2008
Directed and Written by: Charlie Kaufman aka my personal screenwriting Jesus
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, etc etc
Wow, this movie is a real doozy. Charlie Kaufman, you mind-fucked me again. I can't explain this movie, but it defies all laws of reality and chronology. Even more so than Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. It's totally crazy and confusing and if you are the kind of person who has to know what everything means and the order of events and you must take things literally, then don't watch it. It's like The Fountain; you just have to accept that it's weird, you're not really going to fully GET it, and you probably aren't supposed to. Just relax and go with it. Feel it. Surrrrreal it.
I think I need to see it a couple more times before I can give it a grade. It needs to sink in a little, but right now it's feeling like the A- range.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Pirate Radio
2009
Directed and Written By: Richard Curtis (Love Actually guy!)
Starring: A plethora of amazing people, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, and the hottest little thing I ever did see, Tom Sturridge
I went to see this movie at my favorite movie theatre, Los Feliz 3, with Jonathan tonight. I call it the feel good movie of 2009. It was amazingly delightful. Wonderful soundtrack, wonderful cast, and heart-warming, inspiring story. It really made me wish that I was young in the 60s in Britain. My hair would look so good in that decade. Highlights include Bill Nighy dancing (the definition of cool in everything he does), Tom Sturridge (who I've never seen before, but has the most beautiful lips of...oh man...those lips), Emma Thompson as a total milf, and some seriously funny moments. It made me want to dance and cry and laugh and steal a boat and play music on it. I couldn't recommend it more; it put me in such a good mood!
A
Directed and Written By: Richard Curtis (Love Actually guy!)
Starring: A plethora of amazing people, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, and the hottest little thing I ever did see, Tom Sturridge
I went to see this movie at my favorite movie theatre, Los Feliz 3, with Jonathan tonight. I call it the feel good movie of 2009. It was amazingly delightful. Wonderful soundtrack, wonderful cast, and heart-warming, inspiring story. It really made me wish that I was young in the 60s in Britain. My hair would look so good in that decade. Highlights include Bill Nighy dancing (the definition of cool in everything he does), Tom Sturridge (who I've never seen before, but has the most beautiful lips of...oh man...those lips), Emma Thompson as a total milf, and some seriously funny moments. It made me want to dance and cry and laugh and steal a boat and play music on it. I couldn't recommend it more; it put me in such a good mood!
A
Monday, November 16, 2009
Fargo
1996
Directed by: Joel Coen
Written by: Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Frances McDormand, Kristin Rudrüd
I finally saw Fargo! The parts that were funny were REALLY funny, mainly the moments with the hilarious Kristin Rudrüd as William H. Macy's kidnapped wife. She was actually born in Fargo, so it makes since that she had the accent and mannerisms down so perfectly, but also, just her face is hilarious. Like, the face she was born with. Like a pug. She was definitely my favorite part of the movie.
Aside from some brilliant comedic writing and amazingly funny cast, this movie was just a...Coen Brothers movie. I'm a little sick of the "small town loser gets caught up in something super scandalous and it is HILARIOUS and INTENSE" formula, but it definitely works for Fargo, making it better for me than The Big Lebowski and Burn After Reading (and I don't think I can compare it to No Country for Old Men). Also, violence is always a plus for me.
B
Directed by: Joel Coen
Written by: Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Frances McDormand, Kristin Rudrüd
I finally saw Fargo! The parts that were funny were REALLY funny, mainly the moments with the hilarious Kristin Rudrüd as William H. Macy's kidnapped wife. She was actually born in Fargo, so it makes since that she had the accent and mannerisms down so perfectly, but also, just her face is hilarious. Like, the face she was born with. Like a pug. She was definitely my favorite part of the movie.
Aside from some brilliant comedic writing and amazingly funny cast, this movie was just a...Coen Brothers movie. I'm a little sick of the "small town loser gets caught up in something super scandalous and it is HILARIOUS and INTENSE" formula, but it definitely works for Fargo, making it better for me than The Big Lebowski and Burn After Reading (and I don't think I can compare it to No Country for Old Men). Also, violence is always a plus for me.
B
Zombieland
2009
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg
So, it's a zombie comedy. The apocalypse. A few people survive and find each other, forming an unlikely army against zombies. There's a lot of gore. Some romance. Basically, it's that old joke about quirky people and zombies that you saw in Shawn of the Dead and probably lots of other places. Nerdy kids battling zombies...oh hahahaha!
Whatever, I'm over it.
Also, the humor wasn't up to par. It was rough draft jokes. Like, they chose their jokes during the first brainstorming idea, without trying to make them funnier. Like the line, "I haven't cried this hard since Titanic!" Uh...Titanic? SO the obvious choice. It should have been something random that the character wouldn't have even seen...like....Two Weeks Notice with Sandra Bullock. Or...Dan In Real Life. You know, something more obscure. And making jokes about people updating their facebook statuses too much? Thanks, Zaydeh Feldstein, for this knee-slapper. You sure do connect with the kids!
I probably shouldn't write movie reviews when I'm on Ambien.
C+
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg
So, it's a zombie comedy. The apocalypse. A few people survive and find each other, forming an unlikely army against zombies. There's a lot of gore. Some romance. Basically, it's that old joke about quirky people and zombies that you saw in Shawn of the Dead and probably lots of other places. Nerdy kids battling zombies...oh hahahaha!
Whatever, I'm over it.
Also, the humor wasn't up to par. It was rough draft jokes. Like, they chose their jokes during the first brainstorming idea, without trying to make them funnier. Like the line, "I haven't cried this hard since Titanic!" Uh...Titanic? SO the obvious choice. It should have been something random that the character wouldn't have even seen...like....Two Weeks Notice with Sandra Bullock. Or...Dan In Real Life. You know, something more obscure. And making jokes about people updating their facebook statuses too much? Thanks, Zaydeh Feldstein, for this knee-slapper. You sure do connect with the kids!
I probably shouldn't write movie reviews when I'm on Ambien.
C+
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