Billie's Movie Thread

I like hearing about teh movie selections and I should perhaps renew a membership to the block buster that is near the house. The ex had a very bad habit of renting movies on my card and then leaving them places he then couldn't find but perhaps if i swore on my future first born or something that he is no longer in my life they might let me have a card again.

I saw Wonder Boys when it came to the theater, and really enjoyed it then...good flick. I remember seeing previews for the Huckabees...it looked somewhat intriguing, but not enough for me to have seen it yet.

Thursday, April 20th
Better Luck Tomorrow
In which a group of Asian American high school overachievers spiral into a life of crime.

The title pretty much sums up my opinion of the movie...maybe tomorrow I'll see a better one :\. We'll break this down by the good, the bad, and the ugly :D.

The Good: The actoring and characterizations were both respectable and interesting and there were a few nice one liners that got a dry chuckle from me. I don't think Fozz so much as cracked a grin, though, so I might have been trying to like it. I also thought the teenagers' descent was pretty well done and convincing; 45 minutes in I thought the movie would actually be okay.

The Bad: The most obviously bad part of this movie was it's slow, dragging pace. I mean, I -like- understated, but I'm not so much into comatose and this one made my eyes glaze over in many places, even at supposedly climactic scenes. The romance, while interesting in theory, was rather dull in practice. The ending was also disappointing; the themes the film explored seemed to totally fizzle out. And while the acting was good, there was one character whose actor was -obviously- too old for the role and the rest were questionable.

The Ugly: This is really not the movie's fault, but I feel its summary on the back was poorly done and combined with that, it was stored in the wrong section of the store....so I was led to believe this would be a dark comedy. Now I'm not saying that not being funny is a crime, but honest to goodness it seemed like they were -trying- for dark comedy (in the tradition of Heathers) and failed. Badly. The scenes that could have shown black humor instead appeared anything from a little sick and sad to downright sadistic. At the same time, the story telling was all too detached to be a sharp, real, profound drama.

I thought as I watched this movie that there was certainly something there and perhaps I would have liked this story more in book form. The more I think about it, though, the more I realize that the meat of the story -could- have been expressed in film...these guys just didn't pull it off. In any case, the sucky ending kind of kills any hope of salvaging the story, heh.

Friday, April 21
Mrs. Henderson Presents

In which an eccentric widow purchases a theater and shakes things up in world war two era London with crazy full nudity on stage!

*grins* in spite of the summary Fozz and I agreed that this was actually a charmingly wholesome film with a very positive message and a nod to the idea that nudity does not always have to be tied to sexuality. It's a feel good movie with some thought provoking places and carried off with a great deal of style and charm.

I really like the glam late 30s/early 40s; the styles of clothing and hair and makeup, the cars, the attitude...and I think this movie really nailed down the dynamic nicely. It was visually lovely (and I'm not just talking about the naked people :P) and I was sucked into the 'look' of the film from the opening credits (which I have to say are very nicely done).

The guy at the video store told me that he heard the movie was hilarious, and while I laughed a fair bit (Fozz did not laugh as much, but he is a harder case than I am *grins) I would venture to say that the movie is more 'sweet' than hysterical. The main relationship in the story is surprisingly captivating and genuinely touching and the story itself is quite compelling.

The characters and acting were -wonderful-. Everything from the politically incorrect, snarky, snobbish widow who is, at times, whimsical and at other times unflappably realistic to the cautious and reserved manager to the male singer who 'hasn't the proclivities' to the actresses who fill the stage to the soldiers who fill the seats.

All in all this movie is serious competition for the pick of the week and its appeal to my personal preferences may push it over the edge, but the week isn't over yet! I would still highly recommend this movie to anyone who isn't offended at the sight of naked people :). Hell, I would even say this movie is worth 'getting over it' and seeing it anyway :D.

I ADORED this movie (Mrs. Henderson Presents), and found it utterly charming as well, if not hilarious. I recommend it to everyone.

Yeah, I’m a big slacker. Sorry!

Um, let’s see…

Sunday, April 23
My Date with Drew

In which a Hollywood Z lister tries to get a date with Drew Barrymore and films his progress toward this…dream…

This was kind of a cute documentary, though at times it felt a little contrived and cheesy. Also, on a technical level the sound was really dreadfully done; I realize part of the point of the movie was to show the low budget struggle in making the film but Fozz kept having to play with the volume and stuff.

Not much to say about this movie without giving spoilers…I suppose I’d just say that if you’re looking for a movie to rent, this wouldn’t be a first choice.

Monday, April 24
The River King

In which a local small town cop tries to solve a mysterious death while dealing with his own inner demons.

This movie was laughably bad. It was so bad that when we watched the closing credits, Fozz listed off all the people who were ‘now dead to him’. We started mocking its badness about fifteen minutes in, and I think we only waited so long because Fozz was too polite to openly mock a movie I had chosen and I was trying to give it a chance.

The writing, particularly the dialogue, was painful. The acting made baby jesus cry. Even the badly directed, overly filtered and completely unnecessary sex scene could not save this movie. I am trying to come up with a redeeming quality for this movie, and am failing. I think if you’ve read my other little write ups that I go into movies trying to like them. I tried to give this a chance. Honest to goodness.

Don’t rent this movie. If you enjoy making fun of cheesy movies with your friends, there are far better choices. Some movies are so bad, they’re good. This is not one of those movies.

Tuesday, April 25
Aeon Flux

In which a group of renegades fight for freedom against an oppressive government and discover the secrets hidden…on both sides!

This was a good action flick and did some nice things with the sci fi setting. I liked the costumes and the scenery and thought they had some pretty clever ideas for future weapons and technology (though I think it would have been cooler if they had explained a little more about them in some cases). There were moments that were really beautifully shot, though I think that might have had more to do with Theron’s physical acting than anything special on the part of the director.

I felt it could have been better, mostly in the areas of direction and screenwriting. It was far from terrible but some parts felt a little choppy. It also bothered me that there was very little behind major character changes and significant moral decisions, and some of the one liners made me pull a face. The major choice at the end of the movie was weakened, I felt, for being rushed.

Overall though, it could have been –a lot- worse and there was plenty worth seeing in this movie. I wasn’t disappointed; I give the movie a solid ‘OK’. If nothing else, it led to some cool discussion with Fozz after the fact on more things they could have done with their neat ideas. If Hollywood didn’t tend to royally fuck up sequels, I wouldn’t mind seeing another movie in this universe, one that had stronger writing and more complex storytelling.

In fact…*has mafia thoughts*

Dun dun dun!

So, my pick for last week. If you’ve been following, you’ll know I had a hard choice ahead of me. It came down to, of course, The Wonder Boys Vs. Mrs. Henderson Presents. I’m going with Mrs. Henderson Presents because I feel it was the best example this week of a wonderful –movie-. The Wonder Boys was an excellent story that translated very well to film, but while Mrs. Henderson Presents had, I feel, the weaker story, it had the better ‘complete package’.

I still highly recommend Wonder Boys and you’ll likely be hearing more when I read the book.

Friday, April 28
An Unfinished Life

In which a uniquely blended family struggles to cope with forgiveness, guilt, responsibility, and life in Wyoming.

This may be the first movie where Jennifer Lopez did not get on my nerves. If you were holding off on seeing this one because of her, she’s not bad. Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman were good as always and I liked the little girl actress. They all play engaging characters, which is really what makes the movie.

The ‘family’ consists of a mother and her daughter who move in with the bitter grandfather (mom’s father in law) and his best friend, who lives in a separate house on the same ranch. Together they form relationships around the gaping wound of mom’s dead husband (grandpa’s son), who was in some ways the glue that could have held these four people together.

It was a good movie, nicely shot, kind of sad and thoughtful but I wouldn’t call it a cry movie or anything.

Monday, May 1
40 Year Old Virgin

In which…well the title says it all…

Eh, most of you have seen this one I think. It was okay, it was what it was. Not the funniest thing I’ve ever seen but it got a laugh or two and was fine to watch with Fozz. Fozz seemed more amused by the antics than I was, if that tells you anything.

In any case, this was a light couple of weeks for us. We saw one other movie in the past few days but I’m going nuts trying to remember the title! So they’ll be a review on that as soon as I remember. We also attempted to watch Little Fish but Fozz kept falling asleep and then waking up and demanding that I summarize the movie while the movie was still playing, which I really hate doing and so I finally sent him to bed. We might just say fuck it and return that one though, since I don’t think he cared for it in the first place.

Sunday, April 30
Tristan and Isolde

In which fate throws two lovers through one hell of a loop.

This was a nice romance movie with some pretty cool sword fighting but not a lot of gore. The battles were really nicely done I thought; some of the scenes were more clever than badass.

The little kid who played young Tristan is fucking adorable and a tolerable young actor. Let’s hope he doesn’t take lessons from the guy who played the adult Tristan though :\. Not that I disliked the guy…I mean, hell, he was –really- hot. Fozz and I debated on whether or not he waxed his chest though. Still, he was one of those actors who has like three facial expressions. The chick who played Isolde was pretty good, though her accent got a little spotty in places. She’s a fox though, so again, who cares?

If you’re one of those accuracy Nazis…you’d probably have issues with this movie. It’s supposed to take place in the year 600 or something and…Isolde reads Donne. At least I’m like 90 percent sure it was Donne. What the fuck? That was totally not needed but whatever. I’m pretty sure Tristan had his shirt off in that scene so it was hard to get bothered by much of anything.

Other than that…the direction could have been better. There were some continuity issues that were downright confusing and a few transitions that were kind of clunky. It was a good story though (I’m obviously not up on the lore behind this one. Uh, it was an opera, right?) and doesn’t make a bad date movie – cool swords and hotchick for the guys and a hot guy and lots of romantic shit for the girls, what’s not to like? And hey, even if you are an accuracy Nazi, you’ll have someone to bitch to if you rent it for a date *nods*.

May 7
Unleashed

In which Jet Li wears a collar and Billie spanks him with a belt while demanding more information on his paternal lineage…

Er.

In which a young man kept prisoner by a sadistic criminal escapes and learns to live as a human being.

There were some pretty badass fights in this, as one would expect from a Jet Li movie. What one might –not- expect is some surprisingly good acting from the action star along with a rather touching storyline. Everyone played their part pretty well, though the young lady who was supposed to be playing a teenager looked a little too old for her role.

It is very violent, but in that super speedy kung fu way, not in a ‘rawr, blood and guts galore’ sort of way (though of course there were bloody parts). There were definitely ‘edge of your seat’ moments during the action sequences, which I like.

I thought it was a nice statement on the persistence of human love, kindness, mercy, and family. I really wouldn’t have minded watching a basic action flick but I really liked that the story was well done and even sort of ‘feel good’ in a way.

From the previews you might have gotten the impression that this was a ‘Walk Like a Man’ with Kung Fu sort of film; rest assured, the cute little ‘see the guy who was raised as a dog try to act like a human’ parts are used sparingly, adding a little charm and humor rather than a lot of cheese. You might also have gathered that this movie had a romantic element; I do not feel that it does, though I will admit some romantic tension might be interpreted in some of the scenes. The relationships had more to do with family and friendship than romantic love, imo.

May 8
The Fantastic Four

In which a dna experiment in outer space goes wrong and the people involved get nifty super powers!

I don’t know much about super hero stuff so I can’t really give a fair assessment on how true to form these guys were (though Fozz told me that yes, Mr. Fantastic really is that gay) but it was an enjoyable enough flick and I liked the movie’s version of the characters just fine.

I didn’t think there was anything spectacular about the direction, acting, dialogue, though nothing made me wrinkle my nose either. There were a few awkward transitions, one very noticeably so, but nothing I would get too picky about. Overall I would give this movie an ‘okay’, but not an enthusiastic one.

It did have a nice little bit of heart, some neat effects, and a naked man covering his bits with a pink ski jacket. Make some popcorn an’ get comfortable, can’t really lose seeing the movie even if it didn’t really blow me away.

I though F4 should have been named FU. I thought it was horrid. Jessica is hot as balls but she couldnt save that PoS.

S

I slept through about 15 minutes of the middle. I agree James Franco is a hottie, but not the worlds best actor. I'm a sucker for period romances though, and usually make an effort to see them all. I won't be buying this one.

lol, perhaps I was being too kind to f4 *grins*. Honestly I don't go into that genre with a lot of expectations so it's hard to really go wrong for me.

As for T&I, yeah, not the shining jewel of period romances but I didn't think it was horrible.

I liked F4!!!! I thought it was pretty neato. Or maybe it was just seeing Jessica Alba in that tight outfit =x

May 9
The Motorcycle Diaries

In which two young Argentinean men travel from one end of South America to the other, undergoing transformations on their journey.

I’ll say up front that while I enjoyed this movie and was engaged from beginning to end, it’s not for everyone and is, perhaps, best enjoyed with someone not liable to get bored. After much squirming about Fozz blessedly fell asleep about halfway through, heh. It is subtitled for those of us who don’t speak Spanish (though I reckon it is probably more enjoyable in its original language) in English and French (at least on the DVD we rented) and also dubbed in French. Some people do not like subtitled movies.

I’m a sucker for road trip movies, though I think calling this a ‘road trip flick’ would severely limit the film. In any case, the scenery was beautifully shot, even breathtaking in places, particularly the mountains, and I thought South America was captured brilliantly.

In spite of who these two men become (the story is told from the point of view of Ernesto Guevara, aka Che Guevara) the movie is not, in my opinion, heavily political, though in order to understand their transformation you have to delve into their politics a little. Mostly, though, it’s the story of a journey, recording what they saw, their experiences, what they learned, who they met, the ideas they cultivated.

I thought the acting was quite stellar though it’s harder to form an opinion when you don’t speak the language, imo. Overall it was a captivating story that made me think and want to learn more. Think I’ll be getting the book (hope you can get it in English, heh).

In any case, I'm guessing this a 'you either love it or you hate it' type of movie *grins*.

you can get it in English, it was a require read in high school

I probably would have liked that better than a lot of the stuff I had to read :(. And I -like- books.

F4 goes in that category with Van Helshiot, Stealth, and Armageddon. Waste of fucking celluloid. Perfect examples of where no matter how pretty the actors are they cant make up for a shitty script and the lack of a plot.

S

I turned off Stealth when they were in Thailand or whatever and chick stood up and said, 'I have to go pee!' and the blonde guy said, 'I love her man.'

Wow. I mean...wow that was a serious piece of 'i did this movie to pay the bills'.