Cinerant

A lot of catch up

Somebody recently got onto me for not having posted thoughts on several movies recently, so I thought I'd do one massive blogfest on things worth missing or watching--particularly when it comes to the Oscar race.

Half Nelson--Watched this one last night and Ryan Gosling definitely deserved his nomination. Maybe even the award. Shareeka Epps should've also been nominated for supporting actress in this fascinating little movie about a middle school history teacher with a drug problem who's life becomes linked to a student who discovers his secret. This is the kind of Indie film that doesn't get made much anymore in lieu of trite movies like Little Miss Sunshine. It's fresh out on video. Be sure and check it out.

The Departed--This is also fresh out on video. And it just works. Scorsese works it. DiCaprio works it (and should have been nominated for this instead of the piece of drek Blood Diamond). Damon is great. Wahlberg is a revelation--and definitely worth of his nod. It's violent, but it's enthralling, fascinating, and a must-see.

Children of Men--It's worth seeing for the cinematography alone. (Though, there's a great gag dealing with footwear that's a hoot too.) This is a complex, fascinating movie that seems a lot like Lost. It throws out some fascinating things and doesn't really feel the need to answer all the questions it raises. I know there are people who won't like that, but so be it. This film tries to go some place that sci-fi doesn't frequently go. And the material's so rich--finding great ways to deal with the idea of having a society without children from the decrepit schools to people who don't know what pregnancy looks like. By the time the ending comes around, it feels like one massive journey in redemption.

The Queen--Just a solid little movie with a great performance by Mirren and an eye-opening turn from Michael Sheen as Tony Blair. (He should've been nominated too.) It's a slice of life movie that takes a look at something that I had no interest in going into the movie and by the time I came out, I was enthralled. That's some good storytelling.

Babel--Eh, it's not nearly as good as Amores Perros, but way better than 21 Grams. And I don't think I'll ever be able to look at Cate Blanchett the same after watching her urinate like that again.

Notes on a Scandal--Speaking of Blanchett, this film is a hoot! In the best way. The novel it's based on is written by the daughter of the screenwriter of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane and it shows. This is the best bitchy-over-the-top thriller I've seen in years. I loved every second of this thing. It doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. Just a short, emotionally and sexually charged dame fest that turns into a throw down like you've never seen. Judi Dench is at her best here, matched by Blanchett and in small roles, Bill Nigh and newcomer Andrew Simpson. I can't wait for this one to come on video to add it to my collection.

Pan's Labyrinth--A beautifully dark fairy tale that mixes genres better than you can possibly imagine. I know several unimaginative writers who think that you can't mix genres. Well, this movie proves that you can mix a war film with a fairy tale and throw some horror in because at the end of the day, all that matters is solid structure and compelling characters. I was hooked within the first ten minutes and I didn't want this to end. Beautiful film that should've been nominated for Best Picture.

Dreamgirls--better than Chicago, but still nowhere near as brilliant as Moulin Rouge. Part of it was Jamie Foxx's fault. Maybe there should be a moratorium on musical unless Baz Luhrman do them. (Though the trailer for Across the Universe makes me think that Julie Taymor gets it). Hudson's great. Murphy's overpraised, Beyonce's underpraised. It's fun. Not revolutionary. Still, one of the better things to come out last year.

Letters From Iwo Jima--eh, I've seen it. Without the subtitles in Japanese. It's a good movie, but seriously, it didn't feel that different from every other World War II movie to come since Saving Private Ryan.

posted by cinegod @ 1:29 PM