The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

deal with it

it's still an enjoyable, fun, breezy film. not bad by any means. but it just lacked the magic that most of Pixar's films have imo

Originally Posted by killowertz

Your opinion stinks!

[Show spoiler]

It's not that it has an unpleasant fragrence, it's just wrong.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

Most of the time when I was watching Blue Valentine, I kept on thinking back to (500) Days of Summer and how they're sorta similar.. so I kept on comparing them. They're like total opposites in terms of emotional feelings... even though they both end bad.... sorta.

Both love stories, both excellent.

But one ends with hope, and the other..........

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Evra

Just Go With It

It is such a shame that Adam Sandler continues to star in films such as these when he clearly has the talent and chops to take on meatier roles as proven by his performances in Drunk Punch Love, Spanglish and Funny People.

I have not seen the movie, but I enjoyed your review.

I think the above bolded is a boo-boo though.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I revisited a classic for today's blog entry:

Papillon (drama, biography, crime)
Papillon is a film I hadn't seen for approximately 30 years, so I was eagerly awaiting this Blu-ray release. I was a different person back then and my tastes have evolved a great deal since first seeing the film. What was a masterpiece in my memory is now simply a good film.]

Thanks for the review Steve. I hope that it still holds strong for me. It's been 38 years since my theatrical viewing and it's been very near the top of my all time favorites in my heart for all these years.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Thanks for the review Steve. I hope that it still holds strong for me. It's been 38 years since my theatrical viewing and it's been very near the top of my all time favorites in my heart for all these years.

I remember that image of the islander running with his arms at his side. Also the

[Show spoiler]leper colony.

It's a good film and I'm glad I own it, but I expected to rate it a little higher. My tastes have changed since I was 18

[iam1bearcat]

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

84 minutes

Year: 2008
Director: Peter Sollett
Writer: Lorene Scafaria
Starring: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Aaron Yoo, Ari Graynor, and Alexis Dziena

"i never wash my pants. i like to keep the night on them."

all that really needs to be said is this, i fell in love with Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

it wasn't immediately mind you, but after a certain scene in the film (where Nick (Cera) does something that is funny, but also kind of dangerous (

[Show spoiler]leaving a young woman by herself in what seems to be a scary part of town in the middle of the night lol

)) the film just clicked and won me over completely.

not saying i disliked it before that, i enjoyed it very much up until that particular scene (i'd say it was a 4/5 in my book to that point) but that scene changed everything. there were scenes before that which were awesome, laugh out loud worthy, cringe inducing ("just leave the damn gum!" is something i yelled very loudly at my tv during one scene ) and very heartache worthy. and many scenes after that gave me the same wide range of emotions.

there are films you love and films you fall in love with. this is a film i fell in love with.

there are a lot of great things about the film, but i think the one key ingredient here is the amazing soundtrack. yes, it helps that this is the type of music i listen to most (indie, alternative) but it fits PERFECTLY with the atmosphere and mood of the film.

Cera and Dennings give wonderful performances. i honestly think this is Cera's best role. in the opening scene alone it really didn't feel like i was watching him act. it felt like i was watching home movies of him dealing with a break up. but he didn't do anything major, and while yes, playing essentially the same character he always does, the intricacies of the role were what really took the cake here. the way he played awkwardness, nervousness, confusion, his eye movements, body language and line delivery was all perfection. EVERYONE has been in this position (trying to get over an ex-girlfriend, confused about how to handle a new girl that seems interested, but you don't want to push it) and Cera's "every man" routine works exceptionally here.

supporting cast rocks as well. Aaron Yoo is pretty awesome here and i have to to the performance of Ari Graynor. they always say (critics, and director's on commentaries) that playing drunk is very hard to pull off without coming off as obnoxious and fake. Graynor steals the show as Caroline, Norah's super drunk, sleazy friend. some may look at her many scenes as useless to the overall story / plot, but who cares? i wanted to spend as much time as possible in this world with these characters.

there are times when i was crushed emotionally and thought, "man. i never want to watch this again. this is incredibly depressing." and then other times when it's so smile inducing it makes you want to breathe in deeply and forget every dumb decision you've made in relationships and start all over again. add in the wonderfully charming ending and i'm absolutely positive Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist will become a staple in my personal favorites list. more than likely in the top 15.

it should be noted that the film is not faced past. yes, only 84 minutes, but the film moves slowly and takes its time with showing us its characters, their feelings, motives and then how they interact and feel about each other. one scene, while relatively short, has Caroline passed out in the back of Nick's Yugo. Nick, Norah and his friends (and some passerby's) spend about a minute trying to wake her up to unlock the door. most will look at this and say, "why have this?" and consider it useless. but it's small, chuckle worthy scenes like this that i absolutely loved.

some others will also be turned off by Cera (of course, he has his haters), the music and the feel of the film. but for me, it was a winner. i'm not gonna say it works for me because i'm younger because age rarely (in my opinion) effects a film's impression. add in that i didn't care for Scott Pilgrim, and yet Squid did (and he also enjoyed Sucker Punch, which i have little interest in seeing (but will be)) and he's many years older than me, the film can work for anyone, but i'm not gonna say everyone will love it to the extent that i do, but i'd definitely recommend it at least as a rental to everyone

and not to get redundant with the (500) Days of Summer reference (just need to look at some of our Blue Valentine reviews to see what i mean ) but Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a lot like that gem of a film. it's kind of just like a "takes place at night" version compared to (500)'s sunny, bright day-time placement.

one of my absolute best blind buys

5/5

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

[Show spoiler]
84 minutes

Year: 2008
Director: Peter Sollett
Writer: Lorene Scafaria
Starring: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Aaron Yoo, Ari Graynor, and Alexis Dziena

"i never wash my pants. i like to keep the night on them."

all that really needs to be said is this, i fell in love with Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

it wasn't immediately mind you, but after a certain scene in the film (where Nick (Cera) does something that is funny, but also kind of dangerous (

[Show spoiler]leaving a young woman by herself in what seems to be a scary part of town in the middle of the night lol

)) the film just clicked and won me over completely.

not saying i disliked it before that, i enjoyed it very much up until that particular scene (i'd say it was a 4/5 in my book to that point) but that scene changed everything. there were scenes before that which were awesome, laugh out loud worthy, cringe inducing ("just leave the damn gum!" is something i yelled very loudly at my tv during one scene ) and very heartache worthy. and many scenes after that gave me the same wide range of emotions.

there are films you love and films you fall in love with. this is a film i fell in love with.

there are a lot of great things about the film, but i think the one key ingredient here is the amazing soundtrack. yes, it helps that this is the type of music i listen to most (indie, alternative) but it fits PERFECTLY with the atmosphere and mood of the film.

Cera and Dennings give wonderful performances. i honestly think this is Cera's best role. in the opening scene alone it really didn't feel like i was watching him act. it felt like i was watching home movies of him dealing with a break up. but he didn't do anything major, and while yes, playing essentially the same character he always does, the intricacies of the role were what really took the cake here. the way he played awkwardness, nervousness, confusion, his eye movements, body language and line delivery was all perfection. EVERYONE has been in this position (trying to get over an ex-girlfriend, confused about how to handle a new girl that seems interested, but you don't want to push it) and Cera's "every man" routine works exceptionally here.

supporting cast rocks as well. Aaron Yoo is pretty awesome here and i have to to the performance of Ari Graynor. they always say (critics, and director's on commentaries) that playing drunk is very hard to pull off without coming off as obnoxious and fake. Graynor steals the show as Caroline, Norah's super drunk, sleazy friend. some may look at her many scenes as useless to the overall story / plot, but who cares? i wanted to spend as much time as possible in this world with these characters.

there are times when i was crushed emotionally and thought, "man. i never want to watch this again. this is incredibly depressing." and then other times when it's so smile inducing it makes you want to breathe in deeply and forget every dumb decision you've made in relationships and start all over again. add in the wonderfully charming ending and i'm absolutely positive Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist will become a staple in my personal favorites list. more than likely in the top 15.

it should be noted that the film is not faced past. yes, only 84 minutes, but the film moves slowly and takes its time with showing us its characters, their feelings, motives and then how they interact and feel about each other. one scene, while relatively short, has Caroline passed out in the back of Nick's Yugo. Nick, Norah and his friends (and some passerby's) spend about a minute trying to wake her up to unlock the door. most will look at this and say, "why have this?" and consider it useless. but it's small, chuckle worthy scenes like this that i absolutely loved.

some others will also be turned off by Cera (of course, he has his haters), the music and the feel of the film. but for me, it was a winner. i'm not gonna say it works for me because i'm younger because age rarely (in my opinion) effects a film's impression. add in that i didn't care for Scott Pilgrim, and yet Squid did (and he also enjoyed Sucker Punch, which i have little interest in seeing (but will be)) and he's many years older than me, the film can work for anyone, but i'm not gonna say everyone will love it to the extent that i do, but i'd definitely recommend it at least as a rental to everyone

and not to get redundant with the (500) Days of Summer reference (just need to look at some of our Blue Valentine reviews to see what i mean ) but Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a lot like that gem of a film. it's kind of just like a "takes place at night" version compared to (500)'s sunny, bright day-time placement.

one of my absolute best blind buys

5/5

Really glad you loved it. I wasn't quite expecting you to love it that much, but shit happens.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by killowertz

Really glad you loved it. I wasn't quite expecting you to love it that much, but shit happens.

honestly, i wasn't either! it was going along and i was really enjoying it and all was good and then, like i said, it just clicked and turned into something truly special for me. as soon as it ended i was about to start it again and i thought, "eh... i'm gonna let it just sink in for awhile." although i'm sure i'll be watching it again this weekend with some friends

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

honestly, i wasn't either! it was going along and i was really enjoying it and all was good and then, like i said, it just clicked and turned into something truly special for me. as soon as it ended i was about to start it again and i thought, "eh... i'm gonna let it just sink in for awhile." although i'm sure i'll be watching it again this weekend with some friends

Lol, I only waited a day to watch it again, but you already knew that. I think the second time is when it really clicked with me actually.

[volcomsocal]

Originally Posted by killowertz

Yeah, Blue Valentine is definitely the more gut wrenching of the two.

Probably my favorite scene of the movie was

[Show spoiler]the ukulele scene out in front of the bridal shop during their first date.

I take it you'll be adding Blue Valentine to your collection at some point now too.

That was probably my favorite scene too. Actually, I don't plan on buying this film. At least that's what I told myself right after I finished watching it. BUT, if I see it for a really good price, I might go for it ($10 or less)

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i tend to think of Blue Valentine as the "add 10-15 years to the characters of (500) Days of Summer and take away all the funny scenes and bright colors" film. later on in life when Tom and Summer maybe aren't so happy. or should i say

[Show spoiler]Tom and Autumn

Very good analysis. Quite true.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

But one ends with hope, and the other..........

very true.

[volcomsocal]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Somewhere

2010 R 98 minutes

Netflix synopsis:

Set amid the hallowed grounds of Hollywood's legendary Chateau Marmont, this atmospheric dramedy centers on hard-living actor Johnny (Stephen Dorff), whose life is thrown for a loop when his 11-year-old daughter, Cleo (Elle Fanning), pays him a surprise visit. As the two become better acquainted, Johnny realizes he needs to make changes. Oscar winner Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation) directs this character-driven film co-starring Chris Pontius

This film should have been titled Nowhere because that's exactly where it went. Strike two for Coppola in my book.

There is nothing done poorly here. Acting, camerawork, editng etc are all good. The pacing is deliberately very slow, but I enjoyed that aspect. There is just no story and the ending is nonexistent. The characters are nice enough to like, so the pain of NOTHING happening became frustrating. A guy just meanders aimlessly through life and the camera follows him. There is NO point being made, unless that IS the point, in which case I say WTF? Really! Worst ending I have seen in decades, tied with White Ribbon for the same reason, it just stops.

Film 2/5 The only reason I didnt go to 1 star, or even zero is because a lot of the individual scenes are fairly pleasant on their own.
PQ 4/5
AQ 3/5 Some dialogue was a bit hard to make out. Not bad though.

I think I liked it a click or 2 better than you did. I wasn't offended, put off, or had the notion that I just wasted an hour and a half.

Somewhere - 2010

Sure, there was no point to this movie, but it was interesting nonetheless. It was different, and I like it. You're right, there was a total of 5-10 minutes of actual substance that meant something, but I still thought Somewhere was ok. The emotional breakdown in the car was a breathe of fresh air in the movie... I was like "yeah, finally some emotion!" Most everyone out there, including myself, is probably thinking, "what was Sofia thinking making this movie?" But I looked at it as an art piece rather than a movie. Almost like a week in the life of an actor...

I'm glad I saw it, just as I'm glad to have seen some art pieces at the Getty Museum I went to a few years ago. Art is art.

PQ - 4/5
PQ - 3.5/5

3/5

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

That was probably my favorite scene too. Actually, I don't plan on buying this film. At least that's what I told myself right after I finished watching it. BUT, if I see it for a really good price, I might go for it ($10 or less)

You just can't handle it more than once.

[Riff Magnum]

So, i rewatched Black Swan for the first time since seeing it in the theater and i wasn't re-blown away. Weird, huh? Still good, but i found myself laughing a lot this time. I don't know what's wrong with me.
I'm sure Squid can tell me.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

So, i rewatched Black Swan for the first time since seeing it in the theater and i wasn't re-blown away. Weird, huh? Still good, but i found myself laughing a lot this time. I don't know what's wrong with me.
I'm sure Squid can tell me.

Were you laughing at things that were not intended to be funny? I need to know this in order to conduct a proper analysis.

Oh, I have not seen it since the theater.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

I think I liked it a click or 2 better than you did. I wasn't offended, put off, or had the notion that I just wasted an hour and a half.

Somewhere - 2010

Sure, there was no point to this movie, but it was interesting nonetheless. It was different, and I like it. You're right, there was a total of 5-10 minutes of actual substance that meant something, but I still thought Somewhere was ok. The emotional breakdown in the car was a breathe of fresh air in the movie... I was like "yeah, finally some emotion!" Most everyone out there, including myself, is probably thinking, "what was Sofia thinking making this movie?" But I looked at it as an art piece rather than a movie. Almost like a week in the life of an actor...

I'm glad I saw it, just as I'm glad to have seen some art pieces at the Getty Museum I went to a few years ago. Art is art.

PQ - 4/5
PQ - 3.5/5

3/5

I guess that is what irked me. It was fairly pleasant, somewhat interesting, characters to care about, progress in their relationship, and then...........PLOP. It's over Johnny.

I have a history of being pertrurbed by that type of ending though.

[Evra]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I have not seen the movie, but I enjoyed your review.

I think the above bolded is a boo-boo though.

Thanks for the feedback.

And yeah, my friend told me about it as well. Corrected it already.

[Pondosinatra]

Machete

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Main Stars: Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Don Johnson

Rating: 4 out of 5

"You just f**ked with the wrong Mexican." This is either the worst movie ever made or the best. It depends on your affinity for pulpy, gratuitous sex and violence. Personally I loved it. Machete was first seen as a fake movie trailer in the Rodriquez/Tarantino Grindhouse movie. Audiences loved it so much they turned it into a real movie. Machete (Trejo) is a Federale who having been previously double crossed by an evil drug lord (Steagal) is now forced to work in the US as an illegal day laborer. One day a wealthy business man offers him $150,000 to assassinate a local politician who's tough on immigration platform has him leading the polls. While there's an overall theme regarding the issue of illegal immigrants this movie is really all about the action. Early on the title character disembowels a bad guy and jumps out a hospital window while using the guy's intestines as a rope. Violent yes, but also very funny. It never takes itself to seriously. When we first see Lindsay Lohan she's wacked out of her mind on drugs and by the end of the story becomes a nun. This is seriously good stuff. Over the top violence, lots of nudity and even the occasional one liner - "Machete don't text" - equals one hell of a fun film providing you can turn your brain off at the door.

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Were you laughing at things that were not intended to be funny? I need to know this in order to conduct a proper analysis.

Oh, I have not seen it since the theater.

Well, i laughed at almost every scene with Cassell in it. He's so good and cheesy.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

Well, i laughed at almost every scene with Cassell in it. He's so good and cheesy.

Processing information. Stay tuned....

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

Well, i laughed at almost every scene with Cassell in it. He's so good and cheesy.

yeah, he came across, to me at least, as a bit over the top with that character.