3 out of 5. David Frankel's THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA is an infectious comedy that you can't stop thinking about. Maybe it's because of the under-dog lead played by Anne Hathaway that most people can identify with. Or it's her high-status boss played by Meryl Streep who's performance seems to diminish everyone under her affecting gaze. Plus, Stanley Tucci is always fun to watch. Overall it's a fairly predictable storyline but the journey is what makes it fun. By the third act it does lose a little bit of the snap and bite of the opening but it's because the character arcs are converging. Great fun.
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3 out of 5. Kevin Smith while not one of my go-to director's makes a fun and risque film with ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO. I think what's funny is my mother recommended it to me after seeing it in a theater. I'd never pay that kind of money to see a comedy but took her up on the challenge of watching it. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth banks have great sincere chemistry that makes there situation believable and absurd. Kevin undoubtedly has a gift with dialogue that is unique. The acting in general is really fun and funny. At first blush you might think this is just more gross-out humor from Smith but honestly it rises above that to tell a great little story.
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3 out of 5. In CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa spin a very fun tale that doesn't leave your brain at the door. This is one of those films where the casting works so well for the story that the chemistry sparkles between the actors. It shows yet another facet of Ryan Gosling's abilities if you're tired of the gloom and morose work he's done lately. But really all the acting is quite good. I think the only thing that probably worked against this film is the title. In a sea of "like" marketing it's easy to miss this great little film when it's up against Eat. Pray. Oh, and the ending is actually pretty damn good.
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4 out of 5. Kar Wai Wong's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE reinforces the sensitivity of a director toward the interplay of
emotions and images. He gets relationships in their beautiful clumsy
ways that give Ang Lee a run for his
money. The costuming and casting is perfect. I love the two leads. You
literally ache for these people to be together without all the Hollywood
schmaltz that infects most things stateside.
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4 out of 5. Yôji Yamada's THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI
reminded me a lot UNFORGIVEN. The plot centers around a widowed samurai
who has lost any sense of self-worth. He's internalized a lot of the
pain and denies himself the opportunity
to move on. The acting is really good. The story feels like the last
samurai movie that will be made because of the introduction of guns and
the end of the Edo period. Slow, thoughtful and very good relationships
make it worth a look.
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4 out 5. Rainer Werner Fassbinder's ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL is pretty damn cool. He boldly faces every convention
available to him and makes a palpable story with characters that get
under your skin. I had no idea what I'd
expect after watching Fox and His Friends but I'm amazed by this
director's ability at clear and creative storytelling. It's almost
stylized in many ways from the art direction and clothing choices,
there's some heavy symbolism throughout. If you like to keep chewing on a
film after your done watching it...check this one out.
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4 out of 5. Three highly imaginative and
creative minds come together in Michel Gondry's ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. It seems almost as rare as sighting a comet but this
perfect storm of talent represents a
time in Hollywood when creative films could still get made. I believe it
was the first thing I'd seen of Gondry's work and have gone onto check
out his THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP which is also enjoyable. The acting is
wonderful and as surreal as the Charlie Kaufmann's story gets Jim Carrey
is pitch-perfect in his reckless abandon. This movie does not
disappoint in the least.
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3 out of 5. Taika Waititi's EAGLE VS. SHARK is
stuck in my head and I can't get it out. I think that's a good thing
too. The film is indie and smart with some really odd characters but not
for the sake of being odd. It's
carefully conceived and well directed with stop-motion inserts
throughout that add a nice texture to the story. If you like the quirk
of Wes Anderson movies this film is easy-going and fun.
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4 out of 5. Speaking of musicals, Baz
Luhrmann's MOULIN ROUGE! knocked my socks off when it first came out
over decade ago. The fantasy world built by him and the two leads was
quite mesmerizing. I really dig
high-production values used in small ways. His earlier film STRICTLY
BALLROOM was another favorite of mine. But this film showed a sense of
style, composition and the ability to make a fun film. Also: JIM
BROADBENT whom I cannot get enough of.
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4 out of 5. Patrice Leconte's RIDICULE takes
this period piece game of wit and words and turns it into something
quite intriguing. From the unforgettable opening shot to the satisfying
conclusion you will delight in the rise
of or poor French lord who rises to tear down the aristocrats. Might I
say too, the woman in the diving bell is a honey...ahem. Anyway, if you
like costume dramas and dig films like Amadeus you might like this.
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4 out 5. Michael Hoffman's THE LAST STATION
overflows with excellent acting and a real solid story. It makes one
wonder how this slipped by so easily without much notice. Maybe the
subject of Tolstoy is over everyone's
heads and seems daunting. But truth be told it's about the beginning and
ending of love and relationships. I wouldn't call it a chick flick, but
the subject matter contrasts nicely between serious drama and some
rather amusing scenes. I'd call out Helen Mirren as having done an
exceptional job but really everyone played with the perfect pitch of
sincerity that I'd hate for her performance to shadow anyone else. If
you like well-photographed, well-acted films that look like
impressionist paintings at times, you should definitely check this one
out.
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4 out of 5. MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO is a very creative endeavor from Gus
Van Sant. From what I've read about the film I'm kind of glad the
investors made him pull back on the Shakespearean dialogue. It was
mildly effective in some ways but pulled
us away from the emotional state we experienced with the "real"
dialogue. High marks for the look and feel of this film though. It was
nearly perfect. You can see what a lot of people were talking about in
regards to River Phoenix. He embodies his character wholly and always
looks like he's having conversations in his head about his next move or
motivation. Great if not a safe way to deal with the subject matter. If
you liked the Basketball Diaries and Stanley Kubrick films...you'll
probably like this.
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4 out of 5. After seeing BADLANDS and giving it a
5, I thought I'd chance DAYS OF HEAVEN to see what else Terrence Malick
can do. Suffice it to say he has a style of space and time and poetry
that I haven't seen in many directors.
If there was a slow-cook movement in film he'd be the head chef. But not
slow in the way that Kubrick plays, more like lets build up the
slowness with cut-away close-ups of supporting imagery and create a
textural piece. The story is well-done and the acting is superb. The
cinematography is masterful and I love the ending. If you like Malick
you know what you're getting...a film with ease...but not an easy film.
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