The Movies

I have seen a bunch of movies over the past week.  This fall season is the first in a long time where there are tons of really good movies.  About six months ago all the previews were one bad one after another.  This fall when I see the line up of previews, I am excited about each one.  That is huge.  There are decent looking big screen production and great small indie films.  It is going to be tough to keep up on the movies this season.

Over the past 7 days, I have seen 5 movies. 

The first movie was The Constant Gardener.  The movie got good reviews.  I am not sure exactly why.  The movie is based on a John LeCarre thriller.  The premise is so unrealistic.  The movie moves in and out of the present to the past which seriously confused the 2 women sitting across the aisle from us.  Eventually the movie ends up in the present tense.  The only redeeming trait of the film is the photography is absolutely beautiful. 

Next up, Proof.  I saw the original play on Broadway so I was interested to see how they make the transition from play to movie.  I personally thought they did a pretty good job.  I liked the film.  Gwyneth Paltrow was really good.  She carried the film.  Anthony Hopkins is always a pleasure to watch.  Jake Gyllenhaal is not only a great actor but he is so good looking that it takes a lot not to enjoy his show.  Hope Davis is an extraordinary actress but poorly cast in this role.  The story behind the film is of interest.  A brilliant mathematician becomes mentally ill and his brilliant daughter drops out of her life to care for him and we find out she is just as brilliant as he is.  The role reversal from child and parent and how the gene pool works.  If you hadn’t seen the play, you should definitely go see the movie.

Just Like Heaven is next on the list.   Sappy, sillly, romantic comedy.  My kind of movie.  The plot is silly.  Reese Witherspoon plays a doctor who has no social life.  She is in a car accident.  She doesn’t die but goes on life support.  Mark Ruffalo ends up living in her apartment, rented to him through a wacky real estate agent through his sister.  Reese is a ghost that inhabits that apartment with Mark.  Mark it turns out had lost his wife 2 years ago.  Their relationship blossoms even though one of them is a ghost.  Dumb, yes.  Sappy, yes.  But cute…sort of.  I like them both.  Reese Witherspoon is terrific.  I just really like her and my gut is that there is serious acting in her future.  She is one talented chick.

Thumbsucker.  Total indie film.  Won a variety of awards at the film festivals.  The first half of the film is a bit slow.  The second half pulls the film together.  All and all it stuck with me.  It is a true coming of age film.  The main character, played by Lou Pucci is a high school kid who is very confused.  His father is completely unsupportive, his mother tries to be.  The school recommends that perhaps he should take ritalin to help him.   He tries that, he also tries pot, he also tries to have romance, he also tries debate team, he just tries.  An interesting slice of life.

The Greatest Game Ever Played is your typical Disney film.  Pulls at the heart strings.  A little slow, too much information to develop the character but in the end, it is a feel good film.  We are a golf loving family so it was right up our alley.  Josh loved it.  It was a definite the lowly man takes over the rich obnoxious man.  For a family, perfect.

One a last night, I did not see Oliver Twist but they family did.  Not a family film.  Our kids are serious critics.  They do not recommend this movie.  As Charlie and the Chocolate Family got remade, it was more like the book, dark and layered but it didn’t play well with Oliver Twist.  The kids said it was so dark and deviant that it was bad.  Over the course of the film the family kept dropping out like flies.  First Josh left with my sister, then my Mom bagged.  Jessica and Emily stuck it out but said don’t see it.  Not a family film.  Also, Jessica, Fred and Josh saw The Corpse Bride.  All thumbs down.

That’s it for the film update.  More later.  I hope on seeing Capote this week.