Movie 43 (2013)

1/5

Movie 43 is an abomination of filmmaking. It is an offensive assault on the senses for 90 straight minutes. This thing--which I refuse to call a movie--is a collection of unrelated images and scenarios designed to disgust and disturb. It is the kind of thing created for reaction videos, with no inherent value. From neck testicles to cartoon cat masturbation fantasies, from parental abuse and incest to graphic leprechaun violence, from gratuitous nudity to yellowface surgery, there is no line it won't cross. I'm disappointed that so many quality actors have sullied their names by taking part in this evil transgression of cinema, this shameful plague of a thing. It makes me shudder just thinking about it. Ugh.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1333125/

Salt (2010)

3/5

Salt is a preposterous action movie starring Angelina Jolie as the titular character. When a Russian defector (Olbrychski) accuses CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Jolie) of being a Russian spy, she goes on the run from fellow agents Winter (Schreiber) and Peabody (Ejiofor) to prove her innocence and protect her husband (Diehl). As countless twists and turns pile up, we go back and forth between her possible motivations. Yes, all is technically explained (or at least left open for you to come up with your own explanations) in hindsight, but it never really made any sense while you were watching it. And that is the most frustrating part about this movie: you never know how to feel or whom to root for. This kind of uncertainty might work in a psychological thriller, but an action movie where someone's life is on the line all the time requires you to love and trust the main character. You must always fear for their life so that with every near miss you can breathe a sigh of relief. That tension is lost in this movie for most of the second half.

The action was above average for the most part, but nowhere near memorable (except maybe the final kill). The dialogue was bland and cliched. If this movie starred anybody besides Angelina Jolie, then it would have fallen by the wayside of our collective memory. But it does star Angelina Jolie, and she carries the entire film. She is mesmerizing. She makes a satisfactory film enjoyable, despite its slew of unimpressive features. Should you see it? Only if you're a fan of Angelina and/or senseless action. It seems like a lot of guys are.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944835/

Taking Woodstock (2009)

3/5

Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock is a curious film because it seems to have an uncertain target audience. The plot follows Demetri Martin and his crazy mother Imelda Staunton who run a cheap hotel on the countryside. At risk for defaulting on their mortgage, they attempt to convince the music festival Woodstock to host in their city in order to gain heavy hotel traffic. Suffice it to say, the plot is not the film's strong suit. My favorite aspects of the movie were the characters and the acting. They were all fascinating personas, adeptly portrayed, but I feel like I have no idea why they did the things they did. I didn't really understand their motivations; their "complexities" remained wholly nebulous to me. I also enjoyed the comedy, but it felt very subdued and infrequent, as if it were not the main focus of the movie. I am not sure what the main focus of the movie was, in fact. Most of the filmmaking was not particularly memorable, including cinematography, editing, and music. All in all, I didn't find this to be a particularly impressive film, especially coming from Ang Lee, but it's not bad per se. I'm just confused as to its purpose.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1127896/