VAGUE TONAL SPOILERS AHEAD.... "Up in the Air" is a terrific movie about a man who has gilded his fear of committing to others as a philosophy of remaining unencumbered. Two women in his life challenge him in very different ways, and the way his story plays out is surprisingly realistic and not at all what one usually gets from from films. Well acted, nicely directed (Reitman even lifts the junkie riffs of "Requiem for a Dream" for the main character's pack-one-bag fetish), superbly written. the film sags only in a couple of moments, and -- ironically -- its commitment to supporting characters could have been stronger, but this is still a fine piece of work and leaps and bounds ahead of Reitman's last film. Highly recommended.
Reviews
5 Reviews
The Informant!
(2009)
The parts are all there, but the movie just doesn't really work
19 September 2009
On paper and in theory, this should fire on all cylinders. There are no slouches here -- Soderbergh included -- but the film doesn't really start to lift off until near the end. I think the problem is that Whiteacre's such an obvious liar (an something of a toady) that his stories never really gain much traction, and the result that was meant to be suspenseful and funny is much closer to boring, disappointing, and exasperating. There are flashes here and there where the film was genuinely funny, but those moments had more to do with an actor's delivery than what was set up on the page. I can hardly fault anyone for leaping into this feet first, though: the plan and vision would have looked like sure success.
Milk
(I) (2008)
Very well done, very very very by-the-book stuff.
6 December 2008
It was very well done, very very very by-the-book stuff. Some of the photography was bad, which helps it blend in with the archive stuff, I know, but still.
The cast was good, though now and again Penn or Hirsch got pretty damned close to parody. But then, so do queens, so...
*shrugs*
I found myself checking my watch way too often. Milk himself wasn't very interesting to me, which basically just left the cause itself, and as much as the story centered on that, there was a serious lack of urgency. The most moving moment in the entire film is almost thrown away: a cop refers to a dead man's boyfriend as his "trick"; Milk responds that he wasn't his "trick," he was his "lover" (or "boyfriend" -- I can't remember the term used). The cop again casually dismissed the man as the corpse's "trick" and Milk again responds that he wasn't his "trick," he was his "lover"... He's just trying to get through to the cop the idea that a gay man has humanity and it's sad, horrifying, poignant -- everything the entire film should have been.
Too bad. I'm definitely a Van Sant fan, but this wasn't much better than good.
7.25/10
The cast was good, though now and again Penn or Hirsch got pretty damned close to parody. But then, so do queens, so...
*shrugs*
I found myself checking my watch way too often. Milk himself wasn't very interesting to me, which basically just left the cause itself, and as much as the story centered on that, there was a serious lack of urgency. The most moving moment in the entire film is almost thrown away: a cop refers to a dead man's boyfriend as his "trick"; Milk responds that he wasn't his "trick," he was his "lover" (or "boyfriend" -- I can't remember the term used). The cop again casually dismissed the man as the corpse's "trick" and Milk again responds that he wasn't his "trick," he was his "lover"... He's just trying to get through to the cop the idea that a gay man has humanity and it's sad, horrifying, poignant -- everything the entire film should have been.
Too bad. I'm definitely a Van Sant fan, but this wasn't much better than good.
7.25/10
The Devil Wears Prada
(2006)
Very thin, unsatisfying movie
1 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The Devil Wears Prada: I just saw most of it (I left with about fifteen minutes to go). It wasn't awful, but it doesn't really go anywhere. You know the set-up -- girl gets hired by "boss from hell" (who isn't really THAT bad) -- and the rest of the movie is: 1) Boss demands something 2) Assistant figures out how to get it done Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
For variation, there's 1) Boss is angry about something 2) Assistant figures out how to placate her Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
VERY MINOR SPOILER AHEAD: In between are scenes with her boyfriend or other friends to show that she has a life, and also that she's changing because she's so busy all the time. There's a scene where she misses her boyfriend's birthday party which is CLEARLY written by a woman -- the situation and the way her boyfriend responds is what women do, not what men do.
Meryl Streep is good in it, but she really doesn't have a whole lot to do. She takes an underwritten, one note part, and fleshes it out so it's a chord. (For an example of how NOT to play her part, all you have to do is look at assistant #1 -- she's very poor in the role.) Stanley Tucci's very good, Anne Hathaway does all right.
There's a way to have done this: it could've been anecdotal, like Woody Allen did so well when he didn't really have a story for Radio Days or -- better example -- Broadway Danny Rose. This thing just spins its wheels the whole time.
It's not bad-natured, though, which helps.
For variation, there's 1) Boss is angry about something 2) Assistant figures out how to placate her Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
VERY MINOR SPOILER AHEAD: In between are scenes with her boyfriend or other friends to show that she has a life, and also that she's changing because she's so busy all the time. There's a scene where she misses her boyfriend's birthday party which is CLEARLY written by a woman -- the situation and the way her boyfriend responds is what women do, not what men do.
Meryl Streep is good in it, but she really doesn't have a whole lot to do. She takes an underwritten, one note part, and fleshes it out so it's a chord. (For an example of how NOT to play her part, all you have to do is look at assistant #1 -- she's very poor in the role.) Stanley Tucci's very good, Anne Hathaway does all right.
There's a way to have done this: it could've been anecdotal, like Woody Allen did so well when he didn't really have a story for Radio Days or -- better example -- Broadway Danny Rose. This thing just spins its wheels the whole time.
It's not bad-natured, though, which helps.
Brokeback Mountain
(2005)
Observations on the movie; not a full review
12 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
People seem to be responding to BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN as if it's the story of some sort of heroic love. My take on it is much more of a cautionary tale. These two men's lives (and Ennis' family) get pretty destroyed because of the men's refusal to deal with their relationship in an honorable way. There's the argument that their society wouldn't allow it, but there was no one compelling them to marry others and make families while continuing their lies and infidelities to their wives, families, and each other. I think those things were the seeds of their downfall. Also, as far as "love" goes, the film makes me believe that Ennis loved Jack, but Jack
Jack just seemed to be horny, you know? He'd drive across the border, he'd try to hook up with a man in a bar, he'd try to hook up with a man and ranch together
I know that people (and love) are flawed, but if love is an active thing which seeks the best for others, then this was more of a lust story with some pretty tragic consequences. The most heart-wrenching moment for me was Ennis' wife watching him drive off on another "fishing trip" with Jack, knowing he'd chosen Jack over her. He made vows, let's not forget, to her not Jack.
I think Jack and Ennis were victims of a sort, but that doesn't make them heroes, you know? And Randy Quaid's much-maligned redneck... his main problem seemed to be that Jack and Ennis weren't doing their JOBS, not that Jack and Ennis were "stemming the rose." Just curious if others have similar observations, agree, or disagree.
I think Jack and Ennis were victims of a sort, but that doesn't make them heroes, you know? And Randy Quaid's much-maligned redneck... his main problem seemed to be that Jack and Ennis weren't doing their JOBS, not that Jack and Ennis were "stemming the rose." Just curious if others have similar observations, agree, or disagree.
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