My Reviews

wow.
As far as I'm concerned, this is the best movie of the year. And it's one of those things that kind of creeps up on you. It's like the slow revelation that someone you think you know is, in fact, The Devil made flesh. But not the silly, fire and brimstone supernatural devil of myth. The Devil as a MAN. And, yet, you go along the ride with him. You feel what he feels. And you cheer for him, even as you wince. The combination of writing, production, and performance are absolute gold. And I can honestly say I would never have believed that P.T. Anderson could have pulled off a movie like this. And, finally, the reason why this film gets higher marks from me than No Country For Old Men is that in the end, it's actually satisfying. But it plays a trick on you by making you find satisfaction in the commission of an evil act. Brilliant and inspiring.

That was some wildly implausible bullshit.... but boy was it fun! Even though the characters are thin as paper, it's a cast of great actors who milk every single scene, and I do appreciate the narrative device that turns this rather conventional thriller into an odd kind of whodunit. And I must give them credit for one of the best car chases I've seen in a bit. I particularly enjoyed Dennis Quaid, and Matthew Fox should really try some more roles like this (and better roles like this) because I think he might be on to something here. Of course, by tomorrow morning, I'll have completely forgot that I saw it. Picture perfect popcorn.

Will Smith gives a great performance, and there are some truly intense moments in this film. Looks beautiful, but there was a moment when they introduced one particular plot element in the story that made me think they were going in a much more interesting direction then they eventually did. Now that I know that the story in the original novel is EXACTLY what I'd intuited from that plot point, which creates a much more interesting ending (that actually justifies the title of the f'n movie), I'm actually pretty annoyed that they changed the story so drastically. More to the point, the last, say, 20 minutes introduces elements that, frankly, could sustain an entire movie.... a different movie than the one I'd been watching for the previous hour, and the ending resolves that film instead of the one I came in on. Irritatingly disjointed.

OK, so, first of all, we need to talk about the sex. There is a moment in that film when I swear I get a glimpse of Tony Leung's balls as Tang Wei is riding him. Now, I've watched enough porn to say, I really, REALLY don't know how you fake that kind of motion. Talk about method acting! Having said that, this is an exquisite film. Richly textured imagery and very deliberate pacing, like a seduction that builds to a climax. Tony Leung is magnetic, even as a fundamentally evil man, and Tang Wei is just amazing. Beyond the lack of clothes, I've rarely seen such a completely emotionally naked performance. Did I mention the amazing costume & production design, too? Definitely worth seeing.

And the moral of the story is, if you ever just discover a gigantic bag of cash money in the middle of nowhere, LEAVE THAT SHIT ALONE. Nice people don't keep gigantic bags of cash. Only bad people do that. And Javier Bardem is as bad as they come in this movie. Great performances, and The Coens really use the landscape to a phenomenal visual effect. Kelly MacDonald is flawlessly texan, and Josh Brolin clearly needs to give his agent a raise because he has been having a banner year (including this, Grindhouse, and American Gangster). But, as much of a joy as it was to watch this film, I was DEEPLY unsatisfied with the ending. I know it's supposed to be that way, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. But a fantastic piece of filmmaking.
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...OK, now that I've had some time to reflect on it, I actually like it a lot more. Because, in the end, this is a film about death. Its inevitability. Its finality. Its intractability. And, in the end, no matter what you try to do, your only real response is surrender. And, in that surrender, there is power.

I enjoyed this. I love smart, pure sci-fi, and, unlike alot of critics, I really appreciated the metaphysical elements of the film, too. Production value is out of this world.

I love it. Kasi Lemmons has really constructed a gem as a loving tribute to the evolution of the civil rights era. All of the performances, especially Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Taraj P. Henson are absolutely off the charts.

Alot of fun. Really inspiring, actually. Although, I wasn't sure who the police are supposed to be protecting and serving by the end. The final fight is pure gold.

that was MUCH funnier than I expected, and really heartfelt, too. And the kids, for once, actually look like kids. Which is why it's all the more shockingly funny. Definitely check it out.

that kicked ass! Even more amazing when I hear that they did a ton of that writing on the fly. THIS is how you make a frakkin' action movie!!