The International (2009, U.S.)

I have rarely been so disappointed with a film starring one of my favorite actors. Or by such a prestigious director. But The International just... wasn't good. I can't say that it was bad, necessarily, but nor was it worth the two hours spent watching it.

It started out really promising, with a shockingly long closeup of Clive Owen's face, looking pensive. That one shot built up more tension than the rest of the movie combined, probably. Why is he just standing there? What's going on? And then a man he's working with dies in front of him, and you think he's about to be killed the same way. But really it was just his overactive imagination. And the suspense end there.

The rest of the film is just a confusing mess. Naomi Watts plays a New York ADA and Clive Owen plays an Interpol agent trying to expose a corrupt international bank. How an NY ADA is going to help with this is very unclear. I guess it was unclear to the screenwriters as well, because Watts' screen time was incredibly short, considering she was given top billing with Owen.

I just don't even have that much to say about this film. The acting was great, of course. Some of the cinematography was unbelievable, including a drawn-out gun fight that takes place in a museum with fascinating architecture. (It could be said, however, that the whole film depended too much on this scene, which was drawn out entirely too long.) I didn't even pay that much attention to the score, which was done by the same guys who did Run Lola Run. It should have been more memorable.

All in all, a huge disappointment.

Rating: 2.0

Slumdog Millionaire (2008, UK)

I didn't know anything about this movie other than the fact that everyone was talking about it, it was nominated for tons of Oscars, and Stefanie insisted that I see it. As usual, I did what Stefanie said. Unlike her last disastrous suggestion (Montenegro), I loved it.

Everything about it was great. The cinematography was beautiful. The acting, especially that of the very young children, was convincing. The story was always moving and sometimes funny. The score was okay, but I really don't think it was Academy Award-worthy. (It was just average music by an Indian composer, and I can only assume that it won because it was "different.")

I love character-driven films, and this definitely falls in that category; it follows the same three children from the time the main character is about 5 until he's 18. The use of flashback (another technique I love) is employed in a fascinating manner. The "present" shows Jamal in a jail being interrogated about how he could know all the answers to the questions in the Indian Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which he is one question away from winning; he is suspected of cheating. Flashbacks show Jamal answering questions on the show. Flashbacks from there show events from Jamal's childhood where he learned the answers to these questions.

I also love the complexity of the "aboutness." On one level, it's a coming of age story. It's also a rags-to-riches story. It's also about the relationship between brothers. It's about the reality of life in Mumbai and its slums. And it's also a love story.

Words to describe this one: complex, beautiful, heart-wrenching, stunning, unique.

Rating: 5.0

Revolutionary Road (2008, U.S.)

I have been dying to see this film, which took way too long to come into wide release (considering the number of times I've seen the preview at other movies). My friend Stefanie and I have tried to see it twice already, but complications arose both times. Needless to say, when we saw it today the anticipation was intense. It was a lot different than I imagined it would be; not disappointing, exactly, just different.

I loved that it was a character-driven film, and that very little about those two characters was explicitly defined. Instead, they relied on their actions (and reactions) to allow the viewer to interpret their characters. Sometimes one was the protagonist and the other the antagonist, and it would change again in an instant. I guess I don't need to say that Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio were both phenomenal. They both have such expressive faces (and especially expressive eyes), that I feel like I can read their thoughts like words written across the face.

The plot was intense. a married couple with two children suddenly realizes that the life they're living isn't the life they wanted, and they take out all of their anger on each other and themselves. They try to start a new life, making plans to move to Paris, where the husband thinks people are "more alive." Things start to look better until their plan starts unraveling, and they both go a little bit crazy. One of the taglines, which I love, is "How do you break free without breaking apart?" Even though this film takes place in the '50s, you can easily see it taking place today. There is some definite social commentary about how we live the lives society tells us we should instead of the lives we want. It's beautiful. Interestingly, the character who seems to really see the world as it is and who has the best grip on reality is the neighbor's insane son.

And as we watch Winslet and DiCaprio brilliantly tear each other apart and put each other back together, Thomas Newman's haunting (and somewhat repetitive—but in a good way) score echos them in the background. The score is simply executed, like the rest of the film.

This film is a good one, and I would recommend it. Just be prepared to feel some gut-wrenching despair and to reevaluate your life.

Rating: 4.0