Tag: reviews

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Snapshots

By Amy Spiegel

Brief comments on film by Amy.
Some old, some new.  Domestic films and foreign too.

Thumbs Down:

Awake: Okay, I know it’s a movie about a heart transplant patient who discovers a plot to kill him while having open-heart surgery. And okay, it stars the actor (Hayden Christensen) who somehow managed to make Darth Vader boring, but still I had some hope that this thriller would deliver vacation-worthy entertainment. Sadly, though as the implausibilities piled up like lemmings at the cliff’s end (I just googled lemmings and discovered that the whole lemming thing is indeed a myth. Bummer, but it still works for illustrations sake.) I had to resign myself to a major thumbs-down. Worth seeing through to the end but I recommend perusing Jagged Edge or Shattered if you are looking for a good thriller.

Head Scratcher:

The Happening: I look forward to a new M. Night Shyamalan movie like Paris Hilton looks forward to her next photo-op. So when Jim and I got a chance to see The Happening in the theater, I could hardly keep myself from pushing to the head of the line while shouting “M. Night, I’m coming!” We were running late so I waited for drinks and popcorn while Jim grabbed some seats. He filled me in and I settled in for the ride. The acting was so stilted I was trying to figure out if it was supposed to be a spoof. I’m still not sure. Most of the characters seemed artificial and under-developed (think chocolate chip cookie that isn’t dough but definitely not ready to call itself a full-fledged cookie). I still say that bad Shyamalan is better than most at their best but that also means I have set a higher standard for him. If nothing else, it left me wanting to rewatch his other classics.

Thumbs up:

The Virgin Spring: Where to even begin with this movie! I have long held a love/hate relationship with Ingmar Bergman. When one of his movies pops into the mailbox, I have a heavy sensation and usually put off watching it for a day or two (which is saying something for me). Even when I am watching it, I am wishing I were watching something else but inevitably I either love the movie or at least can appreciate the art of it. “Silent but deadly” would be a good description for this one. If you do choose to watch it, don’t read anything about it beforehand (except this review, of course). All you need to know is this it is Bergman at his best. The Virgin Spring questions the justice and providence of God in a way that will haunt you for days.

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Snap Shots

By Amy Spiegel

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.