Claire Danes, Steve Martin and Jason Schwartzman star in this quirky love story.
It isn't just that he like her, she likes someone else story, oh no. It couldn't be that simple.
She likes him, he kinda likes her and so does this other guy.
I have to say, I was expecting something completely different. From the previews I've seen, and this is a while ago, I was fully expecting two guys, one rich and successful and one poor, to be fighting over this girl.
That isn't the movie at all.
The movie is quite slow, and it starts as something quite painful to watch, as Jason Schwartzman's character comes onto the scene and asks Claire Danes's character out. He is out of focus, moving in five directions at once, not getting anywhere. It's like watching slow motion boxing, where you know it's even more painful for the people involved than for those watching.
A solid effort, and the first time that I've seen Steve Martin in a serious roll that I can remember. He was actually believable and I wouldn't have expected it.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Movie: We Don't Live Here Any More, 2004 (3.5/5)
The movie boldly starts with a man making a pass at his best friend's wife and her accepting.
We then move into the story of two dysfunctional families where one wife loves her husband and the other doesn't, where one husband loves his best friend's wife and one husband doesn't really love anyone.
Strangely enough, there is a common theme of the struggling writer in my movies lately, and this is no exception. Peter Krause's character Hank is struggling with his writing and teaching a writing class where he tells his students, "all of you write as well as I do, which is really depressing."
The cons of this movie: it is slow moving and an ultra-realistic view of husbands, wives and their families struggling to live life (after all - who wants real life in their movies! )
The pros of the movie: there is tremendous power in each moment of the movie. There is tension and build up, and I was genuinely curious to know what was going to happen to these characters. Also, it's an ultra-realistic view of husbands, wives and their families struggling to live life (after all - we all want some real life in our movies!).
It is better than the average movie, but because of the slowness of the movie, I rate it 3.5 out of 5.
We then move into the story of two dysfunctional families where one wife loves her husband and the other doesn't, where one husband loves his best friend's wife and one husband doesn't really love anyone.
Strangely enough, there is a common theme of the struggling writer in my movies lately, and this is no exception. Peter Krause's character Hank is struggling with his writing and teaching a writing class where he tells his students, "all of you write as well as I do, which is really depressing."
The cons of this movie: it is slow moving and an ultra-realistic view of husbands, wives and their families struggling to live life (after all - who wants real life in their movies! )
The pros of the movie: there is tremendous power in each moment of the movie. There is tension and build up, and I was genuinely curious to know what was going to happen to these characters. Also, it's an ultra-realistic view of husbands, wives and their families struggling to live life (after all - we all want some real life in our movies!).
It is better than the average movie, but because of the slowness of the movie, I rate it 3.5 out of 5.
Book: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (4/5 stars)
This started as a low budget BBC movie and the script got turned into this book.
It's all about the London below, the underworld, where magic is common and people who live there are all but invisible to the people living above.
I love the story and the characters, especially Richard Meyhew. Richard is from the above world and completely over his head when he rescues Door, a princess from London below who desperately needs his help.
If you are trying to pick between the movie and the book, I would pick the book, since the BBC movie REALLY shows its budget.
This is probably my favorite Neil Gaiman book, and there are a few good ones, including "American Gods" and "Anansi Boys", both of which I enjoyed. Of course, his comics are even better, and if you can get a graphic novel version of his Sandman series, do so, you won't regret it.
It's all about the London below, the underworld, where magic is common and people who live there are all but invisible to the people living above.
I love the story and the characters, especially Richard Meyhew. Richard is from the above world and completely over his head when he rescues Door, a princess from London below who desperately needs his help.
If you are trying to pick between the movie and the book, I would pick the book, since the BBC movie REALLY shows its budget.
This is probably my favorite Neil Gaiman book, and there are a few good ones, including "American Gods" and "Anansi Boys", both of which I enjoyed. Of course, his comics are even better, and if you can get a graphic novel version of his Sandman series, do so, you won't regret it.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Movie: Inside Man (3/5 stars)
This is one of those "the villain is smarter than everyone else" movies. Denzel Washington plays a detective, while Clive Owen plays a very smart bank robber.
Thrown into the mix are Jodie Foster playing an ultra-competant someone who does "special jobs" for big bucks and Christopher Plummer playing an ultra-rich mogul with a big secret he wants to stay secret.
A day into this bank robbery, Denzel Washington realizes that something is up and starts to take unusual measures to see if he's right. Owen's character is always in control and knows exactly what he's doing the entire time.
While the movie is clever, and there is lots interesting going on, in the end, I found that there were mixed messages, and criminals end up being glorified a little too much for my tastes. Also, the movie makers try to put a moral message in the movie with Christopher Plumber's character, but they never really get to it.
Still, worth watching, and quite fun. It gives you a few ideas on how you might rob a bank too, just in case you were interested. The big message for bank robbers - you have to be really, really smart, smarter than any of the cops. And, for God's sake, do your research, and you'll come out just fine.
Thrown into the mix are Jodie Foster playing an ultra-competant someone who does "special jobs" for big bucks and Christopher Plummer playing an ultra-rich mogul with a big secret he wants to stay secret.
A day into this bank robbery, Denzel Washington realizes that something is up and starts to take unusual measures to see if he's right. Owen's character is always in control and knows exactly what he's doing the entire time.
While the movie is clever, and there is lots interesting going on, in the end, I found that there were mixed messages, and criminals end up being glorified a little too much for my tastes. Also, the movie makers try to put a moral message in the movie with Christopher Plumber's character, but they never really get to it.
Still, worth watching, and quite fun. It gives you a few ideas on how you might rob a bank too, just in case you were interested. The big message for bank robbers - you have to be really, really smart, smarter than any of the cops. And, for God's sake, do your research, and you'll come out just fine.
Movie: Mission Impossible 3 (MI3) (4/5 stars)
I didn't want to rent this one and I deliberately avoided it in the theater, since I didn't like the first two. They were full of plot holes and stupid ideas that were constantly jolting me out of any kind of suspension of disbelief that I might have had going into them.
As before, Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, the agent who goes out and takes on impossible missions (thus the title). In this movie, he's retired, and one of the students he has trained is in trouble and he rushes off to rescue her.
This is just a good, solid action movie. I liked it far more than I expected to.
It's worth your time, especially if you were avoiding it like I was. Lots of fun.
As before, Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, the agent who goes out and takes on impossible missions (thus the title). In this movie, he's retired, and one of the students he has trained is in trouble and he rushes off to rescue her.
This is just a good, solid action movie. I liked it far more than I expected to.
It's worth your time, especially if you were avoiding it like I was. Lots of fun.
Movie: The Shining (4/5 stars)
The classic Jack Nicholson horror movie based on Steven King's popular novel. Believe me, I've received a few strange looks that someone as movie-philic as myself has never seen this 1980 movie until 2006. I know, I know, and everyone under the sun has probably reviewed it too, and in fact, most people reading this have probably seen it.
Anyway - that aside, I loved the movie and thought that it was well worth my time. Fresh off my novel frenzy with Nanowrimo 2006, a friend of mine thought that it would be a great movie to see on a movie night, since it's about a novelist who goes insane ("All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.")
I paid close attention to this one for bits on how to build character, how to pace, dialog, climax and so on. It's got few weaknesses. Oh... a massive bonus to this is the re-make of the trailer on youtube/ebaumsworld, where the preview is done as a family movie, with appropriate music mixed in and just the right scenes shown for just the right amount of time. It was funny before I'd even seen the movie, doubly so after I'd seen it.
If you haven't seen this, waste no time when you are next at the movie rental place, grab a copy and watch it!
Anyway - that aside, I loved the movie and thought that it was well worth my time. Fresh off my novel frenzy with Nanowrimo 2006, a friend of mine thought that it would be a great movie to see on a movie night, since it's about a novelist who goes insane ("All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.")
I paid close attention to this one for bits on how to build character, how to pace, dialog, climax and so on. It's got few weaknesses. Oh... a massive bonus to this is the re-make of the trailer on youtube/ebaumsworld, where the preview is done as a family movie, with appropriate music mixed in and just the right scenes shown for just the right amount of time. It was funny before I'd even seen the movie, doubly so after I'd seen it.
If you haven't seen this, waste no time when you are next at the movie rental place, grab a copy and watch it!
Book: Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson (4/5 Stars)
I love this book. It is about the history and strangeness of English. From English names to English words, statistics of how many people speak English worldwide and so on.
A few things I took away from this book and quote quite often - 1) English is strange 2) adding s isn't the only way to make a word plural (i.e. brethren and children) 3) people never pronounce the "t" in soften, even though people do with often 4) more people are learning English in China than speak English in the United States
And so on and so on. This is a real winner and I highly recommend it. It is quirky and looks at the subject from a sideways position giving many interesting and insightful views. If you've ever been interested in why English is the way it is, and why we say deer and not deers, sheep and not sheeps, spoke not speaked etc.. etc... then look no further.
A few things I took away from this book and quote quite often - 1) English is strange 2) adding s isn't the only way to make a word plural (i.e. brethren and children) 3) people never pronounce the "t" in soften, even though people do with often 4) more people are learning English in China than speak English in the United States
And so on and so on. This is a real winner and I highly recommend it. It is quirky and looks at the subject from a sideways position giving many interesting and insightful views. If you've ever been interested in why English is the way it is, and why we say deer and not deers, sheep and not sheeps, spoke not speaked etc.. etc... then look no further.
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