A light, airy, piffle of a movie from Woody Allen,
Whatever Works (B) can't help but feel like an extended
Curb Your Enthusiasm episode given that Larry David is the star, but the film retains a half-misanthropic, half-heart-felt tone thanks to solid performances from the entire cast, and David's ability to be compulsively watchable.
Sin Nombre (A) definitely takes some thematic cues from
City of God, but that doesn't stop it from being a powerful, riveting, and gorgeously shot crime drama, which boasts some terrific performances from a novice cast, and establishes young writer/director Cary Funjakara as a major new talent worth keeping an eye on.
Stephen Belber's entertaining and somewhat offbeat romantic comedy
Management (B+) makes the most of cute performances from Jennifer Anniston and Steve Zahn as an unlikely couple who can't seem to keep apart, even though the odds of them lasting as a romantic duo are fairly impossible.
An instant stoner/frat-house classic, Brad Silberling's mixed-bag of idiotic lunacy
Land of the Lost (B-) is neither a disaster or masterpiece; the film is most definitely not for children, so fans of stars Will Ferrell and Danny McBride, and people who enjoy crude sexual humor and drug-induced flights of fancy will certainly be amused (as I was).
Fun but never truly scary and gloppy but never gratuitously gruesome, Sam Raimi's pseudo throw-back horror-comedy
Drag Me To Hell (B) might've benefited from stronger leads in the main roles, but is nonetheless successful, mostly due to the creepy performance of Lorna Raver, and a fantastic final 30 seconds that reminds you that Raimi still has a mean-streak in his Marvel-fied veins.
A light, airy, piffle of a movie from Woody Allen, Whatever Works (B) can't help but feel like an extended Curb Your Enthusiasm episode given that Larry David is the star, but the film retains a half-misanthropic, half-heart-felt tone thanks to solid performances from the entire cast, and David's ability to be compulsively watchable.
Sin Nombre (A) definitely takes some thematic cues from City of God, but that doesn't stop it from being a powerful, riveting, and gorgeously shot crime drama, which boasts some terrific performances from a novice cast, and establishes young writer/director Cary Funjakara as a major new talent worth keeping an eye on.
Stephen Belber's entertaining and somewhat offbeat romantic comedy Management (B+) makes the most of cute performances from Jennifer Anniston and Steve Zahn as an unlikely couple who can't seem to keep apart, even though the odds of them lasting as a romantic duo are fairly impossible.
An instant stoner/frat-house classic, Brad Silberling's mixed-bag of idiotic lunacy Land of the Lost (B-) is neither a disaster or masterpiece; the film is most definitely not for children, so fans of stars Will Ferrell and Danny McBride, and people who enjoy crude sexual humor and drug-induced flights of fancy will certainly be amused (as I was).
Fun but never truly scary and gloppy but never gratuitously gruesome, Sam Raimi's pseudo throw-back horror-comedy Drag Me To Hell (B) might've benefited from stronger leads in the main roles, but is nonetheless successful, mostly due to the creepy performance of Lorna Raver, and a fantastic final 30 seconds that reminds you that Raimi still has a mean-streak in his Marvel-fied veins.
6 comments:
Re: "Drag Me to Hell." I don't think anyone screams like Lohman did in that movie. One of my favorites of the year. I need to buy it.
Re: "Land of the Lost." This is a disagreement on the level of "The Happening," but oh well. =P I was just disgusted and appalled by the level of awfulness that every single minute had. I know that my constant harping on the movie is getting old, but it's easily one of the most amateurish, despicable examples of cinema I've ever seen. But hey...to each his own. Actually glad you like it. Good to have diverse opinions.
Wait a minute, did one of you two (Joel or Nick) like The Happening?
I thought The Happening was absolutely terrible. Comically bad. Even the extras casting was shit.
And I thought it was brilliant. Still do.
Oh Joel. Poor Joel.
I'm with Actionman on The Happening. My wife and I couldn't help but treat it as an unintentional comedy. We laughed the entire time. Funniest movie of whatever year it came out.
LOL. I got a LOT of flak for liking it so much, but I stick by my opinion.
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