Number of times I've seen it ( )
Copyright © 2003-2009 Movies Kick Ass. All Rights Reserved
MOVIES I'M WATCHING
this filmal
MARCH
03/04/09 Inkheart (1)
The problem with fantasy films is that there comes a point when they start feeling
derivative. After "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy every movie has been trying hard to
emulate its success and this one, about a man (Brendan Fraser) who makes characters
from books come alive by reading out loud, is no exception. Dully paced, poorly performed
(except for the brilliant Paul Bettany who gives his character a melancholy and feeling that
make his origins believable), the rest comes out looking like a mixtape of Narnia, "The
Princess Bride" and "Shrek" with shades of "The Mummy".
Corny to say it, but this one you should judge by its tepid cover.
The problem with fantasy films is that there comes a point when they start feeling
derivative. After "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy every movie has been trying hard to
emulate its success and this one, about a man (Brendan Fraser) who makes characters
from books come alive by reading out loud, is no exception. Dully paced, poorly performed
(except for the brilliant Paul Bettany who gives his character a melancholy and feeling that
make his origins believable), the rest comes out looking like a mixtape of Narnia, "The
Princess Bride" and "Shrek" with shades of "The Mummy".
Corny to say it, but this one you should judge by its tepid cover.
03/04/09 Yes Man (1)
A variation of "Liar Liar" does not a good Jim Carrey movie make. Whatever happened to
the promises the man made in some of his most recent films where he was able to combine
his physicality with something more human? Here he plays a man who says "yes" to
everything which leads him to fall for Zooey Deschanel (that didn't come out right huh?).
The ending is completely predictable, but when Carrey gets a chance to show some quirk it
makes you wonder why isn't Judd Apatow knocking at his door?
A variation of "Liar Liar" does not a good Jim Carrey movie make. Whatever happened to
the promises the man made in some of his most recent films where he was able to combine
his physicality with something more human? Here he plays a man who says "yes" to
everything which leads him to fall for Zooey Deschanel (that didn't come out right huh?).
The ending is completely predictable, but when Carrey gets a chance to show some quirk it
makes you wonder why isn't Judd Apatow knocking at his door?
03/09/09 Watchmen (1)
At least hopefully the fanboys won't go nuts about this one like they did with the
superhero movie from last year...
Read my review.
At least hopefully the fanboys won't go nuts about this one like they did with the
superhero movie from last year...
Read my review.
03/12/09 All About My Mother (5)
Pedro Almodóvar's film will be a decade old this year and still hasn't lost any of its
freshness and effect.
The fact that his films seem to occur in a different reality sometimes don't diminish the
emotional punch and relevance they carry.
This is one of my faves ever.
Pedro Almodóvar's film will be a decade old this year and still hasn't lost any of its
freshness and effect.
The fact that his films seem to occur in a different reality sometimes don't diminish the
emotional punch and relevance they carry.
This is one of my faves ever.
03/16/09 Rudo y Cursi (1)
Splendid reunion for Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal.
Read my review.
Splendid reunion for Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal.
Read my review.
03/15/09 Volver (9)
This movie grows more on me each time I see it.
The symbolism is provocative and just so brilliant. Notice how in one scene where a crew
guy comes flirt with her Raimunda (Penélope Cruz) is making some dough balls for his
fellow crew members, as he approaches her she passes one from hand to hand as he
nervously flirts with her. She's literally playing with his balls!
This movie grows more on me each time I see it.
The symbolism is provocative and just so brilliant. Notice how in one scene where a crew
guy comes flirt with her Raimunda (Penélope Cruz) is making some dough balls for his
fellow crew members, as he approaches her she passes one from hand to hand as he
nervously flirts with her. She's literally playing with his balls!
03/18/09 The Silence of Lorna (1)
The Dardenne brothers have become world known for their realistic, almost Bresson-ian,
take on the specific social problems of their main characters. This time they treat
immigration issues as they tell the story of Lorna (Arta Dobroshi) an Albanian woman
married to a French drug addict (Jérémie Renier) in order to obtain a Belgian nationality.
When her bosses decide they need to kill him in order to accelerate the divorce and get
her a new husband to sell nationalities she has to decide whether to join in or not. What
sounds like your, almost, typical noir story is largely overdone by the Dardenne's need to
push Lorna to extreme situations. Even if the film is also shot in a documentary style, the
characters aren't quite believable and other than Dobroshi's sturdy performance they all
come out looking as puppets to the filmmakers. Then again it was perhaps a matter of
time for the Dardennes to become exploitative.
The Dardenne brothers have become world known for their realistic, almost Bresson-ian,
take on the specific social problems of their main characters. This time they treat
immigration issues as they tell the story of Lorna (Arta Dobroshi) an Albanian woman
married to a French drug addict (Jérémie Renier) in order to obtain a Belgian nationality.
When her bosses decide they need to kill him in order to accelerate the divorce and get
her a new husband to sell nationalities she has to decide whether to join in or not. What
sounds like your, almost, typical noir story is largely overdone by the Dardenne's need to
push Lorna to extreme situations. Even if the film is also shot in a documentary style, the
characters aren't quite believable and other than Dobroshi's sturdy performance they all
come out looking as puppets to the filmmakers. Then again it was perhaps a matter of
time for the Dardennes to become exploitative.
03/19/09 On the Town (1)
Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly have the time of their lives as sailors on leave for a day in
NYC. With numbers like "New York New York" headlining the spectacle you really can't ask
for much more. The story is shallow and fun, the performances are bubbly and Ann Miller's
legs are as long as you'd expect them to be.
Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly have the time of their lives as sailors on leave for a day in
NYC. With numbers like "New York New York" headlining the spectacle you really can't ask
for much more. The story is shallow and fun, the performances are bubbly and Ann Miller's
legs are as long as you'd expect them to be.
03/20/09 The Wizard of Oz (11)
I really have run out of words to say about this for now.
This time I saw it just for the sake of it.
Simply perfection.
I really have run out of words to say about this for now.
This time I saw it just for the sake of it.
Simply perfection.
03/21/09 My Fair Lady (3)
I'm still upset its misogyny feels so damn romantic every time.
Can this be a chauvinistic portrayal of sexual dynamics of the era, or actually a very
honest portrayal of love as something equivalent to a transaction?
Still it's undeniably great entertainment.
I'm still upset its misogyny feels so damn romantic every time.
Can this be a chauvinistic portrayal of sexual dynamics of the era, or actually a very
honest portrayal of love as something equivalent to a transaction?
Still it's undeniably great entertainment.
03/22/09 Antares (1)
The lives of three couples are intertwined in Gotz Spielmann's superb tale of desire, deceit
and death. Two of them involve infidelity, while the other one deals with sick obsession,
they all become interconnected in the unexpected finale, which Spielmann works around
so efficiently that we even forget the stories are meant to come together. The director's
work recalls the Kieslwoski of "The Decalogue" (even the setting is familiar) and like the
Polish masterpiece it deals with the laws of cause and consequence in spite of a world
that seems not to believe in them anymore. Filled with raw, very real sex and moments of
disturbing comedy, this movie proves Spielmann is one of the most talented living
directors out there.
The lives of three couples are intertwined in Gotz Spielmann's superb tale of desire, deceit
and death. Two of them involve infidelity, while the other one deals with sick obsession,
they all become interconnected in the unexpected finale, which Spielmann works around
so efficiently that we even forget the stories are meant to come together. The director's
work recalls the Kieslwoski of "The Decalogue" (even the setting is familiar) and like the
Polish masterpiece it deals with the laws of cause and consequence in spite of a world
that seems not to believe in them anymore. Filled with raw, very real sex and moments of
disturbing comedy, this movie proves Spielmann is one of the most talented living
directors out there.
03/23/09 Notorious (5)
Greatest Hitch ever!
I wrote a short post about it.
Read here.
Greatest Hitch ever!
I wrote a short post about it.
Read here.
03/24/09 Foreign Correspondent (1)
While it may appear to be very propagandistic to modern audiences, this is one of Alfred
Hitchcock's most accessible films; part international thriller, part love story, part murder
mystery and part pro-American B movie, it follows correspondent Joel McCrea's character
as he uncovers a plot to unleash war in Europe. That said war is mentioned as being
fictional doesn't help conceal the social commentary (the part about making the press
come up with news is still relevant) within the film and the message of hope it tried to give
people who probably saw only impending doom ahead. Features some of the master's
greatest action sequences and McCrea is superb (it's weird he isn't more of a legend
today).
While it may appear to be very propagandistic to modern audiences, this is one of Alfred
Hitchcock's most accessible films; part international thriller, part love story, part murder
mystery and part pro-American B movie, it follows correspondent Joel McCrea's character
as he uncovers a plot to unleash war in Europe. That said war is mentioned as being
fictional doesn't help conceal the social commentary (the part about making the press
come up with news is still relevant) within the film and the message of hope it tried to give
people who probably saw only impending doom ahead. Features some of the master's
greatest action sequences and McCrea is superb (it's weird he isn't more of a legend
today).
03/25/09 Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1)
Carole Lombard was perhaps the greatest comedic actress of her time and she proves her
worth in Alfred Hitchcock's only screwball comedy playing wife to Robert Montgomery.
When the couple learns they aren't legally married, they go on a soul search to prove if
they belong together leading to some hilarious moments. Montgomery is seductive and
perfect, but it's Lombard who owns the whole movie playing a proud, slightly spoiled
woman ahead of her time in terms of empowerment who wears her sexuality subtly as she
pokes fun at social standards while remaining utterly elegant. Those who love Hitchcock
will find it odd that he made this movie and as part of his filmography it feels rather odd,
but if you see past the fact that he made it, it turns out to be a daring example of why the
30s and 40s still hold the torch as the funniest decades in film history.
Carole Lombard was perhaps the greatest comedic actress of her time and she proves her
worth in Alfred Hitchcock's only screwball comedy playing wife to Robert Montgomery.
When the couple learns they aren't legally married, they go on a soul search to prove if
they belong together leading to some hilarious moments. Montgomery is seductive and
perfect, but it's Lombard who owns the whole movie playing a proud, slightly spoiled
woman ahead of her time in terms of empowerment who wears her sexuality subtly as she
pokes fun at social standards while remaining utterly elegant. Those who love Hitchcock
will find it odd that he made this movie and as part of his filmography it feels rather odd,
but if you see past the fact that he made it, it turns out to be a daring example of why the
30s and 40s still hold the torch as the funniest decades in film history.
03/24/09 Gran Torino (2)
Still as entertaining as the first time I saw it. Eastwood's performance is every bit a star,
almost diva, turn as it's a showcase of superb acting.
Talk about chewing the scenery with his rude, bitter Walt Kowalski. It's also notable how
there are no other known actors besides him as if to state that this was his movie above
everything else. Only Clint can get away with stuff like this...
Still as entertaining as the first time I saw it. Eastwood's performance is every bit a star,
almost diva, turn as it's a showcase of superb acting.
Talk about chewing the scenery with his rude, bitter Walt Kowalski. It's also notable how
there are no other known actors besides him as if to state that this was his movie above
everything else. Only Clint can get away with stuff like this...
03/28/09 Under Capricorn (1)
Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten and Michael Wilding are involved in a weird love triangle in
1800s Australia. Perhaps my least favorite Hitchcock film (after "Jamaica Inn") its use of
Technicolor was obviously a treat for the master, but as far as actual involvement goes, the
film often falls on the rightfully dull. Bergman, who recalls her role in "Gaslight" is always
terrific and sometimes just damn beautiful, but it's Margaret Leighton as a sinister
housekeeper (Hitch had a thing for these in the 40s) who steals the show.
Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten and Michael Wilding are involved in a weird love triangle in
1800s Australia. Perhaps my least favorite Hitchcock film (after "Jamaica Inn") its use of
Technicolor was obviously a treat for the master, but as far as actual involvement goes, the
film often falls on the rightfully dull. Bergman, who recalls her role in "Gaslight" is always
terrific and sometimes just damn beautiful, but it's Margaret Leighton as a sinister
housekeeper (Hitch had a thing for these in the 40s) who steals the show.