Men In Black & Men In Black II

Men In Black and Men In Black II
"Men in Black follows the exploits of agents Kay and Jay, members of a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth. The two Men in Black find themselves in the middle of the deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies. In order to prevent worlds from colliding, the MiB must track down the terrorist and prevent the destruction of Earth. It's just another typical day for the Men in Black."
"Kay and Jay reunite to provide our best, last and only line of defense against a sinister seductress who levels the toughest challenge yet to the MIBs untarnished mission statement: protecting the earth from the scum of the universe."

5 stars

While I was writing up my review of Wolverine, I had TBS on in the background. And TBS plays MIB and MIB2 all the time, and I watch it all the time, and tonight is no exception. These movies are pure entertainment, and they are funny. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have perfect chemistry and play off of each other beautifully. Smith (Jay) might get the funny lines, be Jones (Kay)s' reactions are just as great. Plus there's a ton of cameos (Biz Markie as the beatboxing alien!), and I love a good cameo.

Kay: All right, Beatrice, there was no alien. The flash of light you saw in the sky was not a UFO. Swamp gas from a weather balloon was trapped in a thermal pocket and reflected the light from Venus.
Jay: Wait a minute. You just flash that thing, it erases her memory, and you just make up a new one?
Kay: A standard issue neuralyzer.
Jay: And that weak-ass story's the best you can come up with?
Kay: On a more personal note Beatrice, Edgar ran off with an old girlfriend. You're gonna go stay with your mom a couple nights. You're gonna get over it and decide you're better off.
Jay: Well, yeah, you know, 'cause 'cause he never appreciated you anyway. In fact, you know what - you kicked him out. And now that he's gone you're gonna go into town, you go to Bloomingdale's and find some nice dresses, get yourself some shoes, you know, find somewhere, maybe you can get a facial. And, uh, oh - hire a decorator to come in here quick, 'cause... damn.
(No one says 'Damn!' like Will Smith)

Jay: K! He's a Ballchinian!

Kay: [Explaining how most of the aliens are in Manhattan] You remember "Casablanca", right?

Jay: Yeah.
Kay: Same thing, just no Nazis.

(that one's for Todd)

Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
"It's the story of how Wolverine became Wolverine. Do  you really need a summary?"

4 stars

I love movies based on comic books. There's action and comic relief and great characters. I especially like origin stories and prequels because you get to learn the backgrounds of your favorite heroes.

Wolverine (the movie) is a little melodramatic and anvil-y*. But it's based on a comic book, so what did you expect? The good thing is, since Wolverine (the character) is basically part of the pop culture canon, we don't get a lot of unnecessary exposition and explanation. Yes, essentially the whole move is exposition, but the movie doesn't waste time on things like what a mutant is or explaining the whole X-Men universe.  If you don't know who the X-Men are or if you don't care, this movie isn't for you. If you're like me, you'll love seeing cameos from your favorite mutants (Hi Gambit!), no matter how much the actor's accent wavers (Hi Taylor Kitsch!), and you might even squeal a little bit at the final scene (after the credits).

Is this movie gonna win any Oscars? Hell no. But it's enjoyable, and that's good enough for me. Not every movie needs to change my life - I'm happy to be simply entertained for a few hours.

*Anvils, anvil-y, anvilicious: Referring metaphorically to the cartoon practice of dropping a big, heavy anvil onto a character. When I use the term, it means that a movie uses really heavy-handed and obvious plot points or movie techniques to get a point across, rather than giving the audience some credit for being able to figure out subtle nuances. 

Bang the Drum Slowly

Bang the Drum Slowly

"The story of a New York pro baseball team and two of its players. Henry Wiggen is the star pitcher and Bruce Pearson is the normal, everyday catcher who is far from the star player on the team and friend to all of his teammates. During the off-season, Bruce learns that he is terminally ill, and Henry, his only true friend, is determined to be the one person there for him during his last season with the club. Throughout the course of the season, Henry and his teammates attempt to deal with Bruce's impending illness, all the while attempting to make his last year a memorable one."


3.5 stars

I may sound like a spoiled little brat here, but it seems like movies didn’t have to be as good 30 years ago to be considered Oscar worthy. There was still a period where an idea could be really fresh because the movie medium itself was still relatively new. In addition, society still didn’t talk about certain things that were taboo, so a movie coming out and dealing with that issue very bluntly was considered a break through. And back then it probably was. But we’re really getting to the point where almost everything has been done, and we’ve seen it all before. That’s why I wasn’t blown away by this movie, but I guess I have to put it in perspective.

The story covers the final season of a dim-witted, Hodgkin’s diagnosed catcher for the ficticous NY Mammoths (basically they’re the Yankees in almost every way; I guess they just didn’t want to or couldn’t get the naming rights). His roommate is the Ace pitcher and all-American pretty boy Author Wiggin (Michael Moriarty). After being diagnosed, Author does everything he can to make sure Bruce (DeNiro) doesn’t get sent down to the minors, even giving up a substantial salary in the process.
I think the movie does a good job of capturing the feel of a major league club house in the 70s. It’s one of camaraderie and mutual respect that is usually left unsaid and mostly manifests itself through good humored ragging. But the movie is very sad. Bruce is ragged on pretty hard in the beginning and only do his fellow teammates start to give him respect when they find out about his illness, so we really don’t know if the care is genuine.

The comic relief comes in the form of the fiery manager who spends half of the movie conducting his own “investigation” to find out where Author and Bruce went during their trip to the Mayo Clinic. Author does a pretty good job of changing the story as he goes to keep the illness a secret as long as possible. As might be expected, the team finally comes together in the end to win the pennant, but a visually ailing Bruce is unable to travel with the team to the World Series. The movie ends pretty abruptly with Bruce dying and then jumping to the cemetery where Author is the only teammate to show up, which may answer the question about how genuine the teammates’ concern was.

All in all though, the movie delivers. We really do end up caring about Bruce and see the true devotion that Author has for him. And DeNiro’s acting is amazing. For those of us that have seen him in Goodfellas, the Godfather, and Analyze That you almost wouldn’t recognize him. He completely transforms himself into a dim witted southerner and he is completely believable. It is almost MORE impressive to me to see him this role after his more famous ones because it shows you just how big his range really is.

If nothing else watch the movie for the titular scene in which a silenced clubhouse listens to Piney Woods (the only teammate unaware of Bruce’s fatal condition) sing the stirring ballad of a cowboy: “Bang the drum slowly, play the pipe lowly / To dust be returning, from dust we begin / Bang the drum slowly, I'll speak of things holy / Above and below me world without end.”

The Proposal

The Proposal


"For three years, Andrew Paxton has slaved as the assistant to Margaret Tate, hard-driving editor at a New York publisher. When Margaret, a Canadian, faces deportation for an expired visa, she hatches a scheme to marry Andrew - he agrees if she'll promise a promotion. A skeptical INS agent vows to test the couple about each other the next Monday. Andrew had plans to fly home that weekend for his grandma's 90th, so Margaret goes with him - to Sitka, Alaska - where mom, dad, and grams await. Family dynamics take over: tensions between dad and Andrew, an ex-girlfriend, Andrew's dislike of Margaret, and her past color the next few days, with the INS ready to charge Andrew with fraud."


2.5 stars

So, let me explain something to you. I have been in love with Sandra Bullock for quite some time now. Ever since I saw “While You Were Sleeping” I knew that one day she would be my wife. And she held out a long time for me (trust me the Jesse James thing ain’t gonna last). For this reason, I will go to see absolutely ANY movie that she is in, no matter how mundane it looks. And coincidentally enough, I’m actually a fan of Ryan Reynolds too (I am already anticipating the gay joke, so don’t even bother). I have seen most of the stuff that he has been in and, in my opinion, he’s one of the better actors of his generation. So, you would think The Proposal would get me all excited. It should be a beautiful convergence of my future wife, one of my favorite actors, and the romantic comedy genre that is my guilty pleasure. Even with all of this, I wasn’t expecting too much from this movie and man did they deliver on that.

The movie isn’t good. That’s not to say that it’s bad, it’s just not good (the word ‘meh’ comes to mind). If you saw the preview, you pretty much could write the movie. It just takes you through the motions of a typical romantic comedy and ends as expectedly as you might, well, expect (my 8th grade English teacher is rolling over in her grave right now). If you’re looking for something easy and light on a Sunday night, then this movie would be adequate.

My only real beef with the movie is the hypocrisy. A Romantic Comedy, by definition, is supposed to tout romance and the power of love but, in my opinion, this film cheapens it. It basically says that if you throw any guy and girl together for a weekend they can fall in love enough to get married. Really? And it’s not even that fantasy that some people have of meeting someone, having a whirlwind romance, and getting married on the spur of the moment. Literally at 12:00 PM on Sunday the couple loathes each other and at 8:00 that evening they decide they are meant to be together. Again I ask, really? Don’t get me wrong, and this may sound weird, but the movie would have been much better if it were a dark comedy. The story briefly touches on Sandra’s abandonment issues and Ryan’s Oedipus complex with his father. There actually was a lot of meat there that, if it had been explored, might have made for some interesting story telling. But, alas, that’s not the angle they were going for. So, the movie is just adequate.

One saving grace that I might give it is the setting, the entire movie was shot on location in Alaska and the scenery is just amazing. I sometimes found myself ignoring what the actors were saying and just focusing on the picturesque landscape.

Fans of The Office might get excited to see Oscar as the town’s only erotic dancer. But their excitement would quickly fade as his performance feels very forced and simply not funny. Let’s be honest, this movie is a 2 star movie at best. BUT, because of Sandy I am bumping it up to a 2.5.

COMING SOON

Munich

"After Black September's assassination of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972, Prime Minister Golda Meir okays a black-box operation to hunt down and kill all involved. A team of five gathers in Switzerland led by Avner, a low-level Mossad techie whose father was a war hero and whose wife is pregnant. It's an expendable team, but relying on paid informants, they track and kill several in Europe and Lebanon. They must constantly look over their shoulders for the CIA, KGB, PLO, and their own sources. As the body count mounts -- with retribution following retribution -- so do questions, doubts, and sleepless nights. Loyalties blur. What does it mean to be a Jew?"

3 stars

Anvil! The Story of Anvil!

Anvil! The Story of Anvil
"Formed by two 14-year-olds in the 1970s, Canadian heavy metal band Anvil influenced the great acts that followed, such as Anthrax and Metallica. This documentary joins Anvil's now middle-aged founders as they recover from a disastrous tour of Europe. Hoping to end their youthful dreams and careers on a high note, Robb Reiner, Steve "Lips" Kudlow and the band set out to record their 13th album, "This Is Thirteen.""

3 stars

This film is pure love letter. It's a love letter to the band (the director's been a fan since 1982), and a love letter to rock and roll.

We open on concert footage from Japan in the 80s with voiceovers from heavy metal stars (Lars Ulrich, Slash, Scott Ian), all proclaiming Anvil as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. And therein lies the movie: who has ever heard of Anvil?

At first you aren't sure if this movie is for real or if it's Spinal Tap in the 21st century. The main focus is on Lips and Robb, the two founders of Anvil, now in their 50s. They've never given up on that rockstar dream. They've got fans (even superfans - watch for the scene where one pours beer up his nose) and are waiting for their big break. It's a common story in the music industry, but the fact that they haven't given up after 30+ years is either extreme dedication and faith, or insanity and arrested development. There's a lot of focus on the brotherly relationship between Lips & Robb, which is textbook rock-and-roll bandmate relationship. The main story follows Anvil as they try to go on tour in Europe, record their 13th album, and get a record label. It becomes clear that Anvil (and Lips especially) occupies two spheres: both band and fan. Lips strikes out with some so-called 'famous' musicians he shares a gig with, who clearly see him as some kind of fruitcake, but he gets love (and respect) in return from others.

With documentaries, you need a really good subject and a really good story and really good editing to be a really good movie. I think it got so many positive reviews out of guilt, in all honesty. The band certainly makes for an interesting subject, but in the end the movie is just good, not great. Poignant piano playing over images of Lips & Robb's return to Tokyo (they really are big in Japan) belittles the moment. I'm rooting for Anvil, but the film drags a little in the middle. We get it: the only ones taking this seriously is the band, and everyone else thinks they are a joke. And maybe they are. But they're following their dream, cliche as it is. And you've got to give the movie credit: there's a scene in the recording studio with the amp turned up to 11.

Trainspotting

Trainspotting
"A wild, freeform, Rabelaisian trip through the darkest recesses of Edinburgh low-life, focusing on Mark Renton and his attempt to give up his heroin habit, and how the latter affects his relationship with family and friends: Sean Connery wannabe Sick Boy, dimbulb Spud, psycho Begbie, 14-year-old girlfriend Diane, and clean-cut athlete Tommy, who's never touched drugs but can't help being curious about them..."

4 stars

"Good thing comes to those who wait." That's the concept that came to mind while I was watching Trainspotting. If you're not ready for this movie, it's going to knock you on your ass. The story hits the ground running and immediately throws you into a life of squalor and hardcore drug use. Luckily, there's a tongue-in-cheek feel to some of the scenes that keeps us from falling into a deep depression over the stark reality of what exactly is going on.

The first half hour is not for the faint of heart. There is a scene at "The Worst Toilet in Scotland" that is sure to make Grandma and Grandpa switch over to Wheel of Fortune, and another scene at the breakfast table that has equally shocking "fecal comedy". But in looking back, I think the movie was written this way on purpose to weed out casual movie goers who are not going to appreciate (and in this case deserve) the brilliance of the film.

At about the halfway point, you start to realize two things. The first is that this movie is visually astounding. The influence of "A Clockwork Orange" is evident both literally (in one bar scene) and figuratively with regard to the ingenious camera angles and usage of lighting and reflection. The second thing you realize is that EVERYONE in the cast really can act. You almost forget that you're watching a movie and let yourself slip into the notion that it's actually a documentary. The range of emotion goes from boyishly silly to disturbingly dark almost seamlessly, and the actors pull it off very well.

Now, it's not without its drawbacks. The "love story" between Renton and Diane is grossly underdeveloped and not necessarily even needed in the plot. And the fact that no one in the group ever stands up to the sociopathic, ultra-violent Begbie leaves some sense of incompleteness. But the film tends to stay true to itself and the cult-classic novel it is based off of. In the end, like in life, the characters haven't changed much. There is some progress made, most notably in Renton, but most everyone remains the same. It doesn't fall into the trap of Hollywood movies that take a protagonist from near-death-drug-addict all the way to picturesque-family-man in a mere 90 minutes.

It's real, almost too real. And you come to realize that this movie had to be made in the United Kingdom because a puritanical American production would have butchered it until it had the same emotional significance of Half Baked. In fact, two pivotal scenes were actually removed for the US release because they were deemed to graphic. So, make sure to get the director's cut and see why BAFTA has ranked this movie as the 10th most significant British movie of all time.


Robyn's response:
3 stars

I watched Trainspotting over two years ago, and there are certain images that are burned in my mind. The diarrhea and the suppositories, the filthy apartment that causes Tommy to die of toxoplasmosis (from the cat's litter box), Tommy's dead body, the baby's dead body, and the most scarring of all, the dead baby crawling on the ceiling.

On the other hand, I had to go to wikipedia to read a plot summary and refresh my memory. So does this mean it's a good film or a bad film? Am I just remembering the shocking scenes for their shock value? Or was it good cinematography? Did I block the story from my memory because it was so damn depressing? Or because the story just wasn't that memorable?

Casablanca

Casablanca
"In World War II Casablanca, Rick Blaine, exiled American and former freedom fighter, runs the most popular nightspot in town. The cynical lone wolf Blaine comes into the possession of two valuable letters of transit. When Nazi Major Strasser arrives in Casablanca, the sycophantic police Captain Renault does what he can to please him, including detaining Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo. Much to Rick's surprise, Lazslo arrives with Ilsa, Rick's one time love. Rick is very bitter towards Ilsa, who ran out on him in Paris, but when he learns she had good reason to, they plan to run off together again using the letters of transit. Well, that was their original plan...."

6 STARS (reserved only for this movie)

So, I figured I couldn't do this blog justice without making my favorite movie of all time the first review. There is almost nothing about this film I don't love. It's filled with some of the most memorable quotes in cinema history and, odds are, you know all of them but you just may not realize where they come from. SIX quotes from Casablanca are listed on AFI's List of Top 100 Movie Quotes of All Time. One of them ("Round up the usual suspects.") even inspired a movie of its own.

But its not just the quotes that make this movie. Once in a very long while a film just seamlessly comes together with direction, acting, writing, and music . . . this is one of those movies. The key elements are an intertwining love triangle and the plight of thousands of refugees trying to escape the persecution of Nazi europe. Bogart portrays surly bar owner Rick as only he can. At first we are led to believe that Rick is a self centered anti-hero who "sticks his neck out for no one". But as the story develops we discover the layers to his character and the broken heart that has led to his life of eternal bachelor-dom. This wound is reopened when his former lover Ilsa coincidentally walks into his "gin joint" . . . with her husband.

Paul Henried portrays Ilsa's husband, Victor Laszlo, who is the head of the underground movement in Europe aiming to topple the Nazi regime. Ilsa is forced to choose between the man she believes in and the man she truly loves. The chemistry between Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart is almost palpable and the flashback of their love affair in Paris is one you won't soon forget ending in the now famous line, "Kiss me, kiss me as if it were the last time." Do you have goosebumps yet?

I guess I love this movie so much because of how intriicate it is. Seeing it once will only scratch the surface, I find something new everytime I watch it. The casting is spot on and the acting will make you wish the movie wouldn't end. And speaking of the ending, it will definitely not be one that you are expecting, but it will be one that makes you understand why the film is so revered.

In this day and age of Mega-Budget action movies and dwindling attention spans, I completely realize that I am in the minority for my generation in loving a movie that is so "basic". But if you give this movie a chance and really pay attention to what it is saying, I believe you will have the same reaction as the people of Casablanca, because in the end "Everybody Comes to Ricks."

Sugar

Sugar
"After he catches the eye of a scout while playing in his native Dominican Republic, baseball prospect Miguel "Sugar" Santos is recruited to play in the minor leagues in the Midwest, where he has difficultly adapting both on and off the field. As much a story about the promise of the American dream as it is about America's national pastime, this film dramatizes the hard lessons learned when hope and reality clash."

4 stars

I love baseball movies, but this isn't a movie only about baseball. It's the story of going from a big fish in a small pond to a very small fish in a very big pond. It's heartbreaking to watch Sugar more or less alone in a country where he doesn't understand the language (except for "fly ball," "home run, " and "I got it! I got it!"). The movie kind of derailed from my expectations in the end, but I like it when movies don't follow the canon. Because of this movie, I'll look at the guys in my local minor league games with a lot of respect. And even the major league guys - they work hard to get where they are.

Minus one point for using a cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah (even if it was in Spanish). That song has become a crutch for directors wanting to convey something emotional and weepy. It's a good song but over used.

Away We Go

Away We Go
"A couple who is expecting their first child travel around the U.S. in order to find a perfect place to start their family. Along the way, they have misadventures and find fresh connections with an assortment of relatives and old friends who just might help them discover "home" on their own terms for the first time."

4 stars

I love John Krasinski, and I love Maya Rudolph. John Krasinski played a less-full-of-himself version of Jim from The Office, which is a good thing. And who knew Maya Rudolph could play it straight? There were a couple surprisingly funny scenes (Jim Gaffigan has a role), but there were moments that were too cliche and obvious (I'm looking at you, Maggie Gyllenhaal). The soundtrack tried a little too hard to be "indie," but the movie was overall enjoyable and I recommend it.

How do you even make a list like this?

I'm trying to make a list of my top movies.

According to Netflix, I've rated 1000+ movies. Only 64 of those have a rating of 5 stars, so that shows that I don't hand out five stars lightly. But that also means I've got SIXTY-FOUR movies that I love. Some are movies from my childhood: Anne of Green Gables, Clueless, the Sandlot, and The Mighty Ducks. There are musicals (Guys and Dolls, High Society), foreign (non-US) films (Amelie, the Princess and the Warrior, Whale Rider), and screwball/satire comedies (Super Troopers, Clerks, Robin Hood: Men in Tights and half-a-dozen other Mel Brooks movies). I enjoy a good indie movie and movies that are unconventional: Big Fish, Conversations with Other Women, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Memento, Snatch, and pretty much every Wes Anderson movie ever made.

So I'll have to think about this a little more before I start making lists. Or just wait and see how Todd tackles this and copy what he does.