Entries Tagged 'movies' ↓

I know Cadillac Records isn’t suppose to be a documentary but the historical distortions were distracting.  While Chuck Berry was complaining about being ripped off by the Beach Boys he was arrested for violating the Mann Act.  Both true events but they happened almost five years apart.  There are several other time line screw ups . . . but let’s dwell on the few positives.  I loved the music.  The performances were as good as they could be.  I will assume that Muddy and Wolf didn’t get along and that Minnesota Fats was Etta James’ father (why the hell make that up?).  Blacks being ripped off by Whites in the music business is an often told story.  Leonard Chess was probably better than most . . . he gave them Cadillacs because that’s what they wanted . . . having no credit, no checking account, they had no way buy a car.  Huge questions remains.  Where the hell was Phil Chess?  Where was Bo Diddley?  But, again, it’s not a documentary.  [ RT ]

Epic, sweeping, and panoramic in scope Australia, despite modern technology is almost old fashion. There are few small, quiet, “acting” spots but when they do happen Kidman and Jackman show their stuff. There’s a bit too much going on which gives the various plot lines short shrift even as the movie rolls past the 2½-hour mark. It’s a big stage well suited for a major movie star like Kidman. It’s just too bad that an emotional connection isn’t made despite many efforts to do so. [ RT ]

Having followed the events and visiting San Francisco numerous times in the mid to late ‘70 I was well aware of Harvey Milk’s life so I could follow the plot point by point in Milk.  And it was right on.  Underscored by a powerhouse performance by Sean Penn.  The film replicated the look and politics of the time.  The story and the struggle has a powerful emotional impact because it’s still so relevant today.  You will have a hard time shaking this film.  [ RT ]

This has got to be one of the more fascinating career moves.  Jean-Claude Van Damme kind of mocks his action-hero status in JCVD playing a semi-fictional rendition of himself in a sendup of the genre that made him an international star.  Now I have never seen a Van Damme film so I didn’t appreciate the references to movie titles and trade-mark moves in the film. Thus I didn’t laugh as often as other audience members.  From what I gather the Van Damme style of acting, besides the physical stuff, is long pauses between words.  I am getting a little tired of the flash back jumbling story telling style.  You know what you see something that happens in the middle of plot before you see what happens at the beginning the plot.  Please!  How about some good old fashion linear story lines? And let’s use all colors of the spectrum.  The look here is really washed out.   All in all an entertaining film with a disappointing ending. [ RT ]

Gritty, enchanting and melodramatic Slumdog Millionaire is a rags-to-riches fairy tale beginning in the slums and ending on the glittery India TV set of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” This is the kind of movie that everybody loves . . . there will be much good word of mouth. Expect friends and family who might be hip enough to seek it out in the local independent cinema house to rave on and on about how great Slumdog is. It isn’t. Style almost buries the story and, of course, like all fairy tales the coincidences were so many I was groaning. [ RT ]

This film, I’ve Loved You So Long, is the reason I go to the cinema.  A subtle but riviting performance by Kristen Scott Thomas is going to put her in the Oscar race.  At first her makeup-less face is almost frozen . . . but slowly her character evolves to another level  . . . as her story slowly is revealed.   Tightly edited so the telling of the relationship of two sisters never drags.  Gripping, mature, provocative and so smart this movie is.  [ RT ]

Very grim. It would have been worse (I mean it would have had more of an impact) if the German language were used and the camp inmates really looked like concentration camp survivors. The SS Officers were cartoonish and Vera Fermiga’s character was too two dimensional. She is a great actress but The Boy in the Striped Pajamas script didn’t give her enough nuance to work with. [ RT ]

RocknRolla is probably Guy Ritchie’s best film to date.  Maybe because, unlike most of his early work, I could follow the plot and understand most of the dialouge.  Great tempo, great music and on Ritchie’s familiar London-based cockney turf.  Alot of fun is had here by the cast and the audience.  [ RT ]

A powerhouse of movie from Director Clint Eastwood and powerhouse of performance from Angelina Jolie. I think I just saw one of this years nominees. The attention to every detail in creating 1928 Los Angeles is breathtaking. Turning up the contrast and sepia tone helped to make Changeling look like a dusty old photograph. I could nit-pick . . . despite the attention to detail some modern language slipped in . . (Jolie, listening to the Academy Award broadcast, murmurer that one of the pictures nominated was “over-rated.”) Ms Jolie might have set a crying record. A little more nuance would have been nice. The movie was too long. A couple more paragraphs could have been added to the Epilogue text to shorten the film by twenty minutes. And I have to mention, since I am big fan, Amy Ryan has a nice turn. [ RT ]

The lead character in Happy-Go-Lucky is annoyingly happy-go-lucky.  She’s a 30 year old grade school teacher who acts like her students.  There are some laughs as she, of course, runs into so many adults who aren’t so happy-go-lucky.  She annoys her driving instructor to the point he blows up.  I could have used sub-titles to really get into this very British comedy.  [  RT ]