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Chicago (2002)

Didn't like this film, and that lies with the fact that Zelwegger couldn't pull of either the acting part or the singing and dancing parts. She's not hot or pretty enough for me to actually buy into her whole dame routine, and she couldn't carry any of the tunes enough for me to care about her character when she was singing. Zeta-Jones was decent, but again, she couldn't pull off the singing to a fashion that I cared about. She could dance though, and I thought she pulled off the acting well enough. Gere I actually thought did a good job in all his roles, he wasn't outstanding, but he was good all around. Latifah was good as well, singing wise, acting wise she was okay. John C. Reilly was outstanding, but he's one of my favorite actors anyways. Overall it's a decent movie, but not good or really worth your time or anything.
 
I think it was in this forum that we talked a bit about Blu-Ray players, so I'm posting this here... It has leaked that after Thanksgiving, Sears will be selling Sony Blu-Ray players for $179! That is dirt cheap for a Sony Blu-Ray. Of course I can only wonder if some place else will match, or beat, that price.
 
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Loved the movie, the only real drawback was Queen Latifah's character, she was useless and served no purpose, and in that regard anytime she was onscreen with Emma Thompson's character the movie would stop. But, outside of that it was a tremendous movie with strong performances from everyone, including Gyllenhaal who prior to this movie I was convinced couldn't act in any capacity. The story flowed wonderfully and had a brilliant breaking the fourth wall type of ending. Great movie, probably in the bottom of my top 10 for 2006.
 
Garden State (2004)

I really liked this one, but it was too hard to connect to. I think my main problem is that Braff does play his character as such an emo character, but when he wants to exploit feelings from the audience then he switches gears and plays either a straight man or the hero type. While I thought Natalie Portman was very good I also don't believe for a second that a woman like her actually exists. There isn't a woman out that that is so quirky, out there, funny, sweet and innocent, and will accept a guy at face value. I did really like the friend Mark, and thought Ian Holm was good as the dad. I did like the spin it put on the usual concept of innocence and purity. Braff views Portman as innocent and pure, but it's not because she's saintly as are most woman that are innocent and pure in movies. She's innocent and pure because she's pure of spirit, she drinks, I'm sure she would do drugs (she may even do them in the movie, I'm not sure), she's going to bang Braff after barely knowing him, etc.. None of these are things that movies ever like to associate with the innocent and pure female characters, but Garden State puts a spin on that vision and does so very successfully. There are so many good things about this movie and I really liked it, but I just wish it could have been a little tighter, and the character portrayals would have been a bit more realistic and not pandering to the type of people they thought would see the film.
 
Cell said:
I really liked this one, but it was too hard to connect to. I think my main problem is that Braff does play his character as such an emo character, but when he wants to exploit feelings from the audience then he switches gears and plays either a straight man or the hero type.
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I read it entirely the other way. At the beginning of the movie he's not emo, he's emotionless, being strung out on lithium. But as the story progresses, and as the lithium leaves his system while Sam (Portman) enters it, his emotions return, and he really does become more normal. But then, I may be partial to the film, since when I first saw it I happened to be in love with a woman who really was a lot like Sam, if perhaps a little more mature. Less compulsive lying, for instance.

My big objection to the movie was that it seemed heavy on the sight gags near the beginning (the gas pump nozzle, the knight) which were brilliant -- and then seemed to stop coming. Then there were the occasional extraneous "let's have fun with the medium" moments, like the sound fading away for a second, or everything turning blue for a few beats.
 
Loved it... Daniel Craig's era is very much to Bond, what the Christian Bale era is to Batman.

It cuts out the cheese and is very much about playing with the big boys.

It also stays true to the spirit of Bond without feeling compelled to emulate every Bond cliche.

The thing I dislike the most? The song they chose for the opening credits.
 
Galahad said:
The thing I dislike the most? The song they chose for the opening credits.
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Interesting, especially because I think the song they had for the last movie was one of the best Bond songs ever, especially when you consider the context of the franchise reboot.
 
Well, it's not that it's rubbish, it just doesn't appeal to me as much as other aspects of the film... it's a bit like Garbage's effort... it's trying too hard to sound Bondesque.

One area of Bond in which I'm pretty old school... is the opening music. I have a bit of a soft spot for Sheena Easton's "For Your Eyes Only".

Some critics are coming down hard on the lack of humour... but I think Bond films to the British are somewhat akin to how the Western genre relates to Americans - reflective of the respective nations sensibilities/politics of the time.
 
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Galahad said:
Some critics are coming down hard on the lack of humour... but I think Bond films to the British are somewhat akin to how the Western genre relates to Americans - reflective of the respective nations sensibilities/politics of the time.
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The movie did need some humour to relieve the tension. I left the cinema strung up rather than excited.
 
Venus (2006)

Powerful performance from Peter O' Toole, and the young Jodie Whittaker is quite good as well. The concept does take a little getting past, as the idea that a woman that young would allow someone like O' Toole anywhere near her is either a take it or leave it idea. I bought it in Venus, and that was because of the performances. Venus was humorous when it needed to be, heartfelt when it called for it, a tad too melodramatic at parts, but it remained a great story about maturity and what exactly it does entail.

Tsotsi (2005)

Quite the film. Outside of the moment when he first brought the child home and I felt they jumped into the "Hey, isn't this funny, look at how he's taking care of the baby" montage a bit early there wasn't a moment I could complain about. This was a perfect companion piece to Children Of Men. The same ideas, just a different conclusion. In COM a savior, or an innocent child doesn't make a bit of difference, people are people and therefore war and death will go on. But, in Tsotsi a single child does make a difference and allows one young man to change. The way the main character changes is completely believable, and through his actions you see how that type of change is possible in everyone. Powerful movie.
 
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Anyone watch the BBC show Primeval that just finished up on BBC America? I enjoyed it, and noticed the DVD at Target the other day. Time portals that allow prehistoric (and other) creatures to cause mayhem in modern day.

I'm liking Sanctuary (On SciFi channel) too. It apparently started on the web, and stars Samantha Carter of SG-1. Also, Kandyse McClure (Dualla from BSG) has a small part in it. Fantastic settings, so mostly shot on green screen. It's a freak of the week show.
 
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