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Wiener-Dog (2016)
Pretentious and dull
When a writer runs out of ideas, he turns to profanity; when a screenwriter runs out of ideas, he starts killing animals. Not really much to say about this overacted, overwritten drivel. The opening shot, a long tracking shot over rows of dog cages, was very well done. The DeVito skit was quite interesting, although it would have been better in movie length. The other skits all involved typical film-student clichés (odd as the writer is long out of film school), full of wacky artists, wise drug addicts, and the like.
On the positive side, this film had truly brilliant marketing. The trailer and the posters beautifully sell this as some kind of interesting movie, like a My Dog Skip for adults. Too bad the same genius who did the marketing didn't write and direct the actual film too.
Kick-Ass (2010)
Voice-over ruins movie
One of the mysteries of modern mass media is why so many otherwise good films are ruined late in post-production by unnecessary add-ons. Whether it's Lucas throwing in cheesy special effects in a Star Wars re-release, or sitcom producers putting in laugh tracks, or unnecessary explanatory dialog, sometimes a producer's contempt for his audience seethes threw and ruins a film.
Here, what could have been a reasonable film was destroyed by an almost constant stream of unnecessary voice-over purporting to give character motivation and plot explanation. But the character motivation and plot motivation were already in the film! I don't think there has been such a bad voice-over of an otherwise good film since the theatrical release of Blade-Runner.
There is also excessive profanity in the film.
Shutter Island (2010)
Too unsubtle in its drama
Excellent art direction, excellent acting, good cinematography. The score was the best part though - a very nice three note ostinato alternating with quiet melody in the cello. The beginning motif is one of the simplest but most affecting since Jaws.
Unfortunately, the movie failed in its screenplay. It relied for emotional impact far too much on trite horrible scenes, rather than eliciting powerful emotional responses more subtly.
For example, there are numerous scenes of horrible gore, and there is a long scene with dead children. Obviously, a scene with dead children, especially of a father crying over them, is unsubtle.
In a good film, the emotional climax comes from something whose meaning derives from the film itself. It's cheap and unsubtle, and kind of boring, to rely on old standbys like deformity, gore, and child corpses.
The Late Shift (1996)
Interesting
Interesting and short television movie describes some of the machinations surrounding Jay Leno's replacing Carson as host of the Tonight Show. Film is currently very topical given the public drama surrounding Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno.
The film does a good job of sparking viewers' interest in the events and showing some of the concerns of the stakeholders, particularly of the NBC executives. The portrayal of Ovitz was particularly compelling and interesting, I thought.
Still, many of the characters were only very briefly limned or touched upon, and some of the acting seemed perfunctory. Nevertheless, an interesting story.
Public Enemies (2009)
Unsubtle
Overly dramatic and stylized account of Dillinger.
Too many unsubtle reaction shots and way too many close-ups. For example, when Dillinger is watching the movie, his reaction shot for a long time in close-up is shown to the ominous words of the actor he is watching.
Movie is badly harmed by its score, which is unoriginal and way over-scores and over-dramatizes key moments, constantly soaring and telegraphing emotions.
In between the over-dramatizations, there were a large number of gunfights followed by "meaningful" dying declarations.
To me, this movie seemed like an excuse for the actors to ham it up.
Cinematography had the shiny Mann style, but the framing was simplistic, with focus on only one thing, and anyway that style is not too credible in depicting the somewhat messy time period.
Idiocracy (2006)
Meritless
Unsubtle revisiting of Kornbluth's "Marching Morons" lacks any perceptible merit.
Excessive voice-over explanation underscore the movie's very point that "stupid" people require heavy-handed explanation of their media.
Heavy reliance on sight gags and slapstick.
Acting is overdone. Dialogue is unsubtle. Feel of the show is a TV sitcom.
The director conflates stupidity with dressing poorly and looking slack-jawed.
For example, in early scene, explanation of the presumed greater birthrate of stupid people, film-maker not only explains the whole idea in an entirely unnecessary voice-over, but contrasts supposedly intelligent couple with supposedly unintelligent one. Yet there is no clear difference in actual intelligence. The supposedly unintelligent couple does not dress as well and is not as well-groomed, but it is hard to see these as markers of stupidity.
For that matter the movie borders on offensiveness for its unsympathetic portrayal of people with different cognitive skills.
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
Overacted, pretentious, trite
Notable for horrendous acting and self-conscious, unconvincing dialog.
Film begins with a ridiculous voice-over purporting to "explain" the characters' motivations. Presumably the voice-over was intended so that everyone who didn't walk out then and there and ask for a refund would be clueless enough to provide that coveted "word of mouth." Then you have a ridiculous scene where the lead, hammily and unconvincingly portraying a distraught lover, is breaking plates over and over. It's not even a good cliché, it's a bad one, and executed badly too.
A few minutes later there's a ridiculous dialog bit where the girl says something nominally surprising and the guy "spits out his drink." Did the director go to some school of obvious sitcom slapstick to try and figure out his reactions? Full of overacting, pretentiousness, and cliché.
Invictus (2009)
Heavy-handed and awkward in places, but moving too
Some moving and memorable scenes here, backed by excellent acting by the leads and many of the supporting actors.
Unfortunately, the movie was marred by somewhat choppy editing, in which characters seemed to appear and disappear for no good reason, and more important by heavy-handed explanatory sections near the beginning. Every line Morgan Freeman says, in a powerful role as Nelson Mandela, comes across as cumbersome and unnatural, as if he were speaking for a debate class. The natural flow of the plot was continually interrupted by long, gratuitous speeches.
It cannot be denied that many of the final scenes, and perhaps the whole last hour of the film, was powerful. But the first part seemed too didactic, and I had trouble following or caring about many of the numerous minor characters.
The Road (2009)
Interesting, beautifully shot, strong acting
Interesting film, highlights are fascinating cinematography and superb acting by two out of three of the leads.
Cinematography uses low lighting, nearly achromatic palette with some brown, highlight some yellow and red for fire or blood, with an effect never dull and sometimes haunting.
I predict this picture wins best cinematography at the Academy Awards by the way.
Acting by Viggo Morensen as the lead is very strong, as is supporting role by Kodi Smit-McPhee. Charlize Theron unfortunately is not credible in her scenes, harming them. A few instances of "Hollywood style" acting of "key moments" and overacting, but very rare - acting throughout, except by Theron, was of a high order.
Storyline was quite strong, ending was however off-key, too pat and unrealistic given the frame of the movie.
Tone and texture with its acceptance of the present, focus on immediate future in a decimated world, and little attention paid to the past reminded me of On the Beach.
Impact (2009)
Bad acting, bad plot, bad directing, bad script, and long
This made-for-TV flick is distinguished by some epic bad acting, ridiculous plot, absurd directing, and a cringe-worthy script.
Two things were good about the movie.
First, the cinematography is professional for a TV movie.
Second, the movie is so horrible that I did not feel guilty about turning it off partway through, so I did not waste too much time.
The plot from what I saw appeared to violate most laws of physics and common sense. The acting features a hilarious scientist who looks and talks like she failed sixth-grade science and never took another course in the area. The director puts in a lot of crowd reaction shots in which each member has the same astonished expression.
Also, great attention seems to have been paid to the actors' hairstyles. Too bad less so to the rest of the film.
It Might Get Loud (2008)
Boring treatment of interesting subject
The filmmakers succeeded here in a difficult task: making playing guitar in a top band boring. Very, very, very boring.
The most absurd feature of this terrible movie is probably that although it is supposed to focus on playing the electric guitar, it never describes how one works. There are numerous shots as well of musicians in front of racks of components, and it's clear that the precise function of each of the components is critical to the musician, without any description of what any of them do.
Much of the rest of the movie comprises narration by the musicians describing, in the most trite and clichéd possible way, what it is like to "feel" the guitar or such like. One actually was asked the ridiculous cliché "how do you write" and answered something like "I don't know. The creative spark". Imagine an hour of that kind of dialog.
How U2 can be made boring, I don't know. Give kudos to the director for finding a way, however.
Taking Woodstock (2009)
Ang Lee can't do comedy
Film describes preparations for and effect of Woodstock on small family-owned motel in the small town where the concert occurred. Ang Lee's trademark deliberate, careful editing and framing and nuanced character study of the lead very evident here, similar to Ice Storm in that respect. Plot and characters were interesting.
Film anchored by excellent, understated performance by the lead, the son of the motel owners, Demetri Martin as Elliot Teichberg. Jonathan Groff was was charismatic and memorable as the serene promoter Michael Lang, and Eugene Levy was entertaining job as a nearby crafty landowner.
With all of the great things about this film - the plot, the main character, some excellent performances - why am I only giving it three stars? Why would this not be something like Almost Famous meets Best In Show (both marvelous films).
It's a bad film because it was ruined by horrendous performances by many of the supporting actors.
Imelda Staunton gave the worst rendition of a parody of a Jewish mother I have ever seen. It was like watching a high-school drama student act out a stereotype on Saturday Night Live or something.
Henry Goodman overacted, although not quite as badly as did Staunton, in a mediocre performance as the father.
And Emile Hirsch was preposterous and irritating as a trouble Vietnam vet.
An unnecessary side plot involving a theater troupe who - this is getting redundant - also overacted dragged down the film further.
So basically, Lee was just making the classic mistake of poor comedy directors, confusing silliness and excess with humor. The horrific group of performances, intended to seem zany but in fact just unpleasant to watch, spoilt the film.
Julie & Julia (2009)
Half and half
Film intercuts story of Julia Child in the 40s writing her first cookbook with Julie, a present-day New Yorker writing a blog in which she cooks each dish from a Child cookbook over a year.
The Julia Child scenes themselves are excellent. Terrific evocation of the France of the era, and some wonderful scenes.
The modern-day Julie scenes, however, are difficult to watch. Julie is a character without, as far as I can see, any particularly redeeming or even interesting characteristics. She is selfish, dishonest, and whiny. Other than fetishes for profanity and self-pity, it's not clear to me what's interesting about her.
Had the Julie scenes been cut out entirely, the movie would have been better; had they been replaced by scenes with Julia Child, it would have been an excellent film.
Moon (2009)
Unforgettable scenes, interesting characters
Haunting, thought-provoking film filled with extraordinary images and scenes. Builds to a stunning climax that ties together the various loose ends very well. Some plot issues remain muddled to me even after two viewings: the bearded man in the dream, the tooth, the purpose of the pylon-disabling, whether Gertie intended to leave a palimpsest in presumably cleaning the smiley faces.
Scenes of Earth hanging on horizon, or the vehicles crawling around the zoom, are as well-done as any similar shots since Alien.
Acting was quite solid, differential characters and character traits being well delineated and separated.
Character of Gertie especially powerful, the soul of the troubled robot quietly coming clear in Spacey's understated delivery.