The Adjustment Bureau

I get crap sometimes for not taking Franco's advice on entertainment experiences...most times I am just slow in my consumption of the films and other times I am just waiting to be ready to experience the film or TV show or whatever (I will get to the shield someday)...but I am always interested in what my BFF suggests. He did say this Matt Damon film was good and I agree...it's definitely a PLUS...it has a lot of sci-fi fantasy stuff I love...watching this made me think of Dark City, Gattaca, and Guys and Dolls...(more on that later)...I also loved Matt Damon in a role like this along with Mad Men star John Slattery and newcomer to me Anthony Mackie. The action was paced well and the sci fi for the most part was unique and refreshing (also as a side review I saw Source Code...not as groundbreaking as Moon but the Duncan Jones film was good and similarly paced...thoughtful and like Groundhogs Day meets 12 Monkies...what I hated was the acting by all the government workers...)...so I am watching The Adjustment Bureau and inevitably I start questioning some things...here is a list that I came up with:

1. I hate Emily Blunt: I have heard her name mentioned a million times for films but I have never seen her...she is supposed to be this great modern dancer but she reminded me of like the 3rd contestant eliminated from "So you Think You can Dance"...she is no Natalie Portman...and this is a PG 13 film...when did we need the "Love interest"...and a female mind you to have such a fresh mouth...she is obviously a slut in the film...she talks like a sailor and for no reason says the word "Fuck"...since when in PG 13 films is this acceptable...its is needed in Scarface granted...but in this love story where I am supposed to believe that Matt Damon...soon to be President of the US according to "The Plan"...is gonna fall in love with this foul mouthed and pretty ugly slut?

2. The Chairman?...really?...OK so they never say it and obviously its to make the film non-religious...but if they refer to the chairman as pretty much God...why not say God?...I mean obviously when we think "Chairman" we think Frank Sinatra...and these guys who all work for the "Chairman" all are wearing suits and fedoras..like who?...Frank Sinatra...just ridiculous...and no we never see the Chairman...Matt Damon wants the black guy to be the Chairman...but supposedly we all have met the chairman...but we don't know when...WTF?

Anyway I see similar silly stuff in Source Code...not enough for me to give these a minus...I am slow to write here because I have seen a lot of stuff and am trying to get it all wrapped in my head and then blamo...I see another film...well just wait and see what I come out with next...till then...BOOM

Hereafter

Classic Eastwood film: Interesting, thoughtful, slow, and a bit too long. The sci-fi angle, which intrigued me enough into listing it as a movie to watch last autumn, turned out to be more spiritual, afterlife nonsense (I know, the title, right?) Still, I didn't dislike it and found myself wanting to find out how the three intersecting storylines played out. Matt Damon is his usual solid self, but I was pleasantly surprised by Bryce Dallas Howard who I can't seem to figure out. Do I like her? I didn't even realize it was her at first. I think I associate her too closely with Shyamalan, but I'm willing to let that go.

So, there you go. Not a ringing endorsement of the movie, but a recommendation if you're in a patient mood. PLUS

Playlist: The Bourne Saga

Alot of death, meaningless characters that I have no real idea what they do or who they are...we get a little closer over the course of the 3 films to understand Jason's role and his past...but by little I mean, he has another name and he was trained...and he wants to find out his past...ok...once Paul Greengrass takes over the last 2 films the chase scenes become longer and Jason Bourne's action amps up but the character development takes a back stage...I guess the feeling was that the audience already liked the Matt Damon character and that was enough...I liked it alot, but if they do another film maybe another director will be needed.

Playlist: Bourne Identity

More reasons to love Matt Damon:

I mean I hated this kid...and only because he was handsome, young, rich, and I thought his talent was fleeting and he was riding the coat tails of a one. Ben Affleck. Man I hated the success of Good Will Hunting...looking back that film works so well, and those guys still did not deserve the Oscar...but ultimately Matt Damon was the talented one..he is a great actor. Don't get me wrong, it took a long time for Affleck to get close to Damon, to compare them now is comparing Damon's talent to Frank Sinatra, and Afflecks ability to Dean Martin...sure they look good together, and sure Affleck tries...but he will never be a Frank Sinatra.

Damon's film here is a 2002 action picture which was botched with problems due to its due date and then lack of focus by the producers post Sept 11, 2001. They were afraid to put this out in a world that no longer wanted explosions (so says Tony Gilroy the screenwritter and Frank Marshall the producer)...if I learned anything from the Entourage season opener last night...dont trust agents, or producers...Doug Limon of Swingers fame and Matt Damon, make a fun, intriguing old style action film set with modern pizazz.

I just trust the tough, baby face, and honest eyes of Matt Damon...maybe its because of how much he and I have gone through over the years (not that he knows)...but his charm and action sense make him 2 parts Spiderman, 1 part Terminator, and 5 parts Will Hunting

I am really looking forward to catching the rest of this film series now and then I can focus on catching up with "The Shield"...since Frank has said I would like it and I would like to reciprocate his advice and check that show out.

It should be noted that Clive Owen is in this and is great in it...he does barely nothing...but is great at it.

Contact Greatness

Arial font is the closest we will get to Helvetica...this post is in Arial font...I chose it because it is closest to Helvetica...Microsoft has not gotten the rights to Helvetica and therefore we now have Arial in its place...the glory that is the perfect font, Helvetica has been emasculated by a God, greatness is hard to define, but I find great beauty and wonder in fonts, I use them to express a feeling and when I see Helvetica I see freedom and universality, not so much creativity, and then when I see Arial...I see an anti-god, I see an imposter, a false prophet, so easily it is to spot sometimes...as it is with actors..how easily were we all fooled by the likes of Ben Affleck, or by Jim Carrey...these were promised to be great (by some) and then got paid and screwed all of us...I actually thought Matt Damon was the jerk until Ben showed his true colors (but that's for another post)...

When you see greatness and then attempt to come close to it, it is a scary thing...take for instance this blogspot...I just found out I have an account on it...it was for one reason, to contact greatness about 4 or 5 years ago. I opened this account when I found out that Darren Aronofsky was abandoning MySpace (I got a myspace account just to see his page)...and the great Director turned to blog spot...he updated us on The Fountain as it was released and then on the "new project"...The Wrestler...then as time faded no more updates...I opened an account for the chance to see the posts and by chance contact him...I even was one of the first to get on blogspot and open an account and post a thanks to him for his great films, this of course was a sad and desperate attempt to be heard by an icon of mine...there have been other attempts...I posted a blog thanks and shout out to the great Frank Vincent on his personal web site...(no reply)...and then the one moment that a celebrity actually emailed me back was the great Vincent Gallo..I wanted to know a bunch of crap...he probably saw right through me...but he emailed me anyway about 3 years ago..to let me know what I wanted...did he shoot The Brown Bunny in order as the film progresses its road journey from New Hampsire to California?...and what roads did he take?...as if I will someday take the vacation of a life time and recreate the road experience of Vincent Gallo on his journey...(email me if you want to come with...and I can give you his reply personally and we can hit the road...dead bugs and all...but I promise no blow jobs in dingy white and brown motels once we get to California)...

Anyway..the dream is that of Icarus..to fly too close to greatness is to get burned...too bad I am mostly like Sysiphus...I fail but keep trying.