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OK, I don't have a whole lotta time but I need to get this done.
The Game Plan
Sentimental rubbish with cheesy plot and bad acting entirely reliant on pansies like me who always fall for adorable long-lost-relative reunion stories. The Rock is just so cute when he's playing a daddy.
1.5 out of 5
Public Enemies
Excellent article on the 'artless' cinematography that was created by using digital, hand-held cameras instead of film in this movie. It brings down what would otherwise be a very solid crime sort-of-biopic. I've heard that some people didn't like Johnny Depp much in this, while I really did. I think Depp's Dillinger is a man who doesn't plan ahead, or have any concept of a future, and when the realisation hits him that the high-rolling, adrenaline-pumping life he has been living is coming to an end it wrecks him. I thought Christian Bale was pretty good, too, and Marion Cotillard was gorgeous and captivating, if not convincingly American. The moral greys - Dillinger as hero of the people and the FBI going to extreme measures to catch the crooks - worked well. Not too overdone. I did also find the movie a bit long, but the biggest problem by far was the camerawork. It was nigh impossible to figure out who anyone was, there was shaky cam in perfectly still scenes, and the idea of documentary-style filming in the 20's is ridiculous.
3 out of 5
You Can Count On Me
This boasts strong performances from Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo, but I found it a pretty uninspirng watch. The story isn't bad but it suffers from that brand of 'realism' wherein nearly everything is just another scene that drags you down. Matthew Broderick is weirdly off in this movie, too, and the editing threw me - a lot of scene changes were abrupt to the point where I was confused and frustrated. Scenes between Linney and Ruffalo were the best.
2.5 out of 5
District 9
And now on to an example of hand-held digicam done right. This movie is disturbing and shocking and really very good. It has terrific performances from a cast of unknowns, and the alien effects were terrific. It really makes you think about how we treat fellow human beings, as well as how we might actually react if we were ever to make contact with aliens - and while it isn't a TOTALLY original idea, setting it in South Africa gives it an excellent foundation in reality. Having said that, I found that there were instances of racism in the film that made me uncomfortable, and there's a shift from strict documentary style to a combination of documentary and regular film that jolted me out of the film reality when it first happened. Also, how can the aliens and humans understand each other? Why is there only one human being willing to give the aliens anything resembling compassion, while everyone else is basically portrayed as sheep? I don't think it's quite as good as everyone's going on about.
With this, Star Trek, and the upcoming Moon, 2009 is looking to be an awesome year for sci-fi, though.
3.5 out of 5
Have some quick links:
Icons (inc. Doc Horrible), more icons
Coolest Movie Rides
The Greatest Nerdware We'd Steal From Our Favorite Fans
The 20 Greatest Shows Canceled By Fox Before Their Time, no guesses for what's #1
Joss-related comic
There WAS this killer Glee promo with them performing "Push It" that was so funny I cried.
Green Queen
The Game Plan
Sentimental rubbish with cheesy plot and bad acting entirely reliant on pansies like me who always fall for adorable long-lost-relative reunion stories. The Rock is just so cute when he's playing a daddy.
1.5 out of 5
Public Enemies
Excellent article on the 'artless' cinematography that was created by using digital, hand-held cameras instead of film in this movie. It brings down what would otherwise be a very solid crime sort-of-biopic. I've heard that some people didn't like Johnny Depp much in this, while I really did. I think Depp's Dillinger is a man who doesn't plan ahead, or have any concept of a future, and when the realisation hits him that the high-rolling, adrenaline-pumping life he has been living is coming to an end it wrecks him. I thought Christian Bale was pretty good, too, and Marion Cotillard was gorgeous and captivating, if not convincingly American. The moral greys - Dillinger as hero of the people and the FBI going to extreme measures to catch the crooks - worked well. Not too overdone. I did also find the movie a bit long, but the biggest problem by far was the camerawork. It was nigh impossible to figure out who anyone was, there was shaky cam in perfectly still scenes, and the idea of documentary-style filming in the 20's is ridiculous.
3 out of 5
You Can Count On Me
This boasts strong performances from Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo, but I found it a pretty uninspirng watch. The story isn't bad but it suffers from that brand of 'realism' wherein nearly everything is just another scene that drags you down. Matthew Broderick is weirdly off in this movie, too, and the editing threw me - a lot of scene changes were abrupt to the point where I was confused and frustrated. Scenes between Linney and Ruffalo were the best.
2.5 out of 5
District 9
And now on to an example of hand-held digicam done right. This movie is disturbing and shocking and really very good. It has terrific performances from a cast of unknowns, and the alien effects were terrific. It really makes you think about how we treat fellow human beings, as well as how we might actually react if we were ever to make contact with aliens - and while it isn't a TOTALLY original idea, setting it in South Africa gives it an excellent foundation in reality. Having said that, I found that there were instances of racism in the film that made me uncomfortable, and there's a shift from strict documentary style to a combination of documentary and regular film that jolted me out of the film reality when it first happened. Also, how can the aliens and humans understand each other? Why is there only one human being willing to give the aliens anything resembling compassion, while everyone else is basically portrayed as sheep? I don't think it's quite as good as everyone's going on about.
With this, Star Trek, and the upcoming Moon, 2009 is looking to be an awesome year for sci-fi, though.
3.5 out of 5
Have some quick links:
Icons (inc. Doc Horrible), more icons
Coolest Movie Rides
The Greatest Nerdware We'd Steal From Our Favorite Fans
The 20 Greatest Shows Canceled By Fox Before Their Time, no guesses for what's #1
Joss-related comic
There WAS this killer Glee promo with them performing "Push It" that was so funny I cried.
Green Queen
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OH.MY.ACTUAL.GOD lolol
I thought I was the only one who wasn't going batshit crazy after seeing the movie. I thought it was just mediocre (it just wasn't my kind of movie) but the main actor really was amazing.
From:
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From:
no subject
Have you seen the "Gold Digger" one?? It's just as amazing.
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From:
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