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2012 reviews: books + movies, 2
Feb. 15th, 2012 01:45 amNOTE: This list will exclude live TV series viewings and news shows. Just stuff that applies to my scrapbook (books and movies). Leave a comment if you want to more specifics thoughts on anything. Order: newest to oldest.
Time to make a new post!
A Bout de Souffle (Breathless). This. is considered one of the great classics? Let me summarize the film for you. The first 30 minutes, our anti-hero (a thief/murderer) makes derogatory remarks about women, including his girlfriend, Patricia (to her face). The next 30 minutes is basically this: "Have sex with me, Patricia." "I'm not in the mood." The last 30 minutes consist of dialogue like this: "What are you thinking?" (to Patricia), "I don't Know. If I knew, I'd be sure" and this classic "What does 'puke' mean?" To make matters worse, our hero is a jerk and his heroine, an empty headed stupid (not to mention constantly objectified) person. I only watched this film to the end because it's a French New Wave film and to my knowledge, I'm not acquainted with that part of cinema history. One bad film doesn't make a whole genre, so I'll certainly watch more NW films, but this....can go in the trash heap alongside lowbrow frat boy comedies.
The Station Agent. I got all excited when I saw the cast: Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale, and Michelle Williams. And, the credits were the about the only thing I enjoyed. This film is deeply offensive. Basically it's one of those "Magical Other" films. In this case, Finn, a dwarf, is the MO, and he gawked at the whole film for being one. Then there are friendships which came about because people wouldn't stop harassing him. Last, but not least, we never find out the agency behind his character. He basically exists to listen to, comfort, and give advice to normal (re: non-dwarfish) people having problems. The film would have been FAR less offensive had Finn been just a normal size guy, or his dwarfism not called out. every. second. Or if he had been given a personality. Instead he just exists as that "abled" person there to make make non-abled people feel better about themselves. I don't rec this film at all.
Amelie. From an artistic standpoint, I really love this film. The cinematography, the costumes, and the soundtrack are flawless. But, from a storytelling point, I can't stand the heroine! I'm suppose to be in awe of her preciousness and twee, but instead I find her actions to be naive and unintentionally cruel. Nor was I enchanted with how she invaded other people's privacy just to do "good." I don't think she was good nor did I feel she deserved to rewarded at the end. I can't believe people actually love this movie and love this heroine. Especially when several of her solutions involve making asshole men look like angels just so she can feel she helped along somebody's love story. I wanted to slap her so often throughout the second hour. Horrible film only redeemed by it's set and design elements.
Sherlock 1.03
Sherlock 1.02
Sherlock 1.01
Donnie Brasco. Simultaneously considered underrated and the last great Mob movie to be made. Based on the true story of an FBI agent who infiltrated the mob during the 1970s. It is surprisingly low-key. Nothing big or "epic" happens. It just the day-to-day living of the Mob. Yet, it also has many classic elements of Mob films: the horror movie shoot-out scene, the frustrated wife (in this case, a wonderful Anne Heche) and a straight arrow struggling to cope with his morally grey side. Al Pacino and Johnny Depp are flawless.
The Life of David Gale. A great idea with a very poor execution. And, yes, even the Great Kate Winslet has bad movies, and this is one of them. Anti-Death Penalty spokesman Gale is sentenced to death for the murder of his colleague. The film traces Bitsy Bloom's (the reporter) journey to prove he is innocent. The problem with this film is that are constantly TOLD about David's activism, but we never SEE it. Instead, we get to him drunk, having sex with former students, caught in an ugly divorce, etc. The film would have been more relevant (and better put together) if it had showed David's activism. Also, if it had used real life cases to make it point. Instead, it ends up feeling like a cheap, sleazy thriller.
Merlin. 1.04.
Merlin. 1.03
A Very Potter Musical. (StarkidPotter's official youtube channel) Despite being a Harry Potter fan for years, I've never gotten into the fanon aspects of it. This crack musical, introducing Darren Criss, has totally changed my mind. While it definitely is a college production on a college budget, the storytelling shines rights through. And th songs! Singable and singalong! I especially enjoyed Quirrell (who I'll never view the same way again) and Draco Malfoy.
The Shipping News. If L. M. Montgomery were alive today, I believe she'd write something like this. Despite being a Hollywood film, the movie felt Canadian. A down-on-his-luck man and daughter move back to a quirky town where their ancestors came from. I liked this movie, but I would have preferred if the movie let me discover the mysticism on my own rather than trying to awe me with it and thus making it feel forced. The scenery was beautiful, and the acting good, but I was meh overall.
Restoration. Despite laughable wigs, lacklustre sets, and second-rate costumes, this film manages to be good due to a James Newton Howard score, a wonderful script and A-list stars who bring emotion and depth to what is basically a Merchant Ivory wannabe movie. Charles II's doctor, Robert Merivel's rise and fall and rise again is chronicled.
The Quiet American. This is a strangely detached, cold, unemotional, distant film. Made even moreso by the "prettified, no chaos anywhere" staging from the costumes to the scenery to the acting. It was good, but for a film taking place in Vietnam, about deception, news vs what actually happened, the disconnect makes the film feel more like an intellectual exercise rather than a film about the early years of Vietnam.
Passion Fish. A soap opera actress moves back to the Bayou South of her childhood after becoming paralyzed. There she reconnects with her old friend, as well as a newcomer in her life. I wanted to like this movie, but it just doesn't hold up. It's not so much a character study as a series of vignettes (mostly characters describing their lives) with scenery thrown in. Alfre Woodard owns the film, but even she can't save it from feeling like "TV movie of the week" fodder.
(All shorts from pindippy.com, under "Musical")
Hello Cheesecake, Cool like Dat, The Pinafore, Tom, Poetry in Motion, Fred, Window, Pizza Express, The Pinafore, Bebe.
For such a silly song, both versions of "The Pinafore," somehow managed to reduce me to tears with its wistfulness about childhood and growing up. "Pizza Express" meanwhile managed to capture the impatience of wanting to be elsewhere. "Fred" is the stand-out though. It's a unique take on domestic violence. Jessie Cave, who played Lavender Brown in the HP movies, is like a real life Luna Lovegood. She's just so unique, offbeat, and one of a kind! If you like improv and British comedy, you'll like her stuff.
Time to make a new post!
A Bout de Souffle (Breathless). This. is considered one of the great classics? Let me summarize the film for you. The first 30 minutes, our anti-hero (a thief/murderer) makes derogatory remarks about women, including his girlfriend, Patricia (to her face). The next 30 minutes is basically this: "Have sex with me, Patricia." "I'm not in the mood." The last 30 minutes consist of dialogue like this: "What are you thinking?" (to Patricia), "I don't Know. If I knew, I'd be sure" and this classic "What does 'puke' mean?" To make matters worse, our hero is a jerk and his heroine, an empty headed stupid (not to mention constantly objectified) person. I only watched this film to the end because it's a French New Wave film and to my knowledge, I'm not acquainted with that part of cinema history. One bad film doesn't make a whole genre, so I'll certainly watch more NW films, but this....can go in the trash heap alongside lowbrow frat boy comedies.
The Station Agent. I got all excited when I saw the cast: Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale, and Michelle Williams. And, the credits were the about the only thing I enjoyed. This film is deeply offensive. Basically it's one of those "Magical Other" films. In this case, Finn, a dwarf, is the MO, and he gawked at the whole film for being one. Then there are friendships which came about because people wouldn't stop harassing him. Last, but not least, we never find out the agency behind his character. He basically exists to listen to, comfort, and give advice to normal (re: non-dwarfish) people having problems. The film would have been FAR less offensive had Finn been just a normal size guy, or his dwarfism not called out. every. second. Or if he had been given a personality. Instead he just exists as that "abled" person there to make make non-abled people feel better about themselves. I don't rec this film at all.
Amelie. From an artistic standpoint, I really love this film. The cinematography, the costumes, and the soundtrack are flawless. But, from a storytelling point, I can't stand the heroine! I'm suppose to be in awe of her preciousness and twee, but instead I find her actions to be naive and unintentionally cruel. Nor was I enchanted with how she invaded other people's privacy just to do "good." I don't think she was good nor did I feel she deserved to rewarded at the end. I can't believe people actually love this movie and love this heroine. Especially when several of her solutions involve making asshole men look like angels just so she can feel she helped along somebody's love story. I wanted to slap her so often throughout the second hour. Horrible film only redeemed by it's set and design elements.
Sherlock 1.03
Sherlock 1.02
Sherlock 1.01
Donnie Brasco. Simultaneously considered underrated and the last great Mob movie to be made. Based on the true story of an FBI agent who infiltrated the mob during the 1970s. It is surprisingly low-key. Nothing big or "epic" happens. It just the day-to-day living of the Mob. Yet, it also has many classic elements of Mob films: the horror movie shoot-out scene, the frustrated wife (in this case, a wonderful Anne Heche) and a straight arrow struggling to cope with his morally grey side. Al Pacino and Johnny Depp are flawless.
The Life of David Gale. A great idea with a very poor execution. And, yes, even the Great Kate Winslet has bad movies, and this is one of them. Anti-Death Penalty spokesman Gale is sentenced to death for the murder of his colleague. The film traces Bitsy Bloom's (the reporter) journey to prove he is innocent. The problem with this film is that are constantly TOLD about David's activism, but we never SEE it. Instead, we get to him drunk, having sex with former students, caught in an ugly divorce, etc. The film would have been more relevant (and better put together) if it had showed David's activism. Also, if it had used real life cases to make it point. Instead, it ends up feeling like a cheap, sleazy thriller.
Merlin. 1.04.
Merlin. 1.03
A Very Potter Musical. (StarkidPotter's official youtube channel) Despite being a Harry Potter fan for years, I've never gotten into the fanon aspects of it. This crack musical, introducing Darren Criss, has totally changed my mind. While it definitely is a college production on a college budget, the storytelling shines rights through. And th songs! Singable and singalong! I especially enjoyed Quirrell (who I'll never view the same way again) and Draco Malfoy.
The Shipping News. If L. M. Montgomery were alive today, I believe she'd write something like this. Despite being a Hollywood film, the movie felt Canadian. A down-on-his-luck man and daughter move back to a quirky town where their ancestors came from. I liked this movie, but I would have preferred if the movie let me discover the mysticism on my own rather than trying to awe me with it and thus making it feel forced. The scenery was beautiful, and the acting good, but I was meh overall.
Restoration. Despite laughable wigs, lacklustre sets, and second-rate costumes, this film manages to be good due to a James Newton Howard score, a wonderful script and A-list stars who bring emotion and depth to what is basically a Merchant Ivory wannabe movie. Charles II's doctor, Robert Merivel's rise and fall and rise again is chronicled.
The Quiet American. This is a strangely detached, cold, unemotional, distant film. Made even moreso by the "prettified, no chaos anywhere" staging from the costumes to the scenery to the acting. It was good, but for a film taking place in Vietnam, about deception, news vs what actually happened, the disconnect makes the film feel more like an intellectual exercise rather than a film about the early years of Vietnam.
Passion Fish. A soap opera actress moves back to the Bayou South of her childhood after becoming paralyzed. There she reconnects with her old friend, as well as a newcomer in her life. I wanted to like this movie, but it just doesn't hold up. It's not so much a character study as a series of vignettes (mostly characters describing their lives) with scenery thrown in. Alfre Woodard owns the film, but even she can't save it from feeling like "TV movie of the week" fodder.
(All shorts from pindippy.com, under "Musical")
Hello Cheesecake, Cool like Dat, The Pinafore, Tom, Poetry in Motion, Fred, Window, Pizza Express, The Pinafore, Bebe.
For such a silly song, both versions of "The Pinafore," somehow managed to reduce me to tears with its wistfulness about childhood and growing up. "Pizza Express" meanwhile managed to capture the impatience of wanting to be elsewhere. "Fred" is the stand-out though. It's a unique take on domestic violence. Jessie Cave, who played Lavender Brown in the HP movies, is like a real life Luna Lovegood. She's just so unique, offbeat, and one of a kind! If you like improv and British comedy, you'll like her stuff.
