I can't believe I watched this thing. It was definitely trying too hard and not enough all at once. It starts with a very artsy quote and image involving a monkey with a cage, first clue of trying too hard. Then up starts a very '80s song over the opening credits, first clue of not trying hard enough.
Essentially an American woman married to a rich Swede starts going slightly crazy and decides to follow him on a business trip to Brazil. Because she has her gardening shears in her bag, she gets pulled aside by security. Next thing you know, she's taken up with a gypsy woman who was also pulled aside by security, and she heads off to the Zanzi-bar, where she is introduced to this crazy, bohemian world of shovel fights, sex shows, and pretty much sheer insanity. She actually seems to be the sanest one there.
I can't even say anything productive about the acting, the score, the cinematography, the writing, or anything. It was just too... eh. The best part, by far, was the freeze frame and titles at the end, which were definitely the biggest WTF? moment of the whole shebang. Fitting.
I don't think I'd recommend it, unless you enjoy asking yourself, "Why did somebody make this movie?!" (Kind of like how I asked myself, "Why does Stef own this, and why did she let me borrow it?!")
Apparently I am not a true child of my generation since I had yet to see The Goonies. So now I've seen it, and all is right with the world again.
I have to say, it wasn't terrible. It was a good adventure story, and the acting wasn't that bad, for a bunch of kids. Sean Astin was absolutely adorable, and his character was completely believable. I still can't believe that was Josh Brolin playing his older brother—the last film I saw him in was W. Of course, the one I loved the most was Jonathan Ke Quan, who most people would know as Short Round. His character was quite similar to that in Temple of Doom, but with a James Bond twist. Very cute! The interaction between all of the kids was really well played, as if they really had known each other their whole lives.
The story was a cool adventure for young kids (and I guess older ones too). Hidden tunnels, opera singing villians, pirate ships, and, perhaps most importantly, kids who are able to do something to save their neighborhood—but in a cool way. Most of the "even the smallest person can do big things" stories don't involve such fun adventures that the average child would love to participate in.
I think the thing I liked the least about the whole thing was Sloth. Without him, you could almost believe that this all may happen to a group of neighborhood kids, but with "the thing" wandering around, it just doesn't seem as realistic.
Still, I can definitely see why this one was so popular in the '80s.
It was next to impossible for me to look at this film fairly, since I saw The Philadelphia Story (with Grant and Hepburn) first and loved it so much. I think adding music to it could have been a good idea, but the music they added for this version just didn't fit in that well, seamlessly integrating into the story. I did love that the film was opened and closed by Louis Armstrong himself, as if he were some kind of omniscient narrator. There was also one duet by Sinatra and Crosby that was really good, but that was one song out of many.
Most of the lines seemed to be the same from the earlier film (after all, they were both based on the same play), but the delivery just didn't seem as good for a lot of it. Well, that's not totally fair either. The biggest problem was the main actress. I really don't see what all the fuss was over Grace Kelly. Her performance was nothing but blah, and she couldn't come anywhere near Hepburn. Sinatra and Crosby were quite good, and they seemed to have some chemistry with each other that helped make up for Kelly's lack of pizazz. I think this is the first Sinatra movie I've seen, and I was quite favorably impressed with him. He was probably as good as the guy who played Mike in the earlier film. Crosby was also good, but not overly so. Still, his role was previously played by Cary Grant, and you can't top him in my book, so maybe he was better than I give him credit for.
I would say that if you like musicals and/or one of the earlier versions of The Philadelphia Story, you should see this. But I'm not sure you should. If you want to see it, just don't expect it to blow you away. Do expect it to make you want to hunt down some more Sinatra and/or Cosby films.
I rather like Bette Davis, especially because I really don't think she's the most attractive woman in the world and yet she was still cast as the heroine repeatedly. (Also, she probably did the best portrayal of Elizabeth I of all time.) She was quite good in the film as an "old" maid who has a nervous breakdown, goes to a "mental institution" to recover (where she's treated by Louis from Casablanca) before emerging transformed into a beauty and going on a cruise to further her recovery (where she falls in love with Lazslo from Casablanca). This film is centered around the self-discovery and transformation of her character, and she plays it well. If anything, it's understated.
It's a little old-fashioned (obviously) in its portrayal of a woman needing a man to be complete, but then it takes a remarkable forward-thinking approach when she ends up being her own woman. (Although even then, her role becomes very maternal. Still, it's not bad for 1942!)
The music was very typical of Max Steiner, and although the sound editing at times made the music quite a bit too loud for the scene, it still fit pretty well.
A lot of this film reminded me of An Affair to Remember, which is one of my favorite oldies (and one of the first ones I watched, since it was my Grandma's favorite). So if you like that one, you may like this one. However, you should be warned that the ending of Now, Voyager isn't nearly as satisfying as the ending of An Affair to Remember.
Okay, here are my picks for this year's Oscars. I'm excluding nominations for stuff like sound editing (how would I know who was best?) and documentaries/foreign films/shorts (since I haven't seen any from the category and know nothing about them). Here's the key:
* a film I've seen
My pick to win
The actual winner
Best Motion Picture of the Year
*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall Frost/Nixon: Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner
*Milk: Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
*The Reader: Nominees to be determined
*Slumdog Millionaire: Christian Colson
Notes: I am too in love with Benjamin Button to even contemplate anything else winning. It was just too good. There are a few films I'm surprised not to see here, but then when has the Academy ever listened to me?
*edit: 2/20/2009 I just saw Slumdog Millionaire, and I loved it. I'm really torn now.*
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon *Sean Penn for Milk
*Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler
Notes: This is going to be a tough competition. There's been a lot of buzz about these movies, and based on the previews for Frost/Nixon and the Wrestler, Langella and Rourke are definitely contenders. Sean Penn was incredible in Milk, but I still don't think he deserved the win for Mystic River, so not winning this one would even it out. Also, I think Brad Pitt is long overdue for an Oscar. The fact that he was only nominated once before this is inconceivable. And this was definitely one of his best performances yet. If he doesn't win, I will be unhappy.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
*Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married *Angelina Jolie for Changeling Melissa Leo for Frozen River Meryl Streep for Doubt *Kate Winslet for The Reader
Notes: This one is also tough. First, why did Cate Blanchett not get nominated for Benjamin Button? The woman deserves at least that. As for the rest, it's no secret that I love Jolie and Winslet. Jolie was great in Changeling, but if she was competing against herself in other roles, I'm not sure if she'd win or not. On the other hand, the same is kind of true for Winslet. But this is her 6th nomination, and like Pitt, she deserves one. So I'm going to pull for her (even though I would be just as thrilled if Angie won another). Still, I have never liked Anne Hathaway, and she was wonderful in Rachel Getting Married. Something tells me she will end up being the real winner, but I refuse to pull for her!
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
*Josh Brolin for Milk Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt *Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight *Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road
Notes: Heath. Need we say more? He was robbed in 2005 for Brokeback, and I don't think anyone can deny his Joker was incredible. If he doesn't win, this might just be the last year I watch the Awards. *edit: Michael Shannon was really great in Revolutionary Road, so he definitely deserved the nomination... just a comment. I'm still all for Heath.*
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams for Doubt Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona Viola Davis for Doubt *Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler
Notes: I've barely seen any of these, but I'm going to make a wild guess at Amy Adams for this one, because I think she's good.
Best Achievement in Directing
*Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire *Stephen Daldry for The Reader *David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon *Gus Van Sant for Milk
Notes: Just because I love it.
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Frozen River: Courtney Hunt Happy-Go-Lucky: Mike Leigh *In Bruges: Martin McDonagh *Milk: Dustin Lance Black WALL·E: Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon
Notes: I don't really have enough to go on in this category, but I remember being surprised when I saw In Bruges that it was so funny and moving all at the same time. Which probably comes down to good writing.
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Eric Roth, Robin Swicord Doubt: John Patrick Shanley Frost/Nixon: Peter Morgan *The Reader: David Hare *Slumdog Millionaire: Simon Beaufoy
Notes: Again, I just love it.
Best Achievement in Cinematography
*Changeling: Tom Stern *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Claudio Miranda *The Dark Knight: Wally Pfister *The Reader: Roger Deakins, Chris Menges *Slumdog Millionaire: Anthony Dod Mantle
Notes: Seems like I pick the visually stunning films to watch! Of all of these, I think Benjamin Button was best. I loved Changeling and really liked The Reader and Dark Knight, but Benjamin Button just seems right for this win. *edit 2/20/2009 Uh oh, now I've seen all five, and Slumdog was visually stunning too!*
Best Achievement in Art Direction
*Changeling: James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo *The Dark Knight: Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando *The Duchess: Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway *Revolutionary Road: Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt
Notes: Period pieces always win art direction. It's a fact.
Best Achievement in Costume Design
*Australia: Catherine Martin *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Jacqueline West *The Duchess: Michael O'Connor *Milk: Danny Glicker *Revolutionary Road: Albert Wolsky
Notes: Look, a bunch of period films got nominated! 19th century, scattered 20th century, 17th century, 1970s, 1950s. I get the feeling that the more elaborate the costumes, the more likely an Oscar is. Which is why I'm going for The Duchess.
Best Achievement in Makeup
*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom *The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullivan Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz
Notes: I decided Benjamin Button would win makeup before I even saw it was nominated. The aging done on Blanchett and Pitt was too incredible. I will be beyond shocked if this doesn't win.
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Alexandre Desplat *Defiance: James Newton Howard *Milk: Danny Elfman *Slumdog Millionaire: A.R. Rahman WALL·E: Thomas Newman
Notes: This is probably the hardest category for me, because I will be disappointed for almost anyone who doesn't win. Desplat, Howard, Elfman, and Newman are four of my all time favorite composers. But of the three of these films I've seen, I can easily say that Defiance will win, since my immediate reaction to the film was that the score was the best, best part. It was haunting, beautiful, perfect.
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron *The Dark Knight: Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin Iron Man: John Nelson, Ben Snow, Daniel Sudick, Shane Mahan
Notes: I'm a sucker for this film.
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Bolt: Chris Williams, Byron Howard Kung Fu Panda: John Stevenson, Mark Osborne WALL·E: Andrew Stanton
Notes: I haven't seen any of these, but I've just heard too much hype about WALL·E to think it won't win.
Defiance was astounding. So astounding that I'm surprised it wasn't nominated for more Oscars. The story was incredibly moving, all the more so because it was based on a true story. It is really a testament to the human spirit. These brothers' ability to create a community and protect their people and their culture in the face of extreme hardship is inspiring, all the more so because they each stayed true to their beliefs. I thought that the story was well-adapted without making it over-dramatic/emotional while still impressing upon the audience the magnitude and meaning of this quietly heroic undertaking.
The acting was brilliant. I was really impressed with Jamie Bell, a 22-year-old kid who played the youngest brother with a perfect mix of innocence and maturity. Liev Shreiber's character was rough and stoic, and his gruff demeanor never faltered. Daniel Craig stole the show, as I knew he would. That man has talent. Pure talent. All three maintained convincing Eastern European accents too, which was an added bonus. (Word on the street is that the other recent WWII film, Valkyrie, has a scattering of British and American accents where there should be German ones.)
On top of the acting and the subtly told story, the music and scenery just put it over the top. Really, listening to James Newton Howard's beautiful, haunting score filled with violin solos by Joshua Bell while watching beautiful shots of Eastern European forests would have made this film worth seeing by itself, no plot necessary. More movies should be filmed on location. James Newton Howard should do more scores. (His Peter Pan score is one of my all-time favorites.) I can't reinforce enough how much these two elements contributed to this film. And if Defiance doesn't win the Oscar for Best Original Score, I will truly be blown away.
This movie reminded me a lot of Down with Love, which I adore. And when I looked it up after I watched this, I found out that Down with Love was a giant nod to sex comedies of this era, but especially to Pillow Talk.
I liked this film quite a bit. It didn't blow me away or anything, but it was an enjoyable way to spend an evening at home. There were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, and some sappy parts too.
This might be complete sacrilege or what have you, but I really wasn't too thrilled with Doris Day. I think this is the first film I've seen with her, and I just thought she was so-so. I think her character could have been just as easily played by countless other actresses. And her singing... yeah. I just don't see the allure. Rock Hudson, on the other hand, is dreamy, charismatic, and suave. Kind of Clark Gable meets Cary Grant, but mostly in a mold of his own. Very sexy.
If you like cases of mistaken identity, sex comedies, battles of the sexes, old movies, or a good laugh, you should definitely see this one.
I was torn between "liking" and "really liking" this film. Obviously, I recognize that it has some astounding qualities—hence the word "film" instead of movie."
First, the acting. I adore Kate Winslet, and this was one of her best performances yet; she definitely deserves her Oscar nomination. It's unfortunate that one has to spend most of a movie looking completely hideous to get a nomination, but I guess that's just how it is. Her characterization of Hanna Schmitz was subtle and well done; even her accent was consistent. I was also impressed with David Kroß, the 18-year-old German who played young Michael Berg opposite Winslet. (Fiennes played the old Michael Berg.) He is an incredible actor for being so young, and he was able to convincingly portray this boy as a young teenager and then an older law student. He did adult scenes tastefully (and again, convincingly) as if he's been doing this for years. It was only his fifth movie. Lastly, Ralph Fiennes. I go back and forth on whether he is a good actor or not, but in any case I don't think this film was his best. His personality seems to be nonexistant, though this perhaps enables Winslet to shine even more as an old woman.
The plot is definitely not action driven. I would perhaps call it a "slice of life" approach, as it shows key scenes from young Berg's relationship with Hanna, her war crimes trial, and their lives as they age. I really liked that it wasn't in-your-face, instead relying on the viewer to immerse himself in this place and pick up on small details. It was like a character study of Hanna and her relationship to Berg—and to the truth. A very intelligent, high brow kind of film.
One thing that really bothered me was that towards the end, the viewer finds himself trying harder and harder to read into the two characters' motives; their behavior doesn't make sense (perhaps because I personally would have responded to what happened in a different way), and their thoughts are veiled. I think it's clear that this was an adaptation of a book, and there is likely much more elaboration on the thought processes in the novel. This is one weakness of adopting this kind of novel to the screen. (I'll have to read the book to verify.)
Lastly, two of the most important factors: music and setting. I love that almost the entire movie was filmed on location. The viewer can really get a feel for beautiful countryside where Berg and Schmitz spent their summer affair and the urban feel of Berlin. Filming on location is a very wise move in most movies, in my opinion. And the score was lovely. I'd never heard of Nico Muhly, but something tells me he's going places.
I'm not quite sure whether I'd call this one a classic that will stand the test of time, but it is definitely a must-see for this year at least.
I can't believe I watched this thing. It was definitely trying too hard and not enough all at once. It starts with a very artsy quote and image involving a monkey with a cage, first clue of trying too hard. Then up starts a very '80s song over the opening credits, first clue of not trying hard enough.
