2009 Review #73: Nine

Nine

Rated PG-13
(sexual content and smoking)
1 hour 50 minutes

Storyline:
Famous film director Guido Contini struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother.

Starring:
Daniel Day Lewis
Marion Cotillard
Penelope Cruz
Nicole Kidman
Judi Dench
Kate Hudson
Sophia Loren
Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson

Critics Grade:
D
(Consensus: It has a game, great-looking cast, led by the always worthwhile Daniel Day-Lewis, but Rob Marshall's Nine is chaotic and curiously distant.)

My Grade:
D-

Let me run some numbers by you real quick. Between the 7 main cast members (excluding Fergie because she hasn't really been in films), there are a total of 18 Oscar nominations, 7 Oscar wins, 36 Golden Globe nominations, and 11 Golden Globe wins and let's throw in 2 honorary awards (1 Oscar and 1 Golden Globe). And hell let's not exclude Director Rob Marshall's 1 Oscar nomination and 1 Golden Globe nomination. Now one would think, "Man, that's a LOT of proven talent, there's no way this movie could be bad!". Well...this movie has now proven that no matter how many award caliber actors and filmmakers you put in one movie...you aren't always going to get a good flick. Because this movie was just plain awful in my stupid little opinion.

Talk about disappointing, this movie defines that word!! I was so very much looking forward to this film based off the really engaging theatrical trailer from earlier in the year. But this movie was far from engaging. It had no energy, and most musicals are full of pizazz and heart and have tons of energy. This film however, is damn near lifeless. There is no heart in it's story. It's empty and bland. Most of the characters are written so one dimensionally and are barely on screen long enough for us to even give half a crap about. Almost none of them are likable. The musical numbers had no emotion and the songs themselves for the most part were either incredibly inappropriate or just boring as hell.

We have a leading man, played rather quietly and dully by Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood, to which he was phenomenal in). This character, Guido, was a jerk who cheated on his wife with many women. He seemed never to truly care about that fact about him until the last act of the movie. He half attempts to seek redemption, but way to late in the story and it just seems to fall flat and he gives up. He's not a likable character, but Day Lewis could have at least given this guy some flair or personality to make us "love to hate him" so to speak. Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies, La Vie En Rose) was the only actor in this movie that delivered a good performance worthy of any Oscar attention. I believe she deserves a supporting actress nomination, because she was the only one who gave life to this movie. She was the one character you felt any connection to. The only performance to show heart and pain realistically. She was great, and I for one enjoyed her "My Husband Makes Movies" number.

The rest of this big name cast: Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren, and Fergie are reduced to mere extended cameos. Cruz and Dench have slightly meatier roles but that means they are in like...3 or 4 scenes a piece. Hudson, Kidman and Fergie basically just have one scene a piece where they have any relevance to the story. They kind of just pop up, sing a song, and then go away never to be seen again. Kidman's character (to which her brief cameo performance was very good) revealed some big story arch involving Daniel Day Lewis...but we never hear about it before this scene (which comes a good 3/4ths into the film!!). They just drop this big bombshell on us for a brief 4 minute scene, then bam...it's done for. So why should we even care?? I didn't. Cruz is getting a lot of award attention and I don't know why. Her musical number was messy and not good. Her brief appearances were slightly comical but not all that great. The only truly fun, entertaining musical number in the whole film was Fergies "Be Italian". You hear it in the previews for the movie. It was the only one that was choreographed like an actual musical scene, it actually belonged in a musical unlike the rest of them. Yeah, it was a bit dirty, but it was entertaining and blew up the screen. It was one of the very few scenes that I will remember. She did a great job with it.

So I don't know...this movie was just a giant mess. It didn't really go anywhere. I felt like the movie had no direction, no ultimate goal to reach. If this movie was given to us to entertain...it failed miserably. This is one of the least entertaining musicals ever, and one of the least entertaining and plain old worst movies I've seen this year. Sure it had some redeeming qualities: wonderful set designs and costuming. One really good musical number and or two slightly OK ones. Other than that though...this movie was just all over the place and I had no clue where it was going. And it didn't really go anywhere. It just left you hanging. It started empty, and ended even more empty. No soul, or heart to this crap. I didn't like it one bit. I really hope it doesn't get any Oscar nomination for best picture, that would be a travesty.

What I just can't grasp onto though is...with a cast as big as this, why is the show stopping number, the sequence that brought the house down, the one scene that featured the best song and best film making...centered around a person who does not act in films...Fergie? Really? I mean I'm happy for her...but really? Of this big Oscar caliber cast, the one person to show all of them up by 100 miles is a non-actress, member of the Black Eyed Peas? Pretty sad. Enough said.

If I learned one thing from this movie it is this....................be Italian.

2009 Review #72: Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Rated PG-13
(intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material)
2 hours 8 minutes

Storyline:
Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

Starring:
Robert Downey Jr.
Jude Law
Rachel McAdams
Mark Strong

Critics Grade:
B-
(Consensus:Guy Ritchie's directorial style might not be quite the best fit for an update on the legendary detective, but Sherlock Holmes benefits from the elementary appeal of a strong performance by Robert Downey, Jr.)

My Grade:
A-

It's elementary my dear Watson, elementary! Well that line is never actually uttered in this film, but we all know it from the Sherlock Holmes stories and films from yesteryear. During a time where film's didn't have the capabilities to be flashy and explosive. The days when a good mystery film were all about story and characters. Flash forward now to 2009 and cinematic techniques have reached all new levels and old stories like Sherlock Holmes can get a serious face lift. Most of the time, when you take a classy mystery character/storyline from way back when and blend it with today's film style, usually you get crap. However in the case of Sherlock Holmes...you have near entertainment perfection in almost every sense of the word.

This film is not a masterpiece. This film is not amazing. This film is not really best picture quality. But this film is damn exciting and fast paced. This film is non stop fun and entertainment. I loved the 2009 version of Sherlock Holmes. A film series like this definitely benefits from the new Hollywood-ized film styles. Guy Ritchie directed the film and really didn't hold anything back. He didn't just make a standard whodunit mystery that focuses solely on the characters. He created this brilliantly exuberant world to immerse ourselves into to make us feel like we are part of the story. Everything about his filmaking style here is incredible to watch. It's just bang bang bang and he never lets the pacing slow down. He captures the essence of Sherlock Holmes eccentric personality and amplifies it throughout the whole film. It resonates in the action and the story. He did a great job at handling this film.

You don't really think of Sherlock Holmes and explosive action do you? I never did, and I honestly did not think the two would work well together. I'm glad I was wrong. I'm glad they made Sherlock and Watson these kick ass detectives who aren't afraid to battle with guys who should be in the NFL. It was never to much or to over the top though, which was good. But this movie had some really fun action sequences. I really got into them and at times felt a bit tense. I knew that Holmes or Watson wouldn't die of course, but still it was fun! These scenes, as was the whole film, were accented by a brilliant musical score! One of the best I've heard this year. The scoring was action packed all itself and I freaking loved it! Yes I'm the nerd who enjoys good background music in a movie...think about it...if the music sucked or didn't fit the scene right...the movie would suffer, you all know it. You all love musical scores in film, just most of the time you don't typically notice it or it doesn't stand out to you. To me...it does.

The writing was good, but not great. The mystery in the story was told rather well but at times got a tad overwhelming and it lost me at a few points. There were times where I was quite sure what the big crime was going to be or what Sherlock Holmes and crew were really trying to stop from happening. I don't know if they ever really stressed on that aspect, or maybe I just missed it...very possible. I mean yes, I knew what the bad guy's/gal's plan was I guess what I'm saying was I didn't get how he planned to make it all work and what overall effect he/she was going for. I also didn't care to much for the side storyline involving Rachel McAdams character having secret meetings with a man shrouded in darkness (literally). I thought this was going to lead to some big reveal or twist in the end, but it doesn't really. That kind of falls flat...at least for me. I know they were probably setting up a sequel of sorts, but not much was really explored in that territory. We knew what the secret person wanted, but I don't know...I just didn't see the relevance of that storyline in the end.

Mark Strong (Stardust, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day)plays a pretty good villain. He wasn't to flashly like there was the serious potential of him being. He plays the bad guy pretty convincingly. Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls, The Notebook) was fun as usual, she's never really had a truly stand out performance and she doesn't here either. But she was good as the mysterious woman who may or may not be on the good guys team. Oscar nominee Jude Law (The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain) was a superb balance to Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder, Iron Man). He gave Dr. Watson some much needed life and energy that I just loved. Law has always been a good actor, and he was so here again. Robert Downey Jr. is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors. The guy has become so damn reliable all of a sudden. He plays Holmes perfectly, he was the right choice for this role for sure. He gives Sherlock Homes some charm, some lovable qualities, some not so lovable ones, he rounds out this guy really well. Just a great, solid performance once again!

Overall this is very fun movie for the holidays! It was just great entertainment that I loved from beginning to end. It could have used a more clear cut screenplay with a slightly better storyline direction, but I mean it wasn't bad at all. Just not very concise. But who cares right? This is cool movie to go out and see with friends and family! I highly recommend it to anyone!

Happy Holidays!!

2009 Review #71: Invictus

Invictus

Rated PG-13
(brief strong language)
2 hours 8 minutes

Storyline:
Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Starring:
Morgan Freeman
Matt Damon

Critics Grade:
B-
(Consensus: Delivered with typically stately precision from director Clint Eastwood, Invictus may not be rousing enough for some viewers, but Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman inhabit their real-life characters with admirable conviction.)

My Grade:
B-

To all of you who are probably confused by the title of this film, like I was before seeing it, let me tell you what it means so you can stop wondering. First, the word invictus is Latin for "invincible" but also, and more so for the purpose of this film, Invictus is the title of an 1875 poem by William Ernest Henley. Nelson Mandela read this poem many times while in prison and the character quotes in the film. So...there you go! Now onto the film. This movie basically follows the life of South African President, Nelson Mandela in his first time as President. He had spent 26 years in prison, for reasons I won't go into on a movie review blog. He was released in 1990 and some years later was elected President. Well the movie tells the tale of his attempts to unite his divided nation by using the sport of rugby to influence peace and bring South Africa together.

The first half of the movie was a tad slow for my liking, and believe me I like slow movies. But for some reason I was just having a really difficult time getting into the story. There was no emotional pull or power in the first half of the film. And this is the story of a great man, but I wasn't really feeling that at first. It all tended to drag and I thought it was never going to pick up any kind of pace. They didn't delve deeply into the heart and mind of Nelson Mandela, I feel like the movie only briefly scratched the surface of what he represented at that time. Now this is not in any way knocking Oscar winner Morgan Freeman's (Million Dollar Baby, Shawshank Redemption) performance as Mandela, only the pacing his story was told. Oscar winner Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino)did a great job at bringing this world to life in his direction, he's always been a reliable film maker. So I think the problem rests in the hand of the screenwriter. I just wasn't connecting to the story or the character.

Then the second half started, which was very rugby oriented. I think the story slowly took it's attention off of Mandela himself and focused mainly on what he was trying to accomplish through Rugby and through Francois Pienaar, played by Oscar winner Matt Damon (screenwriting Oscar win and acting nomination for Good Will Hunting). For me, that's when this movie kicked into high gear and really became something amazing. I don't know much of anything about rugby, and I don't think I really learned much about it after watching the film. But damn that sport looks intense and kind of weird. Both teams crash into each other in a strange huddle and grunt at each other, then there's elements of American football, some soccer, I just have no idea what the game is about. However, the second half of the film where all the rugby scenes dominated the story was just darn intense and awesome. I really got into the movie at that point. Eastwood did a masterful job at directing these matches and created this tense atmosphere and at some points puts you on the edge of your seat. Brilliant camerawork, beautiful scoring, the works. I wish the first half of the film had that much energy and heart.

Matt Damon has always been hit and miss with me personally. I don't think he's a bad actor, I just never have found him to be an astonishing performer. I never got into the Bourne movies either, the first one just bored me. For me, this was one of my favorite performances of Damon. It wasn't anything remarkable, but it was damn believable. That second half was his to lose, and he showed some great energy on screen and nailed his performance. His acting was very subtle overall, but he had spurts of charisma that really showcased him in a film dominated by a brilliant performance from Morgan Freeman. Freeman is a genius on screen in Invictus. We sea a lot of films where actors have to portray real life people. Some do a very good job at acting like these people, but it's rare when these actors become these real life people. That is exactly what Morgan Freeman does here with his portrayal of Mandela. He strips away all we know of Morgan Freeman the actor and just IS Nelson Mandela in this film. Easily one of the best performances of 2009, Morgan Freeman is a powerhouse in this film and deserves some serious award attention.

So overall I would say I generally liked this film. This is a very good movie that was dragged down by a slightly dull first half but was elevated with a powerful and engaging second half. For me, I would say this film deserves a best picture nomination based off the second half of the film, but I could also see it not getting nominated. At this point, it is teetering between the top ten and top fifteen or so on my end of the best movies of the year. I guess you will find out when my award nominations come out. Hehe. But yeah, I would definitely recommend this film because it is overall, a good flick. Keep in my mind, this is a slow, dramatic film for the most part so it's not going to appeal to a lot of today's movie going audience...which is just sad. A lot of today's audiences just don't appreciate these types of movies. But I'll shut up now. Just go see it if you want, I did...and I liked it!

2009 Review #70: (500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer

Rated PG-13
(sexual material and language)
1 hour 35 minutes

Storyline:
An offbeat romantic comedy about a woman who doesn't believe true love exists, and the young man who falls for her.

Cast:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Zooey Deschanel

Critics Grade:
A-

My Grade:
A

Well many many months later I have finally jumped aboard the crazy 500 Days of Summer train! The indy romantic dramedy that took the nation by storm earlier in the year. Most people I know have seen this movie, and most people that those people know have seen it. This was a huge success and the film has a massive following. To top it off it got rave reviews from the critics and is now racking up awards every once in a while. It scored two Golden Globe nominations, so that's something big! It may even sneak in the Oscars for a nomination or two. All of this hoopla is incredibly deserving now that I've FINALLY seen the film...I know...it took me FOREVER!

Here's the thing, we see tons and tons of stupid romantic comedies year after year and they have all started to just mesh together and they are basically all the same exact movie over and over. I've been hating the fact that there is no fresh take on the genre, there's never any originality. But now...now there is, with the release of this film. This movie has NO cliches. You don't know how this movie will ultimately end up. These characters are real, not some dolled up Hollywood cliche you see in ever romantic film. These characters have real life feelings and problems. You can relate to both of these characters. Not everything in these characters lives are happy go lucky and have issues that are resolved in a matter of days. These characters were written masterfully and were given some nice quirkiness. You really feel for both people in the movie, even though at times you hate Summer (at least I did).

I've never been in love, I've never even been in a relationship. Granted, it's a bit different for me based off my preference (hehe), but it doesn't mean I can't love anyone...right? Even though some people out there think it's "wrong" for me to love the people I do. But I digress. Even though I've never felt love, I feel like this movie hits relationships on the head perfectly. From the ones I've observed in my life. This film captures the harsh realism of human nature. We all want something more and sometimes it isn't what our boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse, whatever, wants. Sometimes people think they have found "the one" but really they are not the one. This film begs the question, does true really exist? Is fate something of reality and not just fantasy? Do things really happen for a reason? Well by the end of the film, those questions are never 100% answered, because that's how life is. We will never really know the answers to those questions. That's why this movie was so good, because it was so authentic.

Even with all the oddball quirky things thrown in there every once in a while. There was a really neat musical number, and a few other things that took a step out of reality. Still, it remained true to life. It had a very unique style of filmaking. This is just one of the most perfectly crafted films of the year. Amazing original screenplay that Oscar gold is made for! It had a fast pace and never dragged on. It was also really funny at times. There were some hilarious quotes throughout the film. It was just a very fun movie when it wasn't sad and dark hehe. The two main stars, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, The Lookout) and Zooey Deschanel (The Happening, Elf) were both brilliant. You connect well with both of them. Their performances were so realistic and heartfelt and you kind of feel both of their sorrows as well as their happiness. They relay their emotions well. I really didn't like the Summer character, but that was kind of the point. I mean, at times I thought she was cool, but I hated how crazy and indecisive she was and how much pain she brought to Tom. But again, real life issues so she played it very very well. I think they were some of the most humanistic performances of the year and they both deserve Oscar nominations.

This is easily one of the ten best films of 2009. Not THE best film for me personally, but it ranks up there. Just a near perfect romantic dramedy. I loved almost every moment of it, and I wished it ran longer. This is a fun movie, it's a realistic movie, it's a quirky movie. This is a MUST SEE movie...if you are one of the 7 other people who haven't seen it yet. Enjoy!!!

2009 Review #69: Avatar

Avatar

Rated PG-13

(intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking)

2 hours 40 minutes

Storyline:

A paraplegic marine dispatched to the planet Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

Cast:

Sam Worthington

Zoe Saldana

Sigourney Weaver

Stephen Lang

Critics Grade:

B+

My Grade:

A-

James Cameron is back! Avatar is his first film since his Oscar winning classic film, "Titanic". He also brought us such action packed movies as "Aliens", "Terminator", "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and "True Lies". Action is what he does best, and it's very rare that Cameron fails to entertain an audience. He is typically a filmaker that knows how to make a film that will appeal to a wide variety of people and won't leave many people disappointed. Avatar is no exception. Avatar might very well be Cameron's masterpiece right next to Titanic. Do I think it is Best Picture WINNER quality? No...but I certainly think it deserves a nomination.

Avatar lacks in one major category, and that is solid storytelling. Cameron wrote the screenplay to this film a very long time ago, and I don't know if he really brushed off the dust and re-wrote this film, because it doesn't appear to have been touched. I think Cameron could have benefited from hiring an outside screenwriter for this film, but honestly the story wasn't awful. I just thought the story was rather uninspiring and lacked any emotional depth or connection. I totally saw the real world messages throughout the film. The message to support going green. The anti-war messages. The message that basically says "hey...leave things the way they are". That's all great, but it didn't come off as meaningful or powerful as it could have. The characters were also written a bit dry and came off as overly cliched most of the film. The story goes exactly where you think it's going. You know exactly who's going to die and who's going to live. It was not a bad story, it did have some good elements to it, it just was a tad weak.

BUT...we do not go see a movie like Avatar for remarkable storytelling. We go to see this movie because of the visuals. Because of the non stop action. This movie has all of that and then some. James Cameron has delivered some of the most breath taking and stunning filmaking I think I may have ever seen. Especially in the second half of the film. The second half is essentially non stop fun and excitement. Pure action that is brilliantly relentless and I loved every minute of it. To start, Cameron created this amazing visual world like I've never seen before. 3D and motion capture technology used to the absolute max. This film was made for over $230 million, and you can see every penny on screen. These creatures look real, you can see pain in their little animated eyes. It was incredible. The scenes of them flying around on their dinosaur bird like creatures were something to marvel at.

I can't go on enough how phenomenal this movie looks. And it works so very well with the action. It works well with the characters. It works well with the story. This whole movie blends together so well. The second half of this film is basically a giant battle sequence that is some of the best action I've seen in a film. It's definitely some of the most exciting and tense. It was remarkably captured on camera and brilliantly put on the large screen for our enjoyment. Cameron deserves a best director nomination for breaking down walls in the filmaking world. This film is revolutionary in the cinematic sense. It amazes you, it puts you in awe. This is easily one of the very best films of 2009. Not THE best, just one of the best. Simply because it immerses you in a world that we've never really seen before. The action flows so beautifully and the whole films keeps you in wonder and amazement. At least it did for me.

Avatar may have lacked in the story department. It may not have had the greatest performances of the year. But this is still a hell of a great movie based on the fact that the filmaking by James Cameron is one of a kind. You haven't really seen this kind of film before. Please go out and see it, I really don't think you will be disappointed. It's damn good fun, it's damn exciting and it's just a hell of a film to stare at for almost three hours. Really solid film!

2009 Review #68: Julie & Julia

Julie & Julia

Rated PG-13

(brief strong language and some sensuality)

2 hours 3 minutes

Storyline:

Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book.

Cast:

Meryl Streep

Amy Adams

Stanley Tucci

Critics Grade:

B

(Consensus: Boosted by Meryl Streep's charismatic performance as Julia Child, Julie and Julia is a light, but fairly entertaining culinary comedy.)

My Grade:

B-

I am a huge fan of cooking. I love creating delicious food from many different ingredients. Julia Child was on the forefront of teaching people all over the world how to make amazing meals at home for your entire family and all your friends to enjoy. She was an inspiration to millions of people. Including a woman named Julie Powell, who blogged for one whole year about how she was going through Childs complete cook book and cooking all 524 recipes in 365 days. The film follows both woman's stories and inter connects them. I love cooking. I love Oscar winner Meryl Streep (Doubt, The Devil Wears Prada) so the two of those things combined should equal a hell of a fun movie for me to watch!

Well I can't sit here and honestly say this was a great movie. I really just thought this was a standard movie. It was good, but I found nothing about it's storytelling or direction to be all that remarkable or fresh. I mean sure, it has a sweet tale to tell, and I loved the half of the film that was about Julia Child. But I don't know, there wasn't anything raw or risky about any of these woman's lives and I hate to say that because Julia Child is an American icon. She had a pretty great life, and had a phenomenal husband. There never seemed to be a moment in her life (that was shown to us in the film) that was all that heart breaking. But I guess this is more of a high spirited tale after all. Same goes for Julie Powell. It was written well, and the story was not bad, I just didn't get completely into this film.

What I did get into was the fantastic performance by Meryl Streep. This woman does no wrong. She will probably get another Oscar nomination for this film, and she may even get herself a win this time around. She was brilliant as Julia Child, there was this impeccable, uncanny resemblance between the two look wise as well as vocally. Streep captures our hearts as this love able and vibrant woman that once blessed our TV screens. She's funny and charming. She's an absolute joy to watch, and this is easily one of my favorite performances of the year. Amy Adams is good as she usually always is, but she wasn't all that stand out-ish. Her performance was pretty average and nothing was all that great about it other than the fact that it was just a good performance. Stanley Tucci needs to get recognized by the larger awards. He is just such a reliable and talented actor as he once again was in this film. Very good performance!

So I don't know what to really tell you. This IS a good movie. It's better that a lot of movies this year. It has a sweet story, that is just a bit bland for my liking. I just never really got immersed in the story or really the characters...that being said there were one or two very good performances. This is one of those movies...that if it looks good to you, than you should see it. But if you think it looks boring...that for you it probably will be. I don't know, I liked it...I just didn't love it.

2009 Review #67: Paper Heart

Paper Heart

Rated PG-13
(Some language)
1 hour 28 minutes

Storyline:
Charlyne Yi embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one subject she doesn't fully understand: Love. This is part mockumentary part actual documentary.

Cast:
Charlyne Yi
Michael Cera
Jake M. Johnson

Critics Grade:
C-
(Consensus: Equal parts charming and refreshing, Paper Heart is a quirky mockumentary led by the endearing Charlyne Yi.)

My Grade:
B-

Paper Heart can be kind of a confusing film. It is advertised as a documentary, and in certain aspects, this is a documentary. The main storyline about Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera (who both really play themselves) building a slow relationship is all staged. The guy playing the director of the film (Nicholas Jasenovec) is actually played by Jake M. Johnson, while Jasenovec is busy directing the film within a film. It's all quite confusing when you read all the back story to the film. Everyone outside the three main actors in the film...are 100% real and their stories are 100% authentic. Yi really is interviewing these people, and she really is trying to do a documentary on what love is and what it means to different people. Just inside that documentary is a scripted storyline that ties in with the documentary subject...mainly to accent the film and prove it's point. The real life stories blending with the scripted one all got a little blurry and muddled at certain points, but overall it was done pretty well.All the stories featured in the film (the real ones) are so sweet and so charming. Some of them bring tears of happiness to your eyes (but not for this tough guy reviewer!!). There stories truly make you think about love in all aspects. Love of friends, love from family, love of a boyfriend/girlfriend. These tales make you ponder your life and what love means to you. It made me question if I really knew what love was (in all of it's many versions), and the answer is: I don't know. I've never felt love from a relationship standpoint (I've never even been on a real date!). I know my family loves me, and I love them. And I know love from friends. The movie and it's true stories really just open your eyes. They showed all walks of life: couples who have been together for 30 years, new couples, gay couples, divorced couples, even children are interviewed about what they think love is (really cute scene!). This part of the film was brilliant, and I loved it. I loved the authenticity of these people and it was captured so warmly and was really heartfelt.

The fake story, about Yi (Knocked Up, Semi-Pro) and Michael Cera (Superbad, Year One) was overall pretty tastefully done. The writing was not cliched and it actually did come across as realistic for the most part. I found their relationship to be believable and sweet. The main issue is that you can clearly tell they are acting. I'm not knocking their acting though, because they were both really good in their roles. Yi was super charming and charasmatic, and you cannot help but love the hell out her. She fills the screen with such happiness and joy, and her performance is actually one of my favorites so far this year. Cera has become typecast as the awkward nerd funny guy. Here he actually plays himself which is a nice distraction from his typical roles. He was really good, I have to give him that. He was funny and subdued, and came off as a pretty cool dude. Their story was well written and the scenes of them together were superbly acted, but that's the only downfall...you know they are acting. Yi comes off as more "real" than Cera does in these scenes. Overall it wasn't THAT much of a distraction.

This is just a solid movie that isn't fantastic but is not bad at all. I would totally recommend this movie to my friends. This could actually be a pretty good date movie. It's not a sad or grim look at love, it basically accents all the positives about love. Done so quite well. It's just a fun movie that I enjoyed watching through and through. Not a brilliant or highly original film, but good nonetheless. Good performances from the actors, and touching stories from the real life people. Sure...go rent Paper Heart!!

2009 Review #66: The Cove (Documentary)

The Cove

Rated PG-13
(Disturbing content)
1 hour 32 minutes

Subject:
Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renown dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.

Critics Grade:
A+
(Consensus: Though decidedly one-sided, The Cove is an impeccably crafted, suspenseful expose of the covert slaughter of dolphins in Japan.)

My Grade:
A+

The Cove is a documentary everyone should see! It is now available to rent or own on DVD. I feel like this is an extremely important film for people to watch. Getting right down to it, this film is about the extreme slaughter of dolphins in Taijii, Japan in a secret cove. 23,000 dolphins a year are led to torture and slaughter. Most of them are brutally killed so their meat can be sold to food companies throughout Japan. The thing is...no one in Japan knows they are eating dolphin meat, they hide that fact. Dolphin meat is extremely high in mercury, one of the most toxic chemicals on earth. They were provided dolphin meat to schools throughout Japan and not saying a thing. Some dolphins are lured and captured in harsh manners so they can be sold (for $150,000!!) to water parks, or "swim with dolphin" organizations throughout the world.

The images in the film are extreme at times, and very hard to watch. There were some things that just caught be surprise and it disgusted me. I will admit right now that I got teary eyed while watching some scenes in this film. There was a scene of a dolphin who managed to escape the cove, but was already fatally injured. It swam like crazy but was suffering convulsions and extreme pain as blood poured out it. It screamed in pain. It tried so hard to get away, but eventually it took it's final breath and sank to the bottom of the sea. These dolphins are trapped, clubbed, stabbed and severely beaten. It is animal abuse to the max. There is no justification to what happens to these animals. This happens to 23,000 dolphins a year in just this one little cove.

The cove is kept top secret, because no one can truly know what goes on in it on a daily basis. There is a perfect rock formation and along with barbed fences and armed guards, this cove is completely covert. If people found out what really went on there, these people could be in serious trouble. Well this film shows us what goes on. These filmmakers risked their careers and possibly even there lives to get this haunting footage. The film follows them as they conduct interviews and confront certain people in this dolphin killing organization. They can't get the truth from anyone, they kept pushing them away (quite literally actually). These people in this little town walk around this cove with signs that say "NO PICTURES" and will get right in front of you if you try to take one. They will scream in your face. Well this crew did the unthinkable and snuck in in the early hours of the morning and managed to hide underwater audio devices as well as HD camera disguised as rocks. The footage they captured is disturbing.

You may very well cry in this film. You will most likey at least get very emotional. I did. This is a wonderfully brilliant and shocking film that is one of my all time favorite documentaries. It taught me about a certain event that I had no idea was going on, much like the rest of the world. I'm a lover of animals. There is no reason a dolphin should be treated this way. Dolphins are not meant for food. Their meat is potentially very dangerous. Dolphins are extremely intelligent and very loving creatures. When you see this film, you will see that side of them as well see their fatal ends in this cove. Please rent this movie. Watch it, let's do our part in helping end this awful travesty that occurs every day. This is an Oscar worthy documentary by all standards. Amazing movie, must see movie...so go see it! Please!

2009 Review #65: Up in the Air

Up in the Air

Rated R
(language and some sexual content)
1 hour 49 minutes

Storyline:
With a job that has him traveling around the country firing people, Ryan Bingham leads an empty life out of a suitcase, until his company does the unexpected: ground him.

Cast:
George Clooney
Vera Farmiga
Anna Kendrick

Critics Grade:
A-
(Consensus:Led by charismatic performances by its three leads, director Jason Reitman delivers a smart blend of humor and emotion with just enough edge for mainstream audiences.)

My Grade:
A

Ah, the weather is cooling, the smell of turkey is in the air, it is the time of giving...can only mean one thing: Oscar season! This is my favorite time of year, and not for Christmas. This is the time of year when movie studios pull out all the stops and give us movies that make us think and wonder, the amaze us, that put us in awe, that make us laugh and cry, the movies that make us feel something. Up in the Air is one of those movies, and is easily one of the very best films so far in 2009 and I was NOT expecting it by any means. I have to point out, as I have before, that I am not a big fan of Oscar winner George Clooney (Michael Clayton, Syriana). I don't think he's bad, I just don't understand this hype. But more on that later.

Up in the Air is a film that has a current and meaningful story. Clooney plays a man who's job is to go around the country and fire employees for companies who don't have the courage to do so themselves. I don't know if this type of thing exists, but it's pretty damn grim if it does! The film has numerous shots of people getting fired and saying exactly what's on their mind! Here's a neat fact that adds so much authenticity to this film: they hired real life people who were recently fired from their jobs due to the recession, so that they could speak their mind on camera and get off their chest all the pent up anger. It actually creates quite an emotional connection to these people. We are all going through a rough time, I was without a job for almost three months so I know how it feels. That aspect of this film was told depressingly well.

The other part of this film is about people. Is about being alone and sheltered. How some of us hide ourselves from people because we feel they create to much baggage. Some of us want to just live our own stories alone and have no idea how many people want to step into our lives and love us and care for us. Some of us are comforted by this seclusion, as is the Clooney character in this film. Occasionally he interacts with other people, but it's only to get a quick fix. Perhaps this makes his job easier to fire people so that he doesn't have to relate to anyone or connect. This man is a well written character, and I think a fairly realistic look at what society is becoming. Selfish individuals who rather put ourselves in the number one slot.

He eventually connects with a stranger, a woman he meets at an airport played by Vera Farmiga (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Orphan) to which an affair ensues. But it becomes much more than that, and it confuses Clooney's character. He doesn't know how to feel or how to react to this. Then he is assigned a partner on his travel, a young strong willed woman played by Anna Kendrick (Twilight series). This woman has developed a more centralized way of doing Clooney's job...firing people via web cam. Clooney does not like this, he likes his home on the road. He shows this woman the ropes and she soon learns this job needs to be more personalized then just a computer. On their journey they sort of teach each other a thing or two about life.

This movie really just captivated me in a weird way. First of all, the film was directed wonderfully by Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno). He has this way of telling stories from a personal standpoint. We can relate to these characters he directs. He is excellent at creating people we can feel for and love. His shots are simple and never to eccentric, because this movie needs to be about human feeling and connection so his direction has to be grounded and he does a freaking great job at doing this! The screenplay deserves all sorts of award attention this season because it is one of the best of the year. There is actually some pretty meaningful and powerful dialog throughout this film that kind of grabs your heart strings a bit. The scenes of Clooney giving his motivational speeches are some of the best of the film, and are oddly moving in a dark kind of way.

Like I said before, I'm not a huge Clooney follower. I don't think I've ever seen him give a powerful performance, and he doesn't really do so here. However, his acting style was perfect for this character. Because I have to say that I thought he was quite brilliant in this film and for the first time I feel he truly deserves some Oscar attention (even though he's already won, I know). His performance is very low key but at times haunting and sad. It's a character that displays so many characteristics that most of us have. One of the best performances of 2009 for sure! Vera Farmiga has managed to slide under the radar the past few years, but I'll be damned if she sneaks by again this year! Again, there's nothing powerful about her acting here, but she creates this complicated character that none of us is really all that sure about. Do we like her? Do we trust her? What's her story? She does a masterfully subtle job at showing us the "temptation" (so to speak) in our lives. I can see her racking up a nomination. The biggest surprise for me was from young Anna Kendrick who plays Clooney's strong willed sidekick. You almost want to dislike this character for being the way she is, but my gosh, you can't help but love her! She's awkwardly charming and funny. She's adorable but also a bit annoying. She's just a young woman who doesn't know exactly what she's getting herself into in any aspect of her life. She already gave up on her dreams at the age of 22. If ever there was an Oscar worthy performance in this film, it is definitely Anna Kendrick (forget about Twilight!!!). She gives us something to smile about but also something to think about. Loved her!

This movie is currently playing very limited, and I don't know when it will get an expanded release. But this is one hell of a great film that should not be missed! I don't know if it will win Best Picture this year, but it will certainly give other films a run for their money. This is just one of those films you can't really say to many bad things about. It's funny, it's sad, it's current, it's just damn amazing! I loved this movie from beginning to end and I say to all of you to go and see it!!!

2009 Review #64: Brothers

Brothers

Rated R
(language and some disturbing violent content)
1 hour 45 minutes

Storyline:
A young man comforts his older brother's wife and children after he goes missing in Afghanistan.

Cast:
Tobey Maguire
Jake Gyllenhaal
Natalie Portman

Critics Grade:
C
(Consensus: It plays more like a traditional melodrama than the Susanne Bier film that inspired it, but Jim Sheridan's Brothers benefits from rock-solid performances by its three leads.)

My Grade:
B-

Oops, I saw this movie last weekend and it totally slipped my mind to write a review. Busy busy week ya'll, I apologize. Unfortunately I have to keep this review short and simple. Brothers is definitely a good movie, but it's kind of a good movie about nothing. Of course it has a plot, and a pretty dark one. What I mean though, is that this movie didn't evoke many emotions from me and I think it was supposed to. This has a pretty deep core: a soldier who was tortured in the middle east comes home to learn that his wife may or may not have slept with his brother. He's already scarred from his trauma in the middle east, now he comes back to a broken home. His daughters are afraid of him, and they love their uncle more. Pretty tragic sounding right? But for me...it wasn't really tragic. The movie in the end felt a bit empty handed. It was actually kind of lopsided. The first three fourths were pretty subdued. The last fifteen-twenty minutes were where the real explosions were, and you see most of them in the preview. It kind of falls flat in the end, I felt like not much happened or got accomplished. It's like the movie teased you all the way through, then just gave up.
At the same time though, it was a well written screenplay. It had some great dialog and definitely some tense moments. Yes it ended a bit empty handed but at the same time, that is life. Not everything is wrapped up neatly in life, and certain things are left unsolved. Families become torn, but continue to live together not knowing how life is going to turn out. In that aspect, this movie captured that beautifully. It wonderfully showcased a happy, fun family slowly deteriorate into darkness.

The movie is heightened by some solid, stand out performances. First, the two little girls were freaking adorable and also delivered some heartfelt performances and both did an outstanding job. Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko) is actually a pretty reliable actor as of late. He doesn't disappoint here. Nothing powerful comes from him, his performance is quite subtle, but that's something he does very very well. Oscar nominee Natalie Portman (Closer, Star Wars saga) displays some pretty authentic emotion as the wife who lost her husband in war (but really didn't). She doesn't just bust out in tears and scream, she reacts like nothing really happened. She doesn't process it. Then slowly spins out of control. She does so brilliantly. Tobey Maguire (Spiderman series, Cider House Rules) I think gives the performance of his career. The first half of his performance is pretty standard, good, but standard. The second half is where he really shines. You don't expect a ferocious performance out of him, but that's what you get. The scene where he completely looses it is dark, haunting, and freakishly amazing. That scene alone could garner himself a nomination at Oscar time, but I don't think it will happen. He does good enough to get award attention though, no doubt about it!

So overall...this is a solid movie that for me, just lacked some serious emotional tug. It was carried by a well written story and some great performances. It's not a dull movie really, but not all that exciting either. I could go either way when recommending this movie...so I'll leave it up to you!

2009 Review #63: The Brothers Bloom

The Brothers Bloom

Rated PG-13
(violence, some sensuality and brief strong language)
1 hour 54 minutes

Storyline:
The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they've decided to take on one last job - showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world.

Starring:
Rachel Weisz
Adrian Brody
Mark Ruffalo
Rinko Kikuchi

Critics Grade:
C-
(Consensus: Despite strong performances The Brothers Bloom ultimately does not fulfill its lofty ambitions.)

My Grade:
B

The Brothers Bloom is a pretty a standard con man movie with a few good laughs. It doesn't stray to far off the normal formula of this type of story, a lot of the plot line is fairly predictable. That being said, it's not a bad movie at all. I actually liked this movie a lot! I thought it was just quirky enough for me to look past the blandness of the overall plot. I think it was mainly the characters that make this movie really entertaining.

It has a good cast. Oscar winner Adrian Brody (The Pianist, King Kong) has always been pretty dependable, but so far not that profitable of an actor. He's one of those good actors that not many people really know about. His movies don't make bank at the box office (well with the exception of King Kong, but that wasn't because of him). I liked him here in this movie, he has this quiet charm about him that makes him appealing as an actor. That sounded totally gay, haha! Mark Ruffalo (Zodiac, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) is also one of those actors that people can't quite get their finger on as to exactly what he's been in. He plays the 'way in over his head' character in this film that you are supposed to dislike but kind of root for in a weird way. He's good, he's usually always good. He just typically goes quiet into that good night when it comes to people recognizing him for doing good work. The best part of this film, hands down, was Oscar winner Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardner, The Mummy series). She plays a very eccentric, off the wall character which was totally fun to watch her come out of her shell so to speak. She was so engaging and charming. She was funny. Her performance was so addicting, if that makes any sense. I loved it whenever she was on screen. To bad this movie went under the radar, or else she could have been looking at another Oscar nomination. Maybe.

It's hard to review this movie based off the storyline and technical aspects, because it all kind of...typical. Not in a bad way, just not in a fresh take kind of way either. It's definitely good enough for me to recommend that you go out and rent. For sure! I may even buy this movie sometime soon. It's charming and quirky and entertaining. It has some really fun performances. It just lacks in the story department, but that's OK...right?

2009 Review #62: The Road

The Road

Rated R
(some violence, disturbing images and language)
1 hour 59 minutes

Storyline:
A post-apocalyptic tale of a man and his son trying to survive by any means possible.

Starring:
Viggo Mortensen
Kodi Smit-McPhee
Robert Duvall
Charlize Theron

Critics Grade:
B
(Consensus: The Road's commitment to Cormac McCarthy's dark vision may prove too unyielding for some, but the film benefits from hauntingly powerful performances from Viggo Mortensen and Kodi McPhee.)

My Grade:
A-

OK yes, The Road is one heck of a dark and bleak film. A holiday release may have been a bad time to put this movie out there, because it isn't all that uplifting and for the most part it's pretty grim. There isn't much color to this film, it's all pretty morose and bland looking. The performances are subdued and low key. The pacing is slow and there isn't much of any back story to these characters. To some people, it may sound like I'm describing a movie that is just OK but not all that great. Well for me, I thought The Road was one of the best movies I've seen this year, and I know that a lot of people won't agree with me on that. But that's OK, because that is why we all have separate opinions.

The Road has a very simplistic story, in fact there isn't to much of profound storyline at all. I've never read the book by Cormac McCarthy (who also wrote the novel in which No Country for Old Men was based), so I don't know how much of the book story transferred over to the film. I know the book is just as dark as the film however, that much I've heard by word of mouth. But here we have a post-apocalyptic world and there aren't many human's left (as far as we are shown at least). We follow the story of a father, played by Oscar nominee Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises, Lord of the Rings trilogy) who is constantly on the move with his young boy played by Kodi Smit-McPhee. They have no home, the world has been taken over by destruction. It is constantly dark and cold and rains a lot. They are just trying to survive the weather, hunger and the crazies (the bad guys as they call them in the film).

Not much really happens in this movie, I'll be completely honest about that. There isn't much excitement and virtually no "action" type movies. This isn't a "2012" type end of the world movie. In fact, it's the polar opposite. While some people may find that to be a bit dreary and even boring, I found it to be quite engaging and somewhat captivating. We don't have a large cast to focus on here, it's mainly this father and son. I was never bored. I was hooked from scene one and it never let me go. There was something about this father son relationship that was so moving and I thought it really elevated this film to a beautiful level. Sure we don't know a ton about them before this apocalypse, but to me it didn't really matter. You get to know their characters well enough throughout the film's pacing and I couldn't help but feel for both of them. I thought the writing here was excellent, it may even entice me to read the book eventually. But I didn't need much background for me to enjoy these peoples tale of survival.

Again, this is a post-apocalypse film. However, I will tell you right now that you pretty much never learn what the heck happened to the world. It's never told to us, and maybe it is in the book I don't know. Something awful clearly happened, but there didn't appear to be any toppled over buildings and stuff like that. It was implied that there may have been some severe earthquakes, but again it's never officially told to us. Again, that might bother some people. To me though, it didn't really effect my view of the movie. Why should it matter what happened? That's not what THIS story is about. Sure in movies like 2012, we need to see the 'what', but here we just care about the after effects. This apocalypse was just the even that set the story in motion. They did a good job though at creating this after world. I'm sure most of it was done with some computerized effects, and they looked damn convincing if you ask me. Set designs were totally foreboding and grim and they accented the film beautifully. This world had to look convincing, it had to look dark for us to believe these characters journey. So however they pulled off the look of the film, whatever they did, it was brilliant!
The movie also has two very strong performances. Viggo Mortensen has typically been one of those under appreciated actors. He's always doing great work and rarely getting recognized for it. Now I'm not saying he should get an Oscar nomination for this performance, but I am saying he did a really fantastic job with this part. I mean I believed the love this guy had for his son. I believed his protectiveness and his heart ache. Mortensen proves in this film how truly great he is at playing that every man we can all relate to in some way. His performance here is so quiet and toned down, but it was just so amazing at the same time. He deserves Oscar attention for this performance, but I don't think he will get it. Backing him up brilliantly and shockingly was young Kodi Smit-McPhee who plays his son. You don't get a lot of Oscar worthy performances from kids his age, but this kid tugged at my heart strings with his acting in this film. I mean this was a real kid. He did so well at playing this kid as scared for his life, scared for his fathers life. He bonded so beautifully with Viggo, there were times where you swear they really were father and son. McPhee does a superb job at delivering real emotion and authentic fear that you can't help but get choked up at certain moments of his performance. Because you really being to fear for his safety. Solid performances!

So my overall consensus on The Road is that it is one hell of good movie. You have to go in knowing you are about to see a low tone, grim film though or else you might be off put by it all. This is a slow film, there is no big explosions. No gun fights. Barely any blood. This is a story based film that takes place AFTER a earth shattering destruction of some sort. This is a film about a journey of a father and son who are trying to stay sane together, and who are trying to survive together. Every aspect of this movie was done so brilliantly in my mind. This is a move that had me reeled in from the very beginning. I loved this film, and maybe everyone won't feel the same way I did, but I still highly recommend you see it! Definitely one of the best 2009 has had to offer so far!