Directed by Jon Avnet2008 Thriller
Rated R
ZERO stars
88 Minutes is 88 minutes of my life (technically 108, since the "real-time" clock doesn't start ticking until about 20 minutes in) that I will NEVER get back.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
#114 - 88 Minutes
Directed by Jon Avnet2008 Thriller
Rated R
ZERO stars
88 Minutes is 88 minutes of my life (technically 108, since the "real-time" clock doesn't start ticking until about 20 minutes in) that I will NEVER get back.
Friday, April 25, 2008
#113 - My Blueberry Nights
Directed by Wong Kar Wai2007 Romantic Drama
Rated R
** 1/2
I have been a fan of Wong Kar Wai pretty much since I was first introduced to him with his brilliant 2000 film In the Mood for Love. But when I learned he was going to be doing his first English-language film, starring jazz sultrist Norah Jones, no less, I understandably had my reservations. And while I did find things to enjoy here, and recommend it (especially to Kar Wai fans), they were sadly ultimately justified. Norah Jones, while not a bad actress, is completely wrong for the part she's given. She is given the job of being the anchor to the rest of the cast, and basically carrying the film, which she can't do. Fortunately, a uniformly superb cast is there to back her up every step of the way. Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, David Strathairn; they're all good (particularly Strathairn). But, and this leads to the second problem I had with the film, the story is too uninteresting to really make me care about any of them. Like I said, they all do their best, but (aside from the middle story featuring Weisz and Strathairn) I just didn't care. The final thing i'll point out is the way the film is shot; Kar Wai uses the staggered cinematography so prevalent in Chungking Express throughout a majority of the film. But unlike that film, whose fast pace fit with it so perfectly, Blueberry's slow, meandering style doesn't mesh at all. After 30 minutes it was slightly annoying; an hour or so in, and I actually started to dislike the film more because of it. In the end, however, I can recommend this film because of two reasons; this director has previously been almost infallible, and I often find a great director's missteps can be more interesting than his hits. Also, good performances from (most of) the cast and a chill soundtrack make this a good relaxing film for a Sunday afternoon.
#111 - Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hay Schlossberg2008 Comedy
Rated R
*** 1/2
Thursday, April 24, 2008
#110 - L'eclisse
Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni1962 Drama
Not Rated
*****
After finally getting through all of Antonioni's "alienation" trilogy (L'avventura, La notte and this film) I am happy to say that L'eclisse is far and away the best of the three. Monica Vitti is great as usual, and anyone who thinks Alain Delon only plays variations on his character in Le Samourai will see otherwise. The story focuses on a woman who has recently left her fiance and starts (or at least attempts to) an affair with another man. Obviously, the themes explored in the previous two films, such as isolation, loneliness and alienation are explored, sometimes a little too obviously, but overall this is an absolutely brilliant film that stands with the best foreign films of the 60s.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
#109 - El Orfanato
Directed Juan Antonio Bayona2007 Thriller
Rated R
****
While Guillermo Del Toro's (who produced this film) 2006 masterpiece Pan's Labyrinth was a character study of the Spanish Civil War masquerading as a fairy tale, The Orphanage is more of a straightforward ghost story, in the best sense of the phrase. Like The Others before it, it features a woman moving back into an old, large home and experiencing problems with the spirits that may or may not inhabit it. Featuring beautiful cinematography, great acting and terrifying moment after terrifying moment, this is one of the most subtly scary movies I have ever seen. Despite a slightly disappointing ending (considering the journey you take to get there) this is definitely one of the scariest movies of the past few years. When the American remake is released next year, please, I beg of you, AVOID IT. If you want a film that absolutely earns your terror, check this out.
#108 - The Purple Rose of Cairo
Directed by Woody Allen1985 Romantic Comedy
Rated PG
****
The best Depression-era surrealist romantic comedy i've ever seen.
#107 - Lake of Fire
Directed by Tony Kaye2006 Documentary
Not Rated
**** 1/2
Whether your stance on abortion is pro-life or pro-choice (such as myself), this is a film that you have to see. Never takes sides, just presents the facts, proving that maybe both sides have a case.
#106 - Control
Directed by Anton Corbijn2007 Biopic
Rated R
****
If No Country for Old Men, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, There Will Be Blood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Atonement were the top 5 films, cinematography-wise, of the year, then Anton Corbijn's Control, a biopic of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis, is a very close sixth. Shot in absolutely beautiful black-and-white, it tells Curtis' story from the inception of Joy Division in 1973 to his suicide in 1980. While the film drags a bit in the middle, it's recommendable for Sam Riley's performance alone. He absolutely embodies Curtis, no more so than when he is on stage, getting every little movement perfect. Samantha Morton is nearly as good as Curtis' wife Deborah, seemingly the only one who never let herself get caught up in his celebrity. If you aren't a fan of Joy Division's music, or have never heard it, be wary going in; there are quite a few performance scenes. However, if you are a fan of Joy Division, or just post-punk in general, I can heartily recommend one of the best musical biopics i've ever seen.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
#101 - Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Directed by Nicholas Stoller2008 Comedy
Rated R
****
NOTE: I've decided that summarizing the plot in my reviews is unnecessary and a waste of time. If you want to know what happens in the film, go see it.
What I have recently found is that the films produced by the Judd Apatow camp fall into three distinct categories; instant, original classics (The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) in the first tier, the hilarious but sometimes formulaic tier (Superbad,), and the rare misses in the third tier (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Drillbit Taylor). While I can't say that Forgetting Sarah Marshall is an instant classic, since it is often rather formulaic at times, it is hands down the funniest movie released this year, and grabs a firm hold in the second tier.
#98 - The Savages
Directed by Tamara Jenkins2007 Comedy/Drama
Rated R
*** 1/2
Bravo to all three performances in this comedic take on putting a parent into a nursing home, especially Laura Linney, who got a well-deserved Oscar nomination for her performance. However, the fact of the matter is that there just isn't that much comedy to be found in dementia. Stick to the better of the two dementia films released last year, Away from Her. Oh, and another 1/2 point of for a cheesy ending to what was up to that point an ironic-type indie film.
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