Gravity, Gravitas, Garbage

Gravity had all the weight and heaviness of gravity. You felt the danger. The serious situation movie which has Sandra Bullock and George Clooney alive and floating in space is visually stunning from the shots of earth/space to George & Sandra looking fantastic. But can we really stand Sandra Bullock talking to herself for an entire movie? The answer is NO! I felt like the movie simply repeated footage over and over. The end is so improbable that they had to use spaghetti western music to make it feel important. I'll stay on solid ground, thank you.

Enough Said

Enough Said

I can't say enough about Enough Said.  I simply loved this touching romantic comedy.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays a divorced woman who decides to pursue the man she's interested in only to learn he's her new friend's ex-husband.  If Seinfeld wasn't convincing enough, or The New Old Christine, or VEEP, become a believer.  JL-R is the complete package.  Her acting range and comedic timing are all on offer.

James Gandolfini was my God.  I worshipped at Tony's altar on The Sopranos.  His lovely big sweet portrayal of' 'Albert', Julia's love interest, is only more poignant because of his untimely death.  Underplayed and brilliant.  Actresses Toni Collette and Catherine Keener both hit all the right buttons, as does the rest of the supporting cast.

Though I gush, I don't recommend this to the under 35 crowd. You might just have to have been around the block a few times to appreciate this movie.

Director and writer, Nicole Holofcener, could expect a call when Oscar noms are announced. They don't make movies this pleasing all the time.  This one really is "For Jim".

The Godmother
9/28/13

Movies are Up $$$$

Amount spent going to the movies, the number of tickets sold, and the number of movie screens were all up in 2012. A banner year at the movies led by the huge box office successes of The Avengers, The Hobbit, Skyfall, Dark Knight Rises, and Lincoln. (See my reviews of DKR and Lincoln.)

And I did my little piece of social media by bloggin reviews. Re-post and add followers to Leave the gun, take the cannoli. We're off the the movies in 2013.

See you all on the red carpet at the Globes on the 13th and at the Oscars in February.

Thank you to all my family, friends and fans for your support,

The Godmother

Killing Them Softly

Killing Them Softly reunites mega-actor Brad Pitt and Indie director Andrew Dominik in a treatise on  the chaotic underworld of hit men. The movie plays like scenes within a mob movie rather than a whole movie. The conversationist approach combined with a good story make for a very interesting and absorbing movie, IF you are fan of the genre. The meditative dialog runs like a metaphor for the economic and political collapse of the last four years in this country. Organic, at times indulgent, the tense conversations ramble and enthrall all at once. 

James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, and Richard Jenkins are brilliant foils for Pitt's tough guy hit man, played by Pitt with the right degree of intensity, wit, and his inherently drop dead gorgeous looks. And when the hits come, they don't disappoint with beautifully shot slow-mo visuals. 

No traditional mob movie here but worth the hit. 

 

LINCOLN

DIRECTED BY STEVEN SPIELBERG, this by the "book" (Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin) movie is flawless in every way. The historical context is monumental in America's history, the team of seasoned actors are exceptional, the sets and costumes of Washington D.C. in 1865 are beautifully accurate, and the intelligent and emotional dialog is riveting. The month long battle in the House of Representatives to amend the Constitution and abolish slavery, Lincoln's prerequisite to ending the Civil War, is finally won by the Republicans. Euclid's axiom serves as a bridge to racial equality for all men. Griping, moving, a must see.

Les Miserables

What sort of fare is this? Cats meets Chicago? Dreamgirls crossed with West Side Story? Sweeney Todd bred with a War Horse? Romeo and Juliet?

The monumental task of taking this epic musical to the big screen by Tom Hooper must be applauded.

The musical sensation soars on stage and mostly succeeds as a movie. 

This is the story of Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole, who agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's daughter, Cosette. The fateful decision changes their lives forever. Set in early 19th century France, the movie is based on the classic historical novel by Victor Hugo which ranks among one of the greatest novels of all time. Within this dramatic story are themes of crime and punishment, desperation, amorality, oppression, and the possible prison which is the desparate mind. All this and set to the music of Claude-Michel Schonberg makes for an extravagant spectacle that dazzles the senses and touches the heart. 

Hugh Jackman is fantastic and carries the film. Anne Hathaway has neither the voice nor the acting chops to play Fantine. It is during the second half when the ensemble cast takes over that the movie is best. Sasha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter add sufficient humor to the film. Daniel Huttlestone steals the show during the June uprising of 1832. And I must defend Russell Crowe who can't sing yet can act circles around anyone and is ultimately believable as the relentless Javert. 

I laughed, I cried, I wet my pants (if it was any longer I might have). 

Look Down! Viva La France! Who Am I? Jean Valjean!

"He is asleep. though his mettle was sorely tried. He lived, and when he lost his angel, died. It happened calmly, on its own, the way night comes when day is done." Les Miserables

The Dark Knight Rises

Will the 10am show at The Fenway be safer than the midnight show in Aurora, Colorado? Will The Dark Knight Rises deliver the goods? Yes and no. Each Batman movie seems to be tainted by a tragedy of one sort or another. Loosing the talented Heath Ledger before the opening of The Dark Knight, and now the insane shooting in Colorado. These tragedies highlight the fact that as bad as it is, and it's bad, this is still only a movie.

Beyond the creative opening scene, reminiscent of a James Bond opening, The Dark Knight Rises is a long, dark slog through Gotham (aka Manhattan). With a cast including big name Hollywood talents like Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldham, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway and The Batman, how could Christopher Nolan have gone so wrong?

The movie's back and forth between subplots and scenes can make one batty. Is it day or night? What season is it? Are we in the city or a hole in the desert? How long do we have until that nuclear bomb goes off? The use of space & time is erratic. The action is diminished by the constant scene changes.

The shots of lower Manhattan with it's bridges blowing up and New York's finest trapped underground in the subway are reminiscent of 9/11. Yet any connection is lost in the confusion of this big, brash movie. The nuclear ending is contrived and serves only to set up the Batman and "Robin" sequel.

The Dark Knight rises is an action film of epic yet empty proportions.