If you can't stand claymation movies, then you will probably not like this film. But if you can get around that part, then I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by this film. While it may look like a children's movie, it is most definitely NOT for children. The story is about a retired old man in New York who has a pen pal relationship with a young girl in Australia. The claymation element of this film adds a hint of playfulness and innocence to this movie as otherwise it would just be freakin' creepy. But because of the use of animation, this actually becomes a very touching story. There are several parts of this movie that are very funny, and there are parts of this movie that might just make you cry. It is a touching comedy and drama that I think most people will probably really enjoy if given the opportunity. Recommended.
Movie to See #2: Lust Caution
If you were ever curious as to just what that fine line between love and hate looks like, then you must watch this film. Set in occupied China during World War II, this is a beautiful period piece about the relationship of a Chinese spy and her Japanese target. The setting, the dialogue, the passion, everything about this movie is an absolute masterpiece. In fact, this movie has become one of my all time favorite movies. It isthat good. Ang Lee shows such brilliance in this movie, that you will definitely be left scratching your head when you watch his later adaptation of the incredible hulk. I'll bet you can't watch these movies side by side and tell which one of them was done with Hollywood studio oversight...
One thing you need to know about this film is that there are elements that are very brutal, but you don't get to them until about half way through the movie. In fact, I was kind of scratching my head the entire way up to that point wondering why this movie was rated NC-17, and then I just went: ooooooohh, I get it. Since we all know violence isn't enough to tip the scale for an NC-17 rating (how The Passion ever made it into theatres with an R rating, despite watching a man being flayed alive is completely beyond me...), you can only guess what you're gonna see. But as you'll find in this story, sex is not just something to grab your attention and sell tickets. Sex in this movie tells a story of its own. It can be an expression of love, of lust, of trust, a tiresome duty, and sometimes, it s merely a weapon. And in this movie, as in real life, sometimes it can be many of these things all at once.
The storytelling in this story is captivating, even for someone like me who has to read the film. But it doesn't matter. Like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, another brilliant Lee film, you will not care. The multiple dichotomies throughout this movie (occupier and occupied, love and hate, man and woman, and many more) are just so palpable that you can't help but devour this film. Highly recommended.
I think the tagline for this movie should be simply: sometimes you get exactly what you pay for. This is a paraphrase for the synopsis on the DVD cover, see if you can spot where the suspicious wife goes wrong:
Suspecting her husband, David (Liam Neeson), of infidelity, doctor Catherine (Julianne Moore) hires sexy escort Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to seduce him and test his faithfulness...
Ok then. Fifty-something wife suspects her fifty-something husband of cheating, so she hires sexy twenty-something prostitute to see if he'll sleep with a nubile young creature that wants to sleep with him? How could that possibly blow up in your face?! The outcome seems pretty obvious from the get go, but there is still enough intrigue in this movie to keep things interesting. Oh, and if Seyfried ever decides to give up acting (she shouldn't), she could probably retire pretty wealthy as a phone sex operator. I'm just sayin'...
Anyway, this is a tantalizing little movie that should be teaching us that being suspicious is about as bad for your marriage as actually committing adultery. That's an interesting message. Recommended for suspicious spouses for its message.
This movie feels like war in many respects. There is a lot of violence, disparate calms, and copious amounts of tragedy interwoven in the otherwise beautiful scenery. This is a 'tough' film about healing wounds. It's about facing the reality of being stuck in a difficult war under difficult circumstances. It's about being a part of a forgotten war, and the ramifications for the troopers on the ground when the whole world wants to deny your existence. It is visceral and it is very sad. Not terribly surprising given the subject matter.
Movie to Skip #1: Mutant Vampire Zombies From the Hood!
I'm not going to lie to you. I knew this was going to be stupid going into it and watched it specifically so that I'd have a movie I could tell you to skip... and I wasn't disappointed. This is the kind of movie that happens when stoner film school rejects get their other stoner film school rejects together to write, direct and star in the dumbest movie they can think of. And that's about all that you can say about it. It was supposed to be bad, and it is. But I think they were also going for a little bit of camp... which they missed by a long shot. Unless you're looking for a movie to throw popcorn at, I'd go ahead and skip this one.
Movie to Skip #2: Code 46
Overall, I think that there was great potential for a charged story, but it just wasn't quite there. Something about this movie completely let down the kernel of 'interesting' hiding within the plot, although I can't honestly tell you what that failure is. This one is, regrettably, skip able.
Movie to Skip #3: The Disappeared
My gut reaction to this movie is quite simply: meh. While there are some decent twists in the storyline, there really is nothing too terribly original. Frankly, there are far better 'beyond the grave' films out there, and this one feels, at best, like a more expensive copy of far better movies. I think it's safe to say that you won't be missing much if you just let this one go by.
Movie to Skip #4: Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl
This movie was obviously made by someone who reads too much Manga. Over the top bloody with just a hint of sexuality, this movie is something a 13 year old would make if he was into hentai porn but couldn't find any actresses who were willing to strip down to their birthday suits and wrestle with latex tentacles on camera. Because of the over the top absurdities in this film, it is actually oddly fascinating, but in an 'Ah, yes, now I remember what it was like to be a teenager with a hormone corrupted mind' kind of way. The film also offers up some rather blunt commentary on Japanese fads (wrist cutting, lolita outfits, etc.). Overall, however, I really couldn't get into this film. It was just a little too... 'off' for me to enjoy it on a serious (or not so serious) level.
