Tweet
Btw, did you review The Boondock Saints? I thought you had, but it wasn't on the front page...
-
-
YES!Comment
-
so your posting this here from now on dell?Comment
-
Looking forward to it.Comment
-
Just saw this, absolutely loved it. I gave it a 10, which I rarely do. I agree though that the resolution and aftermath could have been more fleshed out.
Another opportunity they missed, or maybe chose not to go with since it's kind of cheesy would be to have
Comment
-
I AM BACK!!!
We are once again live! The last official movie review in this thread is Avatar from March 19. A lot has happened since then. I'll catch you up on that stuff and mix in my latest reviews, as well.
Those of you that followed along on "the other site" bear with us while we get the rest of the class up to speed.
And YES, all reviews are once again archived in the first post of this thread!Comment
-
Tyler Perry's
I Can Do Bad All by Myself
Directed by Tyler Perry.
2009. Rated PG-13, 113 minutes.
Cast:
Taraji P. Henson
Hope Olaide Wilson
Tyler Perry
Adam Rodriguez
Brian White
Gladys Knight
Marvin L. Winans
Mary J. Blige
Plot: When her mother disappears, night-club singer April (Henson) is suddenly burdened with her deceased sister’s three children.
The Good: Tyler Perry’s two biggest strengths as a filmmaker are on display, here. First, this is a lively affair that zips along from one episode to the next. Instead of lingering and trying to build atmosphere, he packs the screen with grandiose moments meant to be show-stoppers. Since nearly every scene has a short build-up and its own climax we seem to get to our destination rather quickly. Second, he continues to get strong performances from his cast, particularly child actors. Though the two boys have little to do, their big sister Jennifer is all over this film. Hope Olaide Wilson does a very nice job with the role. Among the adults, Taraji P. Henson turns in her usual strong work.
The Bad: Unfortunately, Perry’s weaknesses continue to plague us…er…him. Even though all of the scenes feature the same cast of characters, they feel barely connected. This goes back to the build-up and climax thing that moves the movie so well but doesn’t really develop anything. He also continues the practice of piling problems as high as possible. Those two things combined mean that every three minutes or so, there’s a brand new major and problematic revelation until it most assuredly becomes too much for one movie to handle. Perry insists on giving every major character as many issues and ailments as he can possibly squeeze into his runtime, save for the last few minutes. Those last few minutes are reserved for his classic and now patented overly simplistic solution that magically cures all instantaneously.
The Ugly: Boom-boxes and water don’t mix.
Recommendation: This is pretty standard Tyler Perry fare. Do whatever you want with that little tidbit of info.
The Opposite View: Ty Burr, Boston Globe
What the Internet Says: 2.5/10 on imdb.com (4/15/10), 62% on rottentomatoes.com, 55/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 4/10Comment
-
The Visitor
Directed by Tom McCarthy.
2008. Rated PG-13, 104 minutes.
Cast:
Richard Jenkins
Haaz Sleiman
Danai Gurira
Hiam Abbass
Marian Seldes
Michael Cumpsty
Richard Kind.
Plot: College professor and lonely widower Walter (Jenkins) lives and works in Connecticut but still keeps the apartment he once shared with his wife in New York. On a rare visit to the Big Apple, he discovers a young couple has been squatting there. After some initial awkwardness, bonding and talks of immigration laws ensues.
The Good: It’s one of those movies made by the acting. In the lead, Richard Jenkins gives a wonderfully understated performance. His emotions are clear in the contemplative looks on his face and, thanks to some perfectly restrained writing, in the words he doesn’t say. That same sort of skill is on display by the two major ladies in the cast, Gurira and Abbass. Though they say what they feel more often than Walter, it’s the subtle expressions they make before and after they speak that resonate.
The Bad: It’s so busy getting us to feel for these people that the actual story is haphazardly put together and stripped of the poignancy it seems to be going for. It appears headed for sharp commentary on American society’s post-911 angst, our handling of illegal immigrants, interracial and middle-aged romance but never really swims in the deep end of the pool. It treads water in the shallow end, settling for tender and melancholy over striving to be really thought provoking. It can’t help but be a bleeding hearted liberal movie. I’m not knocking it for that since I somewhat belong to the choir it preaches to. I’m knocking it because it never presents any resistance to it’s ideas and just barrels toward a seemingly inevitable conclusion.
The Ugly: The passive-aggressive firing of the piano teacher.
Recommendation: It’s a solid drama that succeeds in making us feel for the people involved, particularly Walter and Mouna (Abbass). The performances turned in by our cast make this worth a look. However, it keeps threatening to engage us beyond drawing our sympathy but never really does.
The Opposite View: Scott Foundas, Village Voice
What the Internet Says: 7.8/10 on imdb.com (4/15/10), 90% on rottentomatoes.com, 79/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 7/10Comment
-
The Informant!
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
2009. Rated R, 108 minutes.
Cast:
Matt Damon
Scott Bakula
Melanie Lynskey
Joel McHale
Tom Papa
Rick Overton
Thomas F. Wilson
Ann David
Eddie Jemison
Plot: When a colleague from a Japanese competitor attempts to extort his company, Mark Whitacre (Damon) decides to cooperate with the FBI in order to bring him to justice. Of course, this is just the tip of a very strange iceberg. Based on a true story.
The Good: It understands how ridiculous it’s tale is and never takes itself too seriously. The movie itself seems to be a much in disbelief as we are about what’s going on. Matt Damon gives his quirkiest performance ever, about as far removed from Jason Bourne as possible. Also, Melanie Lynskey is perfect as his wife. I’m not a big fan of voice-over narration in movies but here, it’s done well. It’s as odd as the man giving it, filled with incorrect observations and cryptic sayings. The overall effect is that it gets funnier as it goes along.
The Bad: It gives itself so completely over to the idea of being a true life comedy, it never deals with the darker issues at hand, even though, its ironically called a ‘dark’ comedy. When we find out what’s really going on with Mark, we realize there is a more serious and unsettling side to his bumbling antics and spy-game shenanigans. However, the movie simply skirts the potentially mood-altering aspects by draping them in more jokes.
The Ugly: How Mark built up his nest-egg.
Recommendation: This is a funny, quirky biopic. It is well written and Matt Damon is excellent. That said, it never rises to the level of greatness, in part because it refuses to do anything other than poke fun at its subject.
The Opposite View: Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter
What the Internet Says: 6.8/10 on imdb.com (4/15/10), 77% on rottentomatoes.com, 79/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 7/10Comment
-
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
Directed by Neal Brennan.
2009. Rated R, 89 minutes.
Cast:
Jeremy Piven
Ving Rhames
James Brolin
Kathryn Hahn
David Koechner
Ed Helms
Jordana Spiro
Ken Jeong
Rob Riggle
Alan Thicke
Charles Napier
Craig Robinson
Plot: Don Ready (Piven) and his band of mercenary car salesmen are hired to save a failing auto dealership by selling all 210 of the vehicles on the lot over the course of a three-day weekend.
The Good: There are times where hearty laughter is an involuntary reaction. It does so by using its own crassness to its advantage. It is simply not afraid of coming off as ridiculous. Luckily, it does so in a manner that’s at least occasionally funny and not simply gross like some other comedies. Jeremy Piven is excellent as another of those fast-talking scheisters he seems to specialize in. Finally, for all its exaggerations, the movie nicely captures the kill or be killed mentality of the sales game. And yes, the “man-band” Big Ups had me rolling.
The Bad: There aren’t quite enough funny moments to really make it good. The problem is too much time is spent on two unnecessary and unfunny plotlines. First, every scene involving the strip-club DJ booked for the big sales event (Robinson) should’ve been cut. They were painfully repetitive and seemed to put movie on pause while they happened. The same goes for the scenes with Babs (Hahn) trying to seduce 10-year-old-boy-in-a-man’s-body Peter (Riggle). Those have the added stigma of simply being creepy.
The Ugly: Everytime Big Ups performs.
Recommendation: This is an uneven watch that’s terribly funny in some spots but plain terrible in others. With its successfully but happy to be alone and constantly on the road playboy, it sorta plays like Up in the Air, but made for people who didn’t actually like Up in the Air.
The Opposite View: Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
What the Internet Says: 5.8/10 on imdb.com (4/19/10), 26% on rottentomatoes.com, 39/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 5/10Comment
-
Dead Snow
Directed by Tommy Wirkola.
2009. Not Rated, 92 minutes.
Cast:
Vergar Hoel
Stig Frode Henriksen
Charlotte Frogner
Lasse Valdal
Evy Kasseth Rosten
Jeppe Beck Laursen
Jenny Skavlan
Ane Dahl Torp
Bjorn Sundquist
Orjan Gamst
Plot: A group of medical students head to a remote cabin in the Norwegian Alps for some wintery fun. Much to their chagrin, they’re unwittingly in possession of something that a company of actual Nazi soldiers, leftover from WWII, want very badly. Oh, I almost forgot one little detail: the Nazis still have so much pep in their step because they’re zombies.
The Good: Gore, gore and more gore. Let’s see; there are eyes gouged out, necks bitten and slit, a head pulled apart with the orifices serving as handles, intestines spilled and used for multiple purposes and plenty of severed limbs. If that’s not enough, don’t worry. I think I left out a few things. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, either. It wants to be blood-splattering fun and that’s what it is. The way it sets itself up, it plays more like a slasher flick than a zombie movie. Finally, this has to be the most intelligent group of zombies in cinematic history. They actually have a purpose besides eating your brains, use military tactics and even employ a chain of command.
The Bad: As smart as our zombies are, they’re physically inconsistent. At times, they have superhuman strength, yet they struggle in hand to hand combat with regular folks. It’ll occasionally make you scratch your head. Even though it’s only a 90 minute movie, it takes a bit long to hit its stride. Our med students just aren’t interesting enough for us to spend such a long period of time with and the story just runs through a laundry list of genre clichés before we get to the fun.
The Ugly: One guy going Bruce Campbell on himself with a chainsaw.
Recommendation: Lots and lots of blood and guts. I’ll just leave it at that. Should you journey into this land of the undead bring your reading glasses. We’re speaking German.
The Opposite View: Walter Addiego, San Francisco Examiner
What the Internet Says: 6.6/10 on imdb.com (4/19/10), 67% on rottentomatoes.com, 61/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 7/10Comment
-
Alice in Wonderland
Directed by Tim Burton.
2010. Rated PG, 108 minutes.
Cast:
Mia Wasikowska
Johnny Depp
Helena Bonham Carter
Anne Hathaway
Crispin Glover
Matt Lucas
Stephen Fry
Michael Sheen
Alan Rickman
Timothy Spall
Plot: Alice (Wasikowska) falls down a rabbit hole and lands in a strange world.
The Good: Like the best of Burton, it uses odd angles, wild color pallets and eccentric characters to create a lively but still gothic vision. Things and people that would be grotesque in other movies are normal, even beautiful, here. Those we would casually consider normal are merely part of an oppressive establishment. This means Alice is a girl we feel doubly for. She simply doesn’t belong, regardless of where she is. Two of Burton’s muses, wife Helena Bonham Carter (The Red Queen) and long-time collaborator Johnny Depp (The Mad Hatter), turn in excellent work as usual. In particular, Carter is deliciously villainous and our evil queen.
The Bad: There are spots where the movie drags a bit. Most often, this occurs during the scenes Alice and the Mad Hatter have together. They seem to devolve into him aimlessly reminiscing about “the last time she was here.” Also, while I applaud Burton’s decision to focus on storytelling more than special fx, he underused the 3D technology. There are a number of occasions where it is used perfectly. However, there are also long stretches that make you forget why you’re wearing those silly glasses. Too many things happen going away from the camera. Things coming toward the camera are often at its edges, subtracting from the experience.
The Ugly: I’m still wondering why a raven is like a writing desk.
Recommendation: By now, you’re probably aware if you’re a Burton fan, or not. His trademarked wonderful weirdness is on display, as is his knack for patient storytelling. This means there is action, but it certainly no action flick. It’s just another quirky fantasy pic of the sort the director excels at making.
The Opposite View: Peter Sobczynski, eFilmCritic.com
What the Internet Says: 6.9/10 on imdb.com (4/20/10), 52% on rottentomatoes.com, 53/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 7/10Comment
-
Funny People
Directed by Judd Apatow.
2009. Rated R, 153 minutes.
Cast:
Adam Sandler
Seth Rogen
Leslie Mann
Eric Bana
Jonah Hill
Jason Schwartzman
Aubrey Plaza
Aziz Ansari
RZA
Torsten Voges
Plot: Comedian/movie star George Simmons (Sandler) hires still wet behind the ears comic Ira (Rogen) to write material for him. He’s also just found out he’s dying. Bromance ensues.
The Good: For director Apatow, this is pretty easily his most mature and complex work. The same can be said for Seth Rogen and possibly for Sandler, as well. Despite it being about comedians, it isn’t necessarily the funniest movie for any of them. Believe it, or not, that’s a good thing. Instead of spending time being outrageous and crass simply for the sake of it, we actually get character and relationship development. As a result, we’re more interested in what happens to them. Adam Sandler gives his bravest performance, parodying himself.
The Bad: Its way too long. As usual, Apatow is sorely in need of an independent thinking editor. Two and a half hour comedies tend to drag and this is no exception. There’s no doubt in my mind, it could get to its point about 30 minutes quicker. However, if the movie could use more of anything, it is George’s relationship with his own father. It’s talked about and built up as if it’s coming to some dramatic climax, but it never does.
The Ugly: Ira (Rogen) going ballistic on Daisy (Plaza) for cheating on him. You have to see it to understand.
Recommendation: Given the track records of nearly everyone involved, this is a movie bound to disappoint many and surprise others. If you’re looking for a gross-out comedy built on a foundation of four-letter words, look elsewhere. There are plenty of cuss words but they seem organic to the conversations, not just there for effect like in Apatow’s other work. It’s an involving piece of work that a lot of people just won’t like.
The Opposite View: Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times
What the Internet Says: 6.9/10 on imdb.com (4/20/10), 68% on rottentomatoes.com, 60/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 7.5/10Comment
-
Adoration
Directed by Atom Egoyan.
2009. Rated R, 101 minutes.
Cast:
Devon Bostick
Rachel Blanchard
Scott Speedman
Kenneth Welsh
Arsinee Khanjian
Noam Jenkins
Katie Boland
Plot: At the request of his French teacher, Simon (Bostick) develops a story he wrote that weaves his own family history in with the story of a terrorist into a full-blown dramatic monologue. She also asks he not reveal that it is a work of fiction.
The Good: The story Simon comes up with is a doozy. Therefore, watching the people around him discuss and debate it as if it were true is intriguing. Then, to watch his real family history unfold and trying to figure what his teacher’s motives are is fascinating, as well. It also takes a look at bigotry and what role it plays in a certain event. The story darts back and forth between three points in time effectively.
The Bad: When we arrive at the end, we find that getting there was needlessly difficult. A couple of direct questions taking maybe ten minutes to ask and answer and we could’ve come to the same exact place. Think of it like having a glass of water on a table directly in front of you. However, when you wanted a drink, instead of simply grabbing the glass you get up and walk around to the other side of the table and reached back across it to get the glass. That’s pretty much what this movie does. Truthfully, lots of movies are guilty of this but Adoration, while interesting, is such a monotone affair it feels like walking on a treadmill. Sure, there are plenty of benefits but the monotony is discouraging.
The Ugly: The discussion between Tom (Speedman) and the cab driver about courtesy.
Recommendation: It’s a fascinating drama, different from you normal fare. It raises interesting questions and gives us inspired dialogue in discussion of them. However, it’s never edge-of-your-seat viewing. Then, instead of the end being a jaw-dropper, its more like “Why didn’t she just say that, before?
The Opposite View: David Edwards, Daily Mirror (UK)
What the Internet Says: 6.3/10 on imdb.com (4/20/10), 63% on rottentomatoes.com, 64/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 6.5/10Comment
Comment