Crash

I wondered if Crash would be enjoyable the second time. Although I had remembered some of the main scenes, there was still a lot more plot I had forgotten about, with the same mixture of humour, shock, and sweetness. Although I was still surprised watching it thinking "is there really still this level of racism in the States?" I suppose I imagine there is to some extent, but it seems so endemic in the society these characters live in I almost find it incredulous.

I think the plot is far to involved to attempt to describe here, suffice to say, there is a lot of cross-over between the characters leading to some very heart-in-the-mouth moments, sweet moments, epiphanal (is that a word?) moments and moments of redemption. I really think it's the film Magnolia wanted to be.

Or maybe it's a film about some bored/sullen folks!

Napoleon Dynamite

I'm not sure I can really begin to review this film it's so random, but so cool.

Deb: What are you drawing?
Napoleon Dynamite: A liger.
Deb: What's a liger?
Napoleon Dynamite: It's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed... bred for its skills in magic.

Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) is a high school kid, somewhere in the mid-west I guess, I don't think that is confirmed. The plot generally (in an aimless kinda way) revolves around Napoleon helping new kid Pedro (Efren Ramirez) become class president.

Pedro: Vote for me, and all your wildest dreams will come true.

Also Napoleon has to deal with his random family:

Napoleon Dynamite: Stay home and eat all the freakin' chips, Kip.
Kip: Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.
Napoleon Dynamite: Since when, Kip? You have the worst reflexes of all time.

and girls:

Napoleon Dynamite: Well, nobody's going to go out with *me*!
Pedro: Have you asked anybody yet?
Napoleon Dynamite: No, but who would? I don't even have any good skills.
Pedro: What do you mean?
Napoleon Dynamite: You know, like nunchuku skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.


And then there's this:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2006172

Pure Genius!

Bad Boys

Then the Will Smith season on channel 5 continued with Bad Boys. Not as bad as I remember it being, and still better than Bad Boys II which I thought was awful with lots of confusing gun fights. Still, back to the first film. Now unlike MIB, this IS a Will Smith film. If it isn't several shots of him with his shirt open/off while a huge fan is blowing in his face, then it's Martin Lawrence trying to be Will Smith; "I'm Mike Lowery". Generally I think it's just an excuse to make Will Smith look good, shoot guns and drive fast cars. But then having seen the names Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer at the beginning I didn't expect Hamlet! Whatcha gonna do?
Still, Joe Pants is good, and Téa Leoni is nice to look at in this film.

Men in Black

Though I'm not a huge fan of Will Smith, I still think this film is funny. I'm not sure whether it's because of the often understated sense of humour: "Gentlemen, you're everything we've come to expect from years of Government training.", or whether it doesn't FEEL like a Will Smith film, as I think Tommy Lee Jones has as many one-liners as Will. Of course the real star of the show is Vincent D'Onofrio playing Edgar.

Grabs back of saggy head: "Is that Better?"

Inglorious Basterds

This is one of those films I think is really great because everyone speaks the language they should (similar to Zwartboek). The Germans speak German, the British and Americans speak English and the French speak French. Brilliant! There is some cross-over but it's all done well.

I guess I generally like World War 2 films anyway, as long as they're done a bit differently (Zwartboek, Downfall, Enemy at the Gates, erm Where Eagles Dare?); and this is unmistakably Quentin Tarantino. From the irreverent casual chat between characters (which Christoph Waltz does so well) to the particularly gruesome, bloody violence. There is even some very similar camera tracking movements to Kill Bill, the main lobby of the cinema with it's staircases particularly reminded me of The House of Blue Leaves restaurant.

Brad Pitt is generally great in films anyway, and here is no different, even if we can only understand half of what he is saying! I guess my only slight criticism of the film would be that Tarantino's burning desire to once again produce a soundtrack that people will love, results in some funky tunes being used that I though were totally incongruous to the film. The effect for me was to jerk me out of the film and disrupt the atmosphere/involvement with the film. Only a minor gripe though; loved it really.

Best bits:
1, Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), having been so smarmy and spot on throughout the film, suddenly looking terrified in front of Aldo Raine at the end of the film.
2, Aldo, Donny, and Omar try to speak Italian.
3, Stiglitz putting his pistol in Major Hellstrom's crotch, and knifing him in the head in the ensuing shootout.
4, The reaction of Shosanna Drefus when Landa approaches the table in the café.
5, Anything Brad Pitt says generally!

Respect the C*©k!

From what I had heard before, I thought that this was a love it or hate it film; and initially I thought I was going to love Magnolia. From the story of the guy trying to commit suicide by jumping of a tall building, but accidentally being shot (while falling) by his Mum; to the seemingly arbitrary but intriguing use of the number 82 everywhere; it set itself up as being very involved film, requiring keen observation and very probably a second viewing.

However, after the initial set up, what we got was an overbloated, self-loving 2.5 hour, interesting, but rambling film (in MHO). The very first stumbling block for me was Tom Cruise shouting "Respect the Cock!", I just didn't feel the character was believable from Tom. I also couldn't see how John C. Reilly's character couldn't see that Jimmy Gator's daughter was a junkie; not very good observation from a cop. I did think that William H. Macy's character was good though (well, William H. Macy was good), previous child genius, confused sexuality, stealing from boss to fund dental surgery to impress the guy he loves!

I thought towards the very end that the film was about redemption: dying father/estranged son, gold-digger wife who ultimately falls in love with dying husband, gold-digger wife/estranged son, estranged mother/junkie daughter, junkie daughter/cop and so on. But then the genius kid tells his Dad that he should treat him better, and the Dad just tells him to go back to bed. Oh, and then it rains toads!!

I'm afraid it didn't really do it for me. If you want to see a film where random people affect each others lives watch Crash!

                                          (Respect the hair! And up yours if you don't!)

filmsRruss

I decided I might have a go at writing a film blog, about some films I've watched. No reason, and I'm sure no-one will ever read it!