The Bucket List (2007, U.S.)

This was one of those movies that I figured I would watch if the opportunity ever presented itself, but I wouldn't be crushed if I never saw it. This was mostly because I love Morgan Freeman and hate Jack Nicholson. Though the previews looked good, I couldn't quite get over that Jack Nicholson bit. So my mom wanted to watch this, so I watched it with her.

Well, the movie was okay. It had some slightly funny parts, some parts that were quite moving, and some Morgan Freeman. (Really, you can't say no to him.) Also Sean Hayes was in it briefly, and I love him too. But mostly, this movie could have used more of everything. More humor, more drama, more character development, more Morgan Freeman. Ha ha.

The ending was beautiful, however, and I thought it almost made up for the weakness of the rest of the movie. Overall, it was entertaining and a good little movie. Not an award-winner or anything, but good enough.

Rating: 3.0

Spanish Fly (1998, Spain)

If you're a girl and want to see a movie that will make you both hesitant and enthralled at the prospect of going to Spain, this is the one. It's about an American woman who goes to Spain to write a book about machismo. However, she doesn't really understand men at all--nor does she speak Spanish. While trying to steer clear of come-ons from Spanish men both creepy and sexy, she begins to form a friendship with her irritating interpreter. However, a mystery from her parents' past keeps her from opening up to him completely.

I thought this movie was quite good. There was a great combination of drama and comedy, mixed with sometimes serious, sometimes funny contemplation on the machismo of Spanish men. There was romance, there was a hint of mystery, there was beautiful scenery. I think I would be tempted to see some more films by the Canadian writer-director-star, Daphna Kastner.

Rating: 3.5

Love Me If You Dare / Jeux d'enfants (2003, France)

Here's my question: why have I not seen this film until now? It was... incredible. A boy and girl start a game of dares to distract themselves from lives that are too trying for children, and the game becomes their life. They hurt themselves and each for nearly three decades, refusing to see how much they really mean to each other.

People who love Amélie will also love Jeux d'enfants. It had the same overly-bright cinematography at times, as well as the alternation of a deep intensity and a whimsical feel. Really, it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster, because you never know if you're watching a serious movie or a playful one. Even the ending seems to be a combination of two possibilities, and I'm still not entirely sure what happened. The end was definitely a shock, and it left me feeling like my heart wasn't quite beating properly -- not because of suspense, but because of the rapid changing of tone.

I love Marion Cotillard. After Audrey Tautou, she is probably my favorite French actress. Anyone who's seen La vie en rose knows that she is incredibly talented. I thought she performed especially well in this film. (Ironically "La vie en rose" was "their song" in this movie. Strange coincidence.) The male lead, Guillame Canet, I haven't seen before, although he's done lots of movies. I think he was supposed to be the protagonist, since he narrated the entire movie, but I thought Cotillard overshadowed him a bit. Still, I thought his narration was great. (This, too, reminded me of Amélie, with the narrator rambling on in what I call a "catalog narration," with giant lists of things used to describe one instance or one feeling.)

The fact that this thought-provoking, insightful, beautiful film was made by a first-time writer/director just makes it that much more impressive. I loved it. Now I must own it! To take one line from (a quite long) quote in the film, it was: "Better than banana milkshakes!" And that's saying something, if you're me.

Rating: 4.5

Kissing Jessica Stein (2001, U.S.)

I watched this movie because Blockbuster recommended it based on other movies I've rented. (Something tells me this was based primarily on Imagine Me & You, which is quite a good movie.)

I thought this movie was pretty good, but it could have been a lot stronger. It's about a woman who wants to change her life and try something new. She's also sick of men. So when she reads a singles ad for a person that she feels a connection to, she calls the poster up -- even though it's another woman.

They embark on an awkward romance/friendship, learning a lot about themselves and each other in the process. I thought it was just as much about self-discovery as it was about love. For instance, Jessica is inspired to begin painting again, and she also inspires a friend from college to continue his writing. All of the characters grow as people, and they wouldn't have been able to do so without each other.

I guess I especially liked this because it reminded me of a situation in my own life (although I was not romantically involved with the woman in question). Other people shape us (or help us discover our original shape) more than we like to admit, I think. And that's what this movie was all about. I just wish it had a little more "oompf."

Bravo for the odd (and somewhat awkward) ending. I don't know if it fit the movie or not, but it was definitely unexpected and left me with a terrible feeling of no resolution. Which can be good sometimes, though I'm not sure if it was in this case or not.

Rating: 3.5

The United States of Leland (2003, U.S.)

Last night I put Season 6 of McLeod's Daughters on hold to watch The United States of Leland. It was intense, to say the least. The cast of this film was incredible. Don Cheadle, Kevin Spacey, Lena Olin... great actors. I liked that they all took relatively minor roles in this film and played them well. As great as all of these actors are, they couldn't overshadow one of the greatest actors of what I will call "my" generation -- Ryan Gosling. Gosling has done so few big movie roles, and yet every one of them is powerful and memorable. You can try denying that he is a great actor, but I'm not buying it. This film is a particularly good example.

Gosling plays a very strange, withdrawn teenager named Leland P. Fitzgerald who murders his ex-girlfriend's retarded younger brother. However, the focus of the film isn't about the actual murder (we never see the event) or about solving a crime (he admits his guilt from the beginning). Instead, it is about discovering his character and why he committed the murder. Leland says he doesn't know why he did it, but he begins keeping a journal in prison to organize his thoughts. The "United States of Leland" is what he names his journal. He says it doesn't mean he's the president; it just means it's his way of seeing the world. While he never answers the "Why?" regarding the murder, the observant viewer can figure it out. And the reason is sad, and almost beautiful -- for lack of a better word.

Aside from the casting and acting, I also enjoyed Leland's narration, the repetition of a key image at the beginning and end of the film, and the shaken temporal structure that gave the feeling of a puzzle. The viewer therefore has to piece together Leland's confused thoughts as well as the chronology -- not to mention the relationships of all the characters. Leland's confused, the victim's family is confused, the prison teacher is confused, the viewer is confused. Relationships don't make sense, murder doesn't make sense, pain doesn't make sense, love doesn't make sense, life doesn't make sense. And that's sort of the feeling you get from this movie about a lost, lonely, detached teenager who takes his melancholy to an extreme. Fascinating.

Rating: 4.0

Something New (2006, U.S.)

I have to put this one in the romantic comedy genre, even though it was more romance than comedy. Anyway, according to the Shakespearian definition (in which it ends with a wedding), the term "comedy" still applies. (Oops, did I give the ending away? Not like you didn't know how it would end!)

I thought this was a great little movie. I thought it was tastefully done. It definitely made the color-blindness of love an inarguable point, but it wasn't preachy. I can't say what a relief it was to see an interracial relationship that didn't include Eva Mendes. Not only do I not like Eva Mendes, but it seems like interracial relationships (in the movies) are only okay if the characters have more "similar pigmentation" than black/white. As a Hispanic woman, Mendes works with Will Smith or Nicolas Cage. She works with Denzel Washington or Joaquin Phoenix. In this film, we finally have a black/white couple -- and that's the point. But even though the filmmakers were trying to prove that point, it still seemed natural. (Side note: why have all the movies I've seen with black man / white woman relationships involved Julia Stiles?)

I think that the thing I liked most was the way their relationship grew and developed alongside the landscaping in her backyard. As her yard's beauty was revealed, so was the beauty of her true self, which she hadn't taken the time to discover before. It was "hidden in weeds," to continue the metaphor. I don't think everyone watching this movie would necessarily see the purposeful parallels drawn there, but I'm sure they were intentional. In fact, Bloom was a working title for this film.

One last note... I also liked both of the lead actors, and I liked that they weren't big name stars. In fact, the biggest name in the film was Donald Faison, but he just had a small role as the main character's brother. I think it's hard to look at celebrities and see them as "real people" sometimes, even if they are great actors. The lesser-known cast here contributed to the naturalness and the viewer's ability to relate.

Although I've never been known to give a romantic comedy more than a 3.5, this one just had too much substance to overlook as "just another" in the genre.

Rating: 4.0

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003, UK)

What a cheerful film to watch right before bed. From start to finish, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead was remarkably depressing. It was like one giant meditation on the value of a person, wasted lives, how a city can change one's personality irrevocably. There was rape; there was suicide; there was loss, loss, loss.

Of course, I can't say enough about the acting. Clive Owen and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were both brilliant, of course. JRM was very convincing as a victim whose mind was broken -- it was chilling to watch. Clive Owen spent most of the movie bearded, and while that mostly obscured his facial expression, it only made it that much more obvious how well he can act with just his eyes -- not to mention that expressive voice.


I always like the movies that explore the relationship between brothers, for some reason, and this was no different. It was almost easy to forget that they were brothers, however, since they never share a scene, and their attachment to each other is tentative but strong. Fascinating.

The ending leaves you feeling a bit unresolved and thoughtful. All in all, an interesting piece.

Rating: 3.5

Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998, U.S.)

So today I was babysitting my friend's 4-year-old daughter, Krisna, and I was lucky enough to get to see Pocahontas II... right. Now, I loved the first Pocahontas when it came out. I was in 5th grade, and my class saw it on a field trip. I was already a bit of a history nut in those days, and Virginia history was my favorite. I read every book about Pocahontas I could get my hands on. Even at that tender age, I recognized the historical inaccuracies of the movie, but I liked it. My friend Tanvi and I sang "Colors of the Wind" for our fifth grade talent show.

But enough reminiscing. The second Pocahontas was even more liberal with history than the first, I thought. Still, for a kids' movie, it was okay. Pretty intense stuff though -- bear baiting, John Smith and John Rolfe breaking Pocahontas out of the Tower of London... Oh, and Shakespeare randomly appearing in the street. Too strange. Also, the songs weren't as good as the first one. "In 1607, we sailed the open sea / For glory, God, and gold, and the Virginia Company!" Can't beat that. Also, I've always been a John Smith fan, and not so fond of John Rolfe. So kind of hard to like the one where she falls in love with him.

Also, I knew, I knew, that John Rolfe sounded like Billy Zane. Turns out it was Billy Zane. Really, I think he's a great actor, although he's been in some pretty awful films. He was, of course, amazing in Titanic. Then a year later, he's doing voices for a not-so-great, straight-to-video, Disney movie. There's just no explanation.

Rating: 2.5

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007, U.S.)

Today was not the first time I've seen Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, but it is the most recent addition to my DVD collection, so I thought I'd write a few words about it. I first saw this film about 8 months ago, and I've thought about it often since then. It is beautiful and sad, one of those films that somehow makes me mourn for something that has been lost for over a hundred years. One of those films that makes me hate being American even more. Because all of that "manifest destiny" bullshit caused this nation to destroy the lives of countless native peoples, and I can't see that much has changed, though more than a century has passed.

But I don't want to get on my high horse here. I just want to say that if you haven't seen this one, you should. You really should. If for no other reason, see it because August Schellenberg's Sitting Bull is the best-played native character I think I have ever seen. (For those of you in my generation, you'll probably remember Schellenberg from Free Willy or Iron Will.) His performance is truly powerful and moving. The worst part of it is how far removed you feel from his character, but I think the withdrawn quality of his personality was the choice of the screenwriters.

Other good elements include: First, the simple score by George S. Clinton. As far as I know, this is the only "real" movie he's done the score for. (He's done a lot of lowbrow-type stuff, but nothing on this scale.) It's simple, primarily piano with occasional violin and tribal flute, and its haunting beauty fits perfectly. It also blends well with the Lakota chanting, the other primary musical element. Beautiful. Second, there is also the natural beauty of the setting, although I believe it was filmed mostly in Canada, not the Dakotas. Third, one of the central characters is a man who was taken from his tribe at a young age and Americanized. He returns as an adult to minister to his people as a doctor, and from that perspective he is able to see both what his people have lost and what he personally chose to give up. A unique view.

If you like this movie, you might also be interested in the TNT mini-series from a couple of years ago, Into the West. I also thought it was incredibly well-done, especially considering it was financed by TNT, not HBO. It's much longer and more detailed, covering 60 years instead of 15. Also, you become much more personally invested in the characters, both white and native. Definitely a good way to spend 12 hours. But start with Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

Rating: 4.5

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948, U.S.)

For liking old movies so much, it's strange that I haven't seen more Bogart films. I thought I would correct that by watching this classic adventure. It was pretty good, for the type of movie it was. My dad would have liked it a lot more -- it's his kind of movie. I liked that it was more about what wealth can do to men, psychologically speaking, than a string of dramatic action sequences. It did get a bit long towards the end, but between Bogart's genius acting (as a man driven crazy by greed) and a refreshingly surprising ending, it was worth it.

Rating: 3.0

No Country for Old Men (2007, U.S.)

I tried to like it, I really did. I'd heard great things, it won several Oscars... but I just didn't like it at all. Too much violence. Nothing but violence, really.

So here are my few notes on it: Minimalist score by Burwell was great, especially in the last scene/closing credits. Good acting, especially by Javier Bardem -- creepy! I didn't know this was based on a Cormac McCarthy book, but it reminded me of him. So when I found out it was based on one of his books, I can only assume they must have done a good job adapting it.

It's easy to forget over the course of a movie that seems predominantly about greed, but the main character never would have run into all the problems he did if he hadn't gone back to the scene where he'd found the money in order to give a dying man some water. No good deed goes unpunished, they say.

So overall, there was some good stuff in this movie. But it was entirely overshadowed by excessive violence. Which I guess was kind of the point, but that doesn't mean I had to like it.

Rating: 1.5

Pushing Tin (1999, U.S.)

Today I watched another one of those "Why have you not seen this yet?" movies. I mean, a flick with both Cate Blanchett and Angelina Jolie? I know I love my actors, but I really love my actresses. Especially those two. It was quite interesting to watch them both before they were big stars, playing characters that are so unlike the ones they play these days. Really reinforced my belief that they're two of the greatest actresses ever. Of course, the two of them together could not detract from the horror that is Billy Bob Thorton. I mean, he's not a terrible actor (though I don't think he's great), but looking at him just gives me a funny feeling. Like I need to go take a shower, or perhaps vomit. There's no explanation, that's just the way it is. John Cusack's good though.

Anyway, as to the film. I didn't expect to fall in love with it, and I didn't. It was okay, pretty entertaining, but it wasn't the movie of the century. The whole air traffic control world was quite fascinating, and I liked that they chose such an unusual career to demonstrate the effects of stress and overwork. They could have just as easily done surgeons or army generals or something similar, but it wouldn't have been as interesting. Or as personal, I don't think. I liked that the families were all very "Mr. and Mrs. Average and their children Bobby and Suzie."

Also, it was thought-provoking. Always a good quality in a movie, I think. What does stress make people do, and how do we cope? Good stuff.

Rating: 3.0