Movies

The Spirit

The trailer for “The Spirit” was really nice and I wanted to see the movie. However, when I checked IMDB page and saw the 5.something rating, I got worried. There are many examples when my personal rating differs a lot from the IMDB one, but 5.something is always a cautious sign.

And since there wasn’t much else to see, I still went for it. Unfortunately, this time IMDB was quite right. The film feels like a leftover from “Sin City”. There is nothing original about it. Nothing much to enjoy. And, honestly, nothing much to see in it. Most of the time is spent in silly dialogues and monologues. And these are so silly that they actually harm the good acting that could have been done.
The only scene to remember is the one with Samuel Jackson dressed as a German nazi, and Scarlett Johansson helping him out. Everything is else is boring, overdone, and unoriginal.

3 stars it is.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Watched “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” in the movies yesterday. Excellent film!

First of all, an original story. Secondly, interesting historical recreaction and mix of times from beginning of the last century to these days. Thirdly, impressive technically – acting, make-up, camera work, special effects, etc. Fourthly, the film is both entertaining, as well as philosophical.

And if that all sounds like way too perfect, maybe it is. However there were a few things that could have done better. I thought that the film was a bit too long, and that the ending was somewhat unrealistic – which is fine, but just doesn’t fit the rest of the film.

Overall, an excellent experience. Much recommended. 5 stars.

Role Models

The other day I went to see “Role Models” – yet another cliche comedy, something that we all have seen before in a few other incarnations. However I still liked it. Bright characters, especially both kids playing the main roles and a nice way of mixing middle ages with modern times through role playing games – helped to enjoy it quite a bit.

Overall, a 4 stars.

W.

I went to see a totally other movie today, but somehow the schedules got all messed up and I ended up watching “W.“. I haven’t seen any trailers or posters for the film, except at the time of buing the ticket. And to tell you the truth, I wasn’t very pleased with the thought of watching more about George W. Bush – one man who has been on the screens way more than he deserves. However, the alternative was a really bad remake of a really bad sci-fi movie of the 1950s, so I went for it.

And that turned out to be a good decision. “W.” is one of those movies with the coolest cast, however very under-promoted due to not so popular ideas or angles. “W.” was directed by Oliver Stone – one of the best directors to bring a controversial and unpopular discussion to the table. Roles were played by Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Scott Glenn, Jeffrey Wright, and a few other people that you will no doubt recognize.

What I liked the most about the movie was how the good and the bad were shown. There was a whole range of characters, some of who were shown good with a few bad mistakes behind their belts, and some of who were bad with some good deeds done. And while the film was mostly about George W. Bush, each and every character was given enough time and development. Overall, it’s a really nice look at good and bad, morale and ethics, tough decisions, historical judgements, and rewards.

One other thing that I liked was how similar were the characters in the movie to their real prototypes. Not being an American, not living in the USA, not following the political scene closely, and havinga really bad memory for names, I was amazed with how fast I could recognize the characters. Often I even had to look closer to see if the character was played by the actor or if any real documentary footage was used. That, of course, is a combination of actors’ work with make-up, costume design, and camera operators. In the end – an excellent result.

I’d rate this film as 7 out of 10. Recommended to anyone who is interested in today’s world and an alternative look on how and why things ended up being as they are.

Body of Lies

The other day I went to see “Body of Lies“. I know that some people just can’t take the same actor playing similar roles in two consequtive films – in this case Leonardo DiCaprio being an undercover agent – but if you can get past that, you are probably to enjoy the film. At least I did.

Yes, it had enough cliches and stereotypes and all, but it was also somehow fresh. It wasn’t all that predictable, and it carried a good mix global propaganda with personal drama and plain old action. Good acting, good shooting and explosion, twisty story, nice character development, nice camera work – all make it into a worthy film. If you have a chance to catch it on the big screen – use it. You’ll get some extra.

Overall, a 7 out of 10.