Gamer (2009, U.S.)

Wow.

In a dystopian future, people play an online game called "Society" )like the Sims) where they control real people in a not-so-virtual world. These actors are paid to "work" in this game. Then the game creator, Castle, gets another idea, creating a modern warfare game where the game's "characters" are cons from death row in America's overcrowded prisons. It is intense. Gerard Butler plays a con who was set up for murder and has survived 20-odd "missions" in the game. (If they survive 30, they're pardoned.) Logan Lerman is the 17-year-old gamer controlling him. Ludacris heads a subversive group called Humanz who are trying to expose the evil of Castle's empire.

It is intense, action-packed, thought-provoking. It offers some interesting commentary on modern society, thinly disguised by a horrible future. Of course, at what point does commentary on society's obsession with gaming, sex, and violence just become a vehicle for gratuitous gaming, sex, and violence? It's kind of a fine line, and they toe it here, but I think it works. Because once you finish watching this, you'll start thinking about those things, but then you'll think, "Well bad me for liking this movie so much!" At least that's the feeling I got.

Sometimes it was a bit over the top (i.e. when Kable vomits whiskey into a gas tank and then urinates into it as well, which somehow makes the car work), but for the most part it was excellent, from the science to the action to the satire to the very last plot twist. I was pretty surprised (having only watched this in a quest to find the pre-chick flick Butler), but I really liked it and would pretty strongly recommend it.

Rating: 4.0

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008, U.S.)

I thought that this film was very sweet. The idea was original, the acting was touching, the writing was good.

Michael Cera, of course, is absolutely adorable, and his chemistry with Kat Demmings worked perfectly in a nerdy high schooler kind of way. All of the supporting actors, especially Aaron Yoo and Rafi Gavron, were fabulous. Between their acting and the script, they definitely captured the essence of young people looking for friendship, love and music.

The one thing that I thought was missing was that music. Although Nick and Norah spend the film looking for the band Where's Fluffy and make a visit to Hendrix's studio, the titular "infinite playlist" was essentially non-existant. It could have been highlighted a bit more.

Still, I did like this film. Not enough films pull off the one day's worth of action thing well, but Nick and Norah did.

Rating: 3.0