The Informant! (2009)

4/5

Steven Soderbergh's The Informant! is a rare mix of comedy, drama, and annoying music. The plot follows Matt Damon as a biochemist in a corn processing conglomerate in the 1990's who starts helping the FBI set up a case against his company for price-fixing lysine. He wears a wire and provides evidence, but as the trial looms closer the agents on the case (Bakula and McHale) can't help but feel that he isn't telling them the whole truth. The storyline could have easily been turned into an action thriller or a sentimental drama, but Soderbergh chose to emphasize its sometimes outlandish scenarios and turn it into a comedy. And in order to make sure the audience fully appreciated its levity, he soaked the movie in the musical equivalent of urine. One review I read called it "wacky, circus-like music," but that is an understatement. My ear felt like it was ravaged raw. I had to nurse it back to health.

Despite the aural travesty, this movie had a lot to like. From the simplest decisions like font choice to the complex decisions like voice-overs and shot-by-shot editing, Soderbergh does a fantastic job. The movie feels like it was made in the 90's, which may be a good or bad thing depending on who the viewer is, but it was impressive nonetheless. It was the subtleties like overblown highlights and faded colors that really made the film feel 15 years old. Certainly not one of Soderbergh's best or worst films, it's still a solid piece of entertainment with some sadness, some sympathy, and a whole lot of humor. If the previews piqued your interest, it's definitely good enough for you to drop $10 on it. But don't say I didn't warn you if you come out of the theater with bleeding ears.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130080/

The Incredibles (2004)

5/5

When I first saw Brad Bird's The Incredibles, it instantly became my favorite Pixar movie. And seeing it again after 5 years, it remains my favorite Pixar movie. It has everything you could want and more, from humor to tension, from mature themes to childish fun. What struck me the first time I saw this movie was its remarkable breadth of material and motifs. Not since The Rules of the Game had I seen so many topics explored so fully in such a short period of time. The Incredibles brings up the ideas of juggling family life and career life, of being true to yourself when you're not allowed to, of our rampant litigation and torts system, and of doing a needed public service, whether or not it is requested. Being in medical school, it is the last of these many subjects that struck an intimate chord with me this time. What do you do when you take an oath to do good and you find yourself in an opportunity to utilize all the faculties you've harnessed in your training only to have them reject your help?

But what really took my breath away when I saw the movie yesterday was simply how entertaining, engaging, and engrossing it was. On this second viewing, I found myself laughing at different times. I found myself breathlessly waiting for the action sequences' resolutions. I knew everything that was going to happen and it still held me completely in its grasp, as only the best films can do. This movie is far, far more than a movie. It is a brilliant work of art and a foray into human nature, social expectations, and family dysfunction. And it is something that invades your body and warms the cockles of your heart, instantly and tenderly, with levity and empathy. This is not just my favorite Pixar movie, or my favorite cartoon; it is one of my favorite movies of all time.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317705/

Offside (2006)

2/5

Jafar Panahi's Offside is a cinéma vérité-style look at women's rights in Iran. The movie focuses on a young girl who impersonates a man in order to watch a soccer game, even though it is illegal for women to enter the stadium. Caught and captured, she's taken to an area where a number of other girls who tried to sneak in were also taken as punishment. Every so often, a new prisoner is brought in. They share stories of the glimpses of the game they saw before being seized, at times even recreating it with the other captives. The excitement and tenacity are palpable in these women; they couldn't care less that they were being arrested. The focus of the film occasionally shifts to the soldiers guarding them to expose and explore another viewpoint of the situation. Despite that, the film managed to elucidate little on the topic for me.

The movie is somehow both slow-paced and fascinating; it never bores you, but it's not particularly exciting either. All the characters sound dull-witted because they talk lethargically about banal topics. There is a lot of historical and cultural significance that went right over my head, so I wasn't able to fully enjoy the movie. The way the film was scripted made it clear that there were deeper meanings behind the characters' words and actions, and I knew the whole time that I was missing out on something. The way it was shot made the whole production feel amateurish and unprofessional. Don't get me wrong: it's not a poorly-made film. It just doesn't reveal anything too interesting to me that I didn't find out about from the trailer. For really incredible Iranian cinema, check out The Circle or The White Balloon (both by Panahi), but skip this one.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499537/