And so it ends. My journey to see all 2008 theatrical releases ends only 37 days late. While there could have been better films to end it on, maybe the other missed film of the year but still, Flash of Genius is a decent film.
I won't say I was invested in the film or it's characters but it moved and had a great cast. Outside of that it was just a typical movie based on real events. I had never heard of the whole wiper law suit so that was kind of inetresting but I don't know, it didn't really do anything for me.
I can't recommend the film but it's close to a recommendation quality. Just not all that interesting and reminds me of a non-documentary version of WHo Killed the Electric Car.
Movie - 2.5/5
Friday, February 6, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
One of the final two films I missed in 2008. I actually wanted to see this one but just never got around to it. I like Cera even if he tends to play the same character.
I really enjoyed this movie. To be fair it's nothing special or great but it's cute and charming and just kind of fun. A lot more entertaining than every rom com from 2008 and any from 2009 thus far. The plot is simple. A guy gets his heart broken but continues to send her mix tapes. She just throws them away and her rival friend person finds them and loves them. Due to odd circumstances they end up meeting at a party, pretending to be bf/gf and then shenanigans begin.
Like I said, it's nothing special but very enjoyable for what it is. The music is decent, the jokes feel natural enough and it moves at a very nice pace.
Movie - 3/5
I really enjoyed this movie. To be fair it's nothing special or great but it's cute and charming and just kind of fun. A lot more entertaining than every rom com from 2008 and any from 2009 thus far. The plot is simple. A guy gets his heart broken but continues to send her mix tapes. She just throws them away and her rival friend person finds them and loves them. Due to odd circumstances they end up meeting at a party, pretending to be bf/gf and then shenanigans begin.
Like I said, it's nothing special but very enjoyable for what it is. The music is decent, the jokes feel natural enough and it moves at a very nice pace.
Movie - 3/5
What Just Happened
Another limited release film that I wanted to see. Unlike the others though this was an utter let down. I thought the Hollywood factor of the film from it's setting to it's high end cast would make it a great serious version of Entoruage but in reality it really did nothing for me.
It's one of the many cases where the trailer feels like a different film. It was kind of boring actually. About a film producer and his short comings. The cast does a fine job but I found it lacking in plot and the content was far from interesting. Not recommended at all.
Movie - 1/5
It's one of the many cases where the trailer feels like a different film. It was kind of boring actually. About a film producer and his short comings. The cast does a fine job but I found it lacking in plot and the content was far from interesting. Not recommended at all.
Movie - 1/5
Monday, January 26, 2009
Let the Right One In
I heard of this film a little while back and then forgot about it. It recently popped up in my browsing of the IMDB top 250, which it is part of as of this writing so I had to watch it. It's said to be a great film, way better than the crapfest known as twilight.
I like vampires. I think the mythos are awesome so I was hoping this was more than a sappy love story and thankfully it is. Oskar is a 12 year old boy who gets bullied every day, his parents are split and he ahs no friends. Suddenly a strange girl moves in next door, she never comes out during the day, she pukes when she eats normal food and she's just odd all around.
I wasn't wowed by the cinematography, it's good but not omg that was so amazing. Of course I'm shallow and find a few shots in the texas Chainsaw Massacre remake to me awe inspiring so who am I to judge such things I guess.
The acting is good, the plot continues to be inetresting the whole time. My problem comes from a lack of delivering the entire plot from the novel (which I haven't read). If this was done the nudity scene would make more sense and as it stands it's so quick you have no clue what you just saw and you can miss a huge part of the film. I shouldn't have to hunt around on-line for the answers and then be shocked by them that way.
But still it's a very solid film. I was engrossed the entire time and I'd recommend it for sure. The dvd is due in March and the remake (oh yay....) is due in 2010. I'm sure it will suck so do yourself a favor and check out this film and keep wikipedia handy for explanations.
Movie - 4/5
I like vampires. I think the mythos are awesome so I was hoping this was more than a sappy love story and thankfully it is. Oskar is a 12 year old boy who gets bullied every day, his parents are split and he ahs no friends. Suddenly a strange girl moves in next door, she never comes out during the day, she pukes when she eats normal food and she's just odd all around.
I wasn't wowed by the cinematography, it's good but not omg that was so amazing. Of course I'm shallow and find a few shots in the texas Chainsaw Massacre remake to me awe inspiring so who am I to judge such things I guess.
The acting is good, the plot continues to be inetresting the whole time. My problem comes from a lack of delivering the entire plot from the novel (which I haven't read). If this was done the nudity scene would make more sense and as it stands it's so quick you have no clue what you just saw and you can miss a huge part of the film. I shouldn't have to hunt around on-line for the answers and then be shocked by them that way.
But still it's a very solid film. I was engrossed the entire time and I'd recommend it for sure. The dvd is due in March and the remake (oh yay....) is due in 2010. I'm sure it will suck so do yourself a favor and check out this film and keep wikipedia handy for explanations.
Movie - 4/5
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Frozen River
I never heard of this film until the Oscar nominations hit. So I'm going to judge a few areas based on those noms.The film follows a down on her luck white trash woman who ends up helping an Indian woman sneak people across the Canadian boarder into America.
That's the basic plot but it's more about the family side of things that hold the film together. The transporting is a side story to it all but ultimately the film only has one road to go down.
The main actress, whom I've never heard of (Melissa Leo), got an Oscar nomination for best actress in a film. She does a fine job in the film and I'm sure the scene they showed the academy is the cop lying scene around the mid-point. She looks guilty as hell while trying to quickly answer questions.
This same scene brings something else up though and that's the script. I can't blame the cops acting skills for this but the dialog here is so poorly written that I can't imagine why the film got a nomination for best original screenplay. Not only that but I can't say anything stuck with me outside of that scene and that scene stuck out due to the poor quality of it.
But with all of that being said it was still a pretty good movie. I was interested the whole time in what was going on and it's a story that hasn't been done in this way, that I know of at least (by that I mean the Indian's having the reservation, passports ect). I'd recommend it for anyone interested in it because it's worth a viewing.
Movie - 3.5/5
That's the basic plot but it's more about the family side of things that hold the film together. The transporting is a side story to it all but ultimately the film only has one road to go down.
The main actress, whom I've never heard of (Melissa Leo), got an Oscar nomination for best actress in a film. She does a fine job in the film and I'm sure the scene they showed the academy is the cop lying scene around the mid-point. She looks guilty as hell while trying to quickly answer questions.
This same scene brings something else up though and that's the script. I can't blame the cops acting skills for this but the dialog here is so poorly written that I can't imagine why the film got a nomination for best original screenplay. Not only that but I can't say anything stuck with me outside of that scene and that scene stuck out due to the poor quality of it.
But with all of that being said it was still a pretty good movie. I was interested the whole time in what was going on and it's a story that hasn't been done in this way, that I know of at least (by that I mean the Indian's having the reservation, passports ect). I'd recommend it for anyone interested in it because it's worth a viewing.
Movie - 3.5/5
The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas
This actually hit my theater but I missed it. Glad I did because I didn't care for it at all. I made a mark of seeing the film when Entertainment Weekly had it in their bottom 10 of 2008 and I thought that was od ebcause I remember hearing good things about it.
Frankly the film moves at a snails pace. For a concentration camp it seemed pretty light and the folks could go up to the fence and be out of sight for a while which seems odd.
Maybe I missed something at the end but the entire finale (which ends way to abruptly) felt tacked on at the last minute. There was no reason to do what they do and then it's clear once it happens what the true ending will be but then boom, black and the credits roll.
I'd say pass on this one. If you want a WW2 film go see The Reader, it was much better.
movie - 1/5
Frankly the film moves at a snails pace. For a concentration camp it seemed pretty light and the folks could go up to the fence and be out of sight for a while which seems odd.
Maybe I missed something at the end but the entire finale (which ends way to abruptly) felt tacked on at the last minute. There was no reason to do what they do and then it's clear once it happens what the true ending will be but then boom, black and the credits roll.
I'd say pass on this one. If you want a WW2 film go see The Reader, it was much better.
movie - 1/5
Friday, January 23, 2009
Waltz with Bashir (limited release)
This film had a lot of buzz going for it. Within the first few seconds I knew I would love it only because the animation was so damn sexy. The color choices and the way every look is fantastic. It uses the same style of animation found in A Scanner Darkly which I also enjoyed.
The film is a documentary and follows a man who has forgotten a certain moment in his life dealing with the war. So he sets out to talk to people he knew from that time frame to try and figure out what happened to him and why he can't remember. It's a great film really, I was very captivated by it and despite subtitles I had no trouble getting into it.
What Grave of the Fireflies did for Anime I think this film will do the same for a new generation because really it's a great film. In my top 10 for sure and glad I took the time to watch because it might have been one of those films I would have just passed over without thinking about. Hopefully it wins the best foreign film Oscar.
Entertainment Value - 4/5
Movie - 5/5
The film is a documentary and follows a man who has forgotten a certain moment in his life dealing with the war. So he sets out to talk to people he knew from that time frame to try and figure out what happened to him and why he can't remember. It's a great film really, I was very captivated by it and despite subtitles I had no trouble getting into it.
What Grave of the Fireflies did for Anime I think this film will do the same for a new generation because really it's a great film. In my top 10 for sure and glad I took the time to watch because it might have been one of those films I would have just passed over without thinking about. Hopefully it wins the best foreign film Oscar.
Entertainment Value - 4/5
Movie - 5/5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)