Playlist

Thor (2011): A big-budget superhero movie directed by an artsy foreign director? What could go wrong? Okay, that, but this is not that. This isn't some random geek-baiting project. This is Shakespeare whore Kenneth Branagh's entry into Marvel's well-oiled, corporate-controlled build-up to their epic Avengers project that hopefully won't epically fail. Whatever happens with The Avengers, Marvel and Paramount deserve credit for having a plan and sticking to it, something that just about never happens in Hollywood. And this is a pretty good film on its own. Chris Hemsworth brings his acting chops to the title role, Natalie Portman is her usual Natalie Portman self, and Tom Hiddleston as Loki is the love-to-hate supervillian previous Marvel films have been missing. (Anthony Hopkins is here, too, as Odin, but he's been in so many movies that I don't even register him anymore.) Speaking of geekbait, there's a bonus cameo by Jeremy Renner as future Avenger Hawkeye.  PLUS

Hanna (2011): Genetically-enhanced killer little girl on the run from CIA mastermind Cate Blanchett and her southern accent. Sounds fun, right? And, after a bit of a slow start, it is. And then it becomes an actual good movie, no doubt thanks to the guiding hand of director Joe Wright, best known for inaction films Atonement and Pride & Prejudice. It's very well shot with some fantastic visuals and shot and location choices. Definitely worth a watch and I'd be interested to hear what you thought of the ending. PLUS

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010): A lot of foreign films are really just American films in a different language, so it's interesting to come across one that is truly reflective of its native culture. Unfortunately, as in the case here, I think an unfamiliarity with Thai culture and history prevented me from ultimately appreciating this film. I have to give it the benefit of the doubt since director Apichatpong Weerasethakul (suck it, spellcheck)  won the 2010 Palme d'Or, and while I understand it, I was not able to enjoy it. In short, it's slow. Or as critic Sukhdev Sandhu described it while awarding it a perfect score, "It’s barely a film; more a floating world. To watch it is to feel many things – balmed, seduced, amused, mystified." That's a good review? No mention of the woman who has sex with a catfish?* Seriously, movie critics are such pricks. MINUS

*Yes, that happens.

Playlist

Paul (2011): If you like stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, then you'll like this. While they'll probably never again reach the brilliance of Shaun of the Dead, there's nothing wrong with hitting a level of consistent likability. Speaking of which, the main praise here should, believe it or not, be reserved for the way the wise-cracking titular alien voiced by Seth Rogan is NOT annoying. That's no small feat (for a CGI character or for recent Rogan). Kristin Wiig is in this, too. Is she funny? I think so. As for Pegg and Frost's usual cohort, director Edgar Wright was off filming Scott Pilgrim, but was replaced by Superbad's Greg Mottola. Not a bad sub. PLUS

White Material (2009): Here's the difference between this and director Claire Denis' 2008 film, 35 Shots of Rum: tension. As you may remember, 35 Shots was a minus for me for the simple reason that nothing happened in the way that only nothing can happen in a French film. While WM isn't exactly Crank, at least there's a pulse. Isabelle Huppert gives a strong performance as a woman trying to hold together her coffee plantation as the violence of the unnamed African nation's civil war closes in. And get this: her husband is played by none other than Highlander himself, Christopher Lambert, or as he's billed her, Christophe. I always felt that "r" was the only thing standing between him and an Oscar for Fortress. So, yes, I see now why Denis is so revered as a director. PLUS

Card Subject to Change (2010): This is a doc about the world of indie wrestling. If you know anything about the subject, you know it's inherently sad. It's a world where guys destroy their bodies for $50 a night if they're lucky. Even sadder are the former industry stars, guys (and gals) like Kevin Sullivan, Billy Kidman and Sherri Martel, who went from performing in front of thousands in arenas to a dozen goobers in VFW halls. And then there's the Ugandan Giant Kamala. Still around. Did you know he has released several R&B albums? Comes across as a real nice guy. While CStC isn't as good as 1999's Beyond the Mat, it's still a fascinating watch if you're into the scene. PLUS

Playlist

Oldboy: Not sure why it took me so long to see this, but that kind of thinking isn't going to get us anywhere, now is it? This 2003 South Korean film by director Park Chan-wook has become something of a cult classic, though I think that's selling it a little short. No doubt it's considered "cult" because it's foreign, but not everyone is as worldly as we are here at SMC. The High Life is Worldwide, baby. Yeah, so, this is really good. It has a reputation for its violence, but it plays more psychological, like Fincher's The Game or Nolan's Memento. Two scenes stand out: the eating of a whole live octopus and a fantastic side-scrolling one-shot fight. Neither done with CGI, if you can imagine such a world. Yes, there's an American remake on tap. And yes, it's being directed by Spike Lee (wait, what?). I don't see the point, but I don't think there is one. Remember when I said I liked the American remake of Infernal Affairs better because of it was amplified by its star power? Maybe proposed re-star Josh Brolin will do fine, but Choi Min-sik brings a big star presence to the title role that will be very hard to equal. PLUS

Source Code: We at SMC are big fans of Duncan Jones' 2009 debut, Moon, so we couldn't wait for his follow-up earlier this year. Not enough to actually go to the movies, but excited nonetheless. So? While it's not the follow-up I was hoping for from Jones, it's a very well done sci-fi film. The thing about Moon was how it was so different than other movies being made, a completely anti-Hollywood minimalist take on the genre. Source Code is more of the high concept thriller we are used to, but you can see the difference a quality director can make. It would be very easy to lose control of the idea of having a soldier's consciousness continuously sent back in time to relive the last eight minutes of someone's life in order to discover why a train was blown up. Hell, I had to take a break during that last sentence. But, this film works, and it keeps its focus to simply tell that story. It doesn't cram in some conspiracy subplot or try to make the story bigger than it is. It is what it is, and it's good. And what's the deal with Jake Gyllenhaal? He's becoming a pretty solid go-to actor. Reminds me of where Matt Damon started. Next stop is being good in everything he's in and then to where Damon is now--making movies better just by being in them. So, Jake, that's a "no" to Prince of Persia 2. PLUS

13 Assassins: What Vin said. I have seen Seven Samurai and this holds its own with that classic. Only criticism: there's a very bad CGI scene featuring flaming bulls that should have been cut. Cool concept, but not necessary. Fun Frank Fact: I've mentioned this movie to Vinny High Life two different times and both times I referred to it as 12 Assassins. I have no idea what that means. PLUS

Funner Frank Fact: When I went to find a picture to add (see above), I typed in, "12 Assassins." WTF? Good thing The Distillery has a CAT scan function.

SMC Podcast 2.4

Tim Burton gets run through The Distillery and the results are shocking.

Download here.

Catching Up

So I was laid up for a few days after a life and death surgical procedure (don't worry, I lived) and was able to catch up on a few films. No, that doesn't explain my lack of recent posting, but some things in life are destined to remain a mystery. Like destiny, for example. Anyway, onward...

Cedar Rapids: Ed Helms takes the lead in this comedy about a sheltered insurance agent let loose at a convention. But not let loose in the Ed Helms overacting way. He gives a very performance here, as do John C. Reilly, Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (with a couple of The Wire shout-outs thrown in), and Anne Heche. Yes, the return of Anne Heche and I have to say I missed her. She was a good actress before her little bat shit crazy phase. Solid adult comedy--not dirty, but something actually not intended for high school kids. PLUS

Take Me Home Tonight: I'm a sucker for dorky guy chasing the girl of his dreams movies and this turned out to be a pretty solid entry int hat genre. My favorite part of this film set in 1989 is that it didn't exploit its time period like so many of these forced "nostalgia" movies do. There weren't any "Hey, look at my zany 80s outfit" moments. Which, of course, is what worked so well in all those classic 80s films that so many idiot filmmakers try to rip off these days: they were contemporary movies. They were "80s movies" because they were made in the 80s. Did this movie need to be set when it was? No, but at least it didn't make me feel that way while watching it. PLUS

Gomorrah: 2008 Italian film based on a best-selling expose of Napoli's Camorra crime family. I had never heard of the Camorra, which is surprising since it is actually one of  the biggest  and oldest mafia in the world. This is billed as a realistic take on organized crime (compared to the usual stylized Hollywood versions we love so much). This is good. My complaint is that it weaves together 5 different story lines to try to show the Camorra' reach. While all 5 stories are interesting, there isn't enough time with any of them. Then again, wanting more of a good thing isn't really the worst complaint. PLUS

Infernal Affairs: Speaking of crime, this 2002 Hong Kong thriller was the basis for the Oscar-winning The Departed. So, let's get to it: The Departed was better. Or more to the point it was bigger--it's hard to compete against Scorsese, Nicholson, and DiCaprio. Say what you want about the overvaluation of  movie stars, but the good ones are big for a reason. That's not to say this wasn't good. It is. PLUS

I Saw the Devil: Since we're over there, here's a 2010 Korean serial killer movie. Good premise: cop hunts down fiance's murderer and then lets him go just so he can continue to follow and torture him. He becomes just as bad as the killer, get it? This is really well done, but I have to admit a lot of it turned me off. There's a lot of violence and it quickly devolves into torture porn. I actually found myself saying that I didn't need to see everything they were showing. That said, it's still a pretty good movie with some moments of genuine emotional weight. Take that, Saw. PLUS

Night of the Hunter: Went old school here, way back to 1955. If you're not familiar with this film, it's the one featuring Robert Mitchum's iconic performance of evil preacher Harry Powell. No? He has "Love" and "Hate" tattooed on his knuckles. Yeah, that movie. And you know what? Mitchum is something else, although never quite as terrifying as the film's reputation would lead you to believe. It suffers simply from being an older film. They just couldn't make movies as well as they do today. Technically, speaking. This does look good, though, and a lot different than most everything else from that period. Also, there's even a strong child performance by Billy Chapin, which as you know is never a given. Stupid kids. Everything considered, PLUS

All pluses? I know, right? Different levels of plusdom, but a good run nonetheless.