3:10 To Yuma - (2007) - 9/10

I had a couple hours to kill this afternoon before I left for the crazy wedding weekend so I wanted to watch 310 to Yuma again with the commentary by director James Mangold. This movie totally re-establishes the modern western as a force to be reckoned with as the powerful presence of Russel Crowe and Christian Bale really capture the timeless themes of honor and family in this time period while also giving us modern action scenes that really complement the great steady cam work and scenery. Mangold managed a pretty engaging commentary as he talked about the reasons he wanted to remake this movie with these new stars as opposite ends of the spectrum who basically square off against eachother. I liked the passion he showed for trying to create a type of hyper-realism to the sets, costumes, and scenery so that when he picks up the pace with mixing close-ups with long shots, you really get a sense of being there within the gunfights and chases. He examines this underlying theme of Christian Bale's character battling with the outlaw Russel Crowe as the role model for his young son, going so far as to give them monalogues that show the good and bad sides of each guy so that we see the 3 dimensional humanity within each as not just one sided.

From deciding when to balance Marco Beltrami's score over special effects and such, Mangold really brought a kinetic energy and comradery within the movie that elevates it above others in this genre. The chemistry and match of wits b/w Crowe and Bale is almost like a micrcrosm for the entire movie that shows these conflicting ideals of violence and honor so that we don't really know who to root for. Ben Foster as Crowe's sidekick was the ultimate badass too and really brought up this sense of evil where he has no emotions or fear of killing people to save his boss. From the great stagecoach robbery to the camera moving finale, 310 to Yuma incorporates all the small character scenes with amazing cinematography and backgrounds so that you really care about what happens at the end and respect the struggle you experienced to get there. I hope more Westerns like this start to appear.

Apollo 13 (1995) - 9/10

In getting my Ron Howard fix this week, I wanted to check out another great commentary for Apollo 13. Everyone knows about or lived through the fateful story that the astronauts went through on this mission but what makes this movie so good is that it really brings you into the real situations and makes you feel for the family involved in the incident. Howard talks about meeting the actual players in the movie and wanting to show the little details they used up there like taping over the disconnect switch or the way Jim saw the landing spot they were supposed to go to on the moon. I liked the pace of the movie as we get these fictional accounts of the events they get called up to the launch and then the eventual suspense of trying to make it back alive. With Ed Harris, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, and of course Tom Hanks, Apolo 13 is filled with great roles and iconic characters that show the quick decisions needed to bring them home safe. Howard talks about the how they would switch between being on a set to the zero gravity pod they used to simulate the weightlessness so that with the power of editing you can't even tell the difference. From the problem solving excitement of the team on the ground guiding the astronauts, it's the little moments of victory and fear that balance so well with the cutting to the families watching that make it have such an emotinoal impact. Recreating this scenario must have been a nightmare for Howard as he talks about not knowing any of the technical terms NASA was using but instead just wanted to make an entertaining flick of this historic event. I like Apollo 13 for the tension it builds and the payoff that makes you happy knowing it really happened. Howard is a genius in showing the personal side of real events and sticking the audience right in the middle.

The Burrowers (2008) - 7/10

The Burrowers is a mixture of all types of genres that has some cool creatures and ideas but is too slow for the first half to be called great. What's interesting about this movie is it's basically like tremors or pitch black but set back in the past as a western, meaning lots of horse riding and badass characters who like to kill people. The film starts as a revenge flick for the characters think some crazy indians killed these women and kids in the middle of no where so they create a party to search out and hunt them down. But as we find out, it's not the indians doing the murdering but these old ass humanid creatures who vomit on your body and release this parasite that breaks down the body into mush so they can feed underground. I liked the dark night scenes only lit by the torches and the little hints of creature off the distance so that we get this impending dread of their power in numbers. As the western landscape provides a great backdrop to the isolation and horror these characters face, its the special fx that actually come through in providing believable monsters that stalk the people. By sacrificing people or using sunlight and spears, it's cool to see them battle these Burrowers with conventional weapons instead of just guns and bombs like in current films. By giving us 3 dimensional hardass characters who must battle the elements as well as these creatures, they up the conflict and realism so that the end fight scene feels well deserved. The only problem that I found with this was that the pace was all over the place, one minute trying to do an action scene then taking 10 minutes for exposition. I would rather of had a more constant pace of action and attacks instead of putting it all towards the finale. Mostly though, The Burrowers is weird blend of westerns, horror, and sci fi that could truly be one of the more original movies i've seen in a while.

Passengers (2008) - 6/10

I wasn't expecting much from Passengers but I like Patrick Wilson and Anne Hathaway is easy on the eyes so I decided to check this out. Unfortunately, this is another run of the mill mystery/sci fi movie that takes great ideas from other stories and tries to pile them all into the plot to pad the surprise ending. After plane crash survivors starts seeing weird occurences and are connected as part of a conspiracy, we slowly start to realize that not everything is what it seems and that the mystery of the event unfolds. For some reason I saw the ending of this movie coming from a mile away as we are supposed to feel sorry for Hathaway's character through therapy sessions and nightmares but I never felt bad for her since we think she survived. While things heat up b/w her and Wilson's character, I felt the love story seemed forced and there was never any true violence or terror happening to make her scared. By the end when we are given the realization of what actually happened, I felt that this was really the only way the story could go so it basically screwed itself by pushing the plot into a corner where all the characters are bad or die to serve the surprise ending. Overall, Hathaways was somewhat likeable and Wilson plays the nice guy well but I never felt like this movie was breaking ground or had enough surprise to warrant a positive review. Another waste of time...

A Beautiful Mind (2001) - 10/10

A Beautiful Mind is one of the most moving and uplifting pictures I'd ever seen so I wanted to go back and listen to the commentary by Ron Howard to see his thoughts on what it took to make it. Since I'm trying to get into the realm of Howard's films to get ready for A&D, I was very excited to hear him share the research and real meetings he had with John Nash and his wife to get the true stories of what he went through while at his time at Princeton. For me this is one of my favorite Russel Crowe performances as he's just so great at getting totally involved in this character from the beginning with the little nuances of not fitting in to seeing the equations in the world around him. Howard explains filming on campus to putting in details of how Nash sees the world whether it be the light relecting off a glass or the way he creates his first paper by understanding how we as men try to pick up women.

I liked the idea that he gets his idea by interacting with people in the real world to try and solve his reason for quantum mechanics or an equation to tie everything together. Howards points out direct instances where birds don't fly when the girl walks through or when it's always Nash POV when looking at his imaginary friends which all give hints as to his schizophrenia later down the road. The battle with this disease to balance his love life while also trying to do something important in the mathematical world is given such detail that we symphathize and connect with the highs and lows of his career and want him to succeed. From the sweeping music by James Horner to the great makeup work to show him aging, A Beautiful Mind is an incredible true story about one of the smartest men that ever lived who fought this illness to do what he always dreamed of. Howard's commentary was great as you could see the close relationship he has with Nash and how he really wanted to show the dangers this disease could have on kids or the way that he shows mathmatetics are a part of everything in the world. I appreciate a movie like this that can make math accessable while also showing a rollercoaster ride of emotion that can take a toll on even the most important people. I did research on the real John Nash right after and understand why this story drew Howard's eye.

Cadillac Records (2008) - 6/10

Cadillac Records just didn't appeal to me for some reason and I usually like musical biopics. I guess I just didn't know enough about Muddy Waters and the people to see if they were realistical portrays and care about them. Unlike Ray, this movie focuses on a group of people and the music era they're living in which kind of made it hard to identify with one character. I thought the costumes, sets, and production design was very well done with little details like the cars, billboards and shops all reflecting the depression and history we are thrown into. But like most biopics, Cadillac Records falls into the rut of being cliched where we see the rise and fall of these characters who must battle record companies and the racist police who can't stand to see black people become famous. I liked the little sessions of live music they would play with Mos Def and others but it never seemed to fit into the overall picture or give it a theme to play off of but instead just seemed like a linear history channel documentary. I would rather of seen more attention paid to one person's struggle and the obstacle they had to overcome back then to get the music mainstream instead of this contstant party and astmosphere of family. Even though this is all based on true stories of Muddy Waters and other jazz legends, I am not older enough to have grown up listening to this music and appreciated the influence it has on today's artists. I think this movie has decent performances and great music montages but is too disjointed and random to be watched again.

I've Loved You So Long (2008) (Blu Ray) - 6/10

I heard good things about this movie and Kristin Scott Thomas' performance so I decided to check it out in all it's subtitled glory on Blu Ray today. While by no means a bad movie, I feel like i'd seen this story done many times before like most recently in Rachel Getting Married. When she returns from prison for killing her son and tries to reintegrate into society, it's was a weird thing to watch because people don't know exactly what happened and instead judge her by what they know. I liked the relationship b/w her and her family who are trying to open up their home to this conflicted soul but I just didn't see any conflict that took hold of the story to keep me interested. By giving us little bits of information about the crime and showing her slow acceptance of grief, we identify with her struggle to be accepted by the people around her and the power that an event like that can have on your will to survive. There are small moments of character development like when they're in the pool talking about men but in the end I just didn't feel like they gave us enough info to have a complete story. I've Loved You So Long was too slow and repetitive to be recommended but I'm sure european audiences will eat it up.

The Reader (2008) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

The Reader can definitely be considered a mature film, one that requires the emotional investment of the audience to identify with people who worked during the holocaust and the lives it affected in it's aftermath. While watching this again on Blu Ray, I found that what makes the story work so well is the way we are given the facts surrounding this man's relationship with Hannah and the flashback sequence that explains all the little details that we know have changed his life. Kate Winslet's oscar winning performance in this film is brilliant, a role that demanded she bare it all and yet still convey a rainbow of emotions to show how conflicted her demons are of her past. I liked the silent relationship that builds b/w her and Michael and the way that they both are basically using eachother to get what they need out of the situation. As we contrast her outlook on life which is trying to cleanse herself of these atrocities she was forced to witness with the curiousity he has about sex and the love he feels for this older woman, it's hard not to be a little creeped out.

The small hints that are dropped though like how she can't read the menu or the books he brings home all have meaning that helped me come to terms with her innocence by the end. From the intimate sex scenes, reading in bed, to her bathing him almost like a child, we see the reason each of these characters have for coming back to eachother which creates an emotional connection to both of them so when the film comes back to the present, we know what they've been through. This film is powerful in the ideas it brings forward regarding the Holocaust and how normal people were asked to work for the SS and the concentration camps not b/c they were bad but b/c they were forced to. The Reader is ultimately a movie that asks for forgiveness from Hannah's past and shows the deep impact love can have on someone's life if it's not fulfilled. I appreciated the recurring motifs of the books and how by the end he shows that he still loves her by recording his voice of all the stories and ultimately teaches her to read when she is on the verge of death. This movie is raw physical emotion coupled with accepting your past and forgiving someone who has made an impact on your life different than you expected. I enjoyed this movie for the deep characters and controversial subject matter.

Frost/Nixon (2008) (Blu Ray) - 9/10

Frost/Nixon is a lot more entertaining than it should be thanks to superb direction by Ron Howard and an excellent script by Peter Morgan. I obviously wasn't alive to watch the real life interview b/w David Frost and Richard Nixon but this movie really captures the surrounding events and people that led up to this historical event. What makes this compelling I think that really drew me in was this boxing match type of structure where we get to see the lives of both players and how different they truly are from one another. While Frost is a playboy and TV entertainer, Nixon is a confident and humble man who believes that what he did was right. Like so many other of Ron Howard's films, it's showing this false reality happening around this true life event so that we as an audience can understand all the research, pressure, and sacrifice Frost went through in order to prove everyone wrong and expose the truth.

With a great supporting cast of Oliver Platt, Kevin Bacon and Sam Rockwell, Frost/Nixon uses this type of archival interivew footage in retrospect to kind of show how people didn't believe this was going to work or that Frost wasn't the right man for the job. By cutting in between both groups of characters, we get this montage of research and information that builds up with such power that by the time the actual interviews happen, you can't help but be engaged. I literally watched this movie 3 times in a matter of days, once clean, once with the commentary by Howard, and another time with the behind the scenes Blu Ray picture and picture making of experience. And each time I gained a little bit more insight and understanding of why this story was so compelling to the filmmakers and I applaud their efforts to make this bland subject accessable. From actually filming on the Nixon estate to recreating birthday parties and hotel suites, they incorporate the real transcripts from the interviews into this movie editing magic to give it a life of it's own outside the play it was based on. After getting so into this, I literally started pulling out more of Ron Howards work just to listen to his commentaries. This definitely is a must see.

The Wrestler (2008) (Blu Ray) - 9/10

After watching The Wrestler again on Blu Ray, I wasn't impacted as much as the first time I saw it and understand why they didn't give Rourke the Oscar for his portrayal of Randy "The Ram" Robinson. Darren Aronofsky created one hell of an emotional rollercoaster ride of a movie that tries to show the true art of wrestling in all it's sweaty, bloody, steroiding glory. I really like the handheld feel that he uses which is so different from his glossy last pics like The Fountain and Requiem For A Dream, instead focusing on close ups of Rourke and his fans who bring a sense of authenticity to this story. By bringing us right into The Ram's aging downfall of a career, we immediately see the toll wresting has had on this body yet I connected with his passion for the sport and love for his estranged daughter.

The use of rock music to get me pumped up during the fight scenes was well used to bring a feeling of action and raw energy which is diretly contrasted with the somber score by Clint Mansell during the time when Rourke breaks down on screen. By showing the relationships and secrets behind the scenes of wrestling, I almost saw it as honoring it as an art form that these guys do and that when his heart attack finally happens, we feel for Rourke as he connects with Tomei's stripper. The way he examines these ugly professions of wrestling and stripping by showing us genuine real life people really helps bring the emotional punch that this movie needs so by the end we feel sad for The Ram and know he can't give it up. From the deli counter scene where he flips out or how the wrestlers argue about who is going to do what before the match starts, it's the little jokes that lighten the mood within a very dark and depressing movie that make this so good. The Wrestler is a hard movie to watch but totally worth it in the end, a rare comeback performance by Rourke where he puts everything he has up on the screen to capture the true fear of being alone.

Mary Poppins (1964) - 8/10

For some reason I had Mary Poppins songs in my head this week so I decided to watch this Disney classic with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke this morning. Thought it's not my favorite Disney movie, it's a lot of fun and Julie Andrews is just amazing as Mary Poppins' crazy nanny. I've been watchin a lot of Disney Blu Rays lately and really wish this was out but the restoration still looks great as there are lots of animation and matte paintings with color that really pop out. I like that this movie is really about going against what we expect with a kids movie where imagination is used to almost rebel against the strict parents and rules they are given. The great dancing and facial expressions that Dick Van Dyke uses as Bert is the perfect counterpart to Mary Poppins upbeat and controlling nature. From the serving penguins scene to the rooftop dance number, Mary Poppins is much more British than I remember but seems to put a song in every couple minutes which is great. The kids are believable, her magic is realistic, and the physical jokes are so integrated within the songs that I couldn't help but sing along with "the medicine goes down" and "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". This movie is always fun to go back to every once in a while with catchy songs and a great chemistry b/w Van Dyke and Andrews who really shine in their singing roles to make this a Disney classic.

The Boondock Saints (1999) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

Boondock Saints is considered by some to be a cult classic but while I think it's a pretty cool for the connection of the brothers which mirrors my own with my twin, I think it whimpers out towards the end by using too much slow motion and style to be labeled a classic. This idea of Boston being the go to place for organized crime and cool accents seems to have been stereotyped in this movie which revolves around two brothers who belive they are saints by killing all the bad people in their city. Listening to the commentary only reaffirms my idea that director Troy Duffy is full of himself, creating this overstylized action movie that uses techno over slow motion action scenes to make it look Tarantino-esque but really is just lazy. I love the sidekick Rocco and the interaction between the brothers looking out for themselves but after hearing the stories from the set, it seems Duffy just cast his friends in this movie and was lucky to get this made in the first place. William Dafoe is the best part of this movie playing a gay FBI agent who is given the crimes scenes the brothers leave behind and then must solve the murders backwards as we the audience are left wondering what happened like he does. Overall, I like the way this movie kind of blends genres of religion, violence, and comradary but the racism and glorification of gunplay is so overdone that it's no wonder this movie was banned b/c it invoked columbine.

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) - 9/10

Decided to check out The 40 Year Old Virgin again this morning, a movie that I wanted to revisit so that I could listen to the commentary by director Judd Apatow, writer Seth Rogen, actors Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill and others which made it that much better. From the beginning, I could tell that this commentary wasn't going to be serious but instead was so filled with dirty jokes and random events that inspired some of the movies scenes which really helped get a background on the collaboration of this group which has evolved into my favorite comedy team. Hearing Seth and Judd explain stories about the inspiration for the donkey, grandma, and you know I know your gay jokes was cool to hear as the entire cast contributes on the commentary to talk about what it was like on set that day. I almost connected more to the little interactions in the store or the group of guys who make fun of eachother instead of the Carrel storyline of getting laid. Hearing how the chest waxing scenes actually went down even with the blood stained shirt or how Apatow's daughter came up with the idea of his wife falling asleep at the wheel and farting was pretty funy.

As Apatow's first movie, this movie was a blockbuster and really let people know that this type of realistic people with raunchy humor was here to stay. There are too many one liners to quote and all the supporting players really bring their A game but having Carrel as this toy addicted virgin who goes through all these crazy girls before he meets the right one was genius casting, really using his Office popularity to their advantage. In the end, this isn't my favorite Apatow movie but just seeing how they started off with a bang with such a relevant movie that I can totally identify with is always fun. The commentary helped bring some background on all types of mistakes, inside jokes, and themes that weren't apparent the first couple times around. Def one of the better comedies to come out recently, but then again everything these guys' touch is gold.

The Grand (2007) - 6/10

The Grand is a pretty funny mockumentary about the professional poker circuit that is turned upside down by a bunch of well-known actors pretty much improving and making fun of themselves. I listened to the commentary track by writer Zak Penn and some others and even though they aren't that familiar, I enjoyed hearing the backgrounds of how they got each actor or why they included little details within the film to give more depth to the characters. With Woody Harrelson, David Cross, Werner Herzog, Jason Alexander, Ray Romano, Brett Ratner, Mike Epps, and a slew full of others, this movie is in the veign of say Spinal Tap where we get little cameos coming in and out of such randomness that it's so akward it's funny. For me, the Werner Herzog character who they say is a friend in real life, was the best as he needs to kill animals to feel comfortable all the time, even going so far as to keeping a petri dish of ants at the table next to him so he can squash one when he's losing. The over-the-top acting of each character is given to us in flashbacks as we eventually see the tournament unfold and elminate some with hilarious results. Woody Harrelson is depicted as someone who has been addicted to every drug imaginable and married over 100 times, a true vegas machine. Although the improv and dry humor of being bad at poker proved funny at times, there were almost too many people to get invested in so I found myself getting in and out of focus on the story. For a mockumentary, this isn't the worst but then again, this isn't something i'd want to watch again.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) (Blu Ray) - 10/10

I caught myself going through my Blu Ray collection this morning and realized I had never watched this Sci-Fi classic with the James Cameron commentary track before. This got me pumped. Terminator 2 is the answer to what sequel was better than the original, a true combination of action, sci fi, and special fx that was revolutionary in it's time and still holds up today as one of my favorite movies of all time. Cameron really is a smart guy and I found it very interesting in how much detail he gives while still seeming excited about this movie after so much time. First going into the casting of unknown Edward Furlong who they found at a local YMCA, the commentary gives a unique perspective on how they wanted to flip everything upside down from the first movie by having a normal looking Terminator and Arnold as the good guy while also keeping this epic type feel by showing John Connor fighting the war in the future to give him a more physical presence.

I appreciated the little tidbits he throws around like having to paint out Robert Patrick's dick from the time travel scene, the fact that he used twins in the T1000 coffee/floor scene, or how they had to put Furlong connected to a prop car during the motorcylce scenes b/c he coudn't drive it. The reason this movie is so effective in bringing you into the mythology are the simple rules they implement during the course of the action that come to play farther along in the story. Robert Patrick's T1000 is emotionless and a complete badass villian who they wanted to really be superior to Arnold so that the threat was felt in every scene. From actually blowing up the rented building to getting shrapnel in his arm, Cameron discusses all the tricks he used like cutting in b/w a fake helicopter and a real one during the highway scene where he got the best Vietnam pilot in the business. For me, this movie is iconic in the way that it spreads out the action over the entire course of the movie while also keeping the backgrounds and story moving to the point where it never feels long or boring. I appreciated the passion they brought into the commentary by saying how much fun it was making this movie, using every ILM technique in the book to start a new wave of CGI that enhanced the story, not overpowered it. To me, T2 is the greatest Sci-Fi movie of all time.

Crank 2: High Voltage (2009) - 4/10

Sometimes you want a movie to live up to your expectations so bad that you give it the benefit of the doubt and use almost "drunkgoggles" to view it. I loved the first Crank movie for the way it defied genre and instead took our GTA era of ADD editing and music to the extreme. The fact that the original only made like 25 million yet they greenlit this sequel probably meant that this had even less a budget than that did. As much as I wanted to get into this movie and turn off my brain for this way-over-the-top sequel, I just couldn't get past how absolutely horrible this movie is. What starts off as a promising continuation of the first story ends up recycling every technique and plot device over and over to the point where I was disgusted by how unbelieveable and dumb this movie was. The idea that he gets an artificial heart which he needs to shock every minute or two gets old very quickly, even when they think up new and creative ways for him to do it.

Not only is the acting by every extra in the film laughably bad, but even the action is just plain retarded to the point where he's shooting like 12 shotgun shells without reloading or just standing there and killing everyone in a room without even moving. By the time that they faked this huge Godzillaesque fight scene and brought back a talking head, I was pissed off. This movie had such potential to go against everything that people hated about the first one and instead just was more of the worst type of violence, public sex, and dirty language they could fit into one scene after the next. I like to be surprised in a movie like this, not annoyed by it. One of the worst movies i've seen in a while, Crank 2 is a disgrace.

Sunshine (2007) - 8/10

Sunshine is a pretty interesting science fiction film that was made even better today by the commentary by director Danny Boyle. Before he made the impressive Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle and his team made this after extensive research with NASA into learning what would go into a eating and sleeping on a space mission where a human crew takes a nuclear bomb to reignite the sun after it died and turned out planet to permanent winter. The first thing he disusses is the colors he chose to show whereas inside their ship it's all green and blue so that by depriving us as an audience of yellow and red, it's that much more intense when we are shown the size and power the sun has on them. I like how he felt the need to recognize stepping on the toes of older films like 2001 and Aliens by giving this diverse crew an introduction by a making a regular breakfast and montage of their daily tasks through the greenhouse to get to know them.

While the premise is pretty interesting to think about when we might have worry about how long the sun will last, I appreciated that he set the entire movie in their world that was so far from home until the very last shot. As the human errors eventually pile up and the mission goes into jeopardy, it was cool how Boyle talks about how it doesn't really matter which person died first but that it was always planned out to have this crazy monster at the end and the mission to succeed. By showing the breakdown of human emotion in life changing situtions, he examines the beliefs that they all were facing of science vs. God to the point where they sacrice themselves for the greater good. I liked everthing but the ending of the movie as it gets a little confusing but that doesn't stop this thriller from being a kickass time in space with some amazing CGI work on of the sun and ship. Boyle can do such a variety of genres, I can't wait to see what he has up his sleeve next.

Hell's Angels (1930) - 6/10

After being impressed with the commentary by Scorcese for The Aviator last week, I wanted to see the original Hell's Angels movie Howard Hughes did which inspired the opening of that film. It's funny to think that such an eccentric guy who was such an aviation genius also directed this overblown epic of a movie but he did and I have to say, for 1930, it's pretty ambitious. The aerial battle sequences in particular I was intrigued to check out because like in The Aviator documentaries and such, I learned that he really went up in the air and filmed the scenes while waiting for those clouds and even though it's in B/W, it still looks pretty cool. From the attack on the Zepplin to the ending action pieces of huge dogfights, this movie seemed to put all it's budget into the planes and explosions but left zero for the actors or sets. For some reason all the relationships and drama that unfolds between the characters is boring as I couldn't wait to get to the next flying setup which really was ahead of it's time. From influencing Flyboys to even Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, it's fun to see this older movie that Hughes worked so hard on after I've learned about his entire history. Knowing that he did ADR for the entire movie also made me a laugh a little at the sound mix and dialogue that is so hard to hear sometimes that I was glad the fighting plane sequences were so overlapping with effects and foley. Glad i've seen it, but Hell's Angels is definitely too long and outdated for my taste.

Tell No One (2006) (Blu Ray) - 5/10

For every great foreign film out there that get's my attention via IMDB or review, there turns out to be a bad one right around the corner. Tell No One or Nele dis a' personne is an impossibly complicted French film that's so hard to describe because I really don't even know what I saw. For some reason, they thought this Dustin-Hoffman look alike would be the perfect male lead yet I never sympathized or connected with anything he did. Taking place 8 years after his wife had been murdered/kidnapped at a lake, this dude still is visiting her parents and obsessing over her case. I appreciated the mystery aspect where he gets this email from someone and then sees her in a webcam but it should have kept this serial killer storyline instead of turning into a family melodrama crime procedural.

There were so many annoying plotlines in this that just didn't need to be in there as I was constantly trying to figure out who exactly this movie was geared towards since it had literally one action scene and instead was all about getting older and losing loved ones. To me it seemed like this movie tried WAY too hard to confuse me by giving false information by every character which eventually gets tiresome when every 10 minutes you have a new suspect and change of story. This idea of everyone is a liar just didn't work for me as by the end, i was completely taken out of the story and just wanted it to end. Having a surprise ending just for the sake of trying to be tricky does not mean it's a good way to finish it. I would have rather had a more cat and mouse mind games with the killers instead of them giving us all these explanations of who could have done it only to go back and say that it was entirely different for no reason. Subtitles didn't bother me and some of the handheld shots worked but in the end, this was a waste of time. Not disturbing, exciting, or intriguing enough for my taste.

The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008) - 6/10

This remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still is a direct result of the technological era we live in, an overblown special fx extravaganza that treats it's audience as retards who can only understand the moral tale of our destruction of Earth from an airhead like Keanu Reeves. What's so apparent after watching the original a while back is how great that was at giving us this unknown threat of aliens while also commenting on the Cold War crisis and threat of nuclear annhilation. This update just tries so hard to bring back the themes of the original but then somehow falls apart halfway in order to give it a blockbuster type of plot where the characters are running away from something that isn't even put in until post production. I understand the need to reintroduce this idea of living green and protecting our environment to our youngsters so that we don't destroy all our natural resoures, but what does that have to do with harnessing nuclear power that threatens alien civilizations like in the original? The look and feel of the film at least has an effective glossed-over earthy color palette that integrates some cool green screen effects but with a movie this important, it should have been secondary to a thought-provoking story and engaging characters. Will Smith's son is just a bad actor, stick to being famous as your dad's son. Overall, there are some very important ideas that are thrown around in this movie like how to realistically handle an alien encounter or deal with unknown biological weapsons, but to have Keanu almost portrayed as some alien hitman who needs to decide if we deserve to try and help ourselves is proposterous. I was hoping for more from this movie and it failed to even give me any type of excitement or interest in listening to the commentary. What a waste of time!

Marley & Me (2008) - 10/10

We've always had labs in my family when I was growing up so I absolutely love dogs and this movie not only pushes me to want to get a puppy but makes me cry every time I see the end. Based on the best selling true story, Marley & Me is as good a dog movie as I could possibly have wanted it to be, filling me with every type of emotion and great memory of the past dogs I've loved. There are going to be the people who say the ending of the movie is too drawn out and melodramatic, intentionally making you cry but I disagree. This is exactly what it's like when you lose a dog who basically has become a member of your family and is a huge part of your life.

What makes this movie so effective I think is that it isn't just another poop joke comedy like stupid Beverly Hills Chihuahua but realistically shows the entire process of how a dog is brought into a relationship and eventually a family. The casting of Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston works because we see them not in their most glamorous but as everyday people struggling to make a living while finding where they want to live. I loved the fact that the puppy is at first just a reason to dely the idea of kids but eventualy becomes so beloved as the "worst dog in the world" that it symbolizes their love for eachother so that they can start the next step in their lives. From the opening shots of the puppy growing up and trashing the house to getting kicked out of doggy school and pooping at the beach, Marley & Me is a fantastic journey of how much a dog can enhance even the mundane things in life. As they say towards the end as Marley is getting older, you give a dog your heart and he'll gives you his right back. This movie is a reminder that an adaptation can be a good thing, moving away from the typical studio kid flick into something moving and emotional that made me reflect and love my dogs even more. A must see for any dog lover.

Chaplin (1992) - 7/10

Robert Downey Jr. does a great job in this biopic of Charlie Chaplin yet I felt like there's something missing to truly capture the time this took place in. I've always been fascinated with the evolution of film and montage so I wanted to get a taste of the history through the master of the silent film. It's weird to see Downey Jr. in this role since his superhero turn as Iron Man but I believed his transformation and manueurisms completely as he shows the struggle Chaplin had being taken seriously and breaking out. There were certain scenes that really worked towards the beginning as he was finding his emotion and comedy routine while showing on set rehearsl mixed in with real movie footage. Towards the end though, I started to get bored and think that they didn't convey a passing sense of time as well by making the environment and sets change to match his aging. The supporting work of Dan Akroyd, Anthony Hopkins, Marisa Tomei, Penelope Anne Miller, Kevin Kline, and Milla Jovovich just to name a few are all scattered throughout and were fun to see get hidden in their characters but this is definitly Downey Jr's show. Overall, this was not one of my favorite biopics but interesting nonetheless in showing me a look at what Hollywood was like when Chaplin was making it big. I just wish the production design and music had given a more authentic feel to the era by making him disappear into the role. Pretty good.

The Spirit (2008) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

I really can't decide how much I like this movie after the first viewing but for one thing, The Spirit looks phenomenal on Blu Ray and is much better than everyone is saying. Even though it had gotten bad reviews when it came out, I rarely believe what other people think since I'm a big fan of the green screen/comic look like the amazing Speed Racer so I was relieved that this movie looked totally original and had out of this world visuals. What turns out to be it's biggest problem though is exactly what I enjoyed about it: it's all flash and no depth. I think that when Frank Miller decided to adapt Will Eisner's comic by writing and directing he shot himself in the foot. The eye popping visual fx and green screen work is spectacular as the characters all have a certain type of detail that uses the occasional use of color to emphasize this hyper-reality of the comic world. I liked the over-the-top action and humor that seemed to be balanced well but the dialogue and delivery by the actors felted so forced and obvious that I almost wish I could just mute them.

From elaborate slow motion shooting and fighting scenes that reminded me of The Matrix and the already mentioned Speed Racer, The Spirit has it's heart and technology in the right place but just needed a more coherent plot that let it's characters share equal screen time. Besides the story, this movie rocked my socks off and I even made myself rewind some scenes b/c they looked like it was right out of some surreal Dali painting or virtual reality from the future. This movie needs to be seen on Blu Ray and given a chance, just don't expect the story to even come close to how cool the action scenes and hot chicks look. I need to watch this again.

Bedtime Stories (2008) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

Bedtime Stories is a fun enough kids movie that turns out exactly how you'd expect when you hear PG, Adam Sandler and Disney in the synopsis. For me though, it felt like this movie missed the mark and could have had much more creative ideas incorporated into it while still moving the story along. I appreciated this calmer version of Sandler who is great as the bumbling handy man for a huge hotel who gets stuck watching his sister's kids. Once he realizes that the bedtime stories he tells them are coming true when the kids add the details, he basically exploits them for his own gain which once again was funny for a while but obvious that it would turn against him. Russel Brand as a rising comic actor and his side-kick/best friend character was refreshing in bringing this adult persective to an otherwise very childish scenario. The guniea pig really didn't make me laugh at all and is definitely for the younger crowd and even the special fx seemed rushed and green screened. Overall, this movie was enjoyable for the improv by Adam Sandler getting beaten up by all these fantasy elements but the relationships felt forced and the kid actors are just bad. Show this movie to your little ones but that's about it.

Sea of Love (1989) - 6/10

I wanted to check out this old Al Pacino movie for one reason. Ellen Barkin's breasts. And they did not disappoint. Sea of Love is just another cookie cutter serial killer murder mystery romance etc where they make you think everone a suspect. Just like the much better Basic Instinct or Fatal Attraction, half the movie is all about mixing sex and violence to the point where you're scared that some crazy bitch is gonna kill ya. The first thing that surprised me though was the fun cast of vets like J0hn Goodman and Richard Jenkins who all prove to be great sidekicks to Al Pacino's overly-committed renegade cop dude. It's always fun to try and figure out who the killer is in these 80s movies like this because they usually try to make you think the really hot chick is it but you know it's not. Watching Pacino in his prime as a cop is always cool, especially if you get a hardcore sex scene with Barkin which made it worth sitting through this. Although I probably would of never heard this movie if we didn't have it on Starz or read about that cougar's boob scene, I'm glad I got to check this out.

The Third Man (1949) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

Wow, so I can't believe I hadn't seen The Third Man till today. Watching this new Blu Ray Criterion Collection really helped me appreciate the history and technical aspects of one of the most important movies in history. This is a film that demands multiple viewings so I'm glad I watched it once to kind of get the plot and then another time with a film scholar who gives a very interesting commentary about everything from the source material to the post WWII environment it came out of. What's interesting I think is this represention of the naive American writer who is just coming out to find his friend but gets caught up in a huge conspiracy of murder while also hitting on the girl he should be trying to protect. The realistic representation of London and the archival footage of the military really allow The Third Man to use the B&W to it's advantage, emphasizing the use of light and darkness to signify the uncovering of the truth and deception. Listening to him talk about the influences that are littered throughout like the overlapping dialogue or the unique musical instrument to record the score, it's apparent that this film was a success in the way it kind of balances this thriller murder mystery with love story to ultimately make the audience think for themselves about who is right.

I liked the random facts like how they filmed Orson Welle's famous entrance with the cat using a string they pulled or when they had to get a magician he liked b/c Welle's was so reclusive that he wouldn't come out to set. After thinking about the film and watching all the documentaries, etc. I have a new found appreciation for this type of older classic that still has within it a certain set of editing, pacing, and movie magic that show that everything that's put on screen has a reason within the story. The way that they have each character's theme and motives represented by their place within the frame or the music accompanying them really shows that this is a movie to be dissected and studied. After this and The 400 Blows, I'm looking forward to more Criterion experiences.

Observe and Report (2009) - 6/10

After all the buzz about it being this crazy dark comedy, Observe and Report just wasn't as funny as I'd hoped. Even though I love Seth Rogen's persona and laugh in movies like Pineapple Express and most recently MvsA, here he is completely unethical and a degenerate character that I didn't find cool at all. The movie tries so hard to balance this weird type of dorky humor like Napoleon Dynamite or Jody Hill's previous film, The Foot Fist Way with this outrageous violence but never lets one become the theme over the other. Although the secondary characters were quite hilarious with their uniqe brand of dumb jokes, I never really cared for what happened to them or felt sorry for Ronnie's slow descent into madness. It's hard to understand that since he's bi-polar and off his meds we're supposed to feel sorry for him and let him get away with the shit he does, but it just wasn't realistic and the jokes felt forced to make sure they added enough swear words and crude jokes to boot. Even the ending totally came out of left field as I didn't laugh at all but was more shocked by how it turns out wondering what was funny about a huge dick swinging on screen and why they didnt' arrest this crazy mall cop when they had the chance. I'm actually excited to see Paul Blart now so I don't have to see someone take their job so seriously. Observe and Report was a disappointment in that it only made me laugh a couple times while also being so promising but failing to deliver on the dark comedy aspects I have seen recently like Fargo. Avoid this one till DVD.

The Aviator (2004) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

After listening to Scorsese's great commentary for Raging Bull, I was excited to jump into his mind once again and learn the details of making The Aviator. Giving an extraordinarily performance as Howard Hughes, Leo was totally believable as the obsessive complusive recluse who was so rich and powerful within the airline industry that he ultimately made himself crazy. Marty talks about his initial experience and love for Hughes' Hell's Angels movie where he wanted to go into the details of needing clouds all while showing the actual filming needed to capture the addiction of being inside the cockpit. One minute they're using an integration of visual effects to recreate the epic battle sequences and speed record flights and the next he was giving us a fascinating character study of declining health and relationships with past stars like Katherin Hepburn and Ava Gardner who perfected the look and feel of the time. His longtime editor also contributes to the track where she goes into the difficulties of shooting out of continuity where Leo would have to act like he was 20 one day, then 40 the next.

I appreciated the long takes on some of the dialogue scenes and how he talked about using the music within the frame to signfiy what year it was and convey the passing of time that Hughes has trying to build bigger and faster airplanes. It's always interesting to hear the details Marty researched and put in like the Hepburn estate, the little container of soap/germ phobia, or the fact that he literally locked himself in a room pissing in bottles. I think it's the way that it seems to cover a long period of time that The Aviator works so well, showing us the highs and lows of a playboy lifestyle so I understood how important he was to the evolution of planes. It kind of made me sad to see the results of obsession and financial downfall of such a promising person when their illness prevented them from opening up to anyone around him. The Aviator excels as Scorcese's most epic film to date, a true ensemble biopic that gives us great performances of dark and flawed characters who lived in a time of glamour I can only imagine. This movie rightly earned 5 academy awards for the way it accurately captured the costumes, atmosphere and events in the life of one of the most fascinating inventors in history

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) (Blu Ray) - 10/10

Checked out Slumdog Millionaire on Blu Ray this morning and even though I've seen it a couple times already, I was amazed at how much I got into pulled the story all over again. I don't know if it's the combination of catchy music, fast paced editing, or just learning about a foreign culture's gameshow with those cool moving subtitles but I really was impressed with how entertaining it is, definitely the most unique and rightly deserving winner of last year's crop. The unknown child actors throughout the film really give it a sense of randomness and realism to growing up in the slums of Mumbai so even when they use a yellow filter to show off the atmospheric production design, it really makes it seem as if this could be a real story. Danny Boyle did a wonderful job of switching between handheld close ups like when the kids are chased or running towards the train but balances it with overhead crane and tracking shots that give it that sweeping professional look that lets you focus on the background as well.

I've always been fascinated with the idea of fate and the saying that everything happens for a reason so whenever I see this movie, I find it easy to identify with the man character whose distrubing events of childhood survival eventually give him the answers to the questions on the show like "it was written". Something about the way that it starts in the present when he is arrested and the way it gives us the questions one at a time really lets the movie breath and get a buildup of excitement so when he gets to the end, we have been on this journey and understand the stakes even more. I liked how the music really sets the tone of some scenes so when looking back at how he got an answer, the pace quickened to really make me care about what happenes. Slumdog was definitely the way to be introduced to Bollywood as it's always fun to watch these feel-good fairy tale type movies that when using both english and subtitles to convey a bridge of cultures, you can't help but be swept along in it's energy. This is a movie that I don't feel bad for saying I love and I hope everyone get's to see it looking this good.

The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) - 6/10

The only reason I wanted to check out The Muppets Take Manhattan is b/c one, I had never seen it before and two, Jason Segel says it's an influence for what's he's doing in making the new Muppets movie coming out. There's a playful tone to the movie and music that made this somewhat enjoyable but I guess since I didn't grow up with these characters made it harder for me to identify and name them when they appear onscreen. The premise is simple and all revolves around Kermit trying to get the group together to perform a play on Broadway but everything goes wrong and they split up and try to get jobs to pay for their funding. Little gags like the puppets attacking the people in the studio were funny or the little songs they sing in a flashback to when they were babies, but overall I just didn't find this as hilarious as I'd hoped. The scene where Ms. Piggy chases after a man who stole her purse on rollerblades is pretty funny only when you see that a real person was dressed like her for long shots. I'm really excited to see what Jason Segel does after the Dracula musical he did in Forgetting Sarah Marshal and really hope he can bridge the gap to make the Muppets relevant again. I have complete faith in the new puppet technology and musical skills so I think that once I start getting into the mythology of this show more i'll find it funnier.

Yes, Man (2008) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

Finally checked out the new Jim Carrey movie Yes Man tonight on Blu Ray and not only does the transfer look great, but the movie is actually pretty funny. Bringing his usual overdose of energy, Jim Carrey looks like he's having a great time in this movie which brings his character out of this funk of saying no into a cult-like group whose leader convinces him to say yes to everything. Even though they could have gone way too far with the premise, I liked how they paid more attention to certain things like learning to play guitar, speak japanese, or just party instead of getting too many montages of random events which all help him towards the end. Zoey Deschanel is smokin in this too as she plays the love interest who is in a band and teaches a jogging/photography class which is great b/c "everyone can take a picture standing still!" Jim Carrey looks a lot older yet still can bring the physical comedy with the melodrama as it was refreshing to steer away from the toilet humor and instead get real friends and situations that normal people have to deal with like moving in with a girl or being worried about doing your job right. Although it isn't consistent laughs like the Apatow groups' films, I still enjoyed Yes Man for how it brought Jim Carrey's career back to light and let him really be the center of attention. The theme of the movie is also fun to reflect on as it tries to hammer home this idea of living your life to the fullest and that everytime you say yet to something it opens up an opportunity for something good to happen even if you don't see it right away. I love to live my life to the fullest and totally connected with his viewpoint in this fun, easy going movie.

The Usual Suspects (1995) - 9/10

The Usual Suspects is definitely an experience that rewards repeated viewings. This time around I decided to watch it with the commentary by director Bryan Singer and the writer who really seemed to enjoy talking about the details and backstory of how they pulled off one of the biggest surprise endings in movie history. Firstly talking about the amazing cast, I love how different they all are and to hear how they decided to bring them all in really helped understand the laughter on set during that first line-up which couldn't even get them a clean take. This idea of telling a story in hindsight but then playing it out from different perspectives is really why this movie works so well. I always find new ways to look at someone or realize that their motives were not what you think at first glance. The commentary goes into a lot of detail of when they used doubles to hide the secret, or just funny moments that made it onscreen like unlit cigarrettes or a crew member being used as an extra.

You have to give it to Singer and his writer for really pulling off a complicated yet thoroughly engaging story which they explain went through many revisions but ultimately came out where they wanted you to completely buy into this story Verbal gives you until the very end. For me, it's the little backstories they give the characters and the balance of action with humor to really flesh out the story with little details that are carried throughout which was just enough to keep me guessing. Commentaries are always worthwhile in painting a movie you've seen a lot in a different light and this was no different. From talking about how explosions on set were rigged to when they needed to drop hints in about languages, lighters, and props that make the story so believable to the cops. This will always be remember for it's ending which is genius, but for me watching it again this time was better b/c once you know who the killer is, you can focus on Spacey's maneurisms which show his true identiy but are hidden by the great performances surrounding him. What a classic.

A Clockwork Orange (1971) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

I always find it interesting to go back and learn about important or controversial films like Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange so getting it on Blu Ray now, I decided to listen to the commentary by the main actor Malcolm McDowell and a historian who were very engaging. To me, this movie is not frightening or offensive in the way it depicts random violence and rape but what's so creepy about how it plays out is the way Kubrick kind of uses this classical musical and balllet of creepy slow motion to take you along for this ride that never really puts you into their shoes but makes you an observer to their sadistic enjoyment. The commentary was especially cool to listen as McDowell discusses the controversy surrounding the film's release as well as specific stories on set working with Kubrick in how he would get into character or how cold the water was or when they would use stunt doubles, etc.

This movie pushes the envelope in terms of what's depicted on screen as it almost makes you hate the character in the beginning but by the second half of the film, you start to experience and meet the same people who pick on him after the trippy experiment which eventually makes you feel sorry for him. The voice over is very effective as almost getting inside the mind of the main character which is scary to think about when you realize Kubrick planned out the entire thing. I enjoy A Clockwork Orange for the impact it's had on film in general as well as the random violence that was a representation of this futuristic teenage angst of rebellion that really can't be shown in today's society. There is something about a movie that can be so simple in it's shots of them walking down the street but then supporting the impactful scenes with such disturbing music and themes that you can't help but be amazed how this ever got made. A true classic, this movie is weird and not for the unitiated of Kubrick's films.

Last Chance Harvey (2008) - 6/10

This morning I checked out one of our own titles, Overture's Last Chance Harvey, and found myself not very engaged or impressed at all. I don't know if it's my young age of not being able to connect with these older characters but I couldn't understand this idea of struggling to find joy in their lives and have one "last chance" at love. This movie didn't seem to go anywhere or have any thoughts of it's own, mostly using rehashed themes of losing family and connecting with a random person who turns out to be exactly what you need to keep you going. There are some very emotional scenes at the beginning when Dustin Hoffman is told that his daughter wants her stepdad to give her away at her wedding, but to have his job and everything in his life fall apart at once seemed predicatble and contrived. The chemistry b/w Emma Thompson and Hoffman is great though and to see them smile throughout in contrast to their sad lives was a relief as for me I need something uplifting every now and again to make me stay positive about being single in my own life. Last Chance Harvey is a simple story which shows respect for it's actors and creates some great moments like when Harvey comes back to the wedding and stands up for himself to dance with his daughter, yet in the end it seemed quite boring and uneventful just like the lives of the characters. I hope we can make better movies moving forward.

The Kite Runner (2008) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

This afternoon I checked out The Kite Runner on Blu Ray, a really great movie based on an acclaimed novel about the lives of two boys who grow up in Afghanistan and eventually America who have to deal with the aftermath of an incident that destroys their relationship forever. Director Marc Forester really does a great job in making this movie accessable to people like me as he used the original writer for creative support throughout the entire making to really get all the details of what is what like back then. The cinematographry and distant mountain landscapes make a great background for their kite flying competitions that all the local boys engage in as we see their daily lives and struggle to fit in. I really liked the friendship that ties this movie together where over the entire course of his life, he regrets the mistake of not helping his friend and vows to find his brother's kid to show that he can make up for it.

For some reason, this movie does a very good job of using both English and the local languages which made me understand their customs of setting up marriages or the sacrfices they must make for their family. Overall, the long span of time that the movie covers really made me reflect on their childhood memories and respected the hardships that he must have gone through in real life in order to live through all the terrorists that threatened him. The Kite Runner to me works b/c it has an almost epic feel to it, using the detailed history of a culture and real life stories told in hindsight that really shows a strong message of tradition, love, and remembering the people who changed your life.

Lady and The Tramp (1955) - 7/10

I've been watchin a lot of animated Disney films lately and figured since this isn't being released on Blu Ray anytime soon, I would check out everything on the new Platinum Edition. Even though I love movies about dogs, for some reason Lady and the Tramp isn't one of my favorite films in their library and after watching it this time, I still think it's pretty weak. The animation and design of the dogs and atmospheres are great, though it doesn't have that painted look or color that jumps out at you like others I've seen recently.
It's cool that the love story works with the fish out of water yuppie girl dog and the rough alley mutt but for me it's all about the songs and secondary characters like the blood hound and siamese cats that make it fun to singalong and participate. There are similar themes of loyalty and friendship like all Disney movies and this one always seems like it's heart is in the right place, yet for some reason it feels rushed and sporatic. Either way, the making of documentary was interesting in how they did research on the dogs and the technology they had to use to animate which really was still hand drawn at that point. I always enjoy a good animated classic like this for the spaghetti scene alone, but for me this is not something I seemed to connect to and probably won't again for some time.

Fargo (1997) - 10/10

The true definition of dark comedy, Fargo is probably the most celebrated and award winning of the Coen Brother's films and rightly so. I watched the movie this time with commentary by cinematographer Richard Deakins and found it very cool to listen to the details behind the on-set production and the impact it still has on him today. The accents, bleak frozen landscape, and real-to-life characters all add to the humor this movie shows as we see murder and mayhem played out in akward situations but it's constructed so simply that we accept it as "a true story" even though it's not. Some interesting things Deakins discusses is how he lit the outside shots using the glare of the snow, the way that they used different sets for even a simple scene like riding in a car, or the way that the lighting changes from one color to another in a background. His great relationship with the Coen brothers is apparent in the way he praises their simple framing of shots, where the only tracking shot they used was when she stumbles upon the wood chipper. I like the way it balances this safe haven of the home she has with her husband and the mundane way of life that is highlighted with the nice people and accents in direct contrast to the greed and murder the criminals represent. Instead of showing us the brutal violence, they cut away during some scenes or show it in a funny light like it's almost an accident and these people are trying to cover it up like normal idiots would. Fargo is one of a kind, a rare blend of geographic humor that's mixed with incredibly fleshed out characters and scary bad guys which are so bad at their job it's funny to witness the atrocities they commit knowing that they'll get their due from the fish out of water pregnant mom. It's always fun to listen to the commentaries for these movies I love and hearing Deakins was a treat.

Duplicity (2009) (Theater) - 8/10

Duplicity is Tony Gilroy's follow up to Michael Clayton and although there are very similar themes of corporate greed and internal deception, this is a much more complex and entertaining heist movie at heart. I really dug the begining where they used a slow-mo fight scene and music to show this battle b/w Paul Giamatti's character and Tom Wilkinon's corporate heads who's rival business' are at the forefront of this mystery. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen have great chemistry together and I enjoyed the structure of the film where we are shown one thing and believe what we see, only to go back in time to see how staged and planned their con is in order to infiltrate these two companies to profit from this mysterious new product.

Wondering who was really playing who was fun because they actually talk about what they're thinking on screen, basically having their love for eachother revolve around their not trusting eachother but knowing how the other thinks. Instead of showing us how they plan the ultimate heist, I found myself thinking a lot more of how it would go down and excited that they tricked me so hard at the end to where it happens but I had no idea how they did it. Overall, I was very impressed by the cool editing techniques where they had multiple squares of frame showing different perspectives like 24 does as well as the quick dialogue and humor to it all. Julia Roberts was hotter than ever and I appreciated that she and Clive both seemed to be having fun instead of playing it so serious like the International did earlier this year. This movie is very complex but thought-provoking and worth the effort to get into as I was constantly changing my mind of who was gaming who so by the end, I believed the surprise that they presented us. Very fun time.

The 400 Blows (1959) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

I remember first watching The 400 Blows by Francis Truffaut in film class at college and can recall having to write essays and talk about it's influence on the French New Wave movement. There have been countless historians and writers's who discuss the themes and correlations to this being an autobiography of Truffaut's own childhood, but for me it's the realistic camera movements as almost ghost-like and the antagonistic main character who as a kid, slowly learns to become a rebel and thief in his overly-controlled world. Showing the troubles that a young kid has at school and at home, the movie brings a real life perspective to the poor economy of France and shows the curiosity and imagination that they bring outside school to try and skip school, steal money from their parents, and smoke cigarrettes at the theatre in order to grow up as soon as possible. The amazing tracking shot of him running from prison at the end stands out as a classic example, yet is the simple long takes of stealing milk or overhead shots of them running through the streets that truly make this movie influential. It's cool going back and rediscovering the power of older films who use techniques that can still be seen in films today, knowing that even in B&W and with French dialogue, I could still connect with the young kid's desire to run away from his oppressive parents and a system who didn't let him follow his true desire for freedom. What a moving, timeless, and expertly constructed film that is the glue that holds all the French New wave films together.

Punshier War Zone (2008) (Blu Ray) - 5/10

At least the new Punisher War Zone movie knows what it's supposed to do and doesn't try to be anything else but hardcore. Checking it out on Blu Ray this afternoon, I was impressed by the choreography and graphic violence in the opening scene which gave me hope that it could be just one long 90 minute gun opera set to rock music. Unfortunately though, the women director seemed to think it would be a better idea to balance out the death and dry humor with a girl and her daughter who must be saved, kidnapped, then rescued just like every other cookie-cutter hollywood crapfest. It's a shame too because there are some really cool action scenes in this movie that show of lots of CGI head explosions and blood spurts, giving it an almost Boondock Saints-type vibe where we get lots of circling camera shots and hand to hand closeups. The balance of humor the bad guy tries to bring and the inner demons the punisher must battle in order to justify all the murders just didn't seem like it was in the same movie, totally detracting me from the my enjoyment of it as a comic book adaption. In the end, I pretty much only watched this movie for the gory action and gunfights and on that front it delivered. If only it would have kept me concerned for everyone involved in between the over-the-top ballet of carnage so that I could want to watch this again.

Milk (2008) (Blu Ray) - 9/10

After watching Milk again on Blu Ray this morning it's impossible not to be moved and realize it's importanance as a film, not just as an entertaining take on the man and his movement but something that meant a great deal to everyone involved. Using perhaps the best integration of archival footage with modern sets made to look like historical San Francisco, Milk is a hard movie to watch at times due to it's graphic homosexual content, but the fact that it's a true story about the persecution this group of people faced not that long ago is interesting. I'm not very comfortable with gays in movies but I think if there's any reason to believe in it's tolerance, this is it. With amazing performances by Sean Penn, Emile Hirsh, James Brolin, and James Franco, we are transported into Harvey Milk taping his own biography in flashback as he explains the hardships of coming out and struggles to become the first openly gay public official. What's so cool about this movie is not only the handheld documentary feel that Van Sant uses but the way that they completely throw you into this culture and show you a side that I never knew was so affecting to people's lives. The dedication and passion they had for equal rights is something that everyone should respect, for if there is one thing you believe in above all else that makes you happy, you should be able to defend and protect that as your constituational right. For me, it's the overwhelming support and effect his assasination had on the people of SF, showing that one man really can make a difference in this world. The editing, music by Danny Elfman, and cinematography all add to a fantastic representation of this time period in America where gay people were just being recognized and accepted for fighting for their own rights. It's a shame this battle is still being waged today through Prop 8 as this movie is more relevant today as it could ever be. This movie made me not only more tolerant and believe that gays should have equal rights, but it opened up my eyes to Harvey Mik's power of will to never surrender and stand up for what he thought was right. A true hero and someone who will not soon be forgotten.