The Official Review Thread of 2008

[Reza]

Was this a No Critics Screenings bomb that was in and out of theatres in a weekend?

It was certainly not an ''in and out of theatres in a weekend'' kinda film here in Pakistan. Like other crappy films (Iron Man, Hulk, Crystal Skull & The Dark Knight) it unfortunately played for weeks. But then who am I to begrudge the public if they want to thrive on crap? That's what sells today so I suppose the studios keep churning them out.



Edited By Reza on 1233458568

[Damien]

Another stop on the Oscar Completeness Tour: Wanted.

When I saw that this movie was nominated for 2 Oscars, I couldn't remember what it was, and then realized, oh yes, that's the Doug Liman picture with Hayden Christensen and Diane Lane. But wait, no, that was Jumper.

WTF was Wanted? Looking it up on IMDb, I still have absolutely no recollection of a movie named Wanted and starring James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie being released. Was this a No Critics Screenings bomb that was in and out of theatres in a weekend?

[Mister Tee]

Another stop on the Oscar Completeness Tour: Wanted.

A largely ridiculous movie that, oddly, would be better -- or at least more enjoyable -- if it were more ridiculous. The "Did they seriously DO that?" scenes (the guy hurtling himself from one building to another, the train crash that would kill anyone but somehow not our characters, even Angelina's final action) are what give the film life. The problem is all the painfully routine action shit that fills out the rest. Oh, and the "kill everyone in your way or you're a pussy" attitude, which I can't help feeling the Bush folk would have cheered on with gusto.

[flipp525]

The film fails as a character study because the characters are sliver-thin contrivances. It fails as a film of interpersonal relationships because Jenkins' character is much too passive.

Isn't that the entire point of his character (and why he's having such problems in life)? That he is too passive? The film certainly has its faults and Walter, as a character, isn't the most richly-drawn but this, to me, isn't one of its big problems. He's a "visitor" in his own life, as much as anyone else is concerned. There are edges of The Visitor which approach the borders of being an interesting film and they almost all hinge on Jenkins' interactions with several characters, passive interactions. And through these interactions, the narrative is at its most engaging.

We get hints of who this person is on the basis of several intriguing, yet aborted, scenes: the conversation with the piano teacher in the beginning in which the other character takes an unexpected turn from insulted to opportunistic; Walter's interaction with his student in which, honestly, the student actually takes on the more passive role; and finally the run-in with a former neighbor which hints around the idea of the person Walter might've once been -- a character you might think Jenkins should be inhabiting in the present-day version of Walter. Only towards the end of the film, when it's clear that Walter must be the, to borrow an expression from his TV wife on "Six Feet Under", 'architect of his own blueprint', do we get any closer to a man acting, rather than than reacting or, even worse, coasting through his own life.



Edited By Big Magilla on 1241381315

[Mister Tee]

Where was that thread with the discussion on The Visitor? I just saw it and I'd love to catch up with everyone else's thoughts.

I believe further down in this thread -- sometime around Thanksgiving or just after -- and also Sonic reviewed it sometime earlier, under Last Seen Movie.



Edited By Big Magilla on 1241381359

[flipp525]

Where was that thread with the discussion on The Visitor? I just saw it and I'd love to catch up with everyone else's thoughts.

[Sabin]

I seem to be one of the few who fondly remembers Reichardt’s first feature River of Grass, a rambling lovers-on-the-run feature with little practical reason. For all its flaws, that film featured a third act decision made by its lead female protagonist that threw me for a loop, one that announced that the true story lay ahead. Thirteen years later with her follow-up to 2006’s Old Joy, Reichardt seems to have fallen into a formula that both her prior features eschew. It’s not an entirely unwelcome formula as few American filmmakers are as preoccupied as the cinematic short story as she is but Wendy and Lucy is exactly what you think it might be. That doesn’t make it an unsuccessful film but coming off of Old Joy which admirably refused such trappings and was content to simply portray what would undeniably become the last vacation of two old friends. This is not to say that what Wendy and Lucy needed was less plot but rather something less telegraphed.

Kelly Reichardt’s film is beautifully shot and acted by Michelle Williams and replete with rather beautiful moments, yet I can’t help but feel that this is some form of Indie Porn in which the deck is so clearly stacked against its protagonist, no matter how “real” the cards are. On the basis of a first feature most have forgotten if totally unaware of and a follow-up ten years in the making, this is something of a let down.

[Damien]

The supporting cast was great (especially Ryan and Alderson) except Malkovich who I thought was miscast.

I think Michael Kelly is the best thing in the picture. I generally like Angelina Jolie but I don't think ske overcame her miscasting here.



Edited By Big Magilla on 1241381440

[anonymous1980]

CHANGELING
Cast: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Colm Feore, Amy Ryan, Jason Butler Harner, Denis O'Hare, Geoff Pierson, Michael Kelly, Frank Wood, Peter Gerety, Gattlin Griffith, Devon Conti, Eddie Alderson.
Dir: Clint Eastwood.

I'm personally a fan of the directorial work of Clint Eastwood saying that even though nowhere near his best work, there's still plenty of things to admire about it. Angelina Jolie's performance is kind of uneven for me. There are some where I felt it's her best acting work and some where I felt she was below average. The supporting cast was great (especially Ryan and Alderson) except Malkovich who I thought was miscast. Great period detail.

Oscar Prospects: I'm not begrudging Angelina's nomination although I'm surprised Amy Ryan didn't get more buzz.

Grade: B

[dylanfan23]

I thougth the costumes were wonderful in the duchess...probably the best i've seen...i didn't like the film very much at all and i thought knightly did a spotty job....Feinnes was excellant, i also thought hayley atwell was very very good and i look forward to seeing more from her.

[The Original BJ]

I think The Duchess will win Best Costume Design. If Elizabeth: The Golden Age's tacky gowns and corsets can pick up the prize, and Marie Antoinette on its sole nomination can topple far more widely-seen and popular efforts, I think The Duchess will continue Oscar's run in awarding this type of film in this category.

Which is not to say The Duchess wouldn't deserve the prize -- just because Oscar has a fondness for choosing these type of films by default doesn't mean they should be disregarded entirely. And I think The Duchess fills its frames with interesting colors and ornate designs which don't overwhelm the story (again, see Elizabeth: The Golden Age) and simply, look pretty darn good on the actors. It may be an obvious choice for a costume prize, but I'd argue it's not an undeserving one.

Benjamin Button has breadth on its side -- as in, a lot of costumes from different eras -- but I think the only way it wins this prize is if The Duchess wasn't widely seen enough and misses a nomination entirely. (Sort of how The Aviator's Best Picture pedigree easily snagged it the Costume prize when a number of the more ornate competitors that year were snubbed completely.)

[Reza]

I haven't caught Benjamin Button yet, and from reports that film's costumes may blow away the field, but this film would be a worthy winner in most years.

I think The Duchess should win hands down......have seen Benjamin Button.



Edited By Big Magilla on 1241381459

[Mister Tee]

Continuing my Netflix Costume Design contenders tour, I watched The Duchess last night. It was a forgettable 18th century soap opera, notable for Ralph Fiennes playing the ugliest husband since Richard Benjamin in Diary of a Mad Housewife, and what must be a very rare on-screen portrayal of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, author of School for Scandal and The Rivals.

But, damn, the costumes were something -- head and shoulders above The Other Boleyn Girl's, and far more tastefully beautiful than last year's Oscar champ's. In one particular scene, Knightley and Hayley Atwell were strolling outisde at Bath, and I thought, those are two of the most stunning dresses I've ever seen. I haven't caught Benjamin Button yet, and from reports that film's costumes may blow away the field, but this film would be a worthy winner in most years.

[Zahveed]

I thought Horton Hears A Who had some great visuals. Very Seussian and much more impressive than the studio's Ice Age efforts. Regardless, Wall-E takes the cake.

[Mister Tee]

I just wanted to echo what BJ wrote a month or two back: Kung Fu Panda is strictly pedestrian (if inoffensive) in the story department. But the visuals are frequently breathtaking. Such characters as the Tigress are how'd-they-do-that gorgeous-looking, and the staging of such scenes as the prison escape left my jaw dropped. Of all the animated efforts of the past decade-plus, only the first Pixars and the Miyazaki films have caught me so much by visual surprise.