Manchester by the Sea

I like Casey Affleck- I like his face much better than Ben's. I love Michelle Williams and Kyle Chandler. I like this story. I like the scenery. I like good stories. But more importantly, I like SHORT stories-not sad stories that run for over 2 hours. It is about 2 scenes or 2o minutes too long.
 There have been a few long movies I've liked- Gone With the Wind is an example. And, if you are going to tell a morose story- a brutally sad one in fact, then the lead actor needs to look and sound more like an interesting person. Casey Affleck is just plain not right for this lead. You lose a lot of empathy while you look at your watch. And what saves this movie?? I'll tell you- it is Michelle Williams. The heartbreak and yearning and love in her face steals the movie in about 2 minutes of your time. It is then that surely you realize the reason this movie feels as if something is off is because they filmed it from the wrong point of view. The true star is Michelle Williams. And then you'd have the real story.

American Honey

Oh sweet cheesus.  "Star" (an unknown chosen off the street or pier for this role) is a young woman who believes herself to be streetwise all the while looking after her abusive boyfriend's kids while he sort of does what he wants. She meets up with a dapper magazine saleman, played by Shia LaBoeuf (is that really his name???) who brings her into the world of traveling teens who drink, do drugs, vandalize, trespass and physically harm the occasional human being who is in their path while they tour around to sell magazines. Did I mention the sex and nudity and other things? But the worst crime of this is that it is BORING. Not a moment of cleverness, not even a moment of empathy for them. These are really boring people. And the second crime is that it is 162 minutes long.  Here is how good it is- it only made $663,000 nationwide so far.  Just don't.

Solitary Man

Michael Douglas plays a 60 something year old car dealership(s) owner who is a liar, a womanizer, and basically a man of little character who is divorced and trying to start over after a stint in the pokey for deceptive practice (I think that was the charge- it was murky). His ex-wife, Susan Sarandon, got to keep the gorgeous NYC apartment, and she has moved on with a stellar career in real estate. His daughter, the dead pan Jenna Fischer, tries to have a non-co-dependent relationship with her father while trying to balance her marriage with her father's needs. Douglas plays the role with a level of mindless creepiness that keeps the audience at arm's length. Everyone is believable. Douglas and Fischer are perfectly cast. Anyone could have done the Sarandon role. I liked this film. It isn't a big movie, but it is a very interesting one.

Shutter Island

DiCaprio, Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Mark Ruffalo, Max von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer--7 reasons to see this movie. Everyone gives a flawless performance. DiCaprio plays a federal marshall sent to investigate the goings on at a mental hospital for the criminally insane on an island off Boston. Martin Scorsese directs it with a dark undercurrent and does keep it moving along amidst great scenery. Plenty of clues are dropped along the way. And there are actually TWO twists in this movie- one is about 20 minutes from the end when you find out what is really going on. The other is in the last two minutes- where you find out that some memories are better off lost forever. That's all I can say. Great cast, great director, great setting and costuming, and a good script. The only misstep was the music- unnecessarily morose and foreboding in spots where it wasn't needed. In the first scene, the music was so heavy handed that I said a silent prayer that it would stop. It was only intermittent, but Scorsese should have seen that the music didn't call attention to itself in an otherwise wonderful film. See it.

The Last Station

This is about the events leading up to the 82 year old Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer looking older than dirt) deserting his wife (Helen Mirren) and wealth to start a new life of asceticism. Tolstoy has a complicated brilliance- he begins as an author of very popular literature and becomes involved in pacifism and non-violence. Over time, he becomes something of a hypocrite as he preaches against wealth, but lives as a rich man-which causes him intense guilt. Yet, he is a Christ figure to his followers. They are devoted to him. With time, his wife becomes aware of the dangers of having an idol as a husband. Mirren plays Sophia Tolstoy as a hysteric- but with good cause. Someone IS trying to take her family's fortune away. James McAvoy plays Tolstoy's secretary, Bulgakov. As usual, he is incredibly good. Paul Giammati plays Chertkov, the leader of the Tolstoyans. The cast is so good that the poor editing in the film is barely noticeable. But not quite. There are a couple of scenes that seem to come out of nowhere- as if a logical transition would have been impossible. It's emphasis on the hysterical Mirren seems to go on too long. We GET it. But it is certainly worth a trip to the movies-if for no other reason than to see something about a man who influenced people like Martin Luther King on the value of non-violent resistance. I didn't know what to expect when I bought my ticket, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Plan to stay through the final credits since original film of Tolstoy is shown.

The Hurt Locker

I saw The Hurt Locker but didn't review it. Sorry! But since it is up for an Academy Award, I will do a 1 minute summary. The main character, played by Jeremy Renner, works on the bomb squad in Iraq. What the audience quickly learns is that if you work the bomb squad, you have to assume you are going to die. And once you come to terms with that, then stop and enjoy the adrenalin rush of knowing each time could be your last. And with that acceptance comes a casual courage that ordinary people can't fathom. And the worst thing might be having to go home - because painting a fence isn't the same as cutting a red or green wire in a 100 pound suit. I thought this was great movie. It creates tension but not so much that you can't enjoy it. The performances were amazing. There wasn't too much anti-American sentiment as you usually find in Hollywood. SO, if you haven't seen it, definitely rent it.

Crazy Heart

I am not the first to observe that this movie is what The Wrestler wanted to be- but The Wrestler was too brutal to accomplish the feelings that this film leaves the viewer with. It is a story of an aging, alcoholic singer (Bad Blake played by Jeff Bridges) who never shows up late to a gig, even if it is at a bowling alley. He resents the success of a protoge (oddly well played by Colin Farrell), though in his heart he knows that drinking has killed his career. And with a sweetness at his core, he falls in love with women. When he falls for a local reporter at a gig, played by the hangdog and miscast Maggie Gyllenhaal, he convinces himself that he can be a success as a husband and stepfather. He does well, and almost makes it, except for what alcohol does to his judgment. Bridges is wonderful- one believes that he is capable of loving and being loved. He comes through the film and (at least for now) grows into the man he could have been all along. This film isn't really about music- it's about alcoholism. The music is great and the acting is great. The weak link is Gyllenhaal- this is a role that someone like Maura Tierney could have done- but Gyllenhaal's droopy and plain face doesn't inspire any emotion for her, and to make that character work- you'd have to believe this woman was a little wild with passion and distraction. No one in their right mind lets their kid be babysat by a late middle aged raging alcoholic! This film was a great character study and was very believable. I give it 4 stars.

Up In The Air

George Clooney works his way rather effortlessly through this little morality tale of a man who makes a living traveling all over the country doing what the weak bosses cannot do- fire people. He is a man who finds his home in the constancy of a hotel chain- to the point that his own apartment looks like a room that has just been checked out of. He has travel down to an art- a comfortable art where he is greeted and treated as a VIP- due to his amazing accumulation of miles. He has an even life- one of work and travel with the occasional hook up. And he likes it. There is no conflict. When his comfort is challenged by a young hire who want to do the firing via teleconferences rather than travel, he wants to prove to her that there is more than a script involved in firing unsuspecting employees. When he enters into a relationhship with an aggressive fellow traveler, he almost slides into another reality. If you think hard enough about the movie, you can find some irony in most of it. The acting is superb. And I really liked this film- I'd overanalyze it though because it is actually a story with 3 subplots that involve other kinds of firing. It is like a very good short story- it gets the audience to FEEL for the people in it. There is no real high drama, and the plot twists aren't much of a surprise, but the cast does so much with it that you don't notice those things. GO see it. (Just don't pay attention to Clooney's new teeth and botox- I don't mind the botox, but those new choppers keep him from looking like George Clooney. I will grudgingly admit he looks better. But hey- I guess it's his job to look good, so go with the new).

The Blind Side

Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Quinton Aaron are the stars in this movie about a black kid who is homeless and is adopted by the Tuohy family - and he grows up to be the real Michael Oher of pro football fame. This could have been schmaltzy beyond words. But Bullock and McGraw positively radiate southern hospitality and spirit- and yes, love- for Oher. This is a true story. The film doesn't follow the book and/or real life too closely, but it gets the gist of it right. Bullock is amazing in this role- it is as if she was born to play Leigh Anne, the former sorority girl from Ole Miss. Leigh Anne does it her way. And she does it without asking for compliments or praise. She does it because she could and because it was right. Her husband obviously adores her independence and conviction. This is a heartwarming and wonderful movie- even more so because it is true. If everyone took just one homeless child, it would be a different world. It must be a priviledge to know Leigh Anne Tuohy.

Avatar

Let's get this out of the way first- it is a visually stunning film- maybe the most visually stunning film you will ever see. Every detail of a strange planet and its biological diversity seems to be taken care of. So, if you want to spend over two hours marveling at that, go for it. I am not sorry I saw it- at least on that level. But I promise, I could have written it myself- the dialogue and plot were so stock that anyone over 13 could have finished the lines. Leave it to the Canadian James Cameron to make the enemy the US army. In an imaginary universe, Cameron could have chosen any random imaginary enemy, but he makes it the United States military. There is all sorts of preachy stuff that implies that humans are horrible and have ruined their "mother" (earth). Cameron is so full of self indulgent crap that the movie feels not only cliche ridden but ridiculous. Cameron COULD have made a brilliant film. But he didn't. And anyone who isn't blinded by the action and effects will know that. It is beyond predictable. But you should see it anyway because it is simply beautiful to watch.

An Education

It is 1962 in a London suburb and a very bright, fresh faced Jenny(Carey Mulligan) is the great hope of her girl's school to be the one to go Oxford. She has what would be called "spirit" in 1962. She is bright, pretty and intensely curious about the adult world she hasn't yet entered. So when a handsome and winsomely charming, and well off, older man (Peter Sarsgaard) begins his seduction, she is a willing follower. The rest of the movie is "an education" for Jenny and her parents, and perhaps her teachers. If I say more, it will ruin the story, so I won't. But if you miss this wonderful film and go to see some crappy movie instead, you've made a mistake. "An Education" is a movie you can talk about at dinner. Jenny is only one person's fool in all of this- and we feel she knows it but doesn't want to end the illusion. You can discuss what would have happened to her had she done various things instead. You can discuss what her parents did or didn't do (keeping in mind that it IS 1962, not 2009.) Because you will leave the theater having cared about her. I loved this movie. And so will you.

Everybody's Fine

How strange to make a film so sad as this at Christmas time. The film ads and posters show a smiling, happy crew headed by Robert DeNiro. Take a long, hard look because that is about the last time you'll see them happy. DeNiro is a newly widowed father who kept in touch with his adult kids via his wife (the usual). Now that she is gone, he invites them but they don't come. They planned to, but since one of them is in prison in Mexico, they all cancel. So he goes to find them. Yet, he has a lung disease from working with PVC wire that insulates phone lines- so we are supposed to get the irony that he made all that communication possible, but no one calls him. Anyhoo- he does visit them and they are each hiding something so they don't disappoint him. You get the drift. Parts are absolutely wonderful- but the story becomes oppressive. The children all love their father but they won't tell him the truth?? It is very 1950s in that respect. DeNiro plays a very wise and caring father. It seems odd they wouldn't tell him his kid was in Mexico in prison. The end of this movie is a miserable failure- was it an homage to Christmas spirit that they tied it up tightly with a bow? Should you see it?- no, you should wait and rent it. It's too down for this time of year.

Brothers

An ensemble film depends on every single actor doing a wonderful job. The danger is when there is even a slightly weak link- that actor will be somewhat ignored while the viewer pays attention to the better actor. In this movie, the best actor is the child actor Bailee Madison. It is up to the adults to keep pace. Tobey McGuire and Jake Gyllenhaal hold their own as the brothers who switch places as the good/bad child in the family. Natalie Portman, who is a very boring actress to watch and listen to, limps her way through as the wife who believes her husband (McGuire) is dead and picks up with his brother (Gyllenhaal). There is plenty of tension. It's a good movie, and it is interesting to watch. There is a problem however, and that is that it just isn't enough. A complex story becomes a simple story. McGuire tries to save it by using his eyes to express his craziness. But truly- the kids tell the story better than anyone. I'd recommend it. Yet, everyone in this film really seems like they are working too hard to make it a film. It feels far more like a play.

Bright Star

Well, this is one slow, beautifully staged and costumed, theatrical film. I cannot imagine it being described as a date movie- I think it would bore a man to death. It is slower than it needs to be and longer than it needs to be. It is about the romance between the poet Keats and his young love, Fanny Brawne. The costumes are beautiful and very authentic. The acting is lovely. There are longing gazes, silly games, parental anguish, etc. It's not that much of a story, but it's a lot of acting. I can't say I'd see it twice, but it was lovely to see once.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

What can I say? This franchise is brilliant. In the first film, Daniel Radcliffe was such a bad actor that only the wonder of the 'book brought to life' saved the film. But that was enough. Now that Radcliffe has progressed and become a better actor, and his fellow (more talented) actors have become even more accomplished, the films are consistently imaginative and filmed with respect for the world of J K Rowling. Harry is now on his way to the showdown with Voldemort (though it is not going to happen in this book). He is facing the realization that this will end with only one victor. The residents of the wizardry world are now teen agers - and they are in the world of magic and all the trouble that can bring. Though this film is "darker" in its subject matter, and could be very frightening for small children, it is also lighter in a way. We feel that Harry will be safe. In this episode, the scenery is not the star any more. Neither is the magic. It is the trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione and their nemesis, Draco, that are center stage. Of course it gets 4 stars. And J K Rowling deserves every penny she makes for the incredible attention to detail and classical tradition she uses.

Public Enemies

This movie was too damn long. I am sure that at the final screening, Johnny Depp hung his head and said, 'This movie is too damn long". Even if he loves himself, he had to get bored. Dillinger's actual crime spree was only 10 months long- about the length of this movie. It means to be as good as The Untouchables was. But it isn't. It puts a sentimental touch on Dillinger- almost making him heroic. It does nothing to humanize the actual 10 deaths left by Dillinger and his gang. It presented Marion Cotillard (an excellent actress) as his girlfriend, and she really does steal the scenes. Depp almost seems to sleepwalk through parts. Probably because he couldn't believe he had to be in every scene. It's stylized, melodramatic and sometimes bizarre. Christian Bale weirdly loses his annoying lisp while using his best southern accent. How come Batman lisps but not the (F)BI agent Purvis? Well, if you go, pack a lunch and an extra seat cushion. It was long enough that people FELT the length of it. At the end, everyone popped up like they were on call to the White House and opened their phones to see if Obama had called while they were away. DO people really think they are that important that they can't exit the theater without checking their messages? See- the movie made me crabby, too.

State of Play

It seems other reviewers either found this a great film or didn't like it at all. I fall into the latter category. First, the music was intrusive. The score was frantic when there was no need to be, and foreboding when it didn't need to be. And once you heard it, it wouldn't go away. Thr film is ridiculously dated- everyone acts like their cell phone is an inconvenience. Reporters hide evidence. And worse, it feels like the logic was edited out. Something feels missing. It is dark and in spots, the action feels inexplicable. Russell Crowe is the usual scruffy Russell Crowe. Rachel McAdam plays a really stupid cub reporter. Ben Affleck has no more than two facial expressions. It was a solid disappointment.

Let the Right One In

This is a dreamlike take on the normally overdone vampire theme. It begins with a 12 year old boy- a child so alone that we seldom see his parents and never see his friends (if any)- and he is bullied by a group of boys who also never seem to be observed. The cruelty of the bullies stands in fair comparison to the cruelty of the vampire. The backdrop is the white snow and ice of Sweden- a great setting for the fair amount of blood seen. The boy befriends a weird 12 year old neighbor, and it is obvious to all who are viewing that she is a vampire. The mystery of the man who lives with her as caretaker does not resolve until the final scene, when the viewer realized that she has befriended a boy before, and for the same reasons. She needs a human. At first, the film is slow and spends a good deal of time setting the mood and style. But once it gets going, it is fascinating and one of the best vampire films ever made. It left us talking about it for hours, including the meaning of the translated title. And the motivations of the girl. She is not heroic- she is setting up the boy for life. But you'll have to see it for yourself. For its genre, it is unique and chilling. It is on netflix.

Sunshine Cleaning

Crime scene clean up is indeed very lucrative. And to my knowledge, no one has ever made a movie about it until now. Briefly, two sisters (Amy Adams and Emily Blunt) lost their mother to suicide when they were kids- leaving Adams to hold her flighty dad (alan arkin) and angry sister together as a family. It's obvious that she took care of things for them. But it leaves her as a former cheerleader still clinging to her now-married-to-someone-else boyfriend and working as a maid. She starts a business, with her sister, as a crime scene cleaner. And it goes from there. Adams has mastered the skill of acting with her eyes. You don't have to watch the rest of her face- just her eyes. Other actresses have to work with everything they have. Because Adams projects a basic goodness and sweetness, the film has you rooting for her. It is not a brilliant movie, but it is unique. And there is somehow a kindness to this film- a feeling that most of the people in it are truly decent and are just trying to keep it all together. I would recommend it for that alone.

Revolutionary Road

If movies about bad marriages with people who are unhappy with themselves are your cup of tea, then grab your mug. This is essentially an indictment of suburban marriage in the 50s- which was just fine for most people, or as fine as it is for anyone in general. It is a story of a couple who (as Alex says) love one another but hate themselves. Winslet finds out the hard way that her dreams of being an actress were all in vain- that she really had no talent for it. DiCaprio discovers that he actually has a talent for the job he took because he has a wife and children. This movie felt like a weird version of American Beauty. The style, the music, the pacing. Alex thought it was great. I have to say that because I thought it was contrived and had way more anger than normal people would suddenly start spewing that I am still trying to decide. The acting is overwrought. The best person in this film is Michael Shannon- who plays realtor Kathy Bates's mentally ill son. Like a demented cousin of David Letterman (and I cannot stand letterman but there was a resemblance), Shannon had lines that made us laugh out loud. Repeatedly. He was awesome and brought humor to this solidly depressing film. I don't know what I expected, but extensive marital screaming, 6 million cigarettes, 40 martinis and a few affairs do not a movie make.