What was the last movie you saw at the theaters?

I don't remember the last movie I saw in the theater. I live in Korea so I did see a Korean movie recently but since I don't speak Korean I have to just watch it and guess what is happening.

How Do You Know?
2010, James L. Brooks

Oscar winner James L. Brooks returns to the big screen for only the sixth time in his long career, and sadly the result is more than a bit of a muddle with far too few laughs or emotions. It's primarily the story of two star-crossed thirtysomethings, George and Lisa (Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon). Both are at professional low points in their lives, her having just been cut from the USA Women's Softball Team, him facing felony indictments for crooked business dealings at his company. They are both neurotic, but manifest their quirks in these dark days differently. She is almost pathologically optimistic much of the time, believing if she works hard and focuses that a positive outcome will emerge. He is almost paralyzed by the fear of the unknown and would rather sit with his head in the sand until the storm somehow passes.

In the midst of this, they wind up on an awkward blind date they decide to honor. Lisa's effect on George is powerful and almost instantaneous, making him forget his troubles while in her presence and feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel. She pays little attention to him at first, as she is also in a new relationship with a cocky Major League relief pitcher (Owen Wilson). But eventually a sort of romantic triangle develops, and she starts seeing what she isn't getting from the pitcher or anybody else but that comes effortlessly from George.

There's a subplot about the legal indictments at George's company, which happens to be run by his father, played by Jack Nicholson. But it's not terribly interesting. In fact, nothing much that goes on, by way of the narrative, is in the least bit engaging. Rudd especially has some natural charm and wrings a few laughs out of some physical gags here and there, Witherspoon makes the most out of a strangely written character, while Owen Wilson breezes through a few scenes doing exactly what he's done before in a dozen other flicks. There's only one scene of much emotional payoff, involving another smaller subplot with Rudd's former secretary (Kathryn Hahn from Step Brothers), but it is alone in a wilderness of dullness. I was hoping Spanglish, Brooks' previous effort, was an anomaly, but there's no energy or wit or purpose to be found here. Even with lowered expectations, as a Jim Brooks fan this was a big disappointment. Even on autopilot it's better than the last three Katherine Heigl romantic dramadies and Rudd fares better here than in the summer dud Dinner with Schmucks, but those are extremely low bars and I can hardly give out high-fives for slowly clearing them.

GRADE: C-
which may, in fact, be generous

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Thanks Pikey Will give this a miss at the movies

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Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha

Salt

I think Holden may well've been reverentionally generous to Mr. Brooks latest effort. Seeing as he's only really made one good film (Terms Of Endearment) and his latest film stars (and I use the word loosely) Jack Nicholson, Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson a C- could well be far too high.

I personally rank Terms third, behind As Good As It Gets and Broadcast News, which for me is easily his best. Diff'rent strokes and all. But as I say, even as a fan willing to forgive...very flat.

True Grit
2010, The Coen Brothers

Ethan and Joel Coen's second remake (the other being The Ladykillers) is wholly satisfying and purely entertaining. To label it a remake is slightly misleading, as the Brothers Coen have returned to the source material that was previously brought to the screen in the movie that got John "Duck" (I Says) Wayne his Oscar as Best Actor. It is last year's Best Actor, Jeff Bridges, filling the boots of ill-tempered, one-eyed Federal Marshall Rooster Cogburn.

While some specific details differ, the overall story is the same. Fourteen-year-old Matty Ross, played by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld (and who is simply amazing), has come to collect the body of her father, murdered by a hired hand by the name of Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), who has run off into Indian Territory, likely pairing up with other outlaws led by Lucky Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper). But she has more business to attend to than simply tending to the coffin, as she intends to hire a man or men to go after and bring Chaney to justice, either by judge's rope or by bullet. Being assured the drunken Cogburn is a tough, mean S.O.B., she hires him, insists on tagging along, and the hunt is on. Also along for the ride is a young Texas Ranger, Mr. LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), also chasing the man called Chaney for a previous murder and bounty.



Besides my not being a fan of Wayne, I don't think the first adaptation of True Grit in 1969 has aged particularly well. The Coens' version is an improvement in every single way, from exposition to cinematography to the action scenes to the quality of the acting top to bottom and everything else. The first Matty, played by Kim Darby, was an actress in her twenties playing a teenager...not very convincingly. Steinfeld was only thirteen during the filming, and though playing her age she has a level of skill far beyond her years, while still truly looking the part. As for Wayne vs. Bridges, The Duck, as usual, played himself, while Bridges has crafted an actual character.

The Coens finally getting around to the Western genre is a welcome fit. It's not a reinvention of the form, certainly, rather a perfectly crafted foray that has their attention to mood, character, and action in a rousing adventure that, while stylized, has more realism in any two of its scenes than the 1969 flick had in its entire running time. Can hardly wait to see it again.


GRADE: A-

Want to see True Grit

Took my Nephews boys to see Megamind They loved it I wasn't as impressed

The Tempest (Taymor)

Black Swan - if you've seen the trailer, you've seen the film. Natalie Portman is fantastic, but it's like Streisand's disco years: awesome talent squandered on mediocre material.

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Review: Cabin in the Woods 8/10

My wife and I went Sunday to see The King's Speech. No shoot-'em-ups, no explosions, no teens making potty jokes and bodily functions sounds. Just a well-told story with an outstanding British cast.

It reminded me of something I read somewhere recently that UK actors generally are better than US actors because the live theaters in London aren't thousands of miles from where the movies and TV series are filmed. Thus actors in the UK have a better chance to hone their craft in all three outlets.

127 Hours. Loved it. Great soundtrack. 8.5/10

A fitting sequel, in that the tech achievements are more important than the narrative to a large degree. That said the story and the style combine well at points (not to mention the cohesion crafted by Daft Punk's driving soundtrack). The cyberpunky plot almost threatens to create a thought-out world at times. I liked how Bridges blew on a representation of digi-DNA in one scene, as if that was a form of trammelled complexity that we're unthinkingly capable of (blowing air around). That kind of vibe tallied with the 'we don't know what we've got' take home message they were going for.

The biggest message, however, was that towering silky 3D imagery is cool, and that was all fun (And laughing at awful dialogue about the sun being warm was enjoyable too ). The storyline wasn't all bumph, and some lines could even have been delivered better, but this film is ultimately a Disney rollercoaster. Bridges spouting hippy schtick was forgivable given the backstory, but the lead's leadenness less so (he was almost out-acted by the CGI-Bridges at points, and 'he' was only just working because he's meant to be a simulation in the first place).

But hey, enjoy the noir-ish CGI-futurism, the scads of silliness, get on your lightbike and just go with the flow

--(-)

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Virtual Reality chatter on a movie site? Got endless amounts of it here. Reviews over here

The Fighter and it was great!

Monsters . Good film but certainly not without it's flaws. The leads are wonderful, particularly the main bloke but when it comes time to show the ACTUAL monsters the film goes down hill a bit save for a couple of chilling moments. The aliens are unoriginally designed despite looking decent given it's budget.

Black Swan. I thought it was fantastic. So, dark and despering. My brother, whom I saw it with had another opinion. The film as he put it was about...

WARNING SPOILERS! WARNING SPOILERS! WARNING SPOILERS!
|"A ballerina who goes insane, starts masturbating and kills herself."|
WARNING SPOILERS! WARNING SPOILERS! WARNING SPOILERS!

The last film i saw in theaters was Julia and Julia.It was ok for a chick flick,my mom made me go.I kinda like staying at home and watching movies more then going to the movie theater.

God you havn't been to the theater in a while.

Ya well I would rather stay at home and watch movies that way it does not cost me a fortune and I can pause the movie for a smoke break any time I want.