Promised Land

Deb 7    Me8

First thing I noticed was that the stars had a vested interest in this thing. They did everything from the screenplay to produce it so you felt they were in earnest all the way through. It was actually a good movie. I'm always suspicious when a TV guy does a movie, this had Jim from "the Office" in it and again, he was a driving force in the movie production, and he was swell. Too often these crossover guys are one dimensional and here he didn't stray far from his TV image. The other guy wasn't Brad Pitt but the other guy, Matt Damon (he kinda looks like Bruce Watson). He was great and Frances MacDormand was much less whacky than we've seen her in the past, but did a fine job. 

It was a great story, topical, you see why these guys might want to tell the tale and entertaining. They talk about "fracking" in the movie and describe it differently that I understood it. So I looked it up and there are many ways it can be done, loosely including the method described in the film. (For me this was a distraction while watching it, so now you can be at ease during the show.)

All in all a nice episode of Leave it to Beaver with big kids. Entertaining, educational and not too preachy. Worth the time it takes to watch it and might provoke some provocative after movie conversation.

Parental Guidance

Deb 8    Me 8

This was the Christmas season anomaly. This would never make my list of movies to see during the year, but there's always some sort of fluke of scheduling during the holidays that gets me into a theater to see this kind of tripe. The only consolation was Billy Crystal, who I regard as a consummate entertainer regardless of the vehicle.

This is a cinematic nightmare. Every formula, every tired cliche, every predictable over-used gimmick you can think of is used and used again. But they were done so well.

This is an example of why some of these things are used so often, when done this well, they work. Crystal was Crystal, Bette Midler wasn't gross and the supporting cast did their cartoonish best to do their part. Argh! It's just horrible; but I really liked it. It's like a tourist trap, you don't want to go because its bad food and cheap souvenirs, but wow, it is more than a hole in the ground, that's why tourists come here. Not that every one of these terrible movies can be equated to the Grand Canyon, but this one is a treat, but take the airsick bag just in case.

Silver Lining Playbook

Deb 8      Me 8

We both liked it. Deb didn't at the start and it won her over. I liked it all the way through. A good story. The main guy had some Sean Penn going for him, quiet intensity, ability to take you up and down at his will. He was excellent. The main girl did a great job, had some Juno about her but was pretty believable in her role. Some of the supporting crew was a bit cartoonish at times, but the story worked. Robert DeNiro has a big supporting role. I missed the early DeNiro work, the stuff that made him a legend, the only time I see him is in these soft core roles. Too bad, I heard he was a game changer. Here he was fine. More of these movies would be fine with me.

Any Day Now

Deb 10   Me 8

This one was a pleasant surprise. It's the story of two gay men in the mid-1980s trying to adopt a kid with disabilities. A good story, credible and enjoyable. Bad hair. For some reason they used wigs on actors who shouldn't have worn wigs, but that is a minor grievance. I really liked the way the story unfolded. I liked the people in the movie and what it said about them and their world. I might give it a ten BUT about five minutes from the end there was a power outage and we missed what may have been important information. Without that closure I'll dip it down a little, but what we saw, and that was 90% was 100% engaging.

Holy Motors

Deb 1     Me 2

For those who love farm equipment there's a cloudy midget. Besides adventure inside formulas and giant streams of working moths protrude. Asking for witnesses around campaign gypsies gain woodshed aroma. Forever gambler dipped over candles that won. When I was a kid I'd see foreign films by masters that made no sense. Fishing propagates anonymous Indian blue ripping. In weather auction contour listening service details. As far as I know, this film was not made by a master. Come eyes form luster other tools glass. Gemini fondue marked horns radio. I've read intellectual reviews of Holy Motors, and the filmmaker is indeed esteemed. The reviewers draw from a deeper cinematic pool than mine. After reading several dissertations on what is perceived to be a marvelous movie I changed my evaluation of this vacuous piece from a 4 down to a 1.

Life of Pi 2-D

Deb 10    Me 10

Didn’t know much of anything about this and that ignorance made watching the story unfold a true and pleasant wonder. I won’t tell you anything about the movie so you can be as amazed as I was, but I’ll tell you a couple other things. This movie provoked LOTS of conversation. I thought about it for a couple days, still thinking about it in fact. I think I’ll continue thinking about for a while because I like it. I liked most everything about it. Acting was great. The pace, staging, look of the film is all fabulous. And the story, it was a best selling book, but that doesn’t mean much, but the story was Very good and told extremely well. Maybe in a couple months I’ll do an analysis of it, give everyone time to see it fore themselves and then we can talk about it. But check it out.

By the way, I see its offered in 2 and 3D. We saw it in 2D and could tell there were a few gratuitous shots for effect, but they were minimal and didn’t cheapen the production at all. I might see it again, this time in 3D for comparison. A nice movie despite all the advertising.

Hitchcock

Deb 8    Me 5

This is an inside look at the life of Alfred Hitchcock and the making of the film Psycho. This is one of those flat bio-pics that may be factual and true to life, but it is clinical and never engaging. Deb called it antiseptic. It might be a little septic. I guess you blame the director here. It was a terrific cast including Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel and James D'Arcy who was a ringer for Anthony Perkins; and the acting was all very good. The details were there, all the neat "behind the scenes" stuff on movie sets, everything seemed period correct, no distractions there. The story was probably interesting in itself, they added some subplot people that were of little consequence, but that's no problem. Hitchcock's monotone delivery seemed authentic and appropriate. It is probably a good script. But it feels like it just goes from page to page, they might tell you a few motivations and they are welcome because otherwise you get no sensation of what Hitch might use as a process in making the decisions he made. The film creates no emotional connection with the audience, at least two of its audience. Hitch can be unemotional and detached all he wants, but the director should make us care that he is.

Anna Karenina

Deb 7    Me 6

This is one of those names that is famous but I didn't know anything about. It wasn't on my radar but it fit into the movie night time slot so we gave it a try. I'll give the film makers credit for trying something new, the whole thing was done play like, but as if their lives were on stage, very Shakespearean, and it was interesting. The way it was directed, the first twenty minutes I felt like they were going to break out in song. It seemed like too much fluff, but as I thought about it (mind wandering away) I concluded that they were moving the story along, however slowly. In the end it seemed like a lot of spectacle for what appeared to be a fairly thin story. I imagine this to be one of the great tales, that's why so many of us have heard of the book, but the screen version was all style and little substance. Very pretty to look at, the staging was amusing, but not very engaging.

The Flat (Ha-dira)

Deb 7    Me 7

This is a very interesting documentary about a Jewish family who discovers a connection between recently departed grandma and a Nazi SS officer. I enjoyed seeing some of the research process presented on screen and its astonishing how much information on the holocaust is available, even more since the Berlin wall came down. This was a good movie, but it will be a very good TV show someday, seeing it the silver screen added nothing to the viewing experience. A couple questions came up about the making of the movie. There is footage of going through grandma's stuff before the realization she had an interesting past. Why were they shooting this stuff or was it a re-enactment? The film poses a lot of other questions, but they are the meat of the movie and inspire some post popcorn conversation.

A Late Quartet

Deb 7     Me 7

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener have sort of turned into a duo and the movies where they are paired up are usually pretty darn good or better. This one was pretty good too. It also stars Christopher Walken and a guy I didn't recognize, and it's those strangers that keep me going to the movies. This has a good story and everyone does a fine job, Hoffman's slovenly act and disheveled appearance is almost requisite these days, but it seems to suit him, hope it doesn't get to be formula for him. The movie talks a lot about art and the creative process. There are parables and metaphors comparing art and life. This is where the movie is at its best. Some of the rest of it is just too melodramatic. They show how a team works and where it doesn't, but that alone isn't interesting to me. The strength comes from the understanding of and commitment to their art, and that carried the movie for me.

Sessions

Deb 10      Me 10

I remember seeing Whats Eating Gilbert Grape and there was a kid with mental issues and I was sure he wasn't acting; too good. Then there was Diving Bell and Butterfly and Rainman that portrayed disabilities very convincingly. Add this to that list. This movie has a guy with polio and the prosthetics and make up, the general and specific demeanor are really incredible. You think this is just a polio victim with the skills of De Niro.

The guy needs to get laid and follows the advice of his Father friend and gets a sex therapist. This is played by Helen Hunt who also does a great job. Now I'm not shy about celebrating skin in movies. I'd much rather see skin than blood and sadly, most of the time one is brutally destroyed so the other can flow out onto the screen. Here it was the way it oughtta be. Good healthy skin being used for the way it oughtta be used. They don't shy away from skin here and I think it the way movies should go.

Ahh, but the movie. I like a story worth telling told well. This was excellent. It has promoted days of conversation about client/therapist relations, about awareness of handicapped people as just regular folk, about religion, the value of friendships, all kinds of great little sub-topics have come up that were touched on in the film. And most of the time we are commenting on how well handled they are in the movie. Often there was a set-ups for typical Hollywood cliches but they were completely avoided. Whatta relief. Icing on the cake is that is is based an a true story which caters to my biographic leanings. Like Juno and Lars and the Real Girl it is filled with positive people in what would normally be a negative environment. Put more of that in the movies.

Perks of Being a Wallflower

Deb 9     Me 8

This is sweet little movie about those awkward teen years that have spawned so many films. There is a lot of similarity between this and all those others, but this one stands out as just being interesting. The kids are credible and the movie doesn't dwell on their experimentation with sex and drugs and social misbehavior, its just part of the growing process. There were places where you could feel the pent up anxiety, I attribute that to good acting and directing, and it is consistent throughout. Deb liked the way friends grew to rely on each other and became even more important than their families, which seems pretty authentic. I liked watching it, it was a good little non-judgmental story. But as with most of these teen flicks, the adults are the cause of their angst, where in my judgement, the angst just appears like strange facial hair in everybody that age. Its just a hard time no matter what adults may or may not do or have done. Its all just tough. But this is a good way to spend a couple hours enjoying the fact that these years are behind you and reminding you of those precious peers that once made up our universe.

How to Survive A Plague

Deb 6+   Me 10

Another straight forward documentary that draws from a wealth of period footage, created from both video and film formats and archival footage from the media. When the AIDS virus was new there was no support in the way of medicine or possible cure and no real interest by the government, FDA or pharmaceutical companies to deal with the growing epidemic. This film follows the travails of about half a dozen guys who suffer from AIDS, wouldn't accept the fate that was dealt them and created a group called Act Up to help facilitate a cure.

This is really a superb inside look at the path of meaningful social change, how it evolves, grows and sometimes explodes in your face. These guys came to understand the tremendous breadth of the issues they faced and dedicated their lives to the research, self-education and effective activism to help resolve this worldwide problem. 

What really blew me away was that this is all happening when I was an adult, mostly aware of world events and had no idea of the struggles that were taking place on this front. I remember my brother watching the movie about Apollo 13 and wondering if it was a true story. He was in Viet Nam at when this all took place; there were other issues in front of him at the time and he never heard about the dramatic events in space. I'm not sure where I was when the "Act Up" group did their protests and demonstrations, but it was outside my range of interest. Now, presented in this tight package, I find a wonderful tale of people who dig a bit deeper and rise a bit higher than I ever imagined. A real eye opening and fascinating story.

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel

Deb 10       Me 10

Straight documentary about someone I've never heard of on a subject I know little about; fashion people. This may be the best, most well crafted, documentary I have ever seen. She was a big hitter in her industry, editor of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, later did fashion exhibits for the MET. Naturally she was in the light of the stars and published the first pictures of Mick Jagger, discovered Twiggy and was Jackie O's consultant. All this is fine and could make for an interesting tale.

But this thing is so good! Here's why: at some point she was interviewed by George Plimpton for a biography. These tapes are used to tell her story in her own words, you almost never get this much real material to work with. It is supplemented with talking heads of her family and friends, other captains of her industry, but they are only a supplement, whereas most films rely on them to move the story along; she gets to fill it out herself. There is also a ton of footage of her in her own environment, in celebrity environments and in other interviews. She was characterized in a number of films and they include appropriate parts here to amuse and inform us as to her breadth of influence. The film was directed by someone with her last name, Vreeland, so there is a sympathetic hand at the helm who also had the wherewithall or clout to amass all this footage from a variety of sources. She was a positive, self-made queen who celebrates hard work, individuality and following your heart.

I'm really impressed with this as a documentary and, oh yeah, the lady was interesting too.

Words

Deb 5    Me 6

This is a very good story. I liked just about every aspect of the story. Didn't like the movie that much. Deb didn't like the acting. The main couple was just too runway ready. It's a beautiful people movie, white people problems. But its a very good story. They do some twists and there's some curiosities and there's all the ingredients of a good movie; it just wasn't anything to watch. It would be a good book. It would be better in words.

Chicken and Plums

Deb 2     Me 6

When it was over, the four of us walked out saying "whatta long movie". It was an hour and a half. The first few minutes were fine, you don't know any better and you just sit and watch. Then it takes a turn down a long and tedious road that seems to go on forever. I think the director realized how slow and uninteresting the film was going and added some neat vignettes to try to punch it up. But unfortunately they only served to un-necessarily complicate what was ultimately a nice little story. I don't know if its a French film set in Iran or an Iranian film spoken in French, but it felt kind of unsophisticated. They tried too hard to be odd. The casting was sort of cartoon like. The main dude was a kind of bug-eyed distant dude that I never really cared about. The others were no more engaging. Whereas "The Well Digger's Daughter" featured a beautiful and poetic French language, the sound of this French language was no fun at all; compare riding a nice bike on the sidewalk with a riding on a dirt trail with a flat.

The last third of the movie picked up. All the groundwork had been laid, all the wearisome development was behind us and the movie beautifully wrapped up. The last twenty minutes or so were brilliant. At least I thought so. Apparently the movie had drug the other viewers to a point of total disinterest and there was nothing that could save it. I'm not saying it saved it for me, just that the last few minutes were really good. It was long montages with appropriate music that moved the story along with speed and simplicity. Too bad they didn't apply that level of film making to the whole thing.

The Well Digger's Daughter

Deb 9    Me 10

The opening montage sort of set the stage for me. The first shots were quiet and ran long and set a nice pace for the rest of the movie to follow. The credits were in French and looked like random letters from a keyboard, some of these names were totally abstract, it was amusing. The players were all authentic in their look and actions. It takes place around the time WW1 breaks out. The set direction was incredible, everything, all the little details were carefully picked and placed in a most natural way (with the possible exception of what appeared to be a Bic lighter). And that's the way the movie moved, it just naturally cruised through the story. There were a few moments of sap, but they were moments. I really liked the people in the movie, they were all so earnest. For the most part it was good people in difficult situations doing the best they could given their time and place in the world. I might give it a 9, but I just enjoyed sitting there watching so it got a 10. The subtitles allow you to enjoy the melody of the French language. I have just finished a couple paintings where I had to pay close attention to trees and weeds, and this film was chock full of great flowing weeds under trees bent by the breeze. Stupid me, I thought I was going to see another movie and when this unexpected one started it just sucked me in and kept me captivated all the way through.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Deb 10    Me 10

Never heard of it, knew nothing about it, totally dug it. The worst part of it is the title, and it was based on a play with an even worse name. I don't know what to think about that, but its a great movie. In my zeal to not give anything away I often don't say anything about the actual movie (the sign of a great movie review), and I'll try not to spoil anything here. 

A couple years ago there was a slew of movies that starred children, this has a young lady as the central character who is absolutely beautiful, skin like a copper kettle. It reminds a bit of "Tree of Life", but a bit more focused, less ethereal. There were a couple metaphors here that didn't quite work, but incidental. 

There's a lot of hand held camera work, some weird focus situations and POV shots that gives you the feeling being there. I didn't feel like I was watching a movie as much as I was somehow involved with the action. There's no Hollywood names here but the acting is superior, like "Rabbit Proof Fence", you just feel like you're watching it unfold before your eyes. Good music, interesting people and a good story. But the story telling is what grabbed me, I was totally sucked in and each new unpredictable scene brought more interest. We were both blown away by this little sleeper.

spoiler: Until the end of the movie I wasn't sure where this thing took place, it was right here in an ignored part of our own backyard. Still, there was something uniquely American in their staunch independence, ability to create their own culture in an unfriendly environment and reliance on booze. It really felt like the old microcosm.

Searching for Sugar Man

Deb 10      Me 10

I read about this in a magazine and it looked pretty great. It is. The slight problem for me was that I read about it in a magazine, so I knew what was going on. The film is designed in a way that assumes you know nothing and they slowly reveal the story to you. It sucks when you know the punch line so I won't wreck it for you. I can't really review it either (I guess I never really do) but I'll suggest you watch it if you like documentaries about people who affect a positive change in one way or another. There's been a few of these lately, Marley, Saint Misbehaivin', Ai Weiwei, they're outstanding and out there and this is among the best of them, kicking ass in both in film making and offering a unique story. Some of the people interviewed are among the most articulate people I've seen in any documentary; and they're construction workers and bricklayers.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

Deb 8     Me 9

Here's a straightforward documentary about a Chinese artist/political activist. The film concentrates mostly on Ai Weiwei's political side but offers an intro to his art, and his art rocks. As an activist I am amazed. Amazed he gets away with as much as he does in light of others who have suffered under the fucked-up Chinese government. This is a pretty riveting story, well told with lots of interviews with the artist and his family. We have a real behind the scenes you are there footage with the feeling of complete access. I did get the feeling that this is a fairly biased piece, that there is some artistic support from the Chinese government and they allow him a longer leash because of the prestige that he brings the country. One of his jobs was creating the"birdsnest" for the '08 Olympics. This is a very interesting story and I'm happy to have some insights to this creative and dynamic character.

Neil Young Journeys

Deb 8    Me 2

I'm a fan. We go see Neil whenever he's in town. I like his willingness to experiment and stretch and grow. He has stayed valid in his themes, able to cross all kinds of cultural lines and stayed a consistent and reliable talent. The story of he and Jimi stealing a truck together is icing on the Neil cake. There have been several movies made featuring Young performances and they're all pretty weak. Not the performances, but the movies. That's a big distinction here, separating the subject from the movie, my score reflects that, Deb's doesn't. The last one I remember was a quickly put together affair at the Grand 'Ol Opry which featured out of sync footage, weird angles and a hat shadow hiding the performer's face most of the film. It was done by Jonathan Demme, who directed the outstanding Stop Making Sense and a total of four Neil Young performance movies. It looks like they reviewed the failures at the Opry and made some adjustments. The scenes shot in the car were now done in HD instead of HandiCam; it appears they actually did rehearsals and planned some shots and lit Neil so you could see his face even with his battered hat on. But they made some new mistakes. There were some useless camera angles, one was a "mic cam" that was appalling, offering way too much information about Neil's bridge work (no relation to the Bridge school). Even when the view is distorted by the singer's slobber they stick with the shot WAY too long. Where's the editor when you need him?

In the movie Neil drives around and revisits his hometown with his brother. This is a highlight of the movie. Here he shows some personality and almost grins a couple times. Everything sort of leads to the performance at Massey Hall in his beloved Canada. Nowhere do they mention that this a revisiting of the Hall, that he played a pivotal concert there in 1971. It seemed like an important point, the point of the whole movie, yet they never mentioned it or about anything else that would have added a story element to the film. A little context of who, what, where, why and when would have made this a much better experience.

Then there's the performance. Except for an occasional and faint sound of applause you'd think this was a sound check. There's no contact or interaction with an audience (either in the concert theater or the movie house) and no shots of the room to let you know this is a real concert. Near the end they let you in on it, but by then the entertainment ship had sailed. It is mostly new songs, I liked that, and the few oldies were appropriate. "Ohio" got special treatment with bold graphics and nice tributes to the victims; maybe other songs could've used this punctuation for consistency. I really liked the tonal range created by processors and he has developed Jimi's idea of turning feedback into a musical component and run with it. 

Another opportunity lost. I'd like to see the 1972 Neil Young directed "Journey Through the Past" reissued, I liked it.

To Rome With Love

Deb 2       Me 4

After the success of Midnight in Paris I couldn't help but be optimistic about this one. I'd sworn off Woody Allen movies for a long time, then I got to thinking this might be a new niche for the old boy, travelogues. I've never been to modern Rome or had much desire to go there (unless it was with a historian). I hoped this might stir the travel pot a bit. There were a few landmark shots, some of them in the background and a bit out of focus. It really could have been shot on any sound stage in the world. Woody can still generate some funny and his insights to the social traits of metropolitan Americans is uncanny. There's some promising casting here, the ubiquitous Alec Baldwin plays a weird Twilight Zone conscience for the guy from the Social Network. Roberto Benigni can be a treat, but here his character is very unsatisfying. It was more of a train wreck than I'd hoped, but the fact that I rated it higher than Deb and the folks we went with helped convince me that I'm pretty done with Woody for a while.

Peace, Love and Misunderstanding

Deb 5         Me 4

Its a weird phenomenon that sometimes two or more movies come out within a few weeks or months of each other which are strikingly similar. This is one of those times. PL&M is extremely similar in story line to Wanderlust, in that they both deal with city people being introduced to the stereotypical hippie commune lifestyle. Its kind of a tough line to walk, portraying or even making fun of a lifestyle that people pursue in earnest, with deepest philosophic resolve, can turn ugly if not handled well. Wanderlust was a comedy and all the fun that was poked at the communal lifestyle was very very funny. In PL&M there wasn't very much fun, it wasn't worst case but it was pretty bad. It's just a chick flick in a different setting, with all the traps that lightweight movies fall into. There's a bit of pseudo-intellectual banter and lightning like personality transformations, it tries to be nice but ultimately is about as deep as a birdbath and very unsatisfying.

Moonrise Kingdom

Deb 10                Me 8

Funny movie. It was top of list to go see because it features Bill Murray. It’s not a Bill Murray movie, but he’s in it and he’s excitingly listless as usual. There are other actors too. Frances McDormand seems to gravitate towards off center projects and Harvey Kietel is here in a family friendly role. Bruce Willis is another big star here who usually plays either a warrior or a wuss and here he ably plays a simple nice guy. I had no idea about this movie, didn’t see trailers or read anything about it so I was surprised to see it’s a movie filled with kids. Two main players are young folks, early teens I’d guess and they’re fine.

The movie is quirky. It tries to be quirky and succeeds despite trying too hard at times. There are some nice background oddities, ala Harold and Maude, but the main thing seems to be emotional detachment, dry and somber most of the time with a few punctuation marks thrown in for contrast. There’s an odd little man from Seinfeld who adds nice touches here and there.

It’s a comedy with a few holes in the storyline that need to be overlooked and some formulaic tedium that film-makers seem compelled to include; but I liked it.

First Position

Deb 7           Me 8

It seems like we've sen a lot of dance movies in the last few years and a whole lot of these competition films. This is another one that follows the successful formula laid down several years back. And its good. Charming and talented young people trying to do the best they can, either to satisfy an inner passion or fulfill the dreams of a crazed and inadequate parent. I've really come to appreciate the strength, dedication and physical power of dancers, really amazing. Their strength is such that they can toss each other around like rag dolls and done without the bulk of wrestlemania. 

This film follows the paths of a diverse cast of dancers through to an international contest where they compete in their age category. Their stories are varied and interesting and of course they're all good looking. My only gripe is that the footage of the actual competition is just horrible. I mean BAD. All the action has a digital strobe going on, so a kids arm might be in two places in the same frame. The director went with dissolves instead of cuts from camera to camera so you get the feeling time has passed between angles, only to find its confusingly real time. There's no excuse for it and turns a top flight effort into the look of a Jr. High class project. 

But I liked it fine.

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Deb 9         Me 9

I didn’t expect to like this movie. First of all it’s English. I usually have trouble understanding what they’re saying and the references and humor often escape me. The movie is filled with English stars and I figured it to be a sort of Oceans 11 for old limies. And I’m no fan of India, Its over run by monkeys and too busy, crowded and chaotic for my taste. They still endorse the caste system, one of the most horrible strikes against human rights; where humans count for less than cattle. Although it’s not their fault, I resent that we send our jobs there.

But it’s a really good little movie. The cast lives up to their living legend status. There are new people too and they do a swell job. It’s a good-looking movie, I’m guessing it was shot on location and has the same sort of old world charm that Cuba offers. But there’s a story there, actually about seven stories that are all interesting and connected like different flowers in a garden. Its not a travelogue, as many of these things turn out to be and its not an overly preachy story about old people, but offers a valid message in an entertaining and effective way. I think you outta see it.

Marley

Deb 9        Me 9

This is a straightforward well done documentary on Bob Marley, one of the originators of reggae music and an advocate of the Rastafari movement. Now this is embarrassing to admit, but I knew nothing about Bob. I'm not a fan of reggae and turn the radio channel whenever I hear that peculiar rhythm, so I don't know Bob's songs. That's all changed now.

The documentary takes us from Marley's mixed lineage, the social circumstances he was raised in and his development as a musician. It is really an inspiring rise as told by friends, family and collaborators in archival footage and new interviews that are artfully woven.

Like so many great men with a universal vision, they often overlook those closest to them. The cat is not a god and even though this film focuses on the buttered side of the toast, flaws are revealed too. But in the movie the things he stood for and accomplished so heavily outweigh his weakness that some of them seem almost incidental. 

The little bit I heard about the Rastafarian religion, the little bit of the music I have heard (not knowing the artist), the little bit I've seen of his mug on tee shirts for the last forty years did nothing to prepare me for what a dynamic cat this is. The things that influence him are explained to a satisfying point without loosing sight that the subject is Marley the man, not his religion or music or environment. 

But these elements shape his vision. His impact on individuals collectively moved nations to change. I am really enthused about what this film gave me, a reminder that one man armed with universal positive values can have global impact. It could be and should be you and me doing the same things with whatever tools we have, there is a way to get good messages out there.

There were a few things brought up that weren't revisited or resolved, but the basic package of telling a life story in two and half hours is done Very well. Whether you are a fan or not, I hope you see it. The next time I hear that peculiar rhythm I will turn up the radio and listen to the words.

We Have A Pope

Deb 7     Me 6

I thought I saw this billed as a comedy; it's not. Had some light moments, but not a comedy. I don't mind giving the movie away because you probably wont see it. Its a movie about non-resolution. Ostensibly the movie is about the appointment of a new reluctant Pope. But really everything in the movie is unresolved which holds a modicum of interest, but not a lot of affection. It is beautiful to look at and I love the sound of the Italian language used in the film. The regency of the religious garb is pretty cool and the actors do a fine job in this beautifully directed film. But in an industry that has bred generations of viewers who rely on conflict AND resolution, they have really stirred the pot here by ignoring a key ingredient. This is to be expected in more guerilla type 'o underground flick and strangely out of place here. Whether dealing with parental deprivation or a game of football, there isn't one thing that gets taken care of here. On one hand I like that. Should the scenario that takes place in the movie actually happen, it would probably look And feel like this. Perhaps it is accurate, just not great to watch on the screen.

Jeff, Who Lives At Home

Deb 7 Me 8

Based on the previews, this is not the movie I thought it would be. The synopsis is much better, it reads: "On his way to the store to buy wood glue, Jeff looks for signs from the universe to determine his path. However, a series of unexpected events leads him to cross paths with his family in the strangest of locations and circumstances. Jeff just may find the meaning of his life... and if he's lucky, pick up the wood glue as well."
Jeff is a big and kind guy played very well by Jason Segel; I've never seen him before and I like him. His brother is played by Ed Helms who I've seen on TV and the previews for Cedar Rapids. He seemed pretty one dimensional but it works for him here. Susan Sarandon is her usual self and it was nice to see Rae Dawn Chong again. But their part in the movie is pretty incidental and really had little to nothing to add to the movie.
As a movie it's just fine. Nothing earth shattering but an enjoyable buzz. There are unanswered questions, a few holes and a lot of laughs. Short at an hour and a half so there's no big investment here, but I liked the payoff. The opening has a graphic with a Jeff quote about everything in the universe being connected. I like that thinking and enjoyed the rest of it with that perspective in mind. Sarandon seems to gravitate toward that sort of theme, here it is played out in a fun and plausible story.

Wanderlust

Deb 8 Me 8

First off, if you have any illusions of seeing Jennifer Anniston naked, forget it. It don't happen here. There is some nudity and they break the dick barrier frequently in this funny funny movie. I like that they got right into it. There is a brief introduction to the players then we're off, we learn as we go. The bulk of the movie is a send up of a hippie commune filled with throwbacks with outdated references and exaggerated ideals. I found you have to abandon continuity and credibility and put up with formulaic tedium. But if you do, there are laughs; big hearty missed-the-next-line kind of laughs. There is a lot said under the breath that you have to listen for, they provide laughs too. Although they make fun of individuals in the commune world, the collective premise is given some respect and again, laughs. And there's lots of swearing too. Good healthy non-viscious cussing up a storm. We saw it twice.

Boy

Deb 4 Me 6

Here's the latest film out of New Zealand, the current cinematic hot spot of the south Pacific. I nice little movie, I presume aimed at a younger audience. I think that because this is like a live action cartoon, the players are all sort of over-the-top caricatures and not always credible as real folks. It is based around a boy called Boy who plays the cute card quite well and does a good job for a youngster, but his little brother plays it a bit subtler which seemed to make him more interesting. The kid appears to have been raised by a nanny, and then falls under the influence of his estranged dad, who leads him down a road that (however immature it is) is not suitable for a kid. But the kid was raised well and reverts to his solid upbringing and makes good choices. A nice little fable told very slowly. I had to pee in the middle of the movie and found myself reading literature in the lobby rather than return to the movie, and according to those who stayed behind, I didn't miss much.

Hugo

Deb 7 Me 6

Martin Scorsese hasn’t really been in my film vocabulary. A quick look at his extensive filmography reveals my lack of exposure to his work, The Last Waltz and The Aviator are the only two I’ve seen, and I only liked half of those. In the last few years he has branched out from his usual fare and dealt with some subjects that I share an affinity with, but I haven’t seen them yet. We recently saw a short news-clip about an automaton; a fascinating machine, often built by watchmakers, that could perform human-like feats including writing and drawing. The news-show mentioned that the Scorsese movie Hugo featured one, so we went to see the movie that otherwise would not have made the list of possible movies to see.

I liked it okay, but came away feeling a little burnt. It was a beautiful movie to watch, the first hour was carried by rich color, great old textures, huge mechanical devises and neat imaginative settings. But that was it, otherwise pretty boring; I kept playing with the 3D glasses to keep occupied. Then about midway it took a turn for the better and became a movie about film pioneer George Melies. Scorsese has a genuine affection for the filmmaker and presents his life and work in the best (albeit fictionalized) light. From there on out, the film had a bit of substance that I could hang on to. I left the theater thinking it had redeemed itself from the first hour of glossy effects.

Then it started to wear on me. Here’s a movie, done by a recognized master film maker done about a most creative and inventive trail blazer and yet the film used a tired old formula that was no more sophisticated than Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I couldn’t figure out who the film was made for, or why he went to such great lengths to decorate a table with no legs. The recreations of Melies sets and the presentation of his and other early cineamteque fathers was admirable and really deserve a much better tribute than this (good looking, but) trite movie.

Iron Lady

Deb 9 Me 8

I like Maragret Thatcher just fine, there are some moments in her career that are quite memorable. But you won't find 'em in this movie. Now, this is a good movie and it is based on Thatcher, but it's not really a traditional bio-pic, I mean you don't learn much of anything about her from the movie. The more you know going in the happier you'll be going out. But it's really a good film and contrary to "J Edgar", you can have effective make-up and still maintain a full range of facial expressions. The make-up here was exceptional, not that it made Streep look exactly like Thatcher, but that it made her look consistent throughout the aging process. And that's pretty much what the movie is about, not the many specific accomplishments or detriments, but how a person's drive and focus through life, their priorities, change with age. Sometimes changes occur too late for resolution, but they come, and without any regard for your ability to accept them.

We Bought A Zoo

Deb 8 Me 7

I had little idea what this was about, I heard it was loosely based on reality and I figured a zoo was in it (brain surgeon). Sure enough, there was a zoo in it and all the creatures you’d expect to see in such a place, but the movie was about much better things than exotic critters. In fact, it was right up my alley, and dealt with life and death issues, their repercussions and how people deal with them. I liked it.

First off the flaws. Snakes don’t travel in packs. Second, the nemesis was right out of Ferris Bueller. His character reduced the film to a cartoon and it had to climb its way back to credibility (which it did). There were a couple other weirdnesses, but they were easily overlooked.

In the positive department, it was a positive movie. It avoided obvious Hollywood clichés and used less obvious ones. Matt Damon was excellent again, he constantly reminded me of (writer) Bruce Watson throughout the movie, which was fine. And then there’s these kid actors again. There’s a young man of 14ish and a little girl who had the cute shit down. There was the cast of underdog misfits, Bad News Bears run a zoo, and budding romance in the face of mourning and healing, it worked for the most part. What I thought was going to be a trite little look at animals turned out to have some depth and dealt with real human issues without gore, chase scenes or mutilations. It proves it is possible to make a good movie with just a good story.

My Week With Marilyn

Deb 7 Me 6

This is actually based on one guy's experiences with the old gal when she was making a movie in England. I didn't know it was biographic until the end credits, but it had sort of an arrogant feel throughout, like the star tootin' his horn about an experience he may have had and extrapolating a bit more grandeur out of it. Now, it may have all happened just as it is spelled out in the movie, it just felt a bit upitty. The girl who played Marilyn was fine, I never mistook her for the real thing, but she played the frailties of the actress quite convincingly. In many ways its a movie we've seen a hundred times before, but this one was very specific in topic and details and I like that conviction in a movie.

Young Adult

Deb 8 Me 7



This was okay. It's my first exposure to Charleze Theron, I checked her filmography and it looks like she's been around for a while and done an awful lot of work. She was definitely the star of this thing and did a good job. It's a dark comedy about a nut-job, sort of like the chick in Tabloid. But this one has some welcome comic relief that keeps the teeter-totter of laughing and groaning going back and forth. So the central character is crazy and enjoys getting plastered. Not a great combo and none of the people around her seem to enjoy this combo either. Of course there is one exception, that is what co-stars are for. This co-star is a chubby little guy who is the other end of the social spectrum from the attractive star starlet. As formulaic as it is, it is all pretty plausible (I guess anything is with crazy people), but the reactions of the the supporting cast make it all a pretty neat movie.

A Dangerous Method

Deb 6 Me 6

This was pretty neat. Sigmund Freud invented psychoanalysis but it was Carl Jung who first employed it and this is the story of that first patient's journey. So we get to watch Freud, who is supposed to the "old man" but looks quite young and Jung who is the most deadpan doctor I've yet to see (not professionally, just on the screen). The patient is a chick who might be guilty of overacting a bit, but the ideal candidate for this revolutionary procedure. Jung's inability to get too wound up about much of anything makes them a good pair. And being a pair is where the story leads, with plenty of action that might make Freud beam. I liked it. These are folks you've heard about forever and it was nice to see them interacting, exchanging ideas and hanging on to their developed perceptions of what makes people tick. It held my interest just fine.