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Micmacs - 2009

Movie #178

3.5 stars

Bazil has a bullet in his head.  The arms company that made the bullet is across the street from the arm manufacturer that made the landmine that accidently killed his father.  Having nowhere else to go, Bazil is adopted into a "family" that lives in a junkyard.  With the help of his new family and their nifty gadgets and unique skills, Bazil seeks revenge on the two weapon dealers.

Cast: Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Nicolas Marié, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Yolande Moreau, Julie Ferrier, Omar Sy, Dominique Pinon, Michel Crémadès

Writer/Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet [Amelie]

The characters are very unique.  There is a catortionist, a girl who is literally a human calculator, a daredevil, and ohers.  Their antics kept the movie interesting.  Overall, the characters lack depth and are almost there for show, not for their own personal story.  The character's made the movie entertaining but Jeunet only skimmed the water.

There were parts of the movie that were...boring.  I was asking myself, when is this movie going to end.  It starts off good and then trails off into a narrative that lacked focus.  However, the ending was very entertaining, with all of the cool tricks, so it made up for the middle.

The addition of the Max Steiner music did make the movie more entertaining but at the same time, it is just hiding the lack of story development.  As a whole...if you take away all of the gadgets then you are left with a shallow story that couldn't hold anyones attention.  If you watch MICMACS and you are expecting another AMELIE then prepare yourself for dissapointment.

Overall Recommendation:  I suppose it's worth seeing if you are a Jeunet fan but don't go out of your way to see it.

Budget: $42 million
Gross (so far): $14 million    bust?

Bones: Season 5 - 2009/2010

Movie (well not really) #177

5 stars

Season 5 was sooo good.  What is this based on?...the fact that I CANNOT wait until season 6.  Every single episode was interesting...yes, some more than others but overall my love for Bones has only grown.

Let's talk about the interns...even though it would be nice for them to actually pick who their full time assistant is going to be I can't tell you which one I want them to pick.  I love them all.  My least favorite would have to be Clark but it's not that I don't like him...I just don't like him as much.

The 100th episode: WOW!  How crazy was that episode.  And you know what?  After rewatching some of the earlier episodes (like season 2) you can definately tell...it's like the creators knew the whole time.  Well, I think they did know the whole time.

Oh...and speaking of rewatching season 2...Hodgins has gotten muchh better looking. See...(season 2 v. season 5)

Overall Recommendation: If I haven't made you want to watch Bones after reviewing season 1-4 then I am probably not going to be able to...but it's your loss.

Filming Location: LA...weird.

Deliverance - 1972

Movie #176

4 stars

Four friends from the suburbs take a canoeing trip down a Georgia River but the locals start to turn on them.

Cast: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, Bill McKinney

Director:  John Boorman

Screenplay/Novel: James Dickey




I wanted to watch this movie after reading about FULL METAL JACKET.  Stanley Kubrick wanted Bill McKinney to play Sgt Hartman but Kubrick said that he was so unsettled after watching him in DELIVERANCE that he didn't even want to meet McKinney....wow.

For some movies it is especially important to put them in context.  DELIVERANCE, which was made in 1972, would have scared the living daylights out of me if I watched in the theatre.  The movie just gives you the creeps...the location, the characters, and especially the music...all creepy.

"Dueling Banjos" is an integral part of the film.  We first hear it when the 4 men arrive in a small town (could you even call that a town?).  Every time I heard the song in the rest of the film, all I could think about was that creepy boys face.  See the video below.  In 1973, the song was #2 for four weeks on the U.S. pop chart.  I sure as he** know that I would never want to listen to that in my car.  Then again...the next time I'm driving through a rural part of somewhere, I'm going to play it....I'll let you know the effect.

Even though the film was a little slow paced...the shots of the river made it bearable.  It was actually pretty....but it made me never, ever, want to canoe down a river.

I have to give best actor to Jon Voight.  It's not that I didn't like Burt Reynolds performance it's just that the role didn't require a lot of acting.  The runner up would definitely be Ned Beatty.  His role required a lottttt.

****spoiler alert**** Don't read if you haven't watched it

The ending could have been a lot more effective if the hand came out of the water and Voight jumped up in bed...then immediately cut to black.  The whole thing with his wife comforting him was just irritating.  It would have had a better shock effect on the audience...because seriously...that had to have been what they were going for.  I mean...that rape scene could go down in movie history as one of the most disturbing...a man raping another man...in 1972!

****end of spoiler alert****

Overall Recommendation: Squeal like a pig...and watch this movie!!! 

And if you don't feel like watching the movie then at least watch the clip of the dueling banjos

Jar City - 2006

Movie #175

4 stars

After a man is found murdered, an old case is reopened by the lead detective (Sigurðsson).  It appears that the crime is linked to a little girls death many years ago.  In this Icelandic thriller, a small town can be more connected then it seems.

 Cast: Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson, Ólafía Hrönn Jónsdóttir, Atli Rafn Sigurðsson, Erlendur Eiríksson, Elma Lísa Gunnarsdóttir, Rafnhildur Rósa Atladótir, Úlfur Ísfeld Rögnvaldsson, Sólon Ísfeld Rögnvaldsson, Þorsteinn Gunnarsson

Writer/Director: Baltasar Kormákur

Novel: Arnaldur Indriðason

What makes for a good crime thriller?  Well obviously there needs to be a crime...a suspected wrongdoer, a mysterious family past, exhumed bodies, and plenty of twists and turns make it a great thriller.  But what makes JAR CITY a cut above the rest is that it is about the people just as much as it is about the crime...maybe even a little more.

I have learned this about Iceland after watching the film, it is always cold and windy, eating sheeps head with an army knife is a regular dining experience, and people's organ are kept in jars...hence JAR CITY.  The film gives an interesting look at a small city.  People are not trusted, fear is always a motivator, and it is possible for a group of people to be too close.

I don't want to give too much away about the plot but know this, you may be a little confused at times but you will definitely be entertained.  JAR CITY is an excellent thriller.

Overall Recommendation: If you are into this genre then definitely check it out.  If not, you should still give it a try.

This film definately makes me want to see Kormakur's first film: 101 Reykjavík

Remake: Overture Films have brought the rights to remake JAR CITY.  Kormákur will produce the film, which will be based in a small Louisiana town.  Tod Williams (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2) will direct and Michael Ross (TURISTAS) wrote the screenplay.  I greatly greatly dislike remakes....but I guess I have a little hope for the American version.

My Best Friend - 2007

Movie #174

3.5 stars

Antiques dealer François Coste (Daniel Auteuil) has failed to make a single friend, he just hasn't realized it yet.  His business partner (Julie Gayet) gives him 10 days to prove that he has a best friend.  If he doesn't succeed then his Greek vase must be turned over.  When he hires a taxi driver (Dany Boon) to teach him how to make friends, he is even more oblivious to what is right under his nose.

Cast: Daniel Auteuil, Julie Gayet, Dany Boon, Henri Garcin, Jacques Spiesser, Marie Pillet, Marie Mergey, Elisabeth Bourgine

Writer/Director: Patrice Leconte

What makes this movie enjoyable is the acting.  We all know how this movie is going to end...just like every other comedy.  Dany Boon and Daniel Auteuil did a superb job.

The movie has a rather shallow plot but what it is about is a whole bigger subject.  It seems like life nowadays is all about contacts..who do you know, who are you "friends" with on facebook, who got you your job.  In a world like this, it is easy to have no friends...all you have are acquaintances. 

So basically this film takes a rather depressing subject and makes it into an enjoyable comedy.  But there are definitely some good parts and a twist!

Overall Recommendation:  If you are looking for something a little lighthearted (that isn't really that lighthearted beneath the surface) then watch this one. 

Gross: $14.7 million

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work - 2010

Movie #173

4 stars

Documentarians Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg provide an uncompromising glimpse into the personal and professional life of comedian and red-carpet mainstay Joan Rivers, a woman clinging stubbornly and steadfastly to the pop-culture bandwagon.

Cast: Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, Larry A. Thompson, Bari Pearlman, Edgar Rosenberg, Kathy Griffin, Don Rickles

Directors:  Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg



 I didn't really know a lot about Joan Rivers before the movie and I guess I still don't.  I did learn this, she is a workaholic that should be taken more seriously.  No seriously, no one has the right to rag on her without watching this documentary.  She is a very funny comedian who deserves more respect.  This is more to her than just the red carpet.

As far as the documentary goes, it is entertaning.  Which is sometimes a hard feat for documentaries.  On the other hand, it wasn't entertaining because of the approach that the directors took, it was entertaining because of Joan Rivers herself.  So I guess if you are interested in making successful documentaries, don't use this one as a model.

Joan Rivers is hilarious.  But what makes her even more hilarious is the fact that it is natural, no one writes her jokes.  Combined with her perfect timing, her writing abilities are remarkable.  She even addresses this subject when she is at an event with a bunch of comedians.  She says that she did an ok job, not great but everyone else has writers on their staff.

The one downside of this documentary is that it doesn't really address Joan Rivers' personal life.  The viewer doesn't get any insight into her marriage with Edgar Rosenberg.  It is probably because she doesn't want to discuss such a touchy subject.  She did however go into how her and Melissa dealt with it.

I began this review praising her but i'll end it being skeptical of Joan Rivers for the very same reason.  She is 75 years old, and she doesn't give any indication of giving up showbiz, which left me with a depressed feeling.  In 90 minutes I got to know Joan, laugh with her, but I also started to feel sorry for her.

Overall Recommendation:  If you have any interest in Joan Rivers then see this.  And by all means, don't hate on her until you have seen it.

2001: A Space Odyssey - 1968

Movie #172

4.5 Stars

Astronauts David and Frank (Dullea and Lockwood) are sent to investigate an unusual artificact found buried on the moon.  The ship's intelligent computer, HAL, aides in their travel to Jupitar but everything is not as simple as it seems.  Stanley Kubrik's film not only looks at the mysteries of space but also the mysteries of life.

Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Leonard Rossiter, Douglas Rain, Frank Miller, Alan Gifford, John Ashley, Arthur C. Clarke
 
Director: Stanley Kubrick


I don't know what to say about this film.  It was excellent...one of those films that everyone should see.  I'm not going to even try and analyze anything about this film...I would probably look like an idiot.  So I am just going to do my...

Overall Recommendation: If you haven't seen this film then watch it...NOW!...and if you have seen this film then watch it again.

There will always be something new to learn every time you watch a film like this.  I will post a review once I watch it again.

Bones: Season 4

Movie (well not really) #171

5 Stars


The season opens with Bones giving a lecture at the University of England.  It was a nice change from the normal setting but Parts 1 and 2 of "Yanks in the U.K." were a little bit boring.  This just goes to show that the supporting cast really does support the show.  Webcams just aren't enough.  There is another episode that doesn't take place in the Jeffersonian..."The Passenger in the Oven."  This episode was actually pretty good...but I think it's because the story was better, unlike the season premiere.

The most interesting episode was when Bones and Booth had to go undercover and pretend they are a circus act ("Double Trouble in the Panhandle").  But the most exciting episode was when Booth was captured by the gravedigger ("The Hero in the Hold").  I have to admit, I cried a couple times.

My favorite aspect of the season is how we get to know the past of some of the main characters...including Cam and Sweets.  Just like in season 3...the major improvement from season 1 and kinda season 2 is that the creators moved away from a Law and Order kind of series, where you can just watch any episode and not be confused, to a series where you invest your time.

Time to talk about the finale.  It is a dream that Booth is having while in a coma (yeah...you just gotta watch the season).  All of the character are given different roles.  Bones and Booth are married and run a nightclub, Sweets is the bartender, Wendell is the bouncer, and Cam is an FBI agent.  That is only a few of the characters.  It was definitely an entertaining episode but as far as finales go..it left wayy to many unanswered questions.  I can see where it was frustrating when it aired and viewers had to wait to get answers.  Luckily for me though, I began season 5 the next day.



I have to admit...those bloopers aren't the best...but still pretty good.

I Am Dina - 2002

Movie #170

3 stars


Dina's father accuses her of killing her mother but in reality it was just a childhood accident.  Dina's childhood is filled with loneliness and rage but when a tutor is hired, her love of music emerges.  When the tutor is forced to leave, Dina marries Jacob and the rest of her life is still haunted by death.

Cast: Maria Bonnevie, Gérard Depardieu, Christopher Eccleston, Mads Mikkelsen, Pernilla August, Bjørn Floberg, Hans Matheson, Amanda Jean Kvakland, Jorgen Langhelle, Anette Hoff

Director/Writer: Ole Bornedal

NR (but I would say it's a R), 125 minutes

Filming Location: Nordland, Norway

Tagline: This is my story

Normally I go through all of my likes and then my dislikes...but this time I am just going to start with the most noticeable and go on from there...

Dislike: The first major drawback of this film is that it's in English.  The film is already filled with overacting...but would it have been so noticeable if the viewer was forced to read subtitles?  Dina's voice was so strange...there are some cheesy lines and when they are combined with her strange accent it almost makes you want to laugh.  I'm sure that's not what they were going for.

Like: The film was visually compelling.  The beginning of the film is overrun with the color white...the color of purity.  But in no way is Dina's life pure.  Was this a coincidence?  I don't think so...Bornedal probably wanted the viewer to think that Dina was innocent but as time goes by nothing can trick the audience into thinking that she is innocent.  As far as the scenery goes, looking at the film as a foreigner who has never been to Norway but wants to, the shots are very pretty.  In fact, it might be one of the reasons why I kept watching it.

Dislike: The pace was very strange.  At times it was very hard to understand how much time had gone by.  Which in the end, doesn't really matter I guess but it was a little frustrating while I was watching it. 

Dislike:  My emotional connection with Dina (pretty much feeling sorry for her) disappeared when her adulthood emerged.  It wasn't caused by a lack of resemblence between the two actors playing Dina it was more like the ridiculousness of her character was impossible to ignore.

Like:  The story was interesting and the characters were interesting.  Yes, there was some overacting but it did hold my attention.  Mads Mikkelson, the son of Dina's husband, did a fabulous job...as always.  He was the reason I watched it.  I don't think I would have watched it otherwise.

Overall Recommendation:  You can skip this one...but if you like Mads Mikkelson then it's worth it.

How could this film have been better?: Subtitles...subtitles...subtitles.  Not only would it have hidden the ridiculous accent but it would have forced the audience to read...hiding the overacting.  The kind of audience (US audience) that this film would most likely attract is the kind of audience that doesn't mind reading subtitles.

Analysis (Spoilers):
Dina's life changes when the tutor, played by Depardieu, comes into her life.  Instead of being obsessed with her mother's death, she becomes obsessed with music...and her mothers death.  In an attempt to force Dina to move on, he takes her to her grave and explains that she is in heaven.  In her eyes, Depardieu has told her that when Dina accidentally caused her death she was setting her free...along with all of her pain.  In a way this shifts Dina's obsession with the death of her mother to death in the large scheme of things.

After getting married, Dina and her husband witness a hanging.  As the man in about to die Dina says "Look at me. Look at me. Let all the cares and sorrows of this world fall away from you."  She thinks that death is the answer.  Death can make all of your pain go away.

So what does she do when her husband has an infected leg and she is taking him to a doctor in the cold winter weather...she pushes him off the cliff...because she is setting him free.  Dina thinks she can help everyone but she really just needs to help herself.  She is psychotic.  If this film didn't take place in the mid 1800's then she was surely be locked up in the loony bin.

Dina is haunted by her mother and her husband.  No matter what, it seems like Dina is forced to remember what she did.  If she was really helping them, would they have haunted her.  This especially true of her husband.

This film is an interesting look at death and the many views that people have of death.  In Dina's eyes no one should be afraid of death.  This is a tough subject to conquer...I know that I am very scared of death and I always have been.  But can this film change your life?  nah...but it's a little thought provoking I guess.

Trivia: Courtesy of iMDB

• With a budget totaling 144 million Norwegian kroner (about US$21 million) this was the most expensive movie to date in Norway. 
• Co-star Gérard Depardieu brought 500 bottles of wine from his own farm and winery to the location in Kjerringøy (northern Norway) "to keep the spirits up", as he himself put it.

Red Road - 2006

Movie #169

4 stars

Jackie's job as a security surveillance monitor in Glasgow allows her to journey into the lives of others...as well as her own.  Zooming from one camera to another, she sees someone from her past.  Jackie tries to understand the past but her future is just as perplexing.

Cast: Kate Dickie, Tony Curran, Martin Compston, Nathalie Press, Paul Higgins, Andrew Armour

Director: Andrea Arnold



This is the first film in the Advance Party series, a concept by Lars Von Trier (Antichrist), Lone Scherfig and Anders Thomas Jensen.  I am already excited.  I love Jensen...writer of Adam's Apples and After the Wedding.  The three films in this series have certain rules--  they must take place in Scotland, filmed within 6 weeks, have a budget of less than 1 million pounds and use the same characters.  This sounds pretty cool but I do have one concern...are 2 more movies going to be just as good as this one using the same characters.  They have big shoes to fill.


Like:  The concept is very interesting.  What would it be like to be able to see every single street...every single person walking in the US.  First of all, it would be creepy.  Second of all, it might be a whole lot safer.  Or more unsafe?  It all depends on the person in charge of keeping the people safe I suppose.

Like:  The shots of Glasgow were really cool.  But at the same time we only saw a couple of different places...mostly Red Road.

Dislike:  I thought I was pretty good at understanding people's accent but this movie was unbearable at times.  Some of the characters I could barely understand.  The main character, Jackie, was very easy to understand though.

Caution:  The sex scenes in this film were very very explicit...maybe even a little bit gross...but they were not in there just to have sex. It did add to the film.

Overall Recommendation:  Check it out...its one of those films that may seem a little slow moving but I assure you..everything is important.

The one thing to take away from this film:  Jackie was just trying to get along with her life...but in order to do so she had to confront her past.  When she had her head near the open window in the apartment it was as if she was breathing...really living...for the first time in a long time.