[2011] 100 Films Project! Jul 4th - Aug 14th
+14 Films: #75. Okuribito (2008), #76. Red Riding Hood (2011), #77. Oscar And Lucinda (1997), #78. Dummy (2002), #79. Smukke Mennesker (2010), #80. X-Men: First Class (2011), #81. Gigante (2009), #82. C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005), #83. Polytechnique (2009), #84. Like Dandelion Dust (2009), #85. Submarine (2010), #86. Super (2010), #87. Bridesmaids (2011), and #88. Nosso Lar (2010).
Why do I let these films pile up? *shakes head* I know why... Besides the fact that LJ has been a little bitch these past few days I do tend to procrastinate a lot. Oh well... bear with the tiny reviews. If anyone wants more depth just ask in the comments and I'll try to do better :D
okuribito (2008)+
6/10 ******
Plot: A newly unemployed cellist takes a job preparing the dead for funerals.
Beautiful, touching, quirky and with a heavy sense of "decency" to it. Just my cup of tea. Some bits are terribly slow though. Otherwise would be a 7 or 8.
red riding hood (2011)+
3/10 ***
Plot: Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure.
What an uninteresting, clichéd, all-around awful mess!
oscar and lucinda (1997)+
4/10 ****
Plot: In mid-1800's England, Oscar is a young Anglican priest, a misfit and an outcast, but with the soul of an angel. As a boy, even though from a strict Pentecostal family, he felt God told him through a sign to leave his father and his faith and join the Church of England. Lucinda is a teen-aged Australian heiress who has an almost desperate desire to liberate her sex from the confines of the male-dominated culture of the Australia of that time. She buys a glass factory and has a dream of building a church made almost entirely of glass, and then transporting it to the Australian Outback. Oscar and Lucinda meet on a ship going to Australia; once there, they are for different reasons ostracized from society, and as a result "join forces" together. Oscar and Lucinda are both passionate gamblers, and Lucinda bets Oscar her entire inheritance that he cannot transport the glass church to the Outback safely.
This film really wasted Blanchett and Fiennes' talent. What a tedious little piece of cinema this is. The story goes nowhere and it's extremely long timewise! It's a conundrum indeed. I would have given a 3 but for the forementioned actors, who did the best with the script they had, I gave it a 4. What a waste of time!
dummy (2002)+
5/10 *****
Plot: An ex-office worker becomes a ventriloquist, leading to a date with his unemployment counselor; but his quirky family and a gauche female friend may thwart his new career and love life.
Again: quirky, fresh and interesting. My cup of tea. Reminded me a bit of Lars And The Real Girl for some reason.
smukke mennesker (2010)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Follows the lives of four longing souls. Ingeborg who feels unattractive and young Jonas who is so attractive that he can literally sell some of what he's got. Anna, a young beautiful woman with a physical disability, and Anders, a tender man with a psychological disability. Four people yearning for love, four people, each hoping for a better tomorrow.
Not as good as I thought it would be, but not horrible. The plot flops a bit after a while into the film and the story turns a bit into a diconcerting/bad direction.
x-men: first class (2011)+
6/10 ******
Plot: In 1962, the United States government enlists the help of Mutants with superhuman abilities to stop a malicious dictator who is determined to start world war III.
Decent. I enjoyed it. Not "all that" as I've been hearing but still a nice experience. Loved the cast (McAvoy, Fassbender, Byrne, Lawrence, Bacon...). With the exception of January Jones (sadly), who I enjoy so much in Mad Men but the woman was abysmal in this film. A wooden door could have shown more flexibility, intonation and, you know, human emotions in general. Cringe worthy performance, JJ. Anyhow, the plot could have used more bite but I thoroughly appreciated the Xavier/Magneto interactions. One thing else: they did a terrible job depicting the 60's. They shouldn't have set the film into that period if they were going to be so careless and dismissive about it. Big no-no!
gigante (2009)+
4/10 ****
Plot: A chronicle of a supermarket security guard's obsession with a late-shift janitor.
Doesn't live up to the comments I heard. At all. Yes, it's sort of endearing, but you have to have a plot and meaning at some point.
c.r.a.z.y. (2005)+
7/10 *******
Plot: Born Christmas Day 1960, Zac Beaulieu is the fourth of five sons of Gervais and Laurianne Beaulieu. Zac feels somewhat disconnected to his brothers, all of whom are different from each other. They include the bookworm Christian who is the eldest, the dumb jock Antoine who is third, and the youngest Yvan. But Zac has the most contempt for his second eldest brother, the shiftless druggie Raymond. To his devout Catholic mother, Zac is her miracle son, both for being born the same day as Jesus Christ (a fact which Zac has always hated), and because a Tupperware-selling mystic once told her that he has the power to heal. Laurianne has always coddled Zac, the two who have a special if unspoken bond. But Zac wants more to please his father, who wants more than anything in his sons that they grow up to be man's men and not sissies. As Zac goes through his mid-teens to early twenties, Zac isn't sure if he can live up to the ideals of either his mother or especially his father.
Really, *really* liked it! Touching, emotional, quirky and yet poignant and with a kick-ass soundtrack. Definitely my cup of tea!
polytechnique (2009)+
5/10 *****
Plot: A dramatization of the Montreal Massacre of 1989 where several female engineering students were murdered by an unstable misogynist.
Interesting but somehow unfulfilling. I guess the latter can be traced to its unnecessary slowness.
like dandelion dust (2009)+
6/10 ******
Plot: A compelling drama that explores the different meanings of being a parent through the gritty, realistic lives of the struggling, blue-collar Porters, and the privileged Campbell family. Their lives intersect, intertwine and collide, all for the love of a little boy. This film bravely exposes the humanity in each character reminding us that we each have the potential to be the best and worst versions of ourselves at any time.
Touching and compelling. Seriously, Barry Pepper must be one of the most underrated actors alive these days. The man's got skills!
submarine (2010)+
7/10 *******
Plot: 15-year-old Oliver Tate has two objectives: To lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to extinguish the flame between his mother and an ex-lover who has resurfaced in her life.
I wanted to catch it in the cinema but I couldn't wait any longer and I knew my shitty town wouldn't put it up. So, my friend hooked me up. Awesome film! Once more: my cup of tea. Quirky, interesting, compelling, thought-inducing, great script, not too serious on itself... I usually frown upon films about teens but this one is definitely an exception. It must be said though that it forces some pretentiousness at times but nothing too offputting. Great original soundtrack by Turner and good cinematography (even if tips towards self-indulgence on the director's part at small periods of time). Shout-out to Hawkins: another underrated actress. Anyhow, great first work on film by Ayoade!
super (2010)+
5/10 *****
Plot: After his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills.
It's actually not bad. I just felt surprised by it, that's all. I was expecting a comedy and all I got was this dark... thing. The people in charge of marketing screwed up in my opinion, and it messed up with my opinion and viewing experience. Weird.
bridesmaids (2011)+
6/10 ******
Plot: Picked as her best friend's maid of honor, lovelorn and broke Annie looks to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals with an oddball group of bridesmaids.
Another one that I wanted to watch on the silver screen but was prevented by my shitty city. I couldn't wait any longer and just watched it. Super funny! Better than The Hangover in my opinion. There were several times in which I literally laughed out loud. And I'm usually not the type to laugh "out loud" to films. Of course there are some times -- as it is the case with all comedies -- where the so-called comic bits fall flat and become cringe worthy, but there aren't as many in this film. Flawless cast and hello! The Hamm is present! Even though he is a complete ass in the flick. Anyways, job well done Miss Wiig! Funny *and* interesting sort of rom-com.
nosso lar (2010)+
4/10 ****
Plot: The life of the doctor André Luiz in the spiritual city of Nosso Lar.
Nothing ground-breaking. Simple storyline and lots of clichés, but still manages to give some well-known, valid life lessons.
Why do I let these films pile up? *shakes head* I know why... Besides the fact that LJ has been a little bitch these past few days I do tend to procrastinate a lot. Oh well... bear with the tiny reviews. If anyone wants more depth just ask in the comments and I'll try to do better :D
okuribito (2008)+
6/10 ******
Plot: A newly unemployed cellist takes a job preparing the dead for funerals.
Beautiful, touching, quirky and with a heavy sense of "decency" to it. Just my cup of tea. Some bits are terribly slow though. Otherwise would be a 7 or 8.
red riding hood (2011)+
3/10 ***
Plot: Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure.
What an uninteresting, clichéd, all-around awful mess!
oscar and lucinda (1997)+
4/10 ****
Plot: In mid-1800's England, Oscar is a young Anglican priest, a misfit and an outcast, but with the soul of an angel. As a boy, even though from a strict Pentecostal family, he felt God told him through a sign to leave his father and his faith and join the Church of England. Lucinda is a teen-aged Australian heiress who has an almost desperate desire to liberate her sex from the confines of the male-dominated culture of the Australia of that time. She buys a glass factory and has a dream of building a church made almost entirely of glass, and then transporting it to the Australian Outback. Oscar and Lucinda meet on a ship going to Australia; once there, they are for different reasons ostracized from society, and as a result "join forces" together. Oscar and Lucinda are both passionate gamblers, and Lucinda bets Oscar her entire inheritance that he cannot transport the glass church to the Outback safely.
This film really wasted Blanchett and Fiennes' talent. What a tedious little piece of cinema this is. The story goes nowhere and it's extremely long timewise! It's a conundrum indeed. I would have given a 3 but for the forementioned actors, who did the best with the script they had, I gave it a 4. What a waste of time!
dummy (2002)+
5/10 *****
Plot: An ex-office worker becomes a ventriloquist, leading to a date with his unemployment counselor; but his quirky family and a gauche female friend may thwart his new career and love life.
Again: quirky, fresh and interesting. My cup of tea. Reminded me a bit of Lars And The Real Girl for some reason.
smukke mennesker (2010)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Follows the lives of four longing souls. Ingeborg who feels unattractive and young Jonas who is so attractive that he can literally sell some of what he's got. Anna, a young beautiful woman with a physical disability, and Anders, a tender man with a psychological disability. Four people yearning for love, four people, each hoping for a better tomorrow.
Not as good as I thought it would be, but not horrible. The plot flops a bit after a while into the film and the story turns a bit into a diconcerting/bad direction.
x-men: first class (2011)+
6/10 ******
Plot: In 1962, the United States government enlists the help of Mutants with superhuman abilities to stop a malicious dictator who is determined to start world war III.
Decent. I enjoyed it. Not "all that" as I've been hearing but still a nice experience. Loved the cast (McAvoy, Fassbender, Byrne, Lawrence, Bacon...). With the exception of January Jones (sadly), who I enjoy so much in Mad Men but the woman was abysmal in this film. A wooden door could have shown more flexibility, intonation and, you know, human emotions in general. Cringe worthy performance, JJ. Anyhow, the plot could have used more bite but I thoroughly appreciated the Xavier/Magneto interactions. One thing else: they did a terrible job depicting the 60's. They shouldn't have set the film into that period if they were going to be so careless and dismissive about it. Big no-no!
gigante (2009)+
4/10 ****
Plot: A chronicle of a supermarket security guard's obsession with a late-shift janitor.
Doesn't live up to the comments I heard. At all. Yes, it's sort of endearing, but you have to have a plot and meaning at some point.
c.r.a.z.y. (2005)+
7/10 *******
Plot: Born Christmas Day 1960, Zac Beaulieu is the fourth of five sons of Gervais and Laurianne Beaulieu. Zac feels somewhat disconnected to his brothers, all of whom are different from each other. They include the bookworm Christian who is the eldest, the dumb jock Antoine who is third, and the youngest Yvan. But Zac has the most contempt for his second eldest brother, the shiftless druggie Raymond. To his devout Catholic mother, Zac is her miracle son, both for being born the same day as Jesus Christ (a fact which Zac has always hated), and because a Tupperware-selling mystic once told her that he has the power to heal. Laurianne has always coddled Zac, the two who have a special if unspoken bond. But Zac wants more to please his father, who wants more than anything in his sons that they grow up to be man's men and not sissies. As Zac goes through his mid-teens to early twenties, Zac isn't sure if he can live up to the ideals of either his mother or especially his father.
Really, *really* liked it! Touching, emotional, quirky and yet poignant and with a kick-ass soundtrack. Definitely my cup of tea!
polytechnique (2009)+
5/10 *****
Plot: A dramatization of the Montreal Massacre of 1989 where several female engineering students were murdered by an unstable misogynist.
Interesting but somehow unfulfilling. I guess the latter can be traced to its unnecessary slowness.
like dandelion dust (2009)+
6/10 ******
Plot: A compelling drama that explores the different meanings of being a parent through the gritty, realistic lives of the struggling, blue-collar Porters, and the privileged Campbell family. Their lives intersect, intertwine and collide, all for the love of a little boy. This film bravely exposes the humanity in each character reminding us that we each have the potential to be the best and worst versions of ourselves at any time.
Touching and compelling. Seriously, Barry Pepper must be one of the most underrated actors alive these days. The man's got skills!
submarine (2010)+
7/10 *******
Plot: 15-year-old Oliver Tate has two objectives: To lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to extinguish the flame between his mother and an ex-lover who has resurfaced in her life.
I wanted to catch it in the cinema but I couldn't wait any longer and I knew my shitty town wouldn't put it up. So, my friend hooked me up. Awesome film! Once more: my cup of tea. Quirky, interesting, compelling, thought-inducing, great script, not too serious on itself... I usually frown upon films about teens but this one is definitely an exception. It must be said though that it forces some pretentiousness at times but nothing too offputting. Great original soundtrack by Turner and good cinematography (even if tips towards self-indulgence on the director's part at small periods of time). Shout-out to Hawkins: another underrated actress. Anyhow, great first work on film by Ayoade!
super (2010)+
5/10 *****
Plot: After his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills.
It's actually not bad. I just felt surprised by it, that's all. I was expecting a comedy and all I got was this dark... thing. The people in charge of marketing screwed up in my opinion, and it messed up with my opinion and viewing experience. Weird.
bridesmaids (2011)+
6/10 ******
Plot: Picked as her best friend's maid of honor, lovelorn and broke Annie looks to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals with an oddball group of bridesmaids.
Another one that I wanted to watch on the silver screen but was prevented by my shitty city. I couldn't wait any longer and just watched it. Super funny! Better than The Hangover in my opinion. There were several times in which I literally laughed out loud. And I'm usually not the type to laugh "out loud" to films. Of course there are some times -- as it is the case with all comedies -- where the so-called comic bits fall flat and become cringe worthy, but there aren't as many in this film. Flawless cast and hello! The Hamm is present! Even though he is a complete ass in the flick. Anyways, job well done Miss Wiig! Funny *and* interesting sort of rom-com.
nosso lar (2010)+
4/10 ****
Plot: The life of the doctor André Luiz in the spiritual city of Nosso Lar.
Nothing ground-breaking. Simple storyline and lots of clichés, but still manages to give some well-known, valid life lessons.