Push Review: C
When trailers first began to play for this movie I was struck by the idea that it may very well be a return visit to the world of Jumper. The key facts looked right: guy with strange powers running from other guys that want to turn him into a weapon/use him for experiments/kill him for fun. The heavy use of special effects and big explosions did little to ease this sense of familiarity. Trepidatious, I was more than a little concerned about this. The world does not need another Jumper.
So, instead of avoiding this possibility at all costs I opted to confront my fears head on and find the truth out for myself.
The good news? Push is handled a lot better than the similar, though not connected in any way, Jumper. So the comparisons between the two will stop before they start. The bad news? It’s not that great, despite being able to stand on its own.
The story focuses on a young man named Nick with the ability to move things with his mind, called a Mover by the dastardly Government organization that stands as the ‘baddies’: the Division. They are comprised of others with phenomenal powers, and apparently spend their time tracking down, spying on, experimenting on, or just killing the gifted folk not in their ranks. When Nick meets Cassie, a young girl with the ability to see glimpses of the ever changing future, the Mover and Watcher team up to save a runaway experiment from Division, and, ultimately, save themselves from the deaths Cassie has seen for them.
First tangent: I’ve recently been watching a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so the term ‘Watcher’ is hilarious to me. Distracting at best, I thought Cassie was a bit young to be working for the Watcher’s Council, and distinctly un-British. To amuse myself I imagined Nick was the Slayer of this strange new world, though he seemed to be having an easy go of it considering the extreme lack of vampires to slay. And therein arises the first real problem with this film.
It’s boring.
For an action film there isn’t much action. Okay, I take that back. There are some intense fights, including two epic showdowns between rival Movers. All the floating guns (which sometimes look like plastic toys dangling from fishing wire) and invisible barriers are pretty awesome, but it feels like there could have been a lot more for us to see. Some of the powers were only glimpsed in passing, and some never explained at all save for them being used once or twice. The graphics are okay, but not impressive. The film spends a lot of its time meandering through its plot, the pacing almost grueling whenever there isn’t a power being used.
The story was very interesting, but it felt like something I would rather be reading about. There was so much to it, the near two hour run time was still not enough to explain everything I was getting so invested in. When there is too much information trying to be squeezed into a time slot that just isn’t long enough there is often a very serious side effect: plot holes. And there are plenty here. From story lines that don’t get wrapped up to glaringly painful questions about their battle tactics, as well as difficult to understand limits and uses of the powers themselves: there are a lot of things here that just don’t make sense. Still, to the film’s credit, it is very fun to try and follow, and the story itself is strong enough to justify the price of admission, at the very least.
Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning, Nick and Cassie respectively, do admirably in their roles, though they seem to lack any kind of real chemistry. This is most evident near the end, where they share a soulless, awkward hug that in no way endears itself to the half-riveted audience. There are some cute quips between them, but their relationship never achieves the father/daughter (or maybe older brother/sister) dynamic I think it was searching for. Not even underaged drinking could help that out, though it certainly tried. There were, however, some great secondary players that really supported and even highlighted the main actors. Cliff Curtis and Ming-Na are particularly memorable, the former playing a slick Shifter (someone who can make an object appear to be something else) and the latter offering a subtle performance as a Sniffer (who, not surprisingly, sniffs something and then tracks down whoever’s scent is on it).
There are a lot of very cool things to this film, but it doesn’t build itself in a cohesive way and thus wastes a lot of its potential. So, ultimately, it’s awesome in theory, but the execution fails it. Which is a shame, but doesn’t make it a complete waste of time or money. It also sets up for, in vague terms -as well as annoyingly obvious ones that probably shouldn’t have happened because it left the plot feeling so completely unfinished- a sequel. If enough people catch it as a matinee, or maybe rent it when it’s released, we might get a film that gives the plot some closure.
Which would be nice.
Rental Queue 5
Jumper
Just kidding. Don’t.
The X-Men series
Nothing beats the X-Men when it comes to humans running around with strange, exciting powers. I’ve always loved these films not for the plot or the comic book culture, but for the chance to see humans doing amazing, supernatural, and downright awesome things. A guy can shoot ice from his hands? Awesome. A dude has wings? Awesome. That guy can kill people with his thoughts, and that other guy can bend metal with a flick of his wrist? Yeah. That’s awesome. The movies are good at making watching these powers exciting, and completely enviable. I mean, who hates a mutant? Besides, like, everyone in the movie. Hm.
War of the Worlds
One of my favorite Dakota Fanning roles. This is saying a lot, because I’m not actually a fan of her work. Or any child actor, really. Personal bias aside, I think she shows her stuff in this action film revolving around the end of the world at the hands of people-evaporating alien hordes. The film itself is beautiful, the directing and landscapes just breathtaking, even as giant tri-pod alien robots of death descend upon our hapless world. Tom Cruise is interesting enough, and the crafting of suspense is very engaging.
Runaway Jury
A perfect cast makes this movie a must see. John Cusack, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman and Rachel Weisz are perfect in their roles, and since one of more of them are in almost every scene, the movie is inescapably entertaining. Plus, Cliff Curtis shows up in the ensemble, and he’s just a pleasure to watch. He is one of those actors, I think, destined to play the second string, and yet do so skillfully, to the point where he nearly steals scenes. He does that in Push, and you can just glimpse it here.
Mulan
Ming-Na is not a stranger to vocal work. She does a lot of voices, and this just happens to be my favorite. She also played a doctor on ER for a number of seasons. What makes Mulan great is how beautiful it is. The story, the characters, the songs, the art itself: it’s a very aesthetic film and appeals to any age group. Which is often true of any Disney animated feature, though lots of people are too proud to admit it. An added voice is Lea Salonga, Mulan’s singing voice. The one true Eponine (Les Miserables) of my heart, she gives Mulan yet another dynamic of beauty through her dulcet tones.
Hancock
It’s difficult to think about humans and crazy powers and not cross the line into Superhero territory. The people in Push are not super heroes, just super people. Even so, it’s difficult to create a new world for them, that hasn’t already been visited in comic books or other films. For Push it’s X-Men and Jumper, among others. And then there’s Hancock. A rather surprisingly stand alone look at a brand new Superhero, his origins, and his path. It’s a very fun film, though some times the graphics can’t keep up with the insane action, and a great example of a modern, individual superhero.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Want to visit scenic Carly's Dorm Room in Ashland, Oregon? I knew you would. So here you go. Though, these were taken a week or two ago, which means things have changed. I've unpacked a bit more, and now there's a desktop on my... desk. Other than that, though, these are an accurate representation of my life.
1 : I'm still working on that 'unpacking' thing. I mostly just leave my clean clothes in the suitcase, wear them, wash them, THEN stick them in the closet. It's a formulaic process, and so far it's worked for me.
2 : My bathrobe. It's cute and warm.
3 : Those are jeans that I was either going to wear that day, or forgot to put in one of the designated 'clean' or 'dirty' areas. They are still on the floor, if you're wondering.
4 : I don't use these drawers. And I complain about storage space. Go figure.
1 : Look at all those neatly hanging clothes. See, I'm not living out of my suitcase. Not entirely, anyway. And yes. I am the evil twin.
2 : Up the top of the cabinet, if you can't spot it on your own. Those are my awesome hats. Two fedoras and two things I like to call 'Eponine' hats. And my Indiana Jones hat. Badass. There is also a Pirates of the Caribbean sword and a lightsaber up there. I'm not kidding.
3 : Lightsaber. See, I told you.
4 : Indiana Jones hat, for specific reference. I'm awesome.
5 : This is my 'shit I don't really need' cubby. In there are a couple of shirts I stole from when I worked at the food court, a rainbow head scarf, cling wrap, green scarf, gloves and a 'homeless hat', a bag I bought in town when I was on my first visit here back in High School (aw, good times), and a tennis ball I stole from the theatre.
6 : Orange bath towel. I always know where my towel is. I'm one hoopy frood.
7 : Hey, that's my arm!
8 : The 'other cabinet' has all my bathroom essentials, my first aid kit, and some other less desirable things I didn't think it would be appropriate to record on film. No one wants to see someone elses toiletries.
1 : My gaming area. The best part of my room, I think. That's my Wii. It's a beloved little thing, and I do my best to take care of it. Why is it tilted away from the TV? I accidentally kicked it while taking the picture. Yeah. I do my best.
2 : I bought Pokemon Mystery Dungeon this term for 17 bucks. Not a bad deal, even if it means I can no longer afford food or booze.
3 : My DVD player. And when I say 'mine' I mean the one I took from my parents because it played DVDs and VHS tapes. I love VHS tapes, and I can get them pretty easily from DJ's Video up the street. I have one sitting on the top of the TV right now. One Night Stand. Robert Downey Jr, man. On top of that is the boxes for The Good German and Repo! The Genetic Opera. Good times.
4 : My Wii games. Not an extensive collection, by any means. They are Wii Sports, Iron Man, Super Smash Bros Brawl, Pokemon: Revolution, Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility. The open one by the Wii is Animal Crossing: City Folk. I don't get WiFi up here, though, so it's... limited. Still fun though.
5 : I was watching Ninja Warrior on G4. My TV is often set on the same channels. In the morning I'll be on Cartoon Network, since I usually go to sleep watching Adult Swim. I also watch Comedy Central, g4, Bravo, The Discovery Channel, TNT, USA, Spike, TBS and AMC a lot. Mostly whatever channel has the most interesting movie playing at the time. And Bravo for Top Chef. Awww yeah.
6 : This is my 'tech bag'. Everything relating to my computer, lap top, dvd collection, Wii and anything else electronic can be found in here. So don't steal it. Dayyum.
1 : My microwave. It came dented. But I have blown it up once. I put something that didn't look like foil in it, only to learn that it was, in fact, foil. It caught fire and I was lucky that the smoke alarm didn't go off. I would have had a tough time explaining that one. Or not, really. I just did. Hm. It's got a dial instead of a number pad, for those of us too lazy to be exact. I just turn it in the general direction of the required minutes for cookage.
2 : Food. Most of it is gone now. Keebler double stuff cookies are a must. Pop Tarts. For some odd reason my mom also packed me peanut butter. No bread or crackers or... anything I might be able to use it on. But that's okay, I have a spoon and a strong like of peanut butter. I make it work.
3 : Sticky notes. I keep them within arm's length when I'm on the bed because I'm often struck with things I 'need to remember' just before going to bed. So I write them down and stick them on the wall.
4 : The charging station. Here I plug in my phone and my DS every night. Can't let those babies die. Plus, my phone also works as my alarm when it's plugged in.
5 : Mini-fridge. It only kind of works, and makes some odd noises in the middle of the night, because it's an ass hole and knows when I'm trying to get to sleep. I mostly keep water and booze in there. The essentials. Right now, however, I have a jar of pickles in there. Another gift from mom.
6 : Popcorn. This is a movie lovers dorm room, what did you expect?
7 : Plastic bag corner. I feel bad if I throw them out, so I save them until I can go somewhere to recycle them. Or throw them out on the last day of the term. You know. Whatever.
8 : Hard to see, but that's my Wii-Mote. I like it close, for easy gaming in the middle of the night. Priorities.
1 : That's Bulbasaur. My twin got him for me, and he comes with my to my dorm every term. He's a keeper.
2 : These blinds never open. Ever.
3 : My candy jar is depressingly empty. I stole it from my friend Erin. I'm starting to think I'm a thief.
4 : Candy that has escaped the jar! No, it's not here any more. It suffered the consequences of its escape attempt.
5 : Mom sent me a package. It was a USB connector for my Ethernet, since the one on my laptop was dead. Yeah. I only just got this stupid pile of shit back from getting it fixed, too. They replaced the motherboard and the harddrive. Surprise! We gave you one with a dead ethernut hub! Enjoy. And the USB thing didn't work anyway. Blue screened my computer a ton, because my computer is shitty. Now I'm on this desktop. Suck it, computer.
6 : Literal package the USB Connector was sent in. Yeah, I've since thrown that out.
7 : Plastic bowls. For food stuffs.
8 : Paper towels. Doesn't make you frood if you know where they are, but they are handy to keep around. Particularly if you're a messy person. As I am.
9 : A blurred video game strategy. I guess I caught it in the act of trying to liberate itself from my desk. It's for Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, if you were curious.
10 : The contents of my pockets, when they're not in my pockets. My wallet, flash drive, movie tickets, notes and blank paper (just in case I'm struck with genius), my handy mechanical pencil, and some change.
11 : A pull out drawer that's supposed to be for keyboards, but I use it as extra storage. Those are nail clippers and a hair tie. I don't know where they went, though. Right now I have my digital camera and my TV remote in there.
1 : My bed. I sleep here. When it's not covered in other stuff, of course.
2 : My flannel. I think I got this one back in... tenth grade, maybe? One of my friends gave it to me when we were in a classroom with a teacher neither of us were actually taking classes with. We liked going there because he gave us pomegranates and challenged us to online game matches. I defeated him a couple of times. Good times. Any way, I wear it with my PJs during the winter, because it gets crazy cold here.
3 : Shitty lap top. The tiger sticker is from Guitar Hero III. I didn't put any others on there, because it'll just be a waste of stickers when the thing inevitably breaks.
4 : My pillows. They support my head when I'm sleeping.
5 : TV remote. Currently in the keyboard shelf, not on my bed.
6 : School backpack. Ha. It's probably empty.
7 : PJs. You can't tell, but there are kitties on them. A different friend gave them to me in high school, for Secret Santa. And if you were wondering, my pj shirt also came from high school. It's this extra large shirt the Improv used to wear to shows and comps. The Dramafia. It has a fake tux on the front and 'Dramafia' on the back.
8 : Chair. I keep it next to my bed when I have a working lap top, to work as a table. Since the lap top is shit, and I have a desk top and like to sit down when I'm using it, it's returned to my desk.
1 : That's the carpet. Pretty, isn't it?
2 : This is my 'school corner', located under my bed so I don't think about it and forget my books on the days that I need them. The one on top there is the AP Style Back. God help you if you're a journalism student here and you forget to reference that thing every time you write.
3 : Papers lovingly categorized by class and importance, and not just thrown in a pile. The book on top is from my Film Genres class. I actually read that one.
4 : Fuzzy socks! They keep mah feetz warm.
5 : My purse. No. I don't use it very often. Not surprised? Yeah. I'm surprised I even own it. You know what's inside it? A flash light. I don't know why.
1 : My storage corner. Those are extra sheets on top of the box I brought most of my stuff in.
2 : Water. I drink a lot of water. There used to be two, but... I drank all of the first one.
3 : Chef Boyardee and cup noodles. I'm pretty much set, nutritionally.
1 : I'm still working on that 'unpacking' thing. I mostly just leave my clean clothes in the suitcase, wear them, wash them, THEN stick them in the closet. It's a formulaic process, and so far it's worked for me.
2 : My bathrobe. It's cute and warm.
3 : Those are jeans that I was either going to wear that day, or forgot to put in one of the designated 'clean' or 'dirty' areas. They are still on the floor, if you're wondering.
4 : I don't use these drawers. And I complain about storage space. Go figure.
1 : Look at all those neatly hanging clothes. See, I'm not living out of my suitcase. Not entirely, anyway. And yes. I am the evil twin.
2 : Up the top of the cabinet, if you can't spot it on your own. Those are my awesome hats. Two fedoras and two things I like to call 'Eponine' hats. And my Indiana Jones hat. Badass. There is also a Pirates of the Caribbean sword and a lightsaber up there. I'm not kidding.
3 : Lightsaber. See, I told you.
4 : Indiana Jones hat, for specific reference. I'm awesome.
5 : This is my 'shit I don't really need' cubby. In there are a couple of shirts I stole from when I worked at the food court, a rainbow head scarf, cling wrap, green scarf, gloves and a 'homeless hat', a bag I bought in town when I was on my first visit here back in High School (aw, good times), and a tennis ball I stole from the theatre.
6 : Orange bath towel. I always know where my towel is. I'm one hoopy frood.
7 : Hey, that's my arm!
8 : The 'other cabinet' has all my bathroom essentials, my first aid kit, and some other less desirable things I didn't think it would be appropriate to record on film. No one wants to see someone elses toiletries.
1 : My gaming area. The best part of my room, I think. That's my Wii. It's a beloved little thing, and I do my best to take care of it. Why is it tilted away from the TV? I accidentally kicked it while taking the picture. Yeah. I do my best.
2 : I bought Pokemon Mystery Dungeon this term for 17 bucks. Not a bad deal, even if it means I can no longer afford food or booze.
3 : My DVD player. And when I say 'mine' I mean the one I took from my parents because it played DVDs and VHS tapes. I love VHS tapes, and I can get them pretty easily from DJ's Video up the street. I have one sitting on the top of the TV right now. One Night Stand. Robert Downey Jr, man. On top of that is the boxes for The Good German and Repo! The Genetic Opera. Good times.
4 : My Wii games. Not an extensive collection, by any means. They are Wii Sports, Iron Man, Super Smash Bros Brawl, Pokemon: Revolution, Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility. The open one by the Wii is Animal Crossing: City Folk. I don't get WiFi up here, though, so it's... limited. Still fun though.
5 : I was watching Ninja Warrior on G4. My TV is often set on the same channels. In the morning I'll be on Cartoon Network, since I usually go to sleep watching Adult Swim. I also watch Comedy Central, g4, Bravo, The Discovery Channel, TNT, USA, Spike, TBS and AMC a lot. Mostly whatever channel has the most interesting movie playing at the time. And Bravo for Top Chef. Awww yeah.
6 : This is my 'tech bag'. Everything relating to my computer, lap top, dvd collection, Wii and anything else electronic can be found in here. So don't steal it. Dayyum.
1 : My microwave. It came dented. But I have blown it up once. I put something that didn't look like foil in it, only to learn that it was, in fact, foil. It caught fire and I was lucky that the smoke alarm didn't go off. I would have had a tough time explaining that one. Or not, really. I just did. Hm. It's got a dial instead of a number pad, for those of us too lazy to be exact. I just turn it in the general direction of the required minutes for cookage.
2 : Food. Most of it is gone now. Keebler double stuff cookies are a must. Pop Tarts. For some odd reason my mom also packed me peanut butter. No bread or crackers or... anything I might be able to use it on. But that's okay, I have a spoon and a strong like of peanut butter. I make it work.
3 : Sticky notes. I keep them within arm's length when I'm on the bed because I'm often struck with things I 'need to remember' just before going to bed. So I write them down and stick them on the wall.
4 : The charging station. Here I plug in my phone and my DS every night. Can't let those babies die. Plus, my phone also works as my alarm when it's plugged in.
5 : Mini-fridge. It only kind of works, and makes some odd noises in the middle of the night, because it's an ass hole and knows when I'm trying to get to sleep. I mostly keep water and booze in there. The essentials. Right now, however, I have a jar of pickles in there. Another gift from mom.
6 : Popcorn. This is a movie lovers dorm room, what did you expect?
7 : Plastic bag corner. I feel bad if I throw them out, so I save them until I can go somewhere to recycle them. Or throw them out on the last day of the term. You know. Whatever.
8 : Hard to see, but that's my Wii-Mote. I like it close, for easy gaming in the middle of the night. Priorities.
1 : That's Bulbasaur. My twin got him for me, and he comes with my to my dorm every term. He's a keeper.
2 : These blinds never open. Ever.
3 : My candy jar is depressingly empty. I stole it from my friend Erin. I'm starting to think I'm a thief.
4 : Candy that has escaped the jar! No, it's not here any more. It suffered the consequences of its escape attempt.
5 : Mom sent me a package. It was a USB connector for my Ethernet, since the one on my laptop was dead. Yeah. I only just got this stupid pile of shit back from getting it fixed, too. They replaced the motherboard and the harddrive. Surprise! We gave you one with a dead ethernut hub! Enjoy. And the USB thing didn't work anyway. Blue screened my computer a ton, because my computer is shitty. Now I'm on this desktop. Suck it, computer.
6 : Literal package the USB Connector was sent in. Yeah, I've since thrown that out.
7 : Plastic bowls. For food stuffs.
8 : Paper towels. Doesn't make you frood if you know where they are, but they are handy to keep around. Particularly if you're a messy person. As I am.
9 : A blurred video game strategy. I guess I caught it in the act of trying to liberate itself from my desk. It's for Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, if you were curious.
10 : The contents of my pockets, when they're not in my pockets. My wallet, flash drive, movie tickets, notes and blank paper (just in case I'm struck with genius), my handy mechanical pencil, and some change.
11 : A pull out drawer that's supposed to be for keyboards, but I use it as extra storage. Those are nail clippers and a hair tie. I don't know where they went, though. Right now I have my digital camera and my TV remote in there.
1 : My bed. I sleep here. When it's not covered in other stuff, of course.
2 : My flannel. I think I got this one back in... tenth grade, maybe? One of my friends gave it to me when we were in a classroom with a teacher neither of us were actually taking classes with. We liked going there because he gave us pomegranates and challenged us to online game matches. I defeated him a couple of times. Good times. Any way, I wear it with my PJs during the winter, because it gets crazy cold here.
3 : Shitty lap top. The tiger sticker is from Guitar Hero III. I didn't put any others on there, because it'll just be a waste of stickers when the thing inevitably breaks.
4 : My pillows. They support my head when I'm sleeping.
5 : TV remote. Currently in the keyboard shelf, not on my bed.
6 : School backpack. Ha. It's probably empty.
7 : PJs. You can't tell, but there are kitties on them. A different friend gave them to me in high school, for Secret Santa. And if you were wondering, my pj shirt also came from high school. It's this extra large shirt the Improv used to wear to shows and comps. The Dramafia. It has a fake tux on the front and 'Dramafia' on the back.
8 : Chair. I keep it next to my bed when I have a working lap top, to work as a table. Since the lap top is shit, and I have a desk top and like to sit down when I'm using it, it's returned to my desk.
1 : That's the carpet. Pretty, isn't it?
2 : This is my 'school corner', located under my bed so I don't think about it and forget my books on the days that I need them. The one on top there is the AP Style Back. God help you if you're a journalism student here and you forget to reference that thing every time you write.
3 : Papers lovingly categorized by class and importance, and not just thrown in a pile. The book on top is from my Film Genres class. I actually read that one.
4 : Fuzzy socks! They keep mah feetz warm.
5 : My purse. No. I don't use it very often. Not surprised? Yeah. I'm surprised I even own it. You know what's inside it? A flash light. I don't know why.
1 : My storage corner. Those are extra sheets on top of the box I brought most of my stuff in.
2 : Water. I drink a lot of water. There used to be two, but... I drank all of the first one.
3 : Chef Boyardee and cup noodles. I'm pretty much set, nutritionally.
Taken Review and Rental Queue 4
Taken Review: B+
Liam Neeson steals the show in this action oriented crime thriller. Of course, there isn’t much for him to steal, considering most of his co-stars spend most of the movie safe off screen while he goes out and handles the dirty work. Which is completely fine by me. It does make talking about performances a bit difficult, however. Maggie Grace plays his seventeen year old daughter, who goes off to Paris with her friend and is subsequently kidnapped, and she does her part respectably. Lots of screaming, fear, and teenage angst. Famke Janssen spends a few minutes playing her mother, though, really, there isn’t a lot of time spent with the character. She’s a mom, remarried and irritated by her former husband’s choices. Nothing ground breaking there.
Did I mention Liam Neeson? The sole reason any one needs to see this film is to watch him beat up and/or kill every bad guy that comes into his line of vision. He is at his best, and that’s saying a lot considering this is the same man that played one of the greatest Jedi Masters to ever teach a Padawan the way of the force, Qui-Gon Jinn as well as a particularly awesome Batman villain in Batman Begins. So I had high hopes for the action going in, and the film did not disappoint. Liam Neeson is a one-man wrecking crew, specializing in the demolition of human lives and private property in foreign countries.
In all fairness, he did warn the bad guys that he was going to come after him. They really should have listened.
The writing is not spectacular, as far as the dialogue is concerned. The story is familiar, if you’ve seen movies like Trade or… just about any film involving a kidnapped love one. There are some particularly painful moments of awkward line delivery, even from Neeson. One scene jumps to mind, when he’s on the phone with his daughter and delivers some classic ‘plot development’ lines. “What? You want to meet for lunch tomorrow, alone? Sounds good!” The positive side of it is that once the kidnapping happens the dialogue is limited to the high octane thrill ride, leaving no room for uncomfortable conversation or half hearted attempts at character building.
And that’s a good thing.
The sheer speed of this movie is mind blowing. It redefines ‘pacing’ as ‘hold on to your seats and try not to blink’. It is a full-throttle adventure, and it never lets you lose interest. There is no time to be bored, save in the first twenty minutes or so as the scene is being set. Once Neeson gets his guns and gets to work all the audience can do is buckle up and hope not to be hit by any stray bullets or sprays of blood. It’s more than entertaining, because it knows exactly who it’s playing to. This is one of those movies that knows just what its audience wants, and delivers a nearly perfect mix of those demands.
Some of the camera shots do force the action down your throat, unfortunately. There is an epic chase scene through a construction site and, while still very cool, the violently shaking camera almost detracts from the drama and intensity of the moment. It makes it so difficult to know who is tumbling down a ditch, and which car we’re supposed to be following. Yes, that’s a choice by the director, but it doesn’t seem like a particularly needed one. The scene would have worked just as well with a serious of straight cuts sans wobbling.
The movie does ask you to believe a number of far fetched things. Like, for example, the unwavering badassness that is Liam Neeson. In the business it’s called ‘willing suspension of disbelief’ and it is utilized very well here. For the sake of the story it seems perfectly acceptable that one man can (literally) shoot his way into an entire covert organization that has probably been doing kidnappings like this for years, and that no one else has been able to get close to. He can cause car wrecks, leap from bridges, and run for days without tiring, because that’s how well trained he is. Why question it?
Taken is fun. It’s interesting. There are some moments of weak writing and dumb conversation. It’s not believable one hundred percent of the time. It won’t ever win any awards. But it’s good. Very good. So go see it already.
Rental Queue 4:
Love, Actually
A total chick flick, Love Actually is one of the sweetest movies around. Excellent acting from a truly remarkable cast makes this a great romance movie. Good for a night in, a pick me up, or a jaunt through good ol’ England, it’s one of my favorite movies. The recommendation comes from Liam Neeson’s performance here, which is very subtle but painfully honest. He plays a recently widowed father of a young boy who is struggling with his own crisis of love. He and Emma Thompson share some good scenes, but of course the rest of the movie going on around them is also a great watch.
Les Miserables
No, this one isn’t the musical. It’s an adaptation of the book, with Liam Neeson playing the bread-stealing, jail-escaping, child-adopting Jean Valjean. Of course, it’s not a straight rendition, so fans of the canon might be a bit disappointed in the changes here. I, however, find the story to be perfect for the cast. The copper that chases Valjean over the years is played by Geoffrey Rush, and is one of his finest performances. Just after a certain swashbuckling, mutineer of a pirate, anyway. Uma Thurman and Claire Danes also lend their familiar faces and talents to this flick, making it that much more of a must-see.
Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace:
Yeah. Star Wars. Are you surprised? Once again, Liam Neeson offers a great performance in a fairly unlikely role. Here he plays Qui Gon Jinn, Master to the young (and strikingly handsome) Obi-Wan Kenobi. It is difficult not to fall in love with Qui Gon, which is why Neeson was the perfect casting choice. His every scene makes this iteration of the franchise bearable, even after young Anakin Skywalker and Jar Jar Binks come into the picture. Plus, the fight at the end between Qui Gon, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul is amazing.
Trade
With a story similar to that of Taken, it was hard for me not to think about this film while writing my review. Taken has more action and moves a lot faster than Trade, but the similarities remain. The plots both focus on children being abducted and forced in to prostitution rings. Trade just swings it out into a broader scope, a man’s journey to find his daughter becoming a battle to save others from the same fate. Kevin Kline is really subdued in this part, but his strong performance serves him well and depicts a new character for the versatile actor.
Blown Away
A bit of a random tie in here. In my Film Genres class we recently watched High Noon, in which a young Lloyd Bridges costars. Just before that I had been working my way through some Jeff Bridges films, and I remembered that this father/son duo have been in a couple of movies together. Blown Away is an action flick about explosions and running around. There’s more to it than that, but the plot is fairly simple and, really, the most important parts are the bombs. Tommy Lee Jones, the bad guy, and Jeff Bridges, the good guy, both play with Irish accents, and Lloyd Bridges plays Jeff’s mentor. It’s almost sweet to watch, if you weren’t worried about the both of them blowing up every moment.
Liam Neeson steals the show in this action oriented crime thriller. Of course, there isn’t much for him to steal, considering most of his co-stars spend most of the movie safe off screen while he goes out and handles the dirty work. Which is completely fine by me. It does make talking about performances a bit difficult, however. Maggie Grace plays his seventeen year old daughter, who goes off to Paris with her friend and is subsequently kidnapped, and she does her part respectably. Lots of screaming, fear, and teenage angst. Famke Janssen spends a few minutes playing her mother, though, really, there isn’t a lot of time spent with the character. She’s a mom, remarried and irritated by her former husband’s choices. Nothing ground breaking there.
Did I mention Liam Neeson? The sole reason any one needs to see this film is to watch him beat up and/or kill every bad guy that comes into his line of vision. He is at his best, and that’s saying a lot considering this is the same man that played one of the greatest Jedi Masters to ever teach a Padawan the way of the force, Qui-Gon Jinn as well as a particularly awesome Batman villain in Batman Begins. So I had high hopes for the action going in, and the film did not disappoint. Liam Neeson is a one-man wrecking crew, specializing in the demolition of human lives and private property in foreign countries.
In all fairness, he did warn the bad guys that he was going to come after him. They really should have listened.
The writing is not spectacular, as far as the dialogue is concerned. The story is familiar, if you’ve seen movies like Trade or… just about any film involving a kidnapped love one. There are some particularly painful moments of awkward line delivery, even from Neeson. One scene jumps to mind, when he’s on the phone with his daughter and delivers some classic ‘plot development’ lines. “What? You want to meet for lunch tomorrow, alone? Sounds good!” The positive side of it is that once the kidnapping happens the dialogue is limited to the high octane thrill ride, leaving no room for uncomfortable conversation or half hearted attempts at character building.
And that’s a good thing.
The sheer speed of this movie is mind blowing. It redefines ‘pacing’ as ‘hold on to your seats and try not to blink’. It is a full-throttle adventure, and it never lets you lose interest. There is no time to be bored, save in the first twenty minutes or so as the scene is being set. Once Neeson gets his guns and gets to work all the audience can do is buckle up and hope not to be hit by any stray bullets or sprays of blood. It’s more than entertaining, because it knows exactly who it’s playing to. This is one of those movies that knows just what its audience wants, and delivers a nearly perfect mix of those demands.
Some of the camera shots do force the action down your throat, unfortunately. There is an epic chase scene through a construction site and, while still very cool, the violently shaking camera almost detracts from the drama and intensity of the moment. It makes it so difficult to know who is tumbling down a ditch, and which car we’re supposed to be following. Yes, that’s a choice by the director, but it doesn’t seem like a particularly needed one. The scene would have worked just as well with a serious of straight cuts sans wobbling.
The movie does ask you to believe a number of far fetched things. Like, for example, the unwavering badassness that is Liam Neeson. In the business it’s called ‘willing suspension of disbelief’ and it is utilized very well here. For the sake of the story it seems perfectly acceptable that one man can (literally) shoot his way into an entire covert organization that has probably been doing kidnappings like this for years, and that no one else has been able to get close to. He can cause car wrecks, leap from bridges, and run for days without tiring, because that’s how well trained he is. Why question it?
Taken is fun. It’s interesting. There are some moments of weak writing and dumb conversation. It’s not believable one hundred percent of the time. It won’t ever win any awards. But it’s good. Very good. So go see it already.
Rental Queue 4:
Love, Actually
A total chick flick, Love Actually is one of the sweetest movies around. Excellent acting from a truly remarkable cast makes this a great romance movie. Good for a night in, a pick me up, or a jaunt through good ol’ England, it’s one of my favorite movies. The recommendation comes from Liam Neeson’s performance here, which is very subtle but painfully honest. He plays a recently widowed father of a young boy who is struggling with his own crisis of love. He and Emma Thompson share some good scenes, but of course the rest of the movie going on around them is also a great watch.
Les Miserables
No, this one isn’t the musical. It’s an adaptation of the book, with Liam Neeson playing the bread-stealing, jail-escaping, child-adopting Jean Valjean. Of course, it’s not a straight rendition, so fans of the canon might be a bit disappointed in the changes here. I, however, find the story to be perfect for the cast. The copper that chases Valjean over the years is played by Geoffrey Rush, and is one of his finest performances. Just after a certain swashbuckling, mutineer of a pirate, anyway. Uma Thurman and Claire Danes also lend their familiar faces and talents to this flick, making it that much more of a must-see.
Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace:
Yeah. Star Wars. Are you surprised? Once again, Liam Neeson offers a great performance in a fairly unlikely role. Here he plays Qui Gon Jinn, Master to the young (and strikingly handsome) Obi-Wan Kenobi. It is difficult not to fall in love with Qui Gon, which is why Neeson was the perfect casting choice. His every scene makes this iteration of the franchise bearable, even after young Anakin Skywalker and Jar Jar Binks come into the picture. Plus, the fight at the end between Qui Gon, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul is amazing.
Trade
With a story similar to that of Taken, it was hard for me not to think about this film while writing my review. Taken has more action and moves a lot faster than Trade, but the similarities remain. The plots both focus on children being abducted and forced in to prostitution rings. Trade just swings it out into a broader scope, a man’s journey to find his daughter becoming a battle to save others from the same fate. Kevin Kline is really subdued in this part, but his strong performance serves him well and depicts a new character for the versatile actor.
Blown Away
A bit of a random tie in here. In my Film Genres class we recently watched High Noon, in which a young Lloyd Bridges costars. Just before that I had been working my way through some Jeff Bridges films, and I remembered that this father/son duo have been in a couple of movies together. Blown Away is an action flick about explosions and running around. There’s more to it than that, but the plot is fairly simple and, really, the most important parts are the bombs. Tommy Lee Jones, the bad guy, and Jeff Bridges, the good guy, both play with Irish accents, and Lloyd Bridges plays Jeff’s mentor. It’s almost sweet to watch, if you weren’t worried about the both of them blowing up every moment.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Last Chance Harvey Review & Rental Queue
Last Chance Harvey review: B-
Last Chance Harvey follows the lives of two older people, both struggling in one way or another with their routine’s. Harvey is a jingle writer who can’t keep up with the changes in the industry and, ultimately, doesn’t want to. The musician leaves for London to attend his daughter’s wedding at a critical moment in his career: the perfect moment for him to be fired. He also learns that his daughter is asking her step father to give her away at the wedding. Kate, meanwhile, works for a census gathering booth at the air port, and has to take care of her lonely, mother, who calls Kate’s cell phone almost non-stop. It’s only when they find each other that things start turning in the right direction.
Written and directed by Joel Hopkins, Last Chance Harvey is a light movie about falling in love, with comedic and dramatic moments laced together. Sounds a lot like a number of other movies, of course, but what makes it stand out in a big way is its focus on the leads. Two people over forty, finding new love. It’s sweet and dynamic, and a lot of the credit for this film lies squarely on the shoulders of its leading cast.
Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman are both very familiar faces on the big screen. Both Oscar winning, veteran actors who each have impressive filmographies to their credit, they are power houses of the top most caliber. They don’t falter here, both delivering near perfect performances that are endearing, captivating, and easy to relate to. This coming from someone very much younger than either of them, it truly shows the depth of their reach and the simple, yet resonating, nature of a well told romance story.
Thompson and Hoffman have a beautiful chemistry together. Natural and subtle, it isn’t explosive and fiery, yet it isn’t stoic or forced. It flows and simmers, always present and, like a breeze over beautiful embers, blazes at all the right moments. They’re funny together, and bring out the best in the other. Each has a familiar way of delivering lines, of playing a character: they’re Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, for crying out loud. And yet when they are on screen together it’s like watching two new people, which is, of course, what good acting is supposed to feel like. Not to mention the fact that they look adorable together. Thompson sometimes towers over Hoffman, and the awkward way Hoffman has to tile his head up to look at her just makes the screen light up with charm.
Of course, there are things to complain about. The story is very simple and straight forward, almost text book in fact, with no real surprises. It’s a cute story, as far as set up and characters, but the devices used to move the plot are common place, complete with a ‘picking out dresses’ montage that feels almost obligatory rather than natural and welcomed. The side story with Kate’s mom and their Polish neighbor is almost a waste of time, and it feels like those few minutes of screen time could have been used for more productive purposes. But this kind of story telling is acceptable in a piece that is supposed to be about its characters, and their relationship, so these flawed scenes can be forgiven.
What can’t be so easily overlooked is the lack of character development. Yes, Hoffman and Thompson deliver beautifully with what they are given, acting their socks off in every single scene they’re in, but it just feels like a shame that they weren’t given more. There’s little exposition on the backstories of the two leads, and what there is can easily be missed in the movement of the conversations they pop up in. Harvey and Kate walk together, learning about each other, but it never feels like much is revealed. This, I think, is a failure on the part of the writing, because it didn’t delve deeper into the two components that were the most important parts of the film. We’re told that Kate is sometimes very rude and downright mean, yet are only giving a fleeting example of it. Harvey is built as this awkward outcast, yet has no trouble leaping into conversations with strangers (granted, maintaining them often proves to be more of a challenge). These are great traits that are meant to add a dynamic to their relationship but, unfortunately, are just not explored as much as they deserved.
The movie still shines, with some memorable scenes and two extraordinary performances to make it a worthwhile viewing experience. It offers laughs and smiles, as well as warm hearts, easily and never manages to alienate any of its viewers, despite being set across the seas and with middle aged love birds. London is shot beautifully, and the music fits every scene gracefully, never making itself overbearing or out of place. And did I mention the memorable scenes? I’d probably go again just to watch them meet in the airport bar one more time.
Rental Queue 2
Meet the Fockers
The sequel to Ben Stiller’s Meet the Parents and, in my opinion, the better of the two, focuses on Greg Focker bringing the family of his soon-to-be wife to meet his own parents, and hilarity ensuing once the two groups collide. Dustin Hoffman plays the father of the Focker house hold, a goofy, lovable, childish man with an over-active sex drive and no concept of ‘over sharing’. Robert De Niro returns as Jack Byrnes, the formidable father of the bride and ex-CIA operative. The two are hilarious, both together and apart. Barbra Streisand is absolutely charming and could almost steal the movie as Greg’s mom. It’s just a fun romp with great performances all around.
Sense and Sensibility
Emma Thompson’s Oscar winning adaptation of the Jane Austen’s novel is a brilliant tale of romance and devotion. Not to mention heart break. Thompson earned her Oscar, for best writing, by adding in some truly great scenes and recreating dialogue that flowed seamlessly with the original voices penned by Austen. The cast is remarkable and all deliver stand out performances, from Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant to Alan Rickman. Hugh Laurie shows up as the cantankerous Mr. Palmer, hinting at a character that would make him a ‘house’ hold name years later.
Stranger than Fiction
The movie that introduced the powerhouse duo of Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman to the world. True enough, they only share one scene together, but it’s just enough to hint at a great compatibility between them. The movie itself is one of my favorite showings from Will Ferrell, who takes a break from his usual slap stick and crude humor movies to give a fairly sober, though sweet, performance here. Thompson also shines, playing a battered writer fighting against writer’s block and an ever approaching deadline.
Outbreak
Want to watch Dustin Hoffman running around in a bio-medical suit, leaping out of helicopters and saving the world from the ever so pretty Motaba virus? I knew you would. This is an interesting, albeit disturbing, film about a highly contagious disease hitting the US, courtesy of an infected monkey and Patrick Dempsey. If bleeding from every orifice isn’t something your stomach can handle, then this probably isn’t the flick for you. But if you like your Kevin Spacey sarcastic and endearing, like I do, as well as a fairly entertaining sci-fi thriller, then this is worth checking out. Though, it might make you want to wash your hands.
Howard’s End:
In ‘Last Chance Harvey’, Kate, Emma Thompson’s character, mentions the book ‘A Room With a View’, which Harvey recognizes as a work by E.M. Forster, but confesses to never reading it. E.M. Forster also wrote Howard’s End, which was adapted in 1992 for the screen. This film won three Oscars, including one for Emma Thompson in her leading role as Meg Schlegel. Yes, it’s long, it’s British, and it’s wordy, but it had some powerful performance and is engrossing. I could have watched stories from the lives created in this piece for hours on end. Also, when it won the Oscar for Best Screenplay no one was around to accept it, which left the presenters to do their usual ‘thanks guys’ on behalf of the missing party. Who was that presenter? Dustin Hoffman. Thanks, IMDB!
Last Chance Harvey follows the lives of two older people, both struggling in one way or another with their routine’s. Harvey is a jingle writer who can’t keep up with the changes in the industry and, ultimately, doesn’t want to. The musician leaves for London to attend his daughter’s wedding at a critical moment in his career: the perfect moment for him to be fired. He also learns that his daughter is asking her step father to give her away at the wedding. Kate, meanwhile, works for a census gathering booth at the air port, and has to take care of her lonely, mother, who calls Kate’s cell phone almost non-stop. It’s only when they find each other that things start turning in the right direction.
Written and directed by Joel Hopkins, Last Chance Harvey is a light movie about falling in love, with comedic and dramatic moments laced together. Sounds a lot like a number of other movies, of course, but what makes it stand out in a big way is its focus on the leads. Two people over forty, finding new love. It’s sweet and dynamic, and a lot of the credit for this film lies squarely on the shoulders of its leading cast.
Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman are both very familiar faces on the big screen. Both Oscar winning, veteran actors who each have impressive filmographies to their credit, they are power houses of the top most caliber. They don’t falter here, both delivering near perfect performances that are endearing, captivating, and easy to relate to. This coming from someone very much younger than either of them, it truly shows the depth of their reach and the simple, yet resonating, nature of a well told romance story.
Thompson and Hoffman have a beautiful chemistry together. Natural and subtle, it isn’t explosive and fiery, yet it isn’t stoic or forced. It flows and simmers, always present and, like a breeze over beautiful embers, blazes at all the right moments. They’re funny together, and bring out the best in the other. Each has a familiar way of delivering lines, of playing a character: they’re Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, for crying out loud. And yet when they are on screen together it’s like watching two new people, which is, of course, what good acting is supposed to feel like. Not to mention the fact that they look adorable together. Thompson sometimes towers over Hoffman, and the awkward way Hoffman has to tile his head up to look at her just makes the screen light up with charm.
Of course, there are things to complain about. The story is very simple and straight forward, almost text book in fact, with no real surprises. It’s a cute story, as far as set up and characters, but the devices used to move the plot are common place, complete with a ‘picking out dresses’ montage that feels almost obligatory rather than natural and welcomed. The side story with Kate’s mom and their Polish neighbor is almost a waste of time, and it feels like those few minutes of screen time could have been used for more productive purposes. But this kind of story telling is acceptable in a piece that is supposed to be about its characters, and their relationship, so these flawed scenes can be forgiven.
What can’t be so easily overlooked is the lack of character development. Yes, Hoffman and Thompson deliver beautifully with what they are given, acting their socks off in every single scene they’re in, but it just feels like a shame that they weren’t given more. There’s little exposition on the backstories of the two leads, and what there is can easily be missed in the movement of the conversations they pop up in. Harvey and Kate walk together, learning about each other, but it never feels like much is revealed. This, I think, is a failure on the part of the writing, because it didn’t delve deeper into the two components that were the most important parts of the film. We’re told that Kate is sometimes very rude and downright mean, yet are only giving a fleeting example of it. Harvey is built as this awkward outcast, yet has no trouble leaping into conversations with strangers (granted, maintaining them often proves to be more of a challenge). These are great traits that are meant to add a dynamic to their relationship but, unfortunately, are just not explored as much as they deserved.
The movie still shines, with some memorable scenes and two extraordinary performances to make it a worthwhile viewing experience. It offers laughs and smiles, as well as warm hearts, easily and never manages to alienate any of its viewers, despite being set across the seas and with middle aged love birds. London is shot beautifully, and the music fits every scene gracefully, never making itself overbearing or out of place. And did I mention the memorable scenes? I’d probably go again just to watch them meet in the airport bar one more time.
Rental Queue 2
Meet the Fockers
The sequel to Ben Stiller’s Meet the Parents and, in my opinion, the better of the two, focuses on Greg Focker bringing the family of his soon-to-be wife to meet his own parents, and hilarity ensuing once the two groups collide. Dustin Hoffman plays the father of the Focker house hold, a goofy, lovable, childish man with an over-active sex drive and no concept of ‘over sharing’. Robert De Niro returns as Jack Byrnes, the formidable father of the bride and ex-CIA operative. The two are hilarious, both together and apart. Barbra Streisand is absolutely charming and could almost steal the movie as Greg’s mom. It’s just a fun romp with great performances all around.
Sense and Sensibility
Emma Thompson’s Oscar winning adaptation of the Jane Austen’s novel is a brilliant tale of romance and devotion. Not to mention heart break. Thompson earned her Oscar, for best writing, by adding in some truly great scenes and recreating dialogue that flowed seamlessly with the original voices penned by Austen. The cast is remarkable and all deliver stand out performances, from Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant to Alan Rickman. Hugh Laurie shows up as the cantankerous Mr. Palmer, hinting at a character that would make him a ‘house’ hold name years later.
Stranger than Fiction
The movie that introduced the powerhouse duo of Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman to the world. True enough, they only share one scene together, but it’s just enough to hint at a great compatibility between them. The movie itself is one of my favorite showings from Will Ferrell, who takes a break from his usual slap stick and crude humor movies to give a fairly sober, though sweet, performance here. Thompson also shines, playing a battered writer fighting against writer’s block and an ever approaching deadline.
Outbreak
Want to watch Dustin Hoffman running around in a bio-medical suit, leaping out of helicopters and saving the world from the ever so pretty Motaba virus? I knew you would. This is an interesting, albeit disturbing, film about a highly contagious disease hitting the US, courtesy of an infected monkey and Patrick Dempsey. If bleeding from every orifice isn’t something your stomach can handle, then this probably isn’t the flick for you. But if you like your Kevin Spacey sarcastic and endearing, like I do, as well as a fairly entertaining sci-fi thriller, then this is worth checking out. Though, it might make you want to wash your hands.
Howard’s End:
In ‘Last Chance Harvey’, Kate, Emma Thompson’s character, mentions the book ‘A Room With a View’, which Harvey recognizes as a work by E.M. Forster, but confesses to never reading it. E.M. Forster also wrote Howard’s End, which was adapted in 1992 for the screen. This film won three Oscars, including one for Emma Thompson in her leading role as Meg Schlegel. Yes, it’s long, it’s British, and it’s wordy, but it had some powerful performance and is engrossing. I could have watched stories from the lives created in this piece for hours on end. Also, when it won the Oscar for Best Screenplay no one was around to accept it, which left the presenters to do their usual ‘thanks guys’ on behalf of the missing party. Who was that presenter? Dustin Hoffman. Thanks, IMDB!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Carly Watches the Golden Globe.
Just a warning: there will be NOTHING profound here. It's literally just me sitting with my computer, writing down stupid, pointless stuff as I watch the Golden Globes.
6:33pm :
Flicking between this Dance show, like American Idol, and Red Carpet coverage.
It’s the final for season two, apparently, and the crews are called Super Crew and SoReal Cru, I think. Might have to check on the spelling. The winner looks pretty clear to me, but we’ll see how it turns out. Hey look, one of the judges is JC from NSync.
Playing Minesweeper and Spider Solitaire during the commercials. What Feature Writing homework?
I still don’t actually know what channel the Golden Globes are on.
6:37 :
Alec Baldwin! Ryan Seacrest is such a tool. Is that Jay from America’s Next Top Model? He’s doing a Glamastrator, poking at a screen and drawing on actresses. At least he’s not as obnoxious as Ryan. Alec Baldwin is chewing gum and blowing bubbles. I think I love him even more. He just hijacked the interview, literally taking the microphone out of Seacrest’s hands. Oh my God he’s putting Ryan on the spot and it’s so awkward, I think I’m going to burst.
That’s a ‘no’ on the Jack and Liz hook up. But I completely agree with him, 30 Rock would be over if they ever got together. The cute moments and crazy tension would be over, and that’s the best part. I love the dynamic of their relationship, and how much it’s changed. I want to see it keep changing, even if that means suffering through without ever having them as an official item.
Alec… is so hilarious, and I think he just pissed Ryan off. And he’s off, gallantly down from the E! platform, to rebel against some other interviewer, I suppose. A man’s work is never done.
Yeah, I’m on a first name basis with most of the stars in Hollywood. Cough.
6:45 :
Talking about Amy Adams and Meryl Streep in their movie next year. Now some poll. Did I miss something? I saw Rachel Getting Married. I hated it. And one of my biggest issues with it was Anne Hathaway and her inability to act. Which isn’t bias, because I like her in other things. She was just terrible. What was it? Because they crammed in drugs and sex? Oh, look how against character and edgy it is! Pfft. I don’t even want to consider seeing it again, you know? Because that would mean… seeing it again, and I just… I don’t want to do it. I remember walking out of the theater, turning to my friend, and saying “I’ve seen enough of that movie to last my life”, meaning I never have to see it again.
Eva Longoria. I don’t watch Desperate Housewive’s, so this really doesn’t mean much. Ryan is still being a tool.
AARON ECKHART! I. Love. This. Man. Suddenly interested in this interview. He’s a handsome man. The Dark Knight. Hmmm. No comment.
Some crowd shots. Oh, there’s Amy Adams. She’s so cute. I want to squish her. Oh look, Miley Cyrus just showed up. Nice. I don’t really have a beef against her, as so many my age seem to do. Debra Messing arrives, looking pretty but not… memorable. Some actors from House. Christina Applegate in yellow. I don’t know who Ryan is interviewing right now.
I need to watch more TV, I suppose.
Jonas Brothers showed up. Thousands of teenage girls just peed themselves.
6:57 :
Losing interest in the red carpet stuff. I find these people so annoying, even though I can understand how hard their jobs are, and how they have to keep talking, flying by the seat of their pants. Still getting a head ache.
Seriously though, what channel is the actual awards show on?
7:00 :
Found it! Or maybe not. It’s another pre-show. Puh.
You know, we all know Heath is going to win Best Supporting actor. I’m sorry, but that irritates me. I know, his performance was good. Great even. But I honestly believe other actors in that category did harder, more intricate, and ultimately more award-worthy work. Yeah yeah, I’m an awful person. Whatever.
Oh, Amy showed up! She’s so cute. Quiet, and pretty.
Here’s another pretty lady. Elizabeth Banks. The idea that she’s playing a possible murderer in The Unwelcomed. Hahaha. I love it.
7:16 :
Is Maggie Gyllenhaal remarkably tall, or is Ryan Seacrest stupidly short? She’s having some issues with this question, but… it’s sweet, in a way, the way she’s dodging around it. It feels, I don’t know. Respectful, but, elusive. Hahah.
Decided to stop watching the pre show stuff and see who wins this dance show. I’ve been invested in them for about an hour! I must know.
7:21 :
Dang. Not the ones I wanted to win.
It’s funny, I’m flicking through three preshows and… these poor actors. The same thing over and over. How silly. And I love that everyone from the Dark Knight is pretty much a spokesperson for Heath Ledger right now. I guess it is the big topic for everyone, with his nomination and possible, very likely, posthumous win.
7:32 :
Distracted by House. That always seems to happen.
Clicked back to the E! show, since it seems to be the ‘furthest along’. Kate and Leo. Kate is hilarious. She says she hates Leo, and it was awful being back together on screen. I love that she’s sarcastic like that. She did it for The Holiday, with Jack Black. I love it.
Greg Proops! On Teen Nick. Hahah. I love him. He’s pouting, and has wild fluffy hair. And just sounded a bit like Peanut from Jeff Dunham’s shows.
I think I’ve settled on watching The Simpsons until the Golden Globe’s actually start.
TINA AND AMY! I love it.
Why do my fucking obnoxious neighbors have to start yelling at each other twenty minutes out from the Golden Globes? If I had a weapon, I’d be chasing them away from my door. Yell at each other in the common rooms, or behind closed doors, you moronic wastes of matter.
I just saw a commercial for House and there was a scene… that makes me want to start watching that show every day again. Why did I stop? I clearly still love it. It’s come up twice when I’m supposed to be watching something else.
Oh. Shit. Robert Downey Jr. I’m so glad I clicked back. Oh man. I’m so ridiculously addicted to this man. It hurts. He looks wild. Hahaha. He’s a fascinating one, that creature. He’s… crazy. I don’t know what it is about him. Damaged? Healing? Still crazy? Not perfect. Talented, definitely. Just fascinating. I feel like I can’t say what I want to say, as if he’s reading and that would be fucking creepy. Oh, random person making assumptions about me? Yeah, that’s new. Particularly on the internet, in some nameless blog that three people read, give or take a couple.
Yo ho. Paranoia.
8:00 :
Here we go!
It’s channel five for me, by the way. Glad I found it.
Whoa, what a weird, but pretty venue. Jennifer Lopez matches the stage. Starting with Best Supporting Actress. Something weird happened there, and Jennifer had to call for their attention, but that was funny. Amy Adams, being cute. I just saw Doubt the other day, so it’s in my head. Ooooh, Viola Davis from Doubt. She stole that one scene she was in, she really did. But at her most pivotal line in her monologue, which she yelled, the sound shut out. We literally had no idea what she said, and it was kind of hilarious. I heard other people going ‘wtf?’
Kate Winslet! She’s so pretty, and so talented. Emma Thompson patted her on the shoulders on the way up. Hahahahahah. She has a habit of ‘not winning things’ and she tried to put it down and it ‘didn’t feel right’. She’s so breathless and flustered. I love her. But wow, what if you wrote that and you didn’t win? I couldn’t imagine writing a speech like that, without any kind of certainty about winning. I don’t think she’s the kind of person who just thought she had it in the bag. Maybe she is, though? Who knows, I can’t guess.
This uh… this speech is getting long, but she’s aware of it. Won’t stop her though.
Composer, singer and social activist. Best original song, eh? I’m not sure I care about it. I love the song from Bolt… but I’m a goof ball. I’m disappointed at how few of these movies I’ve seen.
9:06 :
Had to go outside to watch the first hour because my retard neighbor was being really loud. But then a bunch of RA’s came into the common to do a poster or something, so now I’m back in my room. This social anxiety really sucks. You have no idea how I feel right now. It’s like it’s an excuse, but it’s not. It’s sickening. I feel disgusting. And useless. My throat and chest are really tight. I can’t stand dealing with this, but I try. I don’t even know what set it off. So someone was listening to music, and so people wanted to use the common room? But I’m shaking. I hate it. I absolutely hate it. I want to hide and be alone, but it’s impossible.
And I called that Heath Ledger award, didn’t I?
Everyone did.
Seriously.
Everyone.
I’m feeling stressed and sick, and I haven’t done my homework yet. But I’m trying really hard to be a good student. Or even just… a normal student… and just… get my homework done. It shouldn’t be that hard, right? And yet… here I am.
Not doing my homework. XD
“Paul Giamatti” Awkward Pause. “Thank you.”
I never caught Slumdog Millionaire, though I’ve heard great things. Oh! Amy Pohler and Patrick Dempsey. That’s a winning combo right there, methinks. Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock. My love. Oh snap. Steve Carrell in the Office. Also good. Now watch, one of these other two will win. Tony can’tspellhislastname is good.
HAHA Amy. You rock. Synchronized… not so much.
ALEC BALDWIN! SO MUCH WIN!
I didn’t get his joke either, audience.
Thank you Tina. <333333 That’s a heart with a lot of love in it, if you’re confused by the emote.
That’d be a sweet job, huh? Being one of the members that decides the winners? That’s hot, right there. And those three they listed, the ones who already know. Sign me up for that gig. Not that I’d want to ruin the novelty and majesty of watching the Golden Globes from my home, irritated by the constant commercial breaks. But if the opportunity to move up in the world presented itself, I might be convinced to take that option.
Why is everything happening to Paul? Another awkward pause! It’s a conspiracy.
I’m playing Chrono Trigger right now. I’m in the new… green vortex thing in
KEVIN SPACEY! I didn’t know he was nominated. He wasn’t there, but he didn’t win anyway. Still. Love that man.
…green vortex thing in Prehistory. I don’t know what I’m doing in here, though. Tina says it’s annoying, and there’s a lot of mountain running going on.
Comedy! My kind of category. Go go, 30 Rock! Oh the Office. Weeds! I’ve never seen it, but the best friend says it’s great and I have no will to disagree with her.
FUCK YEAH 30 ROCK! God that’s great. I love that show, it’s so clever and hilarious. Tina Fey kills me, with her talent and just… comedic genius. Absolutely kills me. She hid away from the microphone! Hahah, Tracy is talking for the show? I was looking forward to her. He’s kind of stupid and ruining it. Not too good at this speech thing. HAHAH. Alec to the rescue. I love him. I love this show. This cast. Everything. So cute. Just big smiles all around.
9:42 :
I just saw Mamma Mia! the other night. I loved it.
Hans Zimmer has a special place in my heart, but I’m not surprised by Slumdog Millionaire winning. Nor disappointed. Oh hey, that was the first ‘thanks God’ I’ve heard all night. But I might have been spacing out for it. Sometimes I zone out on speeches.
Tee hee. I love this woman. Her voice is so pretty. David… you know, I could take or leave. Haha. The ‘ordinary looking girl’ in the show Ugly Betty. That’s nice. TINA FEY!!!! The sheer amount of happy emanating from me is downright scary. She looks horrified and awe struck. Hahah, she had all the action figures as a kid. “Thank you Will Arnet, for the joke.” Hahahahaha. Oh my God. I love this woman.
9:58 :
Yeah, spaced out there. Steven Speilberg is getting an award, methinks. Since they’re showing scenes from all his movies. Ha. I’ve seen a lot of these. And liked a lot of these. Except 2008 Indy. Oh that’s right. He directed Columbo? Freaking sweet. Back to the Future was awesome. This man has had an amazing career.
And he’s an amazing speaker. He’s so inspirational and… passionate. That’s a love of his art, right there.
Aw, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. I am so going to see your movie if it releases here on the 16th.
Sandra Bullock still gets work, huh? I’m in love with Dustin Hoffman. I don’t care if he gets the statue. He wins in my heart. What? I haven’t seen the movie? Yeah, that’s just a technicality.
Haha, the Golden Globes are in HD, huh? I thought those statues were particularly shiny. Or maybe I didn’t notice anything at all because I’m watching on a rather crappy, old TV in my dorm room. Ho hum.
I need to watch more movies.
News reporters here are awful. I wonder why that is? On the TV I think. I don’t consider them my people. –cough-
Oh, here’s the category I just know will piss me off. Of course I’m pulling for Meryl or Kate.
OH THANK GOD. If Anne Hathaway had won, good lord. Of course, that still leaves the door open for the Oscars, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Look at Kate! She looks like she’s about to pass out! She’s so freaking cute. She’s apologizing and she can’t think of who was nominated. She’s so freaking cute it hurts. I mean. My face hurts, I’m grinning so much. No words are coming out! She doesn’t know English any more! They’re all smiling at her. Awwwwwwwww.
I did see the end of it, but I was too sleepy to keep typing. XD
6:33pm :
Flicking between this Dance show, like American Idol, and Red Carpet coverage.
It’s the final for season two, apparently, and the crews are called Super Crew and SoReal Cru, I think. Might have to check on the spelling. The winner looks pretty clear to me, but we’ll see how it turns out. Hey look, one of the judges is JC from NSync.
Playing Minesweeper and Spider Solitaire during the commercials. What Feature Writing homework?
I still don’t actually know what channel the Golden Globes are on.
6:37 :
Alec Baldwin! Ryan Seacrest is such a tool. Is that Jay from America’s Next Top Model? He’s doing a Glamastrator, poking at a screen and drawing on actresses. At least he’s not as obnoxious as Ryan. Alec Baldwin is chewing gum and blowing bubbles. I think I love him even more. He just hijacked the interview, literally taking the microphone out of Seacrest’s hands. Oh my God he’s putting Ryan on the spot and it’s so awkward, I think I’m going to burst.
That’s a ‘no’ on the Jack and Liz hook up. But I completely agree with him, 30 Rock would be over if they ever got together. The cute moments and crazy tension would be over, and that’s the best part. I love the dynamic of their relationship, and how much it’s changed. I want to see it keep changing, even if that means suffering through without ever having them as an official item.
Alec… is so hilarious, and I think he just pissed Ryan off. And he’s off, gallantly down from the E! platform, to rebel against some other interviewer, I suppose. A man’s work is never done.
Yeah, I’m on a first name basis with most of the stars in Hollywood. Cough.
6:45 :
Talking about Amy Adams and Meryl Streep in their movie next year. Now some poll. Did I miss something? I saw Rachel Getting Married. I hated it. And one of my biggest issues with it was Anne Hathaway and her inability to act. Which isn’t bias, because I like her in other things. She was just terrible. What was it? Because they crammed in drugs and sex? Oh, look how against character and edgy it is! Pfft. I don’t even want to consider seeing it again, you know? Because that would mean… seeing it again, and I just… I don’t want to do it. I remember walking out of the theater, turning to my friend, and saying “I’ve seen enough of that movie to last my life”, meaning I never have to see it again.
Eva Longoria. I don’t watch Desperate Housewive’s, so this really doesn’t mean much. Ryan is still being a tool.
AARON ECKHART! I. Love. This. Man. Suddenly interested in this interview. He’s a handsome man. The Dark Knight. Hmmm. No comment.
Some crowd shots. Oh, there’s Amy Adams. She’s so cute. I want to squish her. Oh look, Miley Cyrus just showed up. Nice. I don’t really have a beef against her, as so many my age seem to do. Debra Messing arrives, looking pretty but not… memorable. Some actors from House. Christina Applegate in yellow. I don’t know who Ryan is interviewing right now.
I need to watch more TV, I suppose.
Jonas Brothers showed up. Thousands of teenage girls just peed themselves.
6:57 :
Losing interest in the red carpet stuff. I find these people so annoying, even though I can understand how hard their jobs are, and how they have to keep talking, flying by the seat of their pants. Still getting a head ache.
Seriously though, what channel is the actual awards show on?
7:00 :
Found it! Or maybe not. It’s another pre-show. Puh.
You know, we all know Heath is going to win Best Supporting actor. I’m sorry, but that irritates me. I know, his performance was good. Great even. But I honestly believe other actors in that category did harder, more intricate, and ultimately more award-worthy work. Yeah yeah, I’m an awful person. Whatever.
Oh, Amy showed up! She’s so cute. Quiet, and pretty.
Here’s another pretty lady. Elizabeth Banks. The idea that she’s playing a possible murderer in The Unwelcomed. Hahaha. I love it.
7:16 :
Is Maggie Gyllenhaal remarkably tall, or is Ryan Seacrest stupidly short? She’s having some issues with this question, but… it’s sweet, in a way, the way she’s dodging around it. It feels, I don’t know. Respectful, but, elusive. Hahah.
Decided to stop watching the pre show stuff and see who wins this dance show. I’ve been invested in them for about an hour! I must know.
7:21 :
Dang. Not the ones I wanted to win.
It’s funny, I’m flicking through three preshows and… these poor actors. The same thing over and over. How silly. And I love that everyone from the Dark Knight is pretty much a spokesperson for Heath Ledger right now. I guess it is the big topic for everyone, with his nomination and possible, very likely, posthumous win.
7:32 :
Distracted by House. That always seems to happen.
Clicked back to the E! show, since it seems to be the ‘furthest along’. Kate and Leo. Kate is hilarious. She says she hates Leo, and it was awful being back together on screen. I love that she’s sarcastic like that. She did it for The Holiday, with Jack Black. I love it.
Greg Proops! On Teen Nick. Hahah. I love him. He’s pouting, and has wild fluffy hair. And just sounded a bit like Peanut from Jeff Dunham’s shows.
I think I’ve settled on watching The Simpsons until the Golden Globe’s actually start.
TINA AND AMY! I love it.
Why do my fucking obnoxious neighbors have to start yelling at each other twenty minutes out from the Golden Globes? If I had a weapon, I’d be chasing them away from my door. Yell at each other in the common rooms, or behind closed doors, you moronic wastes of matter.
I just saw a commercial for House and there was a scene… that makes me want to start watching that show every day again. Why did I stop? I clearly still love it. It’s come up twice when I’m supposed to be watching something else.
Oh. Shit. Robert Downey Jr. I’m so glad I clicked back. Oh man. I’m so ridiculously addicted to this man. It hurts. He looks wild. Hahaha. He’s a fascinating one, that creature. He’s… crazy. I don’t know what it is about him. Damaged? Healing? Still crazy? Not perfect. Talented, definitely. Just fascinating. I feel like I can’t say what I want to say, as if he’s reading and that would be fucking creepy. Oh, random person making assumptions about me? Yeah, that’s new. Particularly on the internet, in some nameless blog that three people read, give or take a couple.
Yo ho. Paranoia.
8:00 :
Here we go!
It’s channel five for me, by the way. Glad I found it.
Whoa, what a weird, but pretty venue. Jennifer Lopez matches the stage. Starting with Best Supporting Actress. Something weird happened there, and Jennifer had to call for their attention, but that was funny. Amy Adams, being cute. I just saw Doubt the other day, so it’s in my head. Ooooh, Viola Davis from Doubt. She stole that one scene she was in, she really did. But at her most pivotal line in her monologue, which she yelled, the sound shut out. We literally had no idea what she said, and it was kind of hilarious. I heard other people going ‘wtf?’
Kate Winslet! She’s so pretty, and so talented. Emma Thompson patted her on the shoulders on the way up. Hahahahahah. She has a habit of ‘not winning things’ and she tried to put it down and it ‘didn’t feel right’. She’s so breathless and flustered. I love her. But wow, what if you wrote that and you didn’t win? I couldn’t imagine writing a speech like that, without any kind of certainty about winning. I don’t think she’s the kind of person who just thought she had it in the bag. Maybe she is, though? Who knows, I can’t guess.
This uh… this speech is getting long, but she’s aware of it. Won’t stop her though.
Composer, singer and social activist. Best original song, eh? I’m not sure I care about it. I love the song from Bolt… but I’m a goof ball. I’m disappointed at how few of these movies I’ve seen.
9:06 :
Had to go outside to watch the first hour because my retard neighbor was being really loud. But then a bunch of RA’s came into the common to do a poster or something, so now I’m back in my room. This social anxiety really sucks. You have no idea how I feel right now. It’s like it’s an excuse, but it’s not. It’s sickening. I feel disgusting. And useless. My throat and chest are really tight. I can’t stand dealing with this, but I try. I don’t even know what set it off. So someone was listening to music, and so people wanted to use the common room? But I’m shaking. I hate it. I absolutely hate it. I want to hide and be alone, but it’s impossible.
And I called that Heath Ledger award, didn’t I?
Everyone did.
Seriously.
Everyone.
I’m feeling stressed and sick, and I haven’t done my homework yet. But I’m trying really hard to be a good student. Or even just… a normal student… and just… get my homework done. It shouldn’t be that hard, right? And yet… here I am.
Not doing my homework. XD
“Paul Giamatti” Awkward Pause. “Thank you.”
I never caught Slumdog Millionaire, though I’ve heard great things. Oh! Amy Pohler and Patrick Dempsey. That’s a winning combo right there, methinks. Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock. My love. Oh snap. Steve Carrell in the Office. Also good. Now watch, one of these other two will win. Tony can’tspellhislastname is good.
HAHA Amy. You rock. Synchronized… not so much.
ALEC BALDWIN! SO MUCH WIN!
I didn’t get his joke either, audience.
Thank you Tina. <333333 That’s a heart with a lot of love in it, if you’re confused by the emote.
That’d be a sweet job, huh? Being one of the members that decides the winners? That’s hot, right there. And those three they listed, the ones who already know. Sign me up for that gig. Not that I’d want to ruin the novelty and majesty of watching the Golden Globes from my home, irritated by the constant commercial breaks. But if the opportunity to move up in the world presented itself, I might be convinced to take that option.
Why is everything happening to Paul? Another awkward pause! It’s a conspiracy.
I’m playing Chrono Trigger right now. I’m in the new… green vortex thing in
KEVIN SPACEY! I didn’t know he was nominated. He wasn’t there, but he didn’t win anyway. Still. Love that man.
…green vortex thing in Prehistory. I don’t know what I’m doing in here, though. Tina says it’s annoying, and there’s a lot of mountain running going on.
Comedy! My kind of category. Go go, 30 Rock! Oh the Office. Weeds! I’ve never seen it, but the best friend says it’s great and I have no will to disagree with her.
FUCK YEAH 30 ROCK! God that’s great. I love that show, it’s so clever and hilarious. Tina Fey kills me, with her talent and just… comedic genius. Absolutely kills me. She hid away from the microphone! Hahah, Tracy is talking for the show? I was looking forward to her. He’s kind of stupid and ruining it. Not too good at this speech thing. HAHAH. Alec to the rescue. I love him. I love this show. This cast. Everything. So cute. Just big smiles all around.
9:42 :
I just saw Mamma Mia! the other night. I loved it.
Hans Zimmer has a special place in my heart, but I’m not surprised by Slumdog Millionaire winning. Nor disappointed. Oh hey, that was the first ‘thanks God’ I’ve heard all night. But I might have been spacing out for it. Sometimes I zone out on speeches.
Tee hee. I love this woman. Her voice is so pretty. David… you know, I could take or leave. Haha. The ‘ordinary looking girl’ in the show Ugly Betty. That’s nice. TINA FEY!!!! The sheer amount of happy emanating from me is downright scary. She looks horrified and awe struck. Hahah, she had all the action figures as a kid. “Thank you Will Arnet, for the joke.” Hahahahaha. Oh my God. I love this woman.
9:58 :
Yeah, spaced out there. Steven Speilberg is getting an award, methinks. Since they’re showing scenes from all his movies. Ha. I’ve seen a lot of these. And liked a lot of these. Except 2008 Indy. Oh that’s right. He directed Columbo? Freaking sweet. Back to the Future was awesome. This man has had an amazing career.
And he’s an amazing speaker. He’s so inspirational and… passionate. That’s a love of his art, right there.
Aw, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. I am so going to see your movie if it releases here on the 16th.
Sandra Bullock still gets work, huh? I’m in love with Dustin Hoffman. I don’t care if he gets the statue. He wins in my heart. What? I haven’t seen the movie? Yeah, that’s just a technicality.
Haha, the Golden Globes are in HD, huh? I thought those statues were particularly shiny. Or maybe I didn’t notice anything at all because I’m watching on a rather crappy, old TV in my dorm room. Ho hum.
I need to watch more movies.
News reporters here are awful. I wonder why that is? On the TV I think. I don’t consider them my people. –cough-
Oh, here’s the category I just know will piss me off. Of course I’m pulling for Meryl or Kate.
OH THANK GOD. If Anne Hathaway had won, good lord. Of course, that still leaves the door open for the Oscars, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Look at Kate! She looks like she’s about to pass out! She’s so freaking cute. She’s apologizing and she can’t think of who was nominated. She’s so freaking cute it hurts. I mean. My face hurts, I’m grinning so much. No words are coming out! She doesn’t know English any more! They’re all smiling at her. Awwwwwwwww.
I did see the end of it, but I was too sleepy to keep typing. XD
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Newspaper: Rental Queue 1
Rental Queue:
Mamma Mia
A newer release, so a bit higher in price since it’s still ‘on the wall’ at Blockbuster, but worth it if you’re as big a fan of musicals as I am. Or… even slightly less of a fan, since I admit that I’m a bit obsessive in my adoration of the genre. Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth are among the easily recognizable faces flexes their vocal cords in this upbeat romantic comedy. You don’t need to be an ABBA fan to get a kick out of the story, the characters, and the performances. Everything about it screams ‘fun’, and that’s exactly what you’ll have when you watch it.
The Devil Wears Prada
Another Meryl Streep movie, but a real winner. Here she plays a sharp, sarcastic, openly and unabashedly rude magazine editor and her performance alone, without any context of plot or any other characters, is more than enough of a reason to pick this one up. It’s even been on the television recently, in which care you’re ahead of the game if you watched it. It’s a hilarious film, and you really get to see Streep at her best when her character is tested and she softens up.
Charlie Wilson’s War
A good film that features both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. Tom Hanks leads the rest of the rather impressive cast as Charlie Wilson, a congressman from Texas who inserts himself in the war between rebels and the Soviets in Afghanistan. Adams plays his secretary/assistant/the girl I wished he would notice instead of Julia Roberts, and does so with quiet enthusiasm and a lot of heart. Hoffman plays a man from the CIA and, even in his first scene, is absolutely hilarious. He hijacks the film and does not give it back. Which is fine by me.
Cold Mountain
I caught this just recently on television. It’s long, but the story is interesting enough to justify it. Of course, my viewing was made even longer by the intermittent commercial breaks, so I can’t really judge it on that basis. Jude Law and Nicole Kidman play two relative strangers who, after only a brief relationship, are split apart by the civil war as Law’s character goes off to fight for the Confederates. Whoops. After he is wounded he goes on a long trek to reunite with his fleeting love, and alone the way he runs into a myriad of interesting characters. Seymour Philip Hoffman is among them, playing an often inebriated Reverend who is chased from his home after trying to kill a servant he had impregnated. Whoops again. An interesting counter point to the Priest he plays in Doubt.
Zodiac
David Fincher, the fascinating director responsible for films like Seven, Fight Club, and Panic Room (listed in decreasing awesomeness), is responsible for the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He also directed one of my top crime thrillers, Zodiac. Starring the doe faced Jake Gyllenhaal, the plot evolves over a number of years as a young cartoonist with an eye for puzzles dedicates himself to finding the identity of an infamous serial killer, the Zodiac. Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards make appearances, and Robert Downey Jr. is memorable as a reporter who helps Gyllenhaal in hopes of finding his one big story. It’s creepy and there are some amazing moments of sheer tension.
Mamma Mia
A newer release, so a bit higher in price since it’s still ‘on the wall’ at Blockbuster, but worth it if you’re as big a fan of musicals as I am. Or… even slightly less of a fan, since I admit that I’m a bit obsessive in my adoration of the genre. Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth are among the easily recognizable faces flexes their vocal cords in this upbeat romantic comedy. You don’t need to be an ABBA fan to get a kick out of the story, the characters, and the performances. Everything about it screams ‘fun’, and that’s exactly what you’ll have when you watch it.
The Devil Wears Prada
Another Meryl Streep movie, but a real winner. Here she plays a sharp, sarcastic, openly and unabashedly rude magazine editor and her performance alone, without any context of plot or any other characters, is more than enough of a reason to pick this one up. It’s even been on the television recently, in which care you’re ahead of the game if you watched it. It’s a hilarious film, and you really get to see Streep at her best when her character is tested and she softens up.
Charlie Wilson’s War
A good film that features both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. Tom Hanks leads the rest of the rather impressive cast as Charlie Wilson, a congressman from Texas who inserts himself in the war between rebels and the Soviets in Afghanistan. Adams plays his secretary/assistant/the girl I wished he would notice instead of Julia Roberts, and does so with quiet enthusiasm and a lot of heart. Hoffman plays a man from the CIA and, even in his first scene, is absolutely hilarious. He hijacks the film and does not give it back. Which is fine by me.
Cold Mountain
I caught this just recently on television. It’s long, but the story is interesting enough to justify it. Of course, my viewing was made even longer by the intermittent commercial breaks, so I can’t really judge it on that basis. Jude Law and Nicole Kidman play two relative strangers who, after only a brief relationship, are split apart by the civil war as Law’s character goes off to fight for the Confederates. Whoops. After he is wounded he goes on a long trek to reunite with his fleeting love, and alone the way he runs into a myriad of interesting characters. Seymour Philip Hoffman is among them, playing an often inebriated Reverend who is chased from his home after trying to kill a servant he had impregnated. Whoops again. An interesting counter point to the Priest he plays in Doubt.
Zodiac
David Fincher, the fascinating director responsible for films like Seven, Fight Club, and Panic Room (listed in decreasing awesomeness), is responsible for the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He also directed one of my top crime thrillers, Zodiac. Starring the doe faced Jake Gyllenhaal, the plot evolves over a number of years as a young cartoonist with an eye for puzzles dedicates himself to finding the identity of an infamous serial killer, the Zodiac. Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards make appearances, and Robert Downey Jr. is memorable as a reporter who helps Gyllenhaal in hopes of finding his one big story. It’s creepy and there are some amazing moments of sheer tension.
Newspaper: Doubt Review
Doubt Review: B+
This movie is a finely crafted piece of art. Like with any such endeavor, like a stature cut from stone, or a hand made piece of furniture, there are imperfections and unique attributes that might not fit in something of a similar build, or appear in a similar piece, but they only serve to heighten the overall value in the end. Doubt is not perfect, but it is still beautiful and effective.
The story is set in the 1960’s, about a year after the Kennedy assassination according to one of the sermons, and focuses on a Catholic church and school. It begins innocently enough, with a sermon from Father Flynn (Seymour Philip Hoffman), the topic of which is the movie’s namesake. This alerts the suspicions of Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), who tells her fellow Sisters to keep an eye on the kindly, vivacious Priest. When the idyllic young Sister James (Amy Adams) sees something she can’t explain, she begins a long battle of conscience and grit determination between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn, the former crusading to prove the latter of an unsavory relationship with an Alter Boy without any proof to aid her. She is steadfast, and it seems nothing will satisfy her until Father Flynn is removed from the school.
Originally written for the stage, playwright John Patrick Shanley adapted his script for the screen and pulled together a cast of strong faces and reputations to direct. He handles them with skill, their performances adding to his powerful script and making the transition from stage to screen appear almost effortless. The story feels at home on film, projected over an audience, which is frequently a difficult thing to accomplish when translating a performance piece that relies so heavily on its words to something so much more visual and nuanced.
While the writing is strong, quick, and potent, it really is the performances that bring this movie to its full potential. Of course, it’s hard to imagine anything less happening when Oscar winning names like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep are put in a room together. Amy Adams also provides a stunning performance, and holds her own ground against the heavyweights around her. The complimentary cast, including the young students of the school, are excellently cast. It would be a difficult task to find a weak performance here.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is undeniably complicated and troubled, yet endearing and as loveable as they come. He’s funny, carries himself lightly, and has this intensity about him that shows his devotion to his vows, even though that conviction is never directly spoken about in the movie. It’s questioned, and he’s clearly struggling, with quiet shots of his face falling, his eyes wandering, his body tensing or relaxing whenever Sister Aloysius comes near or moves away. His is a subtle technique, and his usually powerful and resonating voice is pulled back to reveal this kind, genuine character that the audience simply cannot trust. It’s subtle, and extremely potent.
Meryl Streep plays Sister Aloysius with zeal and a fair amount of human. Her deliveries are so natural, with lines being muttered or stepped on by other people speaking. With a character as specific as Aloysius, it’s difficult not to play a type. After all, this isn’t the first ‘mean’ character she has ever played. Yet, I found the Sister to be compassionate, albeit it bullheaded and extremely determined. She was devoted to this idea of guilt with such conviction, she pursued it with every ounce of her being, even if it meant stepping back from her vows. It was a fascinating journey for her, because her heart wasn’t made of steel. She wasn’t evil or cruel. She was old fashioned and a bit jaded, her views outdated and threatened by the changing times. Still, she had a good heart, and the film made sure to let it be seen with subtle moments between herself and an aging Sister who was in danger of being taken out of the church.
Of them all, I think Amy Adams had the most commanding role. Not because of the importance she held to the plot or how difficult her scenes were, but because of the changes her character was undergoing through the film. She began as this young, bright eyed Sister who saw good in everyone and tried to bring it out, playing nice and teaching her classes with an honest passion and a rather lenient style. She never knew which side of the battle to be on, once she inadvertently got it rolling, and was affected with each interaction she had with Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius. She is malleable, and her struggle to choose what to believe is very much akin to what the director wants of his audience.
There are a few very odd camera angels and other weird moments of directing that keep the piece from being as cohesive as it needed to be. Stark cuts, tilted cameras and veiled imagery that are difficult to decipher in one viewing seem out of place and too few and far between to dictate any real necessity. Still, the performances and writing truly carry the movie. There are also some great moments of music within the relatively quiet scenes, which almost creates another character in its own right, perhaps in the visual presence of the wind that changes and blows throughout the piece.
Doubt it a powerful, thought provoking piece that highlights what characters, writing, and actors are capable of. It is an interesting film, well paced, and in the end, does nothing to clear up that for which it was named. And that’s the best part.
This movie is a finely crafted piece of art. Like with any such endeavor, like a stature cut from stone, or a hand made piece of furniture, there are imperfections and unique attributes that might not fit in something of a similar build, or appear in a similar piece, but they only serve to heighten the overall value in the end. Doubt is not perfect, but it is still beautiful and effective.
The story is set in the 1960’s, about a year after the Kennedy assassination according to one of the sermons, and focuses on a Catholic church and school. It begins innocently enough, with a sermon from Father Flynn (Seymour Philip Hoffman), the topic of which is the movie’s namesake. This alerts the suspicions of Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), who tells her fellow Sisters to keep an eye on the kindly, vivacious Priest. When the idyllic young Sister James (Amy Adams) sees something she can’t explain, she begins a long battle of conscience and grit determination between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn, the former crusading to prove the latter of an unsavory relationship with an Alter Boy without any proof to aid her. She is steadfast, and it seems nothing will satisfy her until Father Flynn is removed from the school.
Originally written for the stage, playwright John Patrick Shanley adapted his script for the screen and pulled together a cast of strong faces and reputations to direct. He handles them with skill, their performances adding to his powerful script and making the transition from stage to screen appear almost effortless. The story feels at home on film, projected over an audience, which is frequently a difficult thing to accomplish when translating a performance piece that relies so heavily on its words to something so much more visual and nuanced.
While the writing is strong, quick, and potent, it really is the performances that bring this movie to its full potential. Of course, it’s hard to imagine anything less happening when Oscar winning names like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep are put in a room together. Amy Adams also provides a stunning performance, and holds her own ground against the heavyweights around her. The complimentary cast, including the young students of the school, are excellently cast. It would be a difficult task to find a weak performance here.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is undeniably complicated and troubled, yet endearing and as loveable as they come. He’s funny, carries himself lightly, and has this intensity about him that shows his devotion to his vows, even though that conviction is never directly spoken about in the movie. It’s questioned, and he’s clearly struggling, with quiet shots of his face falling, his eyes wandering, his body tensing or relaxing whenever Sister Aloysius comes near or moves away. His is a subtle technique, and his usually powerful and resonating voice is pulled back to reveal this kind, genuine character that the audience simply cannot trust. It’s subtle, and extremely potent.
Meryl Streep plays Sister Aloysius with zeal and a fair amount of human. Her deliveries are so natural, with lines being muttered or stepped on by other people speaking. With a character as specific as Aloysius, it’s difficult not to play a type. After all, this isn’t the first ‘mean’ character she has ever played. Yet, I found the Sister to be compassionate, albeit it bullheaded and extremely determined. She was devoted to this idea of guilt with such conviction, she pursued it with every ounce of her being, even if it meant stepping back from her vows. It was a fascinating journey for her, because her heart wasn’t made of steel. She wasn’t evil or cruel. She was old fashioned and a bit jaded, her views outdated and threatened by the changing times. Still, she had a good heart, and the film made sure to let it be seen with subtle moments between herself and an aging Sister who was in danger of being taken out of the church.
Of them all, I think Amy Adams had the most commanding role. Not because of the importance she held to the plot or how difficult her scenes were, but because of the changes her character was undergoing through the film. She began as this young, bright eyed Sister who saw good in everyone and tried to bring it out, playing nice and teaching her classes with an honest passion and a rather lenient style. She never knew which side of the battle to be on, once she inadvertently got it rolling, and was affected with each interaction she had with Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius. She is malleable, and her struggle to choose what to believe is very much akin to what the director wants of his audience.
There are a few very odd camera angels and other weird moments of directing that keep the piece from being as cohesive as it needed to be. Stark cuts, tilted cameras and veiled imagery that are difficult to decipher in one viewing seem out of place and too few and far between to dictate any real necessity. Still, the performances and writing truly carry the movie. There are also some great moments of music within the relatively quiet scenes, which almost creates another character in its own right, perhaps in the visual presence of the wind that changes and blows throughout the piece.
Doubt it a powerful, thought provoking piece that highlights what characters, writing, and actors are capable of. It is an interesting film, well paced, and in the end, does nothing to clear up that for which it was named. And that’s the best part.
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