Three Years (What a Surprise!)
Today is my 3 year anniversary with Alison. We are going to a French bistro for dinner. Man how time flies by.
I post a recap of all the movies I've seen each week on moviebuffs and I figured I'd do the same thing here for those of you who still don't have cinemark on your friends list yet.
This week I have thoughts on eight films:
Babel (2006) - I feel bad not rating this movie higher, because there are many great elements in Babel, but its shortcomings are too numerous to warrant a better review. I had extremely high expectations of Iñárritu's latest film, having loved Amores Perros and 21 Grams, and generally being a fan of multiple-plot movies, which are all the rave now. Sadly, Babel disappointed on virtually every level. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Children of Men (2006) - I've always been a sucker for post-apocalyptic films, but this goes above and beyond the usual fare. Children of Men drops the "post" and places you right in the middle of the long, drawn-out end of civilization. It's not the movie I expected from the trailer and write-ups I'd read before heading to the theater. No, it was much, much better. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Brewster McCloud (1970) - Following the immense success of M*A*S*H, Robert Altman made an even funnier, less comprehensible comedy. Brewster McCloud stars Bud Cort at the title character, an eccentric young man who lives in the fallout shelter of the Houston Astrodome and spends his time building a set of metal wings so he can become a bird. Though the plot may seem standard, the movie is made in such an eccentric way, that the plot is all but lost under layers of feathers. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Romance (1999) - Romance is one of those ubiquitous European art films that seems to exist only to be sexually explicit. Including such graphic acts as a oral sex, rape, and a gynecological exam, this film is the opposite of its title, and not only lacks romance, but eroticism in general. A movie so full of sex should either provide something on a sexual level, or better explain why it doesn't do so if it's intentional. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Countdown (1968) - Before he received international acclaim for his work on the classic M*A*S*H, Robert Altman dabbled in what was at the time merely science fiction. This highly dated film tells the story of Lee Stegler (James Caan), an Apollo astronaut pulled out of training and thrown into a last-minute program to put a man on the moon. In an effort to beat the Russians, NASA replaces fellow astronaut and friend Chiz (Robert Duvall) with the green Stegler on a one-way trip to the Lunar surface, where he will wait in a shelter until another Apollo can pick him up. The film focuses primarily on the build-up to the mission, and the conflict between the replaced Chiz and Lee, who he must now train, but the last act of the film is a laughable romp through space and across the Sea of Storms in a relic of the pre-Star Wars special effects world. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) - While I recognize the comedic genius of Will Farrell, I often find him to be too much, and thus not funny. He was incredible as George W. Bush on "SNL," and he's often hilarious in supporting roles, like in Zoolander or Old School, but when he's the central star of a whole feature film, I get tired of him, especially when his character doesn't instantly grab me as humorous. Talladega Nights was the exception to this rule. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
The Promise (2005) - There are specific elements one can expect to find in any number of current Chinese fantasy adventures, and The Promise doesn't disappoint. It contains all the best features of the genre, not the least of which is its stunning visual style, but it sadly lacks the originality to distinguish itself from the rest of the pack. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
We Are Marshall (2006) - This is the reason I have an aversion to supposedly inspirational, based-on-a-true-story films. We Are Marshall is nothing but an over-romanticized, saccharine, and maudlin attempt at emotional impact, and succeeds only at being a half-rate time capsule of the music of 1971. Director McG's failed effort here is glaring proof that just because something makes an inspirational and touching human interest story doesn't mean that it will translate to a two hour film with the same effect. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Tonight I'm seeing the second to last Altman movie of the marathon, the impossible to find HealtH from 1980, and then tomorrow night is Come Back the to Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean starring Cher. Fans of hers are welcome to join me, if you behave.
I post a recap of all the movies I've seen each week on moviebuffs and I figured I'd do the same thing here for those of you who still don't have cinemark on your friends list yet.
This week I have thoughts on eight films:
Babel (2006) - I feel bad not rating this movie higher, because there are many great elements in Babel, but its shortcomings are too numerous to warrant a better review. I had extremely high expectations of Iñárritu's latest film, having loved Amores Perros and 21 Grams, and generally being a fan of multiple-plot movies, which are all the rave now. Sadly, Babel disappointed on virtually every level. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Children of Men (2006) - I've always been a sucker for post-apocalyptic films, but this goes above and beyond the usual fare. Children of Men drops the "post" and places you right in the middle of the long, drawn-out end of civilization. It's not the movie I expected from the trailer and write-ups I'd read before heading to the theater. No, it was much, much better. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Brewster McCloud (1970) - Following the immense success of M*A*S*H, Robert Altman made an even funnier, less comprehensible comedy. Brewster McCloud stars Bud Cort at the title character, an eccentric young man who lives in the fallout shelter of the Houston Astrodome and spends his time building a set of metal wings so he can become a bird. Though the plot may seem standard, the movie is made in such an eccentric way, that the plot is all but lost under layers of feathers. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Romance (1999) - Romance is one of those ubiquitous European art films that seems to exist only to be sexually explicit. Including such graphic acts as a oral sex, rape, and a gynecological exam, this film is the opposite of its title, and not only lacks romance, but eroticism in general. A movie so full of sex should either provide something on a sexual level, or better explain why it doesn't do so if it's intentional. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Countdown (1968) - Before he received international acclaim for his work on the classic M*A*S*H, Robert Altman dabbled in what was at the time merely science fiction. This highly dated film tells the story of Lee Stegler (James Caan), an Apollo astronaut pulled out of training and thrown into a last-minute program to put a man on the moon. In an effort to beat the Russians, NASA replaces fellow astronaut and friend Chiz (Robert Duvall) with the green Stegler on a one-way trip to the Lunar surface, where he will wait in a shelter until another Apollo can pick him up. The film focuses primarily on the build-up to the mission, and the conflict between the replaced Chiz and Lee, who he must now train, but the last act of the film is a laughable romp through space and across the Sea of Storms in a relic of the pre-Star Wars special effects world. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) - While I recognize the comedic genius of Will Farrell, I often find him to be too much, and thus not funny. He was incredible as George W. Bush on "SNL," and he's often hilarious in supporting roles, like in Zoolander or Old School, but when he's the central star of a whole feature film, I get tired of him, especially when his character doesn't instantly grab me as humorous. Talladega Nights was the exception to this rule. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
The Promise (2005) - There are specific elements one can expect to find in any number of current Chinese fantasy adventures, and The Promise doesn't disappoint. It contains all the best features of the genre, not the least of which is its stunning visual style, but it sadly lacks the originality to distinguish itself from the rest of the pack. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
We Are Marshall (2006) - This is the reason I have an aversion to supposedly inspirational, based-on-a-true-story films. We Are Marshall is nothing but an over-romanticized, saccharine, and maudlin attempt at emotional impact, and succeeds only at being a half-rate time capsule of the music of 1971. Director McG's failed effort here is glaring proof that just because something makes an inspirational and touching human interest story doesn't mean that it will translate to a two hour film with the same effect. ( Full thoughs on this movie here )
Tonight I'm seeing the second to last Altman movie of the marathon, the impossible to find HealtH from 1980, and then tomorrow night is Come Back the to Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean starring Cher. Fans of hers are welcome to join me, if you behave.