Cowboys

After watching modern Westerns, I've come to the conclusion that I am a sucker for tight-fitting cowboy clothing. In "Cowboys and Aliens," Daniel Craig wears his well:

Michael Fassbender

Dear Young Magneto,
You are so attractive! (Pun intended.) I thought you were pretty decent looking in "Inglorious Basterds," but at the time, I was hard up for Sgt. Donny Donowitz, so I didn't fully appreciate your sexiness. But in "X-Men First Class"? Dear Lord, you're stunning...I'm trying to figure out if it's your private evil theme music, your black turtlenecks, your gorgeous eyes, or your reckless abandon due to the violent, traumatic events of your childhood. Either way, I want to be your heavy metal lover.

Truly, (I'm really not kidding),
Angeline

Adaptation

A quote, dug up, remembered:

"Charlie Kaufman: There was this time in high school. I was watching you out the library window. You were talking to Sarah Marsh.
Donald Kaufman: Oh, God. I was so in love with her.
Charlie Kaufman: I know. And you were flirting with her. And she was being really sweet to you.
Donald Kaufman: I remember that.
Charlie Kaufman: Then, when you walked away, she started making fun of you with Kim Canetti. And it was like they were laughing at *me*. You didn't know at all. You seemed so happy.
Donald Kaufman: I knew. I heard them.
Charlie Kaufman: How come you looked so happy?
Donald Kaufman: I loved Sarah, Charles. It was mine, that love. I owned it. Even Sarah didn't have the right to take it away. I can love whoever I want.
Charlie Kaufman: But she thought you were pathetic.
Donald Kaufman: That was her business, not mine. You are what you love, not what loves you. That's what I decided a long time ago. "

Shutter Island

Shutter Island was and was not what I expected. It may have been predictable, but that didn't stop it from leaving an unsettling impression. I've enjoyed Martin Scorsese/Leonardo DiCaprio pairings in the past, but something was lost in this attempt. Scorsese managed to build up the mystery and characters with intensity, but when the ending was finally revealed, it seemed to fall flat.

Visually, the movie was stunning. I could see myself buying it, if only to dive into the imagery. Bold bloody reds, stark contrasting light, a lovely excess of dreamy hallucinations. It carried such great potential, but it had a hard time living up to the conclusion it promised.

The thing that I really enjoyed about the movie was the way Scorsese portrayed the different variations of "insanity." I'm fascinated with the idea of mental hospitals. I wouldn't want to be stuck in one, and I'm utterly frightened by the idea of being admitted by force, (imagine the the feeling of helplessness!), but sometimes I feel like there's a moment in which people choose to tip the balance. Some of the patients in the movie were so convinced by their intricate personal realities that it almost seemed a shame to treat them.

On a larger level, it's easy to infer that all of us, in essence, are crazy. Isn't it human nature to judge the world based on perception, (or perceive the world based on judgment)? It can be an ongoing hostile environment, or a white picket fence fantasy, but it's not impossible--nor is it rare--that the same story can sound completely different when given from two separate perspectives. So when does a person's perspective peel away from the norm? When does the scale tip, and cause someone's world to differ so much from our own that we consider them insane? The idea that we are capable of existing solely in our mind is as exhilarating as it is frightening.

Theories aside, I would watch the movie again. The ending may have rubbed me the wrong way, but I don't necessarily blame the direction or the acting. I think Scorsese did the best he could with what he had. And considering it was based on a novel, perhaps it was the best screen translation possible.

On a side note, considering I've enjoyed DiCaprio's past performances, but never really found him romantically appealing, I was pretty surprised at how intensely attracted to him I was in this movie. It was like realizing you have a crush on a best friend...Where did that come from?

Appaloosa

I know it's not a new movie, but I watched it again a few nights ago, and I really enjoy the lighting and cinematography...

The Lovely Bones

I'm not sure if I'll go see this movie, but I like Peter Jackson, and the imagery looks like it's pretty neat. I didn't read the book, but perhaps it's better that way?

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

I'm really looking forward to this movie. Not only am I a huge Terry Gilliam fan, but anything that involves fantasy, time travel, and/or dreamworlds attracts me instantly. I had an odd dream about Heath Ledger a few nights ago, and I look forward to seeing his final performance on the big screen.

Here are a few pictures from the movie:






(Official Site coming soon.)

Inglourious Basterds

Oh, yes.

Eli Roth was gorgeous in this movie. So was Melanie Laurent. The scenery, dialogue, costumes...all fantastic. It was everything I hoped for and more.

District 9

"District 9" is definitely unique as far as sci-fi flicks go. Most movies of said genre either rely on alien creatures being hostile or helpful--these were considered a nuisance. The film is shot like a documentary; we're told the large alien spacecraft hovering above the South African city of Johannesburg has been unable to leave for twenty years, allegedly due to a ship malfunction. The city creates a temporary habitat for the aliens, but this soon turns into a kind of ghetto. The whole thing wreaks of concentration camp. (I thought the movie was better with limited knowledge of the plot, but for a more details, see here.)

What got me most about this movie was the portrayal of alien emotion. There is one part in particular, that I don't think I'll ever be able to watch again. It made me feel so much pity for the character that it was almost unbearable. Is it a sad thing to realize that I feel more sympathy for a CGI alien than an actual human being? I've become rather numb towards human suffering...

Aside from the shaky camera cinematography, the movie is awesome. The special effects are spectacular, and the storyline is intelligent and engaging. I can't say the acting was fantastic, but it was damn good for being a cast of newcomers. It's definitely worth a watch; the perspective on our response to extra terrestrial life is disheartening, but highly probable!

Comedy

I've been watching a lot of comedy movies lately; most of them recent, some good, some...not so good. I thought I'd share a few here:

Zach and Miri Make a Porno: This one was cute. I wouldn't say it was hilarious, but it had it's moments. It's obvious from the title that there are a lot of sexual elements to the movie, but in this day and age, most people are pretty numb toward movie nudity anyway, so I wouldn't consider it a big deal. Jason Mewes plays an interesting part, (considering he's pretty much been "Jay" from "Jay and Silent Bob" forever.) For all of it's perversion, it's a sweet movie, but I dunno if I'd watch it again.

Funny People: Oh my, this one had to have been my least favorite. In fact, it was awful. I love both Eric Bana and Jason Schwartzman, but Jason's character was embarrassingly effeminate, and you have to sit through an hour and a half before you see Mr. Bana in all of his Aussie splendor. Not only was it way too long, but the bits that were supposed to be funny, (ie the standup,) were inconsistent and, well, boring. Great cast, but bad writing! It almost felt like the audience was intruding, which had to be its only redeeming quality--it's realistic depiction of life. But in that sense, it worked better as a drama than it's suggested title.

The Hangover: Everyone I talked to raved about this movie, so I had a momentous comedy built up in my head when I sat down to watch it. I must say that the first half of the movie is hilarious! The main characters are all well written, and the whole idea of backtracking through a long night of partying is a pretty unique idea. It's worth watching to the end, if only for the picture reel during the credits. I was just a little disappointed once everything started coming together...And perhaps that sprung from the build up in my head, but I just felt it lost it's consistently funny moments after about an hour. But I'd watch it again!

I Love You Man: This one was suggested to me by a girlfriend, and I found it pretty humorous. The boyfriend's overall response was that it was "gay," I suppose because Paul Rudd goes on "man dates" throughout the movie, but I really didn't get a chick-flick vibe from it. In fact, I thought it was endearing. I particularly liked the way Rudd's character coined random phrases and words such as "totes my goats." It's a cute coming-of-age kinda story, and it definitely has some great moments.


Role Models: This one by far was my favorite! (And I was so surprised when I realized it was directed by none other than David Wain!) The movie was not only consistently funny, but it was a sweet story that revolved around more than just a typical romantic relationship. It was smart, humorous, and had a great cast, (including an awesome performance by Jane Lynch as a former cocaine junky-turned child advocate.) There are so many great subtle jokes in the movie, that you have to watch it a second time to catch everything. I highly recommend it!

On a side note: I thought it was awesome that Seth Rogen's character wore an "Upright Citizen's Brigade" shirt in Funny People, and then Matt Walsh from said show appeared in Role Models, as well as I Love You Man. Plus Reno 911!/The State actors made cameos in a few of the movies...It's neat to see actors that started out doing bizarre humor on the big screen.

Inglourious Basterds

Really looking forward to this movie:

Away We Go

I'm not sure how this movie will be, but it's a combination of director Sam Mendes, (Revolutionary Road, American Beauty,) John Krasinski with facial hair and glasses (!), and Maya Rudolph. It looks delightful. Check out the trailer below: