Up in the Air

I would love to write a one word review of this movie. That review would look a lot like this: meh.

I sat and enjoyed this film while watching it. I left the theatre and immediately forgot why. The three leads did a great job and did indeed make it look easy. This film really didn't do anything wrong per se. I just find it hard to find many things that it did at all. The story is basic enough. George's character is happy in his life and likes his philosophy. Some women come along and make him feel some things. His life is shook around a bit. He reaches his ultimate goal and doesn't react the way he expected. He changes. That is the movie. Quite lovely and predictable. Some of the most beautiful moments were just shuffled around and moved passed too quickly to be enjoyed. I just feel like the film was a little too long and not quite as tight as it could have been. I don't really see how this movie is a contender in this year's 'Best Motion Picture' category. I certainly wouldn't call this a bad movie. There was just too little meat there for me. I did not really expect myself writing such a meh review of this highly reviewed film. I guess of all the other nominees this year, the one's that don't mean something important have at least really beautiful stories that make me love or hate life profoundly (for the most part). This movie didn't mean anything and didn't make me feel anything. If that is what it was going for, I guess it won. Maybe someday George will be a serious film that doesn't automatically get nominations just because he is a part of it.

Shutter Island

This film was simultaneously exactly what I predicted and nothing like what I expected. Somehow I got it in my head that this movie was meant to scare me silly. It didn't. The suspense was good and suspenseful, but not scary one bit. Which is a good thing. It is possible though to predict what this movie is actually about from the trailers. I do want you to go see this movie and enjoy it, so I will not give anything away. The film does a great job of telling this story. It is clear by the way the narrative is told, what might be happening though. That is all I will say. There are still plenty of twists and interesting moments that one wouldn't predict. Those I liked.

Let's talk acting. Leo was superb, as always. He gives a very intense performance. It is very visceral and quite believable that this such man would behave in this such way in these such circumstances. This was certainly my fave role for Mark Ruffalo. He was pretty solid in 'The Brothers Bloom,' but he nailed this character quite well. Sir Ben was Sir Ben. There certainly was not an actor out of place. That is something that one can expect from Mr. Scorsese. The strongest performance, by far, was played by the most persistent bandage every made. I'm serious, this thing could not have been man-made. It held its own alongside Leo with great strength. You will never find a bandage that can withstand what this had to in real life, I can tell you that much. It was never given too much attention, but it was always there. Brilliant.

Martin did some very interesting things with reality and movie magic. I enjoyed the smoke entering the cigarette in one scene, and the magical glass of water in another. If you see this film, please pay attention to this glass of water. I would like to be sure I was not the crazy one when I saw the lady patient drink from an invisible glass and then set it down empty only for it to refill itself immediately. I have no idea how I am supposed to interpret this image. I cannot believe that it was a mistake. It must have meant something. There were other images like this. Maybe I am looking too closely.

I really enjoyed this movie. The suspense was fun and the acting was tops. There were some fantastical bits of unbelievability and hamming, but I suppose if I analyzed them more closely, I could explain them away with what I know now. Also, someday I will learn to always expect Nazis when I don't expect them at all.

A Single Man

It has been ages and ages since my last post. I have certainly seen dozens of films since October and most have been worthy of posts, but none have inspired me to break the writing rut like Tom Ford's 'A Single Man.' Be warned, this post contains SPOILERS. For a beautiful, spoiler-free, piece on this film check out: http://feast4thought.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/movie-a-single-man Please read that, go see the film, and then read on.

I can't decide what to do with this movie. It was beautiful and stunning. It made my heart race and sing. Colin Firth was brilliant and his supporting cast played quite perfectly. Tom Ford made some very interesting decisions with close-ups, color changes, flashbacks, and silence. The construction of the film and the acting that went into it were certainly elements that made it quite a cinematic treat. The uneasy feeling I am left with comes from the story. I find myself extremely unsure how I am supposed to deal with George's death in the last scene of the film. Early we are introduced to the possibility that this man means to kill himself on this day. The film drags us along his day preparing for his own end. We sit back and watch and hope that these glimpses of color and life will bring George back from the ledge and he will truly be able to survive the passing of his lover. We journey through this day and finally reach the moment we have been hoping for in the last scene only to immediately suffer with George a tragic heart attack. I felt robbed.

This film is so full of beauty and depth that there is way more to say than I have words for, but I felt compelled to share my pain. I loved the movie, but I can't help but feel very confused at my own emotions. Maybe someday I will understand exactly what I am supposed to feel...

Where the Wild Things Are

I had very high expectations for this movie and it surely did meet every single one. I was in love with everything about this film from the start. I will first mention the soundtrack, because it was perfectly done. Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs did a heck of a job scoring this movie. As far as the acting goes, young Max Records makes the perfect Max for this story. I have seen a lot of movies in my time with a lot of young actors not really cutting it, but not here. Max delivered a winning performance in my book. Just the perfect amount of adorable, vulnerable, courageous, crazy, wild, sincere, and witty. Catherine Keener shined in her scenes as always. The voice acting was top notch as well. Claire Fisher from 'Six Feet Under' (aka Lauren Ambrose) was awesome. Pretty much every voice actor was pretty fantastic. Catherine O'Hara got to be funny and that wins. Visually speaking, this movie outshines many I have seen in a very long time. There is not a wasted camera angle or scene. Every shot is full of beauty or emotion or both. Set designers need to win awards for this movie. Everything felt so real and so fantastical all at once. Spike Jonze might be my new current hero for this work of art. I was really blown away by the way this story was told on film. There could not have been a better adaptation. Beyond the movie, this story is phenomenal. I feel weird talking about how this story made me think and feel, because it is a story that is much bigger than this movie and it doesn't seem like the appropriate forum to discuss the book. All I can say is that the story's heart and feelings and fears and courage is told very very well through this film. It is a very evocative telling and it is an instant favorite of mine.

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Solid western with solid acting. I admit I am not familiar with the previous adaptations of this story or with the original itself. So, maybe that is why I can like this version so much. Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are strong and their characters are even stronger. They had some pretty epic characters to work with and I think they filled them out pretty well. I can just always appreciate when a story is told well. This story is clearly written well and the movie conveys it perfectly. All the right things are left unsaid and anticipated and everything you need to know is made clear. I hate forced suspense and confusion in films that try to be aloof in their revelation of details. This suspenseful western does the story telling quite ideally. As far as acting, Crowe and Bale had some great support from Ben Foster (Russel from 'Six Feet Under') who makes a perfect bad guy, Logan Lerman who plays Bale's son, Peter Fonda, and Alan Tudyk who gets the one potential laugh out loud line in the film (well deservedly). Kevin Durand (LOST) and Luke Wilson also show up to lend their talents quite well. I was not really expecting much from this movie and I was very pleasantly surprised with how wrong I was. I think I really liked it. Maybe someday Alan will live to the end of a movie.

Wristcutters: A Love Story

What an interesting movie. This is a beautiful love story set in one of the most creative settings for a film I have experienced in a long time. The majority of the film takes place in a world not unlike our own where suicides are sent to reside after their 'offing.' This world is very similar to ours, only worse. This indie film was a very refreshing look at brilliant directing and writing. In a movie about suicides, one would not necessarily expect much hope, but one would be wrong. This film gives a vividly dull glimpse at a purgatorial world in a story of love and hope. The journey the main characters find themselves on is funny and insightful. We see friendship and betrayal as well as love and moments of pleasure in a land where one cannot even smile. I was really taken with this movie and I think that there is a lot here to be analyzed and appreciated. This movie brilliantly pulls off a balance between lighthearted love journey and deep substantive solemn voyage. Suicide has always been a very touchy issue in my life and I rarely can handle films dealing with it, but this movie shows a reverence and realism in its depiction of the issue that puts it forefront without fixating on it. Add all these elements in with some pretty stellar acting and this movie is a winner in my book for sure. Please check this out when you are in a solemn mood for a fun film. Someday I hope to watch and study this movie more.

Whip It

What a fun movie with some great actors! I was shaken at first by some really poor choices by first-time director Drew Barrymore, but great performances by Kristen Wiig, Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, and Juliette Lewis helped a great deal to redeem this flick. The men in this film were not as awesome. Drew took some chances on some male actors that were clearly out of their league in this one. Andrew Wilson felt like an awkward Owen Wilson (his younger bro) impersonator for much of them film, and Landon Pigg, Ellen's love interest, was pretty flat. Jimmy Fallon was also used pretty poorly, but he did have a few funny moments. After a rocky start of awkward jumps from scene to scene and random dialogue-less shots and falling down montages (and several big jokes that literally got zero laughs in a crowded theatre...ouch!), this movie finds some footing and delivers some great one-liners and a pretty awesome female empowerment message without shoving it down anyone's throat. I appreciated the subtlety a great deal. I can see a very strong story in the movie and can tell that the novel must be pretty solid. Rounding off some great comedic performances was one delivered by Alia Shawkat of 'Arrested Development' fame. What a great best friend. Alia stole most scenes she was in. So, do not rush out to see this movie, but do catch it eventually for some fun, tenderness and (mostly) bloodless violence. I would probably be pretty confident in calling this the ladies' 'Dodgeball.' I am just putting that out there. I can't wait for the someday that Ellen Page gets to actually play a 22 year-old.

In Bruges

HOLY COW! How did I miss this film for sooo long?! All I can guess is that the marketing for this movie failed so utterly and completely. I saw plenty of trailers and ads for it, but was never compelled to view it. Even after its praise during awards season, I put off watching it. What a fool I was. This is most certainly an instant favorite in my life. I need to purchase it and show it to everyone that will sit and watch it with me. The writing is literally brilliant. That is a phrase I believe I tweeted numerous times while watching it last night, and it fits so well. I have not laughed out loud so much in a movie in a very long time. Brits just know how to make me laugh, end of story. Martin McDonagh is the British born Irish writer/director of this indie masterpiece. Colin Farrell wins the prize for my favorite performance from him to date. Brendan Gleeson was strong and warm and hilarious. Ralph Fiennes was spot on and genius. And the beautiful Clémence Poésy was so believable and majestic all at once. Some things I loved: the inn keeper, the bits about alcoves, the fairy-tale nature of Bruges, the racist dwarf, the fight with the Canadians, the liberal and appropriate usage of the 'f-word,' and the list goes on. Things that were not my favorite: the liberal and inappropriate usage of the 'r-word,' the heart breaking impetus for the entire plot, that may be it. I was certainly blown away by this film and will highly recommend it to you all. Please enjoy it! Someday I would love to visit Bruges.

P.S. I just found out that Martin McDonagh and I share a birthday!

American Teen

While this is not a scripted movie, fitting into the category of every other film I have written about thus far on this blog, this was a pretty freaking fantastic documentary. Maybe I love documentaries too much, maybe I love the lives of teenagers too much, maybe I love Indiana too much, but I still think this was a fascinating little film. These stories were just so complex and interesting. Even if the doc did seem a little scripted and manufactured, that does not make me love it any less. That may just make me love it more. It adds more art to the film, which I thought was very well crafted. If you are unfamiliar, this documentary follows four high school seniors through their final year at Warsaw Community High School in Warsaw, IN. Each of these young people are flawed and compelling characters that give depth to what most adults see as shallow youth. I kinda like everything about this documentary and would highly recommend it. I laughed, I (nearly) cried, I shouted with joy, and hurt with shared grief. It is into lives like these I hope to someday be able to intervene.

Tropic Thunder

How much can really be said about this silly silly movie. Tom Cruise was hilarious. Robert Downey Jr. was brilliant. Jack Black was stupid funny. Ben Stiller was stupid. Matthew McConaughey was good. I laughed kinda in my head a few times. I didn't not like it. I thought the device of killing the director was pretty absurd. It was oddly not hilarious at points. I liked elements of it. I think it could be a movie I watch a few more times and enjoy more and more with every viewing. I call that the 'Zoolander' effect. I am not really sure what else to say about it. I have few words. Goofy sums it up. So maybe someday soon I will watch it again and love it more.

Seven Pounds

I finally saw 'Seven Pounds' starring Will Smith and Rosario Dawson. This movie is so desperate to maintain its mystery that it leaves the viewer with too little information to actually care about the main character. I believe this beautifully sentimental story could easily have been told in a straight forward and understandable way. The plot for the first 45 minutes jumps from various points in the past to the present in such a way that confuses more than expounds. There is actually quite little that can be said about this movie that does not give away too much of the plot. Rosario was grand and saved the film for me. Her performance was real and her character had depth and beauty. Woody Harrelson's character even gave me more to care about than Will Smith's. I guess that isn't very fair, but I just wish this film could have been better in very small and fundamental ways. In this blog, it has been established that I cannot cry, but even if I were able to, I am not sure this very emotional and sentimental movie would have been able to bring it out of me. If you have not seen this movie and ever do watch it, please pay attention. You will be able to pick up pretty quickly on the mystery of the movie and you might even be able to enjoy it after that. I did figure out what was going on quite early, but was still unable to connect with the main character. I think I was distracted by the filmmaking choices. I guess that is all I have to say about that. Will Smith is getting pretty close to it, but he still has not been able to make a truly bad movie. Maybe someday he will slip up.

Heights

How did I not know about this movie? Why is it so freaking good? I stumbled upon this film while checking out facts about Rufus Wainwright online (so I don't fall behind on my obsessive knowledge of the man). Rufus has a small role in this brilliantly cast film about the city I love. 'Heights' takes place over the course of 24 hours telling the story of several interconnected individuals surviving in NYC. Glenn Close rocks it as Diana Lee with the help of the following individuals:

Elizabeth Banks - Isabel Lee
James Marsden - Jonathan Kestler
Jesse Bradford - Alec Lochka
John Light - Peter Cole
Rufus Wainwright - Jeremy
Eric Bogosian - Henry
George Segal - Rabbi Mendel
Andrew Howard - Ian
Isabella Rossellini - Liz
Matthew Davis - Mark
Michael Murphy - Jesse
Chandler Williams - Juliard Macbeth
Bess Wohl - Juilliard Lady Macbeth

Each of these individuals simply blew me away. There is nothing too dramatic, inspirational, life-altering, or profound about this movie, except in its simple and perfect way of telling a not too interesting story. The film just holds up in every possible way. The writing is strong and the plot keeps things moving. You know enough and are left guessing in all the right ways for all the right reasons. I could not call the ending happy, but it is very right. This movie just fits well. Its pieces fit well together. The actors fit into their roles. The drama fits well with the comedy. The theme fits well in the world. The whole thing fits me, as well. Set in NYC, starring Rufus Wainwright, about photographers, actors, and artists, featuring The Scottish Play; it just fits. I am so happy that I found this film. I may have talked it up too much, but I do hope you check it out. It is very simple, but very beautiful and just a nice movie.

Ponyo

'Ponyo' = adorable film. This Japanese film by Hayao Miyazaki is a simple and tender story with beautiful themes and very pretty art. Though I really did enjoy the voice actors in the English adaptation of this movie, I think I would have enjoyed the film just as much in the original Japanese with subtitles. Maybe that is just me. Regardless, I really liked this cute little film. The premise is a little more complicated than it needed to be, but the messages were pretty clear: humans are only mostly awful and don't judge based on appearances. The second theme was predominant in the film, thankfully. Early in the plot, Sōsuke's mother tells Sōsuke not to call the man she just referred to as a 'weirdo' because, it's not right to judge people on the way they look. Her words and this message are brought up again a few times throughout the film and then are revealed to be the basis of the test that Sōsuke must pass in order to save the world (for the most part). It is a very simple theme for a very simple movie. I don't mean this in a negative way at all. The plot held together well and I found myself laughing out loud at times and emotionally vulnerable at others. This is the point of this sort of film. All in all 'Ponyo' wins for me. I highly recommend a viewing of this adorable film when the opportunity arises. It is short and very sweet. Please enjoy it someday.

Gigantic

Crap. I have so little to say about this movie I just painfully sat through. Here is a very appropriate review I just found on netflix.com:

"This movie was going along great...until the end when it just came to a halt, leaving a few things still unexplained. The story is just a complete mess of random occurences and scenarios that seem to serve little or no purpose (as much as I like Zack Galifianakis, what the hell was the point of his character's random attacks? They were the most interesting part of the movie, and they seemed to just leave that whole conflict unresolved). Also, I've seen Paul Dano do some great acting, so why did he only have one facial expression the entire movie? It's a just a pointless movie that wastes a lot of great talent."


The only thing I could add is that Zooey Deschanel was acceptable in this film.

I got nothing.

Someday I may watch this again and get it.

Inglourious Basterds

It is hard to compare Tarantino films to any other movies being made today. His newest creation, 'Inglourious Basterds,' is certainly in a league of its own with respect to other movies I have seen this year. I was certainly not expecting to see a film that tops 'District 9' so soon. IB combines some amazing acting (Brad Pitt is stellar, but Christoph Waltz dominates this film), a lot of clever dialogue, more suspense than I could handle, plot twists that left me breathless, classic stellar Taratino camera shots, just enough violence to keep my big bro interested, and lots and lots of bloody revenge (as The Bride would put it). This is a nearly three-hour film that everyone should make it to the theatre to see. I was on the edge of my seat for the last 30 minutes and was fully enraptured with how things were going down. The subject matter of the film, does still leave me a little bothered in my soul. I have to suspend a great deal of my personal beliefs and convictions in order to love watching this movie. I suppose the same way I need to suspend similar beliefs to love 'The Boondock Saints' as much as I do. In real life, I pretty much hate violence, killing, revenge, mutilation, etc, and I can't even get behind this stuff in the name of killing Nazis, but that does not make me enjoy this film any less. There were very few moments that I had to shield my eyes during, which surprised me. All in all, I loved and highly recommend this movie. I doubt it, but maybe someday Tarantino will make a film I don't just enjoy watching multiple times.

(500) Days of Summer

My interest in this movie since I heard about it months ago was more of a roller coaster than the film, which made me sad. After seeing it, I can say that I am happy I did. This was a funny telling of a story I had heard about a million times before. The telling of the story was pretty creative and the characters and acting helped make it worth it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was adorable and Zooey Deschanel played the part of the highly desirable young woman quite well. It always frustrates me when a movie tells me that the leading lady/man is gorgeous beyond measure and other fawn at the sight, because often the actor/ress or character cannot live up to that hype. Zooey/Summer pulled it off. I was enthralled with her beauty and presence. She did end up breaking my heart, but isn't that always the way. The music was pretty rockin'. Two Regina Spektor songs give a movie quite a bit of cred, IMO. There was even a impromptu choreographed dance break in the middle of the film. It made my heart happy. I recommend renting this one with your current date/signif. other sometime. It made me wonder if maybe someday I might meet my Autumn.

District 9

Whoa! One word review: people get blowd up!! K, that was more than one word, but that surely does happen. This movie was pretty freaking fantastic. I was captured by the style of the film immediately and it just flowed so organically as it told the story. I really like that the trailer gave away just enough without really telling you much. I went into this film thinking I had some idea what was happening, but there was enough trickery in the trailer that I was well surprised by many elements of the film. The things I liked about the actual story would be giving away too much info, so I won't share too many details. I loved the development of the main character, Wikus. He acted stupidly for most of the film, but the motivations for those actions changed constantly. There is indeed a great deal of violence and ick. I had to shield my eyes from more than two scenes. By the end I still jumped in my seat every time someone got blowd up. Regardless, the filmmaking was superb. What I love about sci-fi films and shows is when they can make me believe that this world that is so absurd is possible or happening on screen. 'District 9' accomplished that task. With excellent CGI as well as writing and acting, I was taken into a quite fantastical world and was frightened with the possibilities of it. Overall, if you can stand some blood and body parts flying around every once in a while, please go see this movie. Who knows, maybe someday this world may be a reality.

How To Lose Friends and Alienate People

If you are looking to laugh at Simon Pegg falling, spitting, being beaten up, and generally making a fool of himself, this is the movie for you. I certainly laughed and found some enjoyment with the plot. Few of the actors really committed to their parts, but luckily it was brief and funny. Simon plays a character looking to find a balance between selling out and being a "real celebrity journalist" (if such a thing could exist). He moves to NY, meets a girl, meets another girl, conflicts with Gillian Anderson, gets second girl and then realizes first girl was the one for him. It is every story ever told (especially the Gillian Anderson bit). Kirsten Dunst vomits a few times. That is about all she brings to the film. I recognized her funniest line from an episode of 'Home Improvement.' There were a few redeeming appearances by Katherine Parkinson and Chris O'Dowd, both from 'The IT Crowd,' a BBC series a high recommend for some great laughs. Overall, nothing special with this movie, but if you are looking for a brief vehicle for a few laughs and some funny brits, check it out. Someday Simon Pegg might be cast as something other than a loveable idiot.

Were the World Mine

This film was recommended to me by Netflix a little while ago and I noticed its title elsewhere in my life recently as well. So, I thought I would give it a view. It is not very well polished and I know there are plenty of things that critics and cynics could pick apart about the acting, directing, editing, writing, etc., but I thought it was a very beautiful little movie. I must admit that I have never read 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' nor do I know much about the story. I now feel that this is a tragedy in my life. The plot of the film revolves around a young gay man in an all boys school whose life becomes swept up in the fantasy world of the high school's impending production of the aforementioned Shakespearean play. I really appreciated many things about this tender story. I really enjoy it when parents overcome their own struggles to fight for their children. That device always endears a movie to me. The singing was another shining element in the film. Overall, I would be willing to recommend this little movie to those looking for a tender musical with quite low production value, but very high sweetness value. Now I just need to ready 'AMSN'sD' someday.

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

Snape: "You can't use my spells against me. I'm the half blood prince." Me: "Wait. What? Is that supposed to mean something?" People who wrote HP6 the movie: "Nope."

So I got to see the newest Harry Potter film last night. All in all I highly enjoyed myself. I thought this was Daniel Radcliffe at the top of his game. I could not help but think back to his performance in 'Extras' every once in a while. This made me happy. He got the chance to be a normal person in this film. Maybe he did not act like Harry Potter should, but I think he was pretty great as a character. Emma was also great as was the rest of the cast. I mean, for what they were, they were good performances. Having not read the books I did find myself confused by some plot devices in the flim. Luckily, they are not all necessary for just enjoying the movie. I feel bad for people who love the books, because they expect so much from the movies and I am convinced it is impossible to deliver all they desire. So, I feel like this film was highly successful (as many previous have been) in trapping the die-hard fans into seeing it as well as making it accessible to people with lives . ;) jk. I am not sure what else there is to say. This is the one HP movie that would not pain me to watch multiple times. It does give me some interest in reading the books to see all the tiny and vast plot holes I am missing. Maybe someday I will do some HP reading.

Oh yeah! Dumbledore died.