The Tourist (2010, U.S.)

I mostly avoided all descriptions, reviews, and previews of this movie, except for the very first teaser trailer. Basically, I didn't care what it was about and I didn't want to have my opinion influenced beforehand. I love Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, and I couldn't wait to see them in action together.

This was a cute movie. Not exactly the adjective one would expect for a spy film, but there you have it. It's also quite slowly paced for the genre, so if you don't go in expecting a nail-biter, you shouldn't be disappointed. Basically anything can happen when you mix romantic comedy with espionage. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, this is not. (Then again, Depp and Jolie don't have the chemistry Jolie and Pitt had—but who could?)

The story? Elise sits next to Frank, an American tourist, on a train going to Venice. Her intent is to trick the police into believing Frank is her elusive lover, who is a mysterious fugitive. Frank (who is a nerdy, socially awkward math teacher) finds himself pursued by both the police and the mobster who Elise's lover owes money to. Elise finds herself falling for Frank (which is helped along by the fact that her lover has continually let her down) and vice versa (though it causes him nothing but trouble). There are several plot twists that should probably feel sudden but instead feel almost like a mild surprise. Somehow, it works well.

The cast is fantastic. Depp and Jolie are great actors, especially in the roles of nerd and seductress, respectively. Paul Bettany plays the lead inspector, and I wish he had a more prominent role. There's just something about him. Toss in Rufus Sewell as the stranger, and it was a solid cast.

I also thought the score was fabulous. Even if the film was a bit slow for the genre, the music said, "This is a spy flick!" I do love James Newton Howard.

I'm looking forward to re-watching this, knowing where all the twists and turns go.

Rating: 4.0

Salt (2010, U.S.)

I never thought I would see the day that I agreed with Roger Ebert, but I think it has come. He gave it four out of four stars, saying that "It's gloriously absurd. This movie has holes in it big enough to drive the whole movie through." Amen. It's like a super cheesy and preposterous 1950s spy film but with the realism that comes from modern day film techniques, and this is a very disconcerting combination. You could almost say it was so ridiculous it was good.

A lot of the plot devices lacked clarity, but I can't go into without giving away the ending. I did figure out one plot twist thanks to an episode of Lost, which was kind of fun for me.

Of course, I love Angelina Jolie more than anyone else I know. She makes an excellent action hero (see Tomb Raider). Apparently she's been wanting to do a spy franchise, and I wish this had a better script so they could make a franchise out of it. I do have to say thank goodness Tom Cruise dropped out, because this movie would have been ten kinds of awful with him instead of her.

Besides Jolie, the three best parts were the action, the setting, and the music. A lot of the action was based on Salt running and running and running from her pursuers, rather than explosions and shooting (though there was a good share of that too). The filming took place primarily in D.C. and was really well done. And the score (by one of my favorite composers) was perfect. If I had listened to it without the movie, I would have said to myself, "This would make good spy music!"

Don't expect much, and you'll be entertained. Especially if you like Angelina Jolie.

Rating: 3.5

Alexander (2004, U.S.)

Despite featuring one of my all time favorite actresses (Jolie), it took me six years to see this historical drama (one of my favorite genres) because I'd heard such awful things about it.

Let me tell you—they were right. It was like a historical documentary forced into fiction form, therefore combining the dullness that most people (though not I!) associate with history and the inaccuracy of fiction.

Let's see. A very human drama was told with a total lack of human emotion. I was able to infer that Alexander had a very troubled, complex, almost passionate relationship with his mother, yet it falls flat. The best example of a real, passionate relationship is Alexander's almost romantic friendship with Hepastian (one of his warriors) and even it is dull. The dialoge and physical blocking always seemed to stop right when you were about to grasp something important. In the same vein, you never get a clear idea as to character motivations. Why do these men do what they do?

As I hinted before, this is supposed to be an epic film, it should be an epic film, but it's just not. The music, however, if very epic. Which just reinforces the lack of epic-ness. To further reinforce this debacle, there is what I call "the red scene." I cannot even begin to describe. The whole film has been relatively slow and vaguely historically realistic, and suddenly there is a battle in India that turns into a massacre, and everything is awash in red. Not in an "oh it's bloody" sense, but in a "we used the filmmaker's equivalent of MS Paint and splashed red all over our film!" Utterly ridiculous.

For an epic, war-filled film, that was about the most exciting thing that happened—and I even saw the director's cut, "newly inspired, faster paced, more action packed!" What exactly was this inspired by? If this is faster paced, I hate to see how slow the original was. And action? There were essentially two big battle scenes, one of which was the red one.

I've always thought pretty well of Oliver, Stone, but I have to say I lost a bit of respect for him. He thought his film failed because audiences didn't like the very faint homoerotic undercurrents. Stone, admit that it was because your film was awful!

What did I learn about history? Alexander is supposed to be so Great, but from what I can tell from this film, he didn't even make it home from his conquering expedition, didn't actually rule Macedon (at least in person), and he didn't really "conquer" all the East (instead returning rule to local rulers). So is this historically inaccurate or is he remembered for the size of his dreams rather than his accomplishments? I don't know. I do know that the film Alexander will be remembered for the size of its director's vision rather than his actual accomplishment!

Rating: 2.0

Kung Fu Panda (2008, U.S.)

Po, a panda voiced by Jack Black, is chosen as the Dragon Warrior (the protector or the village), even though he's overweight, has no skill at martial arts, and is completely hopeless.

For a kids' film, it was pretty good. There was actually quite a bit of laugh-out-loud parts, and the voice talent was undoubtedly good. It also had a sweet message about being able to do whatever you put your mind to. Good movie for kids.

Rating: 3.5

Gia (1998, U.S.)

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times. Angelina Jolie is brilliant. Here she played Gia Marie Carangi, a top fashion model from the late 1970s and early 1980s. I am not the kind of person who cares at all about fashion; I'm not the kind of person who condones drug use, wild behavior, or promiscuity; but I found myself really caring about Gia, her life, and her career. I don't know if it was Jolie or Gia or what, but her personality was larger than life. She didn't just come off the screen, she exploded off the screen.

The writing must have been very strong, because the pacing was very good for a biographical film. Gia wanted to live life to the fullest, but she didn't really get the love and support she needed, and she turned to drugs instead. The most powerful part of this film was the ending, when Carangi was in the hospital dying. (She died in 1986 at 26 of AIDS.) It was so vivid and heartbreaking, seeing this great celebrity languishing all alone.

This was an incredible film. The tone was dark. It had a gritty, realistic feel. And a 23-year-old Angelina Jolie was already in control of her incredible acting talent and absolutely breathtaking. Costumes were perfect. And from what I've read, it was pretty historically accurate too. All in all, a winner.

Rating: 4.0

A Mighty Heart (2007, U.S.)

I had wanted to see this when it came out but never got around to it. I have to say that I was pretty disappointed. In fact, I don't have much more to say than that. The filming was completely disjointed, which is what I guess they were going for. However, it didn't work at all.

The film is a true story about a journalist kidnapped by terrorists in Pakistan, and his pregnant wife's frantic search for him. It could have been a very moving film because of the subject matter, but several factors worked against it. First, the disjointedness. Second, the focus on police procedure rather than the emotional toll. Third, they tried to convey the feeling of waiting, but instead of the frantic, helpless feeling they should have presented, all they managed was boredom.

I also thought the script was quite weak, which contributed to the problems I just mentioned. A pregnant woman is searching for her kidnapped husband, but the human emotion is almost completely lacking. It is unclear why Mariane Pearl has "a mighty heart," because her limited dialogue didn't give Jolie anything to work with to create the emotion this situation should create. However, Jolie is of course the one bright spot in this film. When she receives news of her husband's murder, her reaction is powerful. That woman can act, and she can save almost any movie.

Although I haven't read it myself, I think I can safely say that reading Mariane Pearl's book might be a better use of your time.

Rating: 2.5

Girl, Interrupted (1999, U.S.)

It is a good thing that I didn't see this film back in the day, although I have been wanting to see it for years. (Angelina Jolie is one of my all time favorite actresses—why have I not seen her Oscar-winning performance yet?) The reason I say I shouldn't have seen it is because it was spot on. Winona Ryder's character is institutionalized, and rather than getting better, she gets crazier. Because she's surrounded by other people who are genuinely crazy and/or have become crazy there. Then she takes charge of herself and heals herself.

But enough of that. Acting. Was. Brilliant. Angelina Jolie was brilliant, of course. It's strange to see how much maturity she had as an actress even when she was a bit of a wreck of a person. Perhaps that helped her in roles like this one. In any case, she was perfect. As was Winona Ryder. I've gained more and more respect for her recently. She's more than just a shoplifter and Depp's ex!

I would recommend this to anyone, but especially any female who's found her sanity in question at sometime in her life. This film is beautifully sad. It's about the human experience from a point of view rarely taken. It's about women finding themselves and each other and getting through the tough times. It's about the unfairness of life and the things we do to make it through the day. It's about being alone. It's about friendship. It's about putting the pieces back together. Wonderful film.

Rating: 4.0

Changeling (2008, U.S.)

Obviously I was going to see this one, because I absolutely adore Angelina Jolie. And she was nothing short of brilliant in this one. Brilliant.

I truly cannot say enough about this film. The cinematography was astounding , from the very first black and white fade to color until the final fade back to black and white. (Very effective in introducing the film, a sort of eerie "once upon a time.") The costumes were perfect (and let me tell you, Jolie should have been a '20s/'30s film star—she rocked that cloche hat). Mis en scene in general was good. Very few anachronisms.

And the score was incredible. I nearly died of shock when I saw it had been written by Clint Eastwood. It was mostly a serious of variations on a very simple theme, using a violin (I think) and a solo trumpet. It fits the time period well with its slight jazziness, but it especially fits the plot because it is so dark and sad. I actually bought the score, and I'm glad.

The film was much darker than I thought it was going to be. Obviously, the disappearance of a child is enough to make a film pretty depressing, but add to that police corruption, a serial killer, and an eery psychiatric hospital, and wow. It was a very strange, subtle kind of suspense, and it was very effective.

This is really the first Clint Eastwood film that I've really, really liked. (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil isn't bad, but it doesn't hold up compared to Changeling.) Angelina Jolie really made it what it was, but I think it would have been good even without her (though I'm glad we'll never know). This film blew me away, and I would definitely recommend it.

Rating: 4.5

Wanted (2008, U.S.)

So I would probably see this movie no matter what, because I have a HUGE girl-crush on Angelina Jolie. Also, Atonement got me interested in James McAvoy (only as an actor, I don't think he's gorgeous like some girls do), and I haven't seen him in anything else (with the exception of Wimbledon, in which he had a tiny role). Then there's Morgan Freeman, and you know how I feel about him. Add that all together with a really awesome preview, and I was pretty excited about it.

So here's my recommendation: if you have a weak stomach and want to see this one, bring something to vomit in. It was incredibly violent, and not the stylized, clean, Matrix-type violence I was expecting. It was more much more crude, like 300 but less fake, like No Country for Old Men but more thought out. It was disgusting.

Aside from the violence, everything else was great. The plot was interesting, engaging, and somewhat complex (in a good way); the violence was like a beautiful dance (well, plus the blood and gore); the narration was personal and yet distant (and spot on); and Angelina Jolie was, of course, beyond sexy. Morgan Freeman was in a somewhat god-like position, which is exactly where he belongs. I have definitely decided James McAvoy is a great actor. His character was vaguely reminiscent of Edward Norton's in Fight Club (see below), but it was still him. Great acting all around.

Oh, very interesting note here: while watching the credits, I was shocked to see "Music by Danny Elfman." Of course, I adore Danny Elfman. And I had really liked the score of Wanted. But never in a million years would I have put the two together. Usually I would describe his work as "whimsical," but this was harder, more driven. It almost made me think of techno. I definitely need to re-listen to the score and try to pick out the Elfman in it.

If I had to describe Wanted using other films, I would say that it was like The Matrix (styled violence, bullet time, etc.) mixed with Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Angelina Jolie, assassins, etc.) mixed with Fight Club (violence, narrative style, etc.) And yet it really was unique, one of a kind. Minus the extreme violence (which I just really can't handle), I would've given this one a 4.5. As it is, I can't quite do it. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it -- although I could have done either. Which leads us to our default rating.

Did I mention how sexy (and badass) Angelina Jolie was?

Rating: 3.5

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