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grahamjrees
Reviews
Texas Killing Fields (2011)
A slow-burning character piece
There are two powerful reasons to see this movie: the sensitive, solid, measured performance by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and the delicious cinematography.
To say that the plot was entirely original would be untrue, but it would also be unnecessary: this is a character-driven story, not a plot-driven story. The performance of the young trailer park stray is spot on, and the last scene is completely gritty: there's no need for big explosions or over the top marketing hoo hah
the action is simple, brutal, and sublime.
Beautiful shots, such as one of an indoor lounge room at night, capturing the rain falling - perfectly exposed - on the exterior porch, make the film visually compelling.
If you're after Lethal Weapon, Inglorious Bastards or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this is not your movie. But if you're after a pared-back but tightly held character action piece with a fair bit of slow-burning desperation and a nicely rounded ending, you could do much worse.
Bad Teacher (2011)
Laughter is a medicine
That moment when you're watching a movie and you laugh out loud because the penny drops: the actor is exactly capturing someone you know/knew/lived with/worked with/all of the above.
Watching Cameron Diaz's inspired depiction of a shallow, ethically vacuous, back-stabbing narcissist in Bad Teacher was that moment for me last night. And those were her good points! Inevitably, her character transforms, although - thankfully - she never loses her sass, her love of life, nor - it must be said - her love of wanton sex. In short, she keeps the pumps and gains a soul.
In the interim, her unique depiction of the classic "the-way-to-the-top-is-to-sabotage-my-competition" mindset that has so many well-groomed adherents in western middle management culture, struck a few chords, and I must say, healed some wounds. Who knew a bong-smoking, foul-mouthed, money-grabbing tart could bring healing to my soul?
For healing it is. And I thank God for it.