The Loneliest Planet (2012)

Tags

Bidzina Gujabidze, Drama, Gael Garcia Bernal, Hani Furstenberg, Movie, The Loneliest Planet

hey look! nothing is happening over there either…

I like a lot of different types of movies, spanning many genres.  Yet, if there is a common theme that runs through all the movies I like, it’s that generally…stuff happens in them.

That is not the case with this movie.

The story, if you will, is about an engaged couple backpacking through the Caucasus Mountains with the help of a guide.  Everything is all fun and happy until a sudden, but subtle, moment.  From that point on, things aren’t the same for them.

I get the point of it.  One little incident can change the way we see or feel about somebody.  It can happen out of nowhere.  But…all of the stuff surrounding that little incident, before and after, is basically just people walking and barely talking.  And when they do talk, it’s usually not interesting or amusing.  Only the guide, Dato, is given anything interesting or funny to say.

The scenery is beautiful, of course, and the acting is convincing, but at nearly two hours, my patience wore out long before the ending credits suddenly, mercifully rolled…but only after enduring a 5 minute scene of our characters breaking down a campsite.

5.2/10

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Tags

Action, Anne Hathaway, Christian Bale, Drama, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine, Movie, The Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy

and here’s why…

I probably don’t need to say much about this one.  Just go see it.  If you’re at all a fan of the first two in the trilogy…just go see it.

I will say, I thought a couple of elements of it were quite predictable and maybe shouldn’t have been played up as much throughout the movie.  It didn’t really ruin my enjoyment, but I was a little disappointed about how soon certain things became obvious.

My main complaint about the Dark Knight, as compared to Batman Begins, was that it was lacking in any real emotional depth.  Even Rachel’s death was hurried past without much time to mourn her.  I don’t think we even saw a tear from Bruce Wayne.  This movie felt more like Batman Begins in that regard.  It took a little (but still not enough) time to slow down and show some emotion.

But…maybe that’s why other plot elements felt rushed.  Time passes in this movie so fast that it’ll make your head spin.  There are times when we only realize that several months have passed between scenes because one character clumsily mentions it to another character.  I’m hoping an extended cut appears on blu-ray some day.  Maybe a few of the “but-how-did-he…?” moments can be clarified.  Even if it takes 3 and a half hours to do it.

All in all, it’s a satisfying conclusion to this trilogy, despite the fact that I thought the end could have been even more conclusive than it was…

8.6/10

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Tags

Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Comedy, Drama, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Jared Gilman, Jason Schwartzman, Kara Hayward, Moonrise Kingdom, Romance, Wes Anderson

wait…this is a Disney World map…

Basically, if you like Wes Anderson movies, I’d say it’s worth a watch.

But I wasn’t totally blown away by it.  There are some truly great moments, but there were also times when I felt like it was dragging a little bit, even though it’s only an hour and a half long.

The performances by the adults were my favorite aspect of the movie.  Edward Norton in particular is great as the geeky Khaki Scout leader, Bruce Willis does a nice job as a sad police officer, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman have funny guest roles, while Bill Murray and Frances McDormand work well as an unhappy lawyer couple stressing over their young daughter’s behavior.

That daughter is played by newcomer Kara Hayward, and the boy she runs away from home with is another newcomer played by Jared Gilman.  I have to admit, I wasn’t too impressed with either of them as far as their ability to deliver Wes Anderson’s deadpan dialogue.  They seemed a little uncomfortable with it, and I found that distracting.

I did like their romance story, even if it did get a bit awkward at times.  I mean, usually when people film 12-13 year old kids in their underwear, making out, they get in trouble with the law…

BUT ANYWAY…

I still find myself wishing Anderson would stick to movies that feel a little more grounded in reality, like the two that remain my favorites – Bottle Rocket and Rushmore.  His more over-the-top moments don’t always work for me, and this movie does have a few over the top moments.

Keep in mind, though, the first time I saw The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, I was pretty lukewarm to negative about it, but on a subsequent viewing, I liked it a lot more.  Maybe when I see this one again, my fondness for it will grow.  For now, I can recommend it mainly for Norton, Willis, Swinton, Schwartzman, and some moments of truly inspired humor.  Maybe after some more viewings I’ll be able to recommend it more for the overall story as well.

7.3/10

Battle Los Angeles (2011)

Tags

Aaron Eckhart, Action, battle los angeles, Movie, Science Fiction

thank you for invading…

Hey look, we’re marines and we’re all cool and happy and things are fun and good.

Meteorites?  Boom!

Aliens!

BOOM
Blam!  Kapow! tack tack tack tack tack! Booooooooom!  Blammo!  Wham!  Crash!

BOOOOOOOOM!

Touching moment…  BLAM!  Kaboom!  Swoosh! tack tack tack tack tack boom!  Michelle Rodriguez!  Argh! Help! Whammo!  Witty comment!  Slam!  Bash!  Crash!  Man, that looks fake!  Boom! Witty comment!  Boom!  That guy’s dead!  Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!  Aaahhhhhh!!   Bzzzzeeerrrooowww…kablam!

Calm, tender moment…

Bam bam bam bam!  Kaplowy!  Crash!  Bizing!  Boom!  It buuuurrrrns! BLAM!!!

KABOOM!

Join the Marines!

5.0/10

The Last Ride (2009)

Tags

Drama, Hugo Weaving, Last Ride, Movie, Tom Russell

i’ll shoot…and i’m a dead-eye shot, shooting…

Not a lot of fun to watch at times, but pretty well done throughout.

I could almost leave it at that, but I should probably write a little more at least.

It’s the story of a father, Kev (Hugo Weaving), and his young son, Chook (Tom Russell), making their way across Australia while on the run from the police.  Kev is a violent sort of guy, pretty much towards everyone, and even though he does seem to care about his son, that violence still spills over into his relationship with him.  Thus, the parts that are tough to watch.

Weaving and Russell are both quite good, the movie is gritty and real, and while bleak, Australia still looks pretty good.  Is that too much of a contradiction?

My main problem with the movie was that at times it just dragged a bit.  Maybe some tighter editing would have kept me focused more.  Or maybe I was just feeling particularly ADD that day, but the driving…and walking…and driving…and walking…took its toll on my patience.  Plus, the predictable ending seemed like too much of an easy way out.

Still, if you can take some of the harsher moments that make you want to turn away a bit, then it should be enjoyable.  Especially if you want to see Hugo Weaving in a role that doesn’t require him to wear a mask, sunglasses, or elf ears.

7.0/10

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

Tags

Comedy, Drama, Keira Knightley, Movie, Romance, Seeking a friend for the end of the world, Steve Carell

I’m sorry officer, was I being too quirky?

Some good ideas, but some frequent poor execution.

This probably won’t make much sense, but while watching this one, I think it seemed like I was enjoying it more than I actually did because I kept thinking about how it could be better.  It was only afterward that I realized how many missed opportunities there were and that I had sort of filled in the blanks with my own thoughts on how things should have happened.

Overall, what this movie was missing was more emotional depth.  If you’re going to make an R rated movie about the end of the world, don’t make it PG-13 with a few extra F-bombs.  Go all out!  Really show the sadness, anger, debauchery, violence, and even emotional clarity that could result from the situation humanity finds itself in.  Much of that is implied, but it’s all seen in glimpses.  It’s all very sanitized.  It’s a dark comedy that’s just not all that dark.

It is certainly funny at times, though.  Not outrageously funny, but I laughed on several occasions.  I also wanted to check the time on my phone on several occasions as well.  There are some dull moments that could have used more emotional punch.

It’s director Lorene Scafaria’s first film, and she definitely seemed to play it safe.  In fact, the whole movie does.  The character development, the soundtrack, the camera shots, you name it, it all seemed…routine.

Steve Carrell, as Dodge, is playing essentially an even more toned down version of the character he played in Dan In Real Life, which probably helped bring down the film’s energy even further.  While Keira Knightley, as Penny, is playing a pretty typical quirky character (she likes vinyl records and can sleep through almost anything!), at least she brought some energy to the role.

As I mentioned, it is funny at times, and there are some inspired moments, like a scene in a Friendsy’s restaurant with an overly affectionate staff, and then a brief stop at one of Penny’s ex-boyfriend’s place, but those are few and far between.

I wanted more from a movie about humanity’s end.  I think it’s an occasion that deserves a little more.

Lastly, I’ll close by saying…I think you’re gonna need a bigger plane…

5.9/10

Take This Waltz (2012)

Tags

Drama, Luke Kirby, Michelle Williams, Movie, Sarah Silverman, Seth Rogen, Take This Waltz

I can just hold the script like this during the scene, right?

Is being in love enough?

Will there always be something missing from any long relationship?  And how do you fight the urge to go out and find that something that is missing?

Margot (Michelle Williams) doesn’t seem to know how to fight that urge.  She loves her husband Lou (Seth Rogen), but there’s a passion that is missing from their 5 year marriage.  Is it just the normal progression of a marriage, or is there really something missing?  Either way, Margot’s excuse for not cheating on her husband with the new man, Daniel (Luke Kirby), she has met is basically, “I’m married, I can’t cheat on my husband.”  She’s obviously not convincing herself with this reasoning.  All it’s doing is making her more tempted.

But does she really love Daniel, or is she just an immature 28 year old who doesn’t want to become a responsible married adult yet?

I’ll leave you to decide that one.

I liked this movie, but it’s not an easy one to digest.  It’s very colorful and is shot beautifully, and I think director Sarah Polley did a good job keeping everything together and moving forward.  I just thought there were a few character developments here and there that seemed a little…off.  Or maybe I should say that some character motivations were a bit hazy.

Though, that could be the point.  They don’t really know what they want or how to react to the situations they are presented with.  For Margot, that results in trying to live in both worlds.  That doesn’t work so well.

Michelle Williams is a little manic here.  Alternating between impossibly adorable, sad, angry, and sometimes completely immature.  Somehow she makes it all work.  You don’t always like her, but you do want to know what she’s going to do next.

Even if what she does next makes you want to vigorously shake some sense into her…

7.2/10

Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles (2011)

Tags

Documentary, Justin Duerr, Movie, Mystery, Resurrect Dead, Toynbee Tiles

all these worlds are yours…except Europa…

Mysteries have a certain allure.  They can provide a sense of purpose if you’re the one playing detective.  They can provide a mission.

This documentary is the story of 3 men trying to discover the origin of some mysterious tiles that appeared on the streets of Philadelphia – and then up and down the East coast – beginning in the early to mid 1980s.  Along with other random, cryptic text, the tiles all said, “Toynbee idea, in movie 2001, resurrect dead, on planet Jupiter”.  Certainly the kind of crazy talk that can pique a person’s interest.  Who is laying these tiles in the streets?  How are they doing it?  Does it matter?  Should I care?

Most probably wouldn’t.  Or, if they did care, they wouldn’t take the time to try to solve the mystery.  But, as is pointed out in the film, Justin Duerr isn’t exactly like most people.  He is driven to see things to the end, so once this mystery had him in its clutches, he wasn’t going to let it release him.

That’s what the movie is about on the surface, but like the tiles, there’s more lying below the surface.  What I found most interesting was how some people – or maybe all people – need a mystery or mission in their life in order to feel like they have a purpose.  The person behind the tiles has invented a great truth along with a sort of conspiracy which must be brought to the world’s attention.  Meanwhile, Justin Duerr has let the mystery of the tiles consume his life in a similar way.  It has given him a reason to be, which is something I think everyone can appreciate.

I like mysteries.  I like people that try to solve mysteries.  And I liked this movie.  It’s not an all time great, but if you’re interested in oddities, mystery, and amateur detective work, you might find it fascinating.

Oh, and never fear, the mystery is actually solved (for the most part), so you don’t have to worry about being left hanging.  In fact, it might feel a little underwhelming when you really think about it afterward.  The whodunit aspect turns out to be less surprising than the howtheydunit and whytheydunit aspects.  Though, the whytheydunit is still a little hazy.

It’s not monumental subject matter, there aren’t many holy-cow moments, and I was a little curious at times as to whether I was watching events unfold as they happened or if it was some sort of recreation of events, but all in all, I enjoyed it.

And hey, who knows, maybe one day I’ll see ya on Jupiter…

7.8/10

The Avengers (2012)

Tags

Chris Evans, Drama, Fantasy, Joss Whedon, Mark Ruffalo, Movies, Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Science Fiction, The Avengers

puny review…

It’s good.  Real good.  Way to go Joss Whedon.

I haven’t even seen Incredible Hulk, Captain America, or Thor, and I didn’t feel like I was too far behind.

My only complaint would be that Loki wasn’t the most exciting villain.  Or maybe it was the performance by Tom Hiddleston that I wasn’t impressed with.  It’s hard to say.  It wasn’t terrible, but I think a more menacing villain usually works better.  He struck me as more bratty than menacing.

Most surprising element = how much I enjoyed Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.  Whedon knows how to write interesting female characters that can also kick some tail, and Scarlett did a good job with all of it.

I probably don’t need to really sell anybody on this particular movie, but it’s definitely entertaining and worth a watch on the big screen.  Even the crying baby and talking kids in the theater didn’t ruin it!

Loki and a few hazy plot developments drop it to saaaayyy… 8.4/10

The Giant Mechanical Man (2012)

Tags

Cameron Diaz, Chris Messina, Comedy, Drama, Jenna Fischer, Movie, The Giant Mechanical Man, Topher Grace

hahaha, that's so pleasant...

I wish I liked this movie more.  I wish the supporting characters hadn’t been so unbelievable.  I wish some of the situations and plot developments hadn’t felt so forced.  I wish it had more of an emotional core.

The central idea is a nice one – slow down, stop trying to chase material things and focus on bringing a little happiness into a fellow human’s life.   And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find that one person in the world that gets you.   That one true love of your life.

Of course, from frame one, it’s clear that Tim (Chris Messina) and Janice (Jenna Fischer) are destined to fill that role for each other, so all of the manufactured complications in between just seem like time wasters.  Especially Topher Grace’s character.  Sorry, caricature.  I mean, just look at him in the trailer and you’ll see that it’s impossible to take him seriously at all.

It’s a pleasant little story with likable leads and its heart in the right place, but there’s nothing that feels very original here.  It just goes through the usual romantic comedy paces without taking any real risks.   Likable but unmemorable.  Hey wait, I think that’s what it said under my yearbook photo in high school…

5.8/10