George Clooney
The Descendants - Not My Favorite Payne Movie
11/21/11 02:06 Filed in: Video Vixens
As the critics are just dying to tell you, "The Descendants" is an Oscar
contender. George Clooney is fantastic. Shailene Woodley a starlet in
the making. That may be, but I was not blown
away by this movie. Alexander Payne is a smart
guy - he uses words like "archipelago" and
"reportage" to confirm as much - and all of his
movies are better than your average big studio
fare. But this one, about a lawyer trying to
connect with his daughters after his wife goes
into a coma due to a tragic accident, just kinda
sat there on the screen for me. Certainly there
are things to admire in "The Descendants":
Woodley's scene stealing intensity, Payne's
unique pictorial study of Honolulu, and George
Clooney's understated yet effective performance.
Payne's leisurely pacing is also enjoyable, and
I was never fidgeting. But this film just felt
insular and cold. I guess I couldn't relate to
it. However, that's never stopped me from liking
a film before if it is told in a moving and
interesting way (see "Margin Call"). On the plus
side, the legal phrase "rule against
perpetuities" was used in this flick. I hadn't
heard that since first year law school. Like I
said, that Payne is a smart guy.
Ides of March - Entertaining Politcal Thriller
10/10/11 01:21 Filed in: Cool Stuff
When did everyone get so cynical? Repeatedly in
reviews of this movie, you see critics say something
like, "Not a bad movie, but tell us something we
didn't already know about American politics." If this
is what we already know - if it really is this down
and dirty - then we might as well just all give up
and stop voting now. Personally, I found The Ides of March highly
entertaining and unpredictable. George Clooney is especially
appealing as an all-the-right-answers
presidential candidate, as is Evan Rachel Woods as the sexy
intern at his headquarters. (Woods really steals
the show.) Ryan Gosling continues to be
underwhelming to me in movies (see "Drive"), but
it was particularly unwise to put his brand of
blandness right there beside the blinding star
wattage of Clooney. Not a good move at all. Oh,
and while Philip Seymour Hoffman does
that thing he always does in movies
where he's really emphatic and his hair flops
around during his colloquies, this movie just
affirms he's one of the best actors in the
business (same goes for Paul Giamatti).
There are a number of smart, good beats in The Ides of March (pay attention to the cell phone snafu between Woods and Gosling in the hotel room), so it's almost certain you will walk out of the theater with a feeling of satisfaction in having chosen something intelligent. The only thing I didn't care for was the last couple scenes where Clooney attempts to drive home the tragic unraveling of Gosling's moral center. It felt too heavy handed, like Clooney was screaming at us "This is an important movie!" which, of course, has the opposite effect.
There are a number of smart, good beats in The Ides of March (pay attention to the cell phone snafu between Woods and Gosling in the hotel room), so it's almost certain you will walk out of the theater with a feeling of satisfaction in having chosen something intelligent. The only thing I didn't care for was the last couple scenes where Clooney attempts to drive home the tragic unraveling of Gosling's moral center. It felt too heavy handed, like Clooney was screaming at us "This is an important movie!" which, of course, has the opposite effect.
The Amercian - Virtuoso Filmmaking
12/13/10 15:17 Filed in: Cool Stuff
At the heart of this stark tale lies the axiom "live by the sword, die by the sword."
Beautifully shot by Anton Corbijn, The American so definitively places you in Italy you'll feel you need a passport to see it.
The film has a slow pacing; no quick cuts or cinematic gimmicks. Instead what you get are precise and beautifully framed panoramas and tight shots of Clooney et al.
One scene that stands out in particular is when George Clooney takes Thekla Reuten's character to his secret hiding place to test a custom-made rifle he's built for her. A fellow assassin, Reuten just feels untrustworthy and dangerous. Maybe it's her piercing blue eyes, strong nose and flared nostrils. Whatever the case, that scene is a testament to Corbjin's virtuosity and ability to set up a tense scene without overly relying on a heavy score.
This is not a feel good movie by any stretch, but in this age of "look ma, I shot this on a camcorder," The American stands apart as a true-to-form cinematic experience. This film was crafted by industry professionals and there's no faking that.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
12/12/09 02:16 Filed in: Cool Stuff
I saw this movie this week. As with most Wes Anderson
films, and most notably Rushmore, this film
does not disappoint. It has a very warm color palette
and the settings are pastoral and visually appealing
and engender a sense of coziness. A sense of being
ensconced in the (largely) underground and make
believe world of Mr. Fox and his unusual collection
of pals. But I had the same feeling of wanting to
rewind and more closely review many scenes for
details that I did with Coraline, although
that film ultimately has more heart and was more
polished and technically amazing than Fox.
Coraline was a classic; Fox is just a really
good stop motion animation movie.
Rat is played by Willem Dafoe and that is probably the funniest role in the movie. Just listen to that slow, southern drawl when he tells Mr. Fox "It's my jaw-ob (job)"
The part of the movie I wasn't so crazy about was the second half, when the farmers really become focused on trying to capture and kill Mr. Fox. While never overtly violent, the tension and sense of imminent danger is in stark contrast to the cozy, relaxed feeling in the beginning of the film.
All in all, a very enjoyable movie going experience, like most Wes Anderson movies.
Rat is played by Willem Dafoe and that is probably the funniest role in the movie. Just listen to that slow, southern drawl when he tells Mr. Fox "It's my jaw-ob (job)"
The part of the movie I wasn't so crazy about was the second half, when the farmers really become focused on trying to capture and kill Mr. Fox. While never overtly violent, the tension and sense of imminent danger is in stark contrast to the cozy, relaxed feeling in the beginning of the film.
All in all, a very enjoyable movie going experience, like most Wes Anderson movies.