2044 - Oldboy

It’s always dangerous territory to remake a much celebrated film - especially one that has such a twist ending as Oldboy - and then to do nothing new with the twist… it’s a bizarre choice given that the only real audience for this film is fans of Spike Lee and people who have seen the original - and that is likely the same audience, I imagine.  So I guess my first question is - what the hell was the point of this?  Stylistically this film doesn’t even touch the original - there’s nothing super special or unique happening here outside of Lee’s own version of the “hammer fight” sequence.  It might have looked a bit flasher, but the original still takes the cake by a long shot, as does the entire film.  Who knows, maybe if I’d seen this without the original I’d have a different opinion - but it’s just a bit too much of a rehash.  Shame.

2043 - Men in Black III

Part of the problem with this series now is that the freshness of the concept is long gone.  Pulling back the curtain and showing how further integrated aliens are into our world isn’t fresh anymore.  Gags like Andy Warhol work mostly because of the casting rather than the gag itself.  The casting is interesting - there’s a spot on Josh Brolin doing a young Tommie Lee Jones, but despite how much I LOVE Emma Thompson, is Alice Eve REALLY the best representation of her at a young age.  For his credit I didn’t even recognize Jermaine Clement as Boris the Animal.  

I think if you can over look the logic issues with the time travelling it’s a fun film, and way way way better than the second instalment.  That said, had it not for being on Netflix, I doubt I would have ever put any effort into checking it out.  Enjoyable enough!

1651- Melinda & Melinda

This is probably one of my favorite posters for a Woody film.  I don't know why I wanted to revisit this one, but here I am.  It really isn't one of Woody's finer films by any means.  The premise is very interesting - can a story (and therefore any story) be a drama or a comedy based on how it's told?  The film follows parallel story lines with only Radha Mitchell's Melinda carrying over from one to the other.  Great premise, years ago I thought about writing something like this, I think I still might at some point as my take would be a quite different.  I think the main problem with this film is the casting is wrong and, honestly, doesn't really work.  He'd originally planned it for Winona Ryder and Robert Downey Jr, and I think that would have worked a lot better.  The dialogue feels written and a bit stilted here, and I don't think it's overly different from the majority of Allen's writing, so I'm going to blame the cast.  This film came on the backend of a series of films that were not so successful for Woody and so he probably didn't have his usual situation where he could re-cast and re-shoot stuff if needed.  Luckily we're back into a golden age for Woody and shouldn't have to have those kinds of things hurting his films and process.
So this isn't essential Woody - it's got a great premise and a few enjoyable scenes and moments, but it feels cold and empty, sadly.  Not one of his worst films by any means, it hovers somewhere in the middle.

1491 - The Goonies

This is one of those films that is just so entwined in the childhood and anyone who grew up in and around the eighties. I was only four or five when the film was first released so I discovered it on VHS and television. I think what was unique about this film over others of that time was that it felt like every time I saw it on television there was a different version, things taken out, things added in (Octopus, etc...) it was like there was never a definitive version of it. My mother-in-law bought my the Bluray boxset for my birthday (it has a board game that comes with it!) and so I wanted to revisit it - the disc itself is full of features that I'm looking forward to checking out as well.
It's really nice to see how well a lot of the cast has done following this film. Many of which are still working in or around the industry in strong capacity. Just doing a little research I noticed that the actors that played Sloth and Mama Fratelli both died just a few years after the film released.
What's amazing about this film, that you don't see in other "kid's films" these days. First off, the kids feel like kids - they swear a little, they talk over one another - they feel and act like real kids. I just don't know if we make movies like this anymore. Maybe it's just that I don't rewatch films the way that I did in my youth or something. Either way, it still stands up today - and I can't wait to show it to my own kids.
Here's the thing I never understood... how and why were these people being kicked out of their houses - I know someone was trying to build a country club - but did I miss something? Were all these people working for some plant that closed down and they, collectively, couldn't pay their mortgages or something? If someone could explain that to me it would be awesome.

1482 - True Grit

I've been a little hit or miss on the Coens in the last few films. There have been a lot of stuff that I liked about them, but none of them completely won me over. And then comes True Grit, not a remake of The Duke's, but an adaptation of the same source.
This film is full of brilliant actors that are invisible, hidden inside of their characters. Bridges, Damon, Pepper, Brolin, and the extremely talented young Hailee Steinfeld make this possibly the best casted film this year - or at least he best acted. This is a film where every performance, big and small, is a work of art - even the smallest of characters.
The production design, costumes, make-ups, just the way that the men's mustaches are stained ever so slightly from tobacco, the attention to detail is startling. Deakens does some of his best work behind the camera here.
I was surprised just how accessible this film was made, how satisfying. I've always liked the Coens, but when I walked into this film I had no idea that I was about to watch their best film to date - and that's what this is. I can't imagine it won't get the attention that it deserves.
Do yourself a favor and see this film.

1399 - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

So anyone that knows me knows that I love Woody Allen, so there was no way in hell that I was missing this. I know that it'll be in theatres in the near future. I don't care. In fact I arranged my whole schedule today around making sure that I would damn well see this.
Now, I'm going to be completely honest about what I think about this film, and you can say I'm bias, but I don't care. I honestly think that this is some of Woody's finest work. It's on a par with Hannah and Her Sisters in terms of the way he handles the comedy within an ensemble. Everything works in this film. Woody is often criticized for creating worlds that don't exist with people who live in beautiful apartments and are surrounded by culture and art. And I say, so what? There's a slight fairytale element to his stories, but the way he colors his films, and the music he uses I think point to that anyway. So if that's your criticism of the man, just stop watching his films.
The cast is top notch. Everyone has a moment to shine in this and that they do. I don't want to give away anything and so I'll keep tight lipped about it. All I have to say is that if you've ever been a Woody fan, at any point, this is the film you've been waiting for from him.

1367 - W

First off, I was blown away to see that it was Thandi Newton in this film. She's practically unrecognizable. The performances in this film are what makes it worth watching. The scenes with Josh Brolin and the wonderful Elizabeth Banks humanize these characters in a way that makes them almost endearing. The film was enjoyable enough, but it just felt like a series of scenes and moments - the only real tie being his relationship with his father, and living under his shadow. It's an odd film to want to make for Stone. Can't say I highly recommend it, but if you're interested, there's enough there to keep you watching it.