Steph and I headed to Silvercity this weekend to see Slumdog Millionaire, because she hadn't seen it, and the experience proved that although I'm convinced my tastes are better than most, they're obviously not in line with the masses. While buying tickets, I looked up at the board to make sure Slumdog wasn't sold out, and it wasn't. In fact, in a theatre showing many good and great films including Slumdog, Revolutionary Road, The Dark Knight, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Valkyrie, and other interesting possibilities like Seven Pounds, Gran Torino, and Defiance, there were only two films that sold out on Saturday night:
Bride Wars
and
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Are you fucking kidding me? Why do people watch this shit? I'm honestly curious. help me out.
Showing posts with label Silvercity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Silvercity. Show all posts
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday, December 28, 2008
How Wrong Could You Be?
The Reader
2008, dir. Stephen Daldry.
star. David Kross, Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, Bruno Ganz, Lena Olin
2 hours 6 minutes
Contnuing the Nazi theme of the season (having just seen Valkyrie, and a preview for Defiance played in front of both films), Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes star in The Reader, based on the novel by Bernhard Schlink. David Kross stars as Michael, a young german teenager in 1858 who falls ill as is helped by a strange older woman Hanna, played by Winslet. They conduct an affair, but then without warning, Hanna disappears. Ten years later, Michael is studying law and ends up at a war crimes trial where one of the defendants turns out to be Hanna herself. Michael could help exonnerate her (at least partially), but refuses to do so out off secrecy, as does Winslet, who admits to actions she did not do out of shame for her own secret.
In a similar vein to Valkyrie, The Reader examines to collective guilt of the German people with regard to the holocaust, and asks whether or not or not there are different levels of that guilt. My issue with The Reader, however, is that Hanna's actions do not make sense to her. Without giving it away, I can tell you I do not share Hanna's secret shame; that said, if the choice were revealing that secret or facing a life sentence in prison, I would reveal the shameful truth in a heartbeat, not matter how embarassing it might seem. But as I said, that may be easier for me to say, considering I'm not in that position.
Winslet is great as always as Hanna, and will probably nab another Oscar nomination for the role. The best performances, though, are Kross and Fiennes sharing the role of Michael. Fiennes gives what I think is his best work since The English Patient, and certainly his most subdued. Kross is equally strong as the younger Michael, and hopefully will show up in a lot more work. The great strength of the two actors is that their portrayals blend seamlessly into each other, and it feels like one whole character, rather than two separate ones.
3 1/2 stars out of 5.
saw Saturday afternoon at Silvercity with Paddy, my aunt Susan, and Steve. had a can of Coke Zero and some popcorn.
2008, dir. Stephen Daldry.
star. David Kross, Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, Bruno Ganz, Lena Olin
2 hours 6 minutes
Contnuing the Nazi theme of the season (having just seen Valkyrie, and a preview for Defiance played in front of both films), Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes star in The Reader, based on the novel by Bernhard Schlink. David Kross stars as Michael, a young german teenager in 1858 who falls ill as is helped by a strange older woman Hanna, played by Winslet. They conduct an affair, but then without warning, Hanna disappears. Ten years later, Michael is studying law and ends up at a war crimes trial where one of the defendants turns out to be Hanna herself. Michael could help exonnerate her (at least partially), but refuses to do so out off secrecy, as does Winslet, who admits to actions she did not do out of shame for her own secret.
In a similar vein to Valkyrie, The Reader examines to collective guilt of the German people with regard to the holocaust, and asks whether or not or not there are different levels of that guilt. My issue with The Reader, however, is that Hanna's actions do not make sense to her. Without giving it away, I can tell you I do not share Hanna's secret shame; that said, if the choice were revealing that secret or facing a life sentence in prison, I would reveal the shameful truth in a heartbeat, not matter how embarassing it might seem. But as I said, that may be easier for me to say, considering I'm not in that position.
Winslet is great as always as Hanna, and will probably nab another Oscar nomination for the role. The best performances, though, are Kross and Fiennes sharing the role of Michael. Fiennes gives what I think is his best work since The English Patient, and certainly his most subdued. Kross is equally strong as the younger Michael, and hopefully will show up in a lot more work. The great strength of the two actors is that their portrayals blend seamlessly into each other, and it feels like one whole character, rather than two separate ones.
3 1/2 stars out of 5.
saw Saturday afternoon at Silvercity with Paddy, my aunt Susan, and Steve. had a can of Coke Zero and some popcorn.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Quantum of Solace
2008, dir. Marc Forster. Star. Daniel Craig, Mathieu Almaric, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, and various pleasant looking women.
1h 47m
The 22nd "official" James Bond film came out on Friday to packed, sold-out theatres, but Steph and I managed to see it with Noah and Paul at Silvercity. Steph and I split some peanut butter M&Ms and a diet Pepsi.
QoS is the first James Bond sequel, beginning right after the last scene of Casino Royale (though somehow Bond lost the vest of his suit in that short time), and that is inherently the problem. The movie is more focused on wrapping up loose ends of the CR, and not concrened enough with it's own plot, which is almost arbitrary. Another issue is that supposedly, Le Chiffre (the villain from CS) is merely an employee for Dominic Greene (villain of QoS), yet Greene is kind of a pushover and far less bad-ass than Le Chiffre. Overall, I feel like Casino Royale in 1 1/3 movies, but Quantum of Solace is only 2/3 of a movie. The play well back to back, but Casino Royale is too long, and QoS too constricted.
3 stars out of 5
1h 47m
The 22nd "official" James Bond film came out on Friday to packed, sold-out theatres, but Steph and I managed to see it with Noah and Paul at Silvercity. Steph and I split some peanut butter M&Ms and a diet Pepsi.
QoS is the first James Bond sequel, beginning right after the last scene of Casino Royale (though somehow Bond lost the vest of his suit in that short time), and that is inherently the problem. The movie is more focused on wrapping up loose ends of the CR, and not concrened enough with it's own plot, which is almost arbitrary. Another issue is that supposedly, Le Chiffre (the villain from CS) is merely an employee for Dominic Greene (villain of QoS), yet Greene is kind of a pushover and far less bad-ass than Le Chiffre. Overall, I feel like Casino Royale in 1 1/3 movies, but Quantum of Solace is only 2/3 of a movie. The play well back to back, but Casino Royale is too long, and QoS too constricted.
3 stars out of 5
Monday, November 3, 2008
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
2008, dir. Kevin Smith; star. Seth Rogan, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Traci Lords, Katie Morgan, Jeff Anderson
1 hour 42 min
Steph, Paddy and I saw this Sunday night at Silvercity. Had a bag of dark chocolate M&Ms.
So is the story any good in Kevin Smith's new film? No, not really (it forgot to actually end itself, although I've since learned that's only the fault of the editor ... Kevin Smith himself). Did everyone in the theater laugh for literally the entire time? Yeah. It was actually pretty funny, though it wasn't straight up Kevin-Smith-funny, but more of an amalgam of Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow's styles, though Apatow has nothing to do with it. Although Mewes and Anderson are both Smith regulars, Rogan, Banks, and Robinson (who have the three biggest roles) are all Apatow vets. Rogan and Robinson are both playing the same characters they usually play. (I'm not sure Rogan is actually capable of being anyone but himself at this point).
But hey, it's got lots of laughs, and, as you might imagine, lots of tits. What else can you ask for on a Sunday night?
But, I warn you, it did have the most digusting thing I've seen in a film all year ... an extreme version of an occasional by-product of anal sex.
3 1/2 stars out of 5
Something to watch for: a cameo by Kenny of Kenny vs. Spenny during the high school reunion scene.
2008, dir. Kevin Smith; star. Seth Rogan, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Traci Lords, Katie Morgan, Jeff Anderson
1 hour 42 min
Steph, Paddy and I saw this Sunday night at Silvercity. Had a bag of dark chocolate M&Ms.
So is the story any good in Kevin Smith's new film? No, not really (it forgot to actually end itself, although I've since learned that's only the fault of the editor ... Kevin Smith himself). Did everyone in the theater laugh for literally the entire time? Yeah. It was actually pretty funny, though it wasn't straight up Kevin-Smith-funny, but more of an amalgam of Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow's styles, though Apatow has nothing to do with it. Although Mewes and Anderson are both Smith regulars, Rogan, Banks, and Robinson (who have the three biggest roles) are all Apatow vets. Rogan and Robinson are both playing the same characters they usually play. (I'm not sure Rogan is actually capable of being anyone but himself at this point).
But hey, it's got lots of laughs, and, as you might imagine, lots of tits. What else can you ask for on a Sunday night?
But, I warn you, it did have the most digusting thing I've seen in a film all year ... an extreme version of an occasional by-product of anal sex.
3 1/2 stars out of 5
Something to watch for: a cameo by Kenny of Kenny vs. Spenny during the high school reunion scene.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Passchendaele
Paul Gross is one vicious bastard. The movie opens with his character bayonetting a young German soldier through the forehead, and doesn't let up with the violence in teh war scenes, and the stiff cheezyness in the non-war scenes. With a climactic "one-in-a-million shot", Gross also manages to throw in a little explicit religious imagery too.
3 stars out of 5
3 stars out of 5
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
"W."
W. (2008, Oliver Stone)
Saw this Sunday night with my brother Paddy and my girlfriend Steph at SilverCity in Gloucester. Had a bottle of diet Dr. Pepper and some dark chocolate Hershey Kisses.
Josh Brolin does a great job as still-President Bush, and many of the supporting actors are good, especially Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, but I'm not sure there's much point to this film right now. Some people say it's too soon, and no one's in the mood for a movie about Bush, but I think it's really that there's no real new information here. It feels more like a TV movie-of-the-week. Oliver Stone should have waited 10 years or so, to let history start settling the dust of Bush's presidency. But, solid effort, and great work from Brolin.
Saw this Sunday night with my brother Paddy and my girlfriend Steph at SilverCity in Gloucester. Had a bottle of diet Dr. Pepper and some dark chocolate Hershey Kisses.
Josh Brolin does a great job as still-President Bush, and many of the supporting actors are good, especially Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, but I'm not sure there's much point to this film right now. Some people say it's too soon, and no one's in the mood for a movie about Bush, but I think it's really that there's no real new information here. It feels more like a TV movie-of-the-week. Oliver Stone should have waited 10 years or so, to let history start settling the dust of Bush's presidency. But, solid effort, and great work from Brolin.
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