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Noises Off... (1992)
A hidden gem
I can legitimately say that Noises Off is one of my favorite movies of all time. If you have never seen it, be prepared for what you're about to experience. The first time I watched this with my extended family we were all crying with laughter.
It takes a few minutes to get going. The first act is funny in its own right. It has lots of well-written lines, the "play within the play" is enjoyable and it lays the necessary groundwork for what is to come: the second and third acts. And even with all that preparation, when that second act gets rolling and everything starts to go wrong, the laughs absolutely do not stop.
The physical comedy in this movie is sublime: tightly choreographed and timed to perfection. Every actor has a great part to play. My personal favorite has to be John Ritter's character. All of his "you know"s and "I don't know"s kill me. Michael Caine and Carol Burnett are also standouts. But every cast member gets laughs, and for good reason. There are so many quotable lines from this movie. I think my sister and I could literally quote 75% of this movie.
There are a couple of dings that I have to mention. The framing narrative, with its rushed "happy ending" on Broadway, wasn't in the original play and feels totally out of place. After you've watched it 20+ times you may want to fast forward to the second act. But even so, Noises Off is a hidden 90's classic. Highly recommended.
Now You See Me (2013)
What a gyp.
I went into this movie honestly expecting to enjoy it. It looked like a fun thriller-heist kind of movie, with all kinds of twists and turns. Maybe it wasn't Scarface, but at least fun to watch. But roughly an hour into this movie, I realized we had left the concept of "twists and turns" behind long ago. In its place was a series of slaps to my face, one delivered after another, that I apparently earned for thinking I was beginning to have even an inkling of what was REALLY going on here. Black was suddenly white, then it was black again, and then it went polka-dotted, and up was sideways and then became Tuesday.
This movie thinks it is a hundred times more clever than it is. By giving us absolutely no information until key moments, it makes its own riddles impossible to guess. Then the movie laughs at us for trying to figure it out. The young magicians in this movie -- initially no more talented than knockoffs of David Blaine and Jonathan Edwards -- suddenly become godlike and inscrutable when chased by all the combined efforts of FBI and Interpol, who are made to look about as foolish as us, the audience. And the twist in the final twenty minutes nullifies literally EVERYTHING that came before it.
Throughout the whole mess, I was left grasping for a single character to sympathize with. The "Four Horsemen" were all arrogant, unlikable con men. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman had some truly fantastic scenes together, but their characters were literally a corrupt insurance salesman and the taunting sprite of the screenwriter laughing at us, in that order. Mark Ruffalo was great as usual. I was fully in his corner (spoiler) until the final fifteen minutes absolutely pulled the rug out on any shred of believability for his character. His chemistry with Melanie Laurent was the only thing I could legitimately root for in the film. And of course they're given a rushed, pat "happy ending", presumably for some kind of closure for us, the paying audience. But we've just been punched in the face by the plot of this movie. It wanted to be Ocean's Eleven, and it was barely even Spy Kids. Five out of ten is generous.
The Lego Movie (2014)
LEGOmagination
There is a major third-act twist in this movie
****SPOILERS****
in which it is revealed that 95% of the movie's running time takes place within one ten-year-old kid's imagination. I have no trouble believing that. In fact, the best way I can describe The Lego Movie is that it is exactly like being inside the imagination of a child.
This movie is teeming with life in every frame. Colorful characters, insane shifts in scenery, and one wild idea after the next. It frequently throws so much STUFF at us that it becomes overwhelming, and honestly the movie would be kind of a mess if it weren't so charmingly executed. We can forgive its excesses because we're actually invested in the story, we care about the characters, and the movie is constantly amusing us with smart jokes and delightful visuals. Each role is well-played. Everyone will come out with a different favorite character: my favorite was the 1980's spaceman played by Charlie Day.
As I mentioned earlier, we find out in the last ten minutes that this is actually the story of an inventive son and his overly controlling father. It's a nice twist and I like the introduction of reality into the story, but it does confuse the overall message: is the movie about believing in yourself no matter what, or is it about having freedom to build what you want with your life, or -- even more confusingly -- are we actually supposed to follow the instructions? Or is it about learning to let go of control? There are a lot of ideas going on in this story, and like I said, it's like watching the imagination of a child: scattered, free-wheeling, painting on a huge canvas, fuzzy on the details.
There are so many cameos that we can't feel the punch of most of them (though Jonah Hill had a great role as the Green Lantern to Channing Tatum's Superman.) But most of the material lands anyway, and you can't help but enjoy yourself while watching it. I have to throw this in there too: what was so wrong with Batman that Wildstyle left him? He seemed like a decent guy, honestly. Everybody was just OK with that whole switch, and it felt wrong to me.
Overall though, this movie is quite creative, BUILDS well on its concept (couldn't resist) and is constantly fun to watch. If you have kids, I guarantee you they'll love it.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Nearly flawless action blockbuster
I firmly believe that The Dark Knight is in the discussion of the top twenty-five greatest movies ever made. This movie is Star Wars for a new generation. This movie is lightning in a bottle.
From the word go, we are treated to a taut, suspenseful heist sequence with all kinds of reversals and double-crosses. Within the first minute you notice something about this movie: it feels larger than life. It's crackling with energy and movement, bursting with fantastic scenes, great dialogue, tight editing, and outstanding performances.
One of those performances is surely in the top ten male leads of all time, and you know the one I'm talking about. Heath Ledger as the Joker is pure electricity. He's funny, psychotic, dangerous, wildly unpredictable, full of tics and utterly enthralling to watch. The supporting cast is where I somewhat sense a flaw or two. Christian Bale is much better playing Bruce Wayne then he is behind the mask. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Aaron Eckhart are just serviceable. However, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman turn in great work in their minor parts.
The plot never stops moving, not once loses steam. The Joker is terrorizing Gotham City, and it's up to Batman to stop him. It's an ever-escalating series of stakes, paced to perfection. The action sequences are heart-pounding. The music flows well with the action on screen. Jonathan Nolan's dialogue is smart and memorable.
Very few movies have come together so powerfully and so well, in all departments. The closest analogy I can think of is that The Dark Knight is the Citizen Kane of superhero movies. Both give you the continual sense that you are watching a great film. Although, where Kane was lauded for its brand new innovations in film technique, The Dark Knight deserves praise for taking the blockbuster genre to near-perfection. 9.5/10
What Dreams May Come (1998)
The gospel according to Cuba Gooding Jr.
Oh boy. It seems like a lot of people liked this movie, so I might be alone here. But I thought this movie was terrible.
It basically depicts Robin Williams wandering aimlessly through a real-life Thomas Kinkade painting, while the "mysterious" Cuba Gooding Jr. follows him everywhere. During the whole Robin Williams section of the movie, there are no stakes whatsoever until the very end. There's no dramatic tension. The landscapes and the dialogue are sickly sweet. And WOW, so according to the ending, the only people who will ever go to hell are suicides? How do you think that makes attempted suicide people feel, movie? Is that really the only unforgivable sin? And what is this "we create our own heaven" stuff? Is this movie trying to make up its own religion?
This movie has a terrible message, its paradise is New Age lite, Cuba Gooding Jr isn't very believable. Honestly, the scenes back on Earth with his wife could have been a movie on its own. Probably even a better movie than this one. 5/10
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
If you could forget it all...
I vividly remember the first time I saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I was a sophomore in high school, and I didn't know movies at all. Then I went to see this movie with some of my friends, and I remember being totally transfixed by what was happening on screen. It was an awakening for me, that ignited my passion for movies in general.
The writing in Eternal Sunshine is fantastic. The screenplay is full of interesting, creative ideas. No character ever feels false. What's remarkable about this movie is that we spend over half of it literally inside the main character's head. Charlie Kaufman, and Michel Gondry as well, do an incredible job of recreating that experience for the viewer, both visually and verbally. As Joel's memory is being erased, things start to change in the dream. Fence posts fly up into the stratosphere and disappear. Streetlights flicker off. The scientist at the doorway has no face.
Anchoring this movie is a beautifully understated, sensitive performance by Jim Carrey. You can sense the brokenness in his character, the damage. He's a sympathetic protagonist, even if he isn't perfect. And then Kate Winslet comes on as Clementine, a pure force of life, and steals all the scenes she's in. The scientists are all played by known actors, and they do fine. But Carrey is the biggest surprise of the movie. He should honestly do more dramatic work.
I talked about the visuals a bit already, but Gondry deserves credit for a large amount of why this movie works so well. The way he represents Joel's brain is very imaginative, even brilliant. No scene really hits a false note. He also brought in Jon Brion to do the soundtrack, and it's one of my favorite movie soundtracks ever.
This is one of those movies that just comes together from top to bottom, to make a whole greater than the sum of its parts. I haven't even talked about the philosophical and ethical questions Eternal Sunshine tackles, or its beautiful observations on love and human connection. Not to mention the ambiguous ending that could not have been more perfect. When I walked out of that theater, I knew I'd just seen a great film. It made me interested in films, period. So it will always have a spot in my movie-loving heart.
Highly recommended, 9/10.
Paperman (2012)
Hard to fault
Paperman is a solid little short, in the vein of some of Pixar's better shorts (Geri's Game, Lifted, etc). The story is told simply through gorgeous animation; dialogue is not used, nor is it necessary. It's just a basic love story, but since it's a Disney love story you can expect a little magic.
It's hard to fault the movie too much. It's like a whimsical take on the "missed connections" section of Craigslist. The only thing I can think of is that it's kind of inconsequential. It doesn't reinvent the wheel. It could be seen as a little bit hokey. But it's a nice little flick to start off Wreck-it-Ralph, one of my favorite Disney movies in a long time.
Nebraska (2013)
Beautifully photographed but flat
Positives: The cinematography is gorgeous. Almost every shot could be an Ansel Adams photo. Bruce Dern believably portrays an old man full of regret, who feels as if he could blow away at any moment. Will Forte wisely underplays his role, letting his facial expressions do most of the talking, and his mother and brother are both great. I also enjoyed his two big, unemployed homebody cousins.
Negatives: This movie is glacially paced, and I am saying that as a big fan of very slow-paced movies (2001, Paris, Texas, etc). We basically watch a series of short vignettes on people that are getting old. The plot is so threadbare it barely even exists. We hear so many useless conversations ("You used to drive a Chevy, didn't you?" "What?" "Didn't you used to drive a Chevy?" "No, I drove a Buick." "Oh yeah. What happened to it?" "It stopped working." "Ah, yeah, it'll do that.") that are supposed to make us laugh because of how useless they are, but the joke gets just as old as the characters telling it when we hear it fifty times in two and a half hours.
Most of the townspeople are as flat as cardboard. Dern's old auto mechanic partner might as well twirl his mustache evilly after every line he says. Everyone is singularly and very predictably obsessed with Dern's money, when a simple thirty-second explanation from Will Forte would have solved the entire issue. It very predictably causes family drama, even though there is very little reason for everyone to BELIEVE Dern's claim in the first place, especially since the entire rest of their family denies it at all points.
The jokes have no punch. The scenes feel disconnected and unimportant. And who didn't see the ending coming a mile away? Of course there's no million, and of course he buys his dad the truck anyway. And why did Dern tell him to duck down in his seat? That made no sense to me. Especially when he knew (or suspected) that Forte had bought him the car, it seemed very un-classy.
I dunno. I've seen better movies about growing old and facing down regret. This one felt like a first draft.
Her (2013)
Difficult to rate
First of all, I want to list the positives in this movie, because there are several. The concept of falling in love with an AI is a great one. The cinematography and use of color in "Her" is really beautiful. The acting is uniformly good. Particularly Amy Adams, who plays an understated role as a nerdy girl next door who may have feelings for Theodore; despite a relatively quiet part, she completely inhabits Amy, making her feel like an actual person. Joaquin Phoenix does a great job (as usual) with Theodore, and Scarlett Johanson makes you believe she really is a computer with a heart. But I wanted to highlight Adams's performance; especially alongside her much larger role in American Hustle, she deserves a few big wins this year.
That being said... I have to admit it, I got a little bored watching this movie. If you forget that Samantha is a computer and think of her as a human being, which is easy to do, this movie is basically a series of relationship conversations between Joaquin Phoenix and a camera phone. The pace is surprisingly slow, and since the "girl" has no body, it's difficult to visually show their relationship. You have the requisite "quirky" scenes with Phoenix running through the subway, playing a ukulele, sitting on the beach fully clothed. The rest of the movie is basically talking. Samantha expresses lots of deep ideas about being a computer, but they are never visualized. This can work to great effect -- the scene when Theodore and Samantha "make love" to a totally black screen is the most brilliant one in the movie, even if it goes a little over the top. But you feel like Jonze missed a lot of chances to show us what the characters are saying about love, and life, rather than just have them tell us via voice-over. It broke a golden rule: "show, don't tell". The plot never really moves, and the concept starts to lose steam. There's a totally unnecessary video game subplot that I won't even bother to go into. The movie's observations about love and life were fairly obvious, as well, even veering into sappy. I hate having to write that, because I felt like the movie's heart was in the right place, and it had so much potential. But it just wasn't as interesting as I had hoped.
There is a lot to like about "Her", and despite its flaws, I would still recommend it as one of the better movies of the year. I just think it could have been a lot more than what it is.
City Lights (1931)
Great movie. Ending thoughts (please watch before reading)
The ending of this movie is like an emotional Rorschach test for me. Every time I see it, I understand it in a different way.
When I saw the movie for the first time, it was clear: she didn't love the Tramp, she only pitied him. It was a brutally sad ending. The second time I saw it, my opinion changed completely. I saw her holding his hand against her heart, gazing at him, remembering of all the things he'd done for her when she was blind. I decided she really did love him after all. It didn't matter about his social standing or lack of money. She saw through all of that and loved him anyway.
After seeing it just now for a third time, I have a new opinion. For me it hinges on her line: "Yes, I can see now."
I think she says "Yes I can see now" because the situation is so much more complicated than just "she loves me, she loves me not", and she finally understands the full implications of who the Tramp is, who she is, and what happened while she was blind. She sees that the Tramp is a very sweet person who's clearly in love with her, but she also sees him for who he is: a homely, goofy, lower-class citizen. She sees that there really isn't a hope of them getting together, in the social climate of the day. But she still feels gratitude toward the Tramp and wants him to understand that she accepts his generosity and kindness. She really does love him, in a sense, because of what he did for her; their time together while she was blind is always going to be a treasure to her, but it will probably end there. I also think the Tramp realizes this, and he's just happy that she could finally see his face and understand.
It really is amazing the amount of depth this ending achieves with only a few simple lines, a gesture, and some beautifully understated acting.