[REVIEWS] Films: Oscars Watch
Feb. 26th, 2012 06:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thewlisian_aferAnd with this, I'm as ready as I'll ever be for the Oscars. Bring it on! \o/
Midnight in Paris (2011)
In this charming romantic comedy, legendary director Woody Allen focuses his lens on an engaged young couple whose experiences traveling together in Paris make them begin to question the kind of life they want to live.
Somewhere in Hell, winged pigs are having mid-air snowball fights. I liked a Woody Allen film. I'm sure at least a little part of it was the fact that I was expecting to despise it, so my expectations were extremely low, but ... I dunno. I really liked this. I also went into it with only the most basic knowledge of what it was about. The summary above was the most detailed thing I'd read/heard about the plot. Nobody told me about the fantasy element, which I found completely and utterly charming. I think it also helped that the cast was fantastic and did not actually include Woody Allen. (Although it's pretty clear that Woody Allen would have played the Owen Wilson part if he'd made this film two or three decades earlier.) Seriously, though, I am generally not a fan of romantic comedies, and I usually hate Woody Allen, and I still really loved this. So I recommend it to pretty much anyone. [Rating: 4 stars]
The Descendants (2011)
When his wife is killed in a Waikiki boating accident, distant father Matt King (George Clooney) begins an iffy journey to repair his fractured relationship with his two daughters. But he's also trying to decide whether to let go of some valuable family real estate. Judy Greer, Beau Bridges and Matthew Lillard co-star in this tragic-comic tale of legacy and unexpected loss based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.
Overall, I thought this movie was boring crap, which is what I was expecting. But George Clooney can render almost anything tolerable, so I wound up liking it more than I thought I would. I can't imagine ever seeking it out again myself, but if someone else wanted to watch it with me, I wouldn't be extremely opposed. And I did think Judy Greer was quite good. I feel that should be mentioned. ♥ [Rating: 3 stars]
The Help (2011)
In 1960s Jackson, Miss., aspiring writer Eugenia Phelan crosses taboo racial lines by conversing with Aibileen Clark about her life as a housekeeper, and their ensuing friendship upsets the fragile dynamic between the haves and the have-nots. When other long-silent black servants begin opening up to Eugenia, the disapproving conservative Southern town soon gets swept up in the turbulence of changing times.
There is so much that can be said about this movie and so much of it is negative. But I'm not going to talk about the negative things. If you don't know or can't figure out what might be problematic about a movie like The Help, google it. I'm sure you can easily find someone ranting about it much more eloquently than I could. Instead, I'm going to talk about why I gave a movie I didn't really like three stars. It mainly comes down to two things: Viola Davis deserves ALL THE AWARDS. And Sissy Spacek was brilliant. I mean, Allison Janney was in this film, and Sissy Spacek still managed to be my favorite. That's saying something. [Rating: 3 stars]
War Horse (2011)
Adapted from a novel by Michael Morpurgo, this majestic World War I drama centers on Devon lad Albert and his steadfast horse, Joey, whose faithful bond cannot be shaken -- even when Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent off to France.
I'm generally not a Spielberg fan. But ... guys, I really love horses. I think I could have watched this movie with the sound off and been entertained by it. Actually, I might even have liked it better. I was quite impressed visually but I didn't really connect with any of the human characters (though I was very fond of Tom Hiddleston's character), so it felt like a less heartwarming rehash of Black Beauty. Only the horse was a war horse, rather than a cart horse. So if you like pretty movies or war movies or horses or anybody in the cast, I'd recommend this. If you want something new and are familiar with Black Beauty, give it a miss. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Moneyball (2011)
An all-star cast brings to life the true story of Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), a former jock turned general manager who uses unconventional methods to bring the best players to the Oakland A's, a major league baseball team struggling against financial hardship.
Moneyball. It's a baseball movie. If you don't like baseball movies, you probably won't like it. If you do like baseball movies ... you might like this one. I didn't think there was anything too special about it (except I've never liked Jonah Hill before and thought he/his character was adorable in this) but there wasn't anything wrong with it, either, and I like baseball, so ... it worked for me. Your mileage may vary. (How's that for an enthusiastic endorsement? -_-) [Rating: 3 stars]
Midnight in Paris (2011)
In this charming romantic comedy, legendary director Woody Allen focuses his lens on an engaged young couple whose experiences traveling together in Paris make them begin to question the kind of life they want to live.
Somewhere in Hell, winged pigs are having mid-air snowball fights. I liked a Woody Allen film. I'm sure at least a little part of it was the fact that I was expecting to despise it, so my expectations were extremely low, but ... I dunno. I really liked this. I also went into it with only the most basic knowledge of what it was about. The summary above was the most detailed thing I'd read/heard about the plot. Nobody told me about the fantasy element, which I found completely and utterly charming. I think it also helped that the cast was fantastic and did not actually include Woody Allen. (Although it's pretty clear that Woody Allen would have played the Owen Wilson part if he'd made this film two or three decades earlier.) Seriously, though, I am generally not a fan of romantic comedies, and I usually hate Woody Allen, and I still really loved this. So I recommend it to pretty much anyone. [Rating: 4 stars]
The Descendants (2011)
When his wife is killed in a Waikiki boating accident, distant father Matt King (George Clooney) begins an iffy journey to repair his fractured relationship with his two daughters. But he's also trying to decide whether to let go of some valuable family real estate. Judy Greer, Beau Bridges and Matthew Lillard co-star in this tragic-comic tale of legacy and unexpected loss based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.
Overall, I thought this movie was boring crap, which is what I was expecting. But George Clooney can render almost anything tolerable, so I wound up liking it more than I thought I would. I can't imagine ever seeking it out again myself, but if someone else wanted to watch it with me, I wouldn't be extremely opposed. And I did think Judy Greer was quite good. I feel that should be mentioned. ♥ [Rating: 3 stars]
The Help (2011)
In 1960s Jackson, Miss., aspiring writer Eugenia Phelan crosses taboo racial lines by conversing with Aibileen Clark about her life as a housekeeper, and their ensuing friendship upsets the fragile dynamic between the haves and the have-nots. When other long-silent black servants begin opening up to Eugenia, the disapproving conservative Southern town soon gets swept up in the turbulence of changing times.
There is so much that can be said about this movie and so much of it is negative. But I'm not going to talk about the negative things. If you don't know or can't figure out what might be problematic about a movie like The Help, google it. I'm sure you can easily find someone ranting about it much more eloquently than I could. Instead, I'm going to talk about why I gave a movie I didn't really like three stars. It mainly comes down to two things: Viola Davis deserves ALL THE AWARDS. And Sissy Spacek was brilliant. I mean, Allison Janney was in this film, and Sissy Spacek still managed to be my favorite. That's saying something. [Rating: 3 stars]
War Horse (2011)
Adapted from a novel by Michael Morpurgo, this majestic World War I drama centers on Devon lad Albert and his steadfast horse, Joey, whose faithful bond cannot be shaken -- even when Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent off to France.
I'm generally not a Spielberg fan. But ... guys, I really love horses. I think I could have watched this movie with the sound off and been entertained by it. Actually, I might even have liked it better. I was quite impressed visually but I didn't really connect with any of the human characters (though I was very fond of Tom Hiddleston's character), so it felt like a less heartwarming rehash of Black Beauty. Only the horse was a war horse, rather than a cart horse. So if you like pretty movies or war movies or horses or anybody in the cast, I'd recommend this. If you want something new and are familiar with Black Beauty, give it a miss. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Moneyball (2011)
An all-star cast brings to life the true story of Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), a former jock turned general manager who uses unconventional methods to bring the best players to the Oakland A's, a major league baseball team struggling against financial hardship.
Moneyball. It's a baseball movie. If you don't like baseball movies, you probably won't like it. If you do like baseball movies ... you might like this one. I didn't think there was anything too special about it (except I've never liked Jonah Hill before and thought he/his character was adorable in this) but there wasn't anything wrong with it, either, and I like baseball, so ... it worked for me. Your mileage may vary. (How's that for an enthusiastic endorsement? -_-) [Rating: 3 stars]
