Somehow we made it to 2 movies in the first 2 days of 2011. We have since dropped off.
After a scrumptious day of football and New Year's food (...and mimosas), we made our way to the Alamo Drafthouse Village for a late showing of True Grit. Now I (nor anyone in my party, I believe) haven't seen the original or read the book that each movie is based on - just wanted to get that out there. That being said, I really enjoyed it. As expected all of the principal actors gave inspired performances and it was shot very beautifully by the Coen's (again, as per usual). I personally really enjoyed seeing the movie in a room full of Texans as Matt Damon's character is a Texas Ranger and plays that part as you expect. A little braggadocio and a lot of drawl. Fortunately we all found it humorous, but I did wonder what people in the rest of the country thought about that sort of portrayal and Texans in general. It probably just perpetuated the over-the-top, horse-riding, boots and hat-wearing stereotype - but at least he was charming, right? I also really loved the continuity of the musical theme of the hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." I'm not really sure why they chose Iris DeMent's version as their jumping off point, but she appears to be successful for some reason. Incidentally the composer's reliance on old hymns is what disqualified this film from being eligible for Best Original Score. Certainly deserves a nomination for Best Picture, don't know if it deserves to win.
The next day we traveled down to Alamo South Lamar for a lunch showing of The King's Speech. Great performances again - although I was most impressed with Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter as the once and future King and Queen. Colin Firth was a family and company man, but still likable and really displayed the true struggle that King George VI endured his whole life long. I have remarked to more than one person that it was so lovely to see Helena Bonham Carter not play a crazy-face. She was prim and proper and sweet and really added a great, supportive asset to the film. I also liked how the film explored Bertie's (Colin Firth) brother's abdication of the throne and the family issues that posed - not just overcoming a stammer. All in all a very interesting and good movie. The friend we saw the movie with asked us to rank this movie with others we've seen recently and it was hard because it really is a great movie, but it's not anything like Black Swan or even True Grit. Like how would you even compare? It's a great period peace that is impeccably crafted, but I wouldn't say it broke any new ground.
This afternoon I'm hoping to get out to see either 127 Hours or The Fighter. Don't worry - I'll check back and let you know what I think.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Black and Deathly
With the onslaught of movies opening in our fair city, the husband and I are trying to ease back into our crazy movie-viewing rhythm. Christmas somehow consumed all of December, so it's been slow going.
Against my better judgment, my husband convinced me that we should just screw it and go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I had laundry to do, birthdays to shop for, soup to cook - but somehow was swayed to spend at least 2.5 hours at the movies instead. Guess what, people? Totally worth it. I really liked the movie. I even liked that the money-grubbing powers that be decided to split the book into 2 movies. I think this decision will really do this final tale justice. The plot clicked along a little faster than in the book (but that's pretty necessary), but even so it was able to show the fact that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are blossoming adults, yet still awkward kids. These actors have really grown professionally and it's beautiful to see that as well. I was also very impressed with the cinematography - the wilderness scenes really achieve the desolation and isolation that the characters are feeling. They aren't just gorgeous settings in the UK. My favorite scene may have been the one in Godric's Hollow - it looked and felt just how I imagined it when I read it!!! Super eerie, yet weighted with fate and importance. It was kind of like when I saw the first movie and you came upon Hogwarts for the first time. Very exciting. I know one general criticisms of these movies is their disjointed nature for the viewers who have not read the books (like they plot doesn't connect well enough for them to really be stand-alone movies). But my husband hadn't read this book yet and he felt like he could follow it pretty well. I am anxiously awaiting Part 2! I know a few people are holding out on seeing Part 1 until the second part comes out so they don't have to wait for the end (a la The Lord of the Rings). While I understand that viewpoint, I was just too excited to see this one!
Once our 10-day Christmas celebration ended on the 26th, we dropped the dog off at home and raced over to the Arbor to see Black Swan. I was definitely nervous about being disappointed because there has been so much hype. The film is really a slow build, so for the first 30 minutes I was kind of like, "damn, over-hyped." But then, it kind of snuck up on me and I was right there in it. Flawless performances all around and really interesting through and through. It is much more than a dance movie and more than a thriller. It's one of those that you discuss at length with each person you encounter who has seen it as well. There are tons of nooks and crannies and possibilities to explore. And yes, the lesbian scene is pretty hot.
We also attempted to see The King's Speech this week, but it was sold out. Attempt #2 is on Sunday. I'm also hoping to make it out for one more this week - True Grit, The Fighter, 127 Hours, who knows?
Against my better judgment, my husband convinced me that we should just screw it and go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I had laundry to do, birthdays to shop for, soup to cook - but somehow was swayed to spend at least 2.5 hours at the movies instead. Guess what, people? Totally worth it. I really liked the movie. I even liked that the money-grubbing powers that be decided to split the book into 2 movies. I think this decision will really do this final tale justice. The plot clicked along a little faster than in the book (but that's pretty necessary), but even so it was able to show the fact that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are blossoming adults, yet still awkward kids. These actors have really grown professionally and it's beautiful to see that as well. I was also very impressed with the cinematography - the wilderness scenes really achieve the desolation and isolation that the characters are feeling. They aren't just gorgeous settings in the UK. My favorite scene may have been the one in Godric's Hollow - it looked and felt just how I imagined it when I read it!!! Super eerie, yet weighted with fate and importance. It was kind of like when I saw the first movie and you came upon Hogwarts for the first time. Very exciting. I know one general criticisms of these movies is their disjointed nature for the viewers who have not read the books (like they plot doesn't connect well enough for them to really be stand-alone movies). But my husband hadn't read this book yet and he felt like he could follow it pretty well. I am anxiously awaiting Part 2! I know a few people are holding out on seeing Part 1 until the second part comes out so they don't have to wait for the end (a la The Lord of the Rings). While I understand that viewpoint, I was just too excited to see this one!
Once our 10-day Christmas celebration ended on the 26th, we dropped the dog off at home and raced over to the Arbor to see Black Swan. I was definitely nervous about being disappointed because there has been so much hype. The film is really a slow build, so for the first 30 minutes I was kind of like, "damn, over-hyped." But then, it kind of snuck up on me and I was right there in it. Flawless performances all around and really interesting through and through. It is much more than a dance movie and more than a thriller. It's one of those that you discuss at length with each person you encounter who has seen it as well. There are tons of nooks and crannies and possibilities to explore. And yes, the lesbian scene is pretty hot.
We also attempted to see The King's Speech this week, but it was sold out. Attempt #2 is on Sunday. I'm also hoping to make it out for one more this week - True Grit, The Fighter, 127 Hours, who knows?
Friday, November 19, 2010
"If they invented facebook, they would have invented facebook!"
I was watching Conan last night and Jesse Eisenberg was one of the guests. This reminded me that I never posted a review of The Social Network.
My husband and I saw it at the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek about a month ago and I remember really enjoying it start to finish. However, in the days and weeks since, it's been kind of clanging around in my head. But not in an interesting, let's-think-about-it way like Inception, more like it wasn't super-memorable. I've been wondering why. I know you're thinking it was the glass of wine or whatever I had during my dinner-and-a-movie, but my husband and I split a bucket of beer at Inception, and I remember a whole hell of a lot more about that movie.
Seeing Jesse Eisenberg on Conan was a great refresher. Jesse Eisenberg (and Justin Timberlake) is what made the movie so great. The movie, if you don't know, is about the beginning of facebook. How it came together at Harvard at the beginning of the decade and how it almost fell apart upon the business's move to California. Of course, it follows Mark Zuckerberg as well, as the two seem more and more inseparable as the movie rolls on. It's an interesting story of relationships and status (to be honest), and what else is facebook about really?
However, Jesse Eisenberg, though his character (Mark Zuckerberg) is somewhat unassuming, commands your attention throughout the entire movie. He is in such control of himself, his emotions, his speech, that you are really interested by this character/person. After watching it, though, I was kind of like, "yeah, he was good, but isn't he just like that?" He is not - is what I found out on Conan last night. He is awkward, unsure, and self-deprecating. And loves cats (he fosters cats, isn't that so nice?!). He seemed like such a nice guy, but not necessarily at all like the cocky programmer he portrayed on screen. The Oscar buzz for his performance is still strong, so you may want to head out and catch this one if you still can. It also features great support performances from Justin Timberlake (as Sean Parker), Andrew Garfield (the new Spider-Man), and this guy who plays the Winkelvoss twins. It's interesting for anyone who uses facebook, which is everyone (except my mom, thank God). At the very least watch the trailer, which may be one of my favorite trailers of all time.
On a related note, are you watching Conan? I am, and DVR-ing it as well. I really like it and I don't want to let Conan down like I did with the The Tonight Show (I only watched his first and last episodes, but to be fair, I go to bed at the time that show comes on; how my parents watch so much of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson - I will never understand). I'm ready for the show (so glad Andy Richter is back!) to get into a groove and get some recurring bits, but I'm sticking with it for now (I kind of miss watching Family Guy, though).
My husband and I saw it at the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek about a month ago and I remember really enjoying it start to finish. However, in the days and weeks since, it's been kind of clanging around in my head. But not in an interesting, let's-think-about-it way like Inception, more like it wasn't super-memorable. I've been wondering why. I know you're thinking it was the glass of wine or whatever I had during my dinner-and-a-movie, but my husband and I split a bucket of beer at Inception, and I remember a whole hell of a lot more about that movie.
Seeing Jesse Eisenberg on Conan was a great refresher. Jesse Eisenberg (and Justin Timberlake) is what made the movie so great. The movie, if you don't know, is about the beginning of facebook. How it came together at Harvard at the beginning of the decade and how it almost fell apart upon the business's move to California. Of course, it follows Mark Zuckerberg as well, as the two seem more and more inseparable as the movie rolls on. It's an interesting story of relationships and status (to be honest), and what else is facebook about really?
However, Jesse Eisenberg, though his character (Mark Zuckerberg) is somewhat unassuming, commands your attention throughout the entire movie. He is in such control of himself, his emotions, his speech, that you are really interested by this character/person. After watching it, though, I was kind of like, "yeah, he was good, but isn't he just like that?" He is not - is what I found out on Conan last night. He is awkward, unsure, and self-deprecating. And loves cats (he fosters cats, isn't that so nice?!). He seemed like such a nice guy, but not necessarily at all like the cocky programmer he portrayed on screen. The Oscar buzz for his performance is still strong, so you may want to head out and catch this one if you still can. It also features great support performances from Justin Timberlake (as Sean Parker), Andrew Garfield (the new Spider-Man), and this guy who plays the Winkelvoss twins. It's interesting for anyone who uses facebook, which is everyone (except my mom, thank God). At the very least watch the trailer, which may be one of my favorite trailers of all time.
On a related note, are you watching Conan? I am, and DVR-ing it as well. I really like it and I don't want to let Conan down like I did with the The Tonight Show (I only watched his first and last episodes, but to be fair, I go to bed at the time that show comes on; how my parents watch so much of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson - I will never understand). I'm ready for the show (so glad Andy Richter is back!) to get into a groove and get some recurring bits, but I'm sticking with it for now (I kind of miss watching Family Guy, though).
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Pandora
No, not that Pandora, I already reviewed that one. By the way - did anyone see the "Avatar" re-release? All I ever really heard about it was that they extended the "sex" scene. Meh.
Anyways - I was listening to Pandora (internet radio station you build) at my little desk yesterday. The radio station selected was my Rilo Kiley one with Ben Folds thrown in. So...I'm scanning along in my little hole and "Question" by the Old 97's comes on. I immediately switch back to my browser window so I can click on "Like" as fast as possible - and it's already been selected. Good ear, Pandora.
The thing about this song is - it just makes me feel right. And like everything in the world is right for 2 minutes. As soon as the opening riff started I gasped out loud and just drifted away for a moment to the scene where I imagine this song taking place. It's simple, just guitar and vocals, verse-chorus-verse-chorus, but it packs an emotional, sentimental punch. This song is just perfection.
Here's the chorus (I'll sing it to you any time you like):
Someday somebody's gonna ask you
A question that you should say 'yes' to
Once in your life
Maybe tonight
I've got a question for you
Pair this with the tall drink of water that is Rhett Miller and the way he sways his hips when he plays guitar and I am done.
Other Old 97's faves:
* "Rollerskate Skinny" (my fave)
* "Great Barrier Reef" (my husband's fave)
* "Nineteen"
* "Firefly" (inspiration for my myspace and absolutepunk names - haha! so punk, right?!)
UPDATE - I wandered over to their website after I initially posted this entry and discovered they have a new album coming out on October 12th. Can't wait! Mr. Ken Bethea does a great, quick breakdown on all of the songs on their homepage (and Rhett Miller has a videoblog from the offices of Dunder-Mifflin! That's right, MB, I said it.).
Anyways - I was listening to Pandora (internet radio station you build) at my little desk yesterday. The radio station selected was my Rilo Kiley one with Ben Folds thrown in. So...I'm scanning along in my little hole and "Question" by the Old 97's comes on. I immediately switch back to my browser window so I can click on "Like" as fast as possible - and it's already been selected. Good ear, Pandora.
The thing about this song is - it just makes me feel right. And like everything in the world is right for 2 minutes. As soon as the opening riff started I gasped out loud and just drifted away for a moment to the scene where I imagine this song taking place. It's simple, just guitar and vocals, verse-chorus-verse-chorus, but it packs an emotional, sentimental punch. This song is just perfection.
Here's the chorus (I'll sing it to you any time you like):
Someday somebody's gonna ask you
A question that you should say 'yes' to
Once in your life
Maybe tonight
I've got a question for you
Pair this with the tall drink of water that is Rhett Miller and the way he sways his hips when he plays guitar and I am done.
Other Old 97's faves:
* "Rollerskate Skinny" (my fave)
* "Great Barrier Reef" (my husband's fave)
* "Nineteen"
* "Firefly" (inspiration for my myspace and absolutepunk names - haha! so punk, right?!)
UPDATE - I wandered over to their website after I initially posted this entry and discovered they have a new album coming out on October 12th. Can't wait! Mr. Ken Bethea does a great, quick breakdown on all of the songs on their homepage (and Rhett Miller has a videoblog from the offices of Dunder-Mifflin! That's right, MB, I said it.).
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Catfish
My husband and I found ourselves in the luxurious position of having no plans this past Friday night. So...we began discussing possibilities and I mentioned casually maybe we could go to the movies and there's this cool-looking movie showing at the Alamo South Lamar...and my husband exclaimed, "I saw that on News 8 this morning and I want to see it, too!" We are just too adorable like that. Fortunately I bought tickets that afternoon online because it was sold out by the time we got there.
The aforementioned film is a documentary entitled "Catfish." The film reviewer on News 8 posed it as one of the 2 movies about facebook coming out this fall - but it is much more than that. The documentary follows Nev Schulman as he is being filmed by his brother, Rel, and Henry Joost (the 2 filmmakers and Nev share an office space in NYC). They decide to film Nev as he embarks on a relationship that begins on facebook and proceeds to mail, phone, gchat, and eventually a face-to-face meeting. Again, as the reviewer mentioned, this is one of those cases where "truth is stranger than fiction." He even went so far as to say that it's more of a reality-documentary - meaning it's more free-form and less agenda-driven than most documentaries.
My husband and I both enjoyed the film immensely. It unfolds in such a dramatic way and really tries to remain honest while pointing out some obvious flaws in social networking in the internet age. It was also laugh-out-loud funny, shocking in a jaw-dropping sort of way, and emotional. Somehow I felt it all in the span of 90 or so minutes. Kudos to Nev for laying it all out there for us.
There has also been some controversy surrounding "Catfish" - other viewers (famously Morgan Spurlock and Zach Galifianakis) have called its authenticity into question. However, the 3 of them claim that everything happened as it played out on screen - no script, no actors, none of it (unlike "I'm Still Here," Casey Affleck's 'documentary' about Joaquin Phoenix - is anyone going to see that?). I wouldn't suggest seeking out articles on the controversy if you haven't seen the documentary yet as it may spoil the big reveal.
I say - get out and see this one if it shows up near you. I thought about it all weekend and am really glad we were able to see it.
Also - I had one of the specials at Alamo South Lamar at the urging of our waitress. It was spaghetti squash, zucchini, tomato sauce, and parmesan cheese with garlic bread and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD. Check out the specials if you can, is what I learned on Friday.
The aforementioned film is a documentary entitled "Catfish." The film reviewer on News 8 posed it as one of the 2 movies about facebook coming out this fall - but it is much more than that. The documentary follows Nev Schulman as he is being filmed by his brother, Rel, and Henry Joost (the 2 filmmakers and Nev share an office space in NYC). They decide to film Nev as he embarks on a relationship that begins on facebook and proceeds to mail, phone, gchat, and eventually a face-to-face meeting. Again, as the reviewer mentioned, this is one of those cases where "truth is stranger than fiction." He even went so far as to say that it's more of a reality-documentary - meaning it's more free-form and less agenda-driven than most documentaries.
My husband and I both enjoyed the film immensely. It unfolds in such a dramatic way and really tries to remain honest while pointing out some obvious flaws in social networking in the internet age. It was also laugh-out-loud funny, shocking in a jaw-dropping sort of way, and emotional. Somehow I felt it all in the span of 90 or so minutes. Kudos to Nev for laying it all out there for us.
There has also been some controversy surrounding "Catfish" - other viewers (famously Morgan Spurlock and Zach Galifianakis) have called its authenticity into question. However, the 3 of them claim that everything happened as it played out on screen - no script, no actors, none of it (unlike "I'm Still Here," Casey Affleck's 'documentary' about Joaquin Phoenix - is anyone going to see that?). I wouldn't suggest seeking out articles on the controversy if you haven't seen the documentary yet as it may spoil the big reveal.
I say - get out and see this one if it shows up near you. I thought about it all weekend and am really glad we were able to see it.
Also - I had one of the specials at Alamo South Lamar at the urging of our waitress. It was spaghetti squash, zucchini, tomato sauce, and parmesan cheese with garlic bread and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD. Check out the specials if you can, is what I learned on Friday.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Re-invigorated?
I stumbled upon an article on msnbc.com last week about the dearth of "Oscar movies" so far this year. While reading the article I felt inspired to make an appearance on my long-neglected blog and regale you, my faithful readers (reader? singular?), with my thoughts. I was so inspired I even made a little trip over to my tried-and-true Oscar-watch blog, "Little Gold Men" on vanityfair.com to uncover some more possibilities for you. Alas - no Oscar bait over there yet. So we'll press onward with this little nugget.
Of the films mentioned - I've seen two. Oops! I need to continue to hang out at the Arbor after the first week in March, I suppose. Instead I (along with my husband and parents) made my way to the 4-screen theater in Bastrop (where my parents live) on a steamy July day to see Toy Story 3. Unfortunately, I missed the beginning of the short because at this particular theater I HAVE to get a refreshment from the concession stand. Why, do you ask? Because they serve Red Flash (Coca-Cola's answer to Big Red - I'll drink either). Anyways, once the children in the theatre settled down and I settled in (and stopped freaking out about the number of children in the theater), the movie swept me away. What a sweet, bittersweet, honest ending to a wonderful franchise. It was appropriate and fun and still had a great message. While I didn't get to see it in 3D (see aforementioned theater), I don't know that that could have made it any better. The article discussed that this may be another Pixar Best Picture contender now that the ban on animated films being nominated in that category has been lifted.
Towards the end of the summer, my husband and I began taking advantage of his summer off and my Friday afternoons off by catching a matinee movie at the Alamo Drafthouse Village. It was a really fun thing to do together. The film that started this date ball rolling was Inception, the psychological thriller by Christopher Nolan. I know the hipster thing to do is bash this movie, but I don't care. I loved it. I loved that my husband and I spent the whole weekend discussing it and turning it over and basically just thinking about it. I loved being able to suspend my disbelief for a few hours to enter Nolan's dreamworld, literally. The acting performances are excellent and include a well-rounded ensemble cast of characters from across the board. I definitely see the blu-ray of this movie sitting on our shelf in the near future.
The other films mentioned were The Kids Are All Right, Restrepo, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Winter's Bone, The Social Network, True Grit (filmed in and around Austin!), and Hereafter. I'll be honest with you, I've only even heard of half of them and I definitely missed The Kids Are All Right in the theaters. I have a feeling we'll get there, though.
Outside of these films, the one we watched most recently was The Ghost Writer. This is a film directed by Roman Polanski starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, and Kim Cattrall (and her dreadful British accent). The film is based on a book by Robert Harris and is a thinly veiled criticism of Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister (so thin that I even picked up on it and I know precious little about international politics). It is a stark, muted movie set on the stormy Massachusetts coast and follows a ghost-writer (Ewan McGregor) working on the former British Prime Minister's (Pierce Brosnan) memoirs. As the writer stumbles on his predecessor's (recently deceased under suspicious circumstances) research into the underbelly of this politician's life, he discovers more than he bargains for and begins to fear for his life. It is a very interesting movie, albeit a slow build, but one worth watching. The scuttlebutt is that while some of the performances may get nominations for Academy Awards, no one would dare nominate Polanski or this film in their respective categories due to his recent troubles.
The other movie popping up around Austin with Oscar buzz is one called Get Low. This movie stars Robert Duvall and Bill Murray and involves a crochety old man (Duvall) planning his funeral to be staged before he dies. Some say there's a nomination in it for Duvall. I say, maybe it's time to head out to the Arbor...
Of the films mentioned - I've seen two. Oops! I need to continue to hang out at the Arbor after the first week in March, I suppose. Instead I (along with my husband and parents) made my way to the 4-screen theater in Bastrop (where my parents live) on a steamy July day to see Toy Story 3. Unfortunately, I missed the beginning of the short because at this particular theater I HAVE to get a refreshment from the concession stand. Why, do you ask? Because they serve Red Flash (Coca-Cola's answer to Big Red - I'll drink either). Anyways, once the children in the theatre settled down and I settled in (and stopped freaking out about the number of children in the theater), the movie swept me away. What a sweet, bittersweet, honest ending to a wonderful franchise. It was appropriate and fun and still had a great message. While I didn't get to see it in 3D (see aforementioned theater), I don't know that that could have made it any better. The article discussed that this may be another Pixar Best Picture contender now that the ban on animated films being nominated in that category has been lifted.
Towards the end of the summer, my husband and I began taking advantage of his summer off and my Friday afternoons off by catching a matinee movie at the Alamo Drafthouse Village. It was a really fun thing to do together. The film that started this date ball rolling was Inception, the psychological thriller by Christopher Nolan. I know the hipster thing to do is bash this movie, but I don't care. I loved it. I loved that my husband and I spent the whole weekend discussing it and turning it over and basically just thinking about it. I loved being able to suspend my disbelief for a few hours to enter Nolan's dreamworld, literally. The acting performances are excellent and include a well-rounded ensemble cast of characters from across the board. I definitely see the blu-ray of this movie sitting on our shelf in the near future.
The other films mentioned were The Kids Are All Right, Restrepo, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Winter's Bone, The Social Network, True Grit (filmed in and around Austin!), and Hereafter. I'll be honest with you, I've only even heard of half of them and I definitely missed The Kids Are All Right in the theaters. I have a feeling we'll get there, though.
Outside of these films, the one we watched most recently was The Ghost Writer. This is a film directed by Roman Polanski starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, and Kim Cattrall (and her dreadful British accent). The film is based on a book by Robert Harris and is a thinly veiled criticism of Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister (so thin that I even picked up on it and I know precious little about international politics). It is a stark, muted movie set on the stormy Massachusetts coast and follows a ghost-writer (Ewan McGregor) working on the former British Prime Minister's (Pierce Brosnan) memoirs. As the writer stumbles on his predecessor's (recently deceased under suspicious circumstances) research into the underbelly of this politician's life, he discovers more than he bargains for and begins to fear for his life. It is a very interesting movie, albeit a slow build, but one worth watching. The scuttlebutt is that while some of the performances may get nominations for Academy Awards, no one would dare nominate Polanski or this film in their respective categories due to his recent troubles.
The other movie popping up around Austin with Oscar buzz is one called Get Low. This movie stars Robert Duvall and Bill Murray and involves a crochety old man (Duvall) planning his funeral to be staged before he dies. Some say there's a nomination in it for Duvall. I say, maybe it's time to head out to the Arbor...
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Hmm...
Life has greatly slowed down our movie-watching lately. In between gigs for my husband's band and the Olympics, not to mention our regular schedule, our dvd players and movie tickets have been oh-so-lonely.
I don't think we will make it as far along through as many Oscar-nominated films as possible this year for a few reasons. #1 - We have been BUSY (see above)! #2 - It seemed that a smaller volume of the films came out on dvd before the award show. The last 2 years that has really allowed us to get a large chunk of them watched. #3 - If previous award shows and predictions are accurate, we've seen all of the winners. I think this is really what has kept my motivation low. We busted to see all of the Best Picture nominees and those that had already won acting awards, but last year we actually saw EVERY movie nominated for an acting award. This year I bet we've seen 30% or so? So speaking of Best Picture nominees...we finally saw the last one last night...
Netflix sent us A Serious Man at least a week ago. It's been sitting out neglected and alone (although protected from our cats and that is no easy feat). Yes, we're busy, but see my aforementioned statement concerning motivation. I hadn't heard anything that glowing about this film when it was in theatres (and Austin loves the Coen brothers), so I just haven't been too pumped about it (much more pumped about A Single Man - Best Actor nomination for Colin Firth, but alas, that was it's only nomination and down on the list you go).
I wouldn't say I'm pumped about it now after our viewing.
The film opens in turn-of-the-century Eastern Europe on a Jewish couple. This scene is spoken entirely in Yiddish and is a folk tale. FYI - it has nothing to do with the movie and merely "sets the tone," as the Coens put it. I wouldn't say it was as beautifully or lovingly done as the first scene in Inglourious Basterds, but it is neat (looking back) as a stand-alone vignette. This was how it was intended, so now you know (as I didn't) that it is not an integral plot device.
Someone I discussed this film with before I saw it put it this way, this is the Coen Bros.' "religious movie." They grew up Jewish in the Midwest in the '60's and this movie is about a Jewish man/father/husband/brother/professor in the Midwest in the '60's. In one sense, it is a re-telling of Job - but in a way it's not. And that may be what has left me so unsatisfied. Job is studied as a wisdom book in the Old Testament. Job is a most faithful servant of God and through a wager with Lucifer, an angel (widely believed to be the devil), God decides to test Job. God believes that no matter what Lucifer brings upon Job, Job will not turn away from the Lord. So Lucifer does just that. While Job becomes angry, he does not stray or blame God. At the end of the book (spoiler alert!), all of his life and luxuries come back and yay for Job!
While Larry (the focal character) is tested and tested and does not blame Hashem (God), Larry was never really that good in the first place. Not like Job is described to be. He is a physics professor, he owns a house, he has a wife and 2 kids, they go to temple - but there is nothing remarkable about Larry. He can't stand up for himself, he can't help his family. His defense for his troubles is: "I didn't do anything!" And that is precisely the problem - he has never done anything. He has just rolled with life without making a splash or being significant - to anything or anyone. I wish the Coen's would have explored that aspect, but except for the repitition it was left largely unexplored.
This movie definitely has its moments, but I am not sure why it is nominated for Best Picture. The main thing I got from this movie is - the Coens can pretty much make what ever they want at this point. That could be a good thing, but I remember feeling like this after seeing No Country for Old Men. Kind of like, how did we end up here? And where are we going?
Will we see anything else before Oscar night? I don't know. We may have time to grab a movie out over the weekend, or maybe we'll just make time watch Bright Star, the next film on our queue.
Any thoughts for an Oscar night menu?
I don't think we will make it as far along through as many Oscar-nominated films as possible this year for a few reasons. #1 - We have been BUSY (see above)! #2 - It seemed that a smaller volume of the films came out on dvd before the award show. The last 2 years that has really allowed us to get a large chunk of them watched. #3 - If previous award shows and predictions are accurate, we've seen all of the winners. I think this is really what has kept my motivation low. We busted to see all of the Best Picture nominees and those that had already won acting awards, but last year we actually saw EVERY movie nominated for an acting award. This year I bet we've seen 30% or so? So speaking of Best Picture nominees...we finally saw the last one last night...
Netflix sent us A Serious Man at least a week ago. It's been sitting out neglected and alone (although protected from our cats and that is no easy feat). Yes, we're busy, but see my aforementioned statement concerning motivation. I hadn't heard anything that glowing about this film when it was in theatres (and Austin loves the Coen brothers), so I just haven't been too pumped about it (much more pumped about A Single Man - Best Actor nomination for Colin Firth, but alas, that was it's only nomination and down on the list you go).
I wouldn't say I'm pumped about it now after our viewing.
The film opens in turn-of-the-century Eastern Europe on a Jewish couple. This scene is spoken entirely in Yiddish and is a folk tale. FYI - it has nothing to do with the movie and merely "sets the tone," as the Coens put it. I wouldn't say it was as beautifully or lovingly done as the first scene in Inglourious Basterds, but it is neat (looking back) as a stand-alone vignette. This was how it was intended, so now you know (as I didn't) that it is not an integral plot device.
Someone I discussed this film with before I saw it put it this way, this is the Coen Bros.' "religious movie." They grew up Jewish in the Midwest in the '60's and this movie is about a Jewish man/father/husband/brother/professor in the Midwest in the '60's. In one sense, it is a re-telling of Job - but in a way it's not. And that may be what has left me so unsatisfied. Job is studied as a wisdom book in the Old Testament. Job is a most faithful servant of God and through a wager with Lucifer, an angel (widely believed to be the devil), God decides to test Job. God believes that no matter what Lucifer brings upon Job, Job will not turn away from the Lord. So Lucifer does just that. While Job becomes angry, he does not stray or blame God. At the end of the book (spoiler alert!), all of his life and luxuries come back and yay for Job!
While Larry (the focal character) is tested and tested and does not blame Hashem (God), Larry was never really that good in the first place. Not like Job is described to be. He is a physics professor, he owns a house, he has a wife and 2 kids, they go to temple - but there is nothing remarkable about Larry. He can't stand up for himself, he can't help his family. His defense for his troubles is: "I didn't do anything!" And that is precisely the problem - he has never done anything. He has just rolled with life without making a splash or being significant - to anything or anyone. I wish the Coen's would have explored that aspect, but except for the repitition it was left largely unexplored.
This movie definitely has its moments, but I am not sure why it is nominated for Best Picture. The main thing I got from this movie is - the Coens can pretty much make what ever they want at this point. That could be a good thing, but I remember feeling like this after seeing No Country for Old Men. Kind of like, how did we end up here? And where are we going?
Will we see anything else before Oscar night? I don't know. We may have time to grab a movie out over the weekend, or maybe we'll just make time watch Bright Star, the next film on our queue.
Any thoughts for an Oscar night menu?
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