What I Watched, What You Watched: Installment #51
COMMENTS
A theater outing and a pair of NetFlix Instant views
| Knight and Day (2010) |
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| QUICK THOUGHTS: I went with my family to see this one for a second time on Monday after the July 4th weekend. All of us enjoyed it, though I did have to yell at a crew of theatergoers grazing behind me with their loud chit chat and plastic candy wrapper fetish. What I've learned is that telling people "You're not in your living room" is the best way to get them to shut up. I know it seems rude when you do it, but you have paid good money to watch these movies and I'll be damned if you should let anyone ruin the experience for you. | |
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| Memento (2001) |
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| QUICK THOUGHTS: It's available on NetFlix Instant Play and if like me you haven't seen it in a while you owe it to yourself to give it a watch again. Warner Home Video will be releasing Nolan's Insomnia on Blu-ray on July 13 and after I got done watching it and it prompted me to give this one another turn (primarily because I am not a big fan of Insomnia as my review on Tuesday will let you know), but I must say, Memento is one hell of a film. One thing I didn't know is that Christopher Nolan adapted the screenplay based on Jonathan Nolan's short story… Did any of you know this? There is talk out there of Chris Nolan saying he would love to direct a Bond film, but screw that, just tell me Jonathan Nolan is writing the screenplay. That would interest me way more than the fact Peter Morgan wrote the potential Bond 23. | |
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| Mary and Max (2009) |
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| QUICK THOUGHTS: Okay, a lot of you said you loved this movie and wanted to buy the DVD and so on and so forth. So, it encouraged me to watch it and as soon as I saw it was on NetFlix Instant Play I instantly did. I have no idea if you are praising it merely on the fact the production design is exceptional, but the film itself is merely slightly above average. There is WAY too much narration and not a whole lot actually happens in terms of getting from Point A to Point B. Had this been a 15 minute short film it would have been excellent as that is how the material is presented and it would have suited the endless voice over. Perhaps commenters just built this film up too much for me, but I didn't get all that much out of it outside of the realization writer, director and production designer Adam Elliot has one hell of an artistic eye. It's cute, beautiful to look at, but not much more than that. | |
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Gonzo(2009).Good documentary about Hunter S. Thompson, but too much politics
5 Centimeters Per Second- A
Army of Shadows- A
The Kids Are All Right- C
Just the one this week:
Karate Kid (2010) – I wasn't expecting much from this, but it was pretty solid. Jackie Chan did a good job, and Jaden Smith was decent. What I really did not like were the last 10minutes, it seemed that they went to great lengths to try to change quite a lot of elements from the original during the film, then for some reason they stick in the identical last 10mins of the original. The ending just did not work with the rest of the film and it made the whole thing seem rushed. B-
Memento is easily in the top ten of my all time favorite movies. Nolan's (or Nolans'..?) best work so far in my opinion. I saw a bit of Nolan myself this week.
The Prestige (re-watch) – A-
The last time I saw this was at the movies not knowing what I was getting myself into and I was totally blown away, didn't see it coming. I haven't seen the movie since because I was a little bit afraid of losing that feeling. In second viewing I found this to be a bit slow but none of the appeal was lost. You see this through different eyes once you've seen it once. A mesmerizing story obsession and commitment. Christian Bale is of course stunning as he often is but his is not the only impressive performance.
Caché – B+
I never know what's coming when watching a Michael Haneke film. This story starts as a man gets a video tape that has footage of his house. Another one follows with a childlike drawing attached and the themes begin to unravel. This is a story about guilt and the consequences of your actions. It's not an easy story or an entertaining one but it does make you think. I saw this a week ago and it's still on my mind daily and the more I think about it the more I want to see it again. There seems to be a million theories surrounding this film because nothing's really explained and a lot is left for viewer. Terrific performances throughout. The more I get to know Haneke's work, the more impressed I am.
Youth in Revolt – C
I had some chuckles watching this and it has many funny moments but all in all quite confusing. It left a lot of things unresolved and hanging in the air.
Theaters:
A Star Is Born (w/Judy Garland-1955)
Boogie Nights (Masterpiece!!)
Sanshiro Sugata, parts 1 and 2 (Kurosawa)
The Challenge (Francesco Rosi 1958)
The Swindle (Rosi 1959)
Close Up (Kiarostami)
Videos:
Moran of the Lady Letty (w/R. Valentino, 1922)
Wanda (1970–Masterpiece!!!)
Johnny O'Clock (1947-what a title!)
New York, New York (Scorsese–Masterpiece!!)
Maniac (1980-long live the memory of the great Joe Spinell!)
Dave Chappelle's Block Party (not a cultist, but I like many of Gondry's movies very much, especially this and Science of Sleep)
Not many new things this week, as I'm pretty well caught up, so I took advantage of the rep house scene where I live (SF Bay area). I know many don't have this option (I've lived in many rep house dead zones myself), but if you do I urge you to take advantage of it. Particularly revelatory this week was Boogie Nights, which has a nice DVD that I've seen many times over the years but looks sooo much better on the big screen. BG came out in 1997, just before new movies started using digital intermediates all the time, making them look all too often just like big videos. I'm glad there are places out there still giving us a chance to see the difference. It was great to see Judy Garland and daughter Liza strut their stuff this week; this may be heresy in some quarters (especially where I live, ha ha), but I think Liza might actually outdo her mom in NYNY. F. Rosi, for the uninitiated, is one of the greatest Italian directors, in my own humble. Watch Salvatore Giuliano, a Criterion DVD that should be available on Netflix, and see if you agree………
A couple of good theater shows and one of my favorite films on DVD:
Despicable Me – B+. A very funny animated movie in a year with some top quality animated films. Not as good as Toy Story 3, or especially How To Train Your Dragon, but still quite entertaining. Props to Steve Carell especially.
Predators – A-. A very satisfying sci-fi action film. It's definitely the sequel that the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger original has deserved for so long. And I am pleasantly surprised with Adrien Brody, who is now the star of two of my favorite movies of the summer.
The Fifth Element (rewatch) – A+. One of my favorite movies of all time. I love the wacky story, characters, the hilarious lines of dialogue, the vibrant set pieces, and just everything about it. Bruce Willis being my favorite actor doesn't hurt. I never get tired of watching this movie.
Toy Story 3-Not a perfect 10/10, but pretty close.
9/10
Eclipse-If I were to put 10 people in a room to watch this, 3 would hate it, 5 would feel indifferent, and the other 3 would be surprised. I am part of the 5.
6/10
My Cousin Vinny-A surprisingly funny, if excessive, courtroom comedy about two wrongly convicted boys.
7/10
I'm not so sure I understand your math regarding Eclipse. :-/
Did I say other 3? I meant 2.
The Wolfman (2010) – for some reason I enjoy this despite the bad reviews. Lavish and fantastic production design, a superhammy Hopkins and score. What can I say – I find it quite watchable.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) – I still wish this had been a bigger box-office success at the time so that maybe a good quality franchise had been born. Alas, it wasn't to be but this is to me a very well made and acted piece of cinema from Peter Weir.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) – not really much to say, as classic as ever!
Star Trek (2009) – a solid and enjoyable blockbuster that I highly enjoyed from day 1. Still good.
Yellowstone (2009) – A straightforward 3 hour BBC documentary about Yellowstone National Park which I watch mostly for the spectacular photography of the park and it's inhabitants.
Didn't go to the cinema this weekend as nothing of interest out in the UK this weekend (I'm not a Twilighter) but hope to catch Inception next weekend.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-An excellent adaptation of Stieg Larsson's brilliant book. Some necessary elements of the story were removed, but the U.S. version is shortened by 28 minutes. Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist give brilliant performances. The tone is perfect and the mystery is thrilling, but the book is still superior. I know I'll definitely be seeing The Girl Who Played with Fire this week. Warning: there is an incredibly brutal rape scene. A
I'm also halfway through A Single Man. Tom Ford's direction is haunting and beautiful all at once with his super saturated details and drowned out backgrounds. Colin Firth gives an amazing performance.
I'm seeing Winter's Bone today. I've heard such great things about it that I've decided I just have to see it.
Greenberg [2010] – I would rather be forced to punch a total stranger in the face than watch this excruciatingly awful, pretentious, Woody-Allen-wannabe piece of crap bore fest again. The fact that this film exists angers and depresses me. Whoever green-lit this film believes that there is an audience that can identify, either directly or indirectly, with this vapid and self centered jackass. I really hate to think that there is a portion of this generation that can empathize with this character.
I'm all for any film that features a protagonist who is portrayed in a less than favorable light but in order for the film to succeed that person need to be somewhat of a compelling figure. Watching Ben Stiller complain, whine and contemplate his miserable existence for 2 hours was pure torture. [F]
The Crazies [2010] – A fairly predictable yet efficiently made remake of the George Romero cult classic. At this point any film that relates to the zombie genre is going to appear a bit derivative and stale but director Breck Eisner manages to keep it loose and somewhat entertaining in this modern update. [C+]
A Single Man [2009] – A visually exquisite film that features a terrific performance by Colin Firth. I was initially engaged with the plight of the central character but the film failed to hold my interest due to its slow pace and shallow, uninteresting story. [B-]
Escape From New York [1981] – Cheesy. Crazy. Fun. I love old school Carpenter. [A-] Rewatch.
The Crazies over Greenberg? LOL.
Absolutely. Please present a compelling argument in favor of the film Greenberg. Perhaps you can convince me that I was incorrect in my analysis of the film.
Hostel: Part II–B. Much more beautiful than any horror film has a right to be, especially one in the so-called "torture porn genre." It has some interesting moral conundrums that sadly jump the gun in the third act, but in all this is a fun movie to watch, and Eli Roth pulls no punches. He's not afraid to cross lines and still keep his dark humor as he does it.
Teeth–A-. I can't believe I waited so long to watch this film! It is SO GOOD. I am serious. It may sound like C-movie crap because of the premise (a girl has teeth in her vagina), but the execution is A-movie quality. The lead actress Jess Weixler, playing a teenage girl who's part of a purity club but has sexual feelings for one of her club members, won an acting award at Sundance. That's only one indication of the kind of quality this film has.
The Devils–B+. I had to resort to illegal downloading to get hold of this film without buying it (I don't yet have a Netflix account because I'm in the Stone Age). It starts like any other normal period piece (that is to say, a bit slow and a bit boring), but once it hits its stride, it REALLY hits its stride. The entire second half is full of such a manic energy and such beautifully-framed sequences that I forgot how crappy the quality of the download was (or probably the DVD, by the sound of Warner Bros. less-than DVD release). But at least I got to see the uncensored version, complete with the Rape of Christ sequence and everything (crazed naked nuns–LOL).
Ken Park–B+. A very realistic story about lower-class teenagers living in small town in California. It's known mostly for its unsimulated sexual content, but the thing that'll stick with you the most is just how real the characters feel. It's not exactly an uplifting film, but it definitely gives a heartfelt perspective for people growing up in the lower class, a perspective I don't think is represented very much in cinema.
Killer's Kiss–B. Stanley Kubrick first film that's still available for home video. I don't really count it as part of his major repertoire, though; I think that starts will "The Killing," which is his first major studio film. This and "Fear and Desire" are simply two films he made before he hit his stride. However, "Killer's Kiss" is a good film. Not excellent like the rest of his work, and not ingenious like his best films, but still good.
Fear and Desire–C-. Kubrick's first feature-length film. I don't have a very good explanation as to why I don't count "Killer's Kiss" as part of his repertoire, but I DO have a good reason not to count Fear and Desire: it's not available for home video viewing, and that's because Kubrick tried to suppress it because he didn't like it. And for a good reason: while it has some signs of the Kubrick that is to come, it's simply not a good film. It moves very slowly, and I don't mean Eyes Wide Shut slow (which is the good type of slow). I mean "Is-this-really-only-72-minutes?" slow. Also, the characters act very strangely, and most of it simply doesn't work.
Death at a Funeral (2010)–B+. Saw this at the dollar theater. Really liked it! I now have the British original waiting for me on my laptop. It would have been ideal I watched the original first, but I ended up watching this one first. People have a lot of vitriolic things to say for it, but really the worst they can legitimately say is that it's "unnecessary." I can weigh in on that opinion after watching the original, but as it was, I had way too much fun watching the film for me to say anything negative about it.
Despicable Me–B+. Excellent, excellent film! Naughty, nice, mischievous, sweet, and some kick-ass animation. No, I didn't watch it in 3D. The only time I've enjoyed 3D is with Avatar in IMAX; I didn't even enjoy Avatar 3D on a regular screen (out of the 6 times I saw it in theaters, 4 were in 2D).
Slap Shot A-
Predators B-
Office Space B+
cannibal the musical C-
Law abiding citizen C+
Felon C
Ponyo – 4/5
The Princess & The Frog – 3/5
Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief – 3/5
Greenberg – 2/5
The Cry Of The Owl – 3.5/5
28 Days – 2.5/5
Dragonfly – 2/5
Rewatches:
Predator – 4/5
Predator 2 – 2.5/5
I was aware that Nolan adapted "Memento" from his brother's short story. I've followed his career quite closely, so I'm not sure if it's common knowledge or not.
And I agree with you regarding "Mary and Max." It really is a beautiful film to look at, but the narrative is slight. I still think it holds together well for a feature film, but it didn't quite carry the emotional punch I thought it would.
1. Knight and Day- Really funny film with a good premise, good action and good performances. i love the scene where Diaz is sedated and Cruise takes her on his escape journey; truly original and hilarious. I think this movie is very underrated, because it probably is the best popcorn comedy of the year. B+
2. The Runaways- Not much plot, it was more like an "exposition" movie. It exposed their lives and transition into the genre without much if any development at all. I'll have to give it a C+, but not in a bad way. I was entertained especially by the performances of Kristen Stewart and Michael Shannon. C+
3. Geri's Game- I never saw this Pixar short until the other day and I know that at the time, the cloths and skin of people were very hard to animate so I understand this was a great technical achievement. That being said, it did nothing for me in terms of story or entertainment. Geri switching the board at the end and having his alter ego accept it like a fool was really stupid and an anti-climactic ending to a beautiful short. C+
4. Ratatouille- I saw this film for the first time the other day and WOW, just WOW. This was a truly remarkable animated film and I think its my #2 favorite next to Monsters Inc. Or is it Finding Nemo… The Incredibles was great too. Pixar is just truly amazing at everything they do and this was no exception. The animated food looked superb and Peter O'Toole was a scene-stealer (audio-stealer?) with his fantastic performance. A+
PS. The short was good too. A-
5. She's Out of My League- I saw it again on DVD and it was as fun and funny as I remember. Jay was good in his first starring role (at least that I've seen) and the movie was very underrated by critics and box office alike. The ending however was disappointing compared to the hilarity of the movie, but it was still a good film with a good message. B-
That's why you have to go to the theaters that have reserved seating or premium services. People pay good money for a great experience which eliminates the riff-raff from disrupting the show.
hangover(re-watch): i still feel the same way about this movie, there were funny parts but even now it is still hyped up to be more then what it is. the majority of this film is not funny and can list so many movies that are funnier. yes it has bits of humor but it just feels lacking.B
Dispicable me: very funny (funnier then hangover^), great movie for the kids and adults. good casting (voices) and great storyline. a twist on the classic villain, and worth the money to own on dvd. didnt like the minion people very much and the whole idea of having your phone on to translate words was stupid. A-
Last airbender(avatar): dispite brad and the rest of the self proclaimed critics in the world bashing m.night on everything he does, i saw it, enjoyed it, but didnt love it. keep in mind there are many faults to this film but how many movies have no faults? it really felt dumbed down from the start, with the opening scene and the acting was that of a six grade school play. i was saved because the story was original(for the people who dont watch the cartoon) and the action/cgi was very good. I have only seen one episode of the show and could point out a lot of night's flaws. maybe he never saw the show, he just had someone give him a briefing about it and he wrote it???? If you havent seen the tv show or you not some complaining fanboy then it is a good watch. C-