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

Larry Crowne (2011, U.S.)

This was a very refreshing "romantic comedy," as far as that label goes. It wasn't focused on romance that much, and it was a very quiet sort of funny. It was also remarkably timely for the genre.

Loveable Larry Crowne works at a Wal-Mart-esque store that's downsizing. Despite his repeated Employee of the Month status, he's the only one without any college education, so he's the one that's let go. No longer able to afford his home, he defaults on his mortgage (to the bankers amusing chagrin). No longer able to afford his SUV, he sells it and buys a Vespa. Determined to make something better of himself, he enrolls in community college. Yes, it's his professor who he ultimately forms a romantic attachment to, but that's not what this movie is all about.

Larry takes hold of his life and lives it to the fullest despite his setbacks. He joins a "Vespa gang," a bunch of much younger people with zest and a taste for life. He works hard in school. He takes a job at his friend's diner (despite never wanting to work in food service again) because it pays the bills. Even when he falls for his teacher (who is married), he's a gentleman and he helps her as a friend with no ulterior motives. He is a wonderful, loveable, admirable person, and his character alone made this movie a joy to watch. Tom Hanks was great (a welcome transition after those horrible Dan Brown adaptations).

Despite the surreal quality of his life (Vespa gang, lottery-winning neighbor with a perpetual yard sale, crazy econ professor, way-too-fun speech class, falling for a prof), it had an amazingly real feel anyway. It makes you feel like good things can happen to good people, even after bad things bring them down. It's sweet and hopeful and endearing and even funny. A really wonderful flick. I was shocked at all the bad reviews it got.

I'm calling this the "subtly sweet and sneakily feel good movie of the year." Watch it.

Rating: 4.0

The Town (2010, U.S.)

I think Ben Affleck is a pretty strong actor who has made some pretty unfortunate choices in his career (mostly involving Armageddon and romantic comedy—he's a much stronger dramatic actor.) His writing/directing skills aren't too shabby either, but to me this script had one major flaw. A huge part of the plot (or so it seems) is that one of the bank robbers kidnaps a teller during the robbery, and they think that she might be able to identify them. So Affleck's character starts flirting with her to find out what she knows. Eventually, they embark on a serious relationship, and there's a lot of tension involving whether she'll find out who he is. Then suddenly, that plot thread is dropped for no apparent reason. It drove me just a little bit crazy.

The acting was very patchy as well. Like I said, I think Affleck is great. Pete Postlewaite, who plays a florist/crime lord-type character, was awesome. Jeremy Renner has driven me crazy from the first time I saw him. I don't know that he's a bad actor per se, but every character he plays (that I've seen) seems to be a cocky, white trash sort. That makes it a bit hard to appreciate him. (This was also my feeling toward Sean Penn until I saw Milk, so maybe I just haven't seen the right performance yet.) The strangest was Blake Lively as Renner's sister, who just did not work for the part. In fact, it took me quite awhile to figure out who she was supposed to be. While everyone else has fairly standard (or even weak) industrial Massachusetts accents, I kept thinking she was supposed to be Eastern/Central European, and I couldn't figure out how this would fit the story—until I realized she was just supposed to sound like a lower-class New Englander. Yikes.

The bank robbery element was pretty cool, as those things go. Watching the dynamics of the gang and the planning that went into a job (especially the very interesting Fenway Park robbery) was interesting, as was learning about life in Charlestown. I had never heard of the "bank robbery capital of the world" before.

The ending was pretty sweet also, though of course I won't give it away. It's unfortunate that such an interesting storyline was dragged down by a cast of mixed skill and a script of mixed effectiveness. It was so close to being good, but all the pieces just didn't fall into place. It could have been a lot stronger. Still, if you judge it strictly as a crime flick and not as the character drama/social commentary it was clearly meant to be, it was pretty darn good.

Rating: 2.5

Outing Riley (2004, U.S.)

This was one of a kind. One of five siblings in an Irish Catholic family with a recently deceased father is gay, and his sister (who knows) wants him to come out to his three brothers—an immature pot head, an internet porn-addicted stock broker, and a repressed Catholic priest. The contrast and interaction between these siblings was good. They had a great dynamic, and one could almost believe they were really related.

There were many funny lines, a sweet story, and it majorly broke the fourth wall. Bobby (the main character), says he pretends his life was like a movie, then he does things to make it clear his life was a movie, like pausing the frame to introduce characters, talking directly to the audience, and even stopping to ask the sound man's opinion on his life.

The music was like traditional Celtic mixed with mild '90s rock, a strange combination, yes, but it worked. Chicago was also obviously important to the writer. The city was almost its own character—he highlighted neighborhood restaurants, the fountain, Lincoln Park Zoo, and more.

I think this is my favorite coming out movie of all the ones I've seen. Also, Nathan Fillion!

Rating: 4.0

Zoolander (2001, U.S.)

Ten points for guessing why I decided to watch this one, which is way outside of my normal taste. Yes, a certain Swede, who is in the movie for all of two minutes. But what a good two minutes it was... "orange mocha frappuccino!"

I was shocked at how good this movie actually was. Yes, it was ridiculously silly, but it wasn't the dirty humor you'd expect. Instead it was quite witty and satirical about the fashion industry. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson make a great comedic duo, and the entire ensemble as a whole worked very well together.

There are many, many laugh-out-loud moments, both for a more intelligent viewer and the average dumb comedy viewer. I would watch it again, and that's pretty high praise for me when it comes to comedy!

Rating: 3.5

Scoop (2006, UK)

Here I am, nearly two years after starting blog, saying the same thing. What the hell, Woody Allen? You think you know what's going on and then he just tosses in the most random twists and turns in the plot.

A famous British journalist dies before he can reveal his big scoop, the identity of the tarot card serial killer of London. He cheats the Reaper and appears to American journalism student Sondra, passing his scoop on to her. She's on stage at a magic show featuring magician Sidney. Sidney and Sondra embark on an investigation to verify the dead journalist's story, which has a wealth aristocrat pegged as the murderer. Things are complicated when Sondra falls in love with the prime suspect.

It's hard to say much without giving the ending away, but I will say that the acting was top notch. Allen himself stole the show. He was very funny with his stutter and repetitive phrases and odd mannerisms/demeanor. Johannson was the perfect nerdy co-ed, while Jackman was a perfect suave aristocrat. (I love Hugh Jackman. He is so yummy and such a good actor!) The plot takes all kinds of unpredictable twists and turns, and it is very laugh-out-loud funny. I read one review that called it a "top-notch 'Woody-Lite,'" which is a perfect description. And as always, Allen chose a fascinating soundtrack that completely set the tone of the film. Wonderful.

Rating: 3.5

Spanish Fly (1998, Spain)

If you're a girl and want to see a movie that will make you both hesitant and enthralled at the prospect of going to Spain, this is the one. It's about an American woman who goes to Spain to write a book about machismo. However, she doesn't really understand men at all--nor does she speak Spanish. While trying to steer clear of come-ons from Spanish men both creepy and sexy, she begins to form a friendship with her irritating interpreter. However, a mystery from her parents' past keeps her from opening up to him completely.

I thought this movie was quite good. There was a great combination of drama and comedy, mixed with sometimes serious, sometimes funny contemplation on the machismo of Spanish men. There was romance, there was a hint of mystery, there was beautiful scenery. I think I would be tempted to see some more films by the Canadian writer-director-star, Daphna Kastner.

Rating: 3.5