1. Inception
2. The Kids are All Right
3. Cyrus
Now I know that I didnt review Cyrus but it really was an excellent dark comedy. Jonah Hill, John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei and Catherine Keener do such a great job and even though Jonah is incredibly awkward in this movie it is so entertaining. If you missed any of these films you gotta rent them at a minimum.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Salt (PG-13) 1hr 39min
Cast:
Angelina Jolie...Evelyn Salt
Liev Schreiber...Ted Winter
Chiwetel Ejiofor...Peabody
Director:
Phillip Noyce
So in this here flick we have the striking Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent who interrogates people and apparently just kicks ass in everything related to CIA stuff (I know surprising, right?). Then enters a Russian by the name of Orlov who says that Salt is really a Russian spy who will kill the Russia president during his visit to the US for the Vice President's funeral...whole lotta Russian stuff goin' on. In turn, Salt flees in the most absurd and unrealistic way possible; making home made missile launchers in 60 seconds, jumping off of bridges onto moving trucks, killing rooms full of soldiers without getting a scratch on her. What can I say, Salt is amazing. Then the audience questions whether she really is a Russian spy who kills the Russian president and the US President or is she too legit to quit. Hmm I guess you will just have to see it...but please dont.
I just want to give away the plot twist and the ending to save all of you who plan to spend your hard earned money on this movie, but in my heart I would feel bad and not be doing my job. This movie is so lame, preposterous, and absolutely absurd. I understand that it is suppose to be like that but, come on, it is just laughable. Jolie's films are progressively getting worse and it's because she chooses these cheesy popcorn movies. She really is a good actor but only in the films with strong direction like A Mighty Heart, Changeling, or The Good Shepard. Same goes for Liev Schreiber...I can't let him off the hook...even though he wasn't too bad in this movie it still was not his best performance. None the less I am still a fan of his. For this one I give it a D+. Save your money and email be if you want the twist and ending.
Angelina Jolie...Evelyn Salt
Liev Schreiber...Ted Winter
Chiwetel Ejiofor...Peabody
Director:
Phillip Noyce
So in this here flick we have the striking Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent who interrogates people and apparently just kicks ass in everything related to CIA stuff (I know surprising, right?). Then enters a Russian by the name of Orlov who says that Salt is really a Russian spy who will kill the Russia president during his visit to the US for the Vice President's funeral...whole lotta Russian stuff goin' on. In turn, Salt flees in the most absurd and unrealistic way possible; making home made missile launchers in 60 seconds, jumping off of bridges onto moving trucks, killing rooms full of soldiers without getting a scratch on her. What can I say, Salt is amazing. Then the audience questions whether she really is a Russian spy who kills the Russian president and the US President or is she too legit to quit. Hmm I guess you will just have to see it...but please dont.
I just want to give away the plot twist and the ending to save all of you who plan to spend your hard earned money on this movie, but in my heart I would feel bad and not be doing my job. This movie is so lame, preposterous, and absolutely absurd. I understand that it is suppose to be like that but, come on, it is just laughable. Jolie's films are progressively getting worse and it's because she chooses these cheesy popcorn movies. She really is a good actor but only in the films with strong direction like A Mighty Heart, Changeling, or The Good Shepard. Same goes for Liev Schreiber...I can't let him off the hook...even though he wasn't too bad in this movie it still was not his best performance. None the less I am still a fan of his. For this one I give it a D+. Save your money and email be if you want the twist and ending.
The Kids are All Right (R) 1hr 44min
Cast:
Annette Benning...Nic
Julianne Moore...Jules
Mark Ruffalo...Paul
Director:
Lisa Cholodenko
This film eliminates all of the bells and whistles that clog up our screens with special effects over substance and relies solely on acting and character interaction. My last review was for Inception and when you have a scale of great movies these two exist as polar opposites of each other. Inception give the audience grandeur and a spectacle that is rarely seen when it comes to special effects but lacks slightly in the quality of acting. This film, however, is almost as good but has is reliant 100% on the 5 main characters.
In this story we have a lesbian couple, Jules and Nic, who face the trials and tribulations of marriage when their childrens' sperm donor, Mark, enters into their lives. "The Kids", Joni and Laser seek out Mark because they are interested in meeting the person that donated his little guys to their "moms" to see who the man behind the scenes is, what he is like and if they are anything like him. He slowly wins his way into their lives, initially by charm alone, and then on merit. Of course then there is the climax which may rip the family apart (which I will not give away) and the ending which brings everything together.
Let me tell you why The Kids are All Right is the hidden gem of the year. The script is witty, laugh out loud funny at times and incredibly smart. Annette Benning, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo work together so harmoniously that their on screen chemistry is authentic, genuine, and something that most people (lesbian or not) can relate to. The movie hits a tone in the very beginning and never loses it throughout. The characters act as though nobody is watching them with their behind closed door crassness (you people know what I'm talking about) and language that only a married couple would dare say to each other. Wonderful wonderful movie and well worth it to see...strong A and definite recommendation.
Annette Benning...Nic
Julianne Moore...Jules
Mark Ruffalo...Paul
Director:
Lisa Cholodenko
This film eliminates all of the bells and whistles that clog up our screens with special effects over substance and relies solely on acting and character interaction. My last review was for Inception and when you have a scale of great movies these two exist as polar opposites of each other. Inception give the audience grandeur and a spectacle that is rarely seen when it comes to special effects but lacks slightly in the quality of acting. This film, however, is almost as good but has is reliant 100% on the 5 main characters.
In this story we have a lesbian couple, Jules and Nic, who face the trials and tribulations of marriage when their childrens' sperm donor, Mark, enters into their lives. "The Kids", Joni and Laser seek out Mark because they are interested in meeting the person that donated his little guys to their "moms" to see who the man behind the scenes is, what he is like and if they are anything like him. He slowly wins his way into their lives, initially by charm alone, and then on merit. Of course then there is the climax which may rip the family apart (which I will not give away) and the ending which brings everything together.
Let me tell you why The Kids are All Right is the hidden gem of the year. The script is witty, laugh out loud funny at times and incredibly smart. Annette Benning, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo work together so harmoniously that their on screen chemistry is authentic, genuine, and something that most people (lesbian or not) can relate to. The movie hits a tone in the very beginning and never loses it throughout. The characters act as though nobody is watching them with their behind closed door crassness (you people know what I'm talking about) and language that only a married couple would dare say to each other. Wonderful wonderful movie and well worth it to see...strong A and definite recommendation.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Inception (PG-13) 2hr 28min
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Cillian Murphy
Director: Christopher Nolan
What a wonderful movie to re-"incept" my blog! Inception is an incredibly innovative and thought-provoking movie which draws the viewer into the world of the dream and all of the complexities of the human mind. Now if you read this post and think to yourself "huh?" do not be alarmed because the movie truly does make sense even if the critics, bloggers, and trailers don't.
Inception stars, Leo, as Dom Cobb, a master thief whose specialty is stealing peoples' deepest and darkest secrets through a process called "extraction". This is done through a shared dream-space in which Cobb and his team have built and designed to trap their target and steal those secrets. They may be easy to obtain or difficult depending on the training of the mind they are entering so they just might have to go into a dream within a dream within a dream depending on how hard the information is to extract. Still with me? The individuals that are targeted are usually those of importance, so all you normal law abiding citizens are safe, please don't worry.
Just as the plot starts to get confusing (maybe the first 10 minutes or so), strong dialogue between characters clears everything up...so please refrain from using the bathroom pretty much throughout the entire movie. Further along, the crux of the movie presents itself; the idea of "inception". Cobb is challenged with the task of planting a idea into the mind of Robert Fisher (Cillian Murphy), the heir to a multi-billion dollar oil company, instead of stealing one. This idea has to feel so authentic and self-made so it will blossom and come to fruition. In order to achieve this impossible feat Cobb must go through 3 levels of dreams (a dream within a dream within a dream) so it appears to Robert that the idea was self generated and each level of dream they enter poses a different set of hurdles that must be overcome. The last remaining question of the movie is did it work? Well you MUST see this movie to find out...
Christopher Nolan has given audiences such wonderful movies in the past (Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Memento, etc) but this movie is on a whole different level and the best part is, it doesn't treat the viewer like an idiot only in the theater for entertainment purposes. Inception is layered with a complex plot, incredible visual effects, an excellent script, strong acting (sometimes a tinge over acted but no big deal), and just an amazingly unique concept for a plot. This is by far the most innovative movie since The Matrix and easily the best film of the year (and probably for the rest of the year). A+, no contest...and a must see.
Director: Christopher Nolan
What a wonderful movie to re-"incept" my blog! Inception is an incredibly innovative and thought-provoking movie which draws the viewer into the world of the dream and all of the complexities of the human mind. Now if you read this post and think to yourself "huh?" do not be alarmed because the movie truly does make sense even if the critics, bloggers, and trailers don't.
Inception stars, Leo, as Dom Cobb, a master thief whose specialty is stealing peoples' deepest and darkest secrets through a process called "extraction". This is done through a shared dream-space in which Cobb and his team have built and designed to trap their target and steal those secrets. They may be easy to obtain or difficult depending on the training of the mind they are entering so they just might have to go into a dream within a dream within a dream depending on how hard the information is to extract. Still with me? The individuals that are targeted are usually those of importance, so all you normal law abiding citizens are safe, please don't worry.
Just as the plot starts to get confusing (maybe the first 10 minutes or so), strong dialogue between characters clears everything up...so please refrain from using the bathroom pretty much throughout the entire movie. Further along, the crux of the movie presents itself; the idea of "inception". Cobb is challenged with the task of planting a idea into the mind of Robert Fisher (Cillian Murphy), the heir to a multi-billion dollar oil company, instead of stealing one. This idea has to feel so authentic and self-made so it will blossom and come to fruition. In order to achieve this impossible feat Cobb must go through 3 levels of dreams (a dream within a dream within a dream) so it appears to Robert that the idea was self generated and each level of dream they enter poses a different set of hurdles that must be overcome. The last remaining question of the movie is did it work? Well you MUST see this movie to find out...
Christopher Nolan has given audiences such wonderful movies in the past (Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Memento, etc) but this movie is on a whole different level and the best part is, it doesn't treat the viewer like an idiot only in the theater for entertainment purposes. Inception is layered with a complex plot, incredible visual effects, an excellent script, strong acting (sometimes a tinge over acted but no big deal), and just an amazingly unique concept for a plot. This is by far the most innovative movie since The Matrix and easily the best film of the year (and probably for the rest of the year). A+, no contest...and a must see.
OK OK OK
I know I have been away for awhile but I am back and in full force. With nothing holding me back I am dedicated to delivering several movies critiques weekly and will also highlight the top 3 movies at your local theaters as well as must see DVD's. I hope you enjoy...oh and please send me your thoughts or movies requests that you may have.
Cheers,
James
Cheers,
James
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