Man on a Ledge (2012)

As a police psychologist works to talk down an ex-con who is threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, the biggest diamond heist ever committed is in motion. 

   A typical heist movie, but heist movies tend to be more interesting than the average action movie, so brownie points for that. Most of the heist activities are deliciously unrealistic and there are several "Oh, he would be dead" moments, but these movies demand the audience suspends their disbelief. The plot unfolds very nicely - if you didn't want the trailer or, like I, kept getting the movie confused with Liv Tyler's "The Ledge", it's all pretty surprising and suspenseful. The casting choices seemed a bit odd at first; I hadn't seen Elizabeth Banks in a lead role in a long time and then mostly it was comedies, but she was pretty good. Sam Worthington was playing himself, he's pretty stoic, but he has an earnest, strong face. You root for him. Jamie Bell and his female co-star were strange. I had trouble believing Bell and the young woman playing his girlfriend was a pretty offensive (or at least ridiculous) stereotype. She was basically there to flash some boob and some butt. I know people who love heist movies. If you're one of them, you'll like this flick.

Winnie the Pooh (2011)

Eyeore has lost his tail, and Winnie the Pooh and his friends hold a contest to get him a new one. 

    This was an adorable movie. I grew up with Pooh and seeing in this theaters surrounded by little kids made me proud to be part of something that binds the young at heart forever. It was very old-school Disney, with the beautiful animation and narrator work, but at the same time it had a snappier sense of humor which updated the film. All of my favorite characters were present in their finest form and I fell in love with them all over again. The pure innocence of this animation is lost in so many other movies for children. Winnie the Pooh is timeless. He doesn't need to change to appeal to a new generation.

Super 8 (2011)

After witnessing a mysterious train crash, a group of friends in the summer of 1979 begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the creepy phenomenon. 

     This movie was undeniably Spielberg-influenced. The kids riding on the bikes was so E.T., even the young actor playing the lead reminded me of Elliot. That gave the film this beautiful retro feel, and the setting of the late '70's didn't hurt either. 

     The linear detective work of the kids in trying to figure out what is going on kept the plot under control, but the climax of the film was a little too Close Encounters in its hugeness, though there was some excellent symbolism. 

   The major strength of the film is that it uses the epic alien storyline to relate simple lessons on growing up, grief and family. It isn't about the special effects or gore, its heart is relationships and humanness. This fact makes the movie stand out in the pack of science fiction.

Bridesmaids (2011)

Picked as her best friend's maid of honor, lovelorn and broke Annie looks to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals with an oddball group of bridesmaids. 

 

   And so my beloved Kristen Wiig has her own movie. And what a movie. It has been described as "The Hangover" for girls and I totally believe it. It's crass and quirky and painful and random. Kristen plays up the personality she's known for, hapless, insecure, anxiety-ridden, and makes the audience want so badly for things to go well for her, because we see a bit of ourselves in her. I was so glad to see Maya Rudolph again, I've missed her since she left SNL and she did not disappoint either. The rest of the cast of women is equally brilliant as they work to steal scene after scene from each other. This is a really fun movie, but not for the faint of heart. 

The Tree of Life (2011)

The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence. 

   I...don't even know where to begin with this movie. It has some big names in it. Promising other leads. Excellent child actors. An interesting story premise of family and gender dynamics, grief, and innocence. For me, it was bizarre. 

   Things seemed normal enough until the film stepped back from the family dealing with the loss of a 19-year old son to what appeared to be the creation of the cosmos. It was beautiful, sure, with huge nebula clouds billowing to the sound of an opera chorus and we sat in awe for a few moments. Time passed. We were still staring at nebula. More time passed. The earth was formed. We got twitchy. The ocean teemed with tiny plant life. Then the dinosaurs came. I looked at the person sitting next to me and he said, almost desperately, "What the hell?" 

   That was the phrase in my mind for most of the movie. There were brilliant scenes centered around the main story with fights in the family from the 1950's as the boys grew older, Brad Pitt did an excellent job, but then there would be breaking from the story and creepy whispering like, "Father. Mother. You wrestle inside me." 

   It was so long. The ending dragged on and on. Bizarre symbols like a beach populated by strangers with candles while Sean Penn and his younger counterpart walked with their parents. A door to nowhere. It was like Malick had so many ideas and instead of writing down ideas for a bunch of movies, he decided to shove it all into one. And apparently one of those movies was the history of the world.

Cars (2006)

A hot-shot race-car named Lightning McQueen gets waylaid in Radiator Springs, where he finds the true meaning of friendship and family. 

    Yes, it did take me about four years to see this movie, completing the list of then-released Pixar movies I had seen. I really had no interest in this movie. It was about cars. Cars are not interesting. And I don't like Owen Wilson.

   That being said, I saw it because a friend had it and insisted I see it. Trusting him as a fellow Pixar devotee, I watched it on my computer during the school year. I was pleasantly surprised. The story was not super insane or anything, it did what Pixar does best: simple, well-done storytelling. And yes, the car puns did abound, but the themes and emotions behind the cars were strong enough to withstand the gloss of somewhat childish humor. 

   This is not my favorite Pixar movie, but it was sweet and sincere.

Megamind (2010)

After super-villain Megamind (Ferrell) kills his good-guy nemesis, Metro Man (Pitt), he becomes bored since there is no one left to fight. He creates a new foe, Titan (Hill), who, instead of using his powers for good, sets out to destroy the world, positioning Megamind to save the day for the first time in his life.

   So I have seen this movie several times now and quote random excerpts from it to anyone who will understand me, and not always then. For a non-Pixar animation movie, this is a home run. Much of it is due to a very funny script and excellent deliveries by Ferrell and Fey, who have both worked on Saturday Night Live. Their sense of timing sets them apart from a lot of comedians and makes the characters sparkle with personality. 

     The story begins as a classic bad vs. good, but twists it around when it focuses on the villain. This automatically makes the movie interesting. Initially I thought the premise too similar to Despicable Me which came out around the same time, but they are very different and I personally found Megamind to be a fuller, better executed film. If given the choice, go for Megamind instead.

   

The King's Speech (2010)

Winner of 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor, this historical drama features Colin Firth as George XI, the new King during WWII who has a serious stutter.

  I saw this teaser and KNEW it was going for the big awards. For that reason, I put off seeing it until after the Oscars. It was magnificent. The subtlety was absolutely breath-taking. Helena Bonham Carter, who didn't win her Best Supporting Actress nomination, was the essence of control. It's strange to think she's married to the king of camp in real life (Tim Burton), but she still holds her own. Colin Firth definitely deserved his award, his voice, his mannerisms, they were perfect. Geoffrey Rush was also excellent, the chemistry between him and Colin was very natural and well-formed. I also really liked the whole look of the movie, with the costumes and grayish lighting of it all. Very British. It's a rather strange topic for a movie, so specific, but even with its historical context, it's still very relevant in today's world. War is always with us and we all need someone to look to during times of trial. This movie showed how one man, even with a speaking problem, can rise to meet the challenge.

Monsters (2010)

Six years after Earth has suffered an alien invasion, a photo journalist agrees to escort his boss' daughter through an infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border. 

     I have made it one of my (less important) life goals to watch as many alien movies as possible. I saw this advertised a while ago, discovered it would not be in theaters near me, and so watched it on Netflix. It's a strange movie, very low-budget, with incredibly natural dialogue (the actors were not given scripts, but general outlines and character design) and almost no actual aliens. However, their presence is undeniable, as every crackle of a twig or explosions in the night sky signal a possible attack. 

      It reminded me of a less big "District 9," in that it's about aliens, but it's really about something else. It has a lot about relationships and Mexican-American politics woven into it, which makes it a better alien movie than just all creatures and no humanity. If aliens really did come to earth, it would indeed be a highly-political situation, with lots of people involved.

    Most people would find this boring, but it is very well-done for its genre.

Red (2010)

When his peaceful life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former black-ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team in a last ditch effort to survive and uncover his assailants. 

   This was a very entertaining movie. It had a great ensemble cast, cool comic-book visuals, and an interesting enough story to keep you invested. One of the downsides to a comic book-turned-movie that is not about vampires or superheroes is that sometimes seems real, but then all of a sudden isn't, and you are tempted to say, "That's so unrealistic." It can be confusing at times. But that hardly makes it a bad movie. John Malkovich steals every scene, everything he says is hilarious. Helen Mirren is also one my favorites. She proves that you can have a career that consists of playing almost solely assassins and Shakespearean heroines. Not super memorable, but fun for a Friday night at home with pizza and ice cream.

The Eagle (2011)

In Roman-ruled Britain, a young Roman soldier endeavors to honor his father's memory by finding his lost legion's golden emblem. 

    I begin by saying how biased I am. "The Eagle of the Ninth" was one of the books of my childhood. When I saw this was coming out as a movie and starred G.I. Joe Tatum as Marcus, I nearly wept. I knew it would be bad. The depth of the character of Marcus would require a good actor, and Tatum, though strong of face and ripped of abs, is not good. So I went to see it in hopes of getting a laugh or two. I got about one laugh.

     It started out somewhat promising, there were Roman soldiers with American accents, yes, but the costumes were accurate. There were fighting scenes. After that, it was so dang boring. The fight scenes were spread way too far out and most of the shots consisted of Tatum and Bell riding across the British countryside scowling at one another. The weirdest thing was the fact that the book had a love interest, but this movie had literally three young women in it, who Tatum smiles at from a distance. That's it. Usually, it's reversed, and the movie adds unnecessary sex and nudity, but nooo. I couldn't even amuse myself by seeing Tatum take a wild British girl back to Rome with him. 

     What drove me nuts was the identity crisis the movie had. Is it pro-Rome and pro-empire, or pro-freedom and pro-native cultures? The idea of changing the movie title to "The Eagle" immediently put the image of America as Rome in my head, which is not an ideal comparison. No one really wants to be compared to Rome unless they want to end up like Rome did, imploding from the outside out. That comparison seemed to stretch on as almost all of the soldiers had American accents and spoke in a very military tone, and at the end (SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER), Tatum's "epic line" of: "Defend the eagle," was seeped in the idea of defending the flag/defending the nation. At the same time, the movie attempted to be sympathetic to native cultures. Oh, look, not all of them are bad, they help this guy, their enemy, and they're just defending themselves against rape and torture and death from the invading forces, poor them. To add another layer of confusion, oh look, this tribe is pure evil, the destruction of their culture is justified, even though Rome invaded them first and provoked all of this, hmm mmm. WHAT! MAKE UP YOUR MIND, MOVIE! I think the "message" was that there aren't good and bad, it isn't black and white, but the message I recieved was: hate everyone. Romans, Britains, they're all horrible. But the Romans are a little better. 

    Horrible. I feel strongly.

    

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story (2009)

The story of the lives of the Sherman brothers, the team behind some of Disney's mot recognizable songs like "It's A Small World" and the soundtracks of "Mary Poppins" and "The Jungle Book." 

    I saw this right after "Waking Sleeping Beauty." I now know more about the inside world of Disney than I ever thought I would. It's a fascinating story about genius and grief, art and conflict. The Sherman brothers' sons are responsible for this film, and they treat the material with both the respect and affection it deserves. It's painful to watch as the brothers' relationship is fractured perhaps beyond repair and their faces betray the deep, unresolved emotions that lie beneath the surface. The conflict that drove them apart is what created the music we love. It makes me question if the creation of art is truly worth the pain and heartbreak that people have to go through. I don't know what the answer is.

Séraphine (2008)

A film based on the life of painter Seraphine de Senlis who was discovered by a famous German art collector in 1912. 

    A very French film, complete with long, uncut shots, complete silence, and gorgeous scenery. It is a haunting film about a haunting woman, whose genius was both interrupted and ignited by mental illness. It's a film for those used to how foreign films move (very slowly), but ideal for anyone who appreciates art and its painful mystery. My favorite scene is the very last one. I won't spoil it, you'll just have to see the whole movie to truly appreciate it in all its simple, heartbreaking beauty. 

Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)

The story of how the Disney animation company went from outcast and forgotten to producing hugely successful animated movies in a period of ten years with moves like "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid."

   The Disney company fascinates me. It has influenced entire generations through their movies and changed the movie business forever. It was astounding to hear how the artists at the animation company went through a period of time where they were sure they were all going to lose their jobs and the animation division would be shut down. It was innovation that saved them. With people like Michael Eisner and Frank Wells, the old saying "What would Walt do" changed and things were done differently. My dad, who is an innovation educator and consultant was practically jumping up and down and scribbling notes. It was a very direct, focused movie, but not boring. Drawings by Disney artists were strewn through out to illustrate people and events and there were lots of videos. For anyone who loves Disney, this is the movie to watch. 

The Tempest (2010)

Shakespeare's final masterpiece about revenge and sorcery is adapted by Julie Taymor to feature Helen Mirren as "Prospera," the exiled wife of a duke who practices magic to lure those responsible for her exile to an exotic island thriving with spirits. 

     I've been waiting for this movie for so long. I adore Shakespeare, on stage or on film, and Julie Taymor is one of the few directors I would trust with it. Her decision to change the main character from male to female was terrifying to me at first, but when I read the cast bill that said "Helen Mirren," my dread turned to euphoria. I was not disappointed. She was magnificent. Her voice is feminine and powerful all at once, her eyes are like burning coals, and her experience with the language of Shakespeare ensures that she will perform it perfectly. Ben Wishaw as Ariel was also very good. He was bone-white, naked, without any sex organs. Sometimes it looked like he had a woman's body, but then not. He appeared in water, trees, fire, and air. His movements were not classical, they weren't him simply flying around, he was definitely part of whatever medium he was moving in. 

    What I was disappointed in was Caliban. He is the one of the most confusing and mysterious characters in Shakespeare. They call him "a monster," and he is the son of Sycorax, a witch who imprisoned the spirit Ariel in a tree. However, most modern editions of "The Tempest" cast Caliban as a black man, a native of the island who is mainly "monstrous" because of his skin color and lack of Western behaviors. This makes the relationship between Proserpo/Prospera and Caliban very interesting and blurs the line between villain and hero. In the movie though, Caliban was very straightforward in my mind. He was animal-like, not very smart, naive, and difficult to understand. His looks complicated his character, his skin is patched with whiteness, as if he's supposed to be both black and white, but it wasn't really explained in any way. I did like the tribute the text with giving him one blue eye, since Sycorax is described as "the blue-eyed hag." The other moment of confusion was when there is a moment where Prospera and Caliban face off, just staring at each other. The whole movie they have been enemies, there is no doubt. But in that moment, there's a feeling of loss, almost as if they somehow harbor affection for one another in some strange, unexplained way. I wish that would have been studied more in the film.

     The filming location was excellent, Hawaii, and the music was exceptional. It was weird and wide and deep and alive with different kinds of instruments. When there was a song written in the text, it was performed in the movie. Supporting actors were great, I didn't like Ferdinand very much, but I didn't like him in the play either, so he served his purpose. In a nutshell, it helps the experience to be very familiar with the play or at least a lover of great language and Helen Mirren, or else the movie would drag on and be hard to follow. I hope it gets recognition at this year's Academy Awards. 

Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The third installment of the Chronicles of Narnia series finds Lucy, Edmund and their obnoxious cousin Eustace drawn back to Narnia where Caspian, now the established king of Narnia, is voyaging on the sea to find the seven lords who were loyal to his dethroned father. 

     The thing about the Chronicles of Narnia movies is that they take many liberties with the plot C.S. Lewis established in the books. However, the movies are true to the spirit of Narnia and have even added many character layers that C.S. Lewis didn't include. "The Dawn Treader"  is a strong example of this kind of tweaking and adding, but it works. 

      The character of Lucy is greatly expanded upon, who in the other movies was seen as the young, unquestioning youngest sister. With Susan gone, Lucy now takes center stage as the front female character. The actress has aged well, and is able to maintain that wide-eyed adoration of all things Aslan in combination with new doubts and fears that arise with maturation. The other character that stands out is Eustace, the newest addition to Narnia. The actor is very good for his young age, capturing perfectly the "priggish" nature that the book lays out. The only weakness is the lack of a good transition; the character experiences a lot of growth, and the movie simply ran out of space to include it. A small, but I believe, important note, is the fact that Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) has lost his HORRENDOUS Spanish accent and stays true to his English heritage. Thank heaven. 

     The movie has a good script and includes most of Aslan's original lines, which are really the most important in the book. He isn't present in the movie much, but his spirit is very much alive, and the use of filming his shadow and hearing a distant roar constantly remind the audience that he is the most important figure in Narnia. This movie changes the plot more than in "Prince Caspian," but it is much better. The acting is better, the characters are less frustrating, and the movie is more beautiful. Where "Prince Caspian" was all wet grass and shadow, "Dawn Treader" is sunlight on water, exotic islands, and one heck of a sea monster that again proved how close to the PG/PG-13 line these movies dance on. I can't wait to see how they do the next one.

Gegen die Wand (2004)

Drug addict Cahit decides to end it all by driving into a wall. While in therapy, he meets Sibel, an odd Turkish girl who wants to marry him to escape from her family. 

   I hated this movie. It was everything I dislike about modern German movies: bloody, sexually graphic, and random. The story itself was decent, nothing terribly interesting, but well-written. The problem was the lack of an obvious meaning or message. It was lost in a girl smashing a bottle and shoving it into her arm vein, drug-induced sex, and drunk, sweaty men. Blah. Interesting music, though.

The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008)

Based on a true story, this film details the tragic story of Soraya, a woman in Iran oppressed by a violent husband who arranges her execution by stoning in order to marry a 14-year old girl. 

    This is a powerful film. It makes you want to stand up and scream at the men who push and punch women and who teach their young sons to do the same. There needs to be change and justice. These kind of brutal crimes cannot go unrecognized.

      Shohreh Aghdashloo stars as the aunt of Soraya who tells her story to a journalist passing through. She is beautiful in the role with her strong personality even in a culture that represses women and furious love for her family. If there are women like this in the world, there is hope. Soraya is also good in her stillness, unable to move for fear of being struck, but she also harbors boldness that is punished with death. She is a martyr. 

    This movie is rated R for one scene. The stoning. It is truly brutal and seems to drag on and on. Her cries are absolutely heart-wrenching and the attitude of the crowd is to be abhorred. They will be receive their due in the afterlife, for sure.

Let the Right One In (2008)

Based on the best-selling Swedish book, "Let the Right One In" tells the story of Oskar, a young boy bullied by his classmates, who meets Eli, the mysterious girl next door who is not as innocent as she appears. 

     Best vampire movie ever. Absolutely breath-taking. The atmosphere is dark and chilly and gritty. The gore factor is relatively low for this kind of movie, but seeing beautiful little Eli with clotting blood all over her face is definitely disturbing. The little boy who plays Oskar is gorgeous, his skin is transparent and his hair the whitest of white-blond. It's the perfect contrast to Eli, who has dark hair and almost grayish, blueish skin. Their acting is exceptionally subtle, almost emotionless, which balances out the extreme, horrifying events of the movie. 

    The only flaw is there are lots of unanswered questions. For people who read the book, the movie makes perfect sense, but most of Eli's back-story is not stated in the film itself. This makes several things confusing. 

     This is such a good vampire story. You feel both terrified and enchanted by Eli, she's animal-like in her hunt for blood, but her tenderness towards Oskar is more human than many of the other characters. The movie questions the very nature of evil and innocence. What is a "vampire?"

The Secret of Kells (2009)

 Nominated for best animated picture in 2009, this film takes a fantasy twist on the history of the famed Book of Kells, Ireland's most valuable artifact.

   I knew that "UP" would win the Oscar, it's Pixar, but "The Secret" is probably the most beautiful animated movie I've ever seen. Every frame is unique and drawn with such care, the music is crystalline, and the story is simple but drenched in historical significance and spirituality. The problem with that combination of simple and layered is that if you are not familiar with the Book of Kells, that history is lost on an audience. The Book of Kells is a beautifully-illustrated collection of the Four Gospels. If you don't know that, the book could be anything. Knowing that is the Word of God, the story of Jesus, makes it more understandable why the monks would be willing to protect those papers with their lives. However, the sheer beauty of the film overwhelms the weakness of the story. It's a beauty that doesn't take itself seriously, there is lots of humor in it, but never losing that feeling of sophistication. This is not "Cars." This is something deeper, something artistic. If I were an animator, this is how I would want to animate.