Another US trip, another round of movies caught in that strange limbo between their US DVD release and their Japanese theatrical release (or sans-theater, direct-to-video release in some cases). Though the return flight was the longest through which I’ve ever suffered (11.5 hours, avoiding three typhoon and fighting a 175 kph headwind), I didn't watch any on the way out so I don”t have nearly as many as last time. Here were this round’s players:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: A lot of people seem really down on Jim Carrey -- I’m not sure why, because he continues to impress me. Even in The Majestic, a tear-jerker rife with sentimental low-blows and an odd form of exposition from start-to-finish, Carrey seemed to handle his acting chores with a minimum of low bathos. In Eternal Sunshine he was blessed by an intelligent and unpredictable script by Charlie Kaufman and intriguing pacing and visuals by Michel Gondry. There were no simple answers in this movie, no simple Right and Wrong choices. This movie is still rattling and buzzing around my head nicely. I will have to buy a DVD and watch it on a better screen.
The Clearing: There was a time that I’d have assumed that any movie with both Willem Dafoe and Robert Redford in it would be engaging and thought provoking. Maybe I missed something here, but this movie seemed to be grasping at greater meaning, but failed. A successful, loved, self-made businessman (Redford) is kidnapped by a disenfranchised unemployed man (Dafoe). Gradually, things are revealed to not be entirely as they appear. Except it mostly is... predictably... what you think it is. I feel like this movie would have been significantly more interesting if the actors’ roles had been reversed. The central theme seems to be that we all make choices, we all keep secrets from those we love, and we all suffer from self doubt. That may be original content for a movie centered on a kidnapping, but in general there weren’t many chances taken in this movie, despite a clear need for them. Helen Mirren was very good in her conflicted role as the wife of the victim.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: After reading the first book and enjoying it, the first movie was a terrible disappointment. As one friend put it, “It’s just like the book, only it feels really long, and has had all the fun and soul sucked out of it.” Consequently it was a pleasant surprise that this, the third movie, was substantially better than expected. Maybe the CG doesn’t stand out as badly. Maybe it was the change in director. Maybe it was the increase in humanity allowed to Harry’s character. It wasn’t bad at all.
Not Watched (The Path Untaken):
Around the World in Eighty Days: Jackie Chan. Dude. I remember when you were the coolest thing in the world. I wanted to watch the whole thing, but ended up catching the last 20 minutes three times. I saw the big fight with the Chinese “dragon lady” -- Jackie did his usual Great Tricks with Furniture, but other than that his presence was relegated as a backup player to mug it up behind a British actor I’d neither seen nor heard of previously. Kathy Bates appears as Queen Victoria. Is she British? No, she’s from Tennessee. There were so many British people running around in that movie, it seems strange that they couldn’t get one to opt-in for the role of Highest Possible Brit. I suppose I should just be thankful they didn’t get John Cleese.
Spider-Man 2: I wanted to see this in theaters, but missed it. The first movie balanced action with drama so very well, much like the comic on which it is based. The second movie, according to many, is even more so. I will feel let-down somewhat to see it on my reasonably large TV screen. There is no way I could get the viewing experience I crave from a 5-inch screen with questionable image contrast.
The Day After Tomorrow: Basically all the stuff I said about Spider-Man 2, minus the hope of it being good.
The Terminal: Tom Hanks stars as a man who is caught in a permanent bureaucratic limbo while trying to enter a country. Who the fuck thought this was good entertainment for an international flight? Evaded.
Garfield: The Movie: Not only did I not watch this thing, my hand stuttered on the Channel button each time I had to skip past it. 11.5 hours of evading a computer generated cat? Mission accomplished.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: A lot of people seem really down on Jim Carrey -- I’m not sure why, because he continues to impress me. Even in The Majestic, a tear-jerker rife with sentimental low-blows and an odd form of exposition from start-to-finish, Carrey seemed to handle his acting chores with a minimum of low bathos. In Eternal Sunshine he was blessed by an intelligent and unpredictable script by Charlie Kaufman and intriguing pacing and visuals by Michel Gondry. There were no simple answers in this movie, no simple Right and Wrong choices. This movie is still rattling and buzzing around my head nicely. I will have to buy a DVD and watch it on a better screen.
The Clearing: There was a time that I’d have assumed that any movie with both Willem Dafoe and Robert Redford in it would be engaging and thought provoking. Maybe I missed something here, but this movie seemed to be grasping at greater meaning, but failed. A successful, loved, self-made businessman (Redford) is kidnapped by a disenfranchised unemployed man (Dafoe). Gradually, things are revealed to not be entirely as they appear. Except it mostly is... predictably... what you think it is. I feel like this movie would have been significantly more interesting if the actors’ roles had been reversed. The central theme seems to be that we all make choices, we all keep secrets from those we love, and we all suffer from self doubt. That may be original content for a movie centered on a kidnapping, but in general there weren’t many chances taken in this movie, despite a clear need for them. Helen Mirren was very good in her conflicted role as the wife of the victim.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: After reading the first book and enjoying it, the first movie was a terrible disappointment. As one friend put it, “It’s just like the book, only it feels really long, and has had all the fun and soul sucked out of it.” Consequently it was a pleasant surprise that this, the third movie, was substantially better than expected. Maybe the CG doesn’t stand out as badly. Maybe it was the change in director. Maybe it was the increase in humanity allowed to Harry’s character. It wasn’t bad at all.
Not Watched (The Path Untaken):
Around the World in Eighty Days: Jackie Chan. Dude. I remember when you were the coolest thing in the world. I wanted to watch the whole thing, but ended up catching the last 20 minutes three times. I saw the big fight with the Chinese “dragon lady” -- Jackie did his usual Great Tricks with Furniture, but other than that his presence was relegated as a backup player to mug it up behind a British actor I’d neither seen nor heard of previously. Kathy Bates appears as Queen Victoria. Is she British? No, she’s from Tennessee. There were so many British people running around in that movie, it seems strange that they couldn’t get one to opt-in for the role of Highest Possible Brit. I suppose I should just be thankful they didn’t get John Cleese.
Spider-Man 2: I wanted to see this in theaters, but missed it. The first movie balanced action with drama so very well, much like the comic on which it is based. The second movie, according to many, is even more so. I will feel let-down somewhat to see it on my reasonably large TV screen. There is no way I could get the viewing experience I crave from a 5-inch screen with questionable image contrast.
The Day After Tomorrow: Basically all the stuff I said about Spider-Man 2, minus the hope of it being good.
The Terminal: Tom Hanks stars as a man who is caught in a permanent bureaucratic limbo while trying to enter a country. Who the fuck thought this was good entertainment for an international flight? Evaded.
Garfield: The Movie: Not only did I not watch this thing, my hand stuttered on the Channel button each time I had to skip past it. 11.5 hours of evading a computer generated cat? Mission accomplished.
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