A solid drama landed in my mailbox today, so I watched it.
(70) 21 Grams (2003): Good dramas are generally good because of the dramatic actors cast to pull it off. Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, and Naomi Watts headline 21 Grams and each are remarkable individual, and powerful together. The supporting cast also includes some serious talent: Melissa Leo, Danny Huston, and Charlotte Gainsbourg just to name three. Penn, del Toro, and Watts are intertwined in a way that's hard to explain without giving a lot away. Suffice it to say this is a well paced, gritty drama with some moments of raw emotion and pain that you will feel. If you haven't seen this movie do so. It's told in a non-linear fashion that works brilliantly to unfold the connections between each person in the film.
4 Stars
Friday, April 30, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
April 26, 2010 - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Watched a movie tonight I'd seen before, and wanted to own, but just never had until today, when I found it on sale for $3.99 at Best Buy. Don't let the diminutive price tag fool you. This remake is a big movie.
(69) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003): This is the remake with Jessica Biel in pretty much the lead role. However, if you decide to watch this film solely on the basis of R. Lee Ermey's performance as a sadistic sheriff, you will walk away stunned and thrilled. Ermey is positively disturbing and scary as the small town sheriff who is complicit on all that is evil in this Texas town. Biel is also quite good, and presents more than just eye candy, which, let's not fool ourselves, is also part of the appeal of this movie. However, she is believable, strong, smart, and the only one of her friends with their head screwed on properly. Plenty of gore, guts, and good old fashioned horror story material with plenty of homage to the original thirty years ago.
3 Stars
(69) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003): This is the remake with Jessica Biel in pretty much the lead role. However, if you decide to watch this film solely on the basis of R. Lee Ermey's performance as a sadistic sheriff, you will walk away stunned and thrilled. Ermey is positively disturbing and scary as the small town sheriff who is complicit on all that is evil in this Texas town. Biel is also quite good, and presents more than just eye candy, which, let's not fool ourselves, is also part of the appeal of this movie. However, she is believable, strong, smart, and the only one of her friends with their head screwed on properly. Plenty of gore, guts, and good old fashioned horror story material with plenty of homage to the original thirty years ago.
3 Stars
Saturday, April 24, 2010
April 24, 2010 - Lake Mungo
Another horror flick from the good guys are Horrorfest IV.
(68) Lake Mungo (2008): This is a nice little film from Australia that has tones of Paranormal Activity, except Lake Mungo was made first. It's a cleverly told story that is deliberately paced. I actually have a hard time calling this a horror film, but as a thriller it's quite good. The films is shot in the now-familiar quasi-documentary style, attempting to make us believe the events are real. I wouldn't go out of my way to watch this movie, and probably won't watch it a second time, but that doesn't mean it's not worth watching. Just pick your spot, and if you can see if for free, or for a buck from Redbox, then it'll be worth the effort.
2 Stars
(68) Lake Mungo (2008): This is a nice little film from Australia that has tones of Paranormal Activity, except Lake Mungo was made first. It's a cleverly told story that is deliberately paced. I actually have a hard time calling this a horror film, but as a thriller it's quite good. The films is shot in the now-familiar quasi-documentary style, attempting to make us believe the events are real. I wouldn't go out of my way to watch this movie, and probably won't watch it a second time, but that doesn't mean it's not worth watching. Just pick your spot, and if you can see if for free, or for a buck from Redbox, then it'll be worth the effort.
2 Stars
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
April 20, 2010 - L'heure d'été (Summer Hours)
Caught a decent French film today after I saw it featured in a recent email I received from the Criterion Collection.
(67) L'heure d'été (Summer Hours) (2008): Caught this film on Netflix Instant and I'm very glad I did. This is a very deliberately paced drama about three siblings (Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, and Jérémie Renier) dealing with the loss of their childhood memories and belongings as they deal with the reality of their mother's death and the subsequent sale of the family house and very expensive and important art and furniture collections.
Not enough of Juliette Binoche, but Charles Berling makes up for it in an outstanding role as the eldest sibling, and the one pretty much stuck with dealing with everything because he's the only one still living in France. I particularly like the unused phone, which won't mean anything unless you see the movie. It also doesn't give anything away.
If you're looking for a smartly written and directed drama, this one should be high on your list. Very much worth the 1:42 I invested.
3.5 Stars
(67) L'heure d'été (Summer Hours) (2008): Caught this film on Netflix Instant and I'm very glad I did. This is a very deliberately paced drama about three siblings (Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, and Jérémie Renier) dealing with the loss of their childhood memories and belongings as they deal with the reality of their mother's death and the subsequent sale of the family house and very expensive and important art and furniture collections.
Not enough of Juliette Binoche, but Charles Berling makes up for it in an outstanding role as the eldest sibling, and the one pretty much stuck with dealing with everything because he's the only one still living in France. I particularly like the unused phone, which won't mean anything unless you see the movie. It also doesn't give anything away.
If you're looking for a smartly written and directed drama, this one should be high on your list. Very much worth the 1:42 I invested.
3.5 Stars
Sunday, April 18, 2010
April 18, 2010 - Orphan
Not too bad of a horror flick.
(66) Orphan (2009): This is a fairly effective horror story. It follows a nice path to total destruction by the end of the film, which serves to build up the tension, scene by scene. I will tell you, however, that the bad accent that the young actress who played Esther tries to pull off is very annoying and not done well at all. It's literally all over the Eastern European map. That aside, she's an effective actress and believably creepy. There's a great plot twist near the end that will tie many things together as well as to continue the story to the bitter end.
Not the best horror flick I've ever seen, but far from the worst. Watch it anytime without hesitation.
2 Stars
(66) Orphan (2009): This is a fairly effective horror story. It follows a nice path to total destruction by the end of the film, which serves to build up the tension, scene by scene. I will tell you, however, that the bad accent that the young actress who played Esther tries to pull off is very annoying and not done well at all. It's literally all over the Eastern European map. That aside, she's an effective actress and believably creepy. There's a great plot twist near the end that will tie many things together as well as to continue the story to the bitter end.
Not the best horror flick I've ever seen, but far from the worst. Watch it anytime without hesitation.
2 Stars
Thursday, April 8, 2010
April 8, 2010 - The Last House on the Left
Having a new baby has really impacted my movie watching. Made the time for this one in the wee hours.
(65) The Last House on the Left (2009): This is the remake of the 1972 Clive Barker classic of the same name. Not the worst movie I've ever seen. The bad guys (a couple of familiar faces in Garret Dillahunt and Aaron Paul) are believable and the good guys (Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, and Sara Paxton) are also believable. However, the only person I really cared about in the whole movie is Paige. You'll just have to watch it to find out, but talk about being unceremoniously forgotten about. I'm still wondering to myself, what about Paige?
Anyway, it's a fully developed story, which isn't always the case for a horror film. The setup takes a bit, but overall it's worth it, and after all the really bad horror films I've seen of late, this one was at least a breath of fresh air. It's worth watching, especially if you're in the mood for a decent horror flick.
2.5 Stars
(65) The Last House on the Left (2009): This is the remake of the 1972 Clive Barker classic of the same name. Not the worst movie I've ever seen. The bad guys (a couple of familiar faces in Garret Dillahunt and Aaron Paul) are believable and the good guys (Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, and Sara Paxton) are also believable. However, the only person I really cared about in the whole movie is Paige. You'll just have to watch it to find out, but talk about being unceremoniously forgotten about. I'm still wondering to myself, what about Paige?
Anyway, it's a fully developed story, which isn't always the case for a horror film. The setup takes a bit, but overall it's worth it, and after all the really bad horror films I've seen of late, this one was at least a breath of fresh air. It's worth watching, especially if you're in the mood for a decent horror flick.
2.5 Stars
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