Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Booked
I just booked my flight for this year's film festival. I'm officially giddy. I paid for it with frequent flier miles, which is nice, though I still had to pay $48.94 in fees. Anyway, my B&B room is booked (I hope they leave the right key this time), and I've got an airline ticket. All that's left is to buy my festival tickets and spend torturous hours sifting through 350 movie synopses. And wait for 179 days.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Review: Juno
Okay, it seems like forever since a couple friends and I headed down to the Fleur Cinemas to catch Juno, which at the time was the new surprise independent hit. We got there to find a line out the door and around the corner. We got sneaky and sent in a squatter to grab a few seats while two of us stayed behind to deal with the mundane "purchasing of the tickets".
Juno was directed by Jason Reitman, who previously had a handful of shorts and Thank You For Smoking in his list of directorial credit. For Juno, Jason racked up a killer cast including Ellen Page (remember her?), Michael Cera of Superbad fame, "the beautiful" Jennifer Garner (yes, she is, but has anyone else noticed how she's always introduced as "the beautiful" Jennifer Garner, like Jennifer is her middle name?), teen heart throb (okay, he's 39 now) Jason Bateman, Allison Janney (of many credits including American Beauty and The West Wing) and J.K. Simmons (think J Jonah Jameson). Spoiler alert (okay, real life, not the movie plot) -- Diablo Cody, an ex-stripper, wins best original screenplay for this one. Ellen Page loses to some French chick. Sadly, I didn't see it at the 2007 film festival, though I did have to wait behind a crowd of gawkers when Jason Bateman and Ellen Page exited the theatre.
Juno is the tale of a unusual high school girl who decides one day, out of boredom, to have sex with her friend Paulie Bleeker. Paulie is a nerd, and Juno is that girl that all the guys secretly have a crush on but won't admit it because she's weird. Apparently, they're both quite fertile, and after running through a dozen or so pregnancy tests, Juno is at last resigned to the fact that she's pregnant.
Her adventures over the next seven or eight months take her out to meet fellow classmate Su-Chin, who spends her weekends protesting in broken English outside an abortion clinic, through the halls of of her high school as "a cautionary whale", to her parents, who were maybe hoping for the easier-to-deal-with drug problem, and a troubled young couple hoping to adopt a healthy baby.
The script is smart and filled with wit, angst, bitterness, broken dreams, hope, and chair sex. Oh, there's nothing explicit here. Juno is something like 16 and though Ellen was at least 19 when the film was made, she does an astounding job of playing a 16 year old and that would be just a bit much. The film stays safely in the implied sort of PG-13 sex.
A short note to the "my parents would never act like that, this is so unrealistic" crowd: It's a movie, it's about people that are different than you. Get over it. And no, it is not encouraging teen pregnancy. But I also think that it rightly points out that it is also not the end of the world, and that life can go on normally, as it almost always does. Boy, we're resilient creatures.
In conclusion, happy happy joy joy, I liked the film. It's intelligent, entertaining, deals with complex issues while not getting bogged down in its own seriousness. And it was a nicely upbeat contrast to the more downer films of the season. My imdb rating: 8/10.
Juno was directed by Jason Reitman, who previously had a handful of shorts and Thank You For Smoking in his list of directorial credit. For Juno, Jason racked up a killer cast including Ellen Page (remember her?), Michael Cera of Superbad fame, "the beautiful" Jennifer Garner (yes, she is, but has anyone else noticed how she's always introduced as "the beautiful" Jennifer Garner, like Jennifer is her middle name?), teen heart throb (okay, he's 39 now) Jason Bateman, Allison Janney (of many credits including American Beauty and The West Wing) and J.K. Simmons (think J Jonah Jameson). Spoiler alert (okay, real life, not the movie plot) -- Diablo Cody, an ex-stripper, wins best original screenplay for this one. Ellen Page loses to some French chick. Sadly, I didn't see it at the 2007 film festival, though I did have to wait behind a crowd of gawkers when Jason Bateman and Ellen Page exited the theatre.
Juno is the tale of a unusual high school girl who decides one day, out of boredom, to have sex with her friend Paulie Bleeker. Paulie is a nerd, and Juno is that girl that all the guys secretly have a crush on but won't admit it because she's weird. Apparently, they're both quite fertile, and after running through a dozen or so pregnancy tests, Juno is at last resigned to the fact that she's pregnant.
Her adventures over the next seven or eight months take her out to meet fellow classmate Su-Chin, who spends her weekends protesting in broken English outside an abortion clinic, through the halls of of her high school as "a cautionary whale", to her parents, who were maybe hoping for the easier-to-deal-with drug problem, and a troubled young couple hoping to adopt a healthy baby.
The script is smart and filled with wit, angst, bitterness, broken dreams, hope, and chair sex. Oh, there's nothing explicit here. Juno is something like 16 and though Ellen was at least 19 when the film was made, she does an astounding job of playing a 16 year old and that would be just a bit much. The film stays safely in the implied sort of PG-13 sex.
A short note to the "my parents would never act like that, this is so unrealistic" crowd: It's a movie, it's about people that are different than you. Get over it. And no, it is not encouraging teen pregnancy. But I also think that it rightly points out that it is also not the end of the world, and that life can go on normally, as it almost always does. Boy, we're resilient creatures.
In conclusion, happy happy joy joy, I liked the film. It's intelligent, entertaining, deals with complex issues while not getting bogged down in its own seriousness. And it was a nicely upbeat contrast to the more downer films of the season. My imdb rating: 8/10.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Review: Atonement
Stranded in Des Moines before Christmas, I decided to head down to the Fleur Cinemas to pass time that evening. Atonement, which had received great reviews, was one of the only films showing that I hadn't already seen at the film festival in September, making it an easy choice. Joe Wright directed this film, and chose Keira Knightley once again as his leading lady, having previously cast her in Pride & Prejudice.
The movie is based on the highly reviewed book by Ian Mcewan. Set in pre-World War II England, it follows the romance of Cecilia Tallis (Knightly) and Robbie Turner, portrayed by James McAvoy. They are observed at key moments by Celcelia's younger sister Briony, a budding playwright, who is missing key pieces of information. Her youth leads her to get carried away with her conclusions and she acts on them fervently.
The movie is based on the highly reviewed book by Ian Mcewan. Set in pre-World War II England, it follows the romance of Cecilia Tallis (Knightly) and Robbie Turner, portrayed by James McAvoy. They are observed at key moments by Celcelia's younger sister Briony, a budding playwright, who is missing key pieces of information. Her youth leads her to get carried away with her conclusions and she acts on them fervently.
Bad things happen. Then worse things happen. Then Briony makes an attempt at achieving the title of the film. It may not be enough, but she does what she can, considering the circumstances.
I liked the film for its use of perspective and how one can make the wrong conclusions without having all the information. Some friends of mine found the ending on the schmaltzy side, and perhaps it was, but it didn't stop my enjoyment of the film. Perhaps my senses are still dulled 10 years after seeing Titanic. My imdb rating: 8/10.
Review: National Treasure: Book of Secrets
We saw another movie on vacation and decided on the new release National Treasure: Book of Secrets based solely on the likelihood that it would be easy to consume a large bag of popcorn during such a film. A sequel to the original and very likely the middle of a trilogy (be prepared to witness an obvious setup), it again stars former cool independent actor Nicolas Cage with Jon Turteltaub in the director's chair. Nick has settled into a familiar pattern of high payday, low risk film roles that have dominated his career for over a decade.
This episode picks up from the last one with sidekick Riley Poole, played by Justin Bartha, peddling books at Borders. I'm curious how much they paid for that in-movie commercial. Anyway, his character seems to have the purpose of beefing up the comedic content of the film, but most of his one-liners seem to miss. I don't know if I blame Justin, but the script is just a little flat.
The movie carries on pretty much like you'd expect, leading up to Ben Gates kidnapping the president of the United States. That would be a spoiler if it was so highly publicized in the trailer. The president is a make-believe president by the way -- likable, intelligent, suave, and an air of integrity.
The movie is fun for what it is, but generally wastes the talents of the aforementioned Mr. Cage, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, and Harvey Keitel. It's not that anyone is bad, but there just isn't a meaty role to be devoured in the script. My imdb rating: 6/10.
This episode picks up from the last one with sidekick Riley Poole, played by Justin Bartha, peddling books at Borders. I'm curious how much they paid for that in-movie commercial. Anyway, his character seems to have the purpose of beefing up the comedic content of the film, but most of his one-liners seem to miss. I don't know if I blame Justin, but the script is just a little flat.
The movie carries on pretty much like you'd expect, leading up to Ben Gates kidnapping the president of the United States. That would be a spoiler if it was so highly publicized in the trailer. The president is a make-believe president by the way -- likable, intelligent, suave, and an air of integrity.
The movie is fun for what it is, but generally wastes the talents of the aforementioned Mr. Cage, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, and Harvey Keitel. It's not that anyone is bad, but there just isn't a meaty role to be devoured in the script. My imdb rating: 6/10.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Review: I Am Legend
A friend and I had a few hours to kill early in the day while vacationing in Denver and decided to spend it in a theatre. The week before Christmas, I Am Legend seemed like the best choice, so off we went. The movie is directed by Francis Lawrence, a first-time feature director whose previous work included several popular music videos for Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears. Had I known that fact ahead of time, I might have chosen to skip the film just on principle. But I didn't.
The movie loosely follows the plot of a 1950's sci-fi/horror book by the same name authored by Richard Matheson. It was previously performed for the screen under the title The Omega Man, starring Charlton "Cold Dead Hands" Heston. Judging from the ratings, I'd say the public likes this version a little bit better, possibly only because we Americans just can't get enough of cool special effects.
This version stars Will Smith. I don't know if the Academy has rules for qualifying for a supporting role, but if they do, no one in this movie qualifies. There is a brief, ominous and uncredited appearance by Emma Thompson at the beginning of the film. And, I'm willing to bet there were a few paid product placements, but I doubt those were credited, nor eligible for any Oscars.
The book's plot revolves around a plague that turns everyone but Robert Neville into vampire-like creatures. The film version modernizes the original, feeding on a fear I'm sure many people have regarding modern science. The film also adds a pet dog, Sam, who I suppose has enough screen time to qualify for a Doggie Oscar.
Robert is just your basic kick-ass good guy; He's smart as a whip, funny, strong, quick, etc. He's also hell bent on finding a cure for the mystery disease through good ol' medical research at his in-home lab. In between clinical trials, he "rents" DVD's, hunts wild game, goes for joy rides in a souped-up Mustang and chats up mannequins. Hey, everybody needs a little companionship now and then.
Smith does a respectable job for someone previously known as The Fresh Prince. I was somewhat amazed that I didn't get tired of him by the end of the film, seeing as how he was pretty much in every minute of every scene of the movie. It's pretty entertaining for the most part, and if you're willing to let go of a couple plot holes, you'll probably enjoy it. Just don't expect it to change your life. My imdb rating: 7/10.
The movie loosely follows the plot of a 1950's sci-fi/horror book by the same name authored by Richard Matheson. It was previously performed for the screen under the title The Omega Man, starring Charlton "Cold Dead Hands" Heston. Judging from the ratings, I'd say the public likes this version a little bit better, possibly only because we Americans just can't get enough of cool special effects.
This version stars Will Smith. I don't know if the Academy has rules for qualifying for a supporting role, but if they do, no one in this movie qualifies. There is a brief, ominous and uncredited appearance by Emma Thompson at the beginning of the film. And, I'm willing to bet there were a few paid product placements, but I doubt those were credited, nor eligible for any Oscars.
The book's plot revolves around a plague that turns everyone but Robert Neville into vampire-like creatures. The film version modernizes the original, feeding on a fear I'm sure many people have regarding modern science. The film also adds a pet dog, Sam, who I suppose has enough screen time to qualify for a Doggie Oscar.
Robert is just your basic kick-ass good guy; He's smart as a whip, funny, strong, quick, etc. He's also hell bent on finding a cure for the mystery disease through good ol' medical research at his in-home lab. In between clinical trials, he "rents" DVD's, hunts wild game, goes for joy rides in a souped-up Mustang and chats up mannequins. Hey, everybody needs a little companionship now and then.
Smith does a respectable job for someone previously known as The Fresh Prince. I was somewhat amazed that I didn't get tired of him by the end of the film, seeing as how he was pretty much in every minute of every scene of the movie. It's pretty entertaining for the most part, and if you're willing to let go of a couple plot holes, you'll probably enjoy it. Just don't expect it to change your life. My imdb rating: 7/10.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Review: Bella
I've attended the Toronto International Film Festival nine times and I've never seen the winner of the audience award. Now while I would like to believe that this has something to do with the fact that I rarely vote, the more likely truth is that I just don't pick films all that well. Okay, to cut myself a little slack, I don't even see ten percent of the movies and with only a few hours to sort through 350, the chances of picking the winner are slim.
For some reason, I thought Bella was the audience award winner at this year's film festival. But, my fact checker (imdb) tells me that it was actually the winner in 2006 as well as the first feature film from director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde. He also co-wrote the screenplay, which centers on Jose (Eduardo Verástegui), an ex-soccer player and the head chef at his brother Manny's restaurant. Jose has tragedy in his past, which gives him a different outlook on life than his business owner brother. He's plagued by a not-so-underlying sadness, which he apparently tries to hide by growing a Grizzly Adams-like beard.
One day, Jose abandons the restaurant during a busy lunch rush in favor of talking with a recently "emancipated" waitress, Nina (Tammy Blanchard). They go to lunch together at another restaurant, as I doubt Manny would have given them a table. Afterward, Jose takes Nina to his parents' house for dinner with the family. Nina's got her own problems and I'm not sure who ends up helping whom more, but let's just say that both their lives improve by their chance encounter. And no, you male readers out there, I'm not implying anything by that.
The story is nice, much more uplifting than, say, No Country For Old Men, which was our other choice on that afternoon. The script could have used a little touch up here and there, but I give Monteverde credit for not falling into the predictable romance category. He has a good nose for subtle comedy. And for you weepers out there, you might even get a little sniffly by the time the credits roll. My imdb rating: 7/10.
For some reason, I thought Bella was the audience award winner at this year's film festival. But, my fact checker (imdb) tells me that it was actually the winner in 2006 as well as the first feature film from director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde. He also co-wrote the screenplay, which centers on Jose (Eduardo Verástegui), an ex-soccer player and the head chef at his brother Manny's restaurant. Jose has tragedy in his past, which gives him a different outlook on life than his business owner brother. He's plagued by a not-so-underlying sadness, which he apparently tries to hide by growing a Grizzly Adams-like beard.
One day, Jose abandons the restaurant during a busy lunch rush in favor of talking with a recently "emancipated" waitress, Nina (Tammy Blanchard). They go to lunch together at another restaurant, as I doubt Manny would have given them a table. Afterward, Jose takes Nina to his parents' house for dinner with the family. Nina's got her own problems and I'm not sure who ends up helping whom more, but let's just say that both their lives improve by their chance encounter. And no, you male readers out there, I'm not implying anything by that.
The story is nice, much more uplifting than, say, No Country For Old Men, which was our other choice on that afternoon. The script could have used a little touch up here and there, but I give Monteverde credit for not falling into the predictable romance category. He has a good nose for subtle comedy. And for you weepers out there, you might even get a little sniffly by the time the credits roll. My imdb rating: 7/10.
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