CoralineI had not read the book before seeing this neither did I have amazing expectations for it when I saw it. I remember seeing James and the Giant Peach when I was a kid and thinking it was pretty cool. As I sometimes do, I waited to hear some critics opinions of it before seeing it.
As I was watching (in 3D, naturally), I was astounded. I could not believe these images were being processed in my mind at the moment. I think my favorite part of it is that there is nothing too subtle thematically about the movie. Too often movies are hindered by unnecessary metaphors and themes that seem out of place (here's looking at you, Doubt). Not here. I guess it's the fact that animated movies are supposed to attract children that they structure it so simply. By the way, there is no way that 1) children understood what the fuck was going on and 2) that movie should have been rated PG (under normal conditions). Coraline is dark, deceptive and artistically rich. I loved Ian McShane and got really excited when I heard John Hodgeman's voice. This easily is the best movie I've seen in 3D (for reasons critics have already stated) and I was emotionally invested in ways that live action movies can never do so. If this movie isn't nominated for Best Animated Picture, I will be woefully disappointed (especially since it came out in January).
Grade: B+
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Best Animated Picture
WatchmenI'm really only writing about this out of necessity since I haven't seen too many new movies recently (Paul Blart is not very appealing) and since I read the graphic novel (book?) right before. I can see why so many people were anticipating the movie beforehand. I don't read many comic books but Watchmen was so rich in each issue and I was amazed by how each issue was an individual piece of art while still maintaining the general themes and plots throughout the series.
But I digress, this is supposed to be about the movie. I generally walked out of the theater feeling "meh." I wasn't blown away but I appreciated seeing the characters I had read about come to the screen. Zack Snyder didn't do anything very revolutionary in making the movie (can we please stop calling him a visionary? he has adapted two graphic novels and remade a horror classic, nothing original) but he still did justice to the novel. I was not distracted by the length simply because I was following the novel in my mind while I was watching (I think I'm immune to lengthy movies. Case in point-BenjButt was a piece of cake for me). I WAS however distracted by Snyder's incessant need to add horror aspects to the movie simply because he can. The fight scenes were rightfully brutal but a little convaluted while seeing Rorschach throw an axe into that sleazebag's head was really unnecessary. I did like Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (they should go on SNL's Neal Patrick Harris three name show) but thought everyone else was just mediocre. Not necessarily bad but the movie wasn't about the actors to begin with. I did warm up to the music in the end though it was distracting at first. Overall, Snyder has created something not too memorable but very safe in adhering to the novel.
Grade: B-
P.S. Now about that sex scene...
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Best Opening Credits
Best Trailer
Best Use of a Song in a Trailer: "The End is the Beginning is the End" by The Smashing Pumpkins
Best Montage: Opening credits
Best Use of a Song: "The Times They Are a-Changin'" by Bob Dylan during the opening credits
I Love You, ManI'm still reflecting on this one and am actually wanting to go see it a second time to be sure about it. What I do know is that I absolutely adore both Paul Rudd and Jason Segal and thought this movie really worked if only for the leads. I actually walked out of it thinking that as opposed to many Apatow films where the leads usually get the spotlight taken from them by a far supreme supporting cast, this film was all about the leads and less about the supporting cast. Afterwards I realized that it wasn't that the supporters (Favreau, Jaime Pressley, Samberg, J.K. Simmons, the Hulk, Joe Lo Truglio and others) were necessarily bad but that Segal and Rudd were just THAT much better.
I loved everytime the two of them had any sort of interaction. I loved the interweaving of Rush mania (continuing the theme of bringing back old bands from the Kisstastic Role Models). And I absolutely adored watching Rudd struggle with trying to make a guy friend. I don't think I've still had an opportunity to think about whether the movie worked because of the actors solely or because of a combination of the actors and the script. This was not an Apatow film (John Hamberg=Meet the Fockers? really?) but it had everything having to do with one. I'll definitely see it again to be sure about it.
Grade (tentative): B
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Best Comedic Performance: Jason Segal
Best Line: "I'm slappin' da bass!"
Best Music
Best Use of a Song in the Trailer: "Campus" by Vampire Weekend, "Guero" by Beck
AdventurelandI literally just got back from seeing this movie and I have to say this is the best movie I have seen this year so far.
Too often teenage coming of age tales get bogged down by some mission that the protagonist has to go on (Superbad, Nick and Norah, The Wackness...these are just ones I've seen recently and by the way, I love Superbad) but Adventureland is much more than just a vehicle for James Brennan (the fabulously layered Jesse Eisenberg) to get rid of his virginity. He already went through the high school years and we meet him as he's about to finally escape from his hometown to something artistically better. But of course he doesn't have money and needs to work at a shitty theme park to pay for his art. The trick about this movie is that sentimentality is perfectly blended with comedy to make outlandish statements like "I think I'm falling in love with her" seem plausible. Adventureland doesn't try to be anything besides Brennan's exploration of his life through his job at a theme park. On the other hand, Nick and Norah tries to be a love letter about New York while The Wackness tries to be something about the 90s and self realization.
Adventureland doesn't do anything like this. It is set in the 80s but you couldn't tell through Brennan's attire or through his actions. The setting just serves for comedy in the way everyone else is dressed and how everyone is obsessed with Rock Me Amadeus. Case in point, any time Lisa P. seems to be overly challenged, she can just dance her way out of it. Every single love scene in the movie is shot without irony by Greg Mottolla and you can tell he loves every single frame he has shot. I thought Kristen Stewart showed amazing range throughout the movie and I'm eager to see what she has to give in the future. Jesse Eisenberg is wonderfully layered as he escapes from the awkward Michael Cera stereotype set before him to become an awkward kid who realizes he is awkward is isn't bogged down with untouchable earnestness (as in, Michael Cera in Superbad). Brenna is an artistic intellectual who simply has not much experience is trying to woo girls. If he does one thing better than Cera it's sarcasm.
And the supporting cast is just as good and hypocritical. I like how Martin Starr's Joel claims to be in love with Lisa P. at the beginning supposedly driven by his male impulses but then gets mad at Brennan for pursuing his own impulses. See, this is real life. There are no perfectly moral characters in the real world and everyone says things that oppose other things they believe in. In a similar fashion, Ryan Reynolds is a stock type character as the rocker who uses stories to get girls yet he also has his own shit to deal with. He is married against his will and releases his frustration in seducing other girls. And the movie doesn't waste time with setting up some kind of rivalry between Brennan and Connell. That's real. I also like how the movie didn't try to make Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig the center of attention in every scene they're in. Of course they steal all their scenes ("I ran out of googly eyes a while ago...", "just give me a reason!") but they're not set up to.
In the end, yes Brennan goes to New York and tries to get Emily back and succeeds but Mottolla makes it seem like it really doesn't matter how long they last afterwards. The fact is that Brennan finally has realized that he wants to pursue what he wants and not what is convenient to him (Lisa P.). I absolutely adored the experience inside the theater and wanted to watch it again immediately. Everyone and anyone that had something to do with this movie gets "big ups" from me (thank you Ali G.)
Grade: A-
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Best Picture
The Real Deal
Best Scene Stealer: Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig's duo
Best Music
Best Use of a Song: "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco
Best Use of a Song in the Trailer: "Blister in the Sun" by The Violent Femmes
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