It's Complicated (2009)

3/5

It's Complicated is a benign piece of entertainment that follows divorced couple Jane (Streep) and Jake (Baldwin) Adler. Jake cheated on Jane 10 years ago with the much-younger Agness (Bell) and ended up marrying her; he is now cheating on his current wife Agness with his ex-wife Jane. Jane isn't convinced that it will work out again with Jake, even if he leaves Agness, and finds a budding romance in her new architect Adam (Martin). She tries balancing her two men, but finds it far too complicated and decides that she must pick one. Who will she pick?

The writing and acting worked well together, delivering impeccable comic timing. Unfortunately, the movie as a whole isn't as funny as I know the writer and actors to be capable of, nor is it as meaningful or interesting. And that is the worst part about the movie for me: I couldn't really understand what the characters were going through. I mean, I could imagine what they were going through, but the movie presented all of its content in such a comical and flamboyant manner that I can't say I'm anywhere closer to understanding divorce than before I saw this movie. I'm not saying the movie has an obligation to do this, and in fact the movie works as a simple 2 hour escape, but I was just hoping that it would be closer to Meyers's previous The Holiday. The movie as a whole turned out rather bland for me (maybe I was just expecting too much), but it will certainly suffice for someone looking for a romantic comedy with old people making out (and undressing).

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1230414/

The Good Shepherd (2006)

4/5

It's been awhile since I saw a movie where I didn't think about how I was going to write the review while I was still watching it. Or look at the time. This movie is engaging from the start, entrancing in every aspect. Loosely based on real events and real people during the 50's and 60's as the CIA was being formed, the plot sucks in the attentive viewer and keeps them breathless the entire time. It's been advertised as a spy thriller, but in reality it's a thinking man's drama. It is meditative. It asks questions and pretends no answers.

I was impressed by the acting (especially Matt Damon's morally ambiguous protagonist), although some characters seemed extraordinarily flat and poorly cast. (I was particularly disappointed at Robert De Niro's and Angelina Jolie's relatively limited screen time.) I found the pacing nearly flawless, although ironically it also felt like some scenes were pointless or shoddily constructed. Most of the dialogue was unnecessarily convoluted and deceptive, to the point where the audience loses track of what people say and mean or pretend to say and mean. Also, I thought there were a couple unexplained events and/or plot holes, whichever you want to call them. All these negative aspects seem to point towards it having a lower score, but the movie is more than the sum of its parts. It's truly an experience, and one not to be missed.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0343737/

The Departed (2006)

5/5

I just came back from seeing The Departed with Jed, Sameer, and Amar. This movie is phenomenal. It is a return to the genre the great master reinvented. I had ridiculously high expectations for this movie, and they were surpassed. It has the flash and fun of GoodFellas and Casino mixed in with the intensity and subtlety of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. This is the zenith of entertainment in art. This is why you watch movies.

First off, the characters are the most unique, off-the-wall screen presences I can remember. The acting is so absolutely amazing that they are actually able to pull this off. The colors, style, and subtlety pervaded every shot and scene that to list off each memorable part of the movie would be to describe every second of it. The script is consistently funny, the violence sudden and shocking, and the subtext omnipresent. Watch it if you want to enjoy a good time, or if you want to analyze it as cinematic art. Just watch it.

The introductory scenes were so bizarre; it looked like an abundance of b footage spliced together randomly. I feel like Scorsese didn't really have a vision for how he wanted the beginning to look. I might be wrong though. And after the first ten minutes, I was so absorbed in the movie that I couldn't generate any more fictitious reasons like the one above to not love the movie. In fact, why am I writing this review and not seeing it again?

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0407887/