Sunday, August 25, 2013

You're Next

In You're Next a family reunion goes from bad to worse when a home invasion attack goes horribly wrong. Though promoted as a horror film, I would call this a violent crime film. The dynamics in the family were most interesting to me, as I was deciding what order I wanted them killed off in the first 20 minutes of the film. What an obnoxious group of characters. The course of events is well laid out and there are a fair number of jump scares. I liked this film a lot more than I expected to.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

The World's End

Can you reproduce an epic pub-crawl after 20 years? A group of friends try and run into issues they never expected in The World's End. The dialogue in this film is brilliant and the situation rattles out of control in a delightful manner. This film is raucous, ribald and ridiculous. One of the most entertaining films of the year, with one of the best final fight scenes ever. A fitting finale for the Cornetto Trilogy. Loved it!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Blue Jasmine

When a wealthy woman suffers a divorce and the demise of her lifestyle, we get the story of Blue Jasmine. Cate Blanchett gives the performance of a lifetime playing a woman coming apart at the seams as she loses one life, tries to build another and struggles to find herself. Along the way, we meet family and acquaintances that Jasmine struggles with as well.  I think this is one of the best movies of the year. The performances are stellar from a very eclectic cast. I'll probably see this film again.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

42

Racism is possibly one of the ugliest sides of human nature. In the film 42 we see this magnified by the entrance of Jackie Robinson to professional baseball. I always find racism difficult to watch, especially when it turns violent, but this film highlights the strength and perseverance of the people. This is not just a sports film. Worth a look.

The Company You Keep

In The Company You Keep a journalist investigates a former member of the Weathermen in a cat and mouse chase for justice on past crimes. An amazing cast makes this worth seeing, It's also an interesting part of history to revisit. Good film.

Friday, August 09, 2013

To the Wonder

At one point in To the Wonder I thought, "this film feels like a ballet." And then there was a ballet scene! Talk about leading your audience. This film tells the story of a couple's love, passion and struggles. It is quiet, poetic and dramatic. Relationships become complicated and conflicts arise. In true Malick style, there is very little dialogue. Not for everyone, but I really liked it.

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

The Sapphires

The story of musicians ups and downs is not a new story. What I liked about the film The Sapphires was an interesting setting and characters that have a bit of sass. We don't see a lot about USO tours during the Vietnam War. There is a love story and a rich family story. Along with excellent performances I've been recommending this film a lot.

Sunday, August 04, 2013

Plimpton!

I was fascinated with George Plimpton when I was a kid. His books and TV specials showed a man putting himself in a situation before he wrote about it. I admired that. This afternoon I enjoyed the documentary Plimpton!. It gave me background and insight to the life of the man. A bit glamorous, a little bittersweet. I really enjoyed this film.