Shutter Island – 8 out of 10
You’ll like this movie if you
a. like mysteries
b. like Martin Scorcese
c. like to discuss a movie afterward
When you go to as many movies as I do you see a lot of previews – the coming attractions. Recently a movie came and went in theaters very quickly. I’d seen the previews of “The Lovely Bones” so many times that a) I felt like I’d seen the whole movie and b) I felt very invested in it. Since it was a Peter Jackson movie, heavily hyped, I thought it would be around a while and be a big hit.
Wrong. Bad reviews and it was gone quickly. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see it, only because I was so invested in having seen those previews for months.
Martin Scorcese’s latest epic suffers from the same “trailer overkill.” I’d seen the previews so many times, I went in to the theater correctly predicting what the story was ultimately going to be about.
The movie is a roller coaster. It alternates scenes of brilliance with clichéd scenes you’ve seen a million times. I laughed at the manipulation in some scenes in the early goings, but ultimately the master finds his footing with a great final 30 minutes that may leave you befuddled. I left the theater absolutely sure of what I thought had happened. I suspect the internet boards will be debating the ending, but what you can’t debate is how good Scorcese is at his craft.
Leonardo DiCrapio, Scorcese’s current day DeNiro, tackles the toughest roll of his career with great conviction. He is totally convincing as the conflicted US Marshall. It is a great performance and it has to be because the movie’s centerpiece is his believability.
If you can figure out what to believe.
Garbage – The Revolution Starts at Home – 10 out of 10
You’ll like this movie if you
a. are breathing
b. care at all about the environment
c. want to keep breathing
Ok, technically this is a 2007 Documentary. But I just had to write about it, because this is the reason I have DirecTV and all those overpriced movie channels. Sometimes I can’t sleep, so I get up at 3 in the morning, and I catch a riveting movie I’ve never heard of on one of those obscure channels.
Revelations – that’s what this movie is about. Filmmaker Andrew Nisker convinces a Canadian family, the McDonalds, to keep all their garbage for 90 days. Along the way he tells us more about the waste we produce than we ever wanted to know. From showing us what really happens in a recycling plant, to where our garbage goes, to the impact of the chemicals we use, to the difficulty in dealing with that stupid packaging we all struggle with, well let’s just say that the hits just keep on coming.
We went to Winn Dixie the next night and I took those canvas sacks, determined to lessen my use of plastic (sorry Dustin) for good.
We learn that Canada is exporting garbage to the US along with those hockey players. We learn that 3 million water bottles a year are going into land fills, never to be decomposed. We learn the impact of strip mining in West Virginia, and land fills in Michigan.
If this movie doesn’t shock you just a little I’d be really surprised.
And there’s no need to store your garbage for 3 months to get the message.
Crazy Heart – 8
You’ll like this movie if you
a. like country music
b. like great acting
c. like an adult evening at the movies
Jeff Bridges gives a sure-to-be-Oscar-winning performance as Bad Blake, a prototypical down and out fading country singer. He’s a-smokin’ and a-drinkin’ and a-womanizing his way through 2 bit bowling alley and honky tonk venues when he runs smack dab into Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and who wouldn’t be awakened by that. That’s believable. Not being a woman I can't explain why she finds him attractive. But this is movieworld so to advance the story she conveniently falls for him and you could write the rest of the story. Drunk gets girl, drunk loses girl, etc. etc.
This is a paint by the numbers movie that you’ve seen a thousand times before, as recently as last year (The Wrestler.) It is the two stars who elevate the material, keeping us interested through the predictable and inevitable conclusion. What’s nice about the movie is that it is adult fare, methodically paced, with intelligent conversation and characters we care about. We’re just not sure why they care about each other. Love works in mysterious ways.
Bridges will win his Academy Award as a nod to a career of stellar work, and this is one of those showy performances that soak up awards like a sponge. Many a competent actor could have pulled off the dramatic scenes. It is actually Bridges’ singing and stage work, wonderfully captured in sound and atmosphere, that escalate the performance. His song writing scenes are fascinating and lend some insight into the genius of both Bad and Jeff. Maggie Gyllenhaal also adds to her resume with a great performance. She’s terrific.
Jeff, clear one more spot on the mantel to go with the passel you’ve won so far. A Lifetime Achievement Award is coming your way.
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