HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!! Hope it's a happy, healthy and economically recovered 2010 for us all!
And second, I realize that I sound a bit like an airhead in some of my posts, but I hope most people remember I'm just rambling my thoughts here and that I am capable of constructing proper sentences. I promise I'm well educated.
I mean, like, duh! :)
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Movie Update
So over the last week or so, I saw SHERLOCK HOLMES (really enjoyed!), YOUNG VICTORIA (um, beautiful and well-acted but hello- can we allow the threads of conflict to actually GO somewhere?!), BROKEN EMBRACES (i don't pretend to understand Almodovar's subtle messages at all, but it was pretty and well-acted), THE LAST STATION (loved it, surprisingly!), THE WHITE RIBBON (could Haneke please film an ending to one of his movies), and IT'S COMPLICATED (good, not great).
But what i'm really here to discuss is why on God's green Earth is INVICTUS getting so many people kissing its butt and putting it on all these top 10 lists? I mean, come on- Clint Eastwood is NOT a movie-making god. He's made some boring movies - hello, Gran Torino was one of the worst screenplays I've seen in awhile and most of it was poorly acted, in my opinion. CHANGELING was interesting but DEFINITELY flawed. And I'm sorry, but INVICTUS is a snore-fest of the highest order. If it gets nominated for an academy award in place of another movie that deserves the spot, I will be seriously peeved. UGH! I'm really over it. AND btw, I love Matt Damon as people are well aware, but he doesn't deserve a supporting actor nomination for this one at all. Not one bit. Sorry Matteo.
But what i'm really here to discuss is why on God's green Earth is INVICTUS getting so many people kissing its butt and putting it on all these top 10 lists? I mean, come on- Clint Eastwood is NOT a movie-making god. He's made some boring movies - hello, Gran Torino was one of the worst screenplays I've seen in awhile and most of it was poorly acted, in my opinion. CHANGELING was interesting but DEFINITELY flawed. And I'm sorry, but INVICTUS is a snore-fest of the highest order. If it gets nominated for an academy award in place of another movie that deserves the spot, I will be seriously peeved. UGH! I'm really over it. AND btw, I love Matt Damon as people are well aware, but he doesn't deserve a supporting actor nomination for this one at all. Not one bit. Sorry Matteo.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Holiday Movie Picks!
I've seen most of the holiday movies, save IT'S COMPLICATED, PRINCESS AND THE FROG and SHERLOCK HOLMES (and I've heard the first two are great and Sherlock is just an action movie). So here's my very brief - what to see and what to avoid - report.
MUST SEE:
AVATAR - I personally fell in love with this movie and I think it's quite an achievement in filmmaking. It looks AMAZING... and the 3D really makes the images richer and gives you more texture to the film. Whether or not you can empathize with the blue people is really going to be what makes this a movie you like or you love... I bought in. Wholeheartedly.
FANTASTIC MR. FOX - another great achievement in filmmaking, this time in stop-motion animation. It's clever, fun and something you can enjoy even if you aren't a Wes Anderson fan.
UP IN THE AIR - one of the year's best movies. Funny, poignant, and very touching. George Clooney manages to do a bit more onscreen than he normally does, but his performance doesn't quite lose the Clooney image. Anna Kendrick is a revelation, especially in one scene when she bursts into tears like any high-strung 22 year-old would. Loved that moment.
THE BLIND SIDE - I was very surprised this movie wasn't a total manipulative tear-jerker, but instead it's a really wonderful story and Sandra Bullock does pull off quite a character. I really bought into her performance and am glad she's getting recognized for it.
PRECIOUS - it's heartbreaking but it's a great film and a reminder for everyone who has had loving people in their life to give them big thanks, hugs and kisses this year at the holidays.
THE HURT LOCKER - It's still playing in some specialty theaters and this intense, on-the-edge-of-your-seat film about a bomb diffuser in Iraq is a must-see this year. It's not my favorite film of the year, but it's intense, it's emotionally engaging and it feels very honest about life for these guys.
AN EDUCATION - This is a very good film, though I was not as struck by it as many of my colleagues were. I think it's an interesting story and certainly well-acted, but it's third act was greatly lacking for me. Carey Mulligan's getting a lot of heat off of her performance, and it's true- she was stellar. So if you're an awards season junkie, you should definitely get to this one.
From what I've heard, also check out: THE YOUNG VICTORIA (which I plan to see this week), THE WHITE RIBBON, CRAZY HEART (if you are a Jeff Bridges fan) and THE MESSENGER (which by all accounts is fantastic!!)
WHAT TO AVOID:
INVICTUS - truly one of the most boring movies I've seen in a long time... even my sweetheart Matt Damon couldn't salvage this snooze-fest.
NINE - another snooze-fest. I couldn't believe they managed to make a big musical film THIS boring. I just didn't care about a single character or performance and turned it off about an hour and fifteen minutes in.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? - I hope I don't have to explain why this is terrible.
THE LOVELY BONES - Unfortunately, they missed the boat on this adaptation. I loved the book and therefore I think I was able to appreciate some moments of this film, but the story was a mess. Even chronologically certain things didn't make sense and though Sairose Ronan's (sp?) a great actress (with an amazing voice for voice-over work), it just misses the mark.
BROTHERS - Don't go see this watered down and sometimes forced remake of Suzanne Bier's amazing Danish film. (I think it's Danish...) Instead, get on Netflix and rent the original - it's far superior and one of my favorite movies.
MIXED EMOTIONS:
THE ROAD (playing in a few specialty theaters still and soon to be on DVD)- it's a film that is certainly committed to its dark vision and is a relatively faithful adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's portrait of a father trying to get save his son's life after the apocalypse, but it's also relentless and difficult to get through. I thought Viggo Mortensen is fabulous and there is something beautiful about the movie, but I also found myself fast-forwarding through a fair bit of it b/c I couldn't handle it.
MUST SEE:
AVATAR - I personally fell in love with this movie and I think it's quite an achievement in filmmaking. It looks AMAZING... and the 3D really makes the images richer and gives you more texture to the film. Whether or not you can empathize with the blue people is really going to be what makes this a movie you like or you love... I bought in. Wholeheartedly.
FANTASTIC MR. FOX - another great achievement in filmmaking, this time in stop-motion animation. It's clever, fun and something you can enjoy even if you aren't a Wes Anderson fan.
UP IN THE AIR - one of the year's best movies. Funny, poignant, and very touching. George Clooney manages to do a bit more onscreen than he normally does, but his performance doesn't quite lose the Clooney image. Anna Kendrick is a revelation, especially in one scene when she bursts into tears like any high-strung 22 year-old would. Loved that moment.
THE BLIND SIDE - I was very surprised this movie wasn't a total manipulative tear-jerker, but instead it's a really wonderful story and Sandra Bullock does pull off quite a character. I really bought into her performance and am glad she's getting recognized for it.
PRECIOUS - it's heartbreaking but it's a great film and a reminder for everyone who has had loving people in their life to give them big thanks, hugs and kisses this year at the holidays.
THE HURT LOCKER - It's still playing in some specialty theaters and this intense, on-the-edge-of-your-seat film about a bomb diffuser in Iraq is a must-see this year. It's not my favorite film of the year, but it's intense, it's emotionally engaging and it feels very honest about life for these guys.
AN EDUCATION - This is a very good film, though I was not as struck by it as many of my colleagues were. I think it's an interesting story and certainly well-acted, but it's third act was greatly lacking for me. Carey Mulligan's getting a lot of heat off of her performance, and it's true- she was stellar. So if you're an awards season junkie, you should definitely get to this one.
From what I've heard, also check out: THE YOUNG VICTORIA (which I plan to see this week), THE WHITE RIBBON, CRAZY HEART (if you are a Jeff Bridges fan) and THE MESSENGER (which by all accounts is fantastic!!)
WHAT TO AVOID:
INVICTUS - truly one of the most boring movies I've seen in a long time... even my sweetheart Matt Damon couldn't salvage this snooze-fest.
NINE - another snooze-fest. I couldn't believe they managed to make a big musical film THIS boring. I just didn't care about a single character or performance and turned it off about an hour and fifteen minutes in.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? - I hope I don't have to explain why this is terrible.
THE LOVELY BONES - Unfortunately, they missed the boat on this adaptation. I loved the book and therefore I think I was able to appreciate some moments of this film, but the story was a mess. Even chronologically certain things didn't make sense and though Sairose Ronan's (sp?) a great actress (with an amazing voice for voice-over work), it just misses the mark.
BROTHERS - Don't go see this watered down and sometimes forced remake of Suzanne Bier's amazing Danish film. (I think it's Danish...) Instead, get on Netflix and rent the original - it's far superior and one of my favorite movies.
MIXED EMOTIONS:
THE ROAD (playing in a few specialty theaters still and soon to be on DVD)- it's a film that is certainly committed to its dark vision and is a relatively faithful adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's portrait of a father trying to get save his son's life after the apocalypse, but it's also relentless and difficult to get through. I thought Viggo Mortensen is fabulous and there is something beautiful about the movie, but I also found myself fast-forwarding through a fair bit of it b/c I couldn't handle it.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Happy Holidays!
So I've totally neglected the blog, I know, but it's been a busy winter and I've been feeling kind of "eh" about what I've got to share.
But I hope everyone has a happy and healthy holiday with their families this year!! I'll be here in Cali for the first time ever for the whole break since Chris' new job means no vacation this year. So I am definitely jealous of all the snow the East Coast is getting right now and hoping that it gets cooler again for Xmas.
But I hope everyone has a happy and healthy holiday with their families this year!! I'll be here in Cali for the first time ever for the whole break since Chris' new job means no vacation this year. So I am definitely jealous of all the snow the East Coast is getting right now and hoping that it gets cooler again for Xmas.
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