie (Except, well, it kind of is.). Finally, the bully in the movie reminded me of our favorite bartender, Billy, which made me a little uncomfortable.
Billy.
Not Billy.
‘Drillbit Taylor’ didn’t revolutionize moviemaking, and it might not be for everyone, but as a ‘School of Rock’ fan with an Owen Wilson soft spot (And I know I’m not the only one out there!), I rooted for the characters and got some good laughs. 6.75 Twix bars!
Sure, the plot was predictable and the kids were over the top in their dorkiness (My favorite touch: the über dork that even the nerds don't want to hang out with often sports t-shirts from Broadway musicals), but they were also pretty endearing. Owen Wilson was self-effacing, sarcastic and just a little bit wounded (the guys a homeless war deserter after all, he clearly has some issues. Whoops! Spoiler alert!) – and his deadpan delivery is a true gift. There were some smart gags, like when Drillbit takes Leslie Mann on a date and busts out the Charles Shaw, and they bond over how much they love Two Buck Chuck, though we know it’s for very different reasons (Get it? Because he's homeless! Oh, Trader Joes jokes.).
I wasn’t a fan of Danny Boyle in ‘Pineapple Express’, and this movie didn’t make me one – his bits just feel really forced to me. Also, the real heart of the story was in the relationship between the kids and Drillbit, so I could have done without the love story, which I think was thrown in to make people think it’s not a “kids” movie (Except, well, it kind of is.). Finally, the bully in the movie reminded me of our favorite bartender, Billy, which made me a little uncomfortable.
Billy. 
Not Billy.April 14, 2009
Movie Review: Adventureland
While I would love to use ‘Adventureland’ as a study of movies about summer and the inherent romanticism in said plots (Romantic as in whimsical and daydream-inducing and lovely and lush and green, not romantic as in pink/hearts/love. Though, let's be honest - I married my summer camp sweetheart so there'd probably be a bit of that too.), I just can't, because in 2 months, I'll have forgotten I saw this movie and where would that leave my argument?
Don't get me wrong. I liked the movie. It had an awesome soundtrack, a truly hilarious supporting cast (Bill Hader, Kristin Wiig and Martin Starr), and some really good one-liners (“I'm amazed at how tiny my paycheck is.”), but I left the theater feeling lukewarm. It boils down to this: I laughed, but I didn't cry. And a movie that ends with the promise of happily ever after that doesn’t make me at least tear up? Well, they did something wrong.
I partially blame Ryan Reynolds, who just didn’t fit his character at all. We're supposed to kind of hate him, while understanding his appeal (You know the one: The guys want to be him and the girls want to sleep with him), but I felt like he was just playing Ryan Reynolds. He really didn't fit the 80s slick/slacker mold. Which brings me to my final critique: As far as I can tell, there was no real reason for the movie to be set in the 80s. Any ideas?
All that said, I really did like the movie. But I think I liked that Ed Burns/Dustin Hoffman movie too. I just can’t be bothered to remember it anymore. In any case, I will grade it based on my feelings right now.
7 Twix bars!
Don't get me wrong. I liked the movie. It had an awesome soundtrack, a truly hilarious supporting cast (Bill Hader, Kristin Wiig and Martin Starr), and some really good one-liners (“I'm amazed at how tiny my paycheck is.”), but I left the theater feeling lukewarm. It boils down to this: I laughed, but I didn't cry. And a movie that ends with the promise of happily ever after that doesn’t make me at least tear up? Well, they did something wrong.
I partially blame Ryan Reynolds, who just didn’t fit his character at all. We're supposed to kind of hate him, while understanding his appeal (You know the one: The guys want to be him and the girls want to sleep with him), but I felt like he was just playing Ryan Reynolds. He really didn't fit the 80s slick/slacker mold. Which brings me to my final critique: As far as I can tell, there was no real reason for the movie to be set in the 80s. Any ideas?
All that said, I really did like the movie. But I think I liked that Ed Burns/Dustin Hoffman movie too. I just can’t be bothered to remember it anymore. In any case, I will grade it based on my feelings right now.
7 Twix bars!
March 25, 2009
Movie Review: Frozen River
I had no idea what ‘Frozen River’ was about. All I knew was that its lead actress and its screenplay had been nominated for Oscars. Solid credentials, even if it was never out in a theater within 100 miles of here. It’s had a Long Wait on Netflix since February, but we finally got our turn last weekend.
‘Frozen River’ is about a woman who lives in an up-up-upstate New York town that borders a Mohawk Indian Reservation and the Canadian border. To say she’s down and out might be an understatement. She’s a middle-aged woman with 2 kids, tattoos and a chain smoking habit, and a husband who’s recently run off to gamble away their savings – again (a problem because it’s almost Christmas, and there’s one final payment due before their new home – a doublewide trailer – is officially theirs). While searching for her AWOL husband, she stumbles upon a money-making opportunity: smuggling illegal immigrants across the border with the connections and help of a Mohawk woman with a mysterious past and questionable motives.
I have no real complaints about the movie. It’s the kind of quiet, deliberately paced movie that might make it seem like nothing is happening: The characters develop slowly, and it wasn’t until the end that I realized I understood them. The movie was definitely anchored around Melissa Leo’s character and she carried it well.
I’d certainly recommend it, if you're interested in a real, independent movie (As in: Produced totally independently, debuted at Sundance, released by a major studio. They’re harder to find these days than you’d think), or if you’re in the mood for a portrait of a family, a desperate mother (or 2) and the desolation of a rundown town.
7.25 Twix bars!
‘Frozen River’ is about a woman who lives in an up-up-upstate New York town that borders a Mohawk Indian Reservation and the Canadian border. To say she’s down and out might be an understatement. She’s a middle-aged woman with 2 kids, tattoos and a chain smoking habit, and a husband who’s recently run off to gamble away their savings – again (a problem because it’s almost Christmas, and there’s one final payment due before their new home – a doublewide trailer – is officially theirs). While searching for her AWOL husband, she stumbles upon a money-making opportunity: smuggling illegal immigrants across the border with the connections and help of a Mohawk woman with a mysterious past and questionable motives.
I have no real complaints about the movie. It’s the kind of quiet, deliberately paced movie that might make it seem like nothing is happening: The characters develop slowly, and it wasn’t until the end that I realized I understood them. The movie was definitely anchored around Melissa Leo’s character and she carried it well.
I’d certainly recommend it, if you're interested in a real, independent movie (As in: Produced totally independently, debuted at Sundance, released by a major studio. They’re harder to find these days than you’d think), or if you’re in the mood for a portrait of a family, a desperate mother (or 2) and the desolation of a rundown town.
7.25 Twix bars!
March 23, 2009
Movie Review: I Love You, Man
I was destined to love this film for 2 reasons: #1: The title reminds me of ‘Almost Famous,’ and an eleven year old William Miller: “Take good care of her in San Francisco. Man.” #2: I love Paul Rudd. So, I went in with high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed. It just came out last weekend, so I won’t spend too much time fawning all over it, so y’all have a chance to see it and decide for yourself (this is a spoiler-free review).
The premise of the movie is that Paul Rudd and Rashida Jones are going to get married. He realizes he has no real guy friends. The search for a Best Man is initiated:
Here are three things I loved about the movie:
The premise of the movie is that Paul Rudd and Rashida Jones are going to get married. He realizes he has no real guy friends. The search for a Best Man is initiated:
Here are three things I loved about the movie:
- It continues the lovely trend of blurring the line between “chick flick” and “man’s movie” - movies that are hilarious (the chest waxing scene in ‘40 Year Virgin’ while also being pretty sweet (The resolution of ‘Knocked Up.’). Think about it: A "bromance" buddy movie is a romantic comedy gussied up with some gross-out humor and a guy-on-guy relationship. They’re movies that every segment of the population can enjoy. (Speaking of guy-on-guy relationships – I truly appreciate how Not Homophobic this movie was. It could have gone there – the way a lot of buddy films do, and this one truly reflected the time and cultural context by not.
- Paul Rudd’s character was such a dork in this movie – dorkier than you’d expect to relate to (he fences!) – but it’s just so endearing.
- Featuring JK Simmons (he of ‘Juno’ and ‘Spiderman’, Andy Samberg, Jane Curtin, Jon Favreau, Jaime Pressley, and almost everyone who’s ever appeared on the Daily Show, the supporting cast was hilarious (Especially Jaime Pressley: I don’t want to love her, but I always find myself falling for her – even in ‘Not Another Teen Movie.’ Not that I saw that.).
- I know that Rashida Jones isn’t Karen (aka the almost-destroyer of Jim & Pam on ‘The Office.’) I know that. But, it still requires a serious effort for me to not automatically react with hatred to everything she does. This movie helped. But she looks much too pretty in bright yellow – a color most of us can come nowhere close to pulling off.
- Dear Jason Segal: Your teeth are awful. Please stop smoking. Love, Ashley
- There was this guy in Paul Rudd’s office – “Tevin.” The casting director clearly wished this character was being played by Bradley Cooper. I was distracted by that. Oh, also: I don't know anything about Rush, the band the two eventual BFFs bond over.
March 17, 2009
Dibs.
'Away We Go' was high on my list of movies I'm looking forward to in '09, largely because of the kind-of-out-of-nowhere pairing of John Krasinski and Dave Eggers. Entertainment Weekly's on-board now too - and look, a trailer:
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