All Good Things (2010, U.S.)

Mom and I were looking for something to watch on Netflix, and this popped up while we were scoping out Ryan Gosling movies. Neither of us had ever heard of it, but it sounded interesting and we liked the two main actors. I really enjoyed the first half or so. They explore the characters and their relationships quite well, and it had all the makings of a complex psychological movie. (In fact, something about it really reminded me of another movie, but I can't think of what it was to save my life. Maybe Fractured? Or maybe one of many psychological films featuring Eddie Redmayne—Like Minds, Savage Grace, Glorious 39? I just don't know!)

Gosling was his usual impressive self, particularly in scenes where he was supposed to be demonstrating signs of some sort of mental illness, possibly schizophrenia. Dunst was also very good, sweet and open and a perfect balance to Gosling. Their relationship was very believable. The disintegration of their relationship was very believable. It was executed simply and effectively, and I liked the subtle flashback method that they used as well.

There was just something about the ending that didn't ring true. It felt awkward and fake compared to the rest of the film, which felt honest and real. I think I would have really liked, or even loved, this movie, but I just didn't feel great about the end.

Rating: 3.5

The Ides of March (2011, U.S.)

I went to see this with my mom because she wanted to see it, and it was better than my other option. Why did I not want to see a movie with the sexy and talented Ryan Gosling, you ask? Well, aside from the fact that I fluctuate between finding George Clooney passable and downright annoying, this subject matter just didn't interest me at all. The matter of politics is depressing enough in the real world without having to see it in a fictional world too. What kind of escapism is that, I ask?

Well, it went just about as expected. Gosling was stellar, of course. Clooney was actually pretty good. (This was not one of those movies when I wanted to yell "Shut up, you irritating man!") The supporting cast—Marisa Tomei, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright—was obviously a strong one. I couldn't say one bad thing about the acting. I also learned a whole lot about the campaigning process, from logistics to worker motives to the sordid details of life on the road. The plot was complex and certainly engaging.

But. When it comes down to it, I left the movie feeling distinctly unhappy. Is there really any resolution? Did the characters grow? Why was this film made and why do we watch it? It wasn't unsettling exactly, or depressing, or entirely off-putting. But leaving a movie with that empty sort of feeling makes me feel all out of sync. It's one thing to be sobbing and depressed, but feeling out of balance with the world is something I just don't like.

Still, I think the movie has many things going for it, and it is the perfect movie for the right kind of viewer. I wouldn't be surprised if it got some Oscar nods.

Rating: 3.0

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011, U.S.)

This was a really fun comedy. As I was adding all the tags for this post, I realized that it comes to us from the same directors as I Love You, Phillip Morris. They have a strange gift, those two.

The concept of this movie was quite fresh, the actors were great, the writing was funny. The whole thing just worked. To start with the concept: a woman (Moore) has an affair (due to a midlife crisis) with a coworker (Bacon) and wants to divorce her husband (Carrell). The husband starts spending a lot of time in a bar bemoaning the fact, where a hot young ladies' man (Gosling) overhears him and decides to take the older man under his tutelage. (Ladies' man, meanwhile, has his eye on a special girl in the bar, who is very reserved, doesn't fall for his tricks, and is wrapped up in a loveless relationship already.) While all this is happening, the middle aged couple's 13-year-old son has fallen in love with his 17-year-old babysitter, who in turn has fallen in love with his dad. This seems very complicated and confusing, yet the execution of all these overlapping stories is flawlessly done, perfectly illustrating the many types and facets of love.

This is in large part due to the excellent writing. From the very beginning, there are some laugh out loud, hilarious lines. One of my favorites was something Moore's character said to explain her midlife crisis, along the lines of: "You know when I told you when I had to work late? I really went to go see the new Twilight movie by myself, and it was so bad. Why did I do that?" There's just witticism after witticism, along with some funny physical comedy. (I especially love Gosling repeatedly slapping Carrell to make him snap out of it.) It all culminates with an excellent scene that brings the entire cast together. It's visually and verbally funny, as well as touching, sad, and very real.

The actors really help pull this off. I have mixed feelings about Steve Carrell, but like his performance in Dan in Real Life, I thought he was wonderful here, as a father, lover, friend, man, person. Gosling, as usual, was great. This wasn't his best ever movie, but he was still on his game. And boy was he sexy with his playboy mannerisms, perfectly tailored suits, self-confidence, and naked sauna scene! The supporting cast was also strong, especially the kids. They gave clever, believable, funny performances.

I think the only reason I couldn't give this a higher rating was because I didn't like how much Moore's character got away with. She was such a hypocrite, causing huge messes that everyone else cleaned up and then apologized to her for. Also, I'm always hesitant when a character has to dramatically change (a la Grease) to get the girl/guy. Otherwise, really great romantic comedy/family drama/ensemble piece.

Rating: 3.5

Blue Valentine (2010, U.S.)

This film was very well done. It reminded me a little bit of Rabbit Hole, in that it was a portrait of a marriage falling apart as the spouses tried to hold onto the pieces. It also had very strong actors in the lead roles. Ryan Gosling (Dean) and Michelle Williams (Cindy) are absolutely phenomenal as a young working class couple, both from dysfunctional families. They've had hard lives and made the best of things, and their marriage seems unlikely, their parenthood more so. I doubt the movie could have been as effective without their superior acting skills, or those of Faith Wladyka, the surprising talented girl who plays their daughter.

The composition also added to the overall effect. Nearly everything seemed dark and gritty. What I know about working class families, I know from the movies, but to me this felt more realistic than any other movie I can remember. From an anniversary at a sex motel to constantly burning cigarettes to riding on the city bus, I felt like I had stepped into this reality that I have never seen. Williams and Gosling were transformed into their characters.

Two other elements that really made the film work were the music and the use of flashbacks. The music seemed to consist of things I could imagine Dean actually listening to, so it felt natural with the plot. The flashbacks give little pieces of Dean and Cindy's early relationship that serve to illustrate both why they fell in love with each other and why little (though widening) cracks have appeared in their marriage.

Like I said, very well done. I think the only reason I didn't give it a higher rating is because I just felt so darn despondent after I watched it. It's strength is in its reality, but I guess I was just not in the mood for such a strong dose.

Rating: 3.0

Lars and the Real Girl (2007, U.S.)

Morbid curiosity and an appreciation for the talent of Ryan Gosling made me watch this movie, and I was pleasantly surprised. Gosling is a fantastic, fantastic actor. His portrayal of a man in his late 20s with slight mental illness was brilliant. He used this squinting/blinking thing that somehow made his whole character and conveyed his imbalance very simply. (It reminded me of someone, but I can't think who.) Also, as a random note: I wish I could meet Ryan Gosling and have him read aloud to me. No matter his character, whenever he reads aloud, it is beautiful.

One other strange note. It seems like Emily Mortimer is pregnant in every movie she's ever in! She's often passionately arguing with her voice cracking. Though it's always the same, it is very convincing.

I really don't know how to describe the music. With its disjointed but lovely quality, it somehow conveys a childlike confusion and fear, but also an element hinting at struggling with very adult problems.

Should I give a brief synopsis? Basically, a lonely and maladjusted man orders a sex doll on the internet. Not for sex, but to create an ideal woman who he has a pure and loving relationship with. It is really remarkably original. Although it was marketed as such, it is not a comedy. It's actually a very moving portrait of mental illness, what our minds do to protect themselves, and how a family and community can band together to support someone who needs it.

I never thought I'd agree with Roger Ebert, and as much as it stuns me to say this, I can't say it better myself: "The film...wisely never goes for even one moment that could be interpreted as smutty or mocking...There are so many ways [it] could have gone wrong that one of the film's fascinations is how adroitly it sidesteps them. Its weapon is absolute sincerity...It has a kind of purity to it."

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