Bee Movie (2007)

4/5

Bee Movie is hilarious! Seinfeld's post-Seinfeld stuff has been excruciatingly disappointing, but this movie is exceptional. Though there was nothing stunning about the animation (as there was in Ratatouille), it did take advantage of CGI to create an awe-inspiring and fully-envisioned bee world. The story, while predictable, still managed to be unique and innovative. I knew how everything would turn out, but I had no idea what crazy adventures would happen along the way. This was also somewhat of a detriment, as the movie kept plodding along after the main storyline came to a close and re-opened again two more times. The jokes were fast-paced, but sometimes the funniest ones were muttered to the side instead of boasted with confidence. All in all, I'm glad Jerry Seinfeld made this movie, because it restored my faith in his abilities as a comedian. And it was a lot of fun. Highly recommended if you like Seinfeld.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0389790/

Jarhead (2005)

4.9/5

Sam Mendes's Jarhead adapts Anthony Swofford's memoirs of his time in the Marines during the Gulf War. Yet it isn't really a war movie; it transcends simple genre descriptions. It constantly transforms itself from sharp humor to brutal violence, from the boredom of waiting to the tension of war, from the whitest sands to the reddest fires. These transitions are fluid, organic--a microcosm of how our lives and emotions are tossed around by events beyond our control. It is a film that must be felt to be truly appreciated.

This movie stands apart from others on its technical merits. The acting is realistic, the editing precise, special effects seamless. The cinematography by long-time Coens-collaborator Roger Deakins is constantly breathtaking--he manages to make the desert mesmerizing. The gritty, ultracontrasty look, combined with the hand-held camerawork, gave the movie a sense of realism. The musical choices and placement elevated it into evocative poetry though, which made the movie a much fuller experience. Another reason I love this movie is because it shows the director's evolution and expansion to take full advantage of the medium of film. His first movie after directing plays was American Beauty, and since then he has moved to more and more cinematic movies like Road to Perdition and now Jarhead.

While rewatching it, I noticed some parts I forgot were there, points in time that seemed less necessary, scenes that were looser and floppier. The editing wasn't as tight as I remembered. Other than that, though, I can think of no major points against this movie. It is beautiful, powerful, and meaningful. Do not pass this up.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0418763/

Grizzly Man (2005)

4/5

Grizzly Man took me by surprise. I came in thinking I wouldn't like it, as I had seen Herzog's much-acclaimed Aguirre, the Wrath of God and was not a big fan. But this movie blew me away. Though the two films share central themes of a man's quest for the impossible and eventual downfall, I was moved far more by this one. It was so unexpected, for some reason, when I realized that this movie was about Timothy Treadwell, not living with wild grizzly bears. It was a character study masquerading as a documentary of his life and death. That epiphany held me much closer to the story and had me on the edge of my seat, eager to learn more of this fascinating human being.

Usually I hate crappy, hand-held DV footage, but I was actually very impressed with the quality of footage that Treadwell had. I know the camera he was using and know that there's no way it could look that good on the big screen. Herzog must have manipulated it in some way, because it flowed seamlessly with the other footage. The editing and voice-over narration were a bit jarring at first, but really elevated the movie above a typical doc and made me appreciate the story much more. I have a ton of respect for Herzog after seeing this movie.

There is one big complaint I have with the movie, and that is its ending. I really wish it had ended five minutes sooner, on the close-up of the bear's eyes. Herzog's voice-over narration at that point was a perfect encapsulation of the movie and it's unfortunate (for me, I suppose) that it is not its final shot. There are also more minor gripes. I disliked how they used the coroner to tell the story of Treadwell's death. It distanced me. Perhaps it was the right choice, but I can't help but feel a bit gypped. I disliked how at the end, the movie seemed to focus more on the details of his death, the final tape, etc. I liked when it was about him and not the sensational spectacle and mystery of his death. Still, this is a powerful film with an important message that can touch us all and I highly recommend it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0427312/

Thank You for Smoking (2005)

5/5

Thank You for Smoking is, quite frankly, amazing. It is one of the few comedies I've seen that I think can be considered a film and not just entertainment. What separates it from its comic contemporaries is that it's made with a love for the craft of filmmaking. There is a desire to fill every frame with beauty, to tell the story and jokes through moving pictures instead of words, to go above and beyond merely adequate and take full advantage of all the medium has to offer. The plot centers on Nick Naylor, spokesperson for big tobacco, as he fights lobbyists who want to put an image of skull and crossbones on cigarette packs. But that is not what the movie is about. It is about him being a father, raising a child who looks up to him like he's God. It is about argument, communication, and language. It is about people who change and people who don't; it is about coming to terms with one's purpose.

Every character is fully realized, thanks to excellent writing, casting, directing, and most importantly acting. And everyone is hilarious. I never found myself wishing the "funny" people would be on screen more, because they were all funny. The editing is incredible. Nothing is lingered on, our interest is piqued at every second, and the comic timing is flawless. The character and plot development unfold with ease and the most pristine pacing I've seen in a comedy since Charlie Chaplin. CGI is used subtly to accentuate the humor already there without drawing attention to itself. The dialogue is spot-on. Every joke hits with unerring precision. The camerawork and compositions are truly breathtaking, more evocative than most movies and on par with the best. Every single technical aspect is there in full force. And it is a fulfilling film, a satisfying one. After you stop laughing, you realize you learned something important, you gained more than just a quick euphoric feeling. You witnessed art.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0427944/

The Virgin Spring (1960)

4/5

The Virgin Spring deals with some difficult issues behind faith and the human condition. It puts under its lens guilt and grief, innocence and vengeance, and shifts them to reveal aspects I had never considered before. The plot is simple yet powerful, the dialogue uncluttered yet effective. Bergman let his images do the talking. He visually represents dualities of good and evil and right and wrong (in nature, in men, even in God) by juxtaposing light with darkness. The relatively bare soundtrack and extended use of silence had multiple effects; it made intense scenes more tense and emotional ones more potent. (Although the silence also drove me nuts, as I will expound on in the second paragraph.) I loved the cinematography and the acting, although sometimes found it straying into melodramatic overacting at times.

Several things bugged me. My biggest complaint is in sound design--it is absolutely atrocious. It was so frustrating that it constantly took me out of the story. Half the time you wouldn't be able to hear things that you'd normally be able to hear, like people running around, or a rock being dropped on the ground. I understand his use of silence on an intellectual, thematic level, but it hindered my ability to get involved with the story and characters at an emotional, visceral level, something that detracted heavily from my appreciation of the film. Also, I wasn't too impressed with the bare set design and simple editing. Another gripe is that the first half hour or so went on too long. To me, it seemed like pointless filler. Still, this film is essential Bergman. To anyone unaccustomed to his work, get accustomed to it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0053976/

Last Tango in Paris (1972)

2/5

Last Tango in Paris is something of a bizarre movie to me. The plot follows Marlon Brando as Paul, a recent widower after his wife's unexpected suicide, and Maria Schneider as Jeanne, a young girl in Paris. They randomly meet in an apartment up for rent, have rough sex bordering on rape, and agree to continue seeing each other without ever knowing the other's name or past. I'll be the first to admit that I don't "understand" this film, although I consider it a fault of the film and not myself. It was too impenetrable; it was as if it didn't want to say what it was about and purposely stayed away from revealing its meaning. Why?

Another thing about the movie I didn't understand was the prevalent nudity and sex. Usually I don't mind it when I see the purpose of keeping it in, but I saw no real reason for its gratuitous excess in this film. It certainly wasn't realism, because the compositions and camera movements were so set-up and planned that the movie as a whole didn't feel realistic in the first place--any realism by having a girl stand around naked was immediately lost and crossed the fine line from art into pornography.

Bertolucci has this amazing visual flair that I love to watch, but it just wasn't good enough to outweigh my distaste for the rest of the movie. The music was fantastic as well, although it came in and out at strange places and volumes. There were some very powerful moments in the movie, but they were few and far between and weakened by the meandering story. Really, I'm very disappointed with Bertolucci after this film. I don't recommend this to any but the most hardcore of Bertolucci fans.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0070849/

The Golden Compass (2007)

3/5

I read these books a while back and really liked them. I never fell in love with them like a fanboy, but I appreciated the depth of characters and mature content usually absent in "children's books." Those are almost precisely the things this movie lacked. It was a children's movie without the adult themes and complex characters. And yet somehow it managed to stay too faithful to the book. There was no adaptation involved; instead it compacted every single important event in the book and shoved it into this movie, which made everything seem forced and outright ridiculous. Moreover, the world they imagined was so different from what I had imagined. It was futuristic with blue balls of energy powering everything. What is that? When I read the book I imagined it was just London in present day. Another qualm is the CGI. I hated it. Filmmakers depend on it too much; it seems as if they don't even shoot anything anymore. It's just not believable.

But to be fair, I did find myself enjoying it a lot. The bear fight scene was awesome, and there were some parts that were really exciting. There's nothing really terrible about the movie, just frustrating. It's irritating when you see good material treated sloppily. Don't go out and see it if you can avoid it. Save yourself a whole lot of ire and just read (or re-read) the books.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0385752/

The Kite Runner (2007)

3/5

The Kite Runner, despite its rather specific tale of Afghan refugees, tells a universal story of humanity and friendship. It was an eye-opening experience for me, as the story contained elements I wasn't expecting and it took place in a country I knew relatively little about. There are some powerful moments, both visceral and emotional, throughout the film, and an especially shocking one towards the beginning. Much like Reign Over Me, it was an emotionally satisfying movie, if not a deeply complex one, but one that is easy to appreciate and feel touched by. he cinematography was incredible, as was the acting by Homayoun Ershadi as the father of the main character, who was believable in every aspect of being--and a very interesting character to boot!

However, all the rest of the acting I wasn't too big a fan of. The story was sometimes predictable, and a bit overlong, as it contained scenes with very little worth while more moving scenes were given short shrift. Much of the movie felt too literary, and it was also a bit confusing, as if an initial cut had voice-over and in the final cut they just took it out. I didn't like the kite flying special effects, mostly because I knew they were special effects, although they were really cool to watch. Overall, an entertaining and moving film, but definitely not one of Marc Forster's (or David Benioff's for that matter) best efforts.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0419887/

A Bronx Tale (1993)

3/5

A Bronx Tale tells the story of a bus driver (Robert De Niro) and his son Calogero in the Bronx in the 60's. After an incident early in his life, he is taken in and befriended by the local gangster (Chazz Palminteri), much to his father's dismay. The movie charts the history of the time period alongside the development of the characters. What I liked most about the movie was the progression of the story and the emotional depth of the characters. It was refreshing and new, for the most part, although sometimes it strayed into predictability.

Nothing about the movie stood out from a technical perspective. I didn't think the casting decisions were very well-founded; there are vastly better young actors than the ones in this movie. The acting was below average for everyone except De Niro and Palminteri, where it was only slightly above average and not the best of their careers. The writing, by Palminteri, was rather simplistic and included unceasing, unnecessary voice-over. I wasn't too impressed with De Niro's directing, but I can appreciate this movie for his personal investment in the subject matter. Overall, I wouldn't suggest you go seek it out, but it's certainly not terrible.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0106489/

Paprika (2006)

3/5

Paprika is an eye-popping visual feat of a movie. It is breathtaking, it is wondrous, it just doesn't make any sense. To be fair, I went in too tired to give it my rapt attention. I dozed off every now and again. I admit that is was beautiful and inventive, but other than that, what did it have to offer? The plot was rather trite except for absolutely ludicrous claims like dreams and the internet being the same. There were moments of extreme hilarity, but they felt forced and out of place. I didn't really take much out of the movie. But it does encourage me that Japanese animation truly is reaching for the stars. If only there were a way to combine Japanese ambition with American storytelling, then we'd have a winner.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0851578/