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The Nut Job (2014)
not bad--indeed
This movie is not as bad as I thought it would be. It's well-done design-wise in terms of the quality level of the animation. It doesn't start out that well story-wise--seems kind of predictable, but as time goes on, it gets better with a thrilling, clever chase at the end. I do wonder whether about the authenticity of Surly's fur colour. Then again, rats the color they get in the film would be a surprise as well. One of the things, though, that got me the most was the effectiveness of one of the rats--the one who is a friend of our main character, Surly, the squirrel who gets the idea of knocking over a nut shop. Also, the flowing together of two very similar story lines, one between humans and one with the animals, didn't get in the way, surprisingly. It seemed like it was going to be a quaint, "yeah, isn't that clever" thing, but, again, when the movie pans out, it turns out to be quite effective. Having seen "The Nut Job" through, I'm rather glad I did.
Venus (2006)
a gift
This movie is an absolute gift. It's described as the story of an older man who has a prostate operation--he starts to reflect on his life. This is not done through flashbacks, as is commonly done but through a relationship with a much younger girl--what sort of relationship? The kind where one would wish it to be a "real" lovers relationship, yet it is perhaps one of the most loving and romantic relationships portrayed on the screen.
It's played pitch-perfect by masters of their craft, including relative newcomer Jodie Whittaker, who is, as they say in the DVD extras, a breath of fresh air. At first I thought of O'Toole as chewing up the scenery, this because of seeing the extras first (which is a bit like having dessert before the meal--yummy but ill-advised), but this was soon forgotten.
There are many movies worth seeing in the theater, more on video. There, however, aren't many movies worth buying. This one is.
Flightplan (2005)
great stuff
One of the best movies I've seen this year. It took me quite a long time to get to see this, and I'm glad I finally did it. Just a very intelligent thriller, gorgeously shot, a good deal of nice close-ups of Jodie Foster. Reminds me what a treasure we have in Ms. Foster as an actor. Another standout of the film was Sean Bean--one of the more nuanced performances I've seen from him. Wonder when he's going to get a lead role, like that to which Aaron Eckhart graduated. This is one of those movies that drew me in in the most effective way, so that eventually I forgot that it's Jodie Foster up there and I felt for her character and what's happening. It really got me thinking about what was happening and not _who_ was in it. Ms. Foster doesn't appear in a lot stuff, I suspect because of high standards, among other things, so it's a great experience to see her on screen after awhile and in a movie as thoroughly entertaining as this.