Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest: ★★★★ Good fun ride, but much like Kill Bill 1 or The Two Towers, it’s been stretched a little too long in order to justify release as a movie by itself, and basically has only half the plot it should have had, with the end leaving you hanging. The last half hour has all the stuff that really counts, so I’m very much looking forward to the final chapter of the story wrapping it up. Which, as a matter of course, is exactly what the creators intended. Bastards.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: ★★★★☆. I wanted to watch this when it came out, but the stars just didn’t line up and I ended up missing it, so when I spotted it at the video store I grabbed it instantly and look around as though someone was going to snatch it from me. Rollicking good fun. I don’t even know if that’s a word. Exactly the kind of movie I love – self-aware, dark humour, characters who seem genuinely human (i.e. they don’t know everything by any means), and a plot which stitches itself together at the end very nicely. Tears, of, Laughter, I tell you.
Syriana: ★★★☆ Excellent movie with timely message, great acting and direction a cut above. Plot somewhat like Crash, as I mentioTned previously, but more… visceral, more real – not cutely tying itself up like Crash. However, I didn’t care quite enough about the characters when bad things happened, and as almost inevitably so in this kind of movie, very America-centric and has a lot of talking heads you just end up listening to the script more than anything. Would be very interesting to read the book.
Date Movie: Ugh. Terrible.
9 Songs: Porn, basically. The only thing which stops it from being put in the porn basket completely (as opposed to “Arthouse”) is the fact that the time is almost evenly split between the sex scenes and non-sex-scenes. Possibly great exploration of two people in a deep, physical relationship, but spoilt by the fact that the director clearly wanted to see how far he could push the envelope. Watching with members of the opposite sex extremely awkward.
Click: ★★ Argh, I don’t know why I give Adam Sandler chances. He’s slowly moving towards better movies, but this ain’t it.
Oh and if I haven’t harped on about it enough yet, make sure you don’t miss Hoodwinked (★★★★★), which should be in cinemas soon (taking its damn sweet time getting to Aus). Laugh-till-you-hurt kind of irreverent humour.
Upcoming to-see movies:
- 16 Blocks (Out now)
- Sione’s Wedding (Out now)
- Miami Vice (Aug. 10)
- A Scanner Darkly (Sept. 21)
- An Inconvenient Truth (late Sept)
I have to know who you saw 9 Songs with. It’s just too funny.
I’m looking forward to seeing An Inconvenient Truth…not so much because it’s a fantastic movie or that every word in it is gospel, but because it outlines so very well the case for man-made global warming. It looks like one of those movies everyone should see, just so they can make up their own mind on the issue.
What Nathan said (first line). And also what you rated the movie.
Would also advice checking out what the movie is remotely about before you take someone of the opposite gender to watch it.
PS. I avoided posting for awhile, but this is just gold!
hahah they were arts students and they didn’t find it awkward at all >.> damn film majors…
kelson, get back to work!
OMG i loved kiss kiss bang bang! that was sooooooo funny!!! so glad u think that same. i thought it was pure gold!!!!
what the hell is hoodwink?? i don’t think u have harped about it enough.
haha, someone was telling me about 9 songs awhile ago, I think at the start of the year, when I was in China I think. Been meaning to see it just coz the girl said it was good. Funnily enough, I think she was a film major too.
chicky: see the website =) it’s Red Riding Hood, updated (v. funny)
fay: lol, make sure you don’t suggest it on one of those movie nights…
Your mini-reviews for Pirates & Syriana (the only ones I’ve seen) are spot on IMO. I realized though, sitting through the midnight showing with my uber-Orlando fan girl friend and the groupies… I definitely need to watch more movies like that.
I was pretty sad when Orlando got snapped in two by a cannonball…wait, that was a wooden mast. Sorry, couldn’t tell the difference between the two.
Nah, I liked Pirates, it didn’t take itself as seriously as I feared it might. Looking forward to the third one.