Wednesday, November 09, 2005

 

Derailed

I've read the book on which this film is based; its author, James Siegal, co-wrote the screenplay. I have bemoaned finishing other good books: Oh no! Now I can't read-that-book-for-the-first-time anymore! This book satisfied me so well that I didn't regret finishing it. It's a thriller and lives up to the genre very, very well. If you've seen it or read it, don't spoil it.
Since the movie's script was co-written by the book's author, I imagine it will be a lot like the book, and the book probably is a spoiler for the film. I trust the film will be good, since Clive Owen is fun to watch and there is the pleasant surprise of Jennifer Aniston playing Lucinda. Lucinda is a great character (as are the others in the book).
I'm guessing they cast Jennifer Aniston in part because of her image. It might be a very shrewd bit of casting. The Good Girl started to broaden who she is in the eyes of the audience. If she, and the director Mikael Håfström, make Lucinda work, it could do a lot to solidify Jennifer Aniston as more than just Rachel from Friends.
The books was a fun read, so I look forward to the movie.

# posted by The Blind Man @ 2:12 AM 1 comments

Thursday, October 20, 2005

 

Doom

I saw the final version of this film, and liked it. The plot and characters work. The gore and violence work. I think the story's strengths were also a factor in the success of the video game on which the film is based. This movie happily avoids the pitfalls the video-game-movie genre, a genre which can use characters as hooks on which a plot, that only serves the action sequences, is hung. As I've mentioned before, this film also includes elements of a Jungian Night Journey in the forms of isolation and the confrontation of the darkside in each of us.
Performances were uniformly strong. The three main charaters are especially strong. Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) seems to become an even stronger actor and more enjoyable to watch in each film he's in. Rosamund Pike is much warmer than she was as the icy Miranda Frost in the James Bond film Die Another Day, another role she played so well. Karl Urban plays his role, that could have been a very stock hero, as a real person; he's great. The strength of the performers as a group, and the film as a whole, reflects the skill of Andrzej Bartkowiak, the director.
The trailer includes a spoiler of a very well done point-of-view sequence. The sequence not only seems to acknowledge the video game, but works beautifully at that point in the film. It's one of the longest point-of-view sequences I've seen, and I'm all for the use of a filmmaking technique that serves the story and has a big cool factor. I think anyone who likes the game or action/thriller/sci-fi/horror movies will like this movie.

# posted by The Blind Man @ 6:06 PM 0 comments

Sunday, October 09, 2005

 

Fun with Dick and Jane

Picture from the set (the leads walk across the street into a coffee shop):
picture from the set of 'Fun with Dick and Jane' in Burbank, CA

# posted by The Blind Man @ 6:58 PM 0 comments

Sunday, September 25, 2005

 

Elizabethtown

Both the pre-release and release trailers for this film make it seem like it has the feel of Garden State with less of an indy vibe. However, the finished film is very much about the relationship between Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom's characters, that and the nature of success and failure. It's a good picture.
As for the acting, it is uniformly good mainly because each character seems so accessible, and almost never ends up being off-putting, no matter what they are doing. This film may do a lot to help Orlando Bloom be an actor in the audience's eyes, not just an attractive star. Kirsten Dunst is adorable (which is somehting she's good at) and plays all the loving wisdom that was written for her.
Like other Cameron Crowe projects (e.g., Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, etc.), this movie makes people seem real, likable and always capable of redeeming change. In tone, the movie has enjoyable elements of both the corporate-gone-good of Jerry Maguire and, to a lesser degree, the finding-oneself of Almost Famous.

# posted by The Blind Man @ 3:32 PM 0 comments
 

Serenity

Mule featured in Serenity - Planetside Transport:

Serenity - Mule

Serenity - Mule



# posted by The Blind Man @ 3:07 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

 

An Unfinished Life

I watched a final cut of this film, and liked it. I don't suggest rushing to the theatres to see it; walk leisurely or rent it later. Without getting into too much detail here, the movie has elements of a Jungian Night Journey: the protagonists are in a relatively isolated area, must confront and manage animalistic reality and eventually disabuse themselves of illusions about their family and significant other/s. Jennifer Lopez's character's plot is a little stock, and it echoes Enough a little too much. Since it is the dominant action in the first act, it's the weakest act. Aside from that, the story by and large works.
The settings look pretty good thanks to the work of Oliver Stapleton, the Cinematographer. Lasse Hallström, the director, made the film so that once i got into it, I felt good, and somehow fufilled. Performances by Lopez and Robert Redford were good, but the best work was done by Becca Gardner, Morgan Freeman and Josh Lucas. Overall it's a solid film that entertains and even satisfies a little.

# posted by The Blind Man @ 10:14 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

 

The Man

I saw what I believe is a final cut of this film. I can sum it up by saying that I'll see it again. Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy could read the phone book to each other and it would probably be entertaining. In a buddy cop/comedy/crime film they have great chemistry.
The soundtrack was lots of fun. The writing had a clarity and directness that played especially well with Jackson's portrayal of Special Agent Derrick Vann and Levy's subtlety. While an enthusiastic audience helped, these two actors made me laugh even at low-brow humor that had no business being funny.
Les Mayfield, the director, paced it very well, keeping my interest even though I'd gotten almost no sleep the night before. I left the theatre feeling better than I had when I'd sat down in it. Adam Kane, the cinematographer, with the camera and electric departments made Detroit look good, which isn't always easy.
The only problems I had were that Eugene Levy's and Samuel L. Jackson's photo doubles were easy to spot at one moment, and Jackson's left eye looked bloodshot, but only sometimes. If you like Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy, see this film; I will... again.
Next time, An Unfinished Life.

# posted by The Blind Man @ 6:20 AM 2 comments

Friday, August 12, 2005

 

The 40 Year-Old Virgin

I saw an early cut of this film, and perhaps it was the pace, or maybe it was my mood at the time, but it didn't quite reach the comedic highs I'd hoped it would. It was funny, but not side-splittingly so. The final cut is hopefully wet-yourself-funny and I expect to at least swallow my tongue, or lose my spleen, or... something.
Steve Carell did a great job, and I am a fan of a lot of his other work (e.g., Bewitched and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy). However the transitions from scene to scene, the connective tissue if you will, seemed somehow uneeded or off-pace.
Elizabeth Banks, as the preview suggests, had a couple very enjoyable scenes and Leslie Mann's work stood out as very strong. The rest of the supporting cast did good work, and it's probably not their fault the film didn't completely gel.
It was an early screening, and I imagine Judd Apatow, the director, has been hard at work making this the film I want it to be: hilarious and fun. I'm curious to see how the released film turns out; I think I will be pleased.
Next time, The Man.

# posted by The Blind Man @ 6:16 PM 1 comments

Friday, August 05, 2005

 

Four Brothers

An early cut of this film was great. My companion agreed that it was a very good movie. That cut not only succeeded in the genre of crime/thriller/action movie (a genre I tend to enjoy), but the characters/relationships and the Brothers' pursuit of truth and righteous vengeance make me want to own this on DVD already. I imagine that it has only improved since. John Singleton, the director, has paced it well and created a very watch-able tone.
While I'm already a fan of many of the actors (e.g. I own a few Mark Wahlberg movie or two on DVD), this cast is really fun in this film. Not only was the acting good, but people who like men in general will probably appreciate the eye-candy. The audience seemed to especially enjoy Tyrese's performance (for both eye-candy and his portrayal). I liked all of the performances.
Some of the actors work was so spot on, it became difficult to like the actor when the character they played did unlike-able things. Kudos to Singleton for making the whole cast shine. The soundtrack (which was probably a temp track) was good and I hope the final sound track includes the same source music. The visuals may be completely entertaining on a small screen (i.e., DVD), but I want to see this film again in the theatre: a finished cut with an audience that can root for the Brothers with me.
Next time, The 40 Year-Old Virgin.

# posted by The Blind Man @ 12:26 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

 

The Skeleton Key

I saw an early cut of this film, and it was already pretty good. My companion, however, didn't like a seemingly superfluous scene of Kate Hudson in a boat on the bayou because it didn't seem to lead anywhere. Other audience members agreed, and this may have since been improved, or cut. My companion, a female, and I both enjoyed seeing Kate Hudson in her underwear in one scene; I hope that eye-candy made the final cut.
The tension by and large works, however at the end it becomes a bit predictable. The director, Iain Softley, may have fixed this predictably problem since. The released version could give nightmares, which for the genre is a very good thing. I imagine it will be worth seeing in the theaters. Next time, Four Brothers.

# posted by The Blind Man @ 11:13 PM 0 comments

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