Body of Lies - I'd give it a 2.5 outta 3 stars. Not what I hoped it would be, and at times I started to get drowsy, which shouldnt happen in a Ridley Scott flick.
Just finally got around to watching Taxi Driver for the first time...was a little disappointed actually considering how much I love both Scorsese and DeNiro. Just didn't have the effect on me I thought it would...maybe I was too hyped for it. 7/10 Saw Gran Torino last week as well and liked it...Clint Eastwood was tough and funny and he made the movie. 8/10
You must, must see Taxi Driver at least a few times before coming to this conclusion. This is not a typical Scorsese shoot-em-up picture- it's all about setting a melancholy mood, using excellent cinematography, and delving into the psychology of this character. If you're a Goodfellas or Casino type of person, you won't like this movie. But it really is one of the best movies ever made in terms of acting, filming, and depth. And the soundtrack is just awesome. Anyone who loves the art of movies has to at least appreciate the artistic quality of this film in the same way for films like 2001, Pulp Fiction, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, North by Northwest, and The Graduate. (end of rant)
I *tried* to watch W last night. I turned it off after about 30 mins because it was so bad. And I'm a liberal.
Not to shoot this in the D&D direction but wouldn't a liberal be turned off on a video about a conservative president by default?
My Best Friend's Girl 3/10 - Kate Hudson's cute, but Dane Cook is just not likable. Hudson's character wasn't likable either for that matter. Romantic Comedies work when you want the lead characters to get together. With this movie, I wanted their relationship to end badly. Lakeview Terrace 4/10 - They tried to explore racism with this, but the message may have been too subtle. It got lost in the overpowering my-crazy-neighbor-is-an-out-of-control-cop scenario. They should have gone full B-movie horror on this. It would have been a far better movie. Pride and Glory 7/10 - Good raw R rated drama about a corrupt cop family. Could have been a great movie, but the ending seemed to move in another direction from the rest of the movie. Oh, well. What could have been ... Still a solid 7 for the effort.
A Beautiful Mind (87%) - Shows us how the mind can be both an an amazing instrument as well as a prison. It's a scary thought and a depressing story, but it's all very well crafted and well acted. Russell Crow is awesome in this and I regret waiting so long to watch it.
Changeling 9/10 - I thought this was a very good movie...Angeline Jolie did a great job portraying that Christine Collins character. I was so engrossed in this movie and it didn't feel 2 hours and half long. It's a terribly sad story.
Tropic Thunder (30%) - I only got about 10 minutes in before I started to sniff out the steaming pile of sh_t that is this movie. There were a handful of laughs, few and far between, but they all seemed to come from Downey Jr. or McBride. If this movie could have been a character within itself, it would have been cast as Major Disappointment.
The Fall 8/10 - If you like fantasy along the lines of Pan's Labyrinth, then you'll enjoy this one by director Tarsem Singh. If you've watched his previous film The Cell you'll recognize his style. The storyline's a bit thin, but I'll give it 8 of 10 due to the visuals and outstanding lead performance of the child actress. Lee Pace of Pushing Daisies is also good.
