Brave (2012)

4/5

Pixar's Brave follows the coming-of-age of Scottish Princess Merida (Macdonald). Merida, like Jasmine before her, doesn't want to be a princess. She would rather live free in the woods with her bow and arrow like Katniss, but her mother (Thompson) wants her to be a proper princess. Frustrated by the seemingly endless etiquette training and suitor shopping, she runs off into the woods and makes a short-sighted wish that turns out to have terrible consequences. She must learn to fully appreciate her mother before her rash decision can be reversed.

What made the movie so disappointing is that I was expecting an unforgettable Pixar treasure and instead I got a run-of-the-mill Disney princess movie. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just had some pretty high expectations that were not met. Brave has more than its fair share of clever jokes and creative moments that elevate it past typical cartoons, but it doesn't have the same level of spit and shine that I've come to expect from Pixar's storytelling. In fact, I would say that it was fairly comparable to Disney's recent Tangled, which I enjoyed immensely. Brave is a terrific film. Just know what to expect when you pop the disc in.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1217209/

Anna Karenina (2012)

3/5

Joe Wright's Anna Karenina is a stunning reinterpretation of the Tolstoy novel. No, I haven't read the book, but I imagine it doesn't all take place within a theater. And I'll bet money that it doesn't contain some of the most gorgeous, luscious cinematography ever laid to film. So for that, I must give Joe Wright credit, as he has once again constructed a visual masterpiece. But unfortunately that is where the accolades must end.

I really didn't think there was much here. It's not deep, it's not profound. It's not even a love story. It's basically a story of a selfish person with no self-control in a society whose rules are not so different from our own. Like I said, I haven't read the book, but I imagine it's not as famous as it is unless it contained a little more depth than what I was able to extract here. The acting, the story, and the pacing all failed to impress me (although getting such a behemoth of a book down to 130 minutes is an achievement in itself). While I was able to enjoy the beautiful set pieces and costumes, the astounding cinematography, and the clever directing, that is not enough to carry this movie to the great heights it hopes to achieve. For that, I guess I'll have to read the book.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1781769/

Choke (2008)

4/5

Choke, according to IMDb, is about a sex-addicted con-man who pays for his mother's hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death. Having read that blurb coming in, I was surprised at how much more story, characterization, and depth there was compared with what I expected. This is a movie remarkably unlike anything else I've seen; it is outlandish yet personal, irreverent yet honest. There is a strange tenderness permeating this graphic, mature, cynical film. And somehow it works. The plot and editing manage to be satisfying in length and brisk in pacing. The dialogue and performances are both meaningful and hilarious. The rest of the technical aspects are less than noteworthy, but all in all Choke is an unexpected delight that I highly recommend.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024715/