Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

In order to raise the tuition to send her young son to private school, a mom starts an unusual business -- a biohazard removal/crime scene clean-up service -- with her unreliable sister.

     This was not an easy movie. It was promoted as a sort of Little Miss Sunshine look-alike, but really, it was a lot more heartbreaking, less funny, and more complex. The levels in this movie are incredible; it's dealing with everything from healing from loss a loved one, inability to let go of the glory days, sibling tension...I love the title though, it really sums up the movie: cleaning. Whether it be a literal location such as a crime scene or an internal emotional scrubbing, that's what the film is about. I think a lot of viewers might have missed that or not appreciated it, because the movie wasn't perfect, it was promoted as a comedy when it really isn't. It's got some funny bits, sure, because life is funny. My favorite scene is where Emily Blunt runs after a kitten. I don't know, but that really made me smile. 

      The acting is all very natural. One character whose played by a 24 actress is kind of out of place, but she really just serves as a foil for Emily Blunt. The only actor I didn't like was Amy Adams' young son. He was not appealing to me AT ALL. All in all, an interesting movie, not funny enough to be watched regularly, but not my top pick for a drama movie night, either. 

The Lovely Bones (2009)

A story of a life and everything that comes after centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from a place between earth and heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. Based on the novel by Alice Sebold. 

     This was an interesting choice for Peter Jackson as audiences know him only for his quirky horror movies, the  dark crime drama Heavenly Creatures and of course, the epic and beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy. Because of his filmmaking past, there are several flaws with the movie which don't make it a bad film, but rather cripple its potential as an incredibly powerful, memorable endeavor. 

     One the flaws is Jackson's focus on visually striking but essentially meaningless CGI sequences of our heroine's experiences in the Between World. Instead of developing the characters who are still alive and grieving, our attention is shifted to ships in glass crashing unto mountains, golden forests, fields, and rapidly changing seasons. It's gorgeous to look at it, but it takes up valuable screen time. 

     Another problem I had with the movie was the relationship between our heroine Susie and her high school senior class. No time at all is spent developing their mutual attraction and so it plays out like every girl's fantasy; doe-eyed, British senior approaches much younger girl in school hallway, slips a love note into her binder, and almost kisses her. Unbelievable. The relationship extends beyond Susie's life on earth and continues to be unbelievable.

     Stanley Tucci was magnificent. His subtle ticks made his character oh-so-creepy, from his shifting eyes, closed-lip "yummy" laughter, and sudden violent outbursts. It's not a surprise that the majority of acclamations for the movie are for Tucci, but scenes with a grieving Mark Wahlberg convinced me of his acting ability and Ronan, though at times a bit gooey, is remarkable for a fifteen-year old actress. Despite these positive qualities, the movie as a whole just felt a bit flat for its potentially wrenching topic. 

The Ring (2002)

A young journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone in a week of viewing it.

     This is a pretty good horror film, especially for a remake. The acting is good, visuals are stunning, the gore for the sake of gore is minimal, but there are still some plot holes and confusion that come from watching it, such as: how did the videotape get made in the first place? Some of these questions get answered in the second movie apparently, but that is not as good and at times even more confusing than "The Ring." 

    Naomi Watts is the real standout in this movie. Her All-American good looks and easy charm make it hard to ever dislike her, and her genuine terror at the horrifying events occurring around her adds to the layer of tension and the audience's own panic. The young boy actor is also very talented; I've never seen eyes quite as expressive or creepy. The supporting actors are a bit shallow, simply floating in and out of the film like set pieces. A friend of Watts' character, a male photographer, was extremely frustrating until one scene near the end where he finally begins ACTING, and redeemed himself in my eyes. 

     This is the epitome of a well-done horror movie. It's not terribly original, the music is classic, the creepy children are expected. But, the director knew what he was doing, the actors knew what they were doing, and it all works well. Definitely high above most horror movies done today. 

Something, Something, Something Dark Side (2009)

Family Guy continues where its Star Wars parody "Blue Harvest" left off in its mockery of "The Empire Strikes Back." 

    So this is an odd movie to review, mostly because it barely counts as a "film," rather just a lengthy TV episode. However, it was almost an hour and had the format qualities of a movie, so here it goes.

     I find Family Guy funny mostly because I love humor that references society and pop culture and the like. However, Family Guy has gotten less funny over time, and this endeavor is a perfect example of the lowbrow jokes that Seth MacFarlene has sunk to. Homosexuality, body functions, and just simply unfunny profanity and flat gags. What Seth has going for him however is his perfect comedic timing, but you don't have to watch an hour to get that. Just watch a Family Guy episode; it's crisper. I felt the movie could have had much less rambling scenes of space travel and packed in more jokes.

     On a scale of Date Movie being the lowest and Kathy Griffin being the highest, this was definitely about three notches above Date Movie but definitely not near to Kathy's profane genius. It's something that burns time while I wait for the newest episode of Community.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

 In October of 1994, three student film makers disappeared in the woods near Burkittesville, Maryland. One year later, their footage was found. 

     Well. This movie was not especially scary. Of course, I've been waiting to see it since I was thirteen and the hype this received was so intense there's almost no way it can actually be as scary as everyone clams it is. It employs psychological terror rather than the visual irons modern horror brand on the dreams of viewers. 
     The acting is magnificent, or rather, the lack of acting. The three actors were given only a 35-page outline of the background of the story and then set off with their cameras. Most of their lines are completely improvised and their more intense reactions are genuine. Their directors took full advantage of their power and convinced the actors the Blair Witch legend was real, and then proceeded to surprise them on-camera numerous times with stick people, shaking tents and eerie night noises. There may not be monsters jumping out of trees, but the fear in our heroes' eyes are quite haunting on their own. 
     This movie is interesting to me because it's been copied so much, most recently with Paranormal Activity and to a certain extent, The Fourth Kind. It relies on the raw human emotion of fear that is born in isolation and an unseen threat, not glossy computer effects and a big-budget. It's amateur film making at its best.