Movies [2008]

dazzling images and an engaging story make danny boyle's slumdog millionaire a must-see and one of the best films of the year. the talent involved in this movie from the director and editor to the child actors and director of photography and set designers is top-notch! a really enjoyable movie to watch. highly recommended.

michael sheen is really good as frost and frank langella gives one of the performances of the year as nixon. for a movie about people talking i thought it was very compelling and fascinating both historically and dramatically. i'm not sure i liked the format choice of including fictionalized documentary style interviews by secondary characters interspersed throughout the film, but it seemed to work. undoubtedly large parts of the screenplay based on history have been fudged, composited from several sources, moved, changed or flat-out made up but it all feels true enough and i think the intent of everyone involved is to be honest with history and to tell an entertaining story. for instance a drunken phone call from richard m. nixon to david frost's hotel room shortly before the final interview may or may not have actually happened, but it is essential to the movie and is a fantastic scene and probably the best one between the two actors in the film. i think ron howard has done his best directing here since apollo 13. this is a flick that i ended up enjoying even more than i expected. perhaps it's not for everyone but a remarkable study of acting, debate, competition, personality, american history, the presidency, conscience and life in the public eye.

it's rare that a movie hyped as much as this one manages to actually satisfy nearly its entire audience. i didn't hear anyone grumbling after the movie at the sold out imax theater where i viewed the flick, and i haven't read many bad reviews of "the dark knight" either. that's because it's good. and not just good for a comic book movie, not just good for a summer blockbuster, not just good for a crime thriller - good. i'm surprised at the mass acceptance of its dark, brooding, psychological storyline - i dig it though.

heath ledger is brilliant as the joker as advertised. christian bale is a fantastic bruce wayne and aside from the ridiculous voice - the perfect batman. aaron eckhart does a great job in a role with a wide range of emotions to play. the supporting cast which includes the likes of michael caine, morgan freeman & gary oldman gives this batman series a rock solid foundation and it was nice to see oldman in particular take a larger role than in "batman begins".

"the dark knight" is twisted, dark, engrossing, memorable and a little lengthy. christopher nolan takes the time to let the characters seep into the story instead of letting explosions and special effects (which are impressive) dominate. in nolan's chicago-for-gotham world superheroes and supervillians are a lot more human than in most movies. there's also a little bit of hero in the villians and a little bit of villian in the heroes. the fuzziness between what is good and what is evil is addressed in several ways throughout the flick. there are situations dealing with morality, ethics, the blurred line between revenge & redemption, the definition of a hero, privacy vs. safety, and other issues all of which add a deep, real and interesting texture to gotham city.

if more movies were like "the dark knight" it would not be a bad thing.

aronofsky delivers a gritty, real, emotional look into the fictional life of one-time star wrestler randy "the ram" robinson. the director does a wonderful job with the flick but the star is undoubtedly mickey rourke who manages to even top his "sin city" performance as the tough but lovable, lonely and pathetic muscle man. a painful, battered and raw story filled with hope and despair. aronofsky movies aren't exactly "feel-good" flicks, but rourke's performance in this one makes it a little warmer than most.

harvey milk's story is inspiring and tragic. the entire cast does a tremendous job and van sant mixes in archival footage seamlessly as he not just captures san fransisco in the late 70's but transports the viewer there. this is a wonderful tribute to a courageous human being.

what a year for comic book movies! jon favreau really knocks it out of the park using a smart, efficient and funny script. robert downey jr. is fantastic as tony stark. the action in the movie is entertaining and often meaningful while the technology and construction of the iron man suit is just cool. the computer effects are quite stunning. a very entertaining flick.

a delightfully dark dramatic movie that also happens to have vampires. scary good.

it's borderline pretentious and at the same time approaches genius. the movie is about the second half of one man's life and his struggles to have meaningful relationships with woman and his children and his pursuit of directing a play that is truthful and meaningful. but it's really about all of us and our lives and deaths and all of the confusing time that lapses in between. this is a story that wouldn't work in any medium other than film. this is art imitating life as it is profound, beautiful and hauntingly sad. i'm not going to say i understand things like why caden cotard is repeatedly mistaken for a woman but this is a deeply affecting movie that requires repeated viewings for a number of reasons. charlie kaufman writes amazing screenplays and this is his directorial debut. i feel like directors like michel gondry and spike jonez add something upbeat to his stories that is missing here. i think this movie is probably the closest to kaufman's vision of anything he's written but it's awfully depressing to absorb. and by the way the cast is remarkable.

incredible story about what some have dubbed the art-crime of the century. archival footage brings the twin towers back to life as philippe petit describes the challenges he had to overcome to perform his insane dream of walking a tightrope between the buildings.

"benjamin button" a nicely told story about star-crossed lovers. i don't know whether the aging effects are done through make-up or computer effects - although i suspect a bit a both - but they are superb. the story is interesting and at times quite insightful as themes of life, death, and the passage of time are dealt with throughout the flick. the acting is exceptional and there are some humorous and memorable characters - my favorites are the tugboat captain/artist and the man who has been struck by lightning 7 times. the movie is very long and suffers a bit from it but overall an entertaining tale from mr. fincher.

damn, clint eastwood sure can play grizzled. he literally growls several times in the lead role of walt kowalski, a recent widower and retired detroit auto worker who uses more racial slurs than i really thought was possible in a likable character. eastwood is terrific. the rest of the acting is not great but it doesn't ruin the movie. it's an engaging and surprisingly funny movie with some touching moments. i also like the fact that it was shot in michigan.

a slow-moving but touching film that both honors and damns the once idealistic "melting pot" of america. great subtle and real performances .

hathaway is impressive and the entire cast does a pretty amazing job of portraying real and complex characters. the movie feels real particularly because of the home video/documentary style in which it is shot. the style is distracting at first but makes the family drama more intimate and uncomfortable. some sequences are perhaps overlong but these moments do help to make the film feel a little less scripted.

the coens return to tragic comedy with a very funny flick. despite an all-star cast, i wouldn't recommend this to people who aren't coen brothers fans. if you enjoy the snappy dialogue, the mix of smart characters doing stupid things and stupid characters trying to do smart things, the dry wit and the quirky style of joel and ethan then you are in for a treat. the cast is perfect and the characters funny.

it's not for everyone but if you're like me, you'll really like "in bruges". bruges, belgium is an unlikely but visually exhilarating setting for the raunchy dialogue and sometimes violent actions of two very entertaining hitmen. the comedic parts work better than the dramatic ones but overall an entertaining flick featuring great performances by colin farrell, brendan gleeson and the city of bruges.

all of the artistic design elements are fantastic as i have come to expect from del toro and his team. i'm really not familiar with the hellboy characters but i found the movie quite entertaining and very pleasing to look at.

a real acting showcase with great performances particularly by meryl streep. the direction is a bit too noticable and it seems the story and characters could have turned into a better movie. instead we get a play filled with great tension and drama clumsily transferred to the big screen. fortunately it features some fantastic acting performances that are definitely worth seeing.

a very raunchy but ultimately sweet flick. seth rogan & elizabeth banks are both fantastic and craig robinson & justin long bring the funny! this is classic kevin smith: funny, dialogue heavy, minimal plot, crude, lots of pop or nerd culture references, hockey, often immature and at times quite tender. i found it interesting that parts of the plot seemed to reflect what i know of kevin smith's experience making his first movie 'clerks'. he shot it at his place of employment, he shot at night and worked during the day, he shot under a dire financial situation, and he used a lot of people he knew as a movie crew and cast. shit, they probably had a microphone taped to a hockey stick too. it's just a small example of how mr. smith hasn't forgotten his humble beginnings and why i'll always look forward to his work. anyway, the movie is like a very vulgar "when harry met sally" and i found it to be very amusing and quite adorable.

religulous is a funny look at well, the ridiculousness of religions. the movie made me laugh. it slanted toward the extreme end of people with views opposite of bill maher but i'm ok with that. that's what i paid money to go to a movie theater and see, bill maher being a smart ass and presenting his opinions on a very touchy subject.

funny flick, i wish paul rudd was a friend of mine.

the youtube generation somehow mixed "the blair witch project" and "godzilla" and added a shit-ton of great special effects. i thought this was a thoroughly enjoyable monster movie. i was actually surprised by how much of the monster we got to see considering the limitations of the story concept. lots of 9/11 imagery added some emotional weight and the unknown cast did a fine job. good clean monster movie fun!

fun & faithful (although greatly expanded) dr. suess adaptation that combines some great voice acting work and terrific computer animation.

a very solid western with a focus on story and character relationships instead of genre. harris and mortensen are quite great together. the friendship of their characters is central to the whole movie and leads to most of the compelling and humurous moments. a worthwhile western for sure.

interesting documentary about the protests in chicago at the democratic national convention in 1968. the voice acted animated recreation of the trial is hit and miss but the archival footage is fascinating.

familiar territory but i liked it then and i like it now. plus tom wilkinson is one of my favs and to see him play a guy ritchie role was fantastic! i could easily see this getting bumped to a 4 star with repeated viewings.

mario kart meets the incredibles with real actors. every time i thought the movie was going to fall completely apart it got back on track. the style, dazzling imagery and vibrant colors give an original look but sometimes the visuals detract from the movie just as much as they add to other parts. it's probably too long, especially for a movie that kids should enjoy, but overall is better than it gets credit for.and it was nice to see matthew fox crying a lot less than he does on LOST.

a very funny, crude movie based around two lovable adults who act like children (will ferrell & john c. reilly). there are a lot of laughs to be sure, but it doesn't go anywhere some sections are either flat or tiresome. it kinda feels like a really good SNL skit that goes on too long.

a very sweet teen romance movie with enjoyable performances all around. michael cera is always great even if he's pretty much always the same. kat dennings was quite charming and sometimes funny. ari graynor is a riot as norah's drunken friend. also, andy sandberg cracked me up in a quick cameo. the story is pretty thin and barely stretches to cover the 90 minutes, but it's a light and fun time at the movies with some pretty good music to boot.

it's a funny stoner comedy, but the action sequences were ridiculous. as far as stoner buddy movie/bromance flicks go it's really not any better than "harold & kumar" or "friday", and "half baked" was a funnier pot comedy. the over-the-top and violent action sequences were far less entertaining to me than watching the two main characters interact while high. franco was surprisingly great and rogan was the same funny and likable everyman that he always is.

michel gondry makes me smile. probably his cheesiest film to date, it's a little thin on story but is affectionately directed. jack black and mos def make some great lo-fi productions of big-time flicks and have fun doing it. the movie is fun and warm and touching if you can buy into the idea that creativity and some heart can bring a community together. a nice time at the movies.

it's pretty much what you might expect a movie about four diverse teenagers in smalltown, indiana to be like. interesting flick, but it doesn't reveal anything groundbreaking about the pressures of the kids' senior year of high school. the animated cut-ins are pretty cool insights into the minds of the main characters. a documentary worth watching.

vaguely reminiscent of "wonder boys" but with far less likable characters. it has some nice acting and is sporadically humorous, but feels flat overall and a little bit depressing.

it feels more like a decent season premiere episode for a new season of the x-files than a new movie after several dormant years and frankly, i wish that it was. it would be great to have the x-files back on tv. for fans, this is a nice reminder of the characters but not reminiscent of the better storylines from the tv series and not as good as the first movie. as a fan, i enjoyed seeing mulder and scully again but was hoping for a more "x-filey" x-file.

i thought natalie portman was really good and the costuming was pretty incredible. overall though, the flick was a little too much soap opera.

its hard to figure out the recent motivations of oliver stone and w. left me confused and wondering: why even make this movie? the story jumps around, leaves out large parts, greatly condenses others and becomes boring at times throughout. stone portrays dubya as a pouty, drunk rich kid desparately trying to impress his father and having very little to do with the major moments in his own life and presidency. josh brolin does a good job and manages to make w. somewhat sympathetic at times. the supporting cast is mostly caricatures of those closest to the president resulting in varied amounts of humor and ludicrousness. the events and motivations portrayed may have actually taken place the way that stone enivisions but i didn't feel like anything new was brought to the table. i walked out of the theatre with no change in opinion about the man. it's not a bad movie but it doesn't really say much and the timing of it seems strange. the man is still in office, and he will be replaced as president in a few months. why is it important or even very useful to tell his story now? why make this movie? a line from a 2002 pearl jam song about w. captures the attempted baseball metaphor much better than the movie does:
"He's not a leader, he's a Texas leaguer
Swinging for the fence, got lucky with a strike
Drilling for fear, makes the job simple
Born on third, thinks he got a triple"

i really wanted this to be better. it's a political satire flick that ends up being not nearly as effective as it tried to be. john cusack is great and joan cusack is fantastic in a limited role. there are some amusing but scarily close to real points made, some smart dialogue, an odd meandering plot, jokes, violence and a love story to fill in the rest. i was worried that this was going to be a lame recreation of the wonderful 'gross pointe blank'... it wasn't, but the end of the flick i was wishing i had just watched GPB instead.

thanks to michael moore for providing this movie for free on the web. it's interesting to watch and i hope even more americans vote in 2008 than in 2004, but movie-wise there's not much here.

i expected more from an Apatow / Smigel / Sandler movie. aside from nick swardson and some jokes scattered throughout there is not much of substance here.

i had no intention of ever watching this but amber heard caught my eye. it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be, but terribly cliched.

some heavy stuff, but ultimately feels like it could have been better. kate winslet is excellent in her portrayal of a complex character.

a rather paint-by-numbers action flick. leo was good. rather unmemorable overall though.

well-tread road movie territory but plenty of fun cameos and star wars references, even sound effects. enjoyable as a star wars fan but far far away from a great movie.