by Ethan Johnson
April 4, 2007
Seen and heard:
Jarhead: There is a saying that is shared with a knowing nod amongst US military vets: "hurry up and wait." Well, they'll love this movie. 90% of it is just showing up, which might be a good film to see before signing up for any given branch. I thought it was well-cast and well-acted, such as it was. Worth renting if you're into this sort of thing.
The Illusionist: This came out right around the time of The Prestige, so it mostly got lost in the shuffle somewhere. This movie loves it some CGI. To a fault, at times. The acting is mostly good, Paul Giamatti continues to amaze me with his character acting chops, and overall the story is pretty taut. Enjoy the rental.
The Bridge on the River Kwai: Well, it's like this: As a model for historical accuracy, it's terrible. As a gripping WWII drama, it's amazing. I saw part of it several years ago, but it didn't really "grab" me at the time. I committed to watching the whole thing, and found myself physically getting wrapped up in the story - such as cringing when certain plans go awry. Well worth the rental, but just bear in mind that the actual story is a far cry from the movie version.
The Prestige: Come back, Illusionist, all is forgiven. This movie had more "names" in it than the other, but the story was pretty flat, and the characters left much to be desired. When the movie got to the punchline, we shrugged. Rent The Illusionist.
Wild at Heart: This movie has a lot of minuses, for me. One, I'm about at my limit for Nicolas Cage movies. Two, I'm past my limit for Elvis-inspired lead roles. Especially after Bubba Ho-Tep, which really is the only one you need to see, outside of movies that actually have Elvis in them. Three, David Lynch isn't my favorite director in the world. Four, Laura Dern is far from my favorite actress. Five, the movie was excruciatingly painful to sit through. I toughed it out, and really wish I hadn't. I cracked a smile ONCE. Rent on a dare.
Shane: Shifting gears, this movie was a purty good western, but you know what, the kid who reportedly "steals the show" really annoyed me. I think this was intentional, however, but I was shocked to learn that the actor was nominated for an Oscar® afterward. I would have preferred a little more clarity around Shane's backstory, and they sure hint around about his relationship with the lady of the house, hem hem. The backdrop for this story is none other than the Grand Teton range, so I give it 4 stars just for the scenery. But really, worth a rent if you can stand the kid.
The Departed: One may recognize this as the recipient of the Best Picture Oscar® for the 2006 movie season. Mmmm, as with any awards the merits are debatable. While on the subject of awards shows, it was weird to see Jack Nicholson act, after seeing him behave like a goofball during the Oscars® year after year. I guess he likes his awards shows. Anyway, it was well cast, and well acted, but story wise it kinda left me cold. I didn't go to Feelm School so some of the attempts at symbolism and deeper meaning were lost on me, I'm afraid. Just the same, probably worth renting if you're wanting a taut cat-and-mouse thriller, but you may be left scratching your head.
Kitchen Stories: I remember hearing about this on NPR, and the reviewer was having a tough time explaining what this movie is about, and how the plot plays out. Well, ditto. It's a "quiet", but altogether "sweet" movie, in a very dry, Scandanavian way. After the fact, I learned that there are layers of Teh Funny™ IF you're Swedish/Norse. Being that I'm neither of those things in the immediate (just in my lineage somewhere), the layers of nuance were lost on me. Without getting too in depth about the story, I'll just say that "communication" is the central theme, and that it's worth the rent. Subtitled. <EM>
