Exit Through the Gift Shop

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP (2010) - Feb. 26, 2011
A really enjoyable documentary about eccentric Frenchman Thierry Guetta (a.k.a. Mr. Brainwash) who, filming everything all the time, starts following around street artists, obstensively making a documentary about them as he goes.  Eventually, he befriends legendary street artist Banksy, who encourages him to actually make the doc (which he had no intention to actually do).  His film turns out almost hilariously unwatchable, so Banksy encourages him to make his own street art (with the intention of making a street art film himself out of Thierry's voluminous footage).  This backfires when Theirry, with no discernable style of his own, ends up commercializing and essentially making a mockery out of the whole street art scene.  I really enjoyed this film.  There's been some hubaloo about this potentially being not entirely real, which I wouldn't be surprised by -- the whole thing makes for such a entertaining story, with Theirry as such a compellingly odd protagonist, that it all almost seems too perfect to be true.  Either way, it's a really well made and enjoyable film.  ***1/2

Happy-Go-Lucky

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008) - Feb. 24, 2011
An enjoyable character study about an extremely cheerful London schoolteacher and what happens to her over the course of a couple of months, including getting weekly driving lessons from an irratible driving instructor.  Featuring above-average writing and direction from Mike Leigh (do I need to reconsider my opinion of the man?) and some really good performances (particularly Sally Hawkins in the main role), the film is a bit slow but quite entertaining throughout.  ***

Isolation

ISOLATION (2005) - Feb. 23, 2011
A solid little horror film about a genetic experiment on cows gone wrong, leaving a farm owner and some visitors to contend with strange creatures.  Shades of Cronenberg, as well as the original Alien.  The film is quite well directed by Billy O'Brien, who has a keen eye for visuals as well as an ability to really effectively build tension.  The film is sort of a slow burn, but the earlier, tension-building stuff is just as good as the later more in-your-face horror stuff.  ***

The Special Relationship

THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP (2010) - Feb. 22, 2011
About the relationship between Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, this was a well made, enjoyable film, though not on the level of the Queen.  It feels a bit episodic, like a series of vignettes rather than a cohesive whole, but it was definitely entertaining and quite well acted -- both Dennis Quaid and Michael Sheen were very good.  ***

Ong Bak 3

ONG BAK 3 (2010) - Feb. 20, 2011
A direct sequel to the mediocre but passable Ong Bak 3, this was an almost incomprehensible mess of a film.  I know there were supposedly some behind-the-scenes issues, which must be true because there is no possible way that anyone involved could have wanted the film to turn out the way it did.  The characters are non-existent, the plot barely makes sense, and the whole thing has zero narrative momentum, lurching haphazardly from scene to scene (scenes will often begin with no explantation as to what's going on, and will then end arbitrarily).  Much of the film consists of random Buddhist philosophy, and there's an interminably long strech in which Tony Jaa tries to recover from having most of his bones broken (including a lot of philosophy and dancing).  Seriously, so bad.  Even the action, which should have been the saving grace, is passable but mediocre (and far from abundant).  Boo-urns.  1/2*

I Spit on Your Grave

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (2010) - Feb. 20, 2011
An intense, well made and kind of unpleasant film about a woman who is brutally gang-raped, and who then seeks elaborate vengeance on her rapists.  The brutal rape scene probably goes on a bit longer than it needs to (I think it could have been a few minutes shorter and still had the same impact).  One of my bigger issues with the film is the stuff immediately following the rape; the film bafflingly shifts its focus entirely to the rapists, and since we don't particularly know or care about these characters, seeing their post-rape lives just feels unnecessary.  It would have been much more interesting to see how the main character recovered from her ordeal, something which we don't get to see at all -- after the crime, we only see the girl from the rapists' point of view.  **1/2

Spiral

SPIRAL (2007) - Feb. 19, 2011
After the awesome Frozen and the terrible Hatchet, I wasn't sure what to think of Adam Green.  Well, I guess he's okay, because this was pretty good -- it's definitely not even close to Frozen, but it's a lot better than Hatchet.  About an artistic loner who is slowly befriended by a coworker, the film was obviously made on a small budget and looks pretty low-budgety, but for the most part is pretty well made, with good performances (particularly Amber Tamblyn and Zachary Levi).  It's a bit slow, though never boring.  The whole time I was thinking that I had the movie figured out, and at the end, there was the twist I was expecting -- but then the movie managed to catch me completely off guard with a second twist that I found to be completely unexpected.  I was thinking I'd give this movie two-and-a-half, but the film did such a good job of playing with my expectations with that second twist that I think I have to bump it up.  ***

Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS (2011) - Feb. 18, 2011
An enjoyable comedy about a naive insurance salesman who leaves his small town for the first time to go to a convention.  Well directed by Miguel Arteta, though not as good as his last film, Youth in Revolt.  The film was fairly low-key; what really sold it was the real sense of comraderie between the four leads (Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche and Isiah Whitlock Jr.).  Helms, in particular, was quite good, and made for a very likable lead.  Reilly was also quite funny, and stole most of the scenes he was in.  ***

Carriers

CARRIERS (2009) - Feb. 17, 2011
There was nothing here we haven't seen before, but this was still a well made and entertaining genre film.  About a group of four people traveling across the country in a post-apocalyptic America (a deadly flu-like virus has wiped out most of the population), this was obviously not the first time we've seen a film with a cross-country, post-apocalyptic road trip -- but it works, because it's fairly well made, and the characters are engaging (Chris Pine gives futher proof that he should be big soon, and Christopher Meloni gives a memorable turn as a father desperate to save his daughter).  ***

Biutiful

BIUTIFUL (2010) - Feb. 16, 2011
A haunting, gritty drama about a father of two who finds out he's dying, this was a well made film, but another disappointment from Alejandro González Iñárritu.  It was definitely solidly crafted, and Javier Bardem gives a pretty stunning performance in the lead role, but I was just never really sucked in like I was for Iñárritu's first couple of films.  It was never boring, but it wasn't even close to being on the same level as the electrifying Amores Perros.  ***

I'm Still Here

I'M STILL HERE (2010) - Feb. 15, 2011
A mockumentary about Joaquin Phoenix's decision to stop acting, and to pursue a rap career, I'm not entirely sure what the point of this film was.  It's vaguely amusing, but clearly not going for Spinal Tap-esque laughs.  It doesn't have anything particularly insightful or interesting to say about the nature of celebrity or the effect that being in the limelight has on a person (unless the point is supposed to be that it makes you completely nutso).  Just in terms of the story it's telling, it's not particularly compelling.  The character Phoenix plays is more grating than anything else, spending the whole film alternately whining and mumbling.  So... what's the point, exactly?  *1/2

Revenge

REVENGE (1990) - Feb. 14, 2011
Not even nearly as electrifying as you'd think a movie called "Revenge" would be, this was a somewhat dull film about a ex-fighter pilot who goes to stay with a shady Mexican crime lord (and how those two met, something about saving the crime lord's life, is left somewhat vague, like many of the plot points in the film) and winds up falling in love with his wife.  Though the whole film is pretty slow, it's the first hour or so that really sinks the film -- the characters aren't really compelling enough to support the almost completely uneventful first half of the movie.  It doesn't help that Kevin Costner's character is fairly bland, and he doesn't have much chemistry with Madeline Stowe.  The film does improve somewhat once stuff starts happening, but it's kind of too late by then.  **

Blue Valentine

BLUE VALENTINE (2010) - Feb. 12, 2011
A well made and exceptionally well acted film about a couple who fall in love, and whose relationship eventually disintegrates completely (the film jumps back and forth in time from happy to sad).  Really, really well acted by Ryan Gosling (what a crime he wasn't nominated) and Michelle Williams, the film is otherwise solid but not quite on the same level as the performances.  ***

Welcome to the Rileys

WELCOME TO THE RILEYS (2010) - Feb. 11, 2011
A well made drama about a middle-aged businessman who befriends a young prostitute while on a business trip in New Orleans.  Very well directed by Jake Scott, who has obviously inherited more than a little of his father's talent (in fact, this was probably better than anything the elder Scott has made since Kingdom of Heaven).  The movie was also extremely well acted, which is a big reason that it works as well as it does -- James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart and Melissa Leo all give top-shelf performances that probably rank among their best.  I really enjoyed this film  -- it was well made and featured three very compelling characters.  ***1/2

Cactus

CACTUS (2008) - Feb. 10, 2011
Meh.  A mediocre drama/thriller about a guy transporting a man he abducted across the Australian countryside.  There's a long stretch in which the film keeps us entirely in the dark about what's happening (e.g. why the man has been abducted) -- I would imagine that the intent was to establish a vibe of intriguing mysteriousness, but instead it just comes off as annoyingly vague.  Things don't entirely improve when we finally do find out the situation, as the dynamic between the two men is never all that interesting.  Plus, the film kind of fails as a thriller (there just aren't that many thrills) and the characters aren't good enough to sustain the movie on their own.  It was decently made, I guess, and I was never bored -- but the whole thing felt kind of pointless.  **

The Thin Man

THE THIN MAN (1934) - Feb. 9, 2011 (Second Viewing)
I liked this film, though there really isn’t any particular reason to remember it other than for William Powell and Myrna Loy’s memorable performances and their remarkable chemistry (which is enough, certainly — though it would have been nice if the movie that surrounded them were a bit better). All the scenes in which they are just talking, just exchanging jabs and one-liners, are pretty great and certainly worth the price of admission alone. Nick and Nora Charles are obviously a supremely memorable couple, and just plain fun to watch. Powell especially gives an amazing performance, and his seemingly effortless charm makes already funny dialogue even funnier.  The problem here, however, is that quite a lot of screen time is dedicated to the convoluted and, frankly, fairly uninteresting mystery (the characters surrounding the mystery are equally forgettable). The plot involves a missing man and a series of murders, and there are so many side-characters and suspects that, by the time Powell’s character had assembled them all for a dinner party at the end of the film, I was having a hard time remembering who was who (or caring, for that matter). It’s a testament to how good Powell and Loy are that, despite these not-insignificant problems, the film still comes off quite well; I’d recommend it without hesitation. Clearly, there is a reason why they made so many sequels.  ***

The Damned United

THE DAMNED UNITED (2009) - Feb. 7, 2011
An enjoyable film about Brian Clough, a cocky soccer coach (sorry: football manager) and his doomed effort to make it as the manager of Leeds United.  I actually had absolutely no knowledge of the whole story going in, which turned out to be a good thing (I sort of figured that the film would follow the usual template and that Clough would ultimately whip his team into shape and be victorious, which was obviously not the case).  I was always entertained, though the soccer-heavy narrative was a bit much at times (there was almost nothing of any of the characters' personal lives; it was all soccer all the time).  Still, it was well made, and more importantly, very well acted: Michael Sheen was as good as ever as Clough, and the always reliable Timothy Spall was just as good as his assistant.  ***

Stone

STONE (2010) - Feb. 6, 2011
A surprisingly good film about a soon-to-retire parole officer who finds himself mixed up with a prisoner and his wife.  Robert De Niro gives what is probably one of his better performances of late, though he's still a shadow of his former self (it's sad that out of Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich and Robert De Niro, it's De Niro that gives the weakest performance -- by far).  Despite that, the scenes between De Niro and Norton are pretty great, and it's kind of fascinating trying to figure out who's playing who and who knows what.  The whole thing builds to an ending that's ambiguous, but kind of perfect.  John Curran's assured direction goes a long way towards making the film as effective as it is, as does the moody, ominous score (apparently by Jon Brion and members of Radiohead).  The film isn't exactly a thriller, but it has a slow-burning intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat despite the more deliberate pace.  ***1/2

Sanctum

SANCTUM (2011) - Feb. 5, 2011
Hmmm... not so good.  It's kind of mystifying that James Cameron would put his name on such a subpar film, but then I guess all the underwater exploration was enough to make him interested -- shoddy plot and characters be damned.  Director Alister Grierson did a decent enough job with the action stuff -- the parts with the characters in peril were fine, if nothing particularly special.  The big problem here was with the script; the characters were all completely bland and unmemorable, making it tough to root for them when stuff starts to go bad.  The performances were mostly pretty terrible (Richard Roxburgh was pretty much the only one in the bunch who actually gave an okay performance), though it's quite likely that it's the script at fault rather than the actors themselves -- the dialogue ranges from barely acceptable to cringe-inducingly bad.  The first half hour or so was almost completely unwatchable, though the film does pick up a bit once stuff starts happening.  The film also improves once the cast gets whittled down enough for the film to focus on the father/son dynamic between the two main characters (the only two half-way decent characters in the bunch, despite the son's blandness).  Given JC's involvment with the film, this should have been so much better.  Also: 3D continues to suck.  **

The Mechanic

THE MECHANIC (2011) - Feb. 4, 2011
A kind of mediocre but basically entertaining film about a hitman who begins training the son of his mentor (who he was tricked into killing).  Jason Statham gives an expectedly solid performance, and Ben Foster was good as his protege.  The film seems kind of sloppily written in parts (i.e. Statham discovering that he was played relies on a huge coincidence that feels pretty lazy, it seems like he could have easily found out the truth about his boss with one phone call, an action sequence involving a cult leader has absolutely no connection with the rest of the film, etc.).  Simon West's direction is fine, for the most part, but the action is a bit more shaky/quick-cutty than I'd like (it probably doesn't help that Hard-Boiled, one of the finest action films I've ever seen, is still pretty fresh in my mind).  Also, CGI blood is used extensively, and I continue to be mystified by its current pervasiveness -- it always looks awful.  Meh.  **1/2

Hard-Boiled

HARD-BOILED (1992) - Feb. 3, 2011
Oh man -- why did I wait so long to watch this movie?  I've gotta watch some more of John Woo's pre-Hollywood stuff.  About a gritty cop who wants to take down an illegal firearms dealer with the help of an undercover officer, the film itself (i.e. the non-action stuff) was fine.  Ho-hum and a bit dated in parts, it did a decent enough job of setting up the characters and keeping things moving between the action.  Oh man, the action.  Finally, after having only watched Woo's American films, I see why the man is regarded as a legend; the action in this film is almost ridiculously good.  Always engaging, exquisitly staged and featuring amazingly kinetic camerawork that never feels overbearing, I think the shootouts here are among the best I've ever seen.  Certainly, the last scene, an epic half-hour shootout set inside a hospital, is a pretty stunning accomplishment.  You'd think a shootout that lasts that long would overstay its welcome, but oh man it does not.  So good.  There's also a scene in which Chow Yun-Fat takes on a warehouse full of guys that's pretty jaw-dropping.  Why weren't any of John Woo's American films even close to this good??  ****

The Killer Inside Me

THE KILLER INSIDE ME (2010) - Feb. 1, 2011
About a sociopathic deputy sheriff in the 1950s who starts killing people, this was a handsomely made but meandering film that ultimately feels kind of empty.  Featuring yet another very good performance by Casey Affleck, the film is otherwise decent enough but just not particularly involving.  It feels kind of disjointed; we never particularly get to know the characters well enough for the low-key, plotless narrative to really work.  The controversial murder scenes were fairly disturbing, but they don't have much of an impact beyond the surface level, because we don't particularly care about the characters.  **