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June 30, 2005
About a Boy
About a Boy (2002), the Weitzes:
Hugh Grant still has great on-screen charisma. This is a better movie than In Good Company, but doesn't reach the same heights.
8/15
Posted by bing at 02:39 PM | Comments (0)
Broadcast News
Broadcast News (1987), James L. Brooks:
Such an odd movie. It's a comedy set firmly in the real world. The characters flutter between situations both rooted in reality and standard romantic comedy hilarity. In end it's bittersweet and compelling and very funny. It's funny, because the other newsroom drama/comedy Network is completely the opposite.
14/15
Posted by bing at 02:23 PM | Comments (0)
A Star is Born (1954)
A Star is Born (1954), George Cukor:
For some reason I was still on my Judy Garland kick, so I was looking forward to this. Unfortunately, it's just as boring as the 1937 version. Judy carries some scenes but too often you can see the years weighing on her.
6/15
Posted by bing at 02:20 PM | Comments (0)
June 28, 2005
March of the Penguins
March of the Penguins (2005), Luc Jacquet:
It's a little surreal seeing a theater full of grown New Yorkers cooing at baby penguins, but there it was. The penguins are very cute.
This is exactly what I needed to get the bitter taste of that fake-umentary Winged Migration out of my mouth. It's still a little too intent on telling the story, but at least it's not at the expense of the footage, and at least they're not staging anything. I still miss the National Geographic docs of yore, where they don't talk about penguins' "unbearable losses", but this is fine in the interim.
13/15
Posted by bing at 03:04 PM | Comments (0)
Finding Neverland
Finding Neverland (2004), Marc Forster:
Seemed like emotional porn when I saw the trailer, but heard enough good things to give it a chance.
It suffers a from the Ron Howard effect, pushing ever onward for the final half-hour, until it can unleash a fury of punches aimed directly to the audience's heart. It's not quite to the level of A Beautiful Mind, but comes close. I've long since realized that these movies are more enjoyable when you completely suspect anything that could be considered disbelief. I'm still not sure these movies are Good Movies, but they're certainly adept at tuggin' the old heartstrings.
12/15
Posted by bing at 02:32 PM | Comments (0)
June 26, 2005
Rize
Rize (2005), David LaChappelle:
So I read the Times article on 'krumping' and clown-dancing and then saw the trailer for this and couldn't imagine not watching it. The movie sustains the frenetic energy and vibrancy of the trailer, mostly due to the charisma of the principals.
Mr. LaChappelle plays the documentarian well, presenting an excellent taxonomy of a subculture at its height. His failings are as a director, always opting for the overly dramatic. It plays well during the battleground scene, which alone is well worth admission (even in Manhattan), but everywhere else, any hint of emotion becomes a syrupy mess.
13/15
Posted by bing at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)
The Lost Weekend
The Lost Weekend (1945), Billy Wilder:
I saw Days of Wine and Roses first and liked it fine, but Billy Wilder shows how it's really done. They're both good at showing the gritty side of alcoholism, but Weekend just comes across as more true, though they both have that 50's staged feeling.
13/15
Posted by bing at 01:01 PM | Comments (0)
June 24, 2005
Crash (2004)
Crash (2004), Paul Haggis:
Lots of buzz/hype leading up to this. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I heard enough good word of mouth to hope for the best.
The acting is top notch. Don Cheadle leads an outstanding ensemble. I mean, everyone's so good I completely missed both Marina Sirtis and Tony Danza saying "Who's the boss?".
Don Cheadle has a great line in the beginning of the movie how in LA people never actually come into contact with other people, and of course this movie is about that. I couldn't really get over the fact that this seemed at times like an After School Special on steroids; you could feel the liberal guilt spilling over into the seats. That's not to say it's a "liberal" type of movie, but the Moral of the movie just features so prominently that it interferes with seeing the characters interact with each other.
5/15
Posted by bing at 01:40 PM | Comments (0)
June 23, 2005
Targets
Targets (1968), Peter Bogdanovich:
Boris Karloff playing pretty much himself; he's able to make help fill out the Bogdanovich vision which is clearly bigger than the means of the actual film. It's a great crash of what fame, horror and death actually mean.
14/15
Posted by bing at 07:41 PM | Comments (0)
My Own Private Idaho
My Own Private Idaho (1991), Gus Van Sant:
Ok, like the later Van Sant, it's a little too precious, but it, unlike the later Van Sant, it has a vibrancy that carries the movie even when it gets mired in pretentions and Van Sant's boy-lovin'. There's not as much of the latter to outweigh completely the former, but it's very good.
9/15
Posted by bing at 07:34 PM | Comments (0)
June 18, 2005
Batman Begins
Batman Begins (2005), Christopher Nolan:
Like Howl's Moving Castle, I think I need a little time to figure out where I stand with this, not because I don't know but right now I'm still overwhelmed by just how awesome it was. It's been a full day now and every time I think I'm over it, I remember some completely awesome part and it starts all over again.
I don't think there was a single part which really dragged. Katie Holmes was a little skeletal, but she was ok. Christian Bale was a damn fine Batman, though it did hurt the suspension of disbelief that he has a really recognizable chin.
Word is that fox is currently fucking up X3. Hopefully this and the Spiderman franchise will show the studios how to do things right (as if X-men and X2 weren't enough).
15/15 (geek rating)
Posted by bing at 09:38 PM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2005
Howl's Moving Castle
Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Hayao Miyazaki:
Man, I love Miyazaki and this movie was pretty amazing, but I have no idea what he's talking about. It's a kids' movie, like all his movies, and what seems like a fable. I don't know if I'm just completely unable to unpack it or if even can be unpacked at all, but there's just so much meat there--the opposite side of the spectrum from My Neighbor Totoro's sheer childhood wonderment.
I saw a tv commercial for this yesterday and all I wanted to do was see it again. It's probably my second favorite to Spirited Away, but I'd definitely like to see it again
13/15
Posted by bing at 01:56 PM | Comments (0)
Sonatine
Sonatine (1993), Takeshi Kitano:
So this is Emily's favorite Takeshi Kitano movie. I liked it, but I think it's an inferior version of both Fireworks and Kikujiro. Speaking of Kikujiro, I'm not sure I really loved it when I first saw it, but there are scenes that stay in my mind. I think there are only a few from Sonatine that I can say the same.
8/15
Posted by bing at 01:39 PM | Comments (0)
L'Atlante
L'Atlante (1934), Jean Vigo:
I still have no idea how to pronounce the name of this film, so I just look like an idiot when I talk to people about it.
It reminded me a lot of Sunrise, but I suppose it's just the "domestic problems on a boat" thing. So yeah, the Sunrise-y parts I liked, the Battleship Potemkin thing is still a little lost on me.
8/15
Posted by bing at 01:34 PM | Comments (0)
June 15, 2005
The Ladykillers
The Ladykillers (2004), Ethan and Joel Coen:
Catching up with the Coens again. So it's by default better than their last film, because Intolerable Cruelty was lost on me. I guess I just don't like screwball enough.
What surprised me was how small this seemed. It's easily their least ambitious movie yet, which is by no means a bad thing seeing how far-reaching their earlier films are. It does feel akin to Cruelty, and while the performances aren't as good as in Cruelty, it's a smidge funnier. I guess I should get around to the original.
9/15
Posted by bing at 05:21 PM | Comments (0)
Chan is Missing
Chan is Missing (1982), Wayne Wang:
So after seeing Smoke and this, I just don't think Wayne Wang is my type of director. His progression from interesting director to "guy who fills in for studio crap" is a little baffling, but I know he's got the talent and promising debuts are always a treat.
Again, this really didn't resonate, but it's got this vibrancy to it. It's very much an ethnic movie, but not the type of primer directed to middle-class suburbia; it reminded me a lot of how Mean Streets in understanding the community and showing you around without leading you by the hand. It's very funny, too.
12/15
Posted by bing at 05:01 PM | Comments (0)
June 10, 2005
3:10 to Yuma
3:10 to Yuma (1957), Delmer Dales:
I just noticed that this was another Elmore Leonard deal; guy is everywhere in the pulp world.
I remember I had a pretty disappointing run of Westerns before this, and this was exactly what I was looking for to turn it all around. Hero vs. Villain on equal footing on opposites sides of the moral divide. Here, the Villain is captured and must be delivered to the 3:10 to Yuma, before his posse can spring him. There's a smidge of High Noon, but there's not really much emotional complexity here.
13/15
Posted by bing at 11:15 PM | Comments (0)
Anything Else
Sorry for not updating. Got out of the movie frame of mind and lost my rhythm. Anyway, I have a huge backlog and see if I can catch up.
Anything Else (2003), Woody Allen:
Melinda and Melinda was supposed to be the return of Woody Allen, but I didn't like it much. This, though, while still nothing compared to the work of his heyday, does actually seem like something genuine from Woody. I think if you combined this and M&M, you'd have something comparable.
I think it's the best I've seen from the late-era Allens (missing only Curse of the Jade Scorpion; I'm not expecting much). Jason Biggs is pretty bad as an Allen-substitute, but Christina Ricci continues the tradition of the alluring but completely unhealthy heroines. None of the rest of the cast are really "on", but the movie is still pretty endearing and somewhat entertaining. Melinda's exact opposite, emotional detachment but superb production, shows that Woody Allen still has all the tools in his toolbox. I'm looking forward to Match Point. At the very least Scarlett Johansson will be a good consolation if it sucks.
10/15
Posted by bing at 11:03 PM | Comments (0)