Over the summer I have been catching up on some movies that I have not yet seen. Perhaps admitting this is to my doom as a self-proclaimed movie lover, or perhaps not. You decide.
The following will give the movie name, the year, why I had never seen it and what I think now that I have. Thanks to friends who have insisted I watch certain films and to Lamby for letting me borrow some titles as well as the local video store (yes, we still have one in my hometown) for stocking good flicks.
"Return of the Jedi", 1983: Never really thought about it, but enjoyed the series finally being resolved. Chewie and Han are still my favorites!
"Juno", 2007: Didn't care about the subject matter, but really enjoyed it. It was quirky and thoughtful. Jason Bateman was terrific.
"No Country For old Men", 2007: Had been wanting to see this, just never was in the right mood. This movie was incredible. It was beautifully shot, interesting and terrifying. I was speechless after watching this movie. Top notch performances by ALL.
"Avatar", 2009: Wasn't interested because I didn't like the idea of mostly green screen and animation and all the hype seemed suspect. It was creative in spots, a let down in a majority and completely predictable throughout. I admit I watched the 1st hour and skimmed the last 2 hours. It was WAY too long, not as "amazing" as everyone made it out to be, not to mention, the acting was elementary, the storyline was old hat and I was bored.
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High", 1982: Another movie that never really crossed my mind. It was entertaining in that 80's movie kind of way, but what I loved about it was the seriousness of the Jennifer Jason-Leigh plot. Fun yet surprisingly deep and enjoyable.
"Back to the Future part 2", 1989: As a fan of the first, I never wanted to taint the love I had with a sequel. I thought it was clever in how they melded the first in with the second, but thought it was a little overboard. It was fun, but nothing I would want to watch again and again like the original.
"Back to the Future part 3", 1990: Again, didn't want to ruin the first by watching sequels so I never saw this one either. The old west was a good time period, but I thought the cleverness was lacking and they could have done so many other things. Destroying the Delorean time machine was painful at the end and the train time machine was ridiculous. Not the closure I was hoping for. Wished I had trusted my gut and stuck with the 1985 original.
"The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou", 2004: I assumed because it was Bill Murray that I would be annoyed so I never saw this little gem. I realized how much I dig a Wes Anderson film and that Bill Murray is actually enjoyable to watch (Zombieland helped secure that opinion of him I think). It was beautiful and witty, well casted and crazy. I fell in love with this movie.
"The Transporter", 2002: I usually don't shy away from dude movies, but how exciting could a guy driving a BMW with presumable illegal cargo be? Well, I was wrong. It can be pretty freakin' awesome. I really enjoyed this movie as I am beginning to appreciate Jason Statham and his athletic abilities ever since "The Expendables". The fight scenes were completely amazing, so much so that I actually watched the DVD extras of the extended fight scenes WITH commentary. Incredible stunts all around with driving and fighting. Fun flick!
"Crank", 2006: The premise of this never interested me, and I should have trusted my gut. Regardless of my new found appreciation of Jason Statham, this movie was the most ridiculous I have seen in a while. The filming style seemed forced and contrived and the script was uninspired. This movie left me feeling like I wasted 87 minutes of my life. Yea...it was THAT bad.
"Serenity", 2005: As a fan of Joss Whedon as well as the Firefly series, it's strange I missed this. A great concept that should have been recognized by a wider audience and continued as a TV show. Space cowboys rock!
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Regarding "No Country For Old Men": this movie was by far one of the finest movies made in the last five years, potentially the last ten years. No Country boldly goes to a place that intricately draws the line between graphic violence without purpose and terrorizing the viewer with profound purpose. The purpose was to convey the sheer horror of a drug trafficking network who will go to extreme means to protect their goods and profits. A dramatization of the underlying violence in a criminal enterprise, but a fair representation of the sociopathic approach to the destructive forces in play when ultimate greed is the consuming motivating factor. No Country also demonstrates the strong tide of criminality against the ever weakening bureaucracy combating these criminal and nefarious networks. Also interesting, is seeing Josh Brolin's character playing the final price in his endeavor to extricate cash that was not his own. Yet, somewhere inside you, you find yourself hoping that Mr. Brolin will find a way to keep the cash and run away with his wife and safely spend their days in peace. The brutality with which Mr. Brolin and his wife come to their end, only promulgates the underlying amoral path the film's nemesis has chosen and fully embraced. It is the eerily calm manner in which the villain carries out his execution of all who stand in the way of his task: find the money and retrieve it successfully for his employer. It is the blank and empty stares of this character during his utterly brutal and socially detached means of ending one life after another. A cold and calculating look into the vacant eyes of a stone-cold killer, not for purpose, but for profit. A wonderfully directed film with a language and dialogue that makes the characters nearly palpable and their internal struggles nearly become your own.
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