All Together Now

All Together Now is a documentary about the Cirque du Soleil production in Las Vegas called "Love".  It's inspired by and blessed by the Beatles and it's a treat to watch the ingenuity and theatricality of the production as well as learn about the process it took to get there.  There are wonderful insights from the legendary George Martin as well as commentary from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison. 

Trailer and clips here!

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Graphic novel turned movie.  Sometimes I cringe...other times, the prospect is appealing.  This go around there was certainly some hype among my friends.  I had high expectations and they were completely met and surpassed.  In fact I'd go so far as to say Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World went ahead and smashed my preconceived notions of what teen comedy had become in the year 2010.  It was side-achingly witty with spot on timing from its young cast.  The editorial was a character in and of itself with the aide of some delightful animation and illustration that popped the story off the screen.  What I found most surprising and refreshing was how incredibly funny the movie was without settling for the lowest common denominator for the usual teen-fare (or any comedy for that matter) - immature 2nd grade potty humor.  Instead it relied on a solid comedic script and brilliant performances evoked by director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead).  This film is incredibly fun, smart and speedy.  It seems like several viewings are a must to get all the jokes going on. 

See it for sure.  Trailer here!

Going the Distance

Yes...it's officially a romantic comedy but truly...this was a comedy.  Jim Gaffigan.  Christina Applegate.  Kristen Schaal.  Ron Livingston.  Charlie Kelly.  Those are the supporting actors!  Whether or not you are in a long distance relationship there is something super cute and endearing about this current and lighthearted affair.  Drew Barrymore and Justin Long have chemistry - there's no denying it.  The writing was slick and the delivery was spot on.  It's a good watch with friends who have been there, are going through it, or might be in the near future.

Bringing Up Baby

Hepburn and Grant.  It's a win win and a wonderful classic.  I can't believe that it has taken me so long to watch this film.  There's something so magical about this era of the cinema.  It draws you in and delights you with witty banter, gorgeous costumes, and real - honest to goodness - Hollywood stars.  No Jersey Shore morons here.  Great watch! 

Eat, Pray, Love

Well, I tried reading the book and only made it through Italy.  I tried listening to the book on tape and barely got to India.  This time around, I was going to finish the story.  The film, much like the book dragged for me.  The pacing was grueling and the film had a ghastly 140 minute running time.  That's just too much.  The basic blocks to build a female-friendly story of self discovery were there but in the end, I was left feeling sleepy with dreams of Bali.

Little Children

Wow.  This movie is not a light watch.  In fact, it's fitting right in with the majority of my viewings this August - depressing and dark.  To be honest, I found the first 30 min or so to be positively mesmerizing.  I thought it was clever, funny, and visually engaging.  Then everything changed and we plummeted down the rabbit hole to a very uncomfortable story.  The filmmaking blew me away.  A re-watch?  Naa, I don't want to sit through that painful tension again. 

Big Night

What a delightful surprise.  Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub play Italian brothers who are trying to get their restaurant off the ground.  This movie is chalk full of starts (hello Isabella Rossalini and Minnie Driver) but the winners here are Tucci and Shalhoub who are virtually transformed.  Great watch, especially with some vino.

Precious Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

I'm not going to sugar coat this one and I'll do my best not to be preachy.  You have got to be in a safe place in your head before watching this movie.  It will shake you.  If it doesn't - well, there just might be something off kilter about you.  I now fully understand why this film received such critical acclaim.  It's quite frankly, earth shattering.   It's the kind of movie that literally makes you gasp and desperately try to come up for air.  Being a part of Precious' journey makes you feel like you just want to hold on to those around you and squeeze.  It's a story that few of us film-goers can legitimately relate to however sadly it's a story that too many people have experienced.   See this movie.  Support it.  Witness.  Understand that not everyone is given the same chance when they enter this world.  Perhaps you will view things a little differently even just for a moment.

Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese has a way of just getting under my skin, and generally not in a good way.  I want to like him.  The man is a truly a film-lover full of knowledge and appreciation of film history and theory.  Very few within Hollywood 'royalty' can claim the intensity of his study of cinema.  I salute him for that repeatedly however for me - his films always leave much to be desired.  Maybe it's because I'm a woman and his films are generally overtly masculine.  I really don't know what it is but over and over again, I'm unenthusiastic about all of it.  Shutter Island was a bit of a snooze fest.  I honestly don't have a lot to say about it.  Seems like those couple of hours could have been spent on something more interesting. 

Food, Inc

I appreciate a good investigative documentary however I am always leery of what I'm being told because I know how incredibly powerful and manipulative a documentarian can be to forward their agenda.  I despise people reaching gargantuan decisions about the way they live or what they believe exclusively because of what someone manufactured in the edit suite.  I don't mean to say there isn't truth in every documentary and I also don't mean to imply that they aren't useful tools to raise awareness for important issues.  I'm merely stating that we must all seek out multiple sources for our information and sometimes look in unexpected places.  Be your own detective if you must.  The truth is out there - a documentary will always be showcased through the biased lens of whoever is telling the story no matter how 'observational' it may appear.

With all that said, Food, Inc is eye-opening and incredibly disturbing.  It makes you to want to pick up the phone, call the president and say, "fix this".  The truth is, the change will need to come from us.   Start little.  Clearly, we can't all afford local and organic foods.  However little bits will add up if we all try.  We live in one of the most bountiful nations in the world and we've allowed it to become driven by corporate greed.  In the end, it's leading to our demise slowly but surely.

Youth in Revolt

 
Okay Mr. Cera.  Can you break free from George Michael's character?  Is it indeed possible?  That's my only question going into this movie.  Umm, you kind of did!?  Yay for you!  Youth in Revolt  was at times hilarious and at times only meant for teenage boys.  However, the quirkiness worked to its advantage and overall I was left amused rather than annoyed.

Zack Galifianakis, Steve Buscemi, and Jean Smart were drastically underutilized.  They're such all-stars and weren't the scene-stealers that they should have been.   However, the movie would have been incredibly flat without them.

Michael Cera?  It's time for you to get a new character to play.  Hopefully you will surprise us in the upcoming Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World.

Inception

Inception is a trippy highly enjoyable ride.  It's tense and unusual and challenges you to stay with it until the very end.  The effects, camerawork, editing, and lighting are simply top notch.  I love it when films are visually enthralling the way this one is.     
 
British director Christopher Nolan has certainly gathered a large American fanclub.  He brings something new to the screen every time and we have him to thank for such cinematic treats such as Memento and The Dark Knight.  He also has a tendency to cast people repeatedly which links his films in an interesting way and furthers his status as an auteur.  Next up?  We wait for his latest Batman escapade.  Can't wait.

p.s. just as enjoyable during a second viewing - although I might have over-thought it - just a little bit...

The Blind Side

The Blind Side is a true story of a young kid in Memphis who rose to great heights in football largely due to the kind heart of a Leigh Anne Touhy who helped him when she saw someone who needed assistance.  It's a sweet story and in many ways unbelievable.  Most of us aren't lucky enough to know a person quite as open and kind.  While the movie was successful in many ways I don't necessarily understand all the accolades it got this past year during award season.  Sandra Bullock certainly stepped out of her comfort zone to be sure, but best performance of the year?  I'm just not sure.  As for the film as a whole, it's a phenomenal story - not necessarily an incredible movie.  It is certainly worth the watch.

The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones is an adaptation of a very popular book of the same name. Having not read the book I thought I might be in a better position to enjoy the movie, as general wisdom is - the book is always better. Sadly, the movie left me feeling a bit...bored, confused, and ready for bedtime.

The book came out in 2002 however I was reminded in so many ways of other stories I had recently experienced...that of the LOST television series and The Imaginirum of Dr. Parnassus.

I was with it for the first 20 minutes or so. I thoroughly enjoyed the pace, photography, style, and acting. Then it just lost me. To be fair, a story about a murdered child and a serial killer isn't really my cup of tea but I went in ready for anything and fully hoped I would find it engaging. Director Peter Jackson wowed us all tackling The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Perhaps my expectations were too high, not sure.

Sidebar: The main character of Susie is played by young Saoirse Ronan and if you haven't seen her in Atonement you are seriously missing out. She's phenomenal. At only 13 years old, she was nominated for oodles of awards for the role.

Eclipse

Twi-hards. Thanks for reading this. Seriously. No one else is. Okay, best thing about the latest installment for Edward, Bella, and Jacob: the wolves - hands down. They were just as beautifully animated and just as believable characters as in New Moon. Worst thing? Probably the addition (or rather replacement) of a an actress. Our heroine Bella has been on the run from a certain pissed off vampire named Victoria for two movies now. This time around, with a bigger budget and more star-power the film's creators opted to switch out actress Rachelle Lefevre for a bigger name: Bryce Dallas Howard (yup, Opie's daughter). I have absolutely nothing against her but she was horrifically wrong for this role. It's like some moron said "hey, she's got bright red hair and she's famous...she's perfect". Fail.

Truthfully, the pacing was a bit off and the transitions lacked subtlety. There were silly close ups and odd cuts but still it was enjoyable escapist entertainment. Was anyone out there hoping for anything else? Overall the movie is pretty true to the book. It's the most slow paced of all the stories to be sure but we finally get to see Jacob make his stand. It's true teenage stuff...sweet, hormonal, dramatic.

patience will be rewarded

movie friends. you are awesome. you are dedicated. YOU have been waiting for posts for months now. THIS is unacceptable...and this weekend, it all changes. expect not one, not two, but potentially three reviews and there will be more in the future. promise. ;)

Hodgepodge of Movies

I know...bad blogger...fell behind - by an entire month! Inexcusable. Fast & furious. Go.

So here goes...

The Young Victoria - beautiful, really enjoyed it

Alice in Wonderland in 3D - loved and hated - toss up!

Pray the Devil Back to Hell - intense documentary about women standing together for peace in Liberia - really well done!

Margot at the Wedding - such a downer - couldn't even finish it

Gran Torino - took about an hour for me to get into...but it got better...still didn't love it

Gentleman Broncos - was excited to see this - it was weird - not in a good way

Everybody's Fine - sort of a throw away with a strong cast

Post Grad - silly and pointless

Ponyo - adorable and charming

Bollywood Hero - Chris Katan goes to India. 'Nuff said.

The Men Who Stare at Goats - took 3 watchings to get through, that's not a good thing right?

Broken Embraces - Pedro Almodovar. What happened dude? Completely boring and nonsensical

The Invention of Lying

Umm, boring? How sad to say that. I love Jennifer Garner and Ricky Gervais. It was tough to get through though, not gonna lie. I think a good night of watching your latest DVR'ed showed would be much more entertaining. Wah. Wah.

Coco Before Chanel

It appears I DO have a theme this month. Shoddy relationships and fashion. Well, do the Na'vi in "Avatar" have a sense of fashion? Yes, I guess they do.

Moving on. "Coco Before Chanel" is a biopic about the early days of French designer and icon "Coco". It's currently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design which is would rightly deserve if it wins. At times, there were almost snapshots from another beautiful fashionable film - "My Fair Lady". Overall, it was slow moving narrative but the film was gorgeous to look at.

Avatar IMAX 3D

I am so far behind on these reviews it's not even funny. Call it laziness. Blame a new job. Hate on the super mild somewhat gorgeous winter we've been having in the Northwest. Whatever. I'm sorry. Anyway, just like those awesome animated bunnies who tell complete movie plots in 30 seconds or less (click here, you won't be disappointed)...here are my quick and easy - down and dirty latest 3 reviews.

Avatar. Avatar. Best picture of the year? Really? It bears repeating. Best picture of the year. Give me an effing break. I am not going to deny the impact and sheer beauty of the impressive visuals on display in this film but the story lacks any significant punch. It's almost an afterthought based on basic plot lines that aren't very engaging. The character development disappears after about the first hour or so...and yes - you still have two more hours to go after that. The movie is fun and entertaining to be sure but again...best picture of the year? You be the judge.

A Single Man

"A Single Man" is based on a novel by Christopher Isherwood and it's easy to see how it would be a good read. As a film however it gets a bit too lethargic for my tastes with long drawn out editorial while the audience is supposed to be disappearing into the narrative. It's the directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford and it's clear that his style sensibility was front and center. The design of the film is positively exquisite. With the help of the team from the TV series "Mad Men" the style of 1960s is undeniably its own character in this film.

The most notable and clear standout of the film however is Colin Firth's Oscar nominated performance as George Falconer, a man mourning the loss of his partner. It's tragic and invites you to ache with him as he copes. While not the most uplifting movie it still provides an escape for the viewer as you are transported to another era to experience the painful journey along with Falconer.

The trailer is here.

Love Happens

Not in this movie it doesn't. Okay, so I was going for a theme this month, obviously. It's officially over. This movie was TERRIBLE. Arg. What a waste of time. I knew better. But I did it anyway.

Margot at the Wedding

umm, too depressing and boring.  didn't even finish it.

New York, I Love You

"New York, I Love You" is brought to us by the same producer of "Paris, Je T'aime". Like the Parisian love poem, it's also a collaborative film from notable directors, writers, and actors coming together to create short stories of love in The Big Apple. While it was enjoyable to be sure, the artistry and cinematic cleverness present in "Paris Je T'aime" is severely lacking.

Trailer is here.

Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself

A little too much singing. And a little over the top drama. But "Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself" has at its core, a heart that steadily beats and keeps you watching. It certainly didn't inspire me to write much about it, but that's the beauty of a blog. I can write as little or as much as I want. Fin.

9

Hmm. After finishing up "9", I must admit I felt like I'd seen it all before. Was that...the strange doll-headed mechanical spider creature from "Toy Story"? Splitting souls? Is this "Harry Potter"? Post-apocalyptic animation..."Wall-E"? What I hadn't seen was animation quite like this so that was a positive. But other than that, the story wasn't all that engaging and I was far from riveted. I wanted to like this film in fact I was really hoping to catch it while it was still in theaters. But in the end, I was left a bit empty.

The trailer is here.

Bright Star

Directed by Jane Campion ("The Piano"), "Bright Star" chronicles the love affair between real life poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. It took about 30 minutes for me to engage in this one (which I think is far too long). However once I did I found the two protagonists to be sweet and genuine in addition to their flair for the dramatic. The color palate was gorgeous and rich and was perfectly woven together through the costume design. The music I found fairly distracting which was frustrating. If I worked on a 5 star system (which generally, I don't)...I would likely give it 3 stars. Worth renting, likely on a grey, rainy evening.

Terminator Salvation

Umm, horrible. Unfinishable. It's $#&(ing awful.

Nine

Rob Marshall's film adaptation of the Broadway musical "Nine" leaves much to be desired. Well, I suppose there's actually plenty to desire - but it's missing a lot of key elements that would make for a great film. The most important one is, frankly - good music. Sure, the idea of it seems brilliant - a musical based on famous neo-realist Italian director Federico Fellini's "8 1/2"? Why not make a movie out of it? I'll tell you why not...because the trailer for this film was the best part about it (very good by the way if you haven't seen it - it features the only good song in the movie and it's wonderfully edited. You can see it here.).

Here's where I'm confused. The musical won 5 Tony awards. Really? For the music? Yes. It won for best score (which apparently includes both music and lyrics). Wow.

One of the standout efforts of this film adaptation is certainly the use of fantasy which emerged from Fellini's neo-realist period. The cast is the best money can buy: Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Marion Cotillard, and yes...Fergie. This makes me wonder...if a cast like this can't make a movie truly sing, it must not have been that great to begin with.

Sorry about this review being rather boring. I was rather uninspired and disappointed while viewing it.

The Fall

"The Fall" seems to almost be a global mash-up of sorts - a dreamy tribute reflecting a true passion for films. Its storytelling convention reads as an homage to "The Wizard of Oz". Its visual artistry has roots in Chinese films like "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers" as well as "Pan's Labyrinth" from Mexico and hints of "Amelie" from France. Its sound design is almost magical akin to Akira Kurosawa's "Dreams". And its pacing and performance seems as though Spanish director Pedro Almodovar was in fact conducting at times. The director is from India - Tarsem Singh - the visionary behind another eye-popping film "The Cell". His career began in music videos and has now covered commercials and films as well. His work can be seen here. His artistic sensibility is very well-defined and his work is clearly artfully crafted. I'm looking forward to seeing more of his vision in cinema.

For every brushstroke of Tarsem's there was an equally talented co-pilot in director of photography Colin Watkinson. It's shocking that outside of commercial work his credits as the DP only include one other film and the TV show "Entourage". This man needs to be hired for more films - my goodness. The film looks like a fine art photographer wrapped it up in his arms and kissed it with light. It's simply beautiful to look at. The opening title sequence alone is positively stunning.

I will say the one thing that was lacking was a powerful and utterly engaging story. The art direction far surpassed the level of the narrative and it would have been a home run with a more intricately involved script. Hopefully that will be developed further in Tarsem's later work.

The trailer can be seen here.

Sherlock Holmes

Today, I'm breaking with tradition and have decided to write about a movie before I've seen it. Crazy. I know. There is a reason though, promise. I feel with a movie with this much anticipation and expectation on my end, it's imperative to set up where I'm coming from beforehand - lest my opinion be taken less seriously (who out there actually takes my opinion seriously?). Back when director Guy Ritchie hit the US scene he completely wowed us with "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch". Both films were fun, quick, clever and so...un-American and distinctly British. We loved the stories, the characters, the overall absurdity. Then...he made "Swept Away". Oh. My. God. What a travesty of a movie. Those of us who know what the man is capable of were pretty depressed about that. I mean really...what happened? There have been a couple drops in the pan since then but somewhere along the way, he got on board to direct "Sherlock Holmes" with the star power of Robert Downey, Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Holmes' right hand man - Watson. Now, Holmes is a classic detective character from literature adored by many. Ritchie, please don't muck this up. Also - can Downey, Jr pull off a true Brit? I'm expecting action, comedy, and cleverness - all the usual tricks. Hopes are high. Bring it on!

Post-movie:
Alright. That was fun. Really really really fun. It looked like a storybook illustration at times. It had subtle homages to Hitchcock's genius and Ritchie's own films. It delivered all the wit and quickness that I hoped it would. More than all of that, it was the natural progression of some of Ritchie's old bag of tricks: speed ramps/slo mo, whipping delivery of the lines, comradery, fantastic sound design, and most especially brilliant storytelling techniques - all taken to the next level. As in his early works, virtually everything is a puzzle, a mystery - just waiting to be discovered and unraveled - how appropriate for a film about a detective. Robert Downey, Jr is great as Holmes and together with Jude Law - it's double trouble. They make a great team.

Extract

True story. I watched the movie "Extract" about 45 minutes after having 4 wisdom teeth removed (I heart irony). Thus, I slept through somewhere between 85-90% of this movie. I had high expectations - Mike Judge helmed...Jason Bateman starring...how could this be a snooze? Well, in the time I was awake - I think it fell a little flat.

It's Complicated

Yes. Relationships are complicated. Divorces? So much more complicated. Deciding to have an affair with your ex? Oh my! What I love about director Nancy Meyers is that she doesn't shy away from mature romances (just like in "Something's Gotta Give", "What Women Want" and "The Parent Trap" remake) and she always manages to find comedy in things that we so often don't talk about (plastic surgery, divorce). No one else is telling these stories. No one else takes on the subject of age in such an honest and funny way. "It's Complicated" isn't the funniest film from 2009 (I would venture to give that honor to "The Hangover") but it's certainly going to make you laugh. With an all-star cast of Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin you know you're going to get your money's worth. Here's the trailer.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

I should preface this review by saying I've always been a big fan of director Wes Anderson. With that in mind...I loved "Fantastic Mr. Fox". The movie is adapted from a 1970 children's book of the same name by Roald Dahl (you might be familiar with some of his other whimsical works, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach) . My viewing audience was a smidge too young to fully appreciate the nuances throughout the film but that's okay - the few adults in the theater did. Anderson's signature attention to detail is in full effect in this stop-action animated joy ride and as always the soundtrack is great. The quickly delivered lines and sharp sarcasm came so fast that I think it will take multiple viewings for me to get all the jokes. You can see the trailer here.

Taking Woodstock

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome to my first post of 2010! May this year bring wonderful things for you! I've been cleaning shop a little around here and hopefully, you'll like the changes. The biggest thing is that I hope you will comment! If you've seen any of these films and want to add your 2 cents, you are HIGHLY encouraged to do so!

With that out of the way, today's bit of cinematic fodder is "Taking Woodstock" brought to us by director Ang Lee. The film is based on a the memoir of Elliot Tiber and Tom Monte and centers on Elliot's community of Bethel, New York and the planning and implementation of the Woodstock Festival. Elliot Tiber is played by comedian, Demetri Martin and he is supported by a slew of first rate performers - most notably Imelda Staunton (as Elliot's forceful mother), Eugene Levy, Liev Schreiber, and Emile Hirsch.

The split screen style that Lee utilizes frequently gets old pretty fast and honestly, a movie about Woodstock should have more music in it, but overall - it was pretty enjoyable. The performances are great and the story is incredibly fascinating. Imagine for a moment that Woodstock hadn't happened. Sure, things would be the same, but would they? The event was transformative for an entire generation. Also of note, it's billed as a comedy-drama but really it's about 15% comedy and 85% drama - just so your expectations are in check.

Worth a watch. The trailer is here.