Brief comments on film by Amy (unless otherwise noted).
Some old, some new. Domestic films and foreign too.
Thumbs Up:
Reds: Such a great movie that it left me wondering “What did they put in Warren Beatty’s Kool-Aid to entice him to make “classics” like Dick Tracy and Bugsy? I don’t agree with the politics per se but some of the political discussions are priceless.
Expelled: I liked that this movie didn’t take itself too seriously and found both the interviewees and the science fascinating. I never thought I would feel like standing up and applauding a bunch of biologists. Take that, Richard Dawkins.
Prince Caspian: We had a countdown for this movie to be released in our house and were by no means disappointed. Sure, Susan wears a little too much eye liner and I thought the boys would crawl under their seats when she got a little smooch at the end, but for the most part it was true to the spirit of the book and provided great discussion for days to come.
Thumbs Down:
Knocked Up: You aren’t going to believe me, but I actually suggested this one to my mom and dad based on someone else’s recommendation. Oops. At times funny but ultimately sad in its message of half-hearted commitments and shallow view of love. If I ever remember who told me it had a “positive family message,” they’ll be hearing from my lawyer.
Juno: I can see why this was so well received by the masses. It has a distinct atmosphere a la Wes Anderson but about half way through it felt more like an Easter egg, pretty on the outside but hollow inside. Full of witty repartee, ultimately I felt manipulated and unconvinced. Great soundtrack though.
The Last Samurai: Besides the fact that Tom Cruise unfortunately appears throughout the whole film, often speaking Japanese, it was great. Jim and I actually held a contest to see who could predict the most scenes and even then, the filmmakers exceeded our expectations. Bad, bad, bad.
Head Scratchers:
There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men: Though I wanted to dismiss both of these as unsatisfying and just plain frustrating, I couldn’t get them off my mind which tells me there is probably more there than I can digest in one sitting. Kind of like one of those combo meals from Denny’s. I mean, seriously, does anyone need a slice of grilled honey ham, two bacon strips, two sausage links and two eggs, plus hash browns or grits and choice of bread? Unlike Denny’s, however, Jim and I both plan to go back and revisit these two.