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Reviews
True Grit (2010)
I hate westerns. But I liked this one.
Typically westerns are boring with cheesy cinematography, terrible acting, and wretched screenplay. The remake of True Grit, however, was an exception. It was clever, surprisingly funny, and had impressive acting.
The young girl, Mattie Ross, was given a witty script that she acted out with an excellent condescending tone. The Texas Ranger is hilarious, even if they make fun of his Texas pride consistently throughout the movie. Jeff Bridges did a beautiful job of being a drunken- yet soft- Marshall. My personal favorite was the witch doctor, who questioned whether or not they needed "medical attention." Though the Asian man- who owns the store where Rooster Cogburn resides in- was not as prevalent of a character in the new version as he was in the original, it did not deteriorate the eloquence of the movie at all. If you let that be the reason you dislike True Grit 2010, your spit is overpowering.
It doesn't matter if you "can't remake a John Wayne movie." It's Jeff Bridges 41 years later and the Coen Brothers accomplished a remake masterpiece. True Grit 2010 maintains the classic western cinematography with faded transitions and horses riding in the sunset. But the Coen brothers made it even better.
Cast your preferences and spite aside, western lovers. The remade version of True Grit is a modern-day classic and is worthy of immense praise.
The Roommate (2011)
I think this movie was supposed to scare me?
I sat down to see this movie with very low expectations. The verdict was worse than the expectations. The screenplay writer seemed to have sat down and wrote the story along the way. The worst part is that it was a remake, and he still failed to improve the plot. If the movie actually connected and readdressed points, it might have been good. No conflicts were resolved other than the death of Rebecca- which is not necessarily a resolution. It just drastically ends the problem.
After Rebecca threatens Tracy, Sara's best friend, you never see her again. I have no earthly idea if Sara and Tracy ever became friends again. All I know is that Tracy doesn't have a belly button ring anymore because Rebecca so ruthlessly ripped it out. Though Rebecca sending Sara's fashion design professor, Professor Roberts, away (to jail? you never find out- you just know he gets fired), was a resolution because there's no other way to re-approach the matter later on seeing as Sara didn't like him, unlike the situation with Tracy where her and Sara were actually best friends.
The movie actually has an intricate storyline and a really creepy concept. But the execution seemed lazy and failed to follow through on various concepts. For instance, Rebecca has a deep past when you randomly find out about in the middle of the movie when Sara discovers Rebecca's medicine for depression. This was in fact a nice approach, but the discovery of said problem was not dramatic enough. It was just cheesy- like the rest of the movie.
You even get to see Rebecca's home life! It is so exciting! You see her friends from high school that look to young in comparison. Maybe she was friends with elementary school kids when she was in high school? The victim of Rebecca's high school years says this great line that Sara repeats right before she kills Rebecca. It was really dramatic.
The end is the best part of the movie. Sara's boyfriend helps her move Rebecca's bed out of the room because she knows she won't "be wanting a roommate anytime soon." The end. What a great movie.
Season of the Witch (2011)
I saw this movie as a joke.
If you have some extra time, a dollar for red box, and are desiring a good hearty laugh- this is the movie for you. I saw this movie because I just had to get my "Cage Rage" on. Nicholas Cage has been in an immense amount of fantastic movies lately- not really- and this just added to the plethora.
Not only was he the only one lacking a European accent, he also had perfect teeth amongst men without dental care. To add to the isolation, Cage and his loyal sidekick also spoke like they were in 21st century America, not 14th century Denmark. To top it off, the screenplay was superb. I just love it when they rip off Jaws lines. Come on- I think they really needed more holy water.
But I have to give the movie some credit, here. It was filmed on a nice camera. And has terrible CG.
127 Hours (2010)
Brilliant integration of documentary and drama
When I walked out of the theatre, I was nothing less than exhilarated. The movie left me speechless. Danny Boyle did an astonishing job at exemplifying the emotions Aron Ralston was suffering.
When the rock lands on Ralston's arms, you feel his shock and not his pain. When the sun comes up for the first time, you FEEL how beautiful the moment is. When he drinks his first drink of water you feel his desperation, and his hopelessness when he drinks his last. Down to the operation-esque screeching pain when he rips the nerves out of his arm, Boyle puts you there with Ralston. Boyle makes you Ralston.
Initially I sat down to watch the movie thinking that it would be good for what Ralston battled and overcame. I did not expect Boyle to execute it in such a phenomenal way. I asked myself, "how is he going to do this movie in one setting?" But he did it. He did it in such a creative, uplifting way.
But Aron Ralston himself put it best. "The movie is so factually accurate it is as close to a documentary as you can get and still be a drama."
Good Dick (2008)
Not as great as the hype.
I do not think this movie was as fantastic as other reviewers seem to claim it. It did not have a significant story line and I felt no love or connection to the characters. I felt the plot was random and empty and the movie was not necessarily put together well. My favorite characters in the movie were the other guys that worked in the video store- and they had a small contribution to the plot progression (which didn't exactly "progress"). After reading the synopsis I was pretty let down by the movie. The synopsis had a better story line than the movie did. I was actually dreadfully bored when watching "Good Dick" but I continued to watch it in hopes that something extravagant would happen. But that never happened, so instead I finished a movie that I was, to put it bluntly, disappointed in Sundance for.
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
I'm sorry, you said this was an indie film?
The depth of thought and range of emotion in this movie provides the ultimate spectrum of life. The lack of chronological order reflects the scatter brained mind Tom Hansen is coping with. You remember Tom and Summer's relationship in the same manner that he does. The adjacent good times versus bad times form a comical parallel that make you laugh in a dark way.
Marc Webb's style in (500) Days of Summer is ultimately enticing and has such a unique approach that I was consistently bewildered throughout the course of watching this film. The split frame of "reality" versus "expectations" enthralls even men who hate romantic movies and touches on a very personal level with anyone who ever had an expectation that was soon crushed by reality. I envy Marc Webb for his creativity and his brilliant execution of this movie.
Anyone who claims Summer Finn to be a heartless, terrible person is an imbecile. In an interview, Zooey Deschanel said that the movie was about "the person before the person you're meant to be with." And we're not all Paul who date the same girl since 7th grade, the majority of us kiss a few frogs before we find our prince. Unfortunately, Marc Webb makes every girl with a beating heart fall in love with Tom Hansen (and Joseph Gordon-Levitt along with it), so when he is just a frog and not a prince to Summer Finn- you hate her. But that is the beauty of this movie. It is neither cynical nor light-hearted. It is just real. So real that the movie is inspired by a compilation of the writers, etc. personal stories.
Some movies you can watch repeatedly because they are not that good- they are just entertaining so you plop yourself on your couch and get fat over popcorn while watching something you can dream about happening. Some movies- like our beloved Joseph's "Inception," are so incredibly amazing it is difficult to watch it more than once. (500) Days of Summer, however, is different. The movie is so amazing and so well done and so full of life and humor and depression that you can watch it as many times you want and never grow weary of it. And that is why it is my favorite movie. That is why it is my inspiration. That is why you should watch every day until you love every character, even the Chinese family in the bathroom. And that is why you would never know that this movie is a Sundance Film Festival selection.
I'm Reed Fish (2006)
Mediocre, but worth it.
I wouldn't say that this movie is amazing. I will admit my surprise when halfway through the movie the projector broke and I was informed that no, these characters were not legitimate- they were actors acting in a movie about a movie. Though the intention was to be creative with a little curve ball, I didn't like it. If the movie had started off on this foot, it would have been okay. Instead you get unpleasantly surprised and confused in the middle of the movie and you do not really get your answer until it's finishes. And whether or not that was the "intention," "style," and/or "creative approach," it should not have been so.
However, I did not let it take away from the movie. The movie was light hearted with left field problems that managed to not stress me out, which anxiety typically gets the best of me when things go wrong. I must say that the director/screenwriter did a good job of keeping audiences guessing who Reed Fish ends up with. He even keeps you fickle on who you even want Reed Fish to end up with. Which is beneficial when his decision occurs, because you fall for both Kate and Jill.
"I'm Reed Fish" was put together in a cute, simple style- like that of its characters, their personalities, and the town they live in. It could have been so much better than it was- the film had a lot of potential that just did not fall through. I recommend watching it regardless because it was worth the short time it took to watch it. Appreciate it for its story, simplicity, and cute moments. That is what makes "I'm Reed Fish" worthwhile.
Dakota Skye (2008)
Wonderful screenplay, decent execution.
With an intoxicating screenplay, Dakota Skye really drew me in. The heroine's detachment from motivation and cynical awareness of anything false drew me in via personal relation. Though the execution of the movie was a little off, the screenplay and characters made up for it. With a little patience, I truly appreciated this movie. The concept is unique and I loved witnessing Dakota resolve a series of common faults. The movie had a rugged style I found myself connecting with. It had a familiar "slow film" feel to it, but was far from boring and nothing short of interesting. Definitely an independent film worth watching, and definitely deserving of the Phoenix Film Festival award for screenplay. The writers behind this movie did a fantastic job.