This was another Christian Bale flick that I decided to check out since I've become such a fan of his. Unfortunately, I cannot heap on the amount of praise that I usually do for his films. This film is notable however for establishing Bale as truly the most masochistic actor out there today. If you're unfamiliar with this film, Bale lost a significant amount of weight to play Trevor Resnik, a man who hasn't slept in a year. Bale is so emaciated in the film, it is often too difficult to look at the screen. As much credit as I give Bale for committing himself to the role and doing a good job at portraying this tortured soul, it made me too uncomfortable for me to truly appreciate it.
Ultimately, that feeling of unease is what causes me to give this film a less than favorable review. However, it should be noted that even if Bale's appearance wasn't a factor, I still found the film to be flawed. It tries to do something creative in the lines of Memento by leaving the audience as much in the dark as the title character about what has actually happened, but I just don't think it's fully achieved what it set out to do. There is a lot of good in this film, but given how difficult it was to watch, I can't rate it very high. Unless you want to be squemish for an hour and a half, I probably wouldn't recommend this film to you. Netflix rating: **
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The big night is upon us!
OK, so it's Oscar night and for the first time in quite a while the show has some intrique for me. This year there are no front-runners and most of the big nominess are films that I'll be fine with winning. Usually these awards are a foregone conclusion or given to films I can't stand (i.e. The English Patient, Chicago). I really have no idea who will win, so it should be fun to watch. Here now are my fearless picks for the winners in the major categories, but I have no confidence in them whatsoever:
Best Picture:
No Country for Old Men
Best Actor:
George Clooney
Best Actress:
Julie Christie
Best Supporting Actor:
Javier Bardem
Best Supporting Actress:
Cate Blanchett
Best Director:
Joel and Ethan Coen
Best Original Screenplay:
Juno
Best Adapted Screenplay:
No Country for Old Men
Best Animated Film:
Ratatouille
Best Picture:
No Country for Old Men
Best Actor:
George Clooney
Best Actress:
Julie Christie
Best Supporting Actor:
Javier Bardem
Best Supporting Actress:
Cate Blanchett
Best Director:
Joel and Ethan Coen
Best Original Screenplay:
Juno
Best Adapted Screenplay:
No Country for Old Men
Best Animated Film:
Ratatouille
Litagation Sensation
I almost didn't make it, but I just managed to see at least one Best Picture nominee before the big awards show. If I was a betting man, I would have figured it would have been Juno, but since I haven't found anyone willing to go see it with me yet, I had to settle for catching the only one that's made it to the budget theater yet; Michael Clayton.
Settling for this film though is no burden as this was a superb film that is easily worthy of it's nomination. It's an intense legal thriller that had me riveted from start until finish. Even if you have a good idea of how the film will end, the film is so intricate that you'll want to see how they handle all of the small details that make up the story.
This film was written and directed by Tony Gilroy. This is actually Gilroy's first stab at directing and he hits a home run on his initial attempt. He's not overly stylistic and he doesn't go for any outside-of-the-box techniques, he just puts together a strong, cohesive film. Gilroy also wrote the screenplay for The Bourne Ultimatum, so I'm glad to see that at least one of his films got recognized by the Oscars.
Of course, it goes without saying that a lot of the film's merit is based upon the terrific acting jobs found throughout. We'll start with George Clooney who is really good in the title role. Many people complain that he's just playing himself, but I detect small nuances in his performance that allows me to seperate the actor from the character. You can really feel the weight of the world on his shoulders as he has to deal with a number of problems both personally and professionally.
As good as Clooney is, however, Tom Wilkenson is the one who truly shines in this film. Playing manic depressive lawyer Arthur Edens, Wilkenson takes command of the screen every time he is on and leaves you wondering what this guy is all about. I had ridiculed Wilkenson in the past for his bombastic performance in In The Bedroom, a film that the Academy loved and no one saw. However, after seeing his work in Batman Begins and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I've really begun to be impressed with his work and look forward to seeing more films with him in the future. But back to this film, enough can't be said for how good he is. The film begins with a monologue by his character, that immediately hooks you into the story.
Tilda Swinton, playing the slimy lawyer for the corrupt UNorth corporation also does a fine job as an exec who is in way over their head. As much as I liked her performance, however, I actually thought her role could have been fleshed out a bit more. She does well with what she has, but I really think that we could have seen a whole lot more from the character and her struggles in this situation.
One of the things that I think works so well for this movie is that it doesn't waste a lot of time with exposition. They make you work to understand what's going on and the motivations behind each character's actions. So many films today feel like they have to drop an anvil on your head so that you don't fall behind with the story. Because this film opts not to do that, it gives the story a more realistic feel. Let's be honest, two people plotting to kill someone don't take ten minutes explaining to each other why they're going to do that, so why should we see it in a film. Those that are too slow to follow along may not care for this movie, but if you appreciate when a film doesn't take you for an idiot, then you'll enjoy this film.
I think the best proof I have to show you how well this film captivated its audience is by explaining the scenario that occured as the film ended. Without giving anything away, the credits begin to role while there is still action on the screen. This final scene involves no dialogue and is rather simplistic; however no one in the theater left their seat. Some may have been waiting to see if something else would happen, while others were probably still trying to process everything that had taken place. But the bottom line is that there was no rush to the exits, despite the fact that the credits were beginning. A truly impressive feat, especially from the usually less than sophisticated budget theater crowd.
I enjoyed this film so much that I already went out and picked it up on DVD. It not only has a good story and fine acting, but there was so much going on that I feel a repeat viewing will only enhance my enjoyment of the film. Given how everything has gone down this awards season, I don't think this film has enough momentum to win Best Picture, but that's ok. Whether it wins or not, should not deter you from making an effort to watch it at some point in the future. This is a great legal thriller filled with intrique and suspense and it doesn't dumb things down for the lowest common denominator. What more could you ask for? Grade: A
Settling for this film though is no burden as this was a superb film that is easily worthy of it's nomination. It's an intense legal thriller that had me riveted from start until finish. Even if you have a good idea of how the film will end, the film is so intricate that you'll want to see how they handle all of the small details that make up the story.
This film was written and directed by Tony Gilroy. This is actually Gilroy's first stab at directing and he hits a home run on his initial attempt. He's not overly stylistic and he doesn't go for any outside-of-the-box techniques, he just puts together a strong, cohesive film. Gilroy also wrote the screenplay for The Bourne Ultimatum, so I'm glad to see that at least one of his films got recognized by the Oscars.
Of course, it goes without saying that a lot of the film's merit is based upon the terrific acting jobs found throughout. We'll start with George Clooney who is really good in the title role. Many people complain that he's just playing himself, but I detect small nuances in his performance that allows me to seperate the actor from the character. You can really feel the weight of the world on his shoulders as he has to deal with a number of problems both personally and professionally.
As good as Clooney is, however, Tom Wilkenson is the one who truly shines in this film. Playing manic depressive lawyer Arthur Edens, Wilkenson takes command of the screen every time he is on and leaves you wondering what this guy is all about. I had ridiculed Wilkenson in the past for his bombastic performance in In The Bedroom, a film that the Academy loved and no one saw. However, after seeing his work in Batman Begins and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I've really begun to be impressed with his work and look forward to seeing more films with him in the future. But back to this film, enough can't be said for how good he is. The film begins with a monologue by his character, that immediately hooks you into the story.
Tilda Swinton, playing the slimy lawyer for the corrupt UNorth corporation also does a fine job as an exec who is in way over their head. As much as I liked her performance, however, I actually thought her role could have been fleshed out a bit more. She does well with what she has, but I really think that we could have seen a whole lot more from the character and her struggles in this situation.
One of the things that I think works so well for this movie is that it doesn't waste a lot of time with exposition. They make you work to understand what's going on and the motivations behind each character's actions. So many films today feel like they have to drop an anvil on your head so that you don't fall behind with the story. Because this film opts not to do that, it gives the story a more realistic feel. Let's be honest, two people plotting to kill someone don't take ten minutes explaining to each other why they're going to do that, so why should we see it in a film. Those that are too slow to follow along may not care for this movie, but if you appreciate when a film doesn't take you for an idiot, then you'll enjoy this film.
I think the best proof I have to show you how well this film captivated its audience is by explaining the scenario that occured as the film ended. Without giving anything away, the credits begin to role while there is still action on the screen. This final scene involves no dialogue and is rather simplistic; however no one in the theater left their seat. Some may have been waiting to see if something else would happen, while others were probably still trying to process everything that had taken place. But the bottom line is that there was no rush to the exits, despite the fact that the credits were beginning. A truly impressive feat, especially from the usually less than sophisticated budget theater crowd.
I enjoyed this film so much that I already went out and picked it up on DVD. It not only has a good story and fine acting, but there was so much going on that I feel a repeat viewing will only enhance my enjoyment of the film. Given how everything has gone down this awards season, I don't think this film has enough momentum to win Best Picture, but that's ok. Whether it wins or not, should not deter you from making an effort to watch it at some point in the future. This is a great legal thriller filled with intrique and suspense and it doesn't dumb things down for the lowest common denominator. What more could you ask for? Grade: A
Saturday, February 23, 2008
The next time you see me, I may weigh 300 lbs.
For those of you who have visited me before, you'll know that my apartment shares the same space with a strip of stores. There a grocery store, video store, dry cleaners, etc. Well recently, they tore out a bunch of the parking spaces from this shopping area and they were building something new, which of course piqued my curiousity. As the building started to get erected, it looked like it was going to be a gas station. Not very exciting, but I was at least excited about the possibility of not having to go far to get gas.
However, I learned yesterday that I was wrong. Instead of a gas station going in there, they are putting in a Sonic restaurant. This is the first one of this chain in this area as far as I can tell. Now I have never been to a Sonic before, but based on their awesome commercials, which make everything look amazing and from high recommendations from friends who have actually been to one, I cannot wait to try it out. If it's as good as it looks, I could be in trouble. I may have to start doing laps around my complex before running over there, just so I can keep my already amazing physique.
But as excited as I am for its arrival, I hope it doesn't open for another month or so because I gave up all fast food for Lent. I feel like Beau Bridges in Airplane..."Looks like I picked the wrong time to give up fast food".
If anyone has any recommendations for what I should get from there, please let me know!
However, I learned yesterday that I was wrong. Instead of a gas station going in there, they are putting in a Sonic restaurant. This is the first one of this chain in this area as far as I can tell. Now I have never been to a Sonic before, but based on their awesome commercials, which make everything look amazing and from high recommendations from friends who have actually been to one, I cannot wait to try it out. If it's as good as it looks, I could be in trouble. I may have to start doing laps around my complex before running over there, just so I can keep my already amazing physique.
But as excited as I am for its arrival, I hope it doesn't open for another month or so because I gave up all fast food for Lent. I feel like Beau Bridges in Airplane..."Looks like I picked the wrong time to give up fast food".
If anyone has any recommendations for what I should get from there, please let me know!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
NMR: The Ex
In a word, terrible. I had known that the reviews were bad and it had tanked at the box office, but I still ended up renting this because I love Jason Bateman and it had a variety of other funny people in it. I figured, how bad could it really be. Well I found out the hard way. They had a decent, albeit familiar premise. Zach Braff and Amanda Peet are newlyweds, who move back to Ohio. Braff takes a job at his father-in-law's company and meets an old friend of Peet's, Chip (Bateman). Everyone loves Chip, but Braff thinks he's evil, a liar, and still lusting after his wife.
Instead of doing anything fresh, the films provides some expected gags. The story just meanders all over the place and throws in a lot of unnecessary subplots. Worst of all is that Braff's character isn't likeable in the least, so you have no interest in seeing him succeeding in exposing Chip for who he really is. Bateman has moments of brillance as Chip, but ultimately gets buried amongst the dreck that surrounds him. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect here is that this film marked the return of funnyman Charles Grodin to film and they do nothing with him. It's a shame he couldn't have come back in a better film than this. This movie goes right up there with The Brothers Solomon as an epic waste of true comedic talent. Netflix rating: *
Instead of doing anything fresh, the films provides some expected gags. The story just meanders all over the place and throws in a lot of unnecessary subplots. Worst of all is that Braff's character isn't likeable in the least, so you have no interest in seeing him succeeding in exposing Chip for who he really is. Bateman has moments of brillance as Chip, but ultimately gets buried amongst the dreck that surrounds him. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect here is that this film marked the return of funnyman Charles Grodin to film and they do nothing with him. It's a shame he couldn't have come back in a better film than this. This movie goes right up there with The Brothers Solomon as an epic waste of true comedic talent. Netflix rating: *
RIP HD DVD
Toshiba quits HD DVD 'format war
Since I have yet to buy any high def. technology, this comes as good news to me as I don't have to worry about buying the losing product. It sucks for those that have already bought HD DVD players though. I guess Blu-Ray's victory is a nice retribution for Sony after their failure with Betamax.
Since I have yet to buy any high def. technology, this comes as good news to me as I don't have to worry about buying the losing product. It sucks for those that have already bought HD DVD players though. I guess Blu-Ray's victory is a nice retribution for Sony after their failure with Betamax.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
A Mistery of Violence
The second film adaptation of a Stephen King work for 2007 finally made its way to the budget theater. Frankly, I'm surprised it took this long considering it underperformed at the box office last November.
My initial reaction coming out of the film was that I enjoyed it, but I felt that what I enjoyed about it probably had more to do with King's story than with anything the film actually did. However, in investigating the differences between the film and the novella, I learned that the film decided to radically change the ending; more on that in a bit.
The premise is that a mysterious fog has rolled into a small Maine town trapping many of its citizens in a supermarket. Opinions as to what the mist is and what dangers it poses varies amongst the various townspeople. As we learn what's in the mist, the thrills and chills really get amped up. It then becomes a story of survival for all those trapped.
Most of the actors have a lot of fun with their roles and make the most of their screen time. Andre Braugher is good as a skeptical big city lawyer. I really like Toby Jones (who played Capote in that other film about his life), who plays Ollie, the supermarket's assistant manager. Marcia Gay Harden is the one who truly shines here, however, as the religious nutcase who believes the mist is a sign of the end of days.
The one anomolous acting performance, unfortunately comes from the film's lead, Thomas Jane. He plays David Drayton and leads the efforts to save everyone from whatever is out there. The film uses Drayton's relationship with his son as one of the core emotional cruxes, but I personally didn't feel that connection. For too much of the film, Drayton's action are seemingly motivated to prove that he's right moreso than to rescue his son from these potential perils. Despite that, there are several emotional scenes where Drayton is seen crying. Jane's efforts to emote though come off forced and unintentionally funny.
Speaking of things that came off more hokey than real, I was somewhat unimpressed with the film's visual effects. Without giving too much away, there are scenes that involve some monsters. Some of the smaller creatures look pretty cool and creepy, but the larger creatures have a definite B-movie feel to them.
For me, the film was at its best when it was dealing with human relationships and how people deal with scary situations. When faced with unknowns like these people are, we begin to see who the true monsters are. As the townspeople in the supermarket become divided, the film's energy really picks up. I would have gladly sacrificed one scary monster scene for some more interpersonal communication.
As much as I enjoyed those interaction, the film's cheese factor still had me leaning towards a thumbs down on this movie for most of the way, until the end came. While far from optimistic, The Mist has one of the gutsiest endings for a film that I've seen in a long time. I'm sure many did and will hate it, but I really appreciated it for being so unconventional. If I had any gripes about the finish, it would be that it could have used a little bit more explanation for why the events unfolded as they did. But I can certainly understand why the filmmakers opted not to do that. In many cases, some things are better left unsaid.
The Mist is by no means perfect, but there is a lot there for different audiences. The film does succeed in providing a number of genuinely scare moments, while will please the thrill seekers. It also provides enough interpersonal communication to appeal to a more cerebral crowd. And if you're a person that loves to debate about films after you've watched one, well then this one has an ending that will spark plenty of discussion. In the battle of the Stephen King films for 2007, I'll give this one the slight nod over 1408. However, both are decent and worthy of a rental. Grade:B+
My initial reaction coming out of the film was that I enjoyed it, but I felt that what I enjoyed about it probably had more to do with King's story than with anything the film actually did. However, in investigating the differences between the film and the novella, I learned that the film decided to radically change the ending; more on that in a bit.
The premise is that a mysterious fog has rolled into a small Maine town trapping many of its citizens in a supermarket. Opinions as to what the mist is and what dangers it poses varies amongst the various townspeople. As we learn what's in the mist, the thrills and chills really get amped up. It then becomes a story of survival for all those trapped.
Most of the actors have a lot of fun with their roles and make the most of their screen time. Andre Braugher is good as a skeptical big city lawyer. I really like Toby Jones (who played Capote in that other film about his life), who plays Ollie, the supermarket's assistant manager. Marcia Gay Harden is the one who truly shines here, however, as the religious nutcase who believes the mist is a sign of the end of days.
The one anomolous acting performance, unfortunately comes from the film's lead, Thomas Jane. He plays David Drayton and leads the efforts to save everyone from whatever is out there. The film uses Drayton's relationship with his son as one of the core emotional cruxes, but I personally didn't feel that connection. For too much of the film, Drayton's action are seemingly motivated to prove that he's right moreso than to rescue his son from these potential perils. Despite that, there are several emotional scenes where Drayton is seen crying. Jane's efforts to emote though come off forced and unintentionally funny.
Speaking of things that came off more hokey than real, I was somewhat unimpressed with the film's visual effects. Without giving too much away, there are scenes that involve some monsters. Some of the smaller creatures look pretty cool and creepy, but the larger creatures have a definite B-movie feel to them.
For me, the film was at its best when it was dealing with human relationships and how people deal with scary situations. When faced with unknowns like these people are, we begin to see who the true monsters are. As the townspeople in the supermarket become divided, the film's energy really picks up. I would have gladly sacrificed one scary monster scene for some more interpersonal communication.
As much as I enjoyed those interaction, the film's cheese factor still had me leaning towards a thumbs down on this movie for most of the way, until the end came. While far from optimistic, The Mist has one of the gutsiest endings for a film that I've seen in a long time. I'm sure many did and will hate it, but I really appreciated it for being so unconventional. If I had any gripes about the finish, it would be that it could have used a little bit more explanation for why the events unfolded as they did. But I can certainly understand why the filmmakers opted not to do that. In many cases, some things are better left unsaid.
The Mist is by no means perfect, but there is a lot there for different audiences. The film does succeed in providing a number of genuinely scare moments, while will please the thrill seekers. It also provides enough interpersonal communication to appeal to a more cerebral crowd. And if you're a person that loves to debate about films after you've watched one, well then this one has an ending that will spark plenty of discussion. In the battle of the Stephen King films for 2007, I'll give this one the slight nod over 1408. However, both are decent and worthy of a rental. Grade:B+
Friday, February 15, 2008
NMR: The Lookout
What's The Lookout, you say? Well I was just as in the dark as you are now about the film until Richard Roeper (of Ebert and Roeper) put it #3 on his list of best films for 2007. It's an indie crime thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun) as Chris Pratt, a guy who's life became a mess after a car accident left him with a serious head injury. Working as a janitor at a bank in a small Kansas town, he gets manipulated into helping some crooks rob the place, but as usual, nothing goes as planned.
I thought the film was solid, but I'm still in the dark as to what Roeper saw that was so special about it. Most of the characters are well defined (Jeff Bridges does a nice job as Pratt's blind roommate) and the story keeps you involved. But at the end of the day, I saw nothing terribly unique or captivating about the film. I've heard some comparisons to Memento, which is an injustice to that film. I'd more closely compare it to Fargo, which was a solid movie, but nothing that I would go out of my way to rave about. Stil, if you're looking for a crime thriller, this is certainly a good choice. However, if you don't see it, it won't be like you're missing out on some piece of cinematic history. Netflix rating: ****
I thought the film was solid, but I'm still in the dark as to what Roeper saw that was so special about it. Most of the characters are well defined (Jeff Bridges does a nice job as Pratt's blind roommate) and the story keeps you involved. But at the end of the day, I saw nothing terribly unique or captivating about the film. I've heard some comparisons to Memento, which is an injustice to that film. I'd more closely compare it to Fargo, which was a solid movie, but nothing that I would go out of my way to rave about. Stil, if you're looking for a crime thriller, this is certainly a good choice. However, if you don't see it, it won't be like you're missing out on some piece of cinematic history. Netflix rating: ****
Summer starts to take shape
Within the past few days, there have been a number of trailers for some of the big summer movies set to come out. Take a gander at them and see what you think:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Happening
Here are links to a couple of redband trailers (aka NSFW) for a pair of films that have some Apatow connections to them:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
The Pineapple Express
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Happening
Here are links to a couple of redband trailers (aka NSFW) for a pair of films that have some Apatow connections to them:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
The Pineapple Express
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Some additional strike news
I'm sure you've been keeping up with the return status of our beloved TV shows via the list on my blog here, but I wanted to give a little bit more info here on a couple of my favorite shows:
Lost:
Beyond the eight pre-strike episodes that they had completed, the producers plan to make 5 more episodes this season for a total of 13. Had the strike not occurred, we were supposed to have 16 episodes this season. But good news, we are not permanently losing three episodes. The producers will tack on three more episodes to a future season before the show ends. With the five additional episodes that they'll be doing for this season, the producers said that they plan on condensing the storylines that they had planned for their original 16 episode season. This means that the season should end with a proper cliffhanger and not just some random episode. Finally, the producers said that there probably will be a gap between the end of the 8 pre-strike episodes and the beginning of these additional five. These additional episodes will begin airing sometime in April and when that happens, Lost will be moving to 10pm on Thursday to make room for Grey's Anatomy. Normally, I'd groan over that news, but there's going to be other stuff airing at Thursdays at 9, so moving Lost out of that timeslot is fine by me.
The Office:
Speaking of shows airing on Thursdays at 9, The Office will be back with 6 more episodes this season. The first one will be titled "Dinner Party" and involves Michael and Jan inviting some of the other Dunder-Mifflin workers over for a dinner party. This episode was basically written before the strike, but since Steve Carell and some of the other actors refused to film their scenes while the strike was going on, it never got made. Sadly, a Christmas episode was also written before the strike, but the producers have said that they will not make this one as part of Season 4. That's such a shame since their Christmas episodes are always so good. As of right now, The Office is scheduled to return on April 10th. Let the anticipation commence!
Lost:
Beyond the eight pre-strike episodes that they had completed, the producers plan to make 5 more episodes this season for a total of 13. Had the strike not occurred, we were supposed to have 16 episodes this season. But good news, we are not permanently losing three episodes. The producers will tack on three more episodes to a future season before the show ends. With the five additional episodes that they'll be doing for this season, the producers said that they plan on condensing the storylines that they had planned for their original 16 episode season. This means that the season should end with a proper cliffhanger and not just some random episode. Finally, the producers said that there probably will be a gap between the end of the 8 pre-strike episodes and the beginning of these additional five. These additional episodes will begin airing sometime in April and when that happens, Lost will be moving to 10pm on Thursday to make room for Grey's Anatomy. Normally, I'd groan over that news, but there's going to be other stuff airing at Thursdays at 9, so moving Lost out of that timeslot is fine by me.
The Office:
Speaking of shows airing on Thursdays at 9, The Office will be back with 6 more episodes this season. The first one will be titled "Dinner Party" and involves Michael and Jan inviting some of the other Dunder-Mifflin workers over for a dinner party. This episode was basically written before the strike, but since Steve Carell and some of the other actors refused to film their scenes while the strike was going on, it never got made. Sadly, a Christmas episode was also written before the strike, but the producers have said that they will not make this one as part of Season 4. That's such a shame since their Christmas episodes are always so good. As of right now, The Office is scheduled to return on April 10th. Let the anticipation commence!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
NMR: Rescue Dawn
Given how impressed I've been with everything I've seen with Christian Bale in it lately, it was a no-brainer that I would eventually get around to seeing this one. Released on only a small number of screens this past summer, Rescue Dawn tells the story of Dieter Dangler (Bale), a German-American fighter pilot who was shot down and imprisoned in Laos in 1966.
Aside from being a remarkable story, what made this film so impressive is that it plays more like an autobiography more than a film. What I mean by that is that doesn't try to add a bunch of symbolism or meaning behind any of the action. It just provides numerous glimpses into Dangler's attempts to survive and escape. For instance, at one point Dangler starts hallucinating and sees one of his fellow prisoners, who is dead. Instead of making a big deal about it, it's just briefly touched upon to give you a sense of Dangler's mental state at that point.
Of course, Bale gives a stellar performance, but credit also needs to be given to Steve Zahn who is also very good as another one of the prisoners. The film also has a couple of Lost connections as Dr. Marvin Candle has a brief appearance and newcomer Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) has a larger role as yet another prisoner. Aside from the acting, I should also mention that this film is gorgeous and probably would look especially good in HD.
In short, this was just an excellent film and you should note it made it on my top 10 for 2007. It's a shame this too got overlooked this awards season, but as Little Miss Sunshine proved, what I think of films doesn't always jive with what the Academy thinks. Netflix rating: *****
Aside from being a remarkable story, what made this film so impressive is that it plays more like an autobiography more than a film. What I mean by that is that doesn't try to add a bunch of symbolism or meaning behind any of the action. It just provides numerous glimpses into Dangler's attempts to survive and escape. For instance, at one point Dangler starts hallucinating and sees one of his fellow prisoners, who is dead. Instead of making a big deal about it, it's just briefly touched upon to give you a sense of Dangler's mental state at that point.
Of course, Bale gives a stellar performance, but credit also needs to be given to Steve Zahn who is also very good as another one of the prisoners. The film also has a couple of Lost connections as Dr. Marvin Candle has a brief appearance and newcomer Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) has a larger role as yet another prisoner. Aside from the acting, I should also mention that this film is gorgeous and probably would look especially good in HD.
In short, this was just an excellent film and you should note it made it on my top 10 for 2007. It's a shame this too got overlooked this awards season, but as Little Miss Sunshine proved, what I think of films doesn't always jive with what the Academy thinks. Netflix rating: *****
Strike OUT (of here)!!!
From TVGuide.com:
With this good news, I've changed the info on my favorite TV shows' list to show how many episodes we can expect to see from those shows still this season (i.e. before the end of May). In some cases, despite this strike ending, some shows will sadly not be returning until next Fall. Regardless of when they return, I think we can all agree that this announcement is very good news.
The boards for both branches of the Writers Guild of America on Sunday unanimously approved the tentative deal reached on a new contract. The boards are also taking the final decision on liftng the strike to membership in a vote on Tuesday.
In the meantime, showrunners will get going even sooner, heading back to work Monday to get crews set up and production facilities going again, as will writers who have producing duties on their shows. Ballots to ratify the three-year deal are also going out to members, and will be returned within a 10-12 day period.
Patric Verrone commented on the deal agreement, saying, "This is the best deal this guild has bargained for in 30 years."
Verrone also went on to praise the work of the three CEOs who stepped up in the decisive moments of negotiations, including News Corp. chief Peter Chernin, Disney head Robert Iger and CBS' top dog, Leslie Moonves. Until the business chiefs sat down at the bargaining table, Verrone said, "We spent about three months getting nowhere."
In light of the huge support among writers for the deals in members' meetings on both coasts Saturday, it's expected that they'll be in favor to end the strike in Tuesday's vote, and be able to return to work as early as Wednesday. For writers pushed out of contracts in force majeure situations, many will be hired back, but in a case-by-case scenario, in which the status of each show will affect the deals.
As the final logistical steps are taking place, as least most of Hollywood will start getting back into motion. — Anna Dimond
With this good news, I've changed the info on my favorite TV shows' list to show how many episodes we can expect to see from those shows still this season (i.e. before the end of May). In some cases, despite this strike ending, some shows will sadly not be returning until next Fall. Regardless of when they return, I think we can all agree that this announcement is very good news.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
NMR: Little Miss Sunshine
Despite the presence of Steve Carell here, I had some reservations about watching this film. But now with Netflix, I decided to give it a look and sadly my concerns were accurrate. The film is not without its moments. Carell and Alan Arkin both turn in solid performances (I would completely support Arkin's win for Best Supporting Actor if it were not for the fact that his role is so small in the film). There were also a couple of moments that produced laughs; although probably not as many as they were striving for.
The primary problem with the film is that it forces you to watch this dysfunctional family interact in very uncomfortable situations without seeing any significant growth in the characters. I don't buy the bonding that occurs in the film's final scenes. Despite that moment of togetherness, I still get the feeling that these individuals will maintain their negative qualities. Even worse is the fact that these characters aren't terribly original or interesting. Everyone seems to be created out of sitcom cliches (the pathetic father! the moody son!)
Finally, I found the pageant scenes to be confusing. On one hand it seemed to mock the whole young girl pageant scene. But then it had Olive (Abigail Breslin) act just as ridiculous as these other girls, yet the film seems to applaud this as if it's radically different than everyone else. Plus, the fact that no one outside of Olive's grandfather had seen her act before the pageant seemed really contrived.
Fitting of the title, there are small moments of sunshine found here, but overall the film was both too depressing and overly ridiculous for me to like it. Seeing it get a Best Picture nominee really makes me wonder how these films are being chose. Netflix rating: **
The primary problem with the film is that it forces you to watch this dysfunctional family interact in very uncomfortable situations without seeing any significant growth in the characters. I don't buy the bonding that occurs in the film's final scenes. Despite that moment of togetherness, I still get the feeling that these individuals will maintain their negative qualities. Even worse is the fact that these characters aren't terribly original or interesting. Everyone seems to be created out of sitcom cliches (the pathetic father! the moody son!)
Finally, I found the pageant scenes to be confusing. On one hand it seemed to mock the whole young girl pageant scene. But then it had Olive (Abigail Breslin) act just as ridiculous as these other girls, yet the film seems to applaud this as if it's radically different than everyone else. Plus, the fact that no one outside of Olive's grandfather had seen her act before the pageant seemed really contrived.
Fitting of the title, there are small moments of sunshine found here, but overall the film was both too depressing and overly ridiculous for me to like it. Seeing it get a Best Picture nominee really makes me wonder how these films are being chose. Netflix rating: **
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
New look
I'm working with blogs for a class project and I decided to give this page a makeover. I get bored easily with seeing the same website over and over again, so I try to freshen things up every now and then.
Just to have this post have some relevance, I'll announce here that I got the 120 stars with Luigi in Super Mario Galaxy. Doing that unlocked one last level for Mario and Luigi to do. Unfortunately, it's very simple level that used pretty much just to end the storyline. About the only difficult thing about it was finding where the level was. So I have now officially completed everything with the game. As sad as I am to not have anything more to do with it, I was also obsessed with finishing it, so I can't really complain. Now I just have to play the waiting game until another decent title comes out for the Wii.
Just to have this post have some relevance, I'll announce here that I got the 120 stars with Luigi in Super Mario Galaxy. Doing that unlocked one last level for Mario and Luigi to do. Unfortunately, it's very simple level that used pretty much just to end the storyline. About the only difficult thing about it was finding where the level was. So I have now officially completed everything with the game. As sad as I am to not have anything more to do with it, I was also obsessed with finishing it, so I can't really complain. Now I just have to play the waiting game until another decent title comes out for the Wii.
Monday, February 4, 2008
NMR: The Constant Gardener
I continue my Netflix "Tour of Africa", with this little known film from 2005. This is a film that got very little mention and probably would never have hit on my radar had Rachel Weisz not won an Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in this. Since I heard it was a political thriller, I decided to check it out and boy am I glad I did. Ralph Fiennes stars as Justin Quayle, a member of the British High Commission who is currently working in Africa. Weisz plays his wife, who is mysteriously murdered. The film then follows Quayle's quest to find out who killed his wife.
The movie rises above your typical political thriller through it's superb direction by Fernando Meirelles. He does some very creative work both visually and temporally with the story that make it unique and captivating. Weisz' work was definitely worthy of the award and Fiennes is outstanding as well. Watching the transformation of his character as he goes on this investigation is really something. And unlike Blood Diamond, the film never preaches, yet you are very aware of the plight of these Africans throughout the film. The movie is based on a John Le Carre novel. I've never read anything by him, but from what I understand, transfering his work to film is never easy, so I give the writers credit for making such a compelling film. This is not a film that you shut your brain off for, so if you're up for a thought-provoking, well-made film, I highly recommend this one. Netflix rating: *****
The movie rises above your typical political thriller through it's superb direction by Fernando Meirelles. He does some very creative work both visually and temporally with the story that make it unique and captivating. Weisz' work was definitely worthy of the award and Fiennes is outstanding as well. Watching the transformation of his character as he goes on this investigation is really something. And unlike Blood Diamond, the film never preaches, yet you are very aware of the plight of these Africans throughout the film. The movie is based on a John Le Carre novel. I've never read anything by him, but from what I understand, transfering his work to film is never easy, so I give the writers credit for making such a compelling film. This is not a film that you shut your brain off for, so if you're up for a thought-provoking, well-made film, I highly recommend this one. Netflix rating: *****
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Sting operation
With the weekend upon us, I decided to head over to the budget theater and check out Bee Movie. Aside from the Pixar films, I tend not to check out these animated films, since they're more aimed at kids. However, I have always been a fan of Jerry Seinfeld and his sitcom, so his presence here made things a bit more appealing.
Seinfeld voices Barry B. Benson, a bee who is not content with the drone lifestyle. He'd rather be with the "pollen jocks" (those bees who leave the hive and pollenate the flowers). The film's plot takes hold once Barry ventures out with them and makes the shocking discovery that humans are consuming the honey they work so hard to make. He learns this truth after befriending a woman named Vanessa (voiced by Renee Zellweger). Zellweger, I should add gives a fantastic performance here. Then again, any performance where we don't have to see that old catcher's mitt she calls a face will be considered fantastic by me.
Barry's meeting of Vanessa is where things take a turn for the surreal. It takes Vanessa all of about 30 seconds to get over the idea that a bee can talk and then proceeds to hang out with him as if they are the best of friends. Patrick Warburton voices Vanessa's boyfriend, who is incredulous over the fact that she's befriended a bee. He's portrayed in the film as a raving lunatic, but if you ask me, he comes off as the voice of reason.
If you can look past this bizarre plot development, what you have is a beautiful film that has some very funny moments. At this point, we really shouldn't be surprised by the precision and style that these animated films can display, but I still can't help but be amazed with the detail they can create in these movies. They are able to make vast cityscapes and the tiny hairs on a tennis ball look equally impressive. The animation here truly rivals anything seen in the Pixar films.
I mentioned that the film also has some funny moments, which is obviously should given that it's a cartoon and features Jerry Seinfeld. To me, the best stuff involved their humorous takes on the bee lifestyle. From the Willy Wonka-esque factory where the honey is made to Bee Larry King, they get the most mileage out all bee-related humor. The jokes made at the human's expense are more hit and miss. It's hard to say whether this is because Seinfeld is a little out of touch with humorous observations about humanity or whether I was still trying to wrap my head around this bizarro world where humans normally interact with insects.
There are several celebrity cameos strewn throughout the movie. Some are fun like Ray Liotta who plays himself and is a Paul Newman-like pitchman for a brand of honey. Others, like Matthew Broderick playing Barry's best friend are frustrating as I sat through the whole movie realizing that I recognized the voice but couldn't tell who it was. As fun as these celebrity cameos are, they can also be somewhat annoying. In this film more than any other recent animated film, I thought it was really noticeable that the voice actors had all done their parts seperately. As a result, it was difficult to gain a sense of connection between the characters.
There is a lot to enjoy here, but I have a feeling that there will be aspects that all audiences find annoying. For someone like me, I mentioned having a difficult time grasping with the odd bee-human interactions. I just felt like that needed to be developed more before jumping right in and making it seem normal. I wouldn't be surprised if other adults share this confusion. For kids, there is a lot of adult humor that is likely to fly right over their heads, which is probably why this film didn't have the success that most Pixar films do.
Bee Movie is equal parts bee-dazzling and bee-fuddling (and here I thought I could get through the whole review without any bee puns). In general, there is plenty enough here for an enjoyable film. If you are not resistant to the computer animated genre, you'll likely find the film appealing enough. It may not provide the solid laughs that were found on some of those classic episodes of Seinfeld, but it's an entertaining little diversion nontheless. Grade: B
Seinfeld voices Barry B. Benson, a bee who is not content with the drone lifestyle. He'd rather be with the "pollen jocks" (those bees who leave the hive and pollenate the flowers). The film's plot takes hold once Barry ventures out with them and makes the shocking discovery that humans are consuming the honey they work so hard to make. He learns this truth after befriending a woman named Vanessa (voiced by Renee Zellweger). Zellweger, I should add gives a fantastic performance here. Then again, any performance where we don't have to see that old catcher's mitt she calls a face will be considered fantastic by me.
Barry's meeting of Vanessa is where things take a turn for the surreal. It takes Vanessa all of about 30 seconds to get over the idea that a bee can talk and then proceeds to hang out with him as if they are the best of friends. Patrick Warburton voices Vanessa's boyfriend, who is incredulous over the fact that she's befriended a bee. He's portrayed in the film as a raving lunatic, but if you ask me, he comes off as the voice of reason.
If you can look past this bizarre plot development, what you have is a beautiful film that has some very funny moments. At this point, we really shouldn't be surprised by the precision and style that these animated films can display, but I still can't help but be amazed with the detail they can create in these movies. They are able to make vast cityscapes and the tiny hairs on a tennis ball look equally impressive. The animation here truly rivals anything seen in the Pixar films.
I mentioned that the film also has some funny moments, which is obviously should given that it's a cartoon and features Jerry Seinfeld. To me, the best stuff involved their humorous takes on the bee lifestyle. From the Willy Wonka-esque factory where the honey is made to Bee Larry King, they get the most mileage out all bee-related humor. The jokes made at the human's expense are more hit and miss. It's hard to say whether this is because Seinfeld is a little out of touch with humorous observations about humanity or whether I was still trying to wrap my head around this bizarro world where humans normally interact with insects.
There are several celebrity cameos strewn throughout the movie. Some are fun like Ray Liotta who plays himself and is a Paul Newman-like pitchman for a brand of honey. Others, like Matthew Broderick playing Barry's best friend are frustrating as I sat through the whole movie realizing that I recognized the voice but couldn't tell who it was. As fun as these celebrity cameos are, they can also be somewhat annoying. In this film more than any other recent animated film, I thought it was really noticeable that the voice actors had all done their parts seperately. As a result, it was difficult to gain a sense of connection between the characters.
There is a lot to enjoy here, but I have a feeling that there will be aspects that all audiences find annoying. For someone like me, I mentioned having a difficult time grasping with the odd bee-human interactions. I just felt like that needed to be developed more before jumping right in and making it seem normal. I wouldn't be surprised if other adults share this confusion. For kids, there is a lot of adult humor that is likely to fly right over their heads, which is probably why this film didn't have the success that most Pixar films do.
Bee Movie is equal parts bee-dazzling and bee-fuddling (and here I thought I could get through the whole review without any bee puns). In general, there is plenty enough here for an enjoyable film. If you are not resistant to the computer animated genre, you'll likely find the film appealing enough. It may not provide the solid laughs that were found on some of those classic episodes of Seinfeld, but it's an entertaining little diversion nontheless. Grade: B
The joys of live TV
I saw this clip on The Soup and was in stitches afterwards. Please to enjoy this video of a local TV reporter's story on bird infestation...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)