1913 - Skyfall

I can't say that I'm a big Bond nerd - although I dated a girl whose father was, and so managed to get through his entire collected during that relationship - and I think... I've seen them all... I loved the first Craig outing, was 'meh' on the second, and really really enjoyed this one.  I mean, I like the nerdy stuff like the idea of introducing Moneypenny - especially in such an awesome way - this is the first Bond film that really played into those older versions of it with that, the male M being instated, and the introduction of Q.  Very fun.  

One thing I was never big on when this new version started up was the carrying over of Judi Dench.  I like Dench, it's not about that, but more what it said about the world... and the fact that she exists in the Bronson ones as well.  Is the idea that James Bond is just a code name?  There have been several Bonds?  This film seems to suggest, with the visiting of his childhood home, that there is only one Bond.  But enough about that.

This film was what a Bond film should be, first and foremost, fun.  It had girls, gadgets, and a great villain.  Sign me up for more if this is what we're going to be expecting.  I love that Bond was a true underdog here and didn't really come off like a perfect killing machine.  The story was engaging, the cast was enjoyable.  If you haven't gotten around to seeing it and had any interest whatsoever give it a shot.  I'm up there with the best of the Bonds.

1603 - Cowboys & Aliens

After a week filled with working on side-projects at night I decided to treat myself to a big-old film.  Like most I thought this title was pretty damn ridiculous, but at the same time I was mighty intrigued - especially as they started assembly the cast - pretty high standard stuff going on here in regards to that.  We need to be reminded that Jon Faveau is the man who wrong and starred in Swingers, one of my all-time favorites, and is now behind a series of this big fun summer films. Not to set the context, I'm going to poach part of Roger Ebert's review:

Here is a movie set in 1873 with cowboys, aliens, Apaches, horses, spaceships, a murdering stagecoach robber, a preacher, bug-eyed monsters, a bartender named Doc, a tyrannical rancher who lives outside a town named Absolution, his worthless son, two sexy women, bandits, a magic bracelet, an ancient Indian cure for amnesia, a symbolic hummingbird, a brave kid with a spyglass, and a plucky dog who follows the good guys for miles and miles through the barren waste and must be plumb tuckered out. This is not a satire. Nor is it a comedy.

Believe it or not but this film is played completely straight - and it's all the better for it.  It's a real story (well...) with real stakes.  The aliens have come and, in spectacular fashion, take away the kin of these here cowboys, and so it's up to this unlikely group to go and get them back.  This is what going to the movies is all about, and it's the kind of film that I can't wait to be able to start taking my son to.  It's big and it's fun - it's smart with how it organically fuses the western and sci-fi genres.  Is it perfect?  No.  If you really want to you can start picking holes into it - but come on - it's called Cowboys & Aliens - are you really looking for the reality-sandwich-of-the-year with this one?  Even though it's a big summer film I'm not sure that this is one that you absolutely have to see in the cinema - but if you're curious you shouldn't hold off.  I quite enjoyed this.
I liked this film a lot, I liked that each character had an investment in the film and that these talent actors had stuff to do, they were just standing around looking good in front of special effects.  I think this film is getting less-than-stellar reviews because it's not as hooky as people would expect - but to me, that's what makes it exceptional. 

1576 - Road to Perdition

I haven't seen this film in years.  I forgot just how damn fine of a film it is.  Given that it's been out for almost a decade you'll excuse me if I go into some territory that might be SPOILERS.  But seriously, folks.  It's been out for ten years - if you were going to see it, wouldn't you have?

I've been on a revenge film kick for research I'm doing, and there's no surprise why it's such a popular genre, it's just one of those things that's so damn primal.  This is one of those films where you just know that each and every shot of meticulously planned and meaningful.  The way that Mendes using sound here is very clever and integrated.  I imagine his experience in the theatre has informed some of his style choices on the screen.  The film is full of wonderful performances from Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig.  If I have a gripe it's that there is a framing narration where Tom Hank's son in the film mentions the various stories about his father, how some say he was a good man, and others that there was no good in him - the problem is in the casting - Tom Hanks couldn't be unlikeable if he tried.  Fair enough, he starts the film off a bit cold, removed, but he's still nowhere near the guy you avoid in a dark alley.  I think that they could have made him a bit rougher around the edges.

So if you haven't seen this film you really should.  It's not something I really ever heard spoken about, but it's just a really wonderful film from top to bottom