6 posts tagged “movies”

This post is way overdue.  Sorry about letting this one bake in the oven too long.

Syriana - This movie was at our house for well over 4 months.  The wife and I could not really synchronize our movie watching schedules to watch this one.  Either, something better was available or we just were not ready to watch it.  Everytime I decided that I would watch it without her, I ended up finding something else to do (*cough* video games *cough*).  So we finally watched it together.  If I could summarize this movie in a sentence it would be:  the oil companies do not run the show, their lawyers do.  The movie was okay and I doubt I would watch it again.  I don't understand how George Clooney won the Oscar (2005 Best Supporting Actor) for this movie.  Perhaps it was because he had to gain weight and not be the debonair playboy we all expect.  After checking the list of other nominees, I think Matt Dillon (Crash) got robbed.  The movie also left me confused at the end of what exactly was Clooney's character doing?  What was he trying to do?

Half Nelson - This made it on to the queue because Ryan Gosling's Oscar nomination (Best Actor) and all the positive press it received out of the Independent Spirit Awards.  I really wanted to see it after reading an anonymous interview in Entertainment Weekly where an Academy voters wanted to see Gosling win because out of all the actors in the category, he was the only one that had to act this part.  The part that he plays is a teacher that struggling with drug dependencies.  One day, when life takes a turn for the worst, he decides to use at school and one of his students finds him high in the bathroom.  The movie explores the lives of these two individuals and their relationship with each other.  This movie is not the feel good movie of the summer because it doesn't pull back any punches in the what is going on in the lives of these two people.  It is a hard movie to watch but it is a movie that should be watched.  Gosling's performance was excellent and worthy of the nomination.

The Departed - Hooo!  This one was a fun movie to watch.  Favorite character was Mark Wahlberg's character.  Was the movie excessively violent?  No, not for a Scorsese mafia film.  Was the movie's language too vulgar?  Nah, you got well acclimated to it.  I watched this as I was stuck at home all alone from getting sick earlier this month.  Even with its Hong Kong roots, this movie does feel like a great piece of American cinema.  The editing and acting was incredible.  At the end of the movie, I was laughing because of the rising body count.  It was really ridiculous, but not excessive; necessary.  Since I haven't seen all of the other nominees, I can't say if this deserved the Oscar for Best Picture, but it was the most fun I have had watching a movie for a while.

The Illusionist - The television commercials for the DVD say "after you watch it, you will want to watch it again to see how they did it".  This should be a rant on how movie trailers and commercials ruin/spoil the plot of movies.  You hear this line and you know that there is a twist.  And OMG, there was a twist.  And since I had a heightened awareness that there was a twist, I was unravelling it as the movie progressed.  If I didn't know, I would have had much more fun watching this movie.  I can't complain to much since Jessica Biel (eye candy!) was in it and I have always enjoyed Ed Norton since Primal Fear.  The story was okay and even worthy of a date movie that both parties may enjoy.

Casino Royale - This was the first Bond movie since "The Spy Who Loved Me" that I had not seen in the theatres.  I have been a Bond fan my entire life and even though a Bond movie may suck compared to other movies, I never compare Bond movies with other movies, just other Bond movies.  So I can get away with saying, this was really good for a Bond movie.  After all the hoopla of Daniel Craig being the new Bond, I am glad I really didn't pay too much attention to it.  He played the role very well and it was nice to see an interpretation of 007 on his first case after becoming a 00.  This movie seemed to break all the Bond rules.  There were no scantily clad shadows of women in the intro.  Bond is a blonde (ack!).  There was no real archvillian and his crazy henchman/henchwomen, nor was there a showdown with these players.  I don't remember any witty one-liners regarding someones untimely death or regarding someone about to get nailed by 007.  As a Bond fan, this movie is up there with the greats.  It's not in the classic Bond territory, but it is one of the better films.  I hope to see more of Daniel Craig as James Bond as well as the writers of this script come together on another film.

As I was perusing CNN.com today, I noticed a link to Gallery: 12 movies that make grown men cry.  I am sad ashamed to report that only one of the movies listed made me cry.  Not a weak "single tear and sniffle" cry, but a waterfall of tears.  I sat there ridiculing myself for letting the movie get to me.  I don't think I am going to allow myself to see that movie again.  Anyhoo, it is a good gallery to check out and some of the reader submitted comments are great.

Last Sunday, I caught with Selma's husband, Flag of our Fathers.  I enjoyed the story but felt confused in the beginning by the time line jumping around.  I also wasn't impressed by the acting but the cinematography was amazing.

Last night, the wife and I watched Hustle & Flow.  Great story and great acting.  The wife liked it so much that she decided to hit two of the special features on the DVD before going to bed.  Also on the drive to church this morning, she turned to me and said "I have to get this song out of my head before I get into church".  "Which song are you talking about?", I asked.  "It's hard out here for a pimp...".  Oh yeah, you can't go to church with that going on in your head.

What movie can you quote by heart?
Submitted by clamhead.

Star Wars IV-VI
Lady and the Tramp
Kindergarten Cop
The Little Mermaid
Commando
Mary Poppins
Billy Madison
Sound of Music
Pulp Fiction
The Goonies
Dazed and Confused

If you could watch any movie on the big screen right at this moment, what would it be?

Pink Floyd's The Wall in IMAX.

Who's your favorite movie villain?

Zod.  Not the lame Smallville story arc where Luthor is possessed by General Zod's spirit.  Weak.  I wanted to see Zod in full pleather regalia.