Fair Game – 9
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. Naomi Watts
b. Historical drama
c. Sean Penn chewing scenery.
This is a terrific movie that opens the old wounds of the Valerie Plame affair.
When history documents the questionable moments of the George Bush Presidency, Scooter Libby’s outing of CIA agent Plame for revenge against her husband, Iraq-war-critic Joe Wilson will surely rank as one of the worst.
Sit back and absorb most of what we didn’t know.
For example, I pictured Plame as a paper pusher at the CIA, not a real, active agent. I couldn’t have been more wrong. She was involved in many covert operations of some importance, all of which blew up upon the outing, resulting in loss of life. Some of the most fascinating parts of the movie reveal the inner workings of the CIA, as well as its role in the build up to the Iraq war.
Naomi Watts has some great scenes and continues to show why she’s one of the best actresses working today. This is an important movie, entertaining, and like so many docudramas today, a little infuriating.
True Grit – 9
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. Great Dialogue
b. The Coen Brothers
c. Jeff Bridges
This movie has a cadence to its dialogue that elevates it to a level of wonder. It is so rhapsodic in its writing I think it would have made a great radio serial. Someday I hope to test my theory by just listening to it. I remember how people would talk about listening to the old radio shows and having to imagine the visuals. While the visuals are terrific here as well, it’s the rarest of movies where the audio stands on its own.
Jeff Bridges takes on the role of Rooster Cogburn, a marshal for hire. John Wayne won his only Oscar in the 1969 version, which bears little resemblance to this film, largely because movie-making has advanced a long way in 40 years. Not only is Bridges better than Wayne, I think he’s better than he was in his Oscar-winning role last year in Crazy Heart.
The 1969 version was essentially a vehicle. It was a way to get budding music superstar Glen Campbell into a movie, and give Wayne a showy role. Acting next to Campbell would have made any actor look great, and Wayne extended the tradition (later example – Paul Newman) of giving a career-Oscar for a body of work.
The 2010 acting is terrific, as Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, and Hailee Steinfeld are every bit the match for Bridges.
Thank-you to the Coen brothers. As much as I liked No Country for Old Men, this one reminds me more of Fargo in its originality, stunning violence, and the way it transports you to a magical place and time – the fun, fun, fun wild, wild west.
The Fighter – 9
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. Boxing
b. Christian Bale
c. Mark Wahlberg
In the clearing stands another boxing movie. I have always wanted to see a boxing movie where the boxing is realistic. The best thing I can say here is that they got close. They have the obligatory glove-to-face slow motion, blood and sweat-spraying shots. They have the boxers whaling on each other with no defense. All close but no cigar, in this story of Micky Ward, a Massachusetts boxer known for his participation in some historic fights.
The story here isn’t really about boxing anyway. It’s about a dysfunctional family of 2 half-brothers, a gaggle of sisters, and a domineering mother who is trying to keep the family meal ticket in the ring. Dysfunctional doesn’t begin to describe this crew. You know a movie is working when you want to reach onto the screen and choke the characters.
Christian Bale will certain pick up some award hardware as the crack-addicted half-brother Dicky Ecklund. It’s a harrowing portrayal and a showy role. Likewise, Melissa Leo shines as the mother. Once again Mark Wahlberg will get overlooked for his work, but make no mistake, besides having put this project together, he is the glue that holds the movie together. Amy Adams steps out of her dainty-shoes as Micky's tough, bartender girlfriend.
The movie doesn’t cover this, but to get a flavor of the real Micky Ward, check out his fight with the late Arturo Gatti. The 9th round of their 1st fight is considered one of the greatest of all time. Try this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZP-IfSZxl0
Black Swan – 9
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. Oscar worthy performances
b. To talk about a movie a lot
c. Trying to figure out what’s real
There’s a movie equivalent to literary license. I call it cinematic license, and it occurs in a movie when the director begins to represent things that may or may not be happening.
In The Black Swan it happens when Natalie Portman’s character Nina begins to descend into madness as she tries to bring the required split personality to her lead role in Swan Lake. Apparently, and I would never have known this before this movie, the White Swan becomes the Black Swan in that ballet.
I love it when movies take you somewhere you’ve never been before, and as you can tell, I didn’t know anything about ballet, except what I saw in The Turning Point many years ago. Director Darren Aronofsky, as he did with The Wrestler, takes us into another world that seems to be rife with self-abuse. The movie could have just focused on the sacrifices that artists like this make and it would have been fascinating.
Nina has a just a few problems that slowly reveal themselves. She lives at home with her mother, played by Barbara Hershey, an artist who is a nightmare of a stage mother. Nina is sexually repressed, self-mutilating, sexually confused, self-destructive, neurotic, paranoid, tortured, tormented, jealous – and that’s before she lands her dream role. This is a graphic thriller where you may want to avert your eyes a few times. Who knew ballet could be so bloody and brutal?
Mila Kunis plays Nina’s potential rival and eventual seducer Lily and she’s always been a wonderful actress, but here she kicks it up a notch and sets herself up for even greater things to come.
However, it is Natalie Portman who blows up the screen here. She’s in almost every scene and carries the movie on her back. It only works because she’s so great in conveying the exquisite pain she is going through. I was a little sad because I thought this would finally be the year Annette Bening gets her Oscar, but this is the kind of performance that brings awards in droves.
Here's the bad news, the previews show her getting started on her post-Oscar swoon by starring in an upcoming movie with Ashton Kutcher. In my dream world, Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher would be sentenced to starring together forever in useless movies that no one sees. Say it ain't so, Natalie.
Burlesque – 8
You’ll like this movie if you like
a. Glitz and glamour
b. Christina Aguilera
c. Musicals
My favorite part of movies like this is the “star is born” moment. In this one it’s when Christina’s lip-sync soundtrack is cut off and she gets to belt out a song. Gotta love it.
This is the story of Iowa girl Ali (Aguilera) who lands in a Los Angeles Burlesque club. No, I didn’t know they had them anymore either. But, it will be up to Ali to eventually save the club from foreclosure. Can she do it?
What’s cool about this movie is it’s purely original. It didn’t get a test run on Broadway, and it wasn’t a previous production. Sure, it’s 42nd Street all over, but who remembers that movie? One gets the feeling that if Busby Berkeley were alive today, this is what he’d be doing. This is singing and dancing done in 2010 style. Cher, whom I’ve never considered a serious actress, does a pretty good job here portraying one of the most obstinate characters ever, club owner Tess who doesn’t plan on losing her club through sheer will, but no plan. She belts out a couple of songs, including what may become a signature anthem that attests to her longevity.
But it’s Christina Aguilera who carries the movie, and she’s up to the task. She’s cute, believable, and has the pipes to become the star of the club. If you like musicals, this one’s worth your time. That girl can sing!
127 Hours – 7
You’ll like this movie if you’re
a. An adventurer
b. Of strong stomach
c. A fan of Director Danny Boyle.
Danny Boyle, the director of Slumdog Millionaire makes a movie that couldn’t be more unlike that one. This is a graphic recounting of real life explorer Aron Ralston who gets trapped in a canyon and has to amputate his right arm to get free.
This movie tells the story of the entire ordeal in bloody detail and complete with hallucinations. It’s well done, riveting, but ultimately not as engaging as one would think.
SATELLITE SCANNING - picking up movies I missed in the theater, or TV Movies
Temple Grandin – 10
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. movies
This is one of those movies that remind me why I love movies. It is the story of an autistic woman, Temple Grandin, and how she attains great success in animal husbandry, after many struggles. This inspirational movie won an Emmy for Best TV Movie and Claire Danes won as Best actress as the title character. The movie won five other Emmys so, although I had no idea what it was about I figured I would check it out. It was a thrill to have done so. Don’t miss it. It’s on HBO.
Edge of Darkness – 6
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. revenge movies
b. Mel Gibson
c. Government conspiracies
While the conspiracy is farfetched and Mel’s rage is a little too close to his alleged real life demons for comfort, this is riveting in a Charles Bronson kind of way. Mel, as Boston police detective Thomas Craven goes about investigating the brutal shooting of his daughter. That assassination scene is a blockbuster. At first it’s believed Mel was the target of this murder when it takes place on his front porch. As Mel investigates he realizes his daughter was involved in something way beyond an internship as a defense contractor. Mel has a lot of figuring out and paying back to do, and it’s all done very realistically. If you liked Death Wish, you’ll like this.
The Book of Eli – 6
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. post apocalyptic movies
b. Denzil Washington
c. Mila Kunis
This is the story of the man who walks across country for 30 years carrying the last remaining King James Bible after the apocalypse. It is his hope to save civilization
In case you haven’t figured this out, after the bomb wipes most of us out, it will be bleak and dreary, and we’ll be walking a lot. If you’ve got something other people want, you’re going to be in a lot of fights. If you’re lucky, you’ll pick up Mila Kunis for company. If you have a decent script, they’ll be some nice twists and turns.
But, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
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