Ides of March - 2011 - Dir. Clooney

I remember being somewhat excited by the idea of this movie. Clooney runnin' for President. Gosling also doing something in the movie. The trailer hinted vaguely but repeatedly the usual dirty politic cliches. Despite being excited about a Clooney dirty politics movie, I was pretty sure the movie was going to be bland. Although... I don't think I expected the movie to be as bland as it was. The movie is pretty by the books despite having some neat ideas about the nature of a political campaign. The dehumanization of the candidate and projections put upon them by their campaign staff was an interesting suggestion but pretty underdeveloped so I don't imagine they cared to follow up on it. Strangely, I think I had some issues with Gosling, who I usually really like. His lack of warmth throughout the film makes it feel like we're just hitting the same note again and again. And since his character never seems like that great a dude, his "trial" in the film seems... uninteresting. And since the movie aims for a understated feel, resisting cinematically heightening events, there's a kind of reek of Unremarkableness throughout. It never gets the blood pumping, ya know? It feels like such a waste of talent considering the sweet cast they got. Everyone feels a little underused. Nah... Not feeling it.

That poster of Clooney is so goofy!

Moneyball - 2011 - Dir. Miller

I read the script shortly after seeing the movie and I have to admit to liking the script a bit more than the movie OR the script reminded me of things in the movie I liked. So what I'm trying to say is that I feel unsure as to what my opinion of the film is. You know... I liked it. I was thoroughly entertained. I was interested. A fine time. But I suppose it didn't have that little extra oomph that I needed to really get excited about it. Maybe it's because I'm not a huge baseball fan. Or you know... I don't get into it. The movie certainly does a great job of getting me to care about baseball. Or at least, being interested in baseball. And Brad Pitt does a pretty great job. It's a good role for him, because you don't really need to like him, but you kind have to want him to win. And you do... because he is just kind of thoroughly shit on. And watching him throw all different kinds of stuff is delightful. But I think... a lot of that Brad Pitt business is hindsight. While I watching the movie, I dug Jonah Hill. He was just charming enough and a good counter balance to Pitt's bombastic bouts. So you know... I wasn't crazy about the movie... but I would definitely watch it again. And probably like it more the second time around.

Hoffman giving it 110%

Jack Goes Boating - 2010 - Dir. Hoffman

EH. You know... I dunno... I like Philip Seymour Hoffman and all. And I was curious to see what kind of movie he would make. But it kind of looked like a bummer from the trailer and not the kind of bummer I like! So I passed. It slipped into a "About to Get Taken Off Netflix Instant" viewing party. You know, probably my favorite thing about this movie is John Ortiz. He's real great! He's kind of the life of the movie too... It's a shame his whole arc with Rubin-Vega feels shoved aside for Hoffman and Ryan and Grizzly Bear montages. Or I dunno. Maybe that's all they could get out of the relationship. I dunno... I feel like maybe that's what this movie feels like... like they're trying to squeeze the most out of these characters and coming up and little short and left with little that feels inspired or interesting. I do like the visualization sequences, actually, those're pretty badass. I dunno, it doesn't feel Hoffman doesn't do poorly his first time out as director. And I have to admit to being a little bugged by all the Pitchfork indie rock music in it. I guess, it's okay... it's just so PRESENT. And I actually really like the music in the movie. It made me feel like I'd just rather listen to it on my own and go for a two hour walk or something.

Joat Goes Backing.

Toy Story 3 - 2010 - Dir. Unkrich

I had the bar set pretty high for this. In fact, it was set so high... I didn't even go see it. In fact, in some ways, I actively avoided seeing it. I knew... deep in my cowboy heart... that I expected it to make me cry, to crush my spirit, and to make me long for a childhood imagined by the previous two movies. So you know... I was sorta setting myself up for a let down. But I wasn't really. The movie was good. I enjoyed watching it... sure, it didn't destroy my emotions. At best, I got a little misty eyed... Maybe I shed a single tear? I can't remember. I'm writing this a month later. Point being, it's like every other Pixar movie I've seen. It's real great. It's got a nice, well told story. Some laughs. Some thrills (oh man! That ending was pretty dang thrilling!) And there's even a Totoro! How can you beat that!? The answer is YOU CAN'T!!! Also, lemme just say... that goofy little girl in the rain boots was adorable and any child I have who isn't like that will be an inherent disappointment. The best thing about this movie is that it doesn't feel like a cash in on the series. It wraps everything up in a nice way and has a nice mix of what's comfortable and what is fresh. It never really competed with my FAV's but hell... a nice solid entry.

QUIT PLAYIN' WITH THOSE TOYS! YOU BIG DUMB KID! YOU DUMB BABY-KID!!!

The Secret World of Arriety - 2010 - DIr. Yonebayashi

I liked this a lot! I wasn't sure if I was. I'm a Studio Ghibli fan, although to be honest I'm mostly just familiar with Miyazaki's work. But, you know, I figured it would be pretty good being Studio Ghibli but it totally surpassed my expectations. You know... it's not as blobby as some fine ass Miyazakis but Blobs ain't everything. The finer details of the Borrowers' world make the picture pretty damn engaging pretty damn quickly. The Sound work in the house is just the absolute best. You can HEAR the bigness. Like, you know, I felt like I was exploring a whole new goddamn world. So I was charmed is what I'm saying. The movie charmed my damn pants off. Most of the voice acting is real good in the English dub. Will Arnett's casting is especially amusing. And Carol Burnett KILLS as the goofy villain. Although she's hardly a villain, I suppose... Or she's not MUCH of a villain. Sometimes I would struggle with the boy... but I think the nature of his dialogue was more of a hindrance than the acting. Those kinds of lines never seem to translate very well into English and they're certainly not easy to pull off. The movie has a nice emotional core to it, if sometimes a little stilted. It made for a really enjoyable evening and I would definitely get down with it.

OH FUCKING SHIT SOME CRAZY BITCH RIPPED MY ROOF OFF!!!!

Captain America: The First Avenger - 2011 - Dir. Johnston

Eh. It's okay. It certainly wasn't bad or make me feel like I was watching something dumb as hell. I suppose my bar can be kind of low for Superhero movies. I guess, I appreciate that the movie seems to put forth the effort to make us give a shit, giving us a nice hefty wad of back story. All that effort made for a pretty long movie but it seemed like a fair trade off. Skinny Chris Evans was pretty neat and it's fun seeing him get all tough and whatnot. Actually, that foot chase might have been one of my more favorite parts. I'll admit that the movie drags enough that I was glad that I could stop it when I wanted. So I'm kinda glad I missed it in theaters. Anyway, The movie was more than just a lot of jokes and posturing (Iron Man 2) with some shitty action thrown in. Sure, I mean, it's goofy. You know... Red Skull being in it and all. It was good of them to give us a nice dose of Hugo Weaving. I say... that's a good call. A perfectly fine Hugo Weaving hanging about, you don't wanna waste it with a ridiculous red skull. I have to admit being pretty supremely bothered by the last line and tone of the ending BUT WHATEVER. WHATEVER, CAPTAIN AMERICA.

Hugo Weaving (with Cube).

The Adventures of Tintin - 2011 - Dir. Spielberg

With all the people behind the camera for Tintin, I feel like I should have set a higher bar it but I went in expecting merely to be somewhat entertained. And I was. But I feel like it should have been more. I have no sense of the source material so I can't have any of that good 'ole fashioned nostalgia some people might have had. Getting right down to it the movie has one BITCHIN' action set piece. One that's pretty good. And then the rest of the movie is okay... I guess. It's not bad by any means. It's charming enough. I know people were kind of bugged by the style, but I got used to it. I understand why it's employed. It allowed it to be cartoon-y and feel like a live action adventure. Actually, there was quite a few bitchin' action sequences. I forgot about the flashback with the boats and whatnot. That was pretty awesome and made me wanna write a movie with pirates... which is not an urge I am used to having. Haddock is pretty amusing. I felt like he could have been annoying but it worked out fine! The ending felt a little sudden to me. Or rushed. But, being that I wasn't emotionally into the movie, I hardly feel like that's a big deal. The movie was supposed to give me some action-packed thrills and it did, but I feel like I should have been disappointed.

EH...

The American - 2010 - Dir. Corbijn

George Clooney goes to foreign land. The plot leisurely follows him. Doing stuff. It's all pretty good. Movie's over. That is what The American appeared to be and really that's what it ended up being. So all in all, the whole thing is okay. You know, I like watching George Clooney do stuff, like build a rifle in a small Italian village. I think he's real good at it. The movie looks real good. And the story is put together in a capable enough manner. There's not a lot for me to dislike. Sure, the movie doesn't really pull any new or exciting tricks out of it's hat or anything. In fact, it follows pretty closely to a normal thriller when you get right down to it but it's made well enough that I didn't mind the experience by the time it was over. A sorta fun aspect of the movie is that it spends a lot of time focusing on smaller details of the Village as Clooney methodically searches for escape routes, possibly betrayals, etc. And I would say it's the details that sell the movie. The movie didn't feel particularly thoughtful or anything but it relies more on visuals than dialogue though, so it doesn't feel like a dumb thriller or anything, but it doesn't dazzle by any means. So you know... if you wanna see George Clooney build a gun in a small Italian village, go for it!!

George Clooney being an Assassin.

Hugo - 2011 - Dir. Scorsese

This movie charmed the pants off of me! I originally didn't care to see it. Had absolutely no interest in it. The Poster, the Trailer... I just didn't give a damn. I understood that the movie was basically filled to the brim is cinema talent and it seemed to be received really well. People were talking up the 3D too... so I gave in and paid the exorbitant fee to see the movie. It was worth it! Or at least... I couldn't have been happier with it. It's just a movie that makes you feel all nice and warm. It's really nice looking. Everyone does a real good job. I personally dug all animate/inanimate themes, gears, clocks, and film history appreciation. Finding your a purpose. And the post-war European-ness of it all. It was all great! Even Sacha Baron Cohen, a man who I am getting pretty close to sick of, won me over. If anything, I was surprised to have not liked Chloe Moretz as much as would have thought. Maybe I set the bar too high for the young lady, but most of the things I've seen her in, she's been pretty awesome. But hey, can't win 'em all... perhaps it was her role. Constantly chirping on about adventure. She had some lines that were just tough sells and often rang untrue. It's use of 3D was nice. Scorcese manages to sneak so many nice layers into it all. Smoke, snow. Rather than just depth, it added to the atmosphere. All in all, I had a great time. I mean, anytime you have a plot involving an automaton, I'll be willing to jump in.

Ace Butts and B Kings.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - 2011 - Dir. Bird

This movie just seals the deal: I think Brad Bird is great. As far as I'm concerned, it's pretty incidental that this is a Mission: Impossible movie. I don't think I needed more than the first one and certainly could hardly tell you about the rest of the series. I have the idea that I enjoyed the third one, but that has more to do with me insisting that Abrams made a good movie and not with any actual memories I have of the viewing experience. Anyway, this is all a long-winded way of saying I like the way the movie is directed. It's fun. The characters bounce around like cartoons. OR, if you will, like the fucking Incredibles. The movie is Thrilling, which I suppose is all I really wanted. It's a pretty dumb movie. Maybe the dumbest in the series (yes, dumber than the second). But it's a fun dumb. It's like a series of countdowns and incredible feats with minor or half-assed explanations. And then a lot of jokes. Some good jokes. I liked 'em a lot. Perhaps I would have liked to feel a little more emotionally involved... I didn't really care about what was going on. I didn't care about the villain. But I suppose the movie wasn't about Cruise getting the villain... it's about him and his friends doing incredible things. ALSO, there wasn't much of a build-up to the climax. I was surprised to learn I was in the climax of the movie. For a movie that's more than two hours long, that must mean its paced well but it also illustrates how distant I felt from the film. So I dunno, it's some top-notch action and goofiness, but it doesn't have much more going on apart from that. I guess the thing that makes it okay is that... well... it doesn't feel like they were aiming for much more.

Put some damn shoes on, ya hippie!!!

Shame - 2011 - Dir. McQueen

I had a pretty good idea of what I was going to get when going into Shame. And I was pleased that I got what I wanted. Just a mostly quiet, character driven piece. Not a lot of fire works. Not even a lot of out right conflict when you get right down to it. It ends up being quieter plot-wise than I even expected. There's no nasty reveals. There's suggestions that nasty reveals are to be had though. Even, to be honest, there's not a lot that's shocking about the film. We're just quietly sinking with our hero. The movie is absolutely beautiful. There are some just... incredible shots. But I suppose that's the thing with McQueen. It saves us from sneaking into melodrama at times (If I see one more movie in theaters with a man shedding a single tear, I will shed THREE tears). If I had to throw a weakness out there was the Dude Dialogue. It sounded... part insulting, part tongue-in-cheek, and then just part white noise. Like we were just supposed to ignore it, but... there's not A LOT of dialogue in the script. And I think a good chunk of it was supposed to be white noise. But some of it is done so well, like the flirtatious dialogue. His sister and his boss. Granted, I'm not someone who should judge what men like that sound like when they are together, but it rang false to my ears. All that bitchin' is for a pretty minor part of the story. We spend most of the time with Fassbender, alone. Which is awesome for a script about sex addiction. Also, lemme just say that as a man who no longer lives in the NYC area, this movie made me homesick. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT ME!? Oh wait... I thought Carey Mulligan was excellent in this. Fassbender was good. Hell, he's carrying the whole movie on his back. But I do feel like Mulligan had a trickier role in this and she just does a great job.

Shame: A Great time to Have in the Big Apple!

The Season of the Witch - 2011 - Dir. Sena

You know... I kinda wanted to like this movie. I mean, Cage and Perlman? In plague times!? And I think the premise of dudes transporting someone suspected of a witch has a bit of clout. At least, it gets my imagination going as to what could happen. But I suppose it should come as no surprise that this movie is horrible. It's awful. I stopped the movie twice, and I have no excuse for why I resumed watching. And you know it's a bad sign when you feel like if Topher Grace would have played the priest, it would really elevate the material. The movie tries too hard to be cheap and fun too early on and then tries to be too ponderous when it's too late. Nicholas Cage seems bored, probably because his character is a bore who goes nowhere and does nothing. Perlman just kind of hangs out. The movie doesn't make much of an attempt to maintain suspense or you know... keep us involved apart from asking us "What will the Witch do next?!" repeatedly. I wouldn't have minded a bit more of a period of time where we are actually wondering if she is ACTUALLY a witch. The movie is good enough to at least provide us with some terrible plague imagery. Christopher Lee probably is the high point of the film and gives the performance of his career by laying in bed wearing make-up. And lemme just throw this out here... SPOILER ALERT EVERYONE. WATCH OUT! I'm gonna spoil this movie. But she's not a witch... She's a demon! And the movie tries to act like this is a twist. Like it's pulled the carpet from underneath our feet. A shitty attempt to get us to give a fuck about what it's doing- WAIT? This movie is for teenage boys and not grown men? Oh... (awkwardly leaves). Oh man... the battle/drinking montage in the first ten minutes is so shitty... This movie is so bad...

Dignity.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - 2011 - Dir. Alfredson

I didn't know much about the source material going into this one like how friggin expansive it supposedly is. Expansive enough to be a mini series, at least. The film certainly seems to try to cover as much material as possible too. You have to prepared to take in a lot of information and make a lot of inferences. Scenes are short, edited on top of each other, and often include cuts to small moments. It's storytelling at it's least verbal. Paradoxically, there's also a lot of talking, people speaking over scenes. Now that I think about it, the sensation of watching it is a lot like Primer. Reminiscent, at least. Visually, the film is great to look at. Not only costuming but just the entire style. It's sparse but attractive. At times, visually a little surreal. If anything, like any story told in this fast-paced style, it doesn't exactly get you on any emotional level. And since I felt like I was playing catch-up throughout, I don't think I ever really connected with the film. I just really enjoyed watching it and being in that world. Acting helps incredibly, too. Especially Toby Jones, who does a lot with less screen time. There's just some terrific faces made in the movie! Any Cumberbatch fans will be pleased with the film, he's got some fine chunks in the film. And a really nice tie. I have to say though, there are one or two reference to characters being homosexual in the film, which is just starting to feel slightly cliched. At least, I'm at the point where if I'm watching a period piece with Man's men, I feel like it's expected that at least one of them is gay. I dunno. So anyway, definitely scratches the heady spy itch you might have and a delight to watch!

Where's a Handsome Spy when you need one?

The Descendants - 2011 - Dir. Payne

I'm a big fan of Payne but I always end up at his movies somewhat begrudgingly. I don't know why. So I begrudgingly made my way to the theater preparing to see what would be a really well made movie with thought behind it and everything. And it was! And you know what, it's not nearly as much of a bummer as it looks like it's going to be. I mean, a movie about a guy reconnecting with this daughters after the wife/mother is dying in a coma? That could've been... a hell of a time. Payne's know-how and Clooney's stupid ass running around keeps "hell" at bay. Clooney has really mastered looking goofy while sneaking/running and he's in full force in this movie. He's at he usual Clooney awesomeness, of course. Woodley plays the teenager daughter like an expert. She's clearly a source of friction but she's not a brick wall. Her character relents has tangible weaknesses, we can access her, which I feel like infrequently happens in these types of movies. It's a really well-paced movie, especially for Payne. I was pulled in and stayed in for the entire movie. The Hawaii locale makes for nice eye candy. I especially liked the plotline involving Clooney's cousins and thought it had a lot of impact in the film. It also allows us to see that sheriff from Twin Peaks with a goofy ass tan. Oh wait!? And can I say that Matthew Lillard was awesome in this? I can and will!

:(

Limitless - 2011 - Dir. Burger

I have no idea why I watched this fucking movie. It's okay, I guess. It's worse than I thought it would be. I expected something a little tighter, a little smarter. I'll admit to being surprised at how doofy this movie ended up being. It's like the writer said "What if-" and started writing... and then realized that everything had to be tied up by the end and never bothered to go back and rewrite. Why is Bradley Cooper's climactic challenge a Russian mobster? Even on the Enhancement drug, he never seems like a valid threat. Even the supposed twist is so underwhelming that I'm baffled by how disinterested in it I was. I mean, it's a fun premise, but it just seems like Burger made no attempt to make it interesting or to dig deep. It's all drug addiction, Wall Street jerks, and Russian mobsters. Sometimes it seemed nearing Crank style ridiculousness which just seemed... strange. I guess, it was an attempt to jack energy into it. I'm not sure I really jived with it, though. It just felt like electrocuting a corpse. Bradley Cooper is okay, I suppose. It sorta felt like the entire cast was just made of nondescript good looking people. No one spurred much of anything. Probably he most interesting thing is Cooper playing a dweeb... which he does well... but it isn't THAT interesting. I dunno, I suppose it'll work as empty entertainment... but I'm sure you could do a lot better.

The hair desperately trying to get you to believe that Bradley Cooper is geeky.

The Expendables - 2010 - Dir. Stallone

I was pretty psyched for this movie to come out but when it did... I made no attempt to go see it. It got perfectly decent reviews... but I think I just felt... out there in the universe, that this movie would not give me what I needed. I was right... The movie exists uncomfortably between the "seriousness" of Stallone's newest Rambo and the silliness of the 80's action flicks it's clearly influenced by. That struggle probably hurts the film more than anything else. It's not goofy enough to be fun, but it's goofy enough that it is hard to take it as seriously as it'd like us to. Apart from a decent car chase, there aren't really many interesting action set pieces to lift it up. As much as I might have felt "feh" about the new Rambo, I felt at least I was getting some kind of visceral experience. Expendables feels like the action is a lot of overly large boys brawling and firing weapons randomly. The Terry Crews second half of the film is a welcome pick me up but is so artificially inserted that it hurts. Hey, guys, forgot all that other stuff we were talking about: Check out Terry Crews with a big gun! Maybe it's the lack of charisma that makes Crews a sudden bolt of life. Stallone sorta lurches around in front of the camera, making dismal wise cracks with a mopey Statham. Jet Li ends up looking like the golden boy of comic timing compared to most of the cast. So... yeah, I could be happier with the movie. A lot happier. Will I see Expendables 2? Most certainly. I'm a sucker for the genre and I'm willing to see what the "best" and the "brightest" churn out. Even if it isn't that good.

They are have different Hat statuses.

Into the Abyss - 2011 - Dir. Herzog

Probably sedated for what people expect of Herzog these days. You know, being that it's about people on death row (that's the starting point, at least). The man has respect for his subjects and the topic of the death penalty. And it clearly shows, there's no goofy voice over, no albino alligators. So if you are going in with that narrow view of what to expect, you may be a little disappointed. It feels like his older documentaries. It's not a somber Death Penalty film by any means but more of an document of how a group of people are coping with the aftermath of a violent crime. Herzog's strengths do really show in this picture though. I feel like he has a great eye for America. It's depicted with great admiration but he is still very aware of its blemishes and never shies away from them. His tangents are more controlled, more thoughtful. I admit, I'm pretty biased. It's Herzog doing what he does best, being himself, so I had a great time watching it. I like that we get to watch a movie about people on Death Row and we don't have to hear about Death Row the entire time. I like the amount of perspective given from the criminals, to the victims, to an almost complete stranger whose rants Herzog clearly fell in love with. It just feels like a refreshing documentary on perhaps a somewhat tired topic.

This guy is so mad to be stuck in such a tiny picture.

13 Assassins - 2010 - Dir. Miike

I'm so biased towards this movie that it's painful. Samurai? Miike? Yakusho? That's it. There we go. Yes, I would like to see this action movie please. The movie is basically setting up the huge forty or so minute set piece at the end. We get to know our awful motherfucking antagonist. The Badasses that are going to kill his ass. And then them planning on how to do it. Even then... when it happens... there are still tons of surprises that make you say "GODDAMN IT, YEAH!" It's just a really well put together action movie. I am so impressed with Miike. That guy has a lot of range. Sure... it's generally a pretty violent range, but he feel fleshes out of the spectrum of violent movies. And Yakusho... perhaps not typically cast as an "Assassin," he still plays the Leader of the Pack with APLOMB. The man gets so passionate about the assassination that he cries a little at the thought of it! Yakusho is also so good at bringing silence or a quietness to a role. He's an excellent contrast to Miike bombastic style. And when the film explodes by the third act... it feels good. Naritsugu is a great antagonist. A complete sonuvabitch. And I can't help but like a bad guy who gets overly philosophical about all the awful shit that he does. So, yeah, it's just a really tightly made movie about some samurai killing a real dick.

I'm Koji Yakusho and I'm gonna FUCK YOU UP!

Carre Blanc - 2011 - Dir. Leonetti

Saw it on a whim at the AFIFest. All I knew about it was that it involved an overly strict corporate future. And you know... that appealed to me. The film is exceptionally well handled. I think especially considering that this future has some pretty outrageous ideas on how to function, the whole thing could have blown up in our faces like most dystopian future films. I think one of the reasons it works so well is that we never delve too deeply into the mechanics of it. Leonetti seems to know that less is more and letting us scratch the surface while we must imagine the rest gives the film a lot of steam. Naturally, this makes it a little confusing and... but I would say it's an ultimately rewarding experience if you stick it out. There's also a really nice vein of comedy flowing through the film which gives it a significant sense of balance because the film can be pretty fucking dreary at times. It's fucked up enough that gorehounds, pessimists, and the like would probably be kept satisfied but approached in a thoughtful enough manner that you can feel like you're not just watching a Clockwork Orange knockoff or whathaveyou. In particular, I do really like what the film suggests about cut-throat tactics in modern day life and I appreciate it's lack of heavy-handedness. Sometimes, I feel a little dissatisfied with where our protagonists are left off by the end... but all in all, a really satisfying experience.

He... Hellooo?

Bombay Beach - 2011 - Dir. Har'el

Har'el popped up on a list of new filmmakers to keep and eye on. I'm a fan of Beirut's music and the trailer looked interesting enough so I made a point to see the film when I had a chance. And I'm glad I did! It follows the lives of three people who live in one of the poorest communities in Southern California. The area looks like a barren wasteland, desert as far as the eye can see littered with the decaying remains of society. The film is filled with the skeletons of cars, trailers, homes, and animals. Dead Fish everywhere. A Donkey corpse tangled in barb wire. There's some pretty gritty stuff. Meanwhile, we have a young boy on a plethora of prescription meds raised by his ex-militia parents, an old man who barely manages to take care of himself selling bags of cigarettes, and a teen for South Central with dreams to play for the NFL. It's beautifully shot and balances its seriousness and playfulness beautifully. Probably the most interesting aspect of the film is the infusion of choreographed sequences. All of a sudden, these people begin to dance or... well, they have their own little music videos. They could have come off as excessive or cheap but Alma pulls it off well. They feel like personal and intimate expressions of the subjects. A very well-balanced and engaging documentary.

Tragedy.