Volver

Volver is a wonderful film. In all ways.

I noticed, while watching it, that there are certain things about films in foreign languages (foreign to me, at least) both draw emphasis and take away emphasis on language. They draw in emphasis on language because reading adds a certain focus onto what is being said. But they take away emphasis because you don't hear what is being said, so the mind can take in what it doesn't understand and view other aspects of the film. In the case of Volver, I was very much drawn into Almodóvar's direction. I tend to do this with foreign directors (I was the same way with Jean-Pierre Jeunet).

Seeing films in foreign language is quite an experience on its own.

But particularly about Volver, the performances are really incredible on all parts. Having a lot of hispanic relatives, I know what it's like to be deep in the culture with family. A lot of the film felt very real. It is a great piece of work. So far it's the first of the Best Foreign Language films that I've seen, and I must say that I hold it in high esteem.

B+

IMDB information on VOLVER

Children of Men

I like movies that bring something up that hasn't necessarily been done before. This was the first thing that drew me into Children of Men, focusing mostly on the concept of a future where children cannot be made. Therefore, when people die, there is no one left. It's creepy. And Children of Men isn't the kind of film that is going to be optimistic about such subject matter.

This is one of the best directed films of the year. I feel this way about Babel as well, but they are two very different styles and are so for different reasons. Where Babel's genius in directing lies in the way it beautifully intertwines it's stories, Children of Men is wonderful at putting the audience into the moment. The film has a lot of handheld cameras. While watching it, a co-worker of mine thought that the film was messed up. The cameras are shakey a lot of the time, and this can seem a bit distracting at times. But it just adds to the realism of the directoring style, which is best shown in an amazing scene executed perfectly with a long shot and wonderful fast paced action.

The plot progression is a bit flawed and it feels like not a lot is accomplished in the movie overall, but it is hardly unsatisfactory. Where the movie ends up is in a comfortable ground. I felt very good about the way things came together.

It's a cool movie. It's not groundbreaking or anything, but it's still a very noteable film and one of the best of the year. Clive Owen proves yet again that he is a very solid actor. And director Alfonso Cuarón creates a piece of work that I can really admire. And I do.

A-

IMDB information on CHILDREN OF MEN

The Good Shepherd

3 hours. You can feel it, too.

The Good Shepherd is about the lifelessness of a man who is an essential part of the beginning of the CIA. And the movie's tone takes on quite the lifeless feeling. There's really no feeling towards the characters. There's not a lot of feeling towards anything. It's a movie that looks like it should be amazing thoughout, and yet it's just a lot of dead air. The fact that it's directed by Robert De Niro and includes quite a number of wonderful actors do even more to draw attention to it. But the fact of the matter is that there's just not a lot of substance. It's the kind of movie people will feel like they should like. I foresee a popular reaction to this movie by the typical American audience being, "yeah, it was pretty good." Why? Because that's what people say when they think a movie is good even though they didn't really like it. And that's just the kind of movie this is. As for me, I don't really think it was very good. Had some good technical work and a good overall look to it, some good performances (although Edward Jr., both versions of him, did much to annoy me), and little things that were positive. 3 hours though... that's pretty damn long. And reminiscing upon it, having just seen it less than an hour ago... I couldn't tell you very much about the movie at all.

C

IMDB profile on THE GOOD SHEPHERD

AFI Best of 2006 List

The AFI has voted and the list of the top 10 movies of 2006 are up. They are...

*Babel
*Borat
The Devil Wears Prada
Dreamgirls
*Half Nelson
*Happy Feet
*Inside Man
Letters From Iwo Jima
*Little Miss Sunshine
*United 93

( * movies I have seen )

I've seen seven of the movies. Well, I saw half of The Devil Wears. I didn't walk out because I didn't like it, I was only watching it to take up time before screening Clerks II. From what I saw of The Devil Wear's Prada, I felt little need to return and watch the end. I do want to see Dreamgirls. At first I wasn't sure, but it's getting a lot of good buzz. Yes, and it has the personal recommendation of my friend Nora, who'd shove it in my face if she heard me say I want to see it (I told her at one point that I didn't really care about it).

As for the part of the list that I have seen, I'm not sure. I agree with a lot of the obvious ones (Little Miss Sunshine, at least), but some I'm different on. I don't have my top 10 list yet. I still have a large handful of films to see before I'll even think about making one. But I'm not sure what I think about Happy Feet being in the top 10. I was only mildly amused by the film. And even Borat seems odd for me. It was pretty funny, but wasn't that great of a movie. And even movies like Babel or Inside Man seem like they weren't fantastic enough for a Top 10 list. But who knows, maybe I haven't surveyed things out enough yet.

I didn't find Half Nelson to be as great as a lot of the critics said. It was a good movie, but I wasn't overly impressed with it. Just satisfied. I don't think that'll be making it to my list.

I'm also very glad that United 93 made it on the list and World Trade Center did not. WTC was a bad movie. I very much disliked it. But United 93 was much better.

The worst part of the list is the injustice. Where the hell is The Departed, most likely the best movie of the year? There's no reason for so many so-so movies to be featured (especially Happy Feet) and The Departed to be nowhere in sight! And where's Little Children? To me, Babel was a lesser version of what Little Children was. Little Children was a much more affective and emotion-filled movie.

Not a bad list, but hardly perfect. I guess this year wasn't too full of hands down wonderful movies, so there's much room for debate. I'll have to see how my list turns out in the next month or so. Who knows, I might end up eating my words...

AFI 2006 Awards

Eragon

In an age where Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are supreme box office titans, a movie like Eragon can just come along and... well, be unnoticed. Really, the movie is quite forgettable. Even fans of the book feel so (as I've heard). It's fun for kids, even for adults at times. I enjoyed parts of it, I admit. I didn't hate it too much, to be honest. It was just plain. It was generic. And when it was done, no one cared. That sums it up pretty well. The best thing it has going for it is that it's not over 2 hours like most other crazy fantasy movies. So it's only an hour and a half of your life wasted.

C-

IMDB information on ERAGON

Stranger Than Fiction

Once again my dad made a stupid observation. "It was definitely different than Anchorman." Really? I wouldn't have guessed...

I was wanting to see this for a while, and I'm glad that I did. It was what I had hoped it to be. It was funny, it was entertaining. It had a bit of depth in it, in that way that so many movies don't these days. But at the same time it just wasn't that deep of a movie. That is, it doesn't stand out too much. The acting wasn't so amazing. It was just plain good. The direction wasn't taking anything to a new level. It was very adequate. What drove the movie was a very well written script, and it kept the whole movie feeling right. That's something that needs to happen more often.

I liked it a lot. But I can't see caring much for it as the years go by and the dust starts to settle. It's the kind of thing that would be a pleasant surprise in years when flipping through channels and coming across it, after having forgotten how much I enjoyed it. But until that point, I'll just stick with the fact that it was an enjoyable movie. For most people, nothing more is needed.

B

IMDB information on STRANGER THAN FICTION

The Fountain

People complain. People walk out of the theater. People are just so restless.

Lots of people did not enjoy The Fountain. It's slow. It's quiet. It requires a lot of acceptance and reflexion. It requires attention. People don't want to give that. People... they just suck, frankly.

I'm not in love with the film or anything. I enjoyed it a lot. It's hard to explain. I was just willing to give the movie what it asks of the audience. And it turned out to be lovely this way. The story caught me, the emotion engulfed me; I was sold.

But the movie does have its flaw. It does drag on a bit. It is quite confusing at times and does little to help the audience. But you know what? It doesn't want to explain things further. It would rather be slightly vague than slightly patronizing. I like that. I'm fine with it, actually.

It's an interesting piece of work. For those willing to put their brain and their heart into a viewing (and maybe some coffee, if you fall asleep easily), something grand can be found here. People just need to stop being afraid of what they don't or can't understand. People need to stop expecting something very surface level or criticizing anything that isn't. Once that point is reached... then there's something to do.

Hard to love, easy to hate. It's quite a journey.

B

IMDB information on THE FOUNTAIN

May 2007 Box Office Extravaganza

May 2007 should prove to be an explosive month for box office hits. Opening are the third installments of 3 of the top grossing franchises around: Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Shrek. As far as overall box office ratings go, all three of the series are in the top 10 of all time. Spider-Man 1 and 2 are both in the top 10 (placing in 7th and 10th place, respectively). Pirates of the Caribbean: The Dead Man's Chest is #6, and Shrek 2 is in an impressive place of #3. With this, movie theaters across the nation will be packed for at least the entire month, but probably trailing off into June. I'm really looking forward to working during that month.

All Time Top Grossing Box Office (USA)

My To-See List...

Because of the time off from watching movies I took, I missed a lot of movies. As time goes by, I'm losing my opportunities to see them.

I will not be happy with the year until I've seen...

Stranger Than Fiction
The Fountain
Casino Royale
(Those are all playing at my theater, so I still have a chance of catching them soon)
Fast Food Nation
Flags of Our Fathers
Marie Antoinette
Volver

...and there are probably more. But hey, that's a start. I'm planning on seeing Stranger Than Fiction and possibly The Fountain this week. But I've got to get moving. For my own sake.

Babel

I must confess that I really enjoy movies with large ensemble casts, multiple storylines, and alternations in time that all tie together in some way. I'm really not kidding. I always have. Even before I had seen any, or before the large number that have been coming out in the past few years, I was attracted to the ideas of little storylines coming together to show connections in people's lives. I remember feeling right at home upon first viewing Magnolia. And then there was Crash, my favorite movie of last year. I heard a lot of the bashing given to Crash and I can agree with a lot of it, but it just boiled down to it being a well made and powerful movie to me. Ah, whatever. This isn't about Crash...

I also happened upon Alejandro González Iñárritu. Well, I wouldn't have been able to tell you that then. Even now I have trouble saying the name. But I came across 21 Grams. I was told I wouldn't like it and it was confusing. I saw it and loved it. And later, in an unrelated and unintentional double feature run on my birthday, I saw Amores Perros. I loved both of the films, although in different ways I guess. I just felt a strong connection with characters and emotions in both films. A disturbing emphasis on uncomfortable subject matter can actually lead to interesting things about characters that just aren't gained in most films. It really stuck with me.

Now here is Babel, the third film of the director, with the same focus on an ensemble cast with different stories, each in their own time, all connected in some unknown way that is slowly revealed. One difference is the lack of choppy flashbacks that were frequent in 21 Grams (and may have cause some people to get that "confusing" description I was given). The story sticks to a strict pattern in its 4 alternating stories so you always know what's going on and when in the story that is on. It's a much more open movie for many to follow. But, it's not necessarily meant for a different audience than the other films. There is still some disturbing and strongly emotional stuff in there. Characters are brought down to low levels that some people might not want to deal with. I got similar feelings in Babel as I did in Little Children, which was an uncomfortable fascination.

As far as the movie goes, it was made with an intensely strong level of direction. As I mentioned before, it is very easy to follow, while at the same time the audience isn't exactly sure when or where things are. The shots in the film focus on the physical depth of the character where you can see traces of the deepness of the characters without getting too deep into them. There is a lot of sharing with the actors, so no one is focused on too much. With this, some characters appear to have a little bit less time devoted to them and maybe don't get the treatment they deserve. Some stories just don't feel like they get where they need to go. And at times, some things just feel empty. It's a mixed bag. A lot of the movie works, but the two hour and forty minute length begins bearing down after a while, and the film doesn't flow smoothly enough for audience members to not become restless. Of this trilogy that Iñárritu has created, this is the weakest film. But there is so much good in here for it to hardly be considered a bad film. It's still pretty good. It's just been done better before. And that's what is drawn to mind when an overall thought on the film is reached.

B+

IMDB information on BABEL

For Your Consideration...

While walking out of For Your Consideration, my dad said something typical of most Christopher Guest fans' reactions to the film. "It wasn't his best." Okay. I can live with that. But that doesn't say whether we have an enjoyable movie here or not. It could not be his best and be a piece of shit. Or it could not be his best yet still be a worthwhile gem.

My perspective on the matter is that it is a delightful little film. It has enough witty banter and idiosyncratic characters to love. There's a wide variety of characters, yet none of them are too overblown. They're given their space and their time to be funny. If anything, the film gives them too much space and leaves more to be desired. But that's not necessarily true. A movie like this can only be made exactly as it was, and therefore can only be enjoyed to the exact extent that it is. It's not a non-stop laugh-o-coaster. It has a dry, dead air kind of humor. It's no classic, but definitely worth a viewing. Fans of Guest's work will be very much pleased. People who enjoy little jokes about the film industry will be pleased. Many people will find it hard to sit through. I witnessed some walkouts. But all in all, it's one of the more enjoyable films in theaters at the moment and worth your time if you'll give it.

B

IMDB Profile of FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION