Motion Pictures
So I think this will be recurring…the last 6 films I’ve watched. Need a good way of titling posts.
Away We Go ****
As much as I try to stay away from reviews, I had heard people didn’t really like this, but I really enjoyed it! And I know that it’s sort of contradictory to say that I don’t like reading reviews of movies that I haven’t seen, and then in turn sort of writing reviews myself, but these posts serve mostly as a reminder of what I have seen and how I felt about them, and maybe we can talk about that. Who knows.
Anyway, really liked it. Hit just the right tone for me without being too much of an “emotional porn” (Shawn’s term). Maya Rudolph is awesome, and Jon Krasinski is fine/adorable. Ladies will want babies after watching, so beware. A good motion picture for a Sunday afternoon.
Moon ****
A really solid new sci-fi that managed to be its own thing, even though it could have easily slid into 2001 and Solaris territory. Great atmosphere and interesting premise (although I think it could have been taken farther). It ended leaving me feeling slightly underwhelmed, but I’m not sure if it’s just because it resonated strongly with 2001 and Solaris ( Tarkovsky). I really like Sam Rockwell too.
Gomorra ***
Like City of God, Gomorra showed the impact of organized crime (the mafia) on a city/community (Naples). Unlike City of God, I felt it lacked the narrative strength and characters you could care about. (Watch Instantly)
Julia **
OK, we get it, miss crazy-looking lady, you can act in circles around everyone. But I thought this would never end! And it didn’t! Because even when I thought it was over it turned out I was still only like 75% complete! So I turned it off. But then I turned it back on and finished it, and wished I hadn’t. Also, she has a hard time keeping up an American accent. (Watch Instantly)
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints ***
I liked this OK, but mostly because I like seeing NYC at different time periods represented on screen. Reminded me of Sleepers in a way. I did not despise Shia LaBeouf. It tried to do some interesting things technically, but those mostly didn’t work. But it’s an autobiographical story, and the emotional elements rang true. (Watch Instantly)
In The Loop *****
Malcolm is my new personal hero. I absolutely loved this. You get about 3/4 of the way through and then have an “oh shit” moment when it becomes more scary than funny. All the hype I did not hear is true – best political satire. How the fuck did The Blind Side and District 9 get best picture nominations and this did not? Sorry, this one makes me want to swear a lot.



















