10 Movies I've Watched This Month
I've watched ten movies so far this month.
I'm going to talk about them. They're not in order, because I'm too lazy to remember it. Spoiler free...ish.
Dedication
Mandy Moore was absolutely stunning in this movie. She had this beautiful dark hair, and isn't orange tan so the blue-ish lighting in some of the scenes made her look pale and porcelain. A tortured indie Audrey Hepburn. With curves. This movie wasn't that great, but it had its moments. Its not a perfect directorial debut, but you can see potential from the beautiful amazing Justin Theroux. The biggest problem with this movie was that it didn't really know what kind of movie it wanted to be, but it had its moments (my favorite of which was a scene in an observatory with "Bridges and Balloons" by Joanna Newsom). I loved the use of music (essential for an indie romance), most of which was by the fabulous Deerhoof. It was pretty well acted, and I even liked Billy Crudup's lead role. I basically hate him as a human being because he is a wretched homewrecker, but for some reason his character was interesting. His portrayal of his character's nervoses were over the top at times, but for the most part the character was well acted and intriguing. Great performances as well from Tom Wilkinson and Dianne Wiest. B-
The Piano Teacher
I saw Funny Games on a Saturday night, put aside 3 other Michael Haneke (director) movies at work on Sunday, and rented them on Monday. It took me awhile to get to this because I knew it would be intense. Man. Intense is one word. It is a very well crafted film, FLAWLESSLY acted, but the lead character was so perverse and internally sinister and deranged that I had a hard time emotionally connecting to anything in the film which is something that is really important for me. Its sort of difficult to describe, but the Isabelle Huppert's character was really unsettling. If you were to ask me if it was a good movie, I would say yes, hands down, but I had to disconnect myself from the emotions of the characters to get through it. B
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Cate Blanchett was amazing, as always. Clive Owen was sexy, as always. Geoffrey Rush was fantastic, as always. This movie was beautiful, but the script wasn't there to support the actors, the splendor of the source material, and the flawlessness of the first Elizabeth. That's all I have to say. B-
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
When did I start loving Westerns? When did this happen? I'm pretty sure there was a spark after the second volume of Kill Bill and then after watching Firefly the first time. But then those little sparks were replaced with the full blown, unstoppable chemical fire that is Deadwood. I absolutely adored this movie. Casey Affleck was amazing. Brad Pitt was amazing. Every single supporting character was amazing. It was a beautiful and atmospheric film. Filmed in Canada. <3 Canada forever and for always. Amazing music (Nick Cave <3). There are so many little details about this movie that I loved and am far too lazy to go into. A-
Jane Austen Book Club
Yuck. This part. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. If Emily Blunt wasn't in this movie, I would hate it almost as much as I Know Who Killed Me and BloodRayne. She (and Kevin Zegerslolz) was THE ONLY good thing about it. It was so cheesy and indulgent with itself. Yuck. D+
Descent
This movie made me sad and uncomfortable on an emotional level. However, I don't really feel comfortable reviewing it because I watched the rated-R version as opposed to the NC-17. It felt butchered, and the editing pulled me out of the drama and visceral nature of the storyline. That was my biggest issue and I don't feel comfortable judging it based on the bastardized version of the film I saw. n/a
The Brave One
I didn't like this movie. I understood its attempts at depth and complexity (the heroine's empty shell of a body wandering around the city and the irony of her profession as a radio host), but it all just fell short. It was excessive in odd ways, enough so that there was a disconnect, and not in a way that worked parallel with the character's disillusionment. This movie was under the impression that female revenge was a new unexplored concept in cinema, but its not. Japanese revenge films. Kill Bill. Carrie. The presence of female heroes in horror, IN GENERAL. Her character's emotional journey with revenge via detachment wasn't realistic. Revenge is about passion. It has to be. I just didn't buy it, despite its 'illusions' of grandeur. C-
Across the Universe
I wanted to love this movie. I liked, but didn't love. There were certain sequences that I loved, but I was left wanting more. I loved Jim Sturgess. He is talented and incredibly attractive. That is something I liked about Across the Universe. Also Eddie Izzard. I liked "I've Just Seen A Face", "Across the Universe", "Hey Jude", and "Strawberry Fields Forever". Oh and did I mention I love Jim Sturgess. B
The Iron Giant
This movie was so amazing. It had a beautiful simplicity for a movie starring a 100-foot-tall robot. And I cried. If I was a parent, I would make my kids watch this movie and Ferngully as often as possible. Breeding little anti-gun environmentalist radicals. A
Kill Bill Volume 1
I love this movie. With all my heart. Every second. Every frame. It's flawless. The editing and treatment of color is among my favorite in any movie. I remember it very well. Quotes. Movements. Music. I love it. My favorite shot: The Bride opening the door to the garden ^icon. My favorite use of music: O-Ren taking off her shoes and stepping forward right as "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" starts. A+
I'm going to talk about them. They're not in order, because I'm too lazy to remember it. Spoiler free...ish.
Dedication
Mandy Moore was absolutely stunning in this movie. She had this beautiful dark hair, and isn't orange tan so the blue-ish lighting in some of the scenes made her look pale and porcelain. A tortured indie Audrey Hepburn. With curves. This movie wasn't that great, but it had its moments. Its not a perfect directorial debut, but you can see potential from the beautiful amazing Justin Theroux. The biggest problem with this movie was that it didn't really know what kind of movie it wanted to be, but it had its moments (my favorite of which was a scene in an observatory with "Bridges and Balloons" by Joanna Newsom). I loved the use of music (essential for an indie romance), most of which was by the fabulous Deerhoof. It was pretty well acted, and I even liked Billy Crudup's lead role. I basically hate him as a human being because he is a wretched homewrecker, but for some reason his character was interesting. His portrayal of his character's nervoses were over the top at times, but for the most part the character was well acted and intriguing. Great performances as well from Tom Wilkinson and Dianne Wiest. B-
The Piano Teacher
I saw Funny Games on a Saturday night, put aside 3 other Michael Haneke (director) movies at work on Sunday, and rented them on Monday. It took me awhile to get to this because I knew it would be intense. Man. Intense is one word. It is a very well crafted film, FLAWLESSLY acted, but the lead character was so perverse and internally sinister and deranged that I had a hard time emotionally connecting to anything in the film which is something that is really important for me. Its sort of difficult to describe, but the Isabelle Huppert's character was really unsettling. If you were to ask me if it was a good movie, I would say yes, hands down, but I had to disconnect myself from the emotions of the characters to get through it. B
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Cate Blanchett was amazing, as always. Clive Owen was sexy, as always. Geoffrey Rush was fantastic, as always. This movie was beautiful, but the script wasn't there to support the actors, the splendor of the source material, and the flawlessness of the first Elizabeth. That's all I have to say. B-
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
When did I start loving Westerns? When did this happen? I'm pretty sure there was a spark after the second volume of Kill Bill and then after watching Firefly the first time. But then those little sparks were replaced with the full blown, unstoppable chemical fire that is Deadwood. I absolutely adored this movie. Casey Affleck was amazing. Brad Pitt was amazing. Every single supporting character was amazing. It was a beautiful and atmospheric film. Filmed in Canada. <3 Canada forever and for always. Amazing music (Nick Cave <3). There are so many little details about this movie that I loved and am far too lazy to go into. A-
Jane Austen Book Club
Yuck. This part. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. If Emily Blunt wasn't in this movie, I would hate it almost as much as I Know Who Killed Me and BloodRayne. She (and Kevin Zegerslolz) was THE ONLY good thing about it. It was so cheesy and indulgent with itself. Yuck. D+
Descent
This movie made me sad and uncomfortable on an emotional level. However, I don't really feel comfortable reviewing it because I watched the rated-R version as opposed to the NC-17. It felt butchered, and the editing pulled me out of the drama and visceral nature of the storyline. That was my biggest issue and I don't feel comfortable judging it based on the bastardized version of the film I saw. n/a
The Brave One
I didn't like this movie. I understood its attempts at depth and complexity (the heroine's empty shell of a body wandering around the city and the irony of her profession as a radio host), but it all just fell short. It was excessive in odd ways, enough so that there was a disconnect, and not in a way that worked parallel with the character's disillusionment. This movie was under the impression that female revenge was a new unexplored concept in cinema, but its not. Japanese revenge films. Kill Bill. Carrie. The presence of female heroes in horror, IN GENERAL. Her character's emotional journey with revenge via detachment wasn't realistic. Revenge is about passion. It has to be. I just didn't buy it, despite its 'illusions' of grandeur. C-
Across the Universe
I wanted to love this movie. I liked, but didn't love. There were certain sequences that I loved, but I was left wanting more. I loved Jim Sturgess. He is talented and incredibly attractive. That is something I liked about Across the Universe. Also Eddie Izzard. I liked "I've Just Seen A Face", "Across the Universe", "Hey Jude", and "Strawberry Fields Forever". Oh and did I mention I love Jim Sturgess. B
The Iron Giant
This movie was so amazing. It had a beautiful simplicity for a movie starring a 100-foot-tall robot. And I cried. If I was a parent, I would make my kids watch this movie and Ferngully as often as possible. Breeding little anti-gun environmentalist radicals. A
Kill Bill Volume 1
I love this movie. With all my heart. Every second. Every frame. It's flawless. The editing and treatment of color is among my favorite in any movie. I remember it very well. Quotes. Movements. Music. I love it. My favorite shot: The Bride opening the door to the garden ^icon. My favorite use of music: O-Ren taking off her shoes and stepping forward right as "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" starts. A+