Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is the English language debut for Tomas Alfredson and the result is a marvelously acted and meticulously directed and plotted spy film that will reward those who give themselves over to the plot as it unfolds its twists and turns. [Read more...]
Film Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
12/16/2011 by Leave a Comment
Review: The King’s Speech
12/22/2010 by Leave a Comment
The King’s Speech is a fantastic retelling of King George VI over coming his speech impediment and his rise to the throne that is funny, sharp, and interesting every step of the way.
Prince Albert was always a well respected leader and Duke in England and among the family but the rise of the wireless during his time forced him into the public eye in a way that never suited him; as a public speaker. Albert was the confidant and by the books second son of George V and Albert was more than content and resigned to his role as the next in line behind his brother Edward. But when Albert begins work with a new speech therapist, Lionel Louge, his previous unfounded progress with his impediment begins to appear. Both Louge and Albert’s wife, Elizabeth, begin to see a potential future on the thrown if Edward continues down his current path of un-royal actions, but that is something that Albert both fears and is reluctant to embrace.
For Your Renting Pleasure
09/10/2010 by Leave a Comment
This week we’ve got one good and a whole bunch of bad (at least in my opinion), with Dorian Gray, The Joneses, The Killers, and Lie to Me: Season 1.
Rent:
Now he may be no House, but Cal Lightman is another great character on TV that is easy to love for the reasons the people in the show hate him. I mean, I wouldn’t want to be around someone who would know when I was lying every time and call me out on it. Annoying and abrasive, but it makes for some pretty entertaining television.
The show would get old fast if it was simply about a human lie detector, but the show works because it goes much deeper than “he’s lying! Lock him up!” Obviously not every lie is an admission of guilt, so instead they have to delve deeper into the different suspects’ histories, emotional connections to people, religions, events, and things of that nature to figure out why their face would betray a certain emotion when answering a certain question. In other words: they might be lying, but not always for the reason you would assume. [Read more...]
For Your Renting Pleasure
09/03/2010 by Leave a Comment
That’s right, my write-up for rentals has changed yet again. This time around (and hopefully I will stick to it this time) I will write up little blurbs about the movies I have seen in the past week on Fridays, giving you suggestions for what to pick up and what to avoid when considering what to rent that weekend. On this weeks list we’ve got: The Back-up Plan, The Last Song, Operation: Endgame, Repo Men, The Runaways, A Single Man, and The United States of Tara.
Fight for the Last Copy:
United States of Tara: Season One
This Diablo Cody created, Showtime TV show is about a woman who has recently gone off the medications that have helped to suppress the other faces of her multiple personality disorder (or dissociative identity disorder). Toni Collette plays Tara, and the way in which she moves in and out of these other personalities is pure artistry. Though this is a serious topic, it does not shy away from the humor of it all, thanks in large part to the people she becomes. In the beginning she is aware of three: Alice is a 1950s housewife, Buck is the redneck hick with a heart of gold, and T is basically the teenage slut, but eventually another emerges (but I will not spoil in for those who want to watch) in response to the overriding story arc of Tara digging into her past to discover what caused this disorder to take form during her teen years.
The show does not just stop with how this disorder effects Tara, but shows the strain it puts on her family. John Corbett plays her supportive husband who i leading the search to discover her past and must constantly coral the other personalities (though he is far from ashamed of his wife). [Read more...]
A Single Man – Finally Out On Blu-Ray and DVD
07/06/2010 by Leave a Comment
Hey there all, one of the best movies of last year, #4 by my books, is finally out on home video to rent or own and it should not be missed.
A Single Man is a beautiful and wonderfully acted tale about love and loss at what it can do to a person, driving them to their breaking point. I can’t recommend this film enough and I have included my original review below.
But don’t take my word for it, go check it out ASAP, because I know most of you haven’t!
Rent at NetFlix, Buy on Blu-ray
My Original Review: A Single Man
A Single Man is a career defining performance from Colin Firth and one of the strongest, most confident, and beautiful directorial debuts I can recall from Tom Ford.
Review: A Single Man
12/25/2009 by Leave a Comment
A Single Man is a career defining performance from Colin Firth and one of the strongest, most confident, and beautiful directorial debuts I can recall from Tom Ford.
The film’s theme touch on everything from loss, death, love, friendship, and purpose in life and never feels forced, always natural and honest discussions on the subjects. The film follows a man, George, who decides that today will be the day he finally gets over his lost love that died tragically in a car accident while away on vacation. The two had been together for years and months after their death George was still having problems everyday getting through his life and not drowning in sadness.
The film takes place over a single day and engages from start to finish with a number of interesting stops along the way for George as he tries to move on from his lover, Jim. As George grapples with the struggles of the day, they trigger moments in the past with Jim and the scenes are poignant and touching and we really get a sense of their relationship and bond with little screen time devoted to them.
Tom Ford directs the adaptation of Christopher Isherwood and this film doesn’t waste a single frame of the film. Ford is/was a clothing designer so the man knows details and it is no surprise that his film is so articulate and beautifully put together. Every shot is interesting and superbly framed and I can not wait to have this at home on Blu-ray. [Read more...]
Review: A Christmas Carol
11/06/2009 by Leave a Comment
Robert Zemeckis’ third foray into the 3-D motion capture world is a retelling of the classic A Christmas Carol and the results are a beautiful and well executed version of the classic tale that could easily become many peoples “go to” version of the fateful night of Ebenezer Scrooge.
The tale of Scrooge doesn’t really need to be rehashed, we all know the stubborn hater of Christmas is visited by three ghosts of past, present, and future visit him over the course of a single night and forever change his views on the holiday. The question is how Zemeckis’ version is any different or better than the tales already out there. So is it different? Not really, it rarely strays from the classic tale and the most different thing about it is the filmmaking style it is told in. Better? Not sure about that either, but it is definitely not a weak entry into the telling of this tale.
So why should you want to see this version of a Christmas Carol? Well first off, you are unlikely to find a more beautiful and awe inspiring version of the tale. [Read more...]
