What I Watched, What You Watched: Installment #95
COMMENTS
A little Marx brothers and a dive into 'Blue Crush'
Along with the following two films, I watched five Criterion titles of which I will be reviewing throughout the week as I attempt to play catch up for all the reviews I missed while at Cannes. But more on those later, for now here are a couple movies I took some time to see…
| Duck Soup (1933) |
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| QUICK THOUGHTS: Universal sent me five Marx brothers movies that will all be available on June 7 and, of course, I decided to watch the only one of the five I had seen before. The other four, which I will be watching very soon and plan on reviewing all five as a set, are Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers. I'm interested to dive into the others as I have seen clips and snippets of them over the years but never seen any of them outside of Duck Soup, which is actually quite funny and a film you really ought to give a chance. | |
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| Blue Crush (2002) |
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| QUICK THOUGHTS: So the Blue Crush 2 Blu-ray landed in my mailbox this week and never having seen the original film I decided late last night (which is the reason this column is late today) to give it a watch on Netflix Instant. I'd always heard this was a pretty decent film and that I should give it a watch. Well, I'll admit it isn't half bad, but all it made me want to do was watch North Shore. | |
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Black Dynamite- loved it, if you havent seen it yet, i highly suggest watching it. I havent laughed so hard in such a while.
Constantine- i really enjoyed this movie also, part of me wants them to make a sequel, but the other part knows it will suck. plus peter stormare as lucifer was awesome casting.
my soul to take- horrible, horrible, movie. felt like the 90 minutes went on for 5 hours. But i found myself still more entertained than the time i saw suckerpunch in theaters… hmmmmm
Gattaca-So wonderfully done. All of the performances were marvelous and the story held my attention for the duration of the movie. The concept was brilliant and I can't wait to see it again. 8/10
The Social Network (rewatch)-Still remains a masterpiece and Eisenberg, Timberlake, and Garfield will have long careers after this. I'm disappointed that it didn't win Best Picture but am thrilled that it will be a classic for the years to come. 10/10
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban-My 2nd favorite Harry Potter film also holds up. Harry's riding on Buckbeak is one of the best filmed scenes of the entire series, and Gary Oldman was terrific as Sirius Black. 8/10
Again, no cinema trips this week.
At home –
The Crossing (1990) – DVD First Watch. A small budget Australian coming-of-age film involving two young men and a girl that plays very predictably. A sort of Sunday afternoon type film. Another one of Russell Crowe's early Oz films. I've been on a semi-intentional/semi-accidental run through Crowe's pre move to the US movies. The next film in my list finished off the bulk of them.
Romper Stomper (1992) – DVD First Watch. Apart from the central performance by Crowe (where's he's utterly unrecogniseable from the roles he had done to that point) this look at a Neo-Nazi group in Melbourne did not impact me much at all. I suspect and am going on the theory that seeing the film almost twenty years after it came out has simply dulled it's edge. I can remember some press reports about it at the time, and it is violent in places. But I don't feel it's plot trajectory wasn't something I hadn't seen before or that it really said anything beyond the actions of the group. Not to a great degree anyway. Maybe if I had seen this much earlier it would have hit me harder, as it is, I've seen it now and that's it.
So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) – DVD rewatch. A solid favourite quirky comedy of mine. I actually think this is Myers' best film. Quite choc of familiar faces, offbeat and mildly surreal enough at times to be just weird enough that I always enjoy it.
The Madness of King George (1994) – DVD First Watch. Another one that I found only OK. Having seen it now I'm not sure why Mirren was Oscar nominated that year for this…………but that's hardly relevant now. I enjoyed it enough to not feel I had wasted time, but would be unlikely to watch it again.
Darkness Falls (2003) – DVD rewatch. I was having a clearout this week of some films to take into a charity donation this week so watched a couple of rather bad films this week one last time before they went. This is just derivative and not at all scary. This one got donated away.
The Forgotten (2004) – DVD rewatch. To me this one always felt like an episode of The X-Files that got turned into a feature film. If it wasn't for Julianne Moore holding it all together as the increasingly silly twists and turns of the story take effect it would probably collapse but she just keeps it together. It's not too bad once in a while, really.
The Covenant (2006) – DVD rewatch. I do believe this has 3% on RT and I have to say…………….it probably deserves it. I have no idea what possessed me at some point to buy it but it went straight to the 'donate' pile to get shot of it!
Vacancy (2007) – DVD rewatch. I can see why some folks would rate this perhaps as badly. But I oddly enjoy it. It's short, to the point and Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson make an appealing older couple for a tale you would usually see played using stupid teenagers. I think using adults actually gives it the mild edge because the characters twig faster what's going on and work with that. I watched this late on friday night and it worked fine in that capacity.
It's Complicated – DVD rewatch. I bought this on a whim this week because it was in a crazy sale for £1 at my supermarket. I saw this in cinemas in 2009 and enjoyed it then. It still plays ok, I think. I liked 'Something's Gotta Give' as well from Nancy Meyers and I think it's because both films use older couples that I find it a bit more interesting. I like this one, once in a while.
Case 39 (2010) – DVD First Watch. 'WOOF'!!!! I'm so glad this was a rental. I actually fast forwarded through the last half just to get it over with. I can see why it sat on a shelf for four years.
Letters to Juliet (2010) – DVD First Watch. The only thing that really saved this for me was the Italian countryside and locations. Apart from that, this wasn't a bad film………..just a terribly ordinary one for the genre with a cast that didn't really have a lot of chemistry. I watched it. Can't say any more.
The King's Speech (2010) – DVD rewatch. This is still a great feelgood film. Is it a total classic? No. Is it predictable? Yep. But you feel so good at the end having gone on the journey with Firth and Rush that in this film's case I can put it aside. Sometimes you want to feel good after you watch a film………..this does that.
That's all this week.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World – A+ | I own it and basically give it a watch any time I get the excuse.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – A+ | Only A+ I've given to a Potter movie, stellar in basically every way. Cuaron is brilliant.
Contact – B+ | Some pretty deep, brilliant ideas with good performances. On the down side, it was overly long and I can't get past my dislike for Jodie Foster.
Brad, you think Duck Soup is 'quite funny'? I think it's a lot funnier than that.
The King's Speech The acting is good and it's well made, but it's a simple, slight, one-note story and I don't know what all the fuss was about. If you want to see an excellent film starring Colin Firth about the damage a bullying father can do to his son then check out And When Did You Last See Your Father? It's much better.
Made in Dagenham An excellent central performance from Sally Hawkins and for me it packed a bigger emotional punch than The King's Speech. It's good, but not a great film, though.
Well, you're sort of splitting hairs there, but I'm watching Monkey Business right now and it might be funnier than Duck Soup. Either way, both are quite funny. ;)
You've got to try A Night at the Opera. That's my favourite.
Started off the weekend by having a mini-Malick marathon in preparation for seeing The Tree of Life hopefully sometime soon . . .
The Thin Red Line — This is a very good film. The juxtaposition Malick provides with war and nature is brilliant. My only complaint is that it is a long film. A-
Days of Heaven — This is my favorite Malick, a true visual masterpiece with underlying themes and messages. This is a film I am happy to own. A
I have both The New World and Badlands rented and will hopefully get around to them this week. I haven't seen either of them yet.
The Hangover: Part II — Boy, was this a dissapointment. I expected it to be the same exact film, which it was, and the truth is that it wouldn't have bothered me as long as the film was funny . . . which it wasn't. It instead relied on shock value and characters that felt extremely 2-D. The first one is one of my all time favorite comedies. This one felt like the Caddyshack 2 of comedies. D+
Saw two movies.
Hangover Part II: A totally serviceable sequel. it was ok. Enough laughs to keep me entertained, not enough to really recommend watching over and over again. C+
Also saw The Social Network which was fantastic all around. Surprised by how much I liked the film; it's extremely smart, witty & (although fictionalized) completely compelling.
I Am Number Four- The concept is familiar and predictable, but the movie still holds our attention with some decent action sequences and unintentionally funny dialogues. Alex Pettyfer was bland and unremarkable (the Hunger Games producers dodged a bullet by not casting him as Peeta!) and the editing and soundtrack were irritating. I have zero interest in the possible sequels.
The Rite- The first hour of The Rite was surprisingly well done, taking advantage of the Roman backdrop and laying the beginning of the story intriguingly. Disappointingly, the second half of the film leaves any trace of restrain behind, and basically cancels out any of the good that happened before.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides- The very definition of a purposeless movie.
Kramer Vs Kramer- Great drama with a solid, intriguing script that manages to engage us without ever taking sides. Hoffman and Steep create characters we care for, and the child actor in the midst of the conflict is utterly convincing.
All Good Things- A movie inspired by true events that holds our attention, even when Gosling’s character at the middle of it all is disappointingly written and unappealing. I admired the way the movie tried to squeeze a lot of story and key events in the characters’ lives, but the editing and production design didn’t help creating a coherent narrative or a strong sense of place and time. Kirsten Dunst’s magnetic performance was by far the highlight of the movie.
Manhattan (1979)- I’ve only seen a handful of Woody Allen’s movies, but Manhattan has been my favorite of his so far. The script was very strong, funny and deceptively thought provoking; the whole cast performed well and the black and white cinematography was lovely.
The Illusionist (2010)- I admired the gorgeous visuals (I wish I could draw like that!) and the subject matter, but I never felt engaged in any way.
This week, I watched a sequel to a movie that I wasn't a big fan of, and a film that I wanted to see in theaters, but I missed
Kung Fu Panda 2- I Didn't find the first one that good, but I REALLY liked this one. THe combonation of Slick action, hilarious humor, and heart make for a HELL of a good sequel, and one that tops the original. 10/10
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World- This is, without a doubt, one of the FUNNIEST movies I've ever seen. This is a colorful, vibrant, sweet, Hystericaly funny, almost video game like film. Cera, Kendrick, and Winstead are loveable and entertaining. 10/10
The Thin Red Line – An extremely long but extremely beautiful cinematic poem. Actors are underused, but this seems to be a trend with Malick movies as I'm discovering because he favors visuals so much. And the visuals are totally overwhelming in this one. The camerawork is amazing, and so much care is put into the composition of everything. Very nicely done. B+
The Tree of Life – A masterpiece. I've never been more moved by a film in my life. The cinematography of this is just so well-done that I was moved to tears way more often than I wanted to be. Yes, there are dinosaurs. They're part of the creation sequence, the best part of the movie. A must-see if you care about film at all. A+
Midnight in Paris – Although this plays on themes that are familiar for Woody Allen, this marks a sweet, less neurotic, and generally better turn for Allen. As usual, the actors are cast perfectly. Allen has made Paris look gorgeous, and to do this, he's surrounded it with great actresses, notably Marion Cotillard. Very enjoyable. B+
Goodfellas – So I finally saw this for the first time and I think it's kinda overrated. What's the big deal with it? It's a very compelling gangster story. I was never bored for any of it. It's riveting, but it's nowhere near as good as I expected. A-
Paranormal Activity 2 – A total snoozefest. I was one of the few people who thought that Paranormal Activity lived up to all the hype. I was honestly scared so badly by the first one that I had problems sleeping. This one relied too much on loud noises and misused moments of anticipation. The last three minutes are good, but I couldn't say the same for the rest of the movie. I'm still looking forward to the third one, however. C-
The 40 Year Old Virgin – It's the third time I've seen it and I still think this is very funny. Steve Carell owns his role and really gives a great performance. The writing is smart and has made me forget why I hated Funny People so much. A- (rewatch)
I'm confused. You're saying that Goodfellas is overrated, yet you gave it an A-.
Well, the reason I say that is because many people consider it to be one of the best movies ever made. To me, an A- means it's something memorable but not necessarily great.
The Wrestler- Darren Aronofsky is quickly becoming one of my very favorite directors. He is incredibly talented, and while "The Wrestler" wasn't as good as "Black Swan" or "Requiem for a Dream", it was still a great movie. Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood were all incredible. I also really enjoyed the movie's sense of realism, everything from the dialogue, to the performances, to the wrestling, and to the scenes in the strip club felt real. And I really liked the ending- I didn't think it would end that way at all. None of it really blew me away, but it was still a terrific film. A
Black Swan (re-watch)- An amazing film. I just love it. A+
White Chicks (re-watch)- I watched this at a party over the weekend. It's not a good film at all, but I would be lying if I said I didn't laugh. It's a bad film, but one that somehow manages to keep me entertained. It's one of my guiltiest of guilty pleasures, right up there with "Just Friends" and "Cruel Intentions" (even though the more I watch it, the more I think "Cruel Intentions" is a legitimately good movie). C
Bridesmaids (re-watch)- The first film I paid to see twice in theaters, and my second favorite film of the year after "Hanna" (which I would have paid to see again had I found somebody to go with). Everyone in this film is hilarious and I feel as if I laughed out loud at least once per scene. An early contender for best comedy of the year, though "Crazy Stupid Love" and "50/50" both look promising. A-
I had planned on seeing "Pirates of the Caribbean" but those plans got cancelled. I probably won't be seeing it in the end, as next weekend is all about "X-Men" and the week after that "Super 8"
We Are What We Are – Loved it. Shocking at times and it had some flaws, but in general a great movie.
Norwegian Ninja – very weird. Damn. Had some hilarious bits, and some terrible ones too.
Mother (rewatch) – I love Bong Joon-ho.
Clerks – awesome. Amazing what you can do with no money and a good script.
Pirates of the Caribbean (On Stranger Tides) – meh. Yawn. Those typical action setpieces have become so tired. And at such a price! I liked the mermaids though.
Hanna – FANTASTIC! Brad, your A+ review was spot on. I could barely wait for this movie to come out in South Africa, but it was totally worth it.
Just Go With It – very funny. I actually enjoyed it.
Extract – disappointing. To say the least.
Source Code – excellent. Duncan Jones is a real talent. I am looking forward to what he has to offer next.
All in all a pretty good week I think. I saw the Devil arrives today, and then there's X Men First Class on Friday!
-The Big Sleep (4/4) Really difficult to comprehend, but that's part of what makes it a great film.
- The Mechanic (3/4) For an early year action film, this was above average.
- Blue Valentine (2.5) The performances were good, but (and maybe it's just me) i personally felt a little to detached from the characters to care.
- Don Juan DeMarco (2/4) The entire movie revolved around a joke that gets old after about 10 minutes.
- The Rite (1.5/4) Offered absolutely no thrills or suspense whatsoever.
- Gnomeo & Juliet (2/4) Weather you're a child or an adult, I think you'd find it boring.
- The Naked City (3.5/4) A really fun movie that makes you feel like you're part of an investigation.
- Out Of The Past (4/4
- Elevator to the Gallows (3.5/4)
- The Fly (3.5/4)
- Union Station (2.5/4)
- Stone (2.5/4)
- When We Were Kings (4/4)
- 28 Days Later (3.5/4)
Source Code – It's not often a film that I have very high expectations for actually lives up to them, and this is no exception. All that said it is still a very well written, directed, and acted by a terrific cast (Jeffrey Wright is one of the most underused talents in the industry) with some very interesting ideas (though like many sci-fi films the science is clearly ridiculous) and kept me entertained start to finish. B+
The Minus Man – A solid little low-key serial killer flick starring a pre-star Owen Wilson. It started a little rough, but it slowly grew on me. Nothing special, but definitely worth the watch. B-
Leatherheads – Clooney does a fine job as director/star in this one, though there is some nice period dialogue, jokes the story, characters were just too flat in what could have been a decent little film. C
City Island – The first film in quite a while to truly surprise me, as the reviews were good, but I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Like many films (some by the Coens) each bit seems realistic, but as a whole in retrospect it is a little over the top which for me often adds up to a very good, funny film. This film was no exception, as Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies are very good in the role of the parents, as is street as the paroled prisoner, Garcia's daughter Dominik, and particularly Ezra Miller are strong as the children. B+
Bolt – I kind of expected another bland animated film with this one, ended up pleasantly surprised. The second half is nothing special, but I thought the first half was very funny, relatively original. I could have done without the hamster, but he did bring a few decent laughs. B-
The Fallen Idol – Since seeing The Third Man I've been searching out some of Carol Reed's other well known works, as he definitely brings some interesting visuals to the thriller genre with some great camera work (like Wright did with Hanna). Just like Odd Man Out I was a little let down by this film, as knowing what happened in a mystery usually only works for me when Hitchcock is at the helm. I have to give it a passing grade though as the boy and Ralph Richardson as the butler have very good chemistry, as noted earlier Reed is a skillful director who is working with a decent script. B-
I also rank Fallen Idol 3rd in Carol Reed's top films (Third Man is obviously the best). It's too bad you were let down by Odd Man. However, I wouldnt call it a 'mystery' though, more of a character study. I found everything about Odd Man from the cinematography to the protagonist as a metaphor for the conflict in Northern Ireland. Given that context the film is quite brilliant and, I thought, deeper than Third Man albiet less entertaining.
Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith –
Re-arrange the last four letters of the title and thats what this is. It felt like Lucas put a couple of children in a room full of Star Wars toys, recorded it, transcribed it and called it a script.
Bringing up Baby (1938) –
I was shocked to read that this bombed at the B.O. when it was released. It is hilarious and the chemistry between Grant and Hepburn (who are both in their prime and in fine form here) is palpable. Definitely check it out.
Were the Marx Brothers movies on DVD or Blu Ray? It would be interesting to see if they've done any restoration work either way, as some of the movies are really in need of it.
Only DVD and from what I can tell there was no restoration… plus they are bare bones, no features.
Damn, that's what I was afraid of. Really disappointed in Universal for this. Ah well. Thanks for the info though!
Brad, a late entry here but two quick notes for you. First, I am a HUGE Marx Bros fan and am rabid to know any details about this blu set. I prefer the first two acts of Monkey Business but think it then falls flat while the last act of Duck Soup is outstanding.
But! I just watched Valhalla Rising. After word I sought out your thoughts and was stunned to see you found it boring and plodding. I was transfixed. It struck me as something like an updated Aguirre: The Wrath of God. I still think you are great, but maybe slightly less great. Kidding aside, I wonder about your comments on Tree of Life in the aftermath of this. While I have not yet seen Tree (it isn't in my city yet) I think some of the rhythms in Valhalla are very Malickian. Thoughts?
It's not a Blu-ray set, just re-releasing these five movies on DVD.
As for Valhalla, yeah, I was bored out of my mind. But like that one little blurb you read said, I think I deserve to give it a second chance and I haven't done it yet, which is probably why I wouldn't even feel right answering your question. Sorry about that… I have failed you again on this one. :(
My disappointment is with a lack of Marx on Blu. You come out of this one unscathed.
The only way I can see that happening is if Universal hands the movies over to Criterion, which I can see them doing. Keep your fingers crossed.