Since television has really been my media of choice over the last year (it's hard to keep up being addicted to 5 shows!), I've been on a sort of an unintentional movie fast. Well, I broke that fast over the last few weeks and went on a movie binge--I watched three movies and the entire broadcast of the Academy Awards just last week alone. Here are some thoughts:
Half-Nelson
A small, independent film that got some main-stream recongition with Ryan Gosling's nomination for a Best Actor Oscar. The premise sounds cliche---a young teacher in a ghetto New York neighborhood trying to make a difference---except for one little detail: the teacher is hopelessly addicted to crack. Gosling's performance is brilliant in the way that he really causes the audience to experience two extremes of emotion: you feel genuinely frustrated with his character's apathetic attitude towards his addiction yet you sympathize with the possibly of why he became addicted in the first place. Shareeka Epps stars as the student who discovers her teacher's secret and they form an unlikley bond that grows throughout the rest of the movie. However, not all problems are solved at the end of the movie, only the glimmer of hope that change might occur. Overall, I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 for the performances of Gosling and Epps and for the original plot.
Flags of our Fathers
I never really enjoyed Clint Eastwood as an actor, but I definitely appreciate him as a director. Eastwood brings to life the story behind the six men who raised the American flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima, only three of which actually left Iwo Jima alive. This moment holds a place in Amercian history forever due to the famous photograph that caught the six men putting up the flag. It's a war movie in the sense that it has several long scenes, similar to Saving Private Ryan, of actual battle. But I would not just limit it to the war genre. It's an engaging look at the personal drama that each of the men who were part of the photograph went through as they are all caught in the paradox of being publicly hailed as heros when they truly believe that this title is undeserved. I give it a 4 out of 5.
Babel
I know people who loved this movie and people who considered it a waste of two hours they will never get back. I fall in between these two extremes, but I will say that I am glad I saw it. As cheesy as it sounds, I felt that watching this film with three interwoven stories allowed me to take a (short) global journey between the primitive deserts of Morrocco, the hectic urban frenzy of Toyko, and the boisterous energy of a wedding in Mexico. I wouldn't say that this is a profound movie, but rather a subtle reflection on the good and the bad of human nature. There are no grand statements made here, leading some to feel that as a whole the movie was pointless. However, I appreciated that there was no message being shoved down the audience's throat, which allowed the meaning of the film to be interpreted in a unique way by each individual viewer. If you're in a contemplative mood, I'd recommend it. 3.5 out of 5.
Academy Awards
Highlights for me: the song by Will Ferrell and Jack Black, Martin Scorcese finally winning an Academy Award, and the sound effects choir
What movies are next on my list? Zodiac, Stranger than Fiction, and The Departed
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3 weeks ago
1 comments:
OOOH, now it's my turn to comment! Ok - we just saw Half Nelson and I thought it was really interesting - probably would give it 4 out of 5.
Flags of our Fathers - I actually thought this was a weaker movie than I thought it would be - I felt like you pretty much figure out the premise and plot in the first 15 minutes and that it didn't really develop that much from there. 3 out of 5.
Babel - hard to watch with my parents because of the whole naked, sexually troubled girl, but otherwise, I thought it was really thought provoking. The scenes of the tourists made me think about how uncomfortable I am as a tourist, looking down on local communities. There were some unresolved issues too - like what did the Asian girl write in the letter to the detective? I give it 4 out of 5 for expanding my perspectives.
The Departed - LOVED IT although it freaked me out a lot. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon did such great jobs acting and Jack Nicholson is his same creepy self. Interesting plot and premise. 4.5 out of 5.
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