100 Films Project! Apr 5th - Apr 18th
7 Films: The Guitar (2008), Have Dreams, Will Travel (2007), The Fall (2006), Angel (2007), Grace Is Gone (2007), Henry Poole Is Here (2008), and Wonderful World (2009).
Ladies and gentlemen, we *finally* have the FIRST film in the year to break the "7" rating mark! Congrats to the excellent, lucky son of a gun! Find out which one after the jump. And that tip just ruled out two contestants ;)
the guitar (2008)+
3/10 ***
Plot: The life of a woman is transformed after she is diagnosed with a terminal disease, fired from her job and abandoned by her boyfriend. Given two months to live, she throws caution to the wind to pursue her dreams.
Batshit crazy. That's how I would describe this film. Well, perhaps "batshit crazy" is what happens when you find out you only have months to live, right? What do I know? Nonetheless, it's pretty batshit crazy. And, frankly, I took it more like a joke, a humurous stunt, rather than a serious outtake on things. 'Cause that's the only way I could ever consider this hedonistic, consumerist (as in: dropping brand names like there is, literally, no tomorrow), mad attempt of a deep film. Too harsh?
have dreams, will travel (2007)+
3/10 ***
Plot: Set in the 1960's, a magical tale of two 12-year-olds embarking on an adventure to find new, cool parents and escape their neglected, overly adult,existence.
I fear I'm way too cynical to fully appreciate this one. I just can't buy it. Really, I can't. I honestly tried. Maybe this is a film for kids, which I've mistaken for being directed to a grownup audience. Am I the only one who thought the kids' "precocious" relationship a bit too eerie? Regardless the lack of actual sex (that indeed would be *really* eerie)? And what's with the big "secret" of the film? Please, I saw that from millions of kilometers away. Blindfolded. I think it *is* a film for kids after all.
the fall (2006)+
8/10 ********
Plot: In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm, a fantastical story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances.
This is the one, folks! Oh, Boy! Films like this one here reminds me again why I love the 7th art so much. Where should I begin? How should I begin to describe this little gem? It's a film that's so simple, so delicate, so pretty (and I don't mean only visually, which, by the way, it is very much so), so layered, so heartbreaking and yet heart-mending (if that's even a word), that words fail to touch its magic. Please, just trust me on this one and go watch it, if you haven't already. Remarkable! On a sidenote: could Lee Pace be any more lovely? I don't think so.
angel (2007)+
2/10 **
Plot: The rise and fall of a young eccentric British writer, in the early 20th century.
One big, bad soap opera. Let's not waste any more time on this than I already did while watching it, ok? How could Garai and Rampling be sucked into this is what I wonder...
grace is gone (2007)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Upon hearing his wife was killed in the Iraq war, a father takes his two daughters on a road trip.
Nice. Great performance by Cusack. No, the praise has nothing to do with my small crush on him. How dare you accuse me of that?! *lol* Has some touching moments. Falls flat on others, 'though. Truth be told.
henry poole is here (2008)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Henry Poole moves in to a house in his old neighborhood, to spend what he believes are his remaining days alone. The discovery of a "miracle" by a nosy neighbor ruptures his solitude and restores his faith in life.
Way better than I thought it would be. That's always very pleasant. Anyway, I really enjoyed it from start to finish. Again, I'm kind of cynical for this realm of films, but it gave me some food for the thought. That's also very pleasant. Too vague?
wonderful world (2009)+
4/10 ****
Plot: Ben Singer has his cynical worldview darkened by his roommate Ibu's sudden medical situation, though the arrival of Ibu's sister, Khadi, might remedy both men's ills.
Very so-so. I don't know exactly why it didn't do much for me, but it did not. Not awful, but not grand either. Good concept, 'though.
Ladies and gentlemen, we *finally* have the FIRST film in the year to break the "7" rating mark! Congrats to the excellent, lucky son of a gun! Find out which one after the jump. And that tip just ruled out two contestants ;)
the guitar (2008)+
3/10 ***
Plot: The life of a woman is transformed after she is diagnosed with a terminal disease, fired from her job and abandoned by her boyfriend. Given two months to live, she throws caution to the wind to pursue her dreams.
Batshit crazy. That's how I would describe this film. Well, perhaps "batshit crazy" is what happens when you find out you only have months to live, right? What do I know? Nonetheless, it's pretty batshit crazy. And, frankly, I took it more like a joke, a humurous stunt, rather than a serious outtake on things. 'Cause that's the only way I could ever consider this hedonistic, consumerist (as in: dropping brand names like there is, literally, no tomorrow), mad attempt of a deep film. Too harsh?
have dreams, will travel (2007)+
3/10 ***
Plot: Set in the 1960's, a magical tale of two 12-year-olds embarking on an adventure to find new, cool parents and escape their neglected, overly adult,existence.
I fear I'm way too cynical to fully appreciate this one. I just can't buy it. Really, I can't. I honestly tried. Maybe this is a film for kids, which I've mistaken for being directed to a grownup audience. Am I the only one who thought the kids' "precocious" relationship a bit too eerie? Regardless the lack of actual sex (that indeed would be *really* eerie)? And what's with the big "secret" of the film? Please, I saw that from millions of kilometers away. Blindfolded. I think it *is* a film for kids after all.
the fall (2006)+
8/10 ********
Plot: In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm, a fantastical story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances.
This is the one, folks! Oh, Boy! Films like this one here reminds me again why I love the 7th art so much. Where should I begin? How should I begin to describe this little gem? It's a film that's so simple, so delicate, so pretty (and I don't mean only visually, which, by the way, it is very much so), so layered, so heartbreaking and yet heart-mending (if that's even a word), that words fail to touch its magic. Please, just trust me on this one and go watch it, if you haven't already. Remarkable! On a sidenote: could Lee Pace be any more lovely? I don't think so.
angel (2007)+
2/10 **
Plot: The rise and fall of a young eccentric British writer, in the early 20th century.
One big, bad soap opera. Let's not waste any more time on this than I already did while watching it, ok? How could Garai and Rampling be sucked into this is what I wonder...
grace is gone (2007)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Upon hearing his wife was killed in the Iraq war, a father takes his two daughters on a road trip.
Nice. Great performance by Cusack. No, the praise has nothing to do with my small crush on him. How dare you accuse me of that?! *lol* Has some touching moments. Falls flat on others, 'though. Truth be told.
henry poole is here (2008)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Henry Poole moves in to a house in his old neighborhood, to spend what he believes are his remaining days alone. The discovery of a "miracle" by a nosy neighbor ruptures his solitude and restores his faith in life.
Way better than I thought it would be. That's always very pleasant. Anyway, I really enjoyed it from start to finish. Again, I'm kind of cynical for this realm of films, but it gave me some food for the thought. That's also very pleasant. Too vague?
wonderful world (2009)+
4/10 ****
Plot: Ben Singer has his cynical worldview darkened by his roommate Ibu's sudden medical situation, though the arrival of Ibu's sister, Khadi, might remedy both men's ills.
Very so-so. I don't know exactly why it didn't do much for me, but it did not. Not awful, but not grand either. Good concept, 'though.