A Fat Wad of Quick Reviews
This post has been updated with a few more reviews that I forgot the first time around. So check it.
King Kong- Is it too long? Yes. Should entire sections of the flick be excised? Yes. Is it really freaking cool when Kong finally shows up and starts kicking ass and taking names? Hells Yes. An uneven flick to say the least, when Kong rocks it rocks, and when it don't it could be used as a cure for insomnia. I really liked the wierd relationship between Kong and Naomi Watts, though.
Capote- I've never read any of Truman Capote's stories, nor do I know much about the man. Having said that, I was able to follow the story of how Capote assembled his masterwork, "In Cold Blood" the true life tale of two vagrants who murdered an innocent family, well enough. The real strength of this movie is the cast who are pitch perfect from top to bottom, with Phillip Seymore Hoffman, as Capote, leading the pack. His transformation is phenomenal.
Transamerica- Speaking of transformations, Felicity Huffman is a chick, playing a dude, who's turning into a chick. And she pulls it off flawlessly. I always knew she was a good actress, but damn! Didn't know she was that good. Besides a stellar performance, the flick itself, which involves the aformentioned tranny taking a cross country road trip with the son she didn't even know she had, is excellent. I've always been drawn to stories about wierd relationships/families, so it really should come as no surprise that I was drawn into this story. Word of warning to the squeemish, there's a decent amount of homoeroticism sprinkled throughout.
Junebug- This is one of those soft spoken character pieces where everything is all subtle. The plot is pretty simple, a couple that's been married for six months take a business trip down south, which is where the husband's family lives. They decide to visit. The acting is good all around, but ultimately the only character I ended up liking was the talkative pregnant girl. Worth a watch.
The Squid and the Whale- Another character piece, this one about a family that's trying to reorganize after a divorce. My big problem with this film is that I didn't like or empathize with any of the characters. The Dad (Jeff Daniels giving the performance of his carreer) is a failed author who goes around verbally abusing everyone he encounters. The Mom, who I think is supposed to be the empathetic character of the bunch, is nothing more than a vapid whore. The Oldest Son is trying to become the Dad, so, he's a jerk. And the Youngest Son, who's like 10 years old, goes around chronically masterbating in public. You heard me. And yes, it is creepy.
Good Night and Good Luck- It's a B&W film set in the 50s about the battle between broadcaster Edward R. Murrow and Witchhunting Thug Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Sounds boring, right? WRONG! One of the most exciting films I've seen in a while, Good Night is set in a time, similiar to today, where everyone was afraid. But unlike today, there were a few good people who weren't afraid to stand up for what was right. Great flick.
Enron: The Smartest Men in the Room- Evil in its most elaborate form is on display in this pitch perfect documentary that meticulously details the rise and fall of Enron. A must watch, especially if you're in the mood to get a little outraged.
Art School Confidential- The only flick I've seen in a theatre in months. From the creators of Ghost World comes the funniest flick I've seen in ages, and the best new film I've seen all year (admittedly, it's a short list, but I digress). The trials, tribulations, and full on stupidity of being an art student is on display in this hi-larious flick. There are so many moments throughout the film that mirrored my own life, it woulda been scary if I hadn't spent so much time laughing. The only flaw with this flick is that there is a subplot involving a campus strangler that comes to a head in the third act. I felt the entire strangler plot felt completely out of place. Still, despite an uneven third act, still a great film. Higly recommended, especially for artists who don't take themselves too seriously.
King Kong- Is it too long? Yes. Should entire sections of the flick be excised? Yes. Is it really freaking cool when Kong finally shows up and starts kicking ass and taking names? Hells Yes. An uneven flick to say the least, when Kong rocks it rocks, and when it don't it could be used as a cure for insomnia. I really liked the wierd relationship between Kong and Naomi Watts, though.
Capote- I've never read any of Truman Capote's stories, nor do I know much about the man. Having said that, I was able to follow the story of how Capote assembled his masterwork, "In Cold Blood" the true life tale of two vagrants who murdered an innocent family, well enough. The real strength of this movie is the cast who are pitch perfect from top to bottom, with Phillip Seymore Hoffman, as Capote, leading the pack. His transformation is phenomenal.
Transamerica- Speaking of transformations, Felicity Huffman is a chick, playing a dude, who's turning into a chick. And she pulls it off flawlessly. I always knew she was a good actress, but damn! Didn't know she was that good. Besides a stellar performance, the flick itself, which involves the aformentioned tranny taking a cross country road trip with the son she didn't even know she had, is excellent. I've always been drawn to stories about wierd relationships/families, so it really should come as no surprise that I was drawn into this story. Word of warning to the squeemish, there's a decent amount of homoeroticism sprinkled throughout.
Junebug- This is one of those soft spoken character pieces where everything is all subtle. The plot is pretty simple, a couple that's been married for six months take a business trip down south, which is where the husband's family lives. They decide to visit. The acting is good all around, but ultimately the only character I ended up liking was the talkative pregnant girl. Worth a watch.
The Squid and the Whale- Another character piece, this one about a family that's trying to reorganize after a divorce. My big problem with this film is that I didn't like or empathize with any of the characters. The Dad (Jeff Daniels giving the performance of his carreer) is a failed author who goes around verbally abusing everyone he encounters. The Mom, who I think is supposed to be the empathetic character of the bunch, is nothing more than a vapid whore. The Oldest Son is trying to become the Dad, so, he's a jerk. And the Youngest Son, who's like 10 years old, goes around chronically masterbating in public. You heard me. And yes, it is creepy.
Good Night and Good Luck- It's a B&W film set in the 50s about the battle between broadcaster Edward R. Murrow and Witchhunting Thug Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Sounds boring, right? WRONG! One of the most exciting films I've seen in a while, Good Night is set in a time, similiar to today, where everyone was afraid. But unlike today, there were a few good people who weren't afraid to stand up for what was right. Great flick.
Enron: The Smartest Men in the Room- Evil in its most elaborate form is on display in this pitch perfect documentary that meticulously details the rise and fall of Enron. A must watch, especially if you're in the mood to get a little outraged.
Art School Confidential- The only flick I've seen in a theatre in months. From the creators of Ghost World comes the funniest flick I've seen in ages, and the best new film I've seen all year (admittedly, it's a short list, but I digress). The trials, tribulations, and full on stupidity of being an art student is on display in this hi-larious flick. There are so many moments throughout the film that mirrored my own life, it woulda been scary if I hadn't spent so much time laughing. The only flaw with this flick is that there is a subplot involving a campus strangler that comes to a head in the third act. I felt the entire strangler plot felt completely out of place. Still, despite an uneven third act, still a great film. Higly recommended, especially for artists who don't take themselves too seriously.
2 Comments:
I loved the new Kong. I thought Jackson did a great job interweaving the various giant ape films together. Was it long? Yeah. Three hours long. I definately needed a pee break watching it the theater. But If you watch from the T-Rex fight (which is jizztastic) to the end, the film is phenomenal. And that cuts about an hour out of the film.
And I laughed pretty hard during Art School. Good times.
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