March Week 4: The Post Commandments

Whoops, a rare occurrence happened yesterday. I completely forgot that it was Sunday. I guess I got too caught up in reviewing Noah to remember the one real thing I actually require myself to do on the weekend. Eh, no big deal. How’s everybody doing? Me? Oh, you know, still looking for work. I had been trying to set up some ads on the blog, because I will take money where I can get it at this point, but Google AdSense kept denying my application because of “Copyrighted Material.” So, if for some crazy reason you were to go back through the archives, you would notice that I took down all the pretty pictures and videos in order to appease these weirdos. But, it was of no use. Even after removing all of that content I was still being rejected. So screw it, back to putting pictures up. Adventures in blogging amirite? Here’s what I watched last week:

The Raid

Nine 1/2 Weeks

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Terms of Endearment

A Room with a View

Noah

I am still playing catch up on reviews. I’m missing one for Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, Halloween (1978), and Heartland, which I just watched and will be the last in the March Project movies. I was really considering taking this week off from film, finishing my reviews and reading a book or two, but I am so excited for the April 2014 Film Project that I don’t think I can wait to get started! For April, I will be watching the best rated films (according to the Letterboxd community) of the 1970’s, which I haven’t seen yet. That list is sooooo cool. We’ll see how far I get with this project.

I hope you all have a good week. I’m planning to.

Joel

Review: Noah

Noah (2014):

Synopsis – Listen, the world is full of terrible, awful people. So God tells his one follower left to build an ark and he shall fill it with CGI animals. Then He turns on all the faucets at once and kills man.

Starring - Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth, lots of extras, and some more famous people who must have been voice over for the giant rock thingies.

What was the last bible oriented movie that was of any note? The Passion of the Christ? I certainly can’t remember the last time I was interested in seeing one. It took a special director, a special cast, and the expectation of not being preached at to finally get me in the theater again for one. It’s not that I have any problem with the occasional sermon in my movies, I just go to them for other, more enjoyable reasons. My problem with the average bible film is that the creators tend to be too afraid to stray from the source material, and you know what? They should be afraid. There is nothing scarier than a mob of angry religious folk in my opinion. Except for sharks. And don’t get me started on a mob of religious sharks.

What I Liked:

-Whenever the movie was allowed to go “full Aronofsky” I was enthralled. These were scenes that usually showed that time was passing, in creative ways of course. How life began on Earth (via the Creation story) was a particularly moving scene.

-I think everyone did an excellent job acting their parts, with the exception of Douglas Booth. It isn’t that he was terrible, but compared to the other main actors he was given little to do and when he was called upon to act he did not have the gravitas to pull off what was needed. It seems like they hired a pretty boy instead of a man for the part.

-I feel like the story was handled with a very deft hand. I have seen complaints saying that the movie makes Noah seem like a crazy person, and other inaccuracies when compared to the source material. Most of the rumors about why not to see the movie are just that, rumors; unsubstantiated and made up without actually having seen the film. The movie is very respectful to Christianity, and while it takes certain liberties none of them are offensive in my opinion. The most offensive thing in the film is the violence that takes place, and more offensive is the fact that at my screening parents had brought in children much too young to see some of the intense scenes that took place. Some people are just too stupid to know better.

What I Didn’t Like:

-The real reason I wanted to see this movie at all was because of its director, Darren Aronofsky. Black Swan was one of my favorite movies of the year it was released, and I liked The Wrestler well enough. As I said in the “Liked” section, there were some great Aronofsky bits that I am glad I got to see. The rest of the movie was for the most part pretty average. I was surprised to see “The Watchers” in the movie, but instead of adding to the air of mystery that might surround a movie about a prophet who receives messages from God, I felt the CGI creatures gave off a distinctive “Transformers” feeling, just without the hip hop attitude.

-I’m not sure Aronofsky quite knows how to film battles, but it may have been his intent not to make it a spectacle. Because it totally was NOT spectacular in any way.

What I Hated:

-What I hated was that I allowed my expectations to be raised more than they should have. My disappointment with the film is partially my own fault.

Verdict:

As with any film I watch, I am glad that I saw it. My pal Jose and I saw it in the extra-large XD screen, and I don’t think it was worth the extra few dollars we shelled out. I say if you have any interest in the movie, go see it in the theater. It is enjoyable enough. Otherwise, might as well skip it.

Review: A Room with a View

A Room with a View (1985):

Synopsis – On holiday in Florence, Lucy and Dame Maggie Smith are accosted by two brutish men who insist that they exchange their rooms. The room they receive turns out to have an amazing view and is the trigger to a series of action packed moments including: kissing in a field; nude men bathing together; Lincoln/Bob the Butcher being a gigantic nerd; Dame Judy Dench!

Starring – Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Denholm Elliott, Julian Sands, Simon Callow, Daniel Day-Lewis, I could list actors all day.

This movie belongs in the prestigious halls of “Movies That Sarah Love.” I don’t know how many times she has watched it, but I know it’s up there. I got her a Blu-Ray copy for Christmas last year, which had to be imported from England and cost me quite a bit, but anything to make her happy. This is the first time, as far as I know, that we had put this copy to the test. I was actually quite worried that there would be a region issue with the disc and we would only be able to watch it on a computer (the only computer we currently have is a crappy laptop, from which I am currently typing). Luckily, it played perfectly fine and looked great on the tv. I am falling in love with this movie, just as much as she already is in love with it. It is a film along the lines of some of Oscar Wilde’s work, without all the snark and sexuality thrown about. A milder affair that is just as funny and very relatable. What makes me like it the most though is how much Sarah likes it. When someone loves a movie, and any movie, I feel a secret tingle of joy for them. That means that there is something important to be found in the footage that they treasure, and everyone is unique in what works for them.

What I Liked:

-Sometimes a movie is just fun. Do you watch Downton Abbey? You know how in-between the drama bits there are light slice-of-life snippets that are funny? Well, this is a whole movie of that with a plot that compliments it. I don’t want to be dismissive as I mean this as a compliment, but this is the kind of movie you can just put on in the background whilst going about your daily business. Any time you look at the screen, chances are you are going to smile at what you see.

-While the romantic protagonists don’t actually have much screen time together, the sense is that love is in the air and in the back of people’s minds throughout the movie. But this isn’t really a movie about romance; it is a comedy through and through, and a great one at that.

What I Didn’t Like:

-No one, and I mean NO ONE, needs to see that many grown men naked at once. Argue as much as you want. But seriously, that scene is pretty hilarious.

What I Hated:

-Nothing to hate.

Verdict:

When it comes to flaws, the only thing I can think to point out about this movie is that it is slight in nature. There is no big lesson to be taught, nothing spectacular being done by the film makers. It is just a perfect little period piece comedy, one that isn’t forced in anyway. It’s so nice to have a film like it to rely upon to deliver a satisfactory experience every time you decided to watch it. Like that warm blanket you’ve had for years, it is pure comfort.

Review: Terms of Endearment

Terms of Endearment (1983):

Synopsis – A mom and daughter are always on the edge of a fight, but their communication skills allow each other to grow as people and maintain a loving relationship through hardship and joy. A family drama with laughter and tears.

Starring - Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Daniels, others including an actor named Huckleberry Fox?

This film marks movie #6 on my March Movie Project. Once again, I asked my mom “what makes Terms of Endearment special to you?” Her response:

“I love the acting. The relationship between mother and child. One of my favorite scenes is when [SPOILERS] Shirley MacLaine pounds on the nurse’s desk and demands help for her dying daughter. That is how I feel as a mom. No limit to what I would do for my kids and grandkids.”

My mom feels a real connection with good family dramas like this, and therefore so do I. I am known to run screaming for the hills when it comes to any amount of cheese in a movie that I watch. I was expecting a lot of that sort of content in this film, and to my surprise there was hardly any. It seems like James L. Brooks knows how to handle certain actors, or maybe it depends on the script, but either way this was way better than Spanglish, and dare I say it, I think I liked it more than As Good as it Gets.

What I Liked:

-Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine play off each other so well. Their dynamic is more like best friends than mother/daughter, but I’m sure that some people actually have that relationship and can relate completely. “A boy’s best friend is his mother”, where did I hear that before? Oh well. Anyway, I was already kind of in love with Shirley MacLaine as an actress, but now I really want to see some other Debra Winger movies and see if the magic is there too. It may be that this was just the perfect recipe for a meaningful imitation of a relationship.

-I enjoyed the way the progression of years was handled. I’m sure at some point showing children growing up became a cliché, but I’m not aware of it. It worked perfectly here.

-I like John Lithgow. I’ll take him anyway I can get him.

-I was under the impression that I don’t enjoy movies that end up being tear jerkers, but I guess I was wrong about that. I think my problem is when a major character in a film is suddenly (and usually obviously for plot reasons) killed off. But when a film takes the time to actually deal with the event of someone dying, it is vastly more interesting narratively. Terms of Endearment handled it really well. There wasn’t even an over the top mourning scene!

What I Didn’t Like:

-This film escaped any dislikes; very unusual for a film that is still flawed. Speaking of flaws though…

What I Hated:

-The score of this movie is downright atrocious. Every time it queued in I was jarred from being fully involved in the story. Why they went with a digital score as opposed to an orchestral is beyond me. And if I am mistaken and it is orchestral, it really doesn’t matter because there was no variety to it. It was all what I can only assume is called Terms of Endearment Theme.

Verdict:

Not only am I glad I watched this movie, it has renewed my faith in dramas as a whole. A drama doesn’t news to contain violence to be good, and it doesn’t have to steer completely away from clichés in order for me not to suddenly take ill. It can coast along those lines and still be an outstanding and heartfelt feature. Also, it made me feel better about the state of my living spaces. Great stuff. 

Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014):

Synopsis – A womanizer is accused of murder when some old bird he had relations with leaves him her prized possession. A mad cap crazy adventure ensues and... Oh jeez, I cannot sum up this movie. So much stuff happens!

Starring – Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, a lot of others. Don't look it up, it's better to be surprised!

What a rush. I knew I was going to like The Grand Budapest Hotel, because I happen to be one of those people who find Wes Anderson movies utterly entertaining. When I see a movie that I like as much as this, I fold. I know that there are words in my head, and I could explain them out loud to someone given enough time, but putting them down in the written form is a daunting task. So I cheated. I asked my girlfriend Sarah to give her 2 cents about the movie. She went above and beyond and I am so happy with the results! Check it out:

The Grand Budapest Hotel was another classic Wes Anderson picture. I was on the edge of my seat when this movie started. I have to admit upfront that I am biased. I’ve loved Wes Anderson since I saw Rushmore. I’ve come to find all of his storytelling comforting. I feel like I know what I’m in for with a Wes Anderson movie. This movie did not disappoint me at all.

The cinematography was amazing (Amazing is an understatement). I found myself wondering how long it took to make all of the uniforms, or how they blended miniatures seamlessly into a live action scene. The sets looked like [Anderson] personally had gone traveling all over the world for years looking for the perfect room to make these scenes work.

The story is framed by a maze of stories within stories. You keep trying to attach yourself to something that you figure will be the jumping off point but as soon as you do, the movie takes another turn. I started wondering where this took place and feeling stupid. I mean I know the title says it’s in Budapest, but you feel like you are somewhere unfamiliar and not just because this is another country in another time. It feels like fantasy. The story is centered on the character called M. Gustave and his protégé Zero. They work in a hotel known as The Grand Budapest. M Gustave, played by Ralph Fiennes, is a snooty concierge who is hilarious and perfect in this role. I was so happy with the tenacity in which he took on this ridiculous character that I couldn’t help smiling. Just as in many Wes Anderson movies before, the protagonist is a proud know-it-all that barks orders at others around him, placing extreme importance on things that seem so trivial to the rest of us. I was reminded of the Steve Zissou character in Life Aquatic and Royal Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums. These characters have some really unlikeable qualities and they seem to undermine everyone around them. It’s funny to me when I think about the people [Anderson] chooses to tell stories about. You feel like they could tell you something like “I’m the best t ball player that ever lived!” Also it’s uncanny how they always tend to have minions following them around waiting to hear what wisdom or direction they have to give out next. I don’t want to spoil the story but it is a fun caper complete with trains, prison breaks and sprinting through fields (reminiscent of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou). There were so many famous people in this movie they almost didn’t have room for them all and some of them had very small cameos. [SPOILER] Joel and I both uttered out loud in unison “Fisher Stevens?!” when he appeared on screen.

I had a lot of fun watching it and I recommend it to anyone expecting something silly and beautiful. I left the theater wondering where we had been the whole time.

Verdict:

Seriously, I couldn’t have done a better job. Sarah has a talent for writing that I hope to exploit we will all get to read more often! Listen, when it comes to Wes Anderson movies, you either like his stuff or you don’t. If you don’t mind some foul language you are going to have a really fun time with this movie. AND GO SEE IT IN THE THEATER! It is something to behold with only a few places I could nitpick at. But why do that? Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Review (Sort of): Nine ½ Weeks

Synopsis – Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke canoodle in a plotless weird sexy time movie.

Starring - Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke. Yes, there are others involved, but who cares about them.

Wasn’t this movie on a bunch lists at one point for being totally sexy? What I watched was sexy, in the sense that any train wreck is sexy, which is not at all. Jeez louise, this movie is a dated relic that, honestly, might belong in a museum. I’m not going to break down this movie, I will instead simply present my notes in the order that I took them. Here they are:

-Movies for 30 somethings

-Seriously, was Mickey Rourke in a car accident or something, because even his voice is unrecognizable

-Sarah said it’s like Tommy Wiseau saw this movie and thought "this is what love looks like"

-I think the film maker might have thought he was making an art film

-I’m not sure this movie has a plot…

-The fucking music!

-WTF THE FRIDGE SCENE IS SO FUCKING WTF DID I JUST WATCH

-Please for god’s sake talk above a whisper

After that I finally gave up on trying to keep a hold on this freaking movie. The music, I cannot tell 

you, explain to you, how terrible it is.

But, even after all my bitching and even after I thought I might be losing my mind, I still kind of liked 

it. I think that means I have problems.

Review: The Raid: Redemption

The Raid: Redemption (2011):

Synopsis – An elite police force enters a known drug kingpin’s building, looking to shut down his operations. As you can guess, these guys bit off more than they can chew. Luckily, martial arts, etc.

Starring - Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Donny Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian, and many more.

Uh oh. I think I am about to alienate some people here. I’ve been looking forward to seeing The Raid since it was released stateside in 2011. I remember at the time I was working in Los Angeles at KONAMI, and a bunch of the guys there were going to the midnight showing after work ended. I could only watch in jealousy as they left to have their fun, knowing I had an hour and a half trip home waiting for me like I did every night during that stint in El Segundo. 3 years later, I just had not found a reason to sit down and watch the movie. With the sequel on the horizon, I finally got myself a copy and waited for the ecstasy of pure action bliss to appear on screen. But I never got there. Guys, I’m sorry. I thought The Raid: Redeption was mostly boring. I know, you hate me. It’s ok, I kind of hate me too right now.

What I Liked:

-Well, you’d have to be a real hard ass not to enjoy any of the martial arts. If I had to single out a scene, I think my favorite is the first scene with Mad Dog where he decides to fight Jaka hand-to-hand. Ruhian, who plays Mad Dog, is not a very big man, but he is nimble and strong and he could obviously kick anyone’s ass. When he throws down with Jaka in that room, he gets picked up and thrown around a few times, which was kind of comical, but he really did seem unstoppable. And of course, he wins. He wins gloriously.

What I Didn’t Like:

-When it comes to world building, this movie doesn’t bother with many details. I can see why someone could be satisfied with a throw away story as long as it has amazing action, but I am not one of those people. There was a time when I was, but my expectations have been raised to a point of no return I suppose; I need plot. They enter the building because someone told them they should. Other than that detail it gets pretty fuzzy if you ask me. It seemed like there was a complicated world just on the cusp of being introduced, but someone threw that away in favor of another shoot out. Not that the quiet moments served to improve the movie in anyway. With so little to work with, I think it only left idiots like me wondering what the hell was really going on, and of course we are left without a resolution.  I heard from a friend of mine that The Raid 2 will have more story in it. I can say that I am excited by the prospect.

- I kept waiting to see some of the amazing action I heard so much about, and at first I thought “well, maybe it’s after all this gun play.” The gun play was really tedious for me. So a bunch of dudes got blown away. I have seen that before, many times. Finally, the hero of the movie, Rama, has to fend off a bunch of dudes with a knife, a baton, and eventually just his fists. I did enjoy that part to a point, but after the first 10 guys, I had seen enough of people just running into Rama’s weapons. But it kept going! On and on, one action scene after another. It wasn’t until Mad Dog showed up that my attention was finally perked. Short lived, because we have to go watch Rama fight some more random dudes.

What I Hated:

-Ehhh, even though the movie has its problems I’m saving my ire for another time.

Verdict:

Listen, I can tell that this movie is good and should be watched by lovers of action and fighting. If you have been jonesing for something new and exciting, there is no reason not to give this movie a try. It just wasn’t up to my standards. My problem, not the movie’s problem.