January 4, 2008
Juno
As I said at the BonBlogs, "Not News: JUNO is an excellent movie."
Seriously. That shit is outstanding. Go see it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I'm behind most LA-based hipsters by a few weeks (at least), but DAMN. That is an amazing movie and I loved it, loved it, loved it. (Like, updating my TOP MOVIES list "loved it.")
And why did we go see Juno at noon on a Friday when I have so much stuff to do that I can hardly keep my compartmentalized mind in its proper Tupperware?
Because last night on Letterman, the amazing Ellen Page made an appearance. She is brilliant, articulate, FUNNY. And within just two minutes of her banter with Dave, I knew I was watching a superstar. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Everyone in Hollywood has been saying this for quite some time (and her name has been on some casting wish lists of mine, but not because I fought to put it there--I work with some very smart filmmakers, apparently). But I hopped on the bandwagon last night.
Hard.
And then I watched the movie today and fell more deeply in love with actors I already adore (JK Simmons, Allison Janney, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera) and became totally addicted to Ellen Page and Olivia Thirlby. Just WOW. In the wake of all the Britney/Lindsay bullcrap (which is almost getting more coverage than the storm), I have to say I now have hope for the future of the young Hollywood female. PLEASE let me cast these wonderful women soon!
Excellent movie. So much "more" than what you might expect. It's about love. And hope. And family. And choices. Just wonderful. Great work casting, Mindy Marin and Kara Lipson. What a fantastic screenplay from Diablo Cody! And, of course, lovely work from director Jason Reitman.
Get on the bus, y'all. Thundercats are GO!
PS--The trailer for Young at Heart blew me away. Must-see (well, the trailer at least). I'm willing to bet I'll love the film too. I'm a sucker like that. Octogenarians singing The Ramones and The Clash? I'm soooooooo in. (Seriously, go watch that shit. Outstanding!)
Posted by bonnie at 2:56 PM | TrackBack
August 29, 2006
Little Miss Sunshine
(Note: My full review is at the BonBlogs.)
I swear to you, if you like AMAZINGLY well-written and beautifully-acted indie films with nary a continuity error, goof*, or glitch (not that that's WHY anyone should love a movie, but DAMN does it make a good movie suddenly GREAT), Little Miss Sunshine is the one for you.
Fantastic work by the entire cast and crew! Really phenomenal stuff from the writer and directors, for sure! Michael Arndt is a scribe to watch (How the HECK is this his first feature film credit?!?) and Dayton and Faris... if you ever need me, holy crap give me a call. Kudos to Kim Davis and Justine Baddeley for a fine job casting a quirky, heartwarming ensemble film.
BEST actor of the bunch (although this was a really tough call for me) has to be Paul Dano, whose character has taken a vow of silence. What a challenge for an actor to convey so much emotion and character depth nonverbally! Remind me to use his brilliant example when trying to explain the value in doing a non-speaking principal role to a reluctant actor. Simply beautiful work going on here!
And I think that's what is so fantastic about this film (a film sooooo much longer** than the typical film I'll sit through... ever). It is simple. The characters and their circumstances are so very well-written that the talented actors couldn't help but bring them to life in such a way that we care very much what happens to each of them in every scene. But for me to credit the script (and then the acting) with this film's worth is to discount the fact that these directors clearly knew what they were looking for, in choosing this project and these actors. The stars aligned on this film... and that it only screened at Sundance (and wasn't even put in any award-yielding screenings there) is shocking.
At $8M, I figure the largest expense of this project was cast salaries. Even if everyone worked for scale (which I doubt), that's a pretty large chunk of an $8M budget at the full SAG basic codified agreement rates. I have not cast a film at this level (yet) and hope that, when I do, it'll be something that looks this good on the big screen (and that endures, upon reflection days later, which is the true test of a fantastic movie sometimes).
Okay, so go see Little Miss Sunshine (or at least view the trailer and/or teaser here and go see the film tomorrow) and root for the best little pageant kid ever.
* Despite the fact that people behind us*** in the theater mocked the "10 East" sign in one of the shots, that particular item does not a goof make! Anyone who paid actual attention would've seen the ARROW beneath the sign, proving that the family's VW bus was on a road that had entrance ramps back to the 10 (presumably in both directions) after having experienced car trouble (and a meal) at some random exit on the way to the coast. Since no one TURNED in the direction of the arrow, the appearance of a sign marked "10 East" isn't a goof!
** I'm all about 82 minutes including credits. But on this film, I knew it was long. It felt long. But every time I thought, "Hmm. This film is long," I countered that with, "Okay, what would you have cut so far?" And the answer to that question was always, "Not a damn thing!" Usually, I can come up with many things that could've been cut, by the time I'm having that conversation with myself while watching a movie. Thing is, I couldn't even get that far into the "self-conversation" place because this film was just that good (and so well-balanced too... never got heavy-handed or too sad or too wacky, although it walked the line on all of that).
*** When Mary Lynn Rajskub showed up in her second or third scene (of four or five small ones), the lady behind us started squealing, "OMIGOD! It's Chloe from 24! OMIGOD!!!" And she couldn't stop saying it. Every time the actor came on screen for the next four minutes, this woman said, "See! See that! It's Chloe! OMIGOD!!!" and then some. I wanted to turn around to her and say, "Yes! And did you see that? Steve Carell is on The Office! And Bryan Cranston? He was on Malcolm in the Middle (and before that, on Seinfeld. Do you remember the "anti-dentite" episodes?!?)! And that Toni Collette, did you know that she's not really American, even though she sounds it?!? OMIGOD!! These are ACTORS and they're doing their JOB! Would you SHUT UP now?!?" But I did not.****
**** Yes, at this point, I'm really OVER the people who were behind us at the theater.
Posted by bonnie at 3:13 AM | TrackBack
April 28, 2006
Stick It
For the long-ass review of the BEST MOVIE EVER, visit the BonBlogs. Here's the short version, for Monitoring the Culture.
You've been to the movie's site, so you know the story. Hell, you've seen Bring It On, so you know the story. Well, sort of. Seems the film's writer/director (Jessica Bendinger--love that name, like she's a bending-er, like all of these flippy kids she writes about) is also making a political statement about the arcane rules of judging in the sport of elite gymnastics. She does it quite effectively, too.
But not as effectively as she writes coolass lingo. Holy hell, that's some great stuffs. My favorites:
*Dude! Why you always gotta bite my moment? It tastes good?--Poot, when Frank marshes his mellow or kills his buzzOh, but it's not just the quips I love!
*Well if it isn't Pariah Carey.--Joanne, upon seeing Haley's unwelcome return to the gym (BTW, I totally think we need to just refer to Mimi as Pariah from here on out.)
*Come here, rebel without applause.--Coach Vick to Haley, on one of many of her walk-off-in-disgust attempts
*I'm so sure I'm practically deodorant.--Haley about how positive she is she'll nail a particular trick
*(Q): What's a corsage? (A): It's the universal symbol for "whipped."--exchange between Poot and Frank, when facing a prom purchase (No, we don't get to go to prom in this movie, but we do brilliantly, gorgeously, gloriously shop for it.)
*(Insult): Diva! (Comeback): Dee-vil!--our heroes upon entering the gym before Nationals
No ma'am! It's also the New Miss Malaprop on the block! Rock it. This girl has the most lazily written character (she's so NOT the juicy wonderful villain we got to know and love in Bring It On or any other decent movie of its ilk), but it's totally worth falling in love with her just for the malaprops. Wow! Greatness. Just a sampling:
*If you do that, I will have a cardio-vasectomy!I mean, COME! ON! That shit is OUTSTANDING!
*Can we get rid of the long-sleeved leos? We have a right to bare arms.
*I earned my spots. I'm practically a Dalmatian!
*I don't appreciate your insituation.
*You got a GED? What does drunk driving have to do with this?
I predict lots of happy fun drugged-up movie-goers really enjoying the phenomenal prescription drug dream sequence and super-imposed bodies flipping and tricking simultaneously. The fun soundtrack includes a song entitled "I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me." The sense of humor throughout this whole film is just rockstar. It never takes itself seriously, even when it has its "O Captain, My Captain" moment featuring my favorite flipper: Tarah Paige.
I cast Tarah as Cupid in Still of the Night last year. She's amazing. Her brastrap moment is only one of a few really unforgettable, scene-stealing offerings. That so rocks. Well done, cutie! You GO!
Other favorite items include Polly Holiday (I feel shame that I was certain she had died not too long ago) delivering a great line: "There are a lot of great people who had jerks for parents. We've gotta stick together;" and the Buttahara, probably my new favorite trick.
I'm still basking in the afterglow that was my morning with Stick It. I am certain that I will remain inspired to be the best professional teenage gymnast I can possibly be. Training began today. My rips have rips!
Posted by bonnie at 11:10 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 19, 2006
The Notebook
Wow. Thank you, TiVo. I don't know what combination of shows I thumbs-upped to get you to record The Notebook for me, but DAMN, that's a great little movie.
I had read recommendations from various friends about it, each advising readers to grab a big box of Kleenex before opening credits. The thing is, at about 90 minutes in or so, I had probably teared up at one point throughout the movie, and it didn't feel like a big deal. But certainly, I was enjoying the sweet lovestory and REALLY finding the performances to be top-notch (I'd never seen Rachel McAdams in anything before--or at least I'd never really taken notice of her).
Then BAM! Holy crap, that hit me hard. I'm still just bawling!
Okay, so, lovely little independent film with absolutely gorgeous cinematography, a predictable (but you couldn't possibly care, since it's done so well) story, excellent actors, and just the right level of character investment before any attempts to send you crying equal a very positive review from me, just two years after the film was in theatres.
Starz Edge is airing it and I assume it'll be in heavy rotation for a bit, if you (like me) procrastinate on seeing movies. Great for lovers, great for lost love, great for a good ol' cry just when you need it.
Posted by bonnie at 3:03 AM | TrackBack
December 16, 2005
RENT
Wow. That was really good. I've never seen the play. I've never read the script. The most meaningful thing I've ever read about Rent (Broadway, music, or movie) was at Ali's blog. And today, finally, I had my play date with Dawn to go see the movie. And we did eactly what we were supposed to do: We cried and cried and cried. And laughed. And tapped various body parts to the beat. And we really enjoyed the story (even though we knew what to expect, just based on being media-consuming humans with brains), REALLY enjoyed the music, and I, now, have a non-sexual, I-must-cast-her-in-something-someday girlcrush on Idina Menzel. Dear GAWD! How could I live my life and not know who she is?
Oh, wait. I know. I live in Hollywood. That would cover most of the slip-up. But believe me, I will do what I can to put her in something I cast someday. Even though she's repped by the official number-one assholiest agency in LA, I will do what it takes!
Okay, so now that I've seen the movie, none of the press about its controversial marketing tactics (selling it as a feel-good friend/romantic comedy musical romp through NY when it's actually all about... no spoilers here... something else) bother me. It's just a good movie. Great music. And a great way to cry in the middle of the afternoon on a Thursday when everything else is going just fine.
Posted by bonnie at 12:15 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
July 28, 2005
Thirteen
Quite possibly one of the best movies I've seen in years. Thirteen is an important film, at the very least (groundbreaking, brilliantly acted, tightly written, seriously disturbing, and heartwrenching) and, at best, it's a sign of the future of indie film.
I was flipping channels while on a casting gig in Missouri. It was like 3am on Monday and I was an insomniac in a hotel room with maybe three non-infomercial channels (one of which was HBO). I joined this film already in progress by about ten minutes or so, so I'll definitely need to see it again to know how it all kicks off. Still, I was transfixed. There was NO flipping to another channel after that first scene I saw.
The screenwriter, Nikki Reed (who was born the year I graduated from high school), plays a young lady who befriends our lead, Evan Rachel Wood, who is actually someone we're approaching for the film I'm casting right now. I remember hearing all of the buzz about this film back when it came out and swept so many awards. Of course, it doesn't hurt that co-star Holly Hunter loved the script so much that she signed on to produce.
Anyway, I'm excited about this film because it reminds me that it *is* possible to do something really wonderful on a small budget (something we forget in Hollywood much of the time). Powerful performances, haunting storytelling, and kick-ass soundtrack round out the greatness that is Thirteen. Definitely add it to your Netflix cue, if, like me, you didn't catch it in theatres.
Posted by bonnie at 2:53 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 14, 2005
Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) / Primer (2004)
Watched two movies today that have little in common except they were both better than "What The BLEEP Do We Know".
This morning Kate and I watched the first of the Witch Mountain series about psychic twins Tia and Tony. This movie was a lot cooler when I was a kid but it holds up pretty well. The special effects are obvious and crude but for 1975 not too shabby.
Tia and Tony are orphans who get "adopted" by an evil millionaire when their psychic powers are discovered. They escape with the help of several friendly animals and Eddie Albert's camper and hit the road.
Since I am all smart and all from years of pop culture, I thought the plot could have been developed a bit more and Tony and Tia's background explained a little better but there is a sequel so maybe it will be explained then. I have no memory of the sequel other than I am pretty sure that I had a huge crush on Tia at some point in my childhood and I think I remember her being older.
Anyhoo. Later that day I watched "Primer" which had all the complexity of plot I needed with some to spare. The gist is that two guys accidently invent a machine capable of sending objects back in time. Although the movie is ostensibly about time travel, it is more about the trust these two men have in each other and how that changes as they use the machine to try and fix things that didn't turn out quite right.
It's not a wacky time travel adventure like Back to the Future and there is much more of a sense of danger and mystery to this method. I have read enough pseudo-science in my day to almost believe that if time travel were possible, it would be like this.
Primer was nominated for several Independent Film Awards and for an Oscar. Escape to Witch Mountain has a black cat name Winky.
Posted by chip at 6:06 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 13, 2005
What The BLEEP Do We Know
So, I am watching this movie with Kate about quantum physics, the nature of reality, and Marlee Matlin. I don't quite get its deal yet but it is vaguely interesting.
One thing I *hate* so far is that we are at least 20 - 25 minutes into it and there are lots of people who APPEAR to be scientists because they are telling us things and asking questions like "Why can we remember the past but not remember the future?" and "How can we affect the future but not the past?" The problem is they haven't told us who these people are. Are they legit? Are they more Scientific American or more Coast to Coast AM?
That is the question.
The subject matter is very cool and interesting but I would rather reas about it in a book than watch Marlee Matlin play basketball while the ability for particals existing in two places is explained to me.
I still have two hours left but this is my review of the first half hour.
I looked up the Wikipedia Entry to read while I watch:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_the_bleep_do_we_know
Posted by chip at 9:15 PM | TrackBack
May 12, 2005
Simple Men
This Hal Hartley movie was recommended to me by my cousin-in-law's husband, Rob. He's a huge Hal Hartley fan, and he said this is probably his most accessible film.
I really liked it. It's got the feel of a play, particularly overtones of Waiting for Godot, in that the characters have these magnificent monologue-like speeches about life, love, desire, truth. And yet it's amid a story of two oddball brothers--one an accomplished crook, the other a philosophy student--who go on a quest to find their father (again, similar to Godot, except the ending), a famous shortstop on the run from the law for a terrorist crime in the sixties. It has lots of unusual characters they meet along the way, almost Twin Peaksy, but not otherworldy, just odd.
When I first started watching it, I mistakenly thought the characters were on stage doing a play of a holdup. The acting feels like stage acting--sometimes poor stage acting--exaggerated physical movements, projections of voice, always facing stage front, and the dialogue emphasizes this--stock criminal and love story talk. Some people decry this as "bad" acting, but it's a consistent form of "bad" acting throughout the movie, and it's clearly an artistic choice. I haven't quite processed why the choice was made--perhaps an allusion to Shakespeare's poor players who strut and fret upon a stage and then are heard no more--I'd need to watch it again and think about it some to sort out the reason--but it works for me. It works very well.
This is one I'd enjoy watching again. Thumbs up. But probably not for someone who prefers straightforward blockbuster hits.
Posted by courtney at 1:56 PM | TrackBack
My Architect
This is an interesting documentary, a visual delight. The story is of a man trying to figure out who his father was via his father's architecture. His father was Louis Kahn, considered a huge influence and unique artist. His father had three separate families, two at a time, one legitimate and one secret. The filmmaker was from one of these secret families. He was just eleven when his father died, and he got to see him about once a week until then. So he sets out to get to know his father through interviews with collegues and by visiting his buildings. The buildings are quite interesting. Some are ugly "modern" square blocks, but they usually have some pleasant surprise. Others are quite gorgeous, particularly the capitol of Bangladesh. The photography is beautiful, capturing the architecture at lovely angles, using time-elapsed photography to show how the light moves through the buildings, very nice to see. Kahn built the Fort Worth art museum, so I think we'll check that out soon. It looks to me--on the outside--like a large dairy, or lots of modernistic chicken houses put together side-by-side. Inside it looks interesting, how light comes in, the large shapes and blocks. Neat.
Posted by courtney at 1:38 PM | TrackBack
April 18, 2005
Uber Goober
Joe and I went to see this today. It was by a Dallas native, and I'm not sure it's available everywhere (it's not on Netflix, but it is mentioned at imdb.com). Anyway, it was an interesting look into gaming. It wasn't the greatest documentary ever--it needed a bit of narrating, more facts and information and statistics about gaming--but it did allow different types of gamers to talk about their passion and I tried to understand.
According to the movie, there are different types of gamers. As I recall they were categorized as those into miniatures (who would meticulously paint and prepare miniature figures and sets and have them act out wars according to strategy and many-sided dice); role players (D&Ders, and others of that variety--there are other such games with a "dungeon master" and basic rules and your roll dies and such); and LARPers, Live Action Role Players (who dress up and play the game live, including those who use padded swords and have live battles, or those who act out D&D-type games--they still roll dice or play rock/paper/scissors to determine what happens to their character--that is, it's not just plain make believe).
I still don't get it, but there were some insights. One of the LARPers said he likes it because he gets to use his imagination to play games, just like when he was a kid. Which made me think of how we used to play Star Wars, how fun it was to be Princess Leia and fight with Luke and Han and C-3PO against the Dark Side in our backyards. So I could sort of make a connection there, but not quite the full leap. And I can sort of see the interest in miniatures, because you could sort of see how battles would work out, get a grasp of military strategy and stuff. And D&D, though to me it seems so foreign and weird, I could see how it is sort of like an interactive storytelling, and storytelling is something of course I admire. And finally, gaming seemed to be a healthy social outlet for people who otherwise felt outcast or alone, and there can't be anything wrong with that. Except . . . it just seems so weird and gross and so far I still don't get it. But I'll continue to try to open my mind.
Posted by courtney at 12:14 AM | TrackBack
Animal Factory
Wow. I love Steve Buscemi. He directed Animal Factory. It's a story of prison life. Earl Copen (Willem DeFoe) pretty much reigns at prison, where he's been for twenty years. He knows how to work the system, has connections everywhere. Ron Decker (Edward Furlong, kid from Terminator movies) is a young kid in prison for selling marijuana (a lot of it), and Copen sort of takes him under his wing, helps him out. The acting is great, and so is the story. Beautiful to look at too, dark as the subject matter is. And it's an authentic look inside prison, as the screenplay authors and the book author spent decades "inside" themselves.
One caveat. When Joe and I first sat down to watch it, I had trouble following what was going on, who was who, the lingo. I started over and had no trouble. If you remember Earl Copen is the older bald guy (DeFoe) and Ron Decker is the kid, that will help, and the rest you can follow the action, even if you don't know the vernacular.
Best cameo: Mickey Rourke as Jan the Actress, a transvestite convict. Rourke went all the way for this role: according his interview on the DVD's special features, he even had his dentist remove his dental bridge, so his front teeth are out. He said that transvestites in the system take a beating especially, and he wanted to reflect that.
I really enjoyed this movie. Gave it five stars on Netflix, and I don't do that often.
Posted by courtney at 12:03 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 17, 2005
I Heart Huckabees
Alex and I watched I Heart Huckabees last weekend. The best way to sum up our feelings about it is that about 3/4 of the way through the movie I accidentally pressed the stop button on the DVD remote. We decided it would be too much trouble to find our place again and turned out the lights and went to bed.
To be fair, I did watch the end of it the next day. The ending didn't change my feelings about it very much though. Essentially, it seemed to me like a film that was trying WAY too hard to be deep and meaningful. It could be that I just didn't understand it because I am shallow and uncaring. I did find it worth watching, however, because I liked all of the actors (Jude Law, YUM!) and I'm always up for watching movies that don't fall into one of the three or four Hollywood formulas.
3 stars for being slightly boring and pretentious. If you're tired of the same old blockbuster, watch this for a change.
Posted by stephanie at 11:59 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 16, 2005
Chrystal
Joe and I went to see Chrystal this afternoon at a wonderful theater devoted to independent movies. Heaven! I think we'll go back tomorrow to see Uber Goober, evidently about gaming, like D&D I expect. Anyway, we heard about Chrystal because it is by the same folks who made the short film (and Oscar winner) The Accountant, which is brilliant, like a Chekhov or O Henry short story, but country-fried.
Chrystal is funny, sad, moving, lovely. It was shot in a lush green part of Arkansas, Eureka Springs. The story is essentially of a car wreck and the aftermath, how physical pain and pain of loss wrecks those involved. There are some amusing characters and actions too. Joe enjoyed "the Snake" saying "don't grow no dopey without the Snake's okey dokey." And I enjoyed the stoned redneck who is shot in the butt and keeps yelling "I got shot in the butt" over and over as he turns in circles trying to get a better look at his back. It has its dark moments too. I read it described as Southern Gothic, and that sounds like a fit. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Lisa Blount (the blonde in An Officer and a Gentleman), and Ray McKinnon (Blount's husband, star of The Accountant, and the boxing bona fide suitor in O Brother, Where Art Thou?). Walter Goggins also stars and helped produce (with Blount and McKinnon), and I believe he also is on the TV show The Shield, so maybe Bonnie's Keith has met him or will star with him soon. I'd recommend it, especially if you like films that are of higher caliber than most of the blockbusters.
Posted by courtney at 6:52 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 8, 2005
The Pianist
I watched this movie last night and was really moved. It's got some incredible hard and ugly scenes, but somehow it is stunningly beautiful the way it is shot, gorgeous to look at, even the destruction. Adrien Brody, from what I've seen, in real life is a doofusy idiot, but he is breathtaking, subtle, heartbreaking as Szpilman. It's a heavy movie, but one worth seeing.
Posted by courtney at 12:21 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 5, 2005
Shallow Hal
I don't know, maybe I'm just insensitive, but I didn't find Shallow Hal offensive. It didn't seem to be the same as the promotional ads. Sure, there were dumb fat jokes, like Rosie always breaking her chairs, the giant thong, but Rosie was usually defended and loved. Tony Robbins was absurd, as was the premise of the movie, but it was a fine way to pass a couple of hours knitting. I like Jack Black, and he wasn't too "on" the whole time, like he is in School of Rock, which can be exhausting for two hours. Plus Gwyneth Paltrow is just nice to look at. And Costanza has a tail.
Posted by courtney at 11:44 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
I didn't much care for this movie. I think it would have been more interesting to see it at the time it came out, as I imagine it was different from anything else in theaters, but now it's just dull and bland. And I think if Andie MacDowell could act at all, it would have been a decent movie. James Spader tried so hard, but how can you make a scene work with a mannequin, even if she is supposed to play a frigid repressed housewife? It does have that guy from the O.C. with the eyebrows. He plays a really rotten two-dimensional jerk.
Posted by courtney at 11:40 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 21, 2005
Smoke Signals
Smoke Signals is a movie is based on a book of short stories by Sherman Alexie, titled The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. It was an okay movie, but I thought it had its problems. The acting primarily. And the Indians making lame Indian jokes over and over, like "Indian giver" and how Indians hate to sign papers. The story of the fire is quite compelling, and Victor Joseph (Adam Beach) is so very nice to look at, even in the really bad wig at the end. The characters in the story are all very interesting, like the radio traffic report guy and the girl whose car drives only backwards, but they serve more as setting in the movie. To me the most interesting part was Victor defining to Thomas what an Indian is. He indicts Thomas for wearing a suit and glasses and smiling too much--very unIndianlike he says. He then tells Thomas to act the part of an Indian as portrayed in movies--then he would be more of an Indian. He tells Thomas to have a stoic warrior look, like a hunter. Thomas points out that their people, the Coeur d'Alene, were fishers, not hunters, but Victor will not hear of it. The scene reminded me of The Accountant, when the accountant says that southerners are fed a stereotype of southernness and told that is who they are so that's who they become. It was an interesting movie, but not a great one.
Posted by courtney at 11:05 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
February 13, 2005
"Confessions of an American Girl" (2002)
Talent-wise, this should have been a pretty decent film. I like Jena Malone, Michelle Forbes, and Alicia Witt and they were all good in this movie. But, I ended up just liking it OK. There were some pretty funny lines but it was less great than the sum of its parts.
It is the story of a girl and her family and a visit to her dad in prison. I didn't like it enough to go into more detail. You can watch the preview at NetFlix if you are so inclined.
2 out of 5 even though Jena, Alicia, and Michelle are in it.
Posted by chip at 9:28 PM | TrackBack
January 26, 2005
Hudsucker Proxy
Watched Hudsucker Proxy last night and really enjoyed it. It's not for everyone, but for a Coen brothers movie, it's pretty accessible. It's very stylized, pays homage to an earlier sort of movie. My favorite part was Jennifer Jason Leigh as the fast-talking hard-driving female reporter. The dialogue is fun, clever and fast, the sort of thing you could watch over and over and always enjoy and find something else in. Seems like it would be a fun script to read. But then you'd miss out on Leigh's accent.
Posted by courtney at 7:16 PM | TrackBack
January 25, 2005
3 Moviesin 3 Days
So maybe this says a little about my priorities right now, but I have seen a movie a day for the last three days. I have really procrastinated the real work in my life, but the movies have been worthwhile.
On Saturday, I watched Wicker Park with Brad. We both enjoyed it. I have heard it described as "edgy." I would have to agree. I was a little confused by the setting switches after it was all said and done; however, I think I would even watch it again.
Sunday was not only football, but tennis time at my house. I watched Wimbeldon. Loved it. Yes, it is a girl flick, but it has lots to offer the boys too. Kirsten Dunst I love!
Monday night started with dinner at Hannah's house, but then I met up with Daniel to see Ray. I was a little tipsy when I got there, but I thought that the excitement wore off after awhile. The movie and music was great overall, but I think it was a little lengthy. Maybe I was upset my buzz didn't last the whole 2 hours and 45 minutes, but more likely I think that there were a couple of parts that dragged. Enjoyed it though.
3 for 3 ain't bad!
Posted by jocelyn at 12:25 AM | TrackBack
January 17, 2005
"In Good Company"
2nd movie of 2005.
Kate, Hannah, and I went to see Topher, Dennis, and Scarlett.
Carter (Topher) is the new 26-year old boss of 51-year old Dan (Dennis). Carter ends up meeting and eventually dating Alex (Scarlett), the daughter of Dan. The movie focuses a little less on the love story between Carter and Alex than the previews would lead you to believe. It's almost more of a like story between Carter and Dan as they both come to terms with their changing lives.
It's one of the two best movies I have seen this year. It's cute. The actors are decent. Better as a matinee. That's all I have to say on the subject.
Posted by chip at 4:55 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 13, 2005
Marnie
Marnie is a classic Hitchcock. Beautiful and suspenseful. See it.
The story is of a woman (Tippi Hedren) who is an accomplished thief, who gains her bosses' trust then robs them blind and moves on. You see she clearly has suffered some psychological trauma--you don't know what, but she goes beserk when she sees red, sees lightning, or is awakened by tapping. She applies for a job at Mark Rutland's place, and he (Sean Connery) recognizes her from her previous employer, knows she robbed that employer, and intrigued, hires her 
and watches to see what she does. He calls her in to work one Saturday, and while there she is clearly terrified by lightning out the window, and he goes to comfort her and falls for her. Then the storm sends a tree branch crashing through a huge glass window. This very subtle symbolism is the heart of the story, a big masculine branch breaking through the fragility and frigidity of this woman. (There's even a rape scene--eek--more on this in a minute.) Anyway, Mark becomes obsessed with discovering what traumatized Marnie. Eventually she tries to steal from him as well, he catches her, then essentially holds her prisoner, threatening to turn her over to police if she won't marry him. What a deslightful man.
Marnie decides marriage is not quite as bad as prison, and on their honeymoon, Rutland discovers she is "frigid." She is disgusted by the touch of a man. (She TOLD you she didn't want to marry you, fool. She's clearly disturbed in many ways. You only forced her to marry you by threats, it wasn't love, remember?!) He is "patient" for a long time, until one night, despite her terror, he consumates their marriage. Actually, when I first saw it, I didn't think it had gone that far. I thought he'd had remorse for pulling off her gown, because he wrapped her up in his robe and apologized, then laid her down on the bed, then smiled over her. It does imply something progressed from there, but I just couldn't believe he'd rape such a terrified woman. How are you supposed to not hate the character after that? Later, when watching one of the DVD features, I learned it *was* in fact a rape, that Hitch fired a screenplay writer who tried to remove the scene. Marnie's suicide attempt that follows is a direct result of the rape, but in my unwillingness to believe, I thought it was due to her being tired of being held prisoner and her usual overwhelming psych trauma.
Despite this, it's a movie worth seeing. Ultimately Marnie and the audience and Rutland discover what exactly happened that causes her so much fear and woe, and you get a sense she will now start to recover and have a seminormal life. She decides willingly to go back with Rutland, saying again that she'd rather go back with him than go to prison. A lovely love story.
It is so bizarre that Rutland, from an established Philadelphia family, has a Sean Connery accent. And his father has none. Weird, but you soon forget about it and just go with it.
Also, originally Grace Kelly was going to play Marnie, but because of unrest in Monacco, her husband said it was a bad idea. Tippi Hedren is great, but what could it have been with Grace Kelly?
Posted by courtney at 1:17 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 11, 2005
"The Aviatar"
I made it to my first theatre movie of the year on Sunday. Hannah, Ashley E., and Kate went to see the new Leo movie. OK, Howard Hughes was a crazy crazy rich rich man. I would probably trade in some of my sanity for some of his money.
The movie focused on the 1930s-1940s Howard Hughes. Leonardo did a good job as Howard and I thought Cate Blanchett did good job as Katharine Hepburn although her accent bothered me. It was authentic, it just bothered me.
The movie was very long. It never quite got boring but it would get very slow and then something cool would happen. Of course, we saw it with a bunch of old people who would NOT SHUT UP during the film prompting people to yell for them to be quiet so it was a pretty crappy viewing environment.
It was good but I didn't think it was great.
Posted by chip at 6:49 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
January 8, 2005
Napoleon Dynamite
With a name like Napoleon Dynamite, well, obviously this movie is great. Strange, awkward, funny, amazing visuals that are mostly hideous/sublime eighties influenced, though it is supposed to take place in present time.
The basic idea is that Napoleon is this strange awkward slack-jawed kid who considers himself pretty badass. (Although he lacks "skills.") He's very angsty in his own way: the first dialogue in the movie is
Kid on bus: Hey Napoleon, what are you going to do today?
Napoleon: (Defiantly) Whatever I want to do. (Angrily) Gosh!
You just have to see it to appreciate it, I suppose, the way Napoleon turns his head so exasperated by the question. What he does do, by the way, is put an action figure with a long string tied to it out the bus window and drag it behind.
There are many other quirky characters, including Napoleon's love interest, the girl who takes her job as a glamour shot photographer very very seriously, and Napoleon's even geekier and skinnier older brother (or cousin?) who chats online with his girlfriend Lafawndah all day and imagines himself a ninja, and Napoleon's best friend, Pedro, whose head grows hotter and hotter until he shaves his head then requires a very unconvincing wig.
I am in love with Napoleon.
Posted by courtney at 12:44 AM | TrackBack
January 3, 2005
The Human Stain
Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman in very interesting roles. I would rate this one a 8 out of 10. There are definitely skookum scenes, but I don't know if everyone will love it. If you have read the book, please tell me if it is better or worse.
Posted by jocelyn at 10:07 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 2, 2005
Pieces of April
Just watched Pieces of April, which was recommended to me by my cousin's husband the Presbyterian minister. He was right. It's a movie about a girl who is sort of the black sheep of her family, and she's having her family over for Thanksgiving. Her oven isn't working, so chaos ensues as she tries to enlist the help of neighbors in her apartment building. It's funny, but also sad and moving without being sappy. Very real. And it stars Katie Holmes, which I know means a lot to Chip and perhaps others on Spynotebook.
(Sorry Chip, don't know how to upload pictures yet. Maybe someday I'll catch up.)
Posted by courtney at 11:07 PM | TrackBack
December 30, 2004
S.W.A.T.
The only reason I rented this was because it was directed by a Homicide alum. It is very predictible and there is very little reason for any of you to rent it.
Posted by chip at 9:07 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
December 27, 2004
"In July" or "Im Juli"
Scooley showed up last night with In July, a German romantic comedy / road trip movie. It starred absolutely no one that I had ever heard of. I really enjoyed it for a couple of reasons.
1. The fact that it was in German (and Turkish and English) made it seem more exotic to me than it really was.
2. The fact that I didn't have any preconceived notions about the actors or the type of people they should be.
3. It's a roadtrip movie that goes from Hamburg to Istanbul. That's just cool. How many romantic comedies (that I see) take place in Bavaria and Turkey and Romania and Hungary? It sort of makes me want to go there but not enough to really go.
Story: Juli is a woman who likes Daniel, a quiet school teacher. She tries a scheme to get him to like her but it backfires and he is smitten with Melek, a woman on her way to Turkey. She leaves and Daniel decides to follow. As fate would have it, he picks up Juli along the way and wacky hijinks ensue, or as Daniel would say it lustige Sachen geschehen.
Posted by chip at 7:27 PM | TrackBack
"De-Lovely"
IMDB: De-Lovely (2004)
Netflix: De-Lovely (2004)
A fairly good biopic/musical about the life of Cole Porter, one of the great composers of musicals in the 20th century. I liked the film, although felt that the set-up was perhaps trying a bit to hard to be like Chicago (i.e. the reason for the musical numbers in Chicago is that we're in Roxie Hart's brain, while in this movie, Cole Porter and a companion are watching his life unfold on-stage). Perhaps a pretentious set-up, but strong performances from Kevin Cline as Porter and Ashley Judd as his wife make up for it. There are a lot of musical cameos throughout and I was surprised by how many of the tunes I recognized. The music is well integrated into the story, with most songs either sung by Porter in scenes where he's performing for guests, or musical numbers on-stage as Porter opens new shows on Broadway. The movie isn't asking you to believe that everyday people spontaneously burst into song, which perhaps makes it more palatable. But if musicals really aren't your thing, this is probably not the movie for you, however, because a lot of screentime is spent on Porter's music.
Both Klein and Judd give really nice performances. Porter and his wife had a very "complicated" relationship (and that's putting it delicately, since Porter engaged in multiple affairs with men throughout his marriage), but Klein and Judd made me feel a certain compassion for both of them. It's a portrayal of marriage that is certainly not conventional by Hollywood standards, and perhaps challenges some assumptions about what makes a "good marriage."
In addition to the music and the performances, it's simply a very pretty picture. Very nice cinematography, beautiful period costuming, and good pacing (it's always hard to compressed a long-lived life into a 100-minute film). If I were using some five-star rating system, I'd give it about 3.75 stars.
Posted by hannah at 1:55 PM | TrackBack
December 26, 2004
"The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" (2004)
IMDB: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
NetFlix: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
iTunes: Soundtrack
I think my love for Mr. Owen Wilson may be at an end. Usually, he is the best part of a movie for me but in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou he was by far my least favorite. He has a Southern accent which was needless and annoying.
Bill Murray was funny at times but only because you see him and remember him in some funny scene from Rushmore.
Willem Defoe, Anjelica Huston, and the guy playing guitar were good.
If you are a fan of Wes Anderson, you will go see this anyway but if you are not, I really wouldn't bother with going.
The music was awesome. Can't really beat acoustic Porteguese David Bowie covers.
Posted by chip at 11:38 PM | TrackBack
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Testing linking. Not offcially starting the blog until 1/1/05 but I guess since it is here, we can use it.