Indie, Dry Comedy
4 stars
Good movie. Paul Giamatti stars as a sad sack (again!) lawyer who can’t make ends meet so he takes on guardianship of an old man with dementia for the extra cash (Burt Young from Rocky). When the old man’s teenage grandson shows up, Giamatti and his wife, Amy Ryan, end up taking him in. Real-life wrestler Alex Shaffer plays the teenager who turns out to have a talent for wrestling, which Giamatti helps foster. While the story may sound reminiscent of The Blind Side, Win Win holds its own with its wry humor and quirky cast. Very good flick.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Paul
Comedy, Sci-Fi
3.5 stars
Fun movie, Jim & I both liked it. Simon Pegg (Run, Fat Boy Run) and Nick Frost (Pegg’s co-star/co-writer in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) star as two Brits on holiday in the US to visit Comic Con and take a sci-fi themed road trip when they encounter a real alien (voiced by Seth Rogen). Pegg and Frost also co-wrote the story. Much of what was shown in the previews takes place near the beginning of the film, so there is still more to see. Co-stars include Justin Bateman, Joe Lo Truglio, and 2 SNL stars: Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. To be fair, Jim and I had a couple of drinks before seeing this film and we had a blast, but the alcohol may have enhanced our experience... If you are offended by profanity, then this potty-mouthed film is not for you. Fun movie.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Kill The Irishman
Indie, True Story
4 stars
Well told true story about a 1970’s era man, Danny Greene, who worked his way up through unions and later the mob in Cleveland. Ray Stevenson stars as Greene, a sort of Robin Hood to the folks of Cleveland who was fiercely proud of his Irish heritage. Biggest question is why isn’t Stevenson a bigger star with his brawny physique and his deep baritone of a voice, let alone his talent? Co-stars include Val Kilmer as a cop, Vincent D’Onfrio as a “nice” mobster and Christopher Walken as a powerful man with mob ties. Gritty and realistic, it really brings what I remember of the 70’s back to life. Good movie.
4 stars
Well told true story about a 1970’s era man, Danny Greene, who worked his way up through unions and later the mob in Cleveland. Ray Stevenson stars as Greene, a sort of Robin Hood to the folks of Cleveland who was fiercely proud of his Irish heritage. Biggest question is why isn’t Stevenson a bigger star with his brawny physique and his deep baritone of a voice, let alone his talent? Co-stars include Val Kilmer as a cop, Vincent D’Onfrio as a “nice” mobster and Christopher Walken as a powerful man with mob ties. Gritty and realistic, it really brings what I remember of the 70’s back to life. Good movie.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Lincoln Lawyer
Drama, Crime
4 stars
Good movie with lots of twists and turns. Matthew McConaughey stars as the title character who normally represents tough characters like bikers and drug dealers, but acquires a rich client (Ryan Phillippe) charged with the murder of a prostitute. Nothing is as it seems and the betrayals and double crosses are aplenty. William H. Macy (Fargo) co-stars as McConaughey’s private investigator and Marisa Tomei plays McConaughey’s ex-wife – though I’ve never known a divorced couple to be so flirty, their chemistry sizzles. I expected it to be violent, but it really isn’t, this is more of a clever cat-and-mouse thriller. McConaughey is excellent, as good as he was in A Time To Kill. It’s a fun ride.
4 stars
Good movie with lots of twists and turns. Matthew McConaughey stars as the title character who normally represents tough characters like bikers and drug dealers, but acquires a rich client (Ryan Phillippe) charged with the murder of a prostitute. Nothing is as it seems and the betrayals and double crosses are aplenty. William H. Macy (Fargo) co-stars as McConaughey’s private investigator and Marisa Tomei plays McConaughey’s ex-wife – though I’ve never known a divorced couple to be so flirty, their chemistry sizzles. I expected it to be violent, but it really isn’t, this is more of a clever cat-and-mouse thriller. McConaughey is excellent, as good as he was in A Time To Kill. It’s a fun ride.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Limitless
4.5 stars
Drama, Intrigue
Very good. Bradley Cooper stars as a man who happens upon a miraculous pill that allows him to access 100% of his brain power so he can accomplish anything. But unfortunately, the pills have side affects and there are dangerous people following him. Robert De Niro co-stars as a powerful Wall Street exec interested in Cooper’s capabilities and Abbie Cornish (A Good Year) plays Cooper’s girlfriend. I really liked it. Good movie.
Drama, Intrigue
Very good. Bradley Cooper stars as a man who happens upon a miraculous pill that allows him to access 100% of his brain power so he can accomplish anything. But unfortunately, the pills have side affects and there are dangerous people following him. Robert De Niro co-stars as a powerful Wall Street exec interested in Cooper’s capabilities and Abbie Cornish (A Good Year) plays Cooper’s girlfriend. I really liked it. Good movie.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Battle: Los Angeles
Sci-Fi, War
1.5 stars
Jim liked it; I did Not, with a capital “N”. Jim’s only complaint was that it lacked scantily clad hot chicks... A group of marines are sent into Santa Monica to rescue any living civilians before the city is to be wiped out by an air strike in 3 hours. The world is already under attack by aliens when the movie begins, so there is no buildup of suspense as they approach and start to take over major cities. The many characters are introduced all at once in the beginning; not really enough time to keep them all straight or to really care about any of them. The shaky, hand held camera footage drives me absolutely nuts. The only thing that kept me somewhat interested was worrying about the fates the 3 little kids stuck in the middle of it all. It differs from similar films like Skyline and Cloverfield in that those films focused more on the conflict between the survivors. This film feels more like a war film, and you are dropped right in the middle of the action. Stars include Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez and of course Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) reprises her role as a non-sexy tough chick. Please, no sequels! Definitely a “guy” film.
1.5 stars
Jim liked it; I did Not, with a capital “N”. Jim’s only complaint was that it lacked scantily clad hot chicks... A group of marines are sent into Santa Monica to rescue any living civilians before the city is to be wiped out by an air strike in 3 hours. The world is already under attack by aliens when the movie begins, so there is no buildup of suspense as they approach and start to take over major cities. The many characters are introduced all at once in the beginning; not really enough time to keep them all straight or to really care about any of them. The shaky, hand held camera footage drives me absolutely nuts. The only thing that kept me somewhat interested was worrying about the fates the 3 little kids stuck in the middle of it all. It differs from similar films like Skyline and Cloverfield in that those films focused more on the conflict between the survivors. This film feels more like a war film, and you are dropped right in the middle of the action. Stars include Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez and of course Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) reprises her role as a non-sexy tough chick. Please, no sequels! Definitely a “guy” film.
Red Riding Hood
Horror, Romance
2 stars
A sure bet for the Raspberry Awards. A small village is terrorized by a werewolf, the only question is who could it be? Amanda Seyfried is the red-hooded star who has two hotties vying for her affections (hmm, sound much like Twilight?) and her preferred hottie even has a modern haircut much like Robert Pattinson’s, but this actor is Shiloh Fernandez. The underdog hottie is played by Max Irons. Julie Christie has a terrible role as Grandmother. I know many of the better known actors in the film can actually act, so apparently the director, Catherine Hardwicke, also of Twilight fame, should not be allowed to work in film again. There were actually some aspects I liked about this film. The scenery was gorgeous, I loved the cameramen’s scenic angles and shots, I liked the whole Renaissance Faire type wardrobe and village. But, poor direction, unconvincing acting and flat dialogue mire this film. Only for die-hard romantics, Renaissance Faire fans, and maybe some Twi-hard fans would like it too.
2 stars
A sure bet for the Raspberry Awards. A small village is terrorized by a werewolf, the only question is who could it be? Amanda Seyfried is the red-hooded star who has two hotties vying for her affections (hmm, sound much like Twilight?) and her preferred hottie even has a modern haircut much like Robert Pattinson’s, but this actor is Shiloh Fernandez. The underdog hottie is played by Max Irons. Julie Christie has a terrible role as Grandmother. I know many of the better known actors in the film can actually act, so apparently the director, Catherine Hardwicke, also of Twilight fame, should not be allowed to work in film again. There were actually some aspects I liked about this film. The scenery was gorgeous, I loved the cameramen’s scenic angles and shots, I liked the whole Renaissance Faire type wardrobe and village. But, poor direction, unconvincing acting and flat dialogue mire this film. Only for die-hard romantics, Renaissance Faire fans, and maybe some Twi-hard fans would like it too.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2011 Animated
Drama, Animated
4 stars
Good, but not as good as last year’s Animated Shorts. Today, 3/10, is the last day this is showing at the Landmark theaters, but the official website says they’re available on iTunes: http://www.shortsinternational.com/ and it looks like they all have previews on youtube.com. France’s “Madagascar” was interesting about burial rituals, but not all that great. “Let’s Pollute” from the USA started cute but became depressing. England’s “The Gruffalo” was a cute children’s story with an all-star cast. Disney’s “Night & Day” was my favorite and I’ve seen it before, I’m pretty sure it was shown before Toy Story 3. The Oscar winner “The Lost Thing” from Australia/UK was odd and somewhat somber. There were two non-nominee “notables”; one from Germany called “Urs” that was rather sad; and one from the USA “The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger” from Bill Plympton that was cute.
4 stars
Good, but not as good as last year’s Animated Shorts. Today, 3/10, is the last day this is showing at the Landmark theaters, but the official website says they’re available on iTunes: http://www.shortsinternational.com/ and it looks like they all have previews on youtube.com. France’s “Madagascar” was interesting about burial rituals, but not all that great. “Let’s Pollute” from the USA started cute but became depressing. England’s “The Gruffalo” was a cute children’s story with an all-star cast. Disney’s “Night & Day” was my favorite and I’ve seen it before, I’m pretty sure it was shown before Toy Story 3. The Oscar winner “The Lost Thing” from Australia/UK was odd and somewhat somber. There were two non-nominee “notables”; one from Germany called “Urs” that was rather sad; and one from the USA “The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger” from Bill Plympton that was cute.
Beastly
Drama
2.5 stars
Sappy and strange – only for diehard romantics. Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four) stars as a popular, conceited jerk in high school who becomes hexed by a witch (Mary Kate Olsen) to look horribly scarred and tattooed and will stay that way permanently unless he finds someone to love him within a year (Vanessa Hudgins). I liked the whole idea of the witch and Beauty & The Beast theme, but whole the wooing process was odd. The highlight of the film was Neil Patrick Harris as a blind man hired to privately tutor the title character. Lisa Gay Hamilton (“The Practice”, “Men of a Certain Age”) was very sweet as Pettyfer’s maid from Jamaica. As I said, only for diehard romantics.
2.5 stars
Sappy and strange – only for diehard romantics. Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four) stars as a popular, conceited jerk in high school who becomes hexed by a witch (Mary Kate Olsen) to look horribly scarred and tattooed and will stay that way permanently unless he finds someone to love him within a year (Vanessa Hudgins). I liked the whole idea of the witch and Beauty & The Beast theme, but whole the wooing process was odd. The highlight of the film was Neil Patrick Harris as a blind man hired to privately tutor the title character. Lisa Gay Hamilton (“The Practice”, “Men of a Certain Age”) was very sweet as Pettyfer’s maid from Jamaica. As I said, only for diehard romantics.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Adjustment Bureau
4.5 stars
Drama, Intrigue
Very good. Matt Damon stars as a New York congressman who falls for pretty ballerina Emily Blunt. Unfortunately, that puts a cog in “The Plan” and “adjusters” have to intervene. Anthony Mackie (Hurt Locker) plays Damon’s “case worker” and his senior adjusters include John Slattery (“Mad Men”) and Terence Stamp (“Smallville”). Guys should like it for the intrigue and suspense; girls should like it for the romance – nothing sappy, just pure chemistry and physical attraction. The bits of ballet we got to see were beautiful, I would have loved to see a full performance. I was just left with two questions: 1) Why was Blunt crashing that wedding at the beginning anyway? 2) What happened in 2005 to change “The Plan”? Otherwise, well done.
Drama, Intrigue
Very good. Matt Damon stars as a New York congressman who falls for pretty ballerina Emily Blunt. Unfortunately, that puts a cog in “The Plan” and “adjusters” have to intervene. Anthony Mackie (Hurt Locker) plays Damon’s “case worker” and his senior adjusters include John Slattery (“Mad Men”) and Terence Stamp (“Smallville”). Guys should like it for the intrigue and suspense; girls should like it for the romance – nothing sappy, just pure chemistry and physical attraction. The bits of ballet we got to see were beautiful, I would have loved to see a full performance. I was just left with two questions: 1) Why was Blunt crashing that wedding at the beginning anyway? 2) What happened in 2005 to change “The Plan”? Otherwise, well done.
Rango
Animated, Family
3.5 stars
Cute, but long and slow. Johnny Depp voices Rango, a dim-witted chameleon who rambles into a small desert town and unwittingly becomes a hero. As the newly minted sheriff he attempts to solve the town’s water shortage crisis. This is really a film for young boys, as there are no cutesy characters for girls to enjoy and the pace moves along as slowly as an old Western. There was a cameo that I was excited about, with the spot-on voice of the king of all Spaghetti Westerns, Clint Eastwood. This character even carted around a collection of golden statuettes. But alas, as the credits rolled, the voice was that of Timothy Olyphant, of I Am Number Four and TV’s “Justified”. What a disappointment! Overall, it was just OK.
3.5 stars
Cute, but long and slow. Johnny Depp voices Rango, a dim-witted chameleon who rambles into a small desert town and unwittingly becomes a hero. As the newly minted sheriff he attempts to solve the town’s water shortage crisis. This is really a film for young boys, as there are no cutesy characters for girls to enjoy and the pace moves along as slowly as an old Western. There was a cameo that I was excited about, with the spot-on voice of the king of all Spaghetti Westerns, Clint Eastwood. This character even carted around a collection of golden statuettes. But alas, as the credits rolled, the voice was that of Timothy Olyphant, of I Am Number Four and TV’s “Justified”. What a disappointment! Overall, it was just OK.
Take Me Home Tonight
Comedy
4 stars
Decent flick, but not quite the epic adventure I was hoping for. Topher Grace tries to win the heart of his high school crush, Teresa Palmer, by pretending to be wealthy and successful. I was hoping for an all-night adventure on par with Superbad, but it doesn’t quite measure up. Still, it’s enjoyable enough; good for a few laughs.
4 stars
Decent flick, but not quite the epic adventure I was hoping for. Topher Grace tries to win the heart of his high school crush, Teresa Palmer, by pretending to be wealthy and successful. I was hoping for an all-night adventure on par with Superbad, but it doesn’t quite measure up. Still, it’s enjoyable enough; good for a few laughs.
Unknown
Drama, Intrigue
4 stars
Decent mystery with a plausible outcome. Liam Neeson awakens from a coma to find that someone else (Aiden Quinn) has taken over not only his identity, but his wife (January Jones) and memories too. Neeson enlists the help of Diane Kruger, the only person who can somewhat corroborate his story. I was pleased that it all turned out to be plausible, not some outlandish conclusion. Jim and I both liked it.
4 stars
Decent mystery with a plausible outcome. Liam Neeson awakens from a coma to find that someone else (Aiden Quinn) has taken over not only his identity, but his wife (January Jones) and memories too. Neeson enlists the help of Diane Kruger, the only person who can somewhat corroborate his story. I was pleased that it all turned out to be plausible, not some outlandish conclusion. Jim and I both liked it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
