Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Yep I'm going there. This movie made me laugh my ass off. John C. Reilly really is a comic genius and this film just plain proves it. I wouldn't say the jokes are extremely clever all the time throughout this film, but they still were really funny, and I actually thought that the movie did a good job of parodying music biopics, mainly Walk The Line, the film about Johnny Cash. The cast makes the picture, with a hilarious supporting cast in Tim Meadows, Chris Parnell, Kristen Wiig, Jenna Fischer, Jonah Hill, and many other great actors. This deserves to be up there with Step Brothers. Some may call it tasteless; others will probably call it unoriginal. But I found it entertaining and pretty damn funny.

Breaking Away

I remember the first time that I saw this film; I didn't expect too much out of it. I had heard that it was a low budget movie with mostly no-name actors. All of this is true. I didn't expect to be amazed by the movie. It tells the story of a teenager, Dave Stoller whose obsession with cycling and the "Italians" gets on the nerves of his father who wants him to take on the family car business. But all Dave wants to do is participate in the yearly IU Little 500, a famous bike race. I guess I just found the characters so endearing because they were so, well, normal. It didn't try to be what it wasn't; it just stuck to its simple yet emotional story and relied on the great acting from the so-called "no-names". Either way this movie is just wonderful and it gives the viewer a feeling of a story much in line with The Karate Kid. Check it out.

Winter's Bone

I hadn't heard very much about this movie. Not many people told me they had seen it. So I didn't know what to think. But after seeing it, I realized that this movie leaves an imprint in your mind. I found it different than any other movie I had ever seen. The story that is told is sad, yet, they don't ride that emotion, which I found impressive. The acting is great, and each person really seems to adopt their roles perfectly. What I also found interesting was the simplicity of the entire thing; it centers around a girl who must care for her family in the absence of her jailed father and her mentally unstable mother. Her father didn't show up for his hearing and she must now find him or the whole family farm will be taken away. I think what I appreciated most about this film was its refraining from getting melodramatic even though it easily could of. This movie was not aiming for an Oscar; it's just telling a story. I didn't feel like my emotions were forced, but the movie still manages to evoke strong emotions from the audience without getting carried away. Good movie, all I can say is go see it.

The Fighter

This movie did the boxing genre of movies proud, plain and simple. It wasn't action packed, it didn't have very many twists and turns that threw the viewer for a loop, and the story was nothing new. But....keeping all of these things in mind, the film was great. Each actor felt right for their respective parts. Mark Wahlberg killed as Micky Ward, the down and out boxer with a last chance at greatness. Christian Bale was scarily convincing as his brother, Dicky, whose drug problems ruined his own once promising career and now threaten to destroy his and Mick's friendship. Melissa Leo plays the loving but equally screwed up mother of the two, and Amy Adams plays Micky's love interest and future wife quite well. I can't argue with the critics' attacks that the movie is really pretty damn predictable. But I still found it captivating. I liked the fact that the fights didn't try to be a Rocky IV impression with ridiculous punches that could kill an ox; they were realistic and stuck to real boxing. This is a tough genre to be a part of and nail it; Raging Bull did it, and I believe these guys did it too. By the way, I'm gonna try to see all the Best Picture nominees so next up is Winter's Bone!

The Dude Abides...

Who knew that such a nonsensical story could be so hilarious! This movie is great, really in every way that a comedy should be. As you may have noticed I bolded "should" because often comedies, though they may still be funny, rely on only one form of humor to get them through the entire film. Not this one. I think that this is truly one of the Coen Brother's best and constantly most underrated movie. The characters are so  over the top, with the Dude's belligerent and yet somehow charming friend, Walter, or the Nihilists, who continuously interject themselves in a funny and violent way into the life of the dude himself. And then there's the Dude himself, played by the honorable Jeff Bridges. He truly defines the word, Dude, or his Dudeness as he remarks various times within the story. He's not a typical hero; every twist in the story is befallen on him, and he seems quite unwilling to take part in most of it. Either way, the acting was perfectly offbeat and the movie itself is such a fresh take on dark comedies that you just gotta love it.

Charade: Waaaaayy ahead of it's time

So last night I was volunteering at the Saratoga Senior Center which consisted of watching a movie with a couple friends and four older women; as you can see, very tiring work....Anyway we watched the movie, Charade, starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. I was honestly floored by the film. It wasn't so much the plot that amazed me; it was a standard story of murder for money and the ensuing mystery over who was the murderer and where that money was. No, what really got me was the actual techniques implemented in the movie, the camera angles, the music, the modernistic scenes of violence that were used. This movie was so modern for its time, and I think truly brought about a new age of murder mysteries. It had a "Hitchcockian" feeling to it with the constant changes in lighting to set the mood and the eerie music to enhance scenes, and yet, the chase scenes and the filming just seemed new and different in some way. This film deserves a lot of praise for its progressive style and this scene (WARNING: It will ruin the movie for you if you plan on watching it!) exemplifies the distance that the director put between it and other mysteries of the past.

King Kong (The Remake!)

Some hated it, some didn't. That's all there is to it. I like it.....mostly. Ok, the sets were pretty hard not to be amazed with. I was absolutely mesmerized with the set when they first set foot on the island and have the encounter with the island natives. And the dinosaur scene was intense to say the least. But I can see where critics are coming from in their general distaste with the film. The director, Peter Jackson, glamorized the old tale, something he is known for doing in most of his films. A lot of people feel that the emphasis took away from the story and was too over the top. Maybe it was; the scene with the life-size, man-eating bugs was hard for me to watch. But honestly, I think if this tale were to be told, this would be the way that it should be, with an element of gruesomeness to it, some serious drama, and an overwhelmingly mystical island. The acting, I thought, was actually pretty good. Jack Black really keyed in to the role of the completely self-involved, money hungry producer. And Naomi Watts was excellent as the innocent struggling actress who caught the eye of the large beast.

The Sopranos

Had to do it. I'm only one season in and I am already having trouble getting around to my homework just so I can watch one more episode of this amazing show. This particular video is the montage at the beginning of the second season. I just thought it was so distinct, such a cool segway into the next chapter of the show. Where to begin with this show? Well I guess I will start with the masterful acting. Everyone nails it, and I really do mean that. James Gandolfini is so convincing, along with all of the other supporting characters. This is such an intricate plot with so many twists and turns, and most importantly, the directors made sure to make each character as complicated and therefore realistic as any real life individual. What I find most impressive is that the creators of the show make no effort to hide that Tony Soprano is a murderer, constantly cheats on his wife, and has uncontrollable violent outbursts often throughout the show. And yet, somehow the viewer is forced to empathize with him; he is sick, he loves his family, and he seems to want to get better. This is just a superb show and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a fair amount of violence, though I think it's tasteful in the way it is constructed.

Gettin Jiggy With it....

Ok, call me incredibly lame for the title..Yeah it is pretty damn bad. But I must leave the title up, for I speak of the man they call Big Willy. Yes, today I have to touch upon Will Smith, in particular, his acting in the movie Enemy of the State. Look, he's been in some good movies. I don't think anyone can take that away from him. But there's something about his acting style that really just makes me want to slap him and say, "No Will Smith, you stop that." What can I say, he gets on my freaking nerves. Now, I actually thoroughly enjoyed the film. The plot was fast moving, unpredictable, and definitely had me surprised at each twist and turn. And of course Gene Hackman, as always, was superb as the retired NSA agent who helps Smith's character get out of different jams he encounters. Honestly, the acting overall was good, and this was in my opinion Smith's most well-acted movie. Good, now that that's out of the way, I can rip on him. It's just that every time I see him act, I feel as if I am watching the same progression that I saw in his last movie. We have the joking Will Smith, that likes to have a little fun, but of course an upstanding guy. And then there is the Will Smith that goes into action, he doesn't take any shit, and he will probably have a freakout or too (if you are shaking your head saying WTF just watch I am Legend, Independence Day, or Men in Black). I'm getting a little carried away here I know, I just had to say something. He will have to prove he can be a dynamic actor before he gains more respect from me.

Animal Man!

Ok so I went with an Oscar nominee last time so I thought I would switch it up a bit. I really like adding clips from the movies so i think i will make a habit of that. I just had to bring up Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. It really is one of my all time favorite comedies. What I think I appreciate most is the fact that I have never seen anyone act like Jim Carrey. He defines the role, as opposed to the other way around. His insane antics, and hilarious one-liners have me laughing uncontrollably throughout the movie. Say what you will about the predictable plot, and "stupid" humor as some might call it, but I find the movie funny. And to me, that's really all that matters some time. Of course I like movies that require a lot of thought and interpretation, but I don't think there's really anything wrong with just sitting back and relaxing the mind while Jim Carrey amazes me with his enthusiasm and commitment to his role. Alright, enough with this; I feel like I'm getting kind of preachy. But this movie gets a good grade in my book.

The King's Speech

http://www.makingof.com/posts/watch/2663/bertie

 FASCINATING! HILARIOUS! MOVING! Is there anything I can say about this movie that hasn't already be reiterated 100 times over?? No, I doubt it. But nonetheless, I am forced to default and say that this movie was just flat out impressive in every aspect that can be criticized. The acting, of course with A-Listers like Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, and Guy Pearce, it's pretty hard to miss. Yet, I think this movie goes so much further than the acting; the sets were just mesmerizing, with the truly barren room that the King (aka Bertie) frustratingly attempts to lose his impediment, and the near final scene (Caution: Spoilers) where he must give his country-wide speech. Throughout the film it was difficult for me to feel completely at ease with Firth's character, since he was rude, impatient, and rather pompous. But the as his character developed and we learned more about the King and his royally messed up family, it became clear that he was a victim of constant taunting and embarrassment at his speech impediment. The fact that I could feel so involved with the characters just goes to show how much information the audience could take in from the film about the characters. I can't think of a negative comment to even propose about this movie; a few Oscars are definitely in store for this film if not more and deservedly so! (The link shows just one of the many wonderful scenes from the movie, where Bertie and his speech doctor first meet)

I'll give it a go

Good God, I just realized how much a part of my life movies truly are! It makes me cringe to think of a life without them. In fact, I can't even remember going for longer than a week or two before I turned on the T.V. or paid a visit to the movie theater to feed my addiction. That's right, addiction, I said it. This is not a word commonly associated with a film-goer, but at this point in my life I would be willing to go that far. I love movies, the Oscar nominees, the ones that were on the bubble for being acclaimed, and yes, even the ones that are deemed quite shitty by a good amount by those that see it.
So, there's no way for me to say that I don't enjoy great movies such as No Country for Old Men; in fact, I love that film. But I think one of the most obnoxious aspects of movie critics is their quickness to write off films that say, don't have the most intricate plot, or Oscar-baiting performances, or award-winning cinematography like others. What about movies like Happy Gilmore or Ace Ventura: Pet Detective?? OK, so they may not have the most unpredictable story lines or the most superb acting, but doesn't the fact that they make people laugh, at least make me laugh hysterically and entertain the viewer, do something for their credibility?
Yes, some movies just plain suck. I know that. But I intend on observing, criticizing, and praising all kinds of movies; even the ones that have been deemed "one star" movies. I love movies, I love analyzing them, but I also like to keep an open mind when I'm viewing them, whether or not they're archived in the National Film Registry or have a permanent home in the $0.50 bin at Wal-Mart.