Actors: Domnall
Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy,
Lydia Wilson,
Lindsay Duncan, Richard Cordery, Tom Hollander
Rating: 10 out of 10,
a very cute British romantic comedy about a father and son who can travel back
through time whenever they choose. The
movie doesn’t make a big deal about the earth shattering ramifications of such
talent as most time travel movies do. It
stays on a very human level as the guys use this talent for what a lot of us
would do, they go back to fix some of their social mistakes and help friends. I
liked this movie on so many levels. The characters were touchingly
lovable both in the lead actor’s (one of those Weasley boys from the Harry
Potter movies and son of Brendan Gleeson) adoringly awkward romantic life as
well as his relationship with his dad, the incomparable Bill Nighy. It
also raises serious questions about what you would do given the same
talent. Would you go back, how far, what would you fix? Would I go
back to college to fix that tentative brush of a first kiss with my college
sweetheart that turned out to be a signature moment for the relationship?
The night of – definitely; a week later, definitely not. This
is a movie that makes you think even while making you fall in love with the
story and the characters. It sends the timeless message of the fleeting
nature of time and the importance of savoring life as it inexorably marches
by. Don't let those special, yet barely recognized moments of pass by
without appreciation. Take some of your own time and wisely spend it
seeing this movie.
MVP: Nighy as Dad
with a lesson for all of us
Actors: Vin Diesel, Jordi
Molla, Matt Nable, Katie Sackoff, Dave Bautista
Rating: 9 out of 10, Vin Diesel returns to one of his
signature roles which is so much better than the second movie which got a little
out of hand. It was much closer to the
first film and has Riddick alone against a hostile planet and
platoons of bounty hunters. It’s not
really a fair fight for either the planet or the hunters but makes for a
very entertaining flick. There is great
attention to detail, sometimes painfully so, as Riddick tames both the planet
and the mercs. This also boasts the best
demon dog in recent cinema – so you get that as well. Of course Riddick domesticates it.
MVP: Diesel really
lives the part and delivers once again as the fugitive Furian
Actors: Joakim Natterquist, Sofia Helin, Stellan
Skarsgard, Bibi Anderson, Michael Nyquist
Rating: 7 out of 10, I guess this is Sweden’s answer
to Braveheart with the story of star crossed lovers separated at an early age
when she’s sent to a convent and he goes about crusading in the holy land. The movie switches between three or four
languages but the story is fairly compelling.
I later learned this was two movies that were combined for international
release and looking back that was kind of evident. Natterquist as Arn has real screen presence
and he evolves from a clueless teenager to a grizzled middle aged warrior over the
course of the film and is believable in each incarnation. The battle scenes started out impressively
staged but there wasn’t a follow through during the actual battles which
strained credulity. All that being said,
I really liked this.
MVP: Natterquist as Arn, a very dangerous man
Actors: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah
Hill, Michael Cera, Craig Robertson, Danny McBride
Rating: 7 out of 10, Not one but two demon penises as
well as an f-word count well into the hundreds and peeing into one’s own mouth
- a true classic is born. The movie starts out incredibly funny as we see
actors portraying themselves in all their pretentious glory and poking
merciless fun at themselves. The
apocalypse arrives and they don’t handle it well. The movie founders badly in the middle but
rallies at the end. Literally dozens of
cameos, some of which are incredibly funny, especially Michael Cera and Magic
Mike himself.
MVP: Cera as himself in all his glory leaving his garage
light saber dueling persona far behine
Actors: Aubry
Plaza, Jake Johnson, Mark
Duplass, Karan Soni, Mary Jane Rajskub
Rating: 9 out of 10, I am so
grateful to my daughter for putting me onto this completely quirky but ultimately
redemptive movie. The combination of
Plaza, doe eyes ablaze, seeking out meaning in her life while working as an
undercover reporter with an apparent wacko (Duplass) who plans on time
travelling. Their arc of developing relationship
is so much fun to watch. The lead
reporter’s transition in a secondary plot line is skillfully woven in as
well. Jake Johnson does a great job with
a shallow man who finds depth in his young interns. The ending of this movie is now definitely in
the top five ending scenes of any movie I’ve ever seen, saying a lot about just
how well done this flick is. You want to
raise your fist with Johnson while howling in joy.
MVP: Duplass as the dedicated yet troubled genius
Kenneth
Actors: Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, Diane Lane, Thomas
Jane, Rosario Dawson
Rating: 7 out of 10, I can’t believe I hadn’t heard
of this, much less seen this 2008 movie.
On top of a cast boasting some of my favorite actors it was an Elmore
Leonard story which guaranteed some truly memorable characters. He doesn’t disappoint with Rourke playing an
aging amoral Indian hit man accompliced with a frenetic young hood in Leavitt
who steals every scene, something he’s making a habit of. His complete ineptness as a wannabe bad guy
is a great foil to Rouke’s cool deadliness.
They spend the movie trying to hunt down and kill Jane and Lane. This was every bit as fun as most of the now painfully
departed Leonard’s fare was. He’s going
to be missed.
MVP: Leavitt as the over the top, bumbling hood
appropriately named Richard Nix
Actors: Heather Graham, Joseph Fiennes, Natascha
McElhone, Ullrich Thomsen
Rating: 4 out of 10, This came as part of a double
feature DVD with another movie I wanted and I can see why it was relegated to
B-Side anonymity. It’s terrible. The unintentional comedy level is through the
roof though and that (along with Ms Graham’s not inconsiderable charms on full
display) made it watchable. It aimed for
lofty erotic thriller status but the two leads fail miserably, burdened by that
laughably bad script referenced above.
Graham spends the entire movie looking confused and Fiennes tries to get
by with just being intense. I can see
why Graham never made the transition out of supporting roles, she’s just not up
to carrying a whole movie. A spectacular chest will only get you so far.
MVP: Ms Graham’s shirt which spends most of the
movie discarded on the floor
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