9/10
I doubt there will be an Oscar in it for either, but Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush put in two of the finest, most beautiful performances in any movie I've seen all year. Their friendship and ensuing interplay made me want to both laugh and cry, often in the same scene. The movie is quite simple and a lot more fun than it would seem on first blush and the ending is triumphant. I found it hard to stop smiling after leaving the theatre. Highly recommended!
8/10
This is a very good movie but I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly underwhelmed - although, in fairness, I did have exceedingly high expectations. Jeff Bridges is great, and can convey more meaning with one blue eyeball than other actors can with their whole bodies. Hailee Steinfeld also did very well for herself surrounded by heavyweights like Bridges, Damon and Brolin most of the movie. I really liked how the Coens told a kind of "old Hollywood" story - there was something very classical in its execution that I enjoyed very much, not to mention the trademark Coens humor. It wasn't quite the revelation I was hoping for but it was a lot of fun, a very "transporting" movie if you will. For more than Bridges' performance I was reminded of last year's Crazy Heart: a movie that hits the right notes, won't bowl you over but leaves you still very satisfied. I downloaded the Wayne True Grit the other day so I'll give that a look ASAP.
8.5/10
Steven Spielberg's first film, a made-for-TV affair involving a man (David Weaver) on the open road being harassed by a monstrous, intimidating gas truck. Weaver plays David Mann, a white-collar everyman (in case the last name didn't drive it home already) driving a red Plymouth Valiant, who passes the truck...and then spends the rest of the afternoon locked in a duel to the death with it. We never know the trucker's identity, and why he's so hellbent on tormenting (indeed, killing) Mann, which only adds to the fear and suspense. There are a couple of great set pieces that take place off the road, including a stop in at a diner where the trucker is assumed to be among the patrons (and where Mann really starts to lose his marbles), a confrontation involving a stalled school bus full of children, and an attempt to call the police from a roadside gas station that ends in chaos. A certain suspension of belief is required to immerse one's self in the duel (the script attempts to explain, via Mann's inner monologue, that Mann's car could "never" outrun the truck as it appears to be souped-up in some manner...but considering the sheer size of the truck this is clearly stretching it).
A lot of the elements from this movie made its way into Jaws, so it was cool to see Spielberg working them out here, on the open road no less. The ending is also incredible and, of course, deliciously CGI-free. I shudder to think how it would be handled nowadays.
8.5/10
Halfway through the movie the painkillers I've been taken for a toothache wore off and it hit me with a vengeance, so that's probably the reason why I wasn't quite as wrapped up in it as I could have been...but I still enjoyed it very much. Aronofsky's made a dressed-up film about paranoia, psychosis, and pressure that's quite a bit more simple than it first appears...but still remains plenty effective. Very much in the lineage of Polanski and Lynch to name but two, and it also leans heavily on an unbelievable turn by its lead "woman in trouble" (Natalie Portman). The supporting cast (Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Ellen Burstyn) is great and well-chosen but this is Portman's movie and she dominates. A small complaint worth mentioning, I thought the script/dialogue could have used a bit of work, as sometimes the dialogue was a bit clunky and too expository. Maybe that just reflects on my general feeling of surprise at how direct and non "artsy" the movie is. Anyway still very impressive, and never a bore for even a second.
7/10
Another fun distraction that pretty much delivered what it says on the tin, I can't find much to fault Machete for, but I didn't love it either. As one would expect from a trailer fleshed out into a feature length movie, at times the joke seems to run a little long and the movie gets bogged down when it, you know, has to actually be a movie. Probably would have been great fun to see in a packed theatre with a bunch of friends though. I was actually a little surprised at how graphic the gore was...credit to Robert Rodriguez for not backing down at all. And it's nice to see perennial sidekick Danny Trejo get his day in the sun.
6/10
The things I find watching MPix late at night. Mostly Canadian movies that never got/don't really deserve a whole lot of attention. This one is about a guy (Murray) who climbs up a tree in a park to escape the wrath of a local gang of stereotypical street ruffians that he's unwisely angered. With both sides refusing to blink first, we're left to watch the psychological warfare that unfolds. Considering it's a movie with 7 actors and it all takes place in or around a tree, it's impressive enough for what it is. Things unfold generally as expected and the acting is solid all around. A decent enough distraction for the 80 minutes it took of my life. Godawful title though.
8.5/10
After another Romanian film named Aurora turned the "revenge killer" movie on its head, I was excited to see this one, which turns the police movie on its head. Cristi is a police officer forced to follow and gather evidence on a hash-smoking teenager and his two friends. He slowly finds himself questioning his morals if he follows through with his intimidating superior's demands to arrest the kid. The movie is filled with subtle, pitch black humor and its take on language (the key to the entire movie) is very interesting and refreshing. The final scene in which Cristi is dissected by his superior using the same linguistic devices he played on earlier with his wife is incredible. Some people complained the movie was too slow but it had to be...and I really enjoyed it.
