recent movies

I must, once more, apologize for my latency with this blog. I am currently going through what I think must be the busiest semester of my life, and I wish I hadn't sacrificed the frequency of my posts so soon! So instead of dedicating a full blog to each of the movies that I saw towards the end of summer, I'm going to try to sum them up here!

A few weeks ago, I saw Stardust with my dad, after looking forward to it since seeing how radiant (*chortle*) Claire Danes looked in the trailer. It was a very nice father-daughter sort of movie, because it is really no more complicated or heavy than your typical fairy tale. The advertisements did a good job of pointing out that this is a movie about flying pirates, evil witches, and a fallen star, so I was very pleased with what the filmmakers gave us. Though the story is simple and easy enough to understand, it still has enough cute surprises to keep it from being too formulaic. I've heard it referred to as "the next Princess Bride, and I actually think that is a pretty fair assessment. We'll see what kind of a following it gets once it's released on DVD.

At Comic Con I missed the opportunity to see Shoot 'Em Up, but I did get to see Clive Owen and the writer-director discussing it and presenting some clips from the movie. I saw it right after it came out, and quite exceeded my expectations. At times, it was so ridiculous that it almost veered into XXX territory (I'm talking about the movie with Vin Diesel and Asia Argento), but in the end, I was very glad that I had chosen to see it in theaters. Now, there was some sort of story that made me wonder what was going on for about 5 seconds, but once I realized I should just ignore any plot and pay attention to the gunfights and sex, I really started getting the most out of it that I could.

I'm very glad that a new Laemmle theatre opened up just a few blocks away from my school, because I have some really great movies right at my fingertips. I saw Death at a Funeral there, and though I very much enjoyed it, it ended up being a bit different than the American-audience-geared trailer made it seem like it would be. Much more British in its bumbling and quiet than I was expecting, I really felt that there were a lot of heartfelt interactions between the characters. Alan Tudyk is always a pleasure to watch, and didn't overplay the "accidentally high" character, despite the nudity and paranoia. The most impressive part of the film was definitely Peter Dinklage's character. I have often championed blind casting, and I am especially pleased to see LP actors treated with respect in film and television.

I also went to a free screening of In a Day at the Laemmle, and am very glad that I didn't pay money to see it. I could overlook the shortcomings of the actors or the low budget, but there were too many screenwriting and directorial flaws for me to not feel cheated out of my time. I didn't understand any of the character's motivations throughout the entire film, and had trouble sympathizing with anyone onscreen. Also, the continuity editing would sometimes be improperly framed, so there'd be a conversation filmed in shot/reverse-shot, where there were no eyeline matches and incorrect amounts of negative space on both sides of the characters. Just too obviously amateur, I guess. And I wish I weren't so critical of people getting started in the business, but it was not an enjoyable movie to watch.

After much, much waiting, I finally saw Superbad! Now, my good friend and collaborator Esther has decided that it was her favorite movie. I cannot give it nearly that high of a recommendation, but I did enjoy it. Jonah Hill was a bit disappointing, just overacting a little too much, and sometimes seeming like he was reading off cue-cards, but I think it was unfortunate for him that he was acting opposite the impeccable Michael Cera. Michael's subdued performance was very engaging considering the subject matter of the movie, and made me fall in love with him all over again. Christopher Mintz-Plasse as McLovin was much more than the one-note joke that I expected him to be, and I even felt that the cop subplot was funny if taken with a grain of salt.

trailer mondays?

Let's see if they stick! I know I should have gone with my lit major roots and used alliteration, but I was too bored to wait until Trailer Tuesdays... Also, I want to give props to Stagafling and thank him for the shout-out. I knew something good would come of watching too much TV!

Waitress (April 27)
I have been waiting for this movie for quite some time now, and I think it's going to be delicious (I can't stop with the crappy puns...sorry). It's a real shame how the tragedy of filmmaker Adrienne Shelly may skew the reception of the film, but it seems to be a perfectly stylized vehicle from which I expect the best of Keri Russell and Cheryl Hines. Nathan Fillion, of course, is never a bad thing!


Duck (May 11)
I couldn't tell you what this is about or if it looks like it'll be any good. But the website certainly has enough leafy crescents to imply that there's great critical value to this film that nobody else has ever heard of. One thing's for sure, Philip Baker Hall has given such amazing performances in Paul Thomas Anderson's movies that I must expect greatness from him in a starring role.


Fay Grim (May 18)
Parker Posey and Jeff Goldblum together seems like it would promise some off-beat chemistry, but I cannot say I have high hopes for this picture. First of all, the entire movie seems to be filmed in dutch angles, where the camera has been tilted to lend a sense of unease or quirkiness to everything, which gives me pause in a movie about terrorism? kidnapping or murder? government plots? Can't quite tell. The most unfortunate thing about the trailer is the final title card, which reads, "Watch the way you want. Opens May 18th in theatres and on HDNet Movies. Available May 22nd on DVD." Yeah, the studio really thinks this one is going to make money...see for yourself:


Evan Almighty (June 22)
Bruce Almighty was surprisingly better than I could have expected, but I found the main characters too unlikable and unrelatable for the humor to really come across and hit the mark every time. I have a lot of faith (hee) in Steve Carell's ability to pull this antediluvian character off, and I must say that the story looks quite a bit sweeter and easier to stomach than having to watch Jim Carrey conjure a monkey out of a cholo's ass. Though I must wonder how the film is going to get around the implications for the audience of creating a diegesis where the moviegoers are part of a world of abhorrent sinners that need to be wiped out by a new deluge. Also, notice The Office's Ed Helms in a small role!


Stardust (August 10)
Oooh, this looks like so much fun! Couldn't really tell you what's going on, but I know I want to see this one on the big screen. Hopefully Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert DeNiro, Ricky Gervais, and Sienna Miller won't fall into the same stylistic ruts they've individually occupied for the past few years. And man, do I loves me some Claire Danes!


Superbad (August 17)
Yes! This looks like much of the funny could not be included in the trailer. Reminiscent of Knocked Up, perhaps? Why yes! Produced by Judd Apatow and starring Seth Rogen, it looks like a broader take on "Freaks and Geeks," which can only be a good thing (as long as it isn't too broad, I suppose). And let us not forget - Michael Cera is a bonafide God-among-men. Stay tuned after the trailer below for some bonus Michael Cera action...



Martian Child (October 26)
I wasn't sure how I felt about this at first (K-Pax meets Millions? Starring The John Cusack?), but now I am starting to think that this may be just the kind of movie I'd like to see him in at his age. Identity was good, but having seen Must Love Dogs and (oh hell no) America's Sweethearts, I feel like studios haven't known what to do with such a good actor when he's too old to play Lloyd Dobler anymore. Certainly, he's mastered some more "adult" roles, but I think he will settle into the fatherhood role with the grace of a Shopgirl Steve Martin instead of a Cheaper by the Dozen one. Also, John Cusack --> High Fidelity --> Nick Horby --> About a Boy --> the right kind of role for John Cusack right now.