Director: Terrance Malick (Thin Red Line, Badlands [haven't seen either, but hear they're good])
Stars: Colin Farrell (Crazy Heart, S.W.A.T.)
Q'orianka Kilcher (nothing else really)
YesNoSoso: 1
I put this movie on my Netflix because it was listed on the Onion's AV Club's top 10 movies of the 2000's. Although I respect the AV Club's track record, I have to respectfully disagree with this inclusion. It was boring. As boring as any movie I've ever seen. It avoids the embarassment of a YesNoSoso 0 because of the innovative and downright daring directorial decisions of Terrance Malick. Do yourself a favor and read the trivia section on the IMDB page. Malick employed such aggressive styles as editing the movie around a completed score, using only steady-cam and handhold camera shots, using virtually no artificial light and an average shot length 10x as long as the industry standard. All these decisions give The New World a very authentic feel and I will always respect a director who applies unconventional means to aid the storytelling. But again, boring.
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Showing posts with label 2005. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2005. Show all posts
8/19/10
8/2/10
Grizzly Man (2005)
Director: Werner Herzog (Rescue Dawn, Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans [both of which are very good])
Stars: Timothy Treadwell (real person, its a documentary)
YesNoSoso: 1
This could be the classic case of me overreacting to all the positive hype this movie received but I didn't love this movie. I've been on a bit of a documentary kick lately and was very excited about Grizzly Man, seeing as everybody who I told about my recent documentary kick suggested it to me. Add that to the fact that it was on The Onion's AV Club's 50 best movies of the 00's and I was expecting a mind blowing documentary. I really didn't find that to be true. Some of the footage Treadwell shot and Herzog used is truley beautiful and makes for a visually appealing film but I found the story to be less than compelling. Perhaps it was knowing he dies, but I was simply bored.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Timothy Treadwell (real person, its a documentary)
YesNoSoso: 1
This could be the classic case of me overreacting to all the positive hype this movie received but I didn't love this movie. I've been on a bit of a documentary kick lately and was very excited about Grizzly Man, seeing as everybody who I told about my recent documentary kick suggested it to me. Add that to the fact that it was on The Onion's AV Club's 50 best movies of the 00's and I was expecting a mind blowing documentary. I really didn't find that to be true. Some of the footage Treadwell shot and Herzog used is truley beautiful and makes for a visually appealing film but I found the story to be less than compelling. Perhaps it was knowing he dies, but I was simply bored.
IMDB
Wikipedia
12/27/09
Waiting...(2005)
Director: Rob McKittrick (directorial debut and hasn't (wisely) been given another chance)
Stars: Justin Long (Idiocracy, Alvin and the Chipmunks)
Ryan Reynolds (Dick, Blade: Trinity [soooo many choices...])
YesNoSoso: 0
Writing about YesNoSoso 0's is always one of two scenarios: either I don't have enough space to say all the things about the movie that pissed me off or I have nothing to say at all. This is of the latter. I didn't hate Waiting... and perhaps that's why I don't have much to say about it. I just wish I hadn't watched it. The cast is actually pretty good, besides the anti-chris...I mean Dane Cook. The solid cast of Long, Reynolds (who I love but hate most of the movies he's in), Luis Guzman, David Koechner and Anna Farris aren't enough to save this horrible movie.
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Wikipedia
Stars: Justin Long (Idiocracy, Alvin and the Chipmunks)
Ryan Reynolds (Dick, Blade: Trinity [soooo many choices...])
YesNoSoso: 0
Writing about YesNoSoso 0's is always one of two scenarios: either I don't have enough space to say all the things about the movie that pissed me off or I have nothing to say at all. This is of the latter. I didn't hate Waiting... and perhaps that's why I don't have much to say about it. I just wish I hadn't watched it. The cast is actually pretty good, besides the anti-chris...I mean Dane Cook. The solid cast of Long, Reynolds (who I love but hate most of the movies he's in), Luis Guzman, David Koechner and Anna Farris aren't enough to save this horrible movie.
IMDB
Wikipedia
8/24/09
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Director: Shane Black (hasn't directed anything else)
Stars: Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder, Gothika)
Val Kilmer (True Romance, Batman Forever)
YesNoSoso: 2
Sweet, I found another modern Noir movie. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is more of a comedy than my previous jackpot, Brick, but executes the dark comedy perfectly. Truly hilarious and genuinely enthralling, it would be a waste of my time and a disservice to you to attempt to describe the plot at all. Definitely check it out, but make sure you have your wits about you. Or watch it twice. I already have...
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder, Gothika)
Val Kilmer (True Romance, Batman Forever)
YesNoSoso: 2
Sweet, I found another modern Noir movie. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is more of a comedy than my previous jackpot, Brick, but executes the dark comedy perfectly. Truly hilarious and genuinely enthralling, it would be a waste of my time and a disservice to you to attempt to describe the plot at all. Definitely check it out, but make sure you have your wits about you. Or watch it twice. I already have...
IMDB
Wikipedia
7/8/09
The Constant Gardner (2005)
Director: Fernando Meirelles (City of God, Blindness [which I didn't see but looked good])
Stars: Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List, Maid in Manhattan)
Rachel Weisz (The Fountain, The Mummy)
YesNoSoso: 1
I expect more from the guy who directed City of God. Its not that it was bad, I actually (as the YesNoSoso 1 implies) enjoyed my 2 hours. I suppose my expectations were too high on account of City of God being so out-of-this-world incredible. A good, albeit predictable, plot with obviously great performances make this film about drug companies in Africa a definite watch, just don't expect to be blown away.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List, Maid in Manhattan)
Rachel Weisz (The Fountain, The Mummy)
YesNoSoso: 1
I expect more from the guy who directed City of God. Its not that it was bad, I actually (as the YesNoSoso 1 implies) enjoyed my 2 hours. I suppose my expectations were too high on account of City of God being so out-of-this-world incredible. A good, albeit predictable, plot with obviously great performances make this film about drug companies in Africa a definite watch, just don't expect to be blown away.
IMDB
Wikipedia
6/18/09
Brick (2005)
Director: Rian Johnson (nothing else, directed the new Brothers Bloom movie)
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Miracle at St Anna [which was ok], 10 Things I Hate About You]
Richard Roundtree (Se7en, Shaft)
YesNoSoso: 2
I feel like I've been saying this a lot lately (Apocolypto) but this was definitely one of the best movies I've seen in years. Although this time around I admit my bias's may be a factor. I love Noir movies (Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, to a lesser extent Sin City) and this is a Noir movie set in present day high school. The plot revolves around a high school outsider solving his ex girlfriends murder. All the characters are hyper intelligent and talk with quick and extremely witty dialogue. An Emphatic 2.
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Wikipedia
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Miracle at St Anna [which was ok], 10 Things I Hate About You]
Richard Roundtree (Se7en, Shaft)
YesNoSoso: 2
I feel like I've been saying this a lot lately (Apocolypto) but this was definitely one of the best movies I've seen in years. Although this time around I admit my bias's may be a factor. I love Noir movies (Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, to a lesser extent Sin City) and this is a Noir movie set in present day high school. The plot revolves around a high school outsider solving his ex girlfriends murder. All the characters are hyper intelligent and talk with quick and extremely witty dialogue. An Emphatic 2.
IMDB
Wikipedia
4/6/09
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2 1/2 (2005)
Director: William Greeves (Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 1, nothing else I've heard of)
Stars: Noone I've ever heard of
YesNoSoso: 0
You can read my review of Symbiopsychotaxiplam: Take 1 and it will be precisely the same for the redux. Apparently this movie is a big deal in the film community for its adventurist concept because it got Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) and Steve Buscemi to executive produce a revisiting of it. Which is just as boring as the original, BUT with a Q & A with some key players! Skip it.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Noone I've ever heard of
YesNoSoso: 0
You can read my review of Symbiopsychotaxiplam: Take 1 and it will be precisely the same for the redux. Apparently this movie is a big deal in the film community for its adventurist concept because it got Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) and Steve Buscemi to executive produce a revisiting of it. Which is just as boring as the original, BUT with a Q & A with some key players! Skip it.
IMDB
Wikipedia
9/25/08
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Director: Terry Gilliam (Brazil, The Fisher King)
Stars: Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting, Stuck on You)
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight, A Knight's Tale)
YesNoSoso: 1
I love Terry Gilliam. Seriously, I want to take him behind the middle school and get him pregnant. He's made two of my all time favorite movies (12 Monkeys and Brazil), was a member of Monty Python and is one of the few truly experimental directors in main stream film. Unfortunatley, with experimentation comes occasional failure and Brothers Grimm is one of those failures. I still found it enjoyable, especially Gilliam's dark take on classic Grimm fairy tales, but as a whole it just misses. The execution just seems kind of haphazard and the story fractured. Oh, and Monica Bellucci is a goddess.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting, Stuck on You)
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight, A Knight's Tale)
YesNoSoso: 1
I love Terry Gilliam. Seriously, I want to take him behind the middle school and get him pregnant. He's made two of my all time favorite movies (12 Monkeys and Brazil), was a member of Monty Python and is one of the few truly experimental directors in main stream film. Unfortunatley, with experimentation comes occasional failure and Brothers Grimm is one of those failures. I still found it enjoyable, especially Gilliam's dark take on classic Grimm fairy tales, but as a whole it just misses. The execution just seems kind of haphazard and the story fractured. Oh, and Monica Bellucci is a goddess.
IMDB
Wikipedia
9/19/08
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Director: Noah Baumbach (I've never seen anything else by this guy)
Stars: Jeff Daniels (Good Night and Good Luck, Pleasantville)
Laura Linney (Mystic River, Congo)
YesNoSoso: 1
As will always be the case with movies that get a YesNoSoso 1, I don't have a lot to say about The Squid and the Whale. Solid acting performances from "Dumb", as well as the entire cast. The plot is intersting but not wholly original. I was entertained by this family drama but not overwhelmed.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Jeff Daniels (Good Night and Good Luck, Pleasantville)
Laura Linney (Mystic River, Congo)
YesNoSoso: 1
As will always be the case with movies that get a YesNoSoso 1, I don't have a lot to say about The Squid and the Whale. Solid acting performances from "Dumb", as well as the entire cast. The plot is intersting but not wholly original. I was entertained by this family drama but not overwhelmed.
IMDB
Wikipedia
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