Only Lovers Left Alive

Deb 10      Me 5

This felt like a stretch for Jim Jarmusch but he did a fine job of making a sort of straight forward movie with a what I'd say is a new style for him. And style is what really carries this thing. Deb loved the hip look and feel and I liked the audio hardware that made up a lot of the background. Mostly that's what I looked at, the stuff in the scenes, because I was pretty bored by the rest of it.

Begin Again

Deb 7     Me 7

Again with the rank old overused stereotypical dumb formulas. Somehow this thing went beyond the predictable story and was just enjoyable to watch. It didn't really matter that you knew what was next and wished for something a little bit different here and there, it was somehow a treat. We both liked it despite itself.

Words and Pictures

Deb 7     Me 4

Wow, what a let down. The premise was filled with promise and it looked like it could go somewhere. Some of the topics that were introduced (and assumed to be developed) were destined to make a good movie. I excused being fed quite a bit of formula because it seemed like it would lead to a nutritious and filling meal, but in the end it was the worst kind of tripe and made every promise associated with it taste bad.

Life Itself

Deb 8     Me 9

This is a straightforward documentary about film critic Roger Ebert. From the film makers point of view, whatta challenge! I imagine he keeps hearing a review of every shot as he goes along, what a high bar is set when trying to make a film about a film critic. But the guy clears it with room to spare. It is a very good movie. There is a ton of Ebert archival footage to draw from, living family and peers to interview, a huge body of work that reveals his knowledge and opinions, and a personal blog kept right up to the end of his life. Plus the film maker gets to shoot his own footage of his subject and has his input on content. And it is all put together masterfully. The way the story unfolds is just fabulous, I really liked it. AND I'm not particularly a fan of Roger Ebert, didn't know squat about him, but its a very good movie.

Chef

Deb 10     Me 10

Here's an indicator, had to pee the whole time but couldn't find a boring place in the movie to leave for a few minutes. Biggest cast since Ben Hur and a sweet story that unfolds like butterfly wings. The trailer looked good and the movie was terrific. I'm not into food movies but they always seem to have an excellent soundtrack, this one excels with a hefty dose of Cuban music thrown in. Just a nice human interest story, well played, credible, about people trying to do better. Recommend it highly.