Blogging has been light this month because I simply haven't been inspired by anything enough to post a note about it. More to come, though! In the meantime, here are some short takes on some movies and DVDs I've recently watched:
Fever Pitch: This movie was excellent. I laughed throughout the movie, and I must admit I cried at the end (not when guy got girl - when the Red Sox won!). I think it would be best appreciated by a die-hard baseball fan, like myself, or the significant other of a die-hard baseball fan, like my wife. Drew Barrymore is rather lousy in this movie, but it didn't hurt the film overall.
Grade: A-
Cinderella Man: Much better than I expected. This is much more than a boxing movie, even though it happens to be a very good boxing movie. But it is also a look at what life was like in New York during the depression. I would give it an "A" except Renee Zelwegger got on my nerves quite a bit.
Grade A-
Must Love Dogs: In all fairness, I can only give a review for the first 20 minutes of this movie. It was so painful that I had to turn it off. Unlike Mses. Barrymore and Zelwegger, I really like Diane Lane and I don't dislike John Cusack, but the dialog in this movie is so atrocious that even Oscar winners couldn't deliver them with conviction. If anyone was able to sit through this train wreck and would like to give me their take, please post a comment.
Grade: F / Incomplete
Broken Flowers: You may not have heard of this film, which I assume went direct to DVD, but I picked it up on a whim at the video store. This is a low-budget, independent film, and stars Bill Murray. I liked this movie a lot, though it may not be for everyone. It's oddly paced, and doesn't have a typical Hollywood-ending, but all in all it is a nice break from the usual fare.
Grade: B+
Rumor Has It: The concept for this film makes for a funny premise. It's sort of a sequel to The Graduate. The film is amusing enough, but for a movie that pays homage to such a great film, I was really annoyed at some very sloppy editing. Several times during the film, when there was a conversation between two actors, it was extremely obvious that when the character who had her back to you was talking, the vocal track was from a different take. The facial movements did not line up at all, and there were audio cues to tip you off as well. This may seem like nitpicking, but I found it very distracting, and one of the people who was with me noticed it as well. It made a mediocre film even worse. Kevin Costner sucked too, as usual.
Grade: C
Fun With Dick and Jane: The trailers looked like Dick and Jane would be a lot of fun, but unfortunately this movie was seriously lacking in the areas of both "fun" and "funny." Jim Carrey tries really hard to carry this very flat film, but to no avail. Ultimately, it may have been that the movie's theme (people losing their jobs and pensions due to corporate bankrupty caused by executive fraud) is just too serious a topic to get enough laughter.
Grade: C-
1 comment:
Damn Mike V you have become a real movie-monger lately! I recently saw The Dukes of Hazzard. I had low expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised. I was a big fan of the TV series as a kid and the movie was like a classic Dukes storyline, only updated. The car stunts were cooler, the chicks were hotter, and the soundtrack was perfect. Johnny Knoxville and Stiffler were pretty goofy, but it worked. However, this might not be your kind of movie Mike V. It's not all deep and artsy. The old lady liked it too, though I wouldn't say it's a typical chick-flick. She mostly liked the soundtrack and fast-paced editing.
I also liked the new King Kong. The CGI (I guess?) ape was great. I really liked the cinematography, the 1930's NY setting, and Naimi Watts was mesmerizing. It had a really good ending sequence as well.
I'm saving up some money to see some more movies hopefully soon...
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