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Public Enemies
Public Enemies – 3 out of 5 – Michael Mann’s gangster film about the Great Depression outlaw John Dillinger may be called an epic by some. To me, it was just a tad bit too long. Plenty of loud shootouts were mixed with quiet dialogue (I hate to have to “rewind” and turn on the subtitles). And it was difficult at times to distinguish the criminals from the feds; they all dressed the same. And there’s no real character development. Despite all this, Johnny Depp is convincing as Dillinger. I think Mann’s Heat is a much better crime drama.
Gran Torino
Gran Torino – 5 out of 5 – A cranky old man takes on some “boyz n the hood”. Clint Eastwood is outstanding as Walt Kowalski, an angry, retired widower who’s alienated from his family and despises the Asian immigrants who’ve taken over his neighborhood. A relationship then develops between Walt and the Hmong family next door after a gang incident pits Walt right in the middle. I cannot believe this film was left out of the Oscar race in 2009.
The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow – 3 out of 5 – When this first came out 6 years ago, I called this Independence Day with weather instead of aliens. I chose not to see it based on that. I finally watched it Friday night. Impressive special effects make up for the dull, predictable story. But what gets me the most is the reality that this can happen.
best picture showcase 2010 – day 2
Saturday was Day 2 of AMC’s Best Picture Showcase. Daniel, however, was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict at work. I met my friend and his sister at the First Watch restaurant for breakfast in Chesterfield. I had myself a Far West omelette; pretty tasty, and if I may add, no upset stomach this week.
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best picture showcase 2010 – day 1
After the announcement was made that the Academy Awards would have 10 Best Picture nominees this year, there was speculation on whether AMC Theaters would continue their Best Picture Showcase. Well, I’m happy to see they are; they decided to show the 10 films over the span of 2 Saturdays. Yesterday, I took Daniel and his friend to the theaters in Chesterfield Mall. In previous years, we’ve gone to the AMC in West Olive; the folks there have always done a great job. But we chose Chesterfield based on the movie schedule; the mall also provides us with a food court, which was a nice bonus.
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Knowing
Knowing – 3 out of 5 – this sci-fi thriller stars Nicolas Cage as a professor whose son comes upon a list of numbers obtained from a time capsule buried 50 years ago. After a closer look, he determines the numbers are predictions of actual disasters that have happened since the list’s creation, and there are more that have yet to occur. A great story that took us for a ride. Plenty of great special effects (especially the New York sequence). Would’ve given 4 stars, but CL and I felt gypped by the end.
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best picture showcase 2009
This will be the third year in a row that Daniel, Scott, and I have gone to AMC’s Best Picture Showcase at the West Olive 16 in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Daniel’s girlfriend Erika, his buddy Chris, and Scott’s sister Tracey rounded out the group. They actually opened up 2 theaters for the showcase to accommodate more people. (more…)
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3:10 to Yuma
3:10 to Yuma – **** – remake of the 1957 western based on Elmore Leonard’s short story. Fine acting from an outstanding cast, and I love a good gunfight.
best picture showcase 2008
I took Daniel and a friend of his to St. Louis for the AMC Best Picture Showcase at the West Olive 16. We met up with my friend Scott and his sister Tracey at the theater. We arrived at 10 AM, and the first film started at 11. We stayed for the entire event, which ended shortly after 11 PM. Sitting in a theater for roughly 13 hours was rough on me and my knee. I forgot to bring some ibuprofen with me; Tracey went to get some from the dispensers located in the restroom but they were all out. I decided I had to get up and move around to keep it from stiffening up.
Another packed house, and a very enthusiastic crowd. Same deal as last year – $30 for 5 movies and unlimited popcorn; the crowd highly voiced their displeasure over the exclusion of a free soda, including refills, which was included in the same price for last year’s showcase. You could buy a large soda for $4.75, but you would only be allowed one refill (and the staff was asking).
Michael Clayton – **** – George Clooney (Best Actor nominee) is superb as the title character, a fixer for a large corporate NY law firm who cleans up messy cases. Tom Wilkinson (Best Supporting Actor nominee) is fantastic as Clayton’s troubled associate Arthur Edens.
There Will Be Blood – **** – the story of prospector Daniel Plainview and his rags-to-riches story as an oilman in the early 1900′s. Daniel Day-Lewis (Best Actor nominee) is phenomenal as Plainview and should win the Oscar. However, the film was too long, and the eerie score was a little too much for me.
Atonement – **** – a love story that hinges on the observations and actions of a 13 year old girl. Based on the novel by Ian McEwan, this powerful story is told with flashbacks and fast-forwards. I especially liked the score where sounds of a typewriter emphasized the pace and tension in the film.
Juno – ***** – a hilarious film about a teen who finds herself with child. A great cast drives a sweet story that is from the heart; continuous laughs from start to end. Ellen Page (Best Actress nominee) is perfect as Juno. I know I’m biased because CL and I are having a baby, but this movie takes the idea and makes it more special and meaningful for me.
No Country For Old Men – **** – this movie will probably win the Best Picture Oscar. It is a dark and violent crime drama by Joel and Ethan Coen (Best Director nominees). Josh Brolin is great as Llewelyn Moss, the man who stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad and makes the unfortunate decision to take the money and run. This sets the stage for a terrifying cat and mouse chase. The hunter is chillingly played by Javier Bardem (Best Supporting Actor nominee, and my pick to win). Minus a star for me since I felt lost towards the end; I’m interested in reading the novel.
¿Dónde Está Ché Pelotas?
My cousin Ren and his band of fellow traveling movie makers have finally put out the trailer for the biggest movie of the year…
Easily the most talked about movie of the year, decade, and perhaps century. A compelling tale of a silky smooth criminal, whose trail of destruction leads people to ask, Where is CHE PELOTAS? He’s loved by the people, but despised by the two Interpol Officers on the case. Will these two officers be the ones to finally answer the question, ¿DÓNDE ESTà CHE PELOTAS?
Check it out at Global Transmission’s website.
Should Ratatouille Be Nominated For Best Picture?
My answer is – YES! I actually take back what I previously said about Beowulf; I had somehow forgotten I had seen this wonderful film over the summer. Ratatouille is by far the best film I had seen all year.
Disney/Pixar are contemplating pushing Ratatouille for the Best Picture Oscar at the Academy Awards, but the Mouse House is worried that such a push, might diminish their chances of winning the Best Animated Feature Oscar.
Beowulf
Beowulf – 5 out of 5 – Outstanding retelling of a classic poem that I hated reading back in high school. The film has an all-star cast including Anthony Hopkins, Robin Penn-Wright, John Malkovich, Crispin Glover as the demon Grendel, Angelina Jolie as Grendel’s mother, and Ray Winstone as the fearless warrior Beowulf. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it was done in beautiful CGI; we happened to catch it at a theater with a digital projector, and it was shown in 3D. Spectacular!
Viewing films in 3D have certainly improved. I was always impressed with 3D presentations done in theme parks like Disney and Universal. However, I found myself with a headache because of straining my eyes to visualize the 3D effects. Those attractions lasted 5 to 10 minutes; I wasn’t so sure about a film lasting nearly 2 hours. I had nothing to worry with Beowulf. In fact, the 3D presentation was done so well that I had forgotten I was wearing special glasses. Lots of action and great storytelling made this the best film I had seen this year.
UPDATE: 11/30/07 – I forgot about Ratatouille. So I digress and say Beowulf is one of the best films I have seen this year.
Transformers
Transformers – (3.5 out of 5) – Having owned the toys as a kid, this was kind of a nostalgic trip for me. Lots of action and the special effects are the true stars of this film, and Shia LaBeouf is great and keeps the movie going. A good popcorn movie, although it fizzled towards the end (costing it a star on my rating scale).
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Disturbia
Disturbia – 3 out of 5 – I haven’t seen Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, where this thriller gets its inspiration. This movie has terror and violence – two things I normally don’t have any interest in. The opening sequence with the main character and his dad was enough to make me look away. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this movie; Shia LaBeouf is great as Kale, the teen under house arrest who occupies his time by spying on his neighbors. This brings him to suspect one of them of being a murderer. That’s where the “fun” begins.
Music and Lyrics
Music and Lyrics – 3 out of 5 – a charming “chick flick”. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore have good chemistry, and the musical performances are actually pretty good, although I could do without Grant’s dancing.
Breach
Breach – 4 out of 5 – based on the story of Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent convicted of spying for the Soviet Union, and Eric O’Neill, the operative who helped catch him. This thriller is a fantastic character study with fine performances from Ryan Phillippe as O’Neill, Laura Linney as Agent Burroughs, and Chris Cooper, who is excellent as Hanssen. Highly recommended.
Accepted
Accepted – 4 out of 5 – Justin Long is charming as Bartleby Gaines, a high school grad who’s been rejected by every college he applied for. So he and his friends fool everyone by claiming they’ve been accepted to the South Harmon Institute of Technology, a college they made up. Classes include skating, meditating, and anatomy (above). Things quickly get out of hand when other students realize how easy it is to get into this school. Bartleby’s best friend Schrader (played by Superbad‘s Jonah Hill) earned the movie another star for screaming early on.
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