30 August 2011
This month's movies
Winter's Bone [ 4/5 | IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes ]. A quiet film. Small but beautifully done.
The Tree of Life [ 5/5 | IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes ]. This was the most beautiful film I've seen in many many years. It had a wildly unusual structure with a long, non-narrative first third that weighed against the subsequent narrative sections and gave them a context that would've otherwise not existed. The family scenes took up the bulk of the latter two thirds with Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, and their three sons giving stunning performances. The overall style reminded me of Tarkovsky's Mirror.
Centurion [ 3/5 | IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes ]. Silly 10th Century romp with Romans attacking Picts in England or thereabouts. Minor commentary on the hubris of invading empires; lots of blood. After watching Black Death (a better film), I've been wanting more in this genre.
Trip With the Teacher [ 1/5 | IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes ]. Continuing the Drive-In Cult Classics collection. Notable for the over-the-top villain (ACT) and two very uncomfortable rape scenes. The bad was boring; the very bad was too infrequent. Still, I was mesmerized at times by the dialog and 70s-ness, and people seem to love this inscrutable catfight scene:
Cold Weather [ 4/5 | IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes ]. What an odd and wonderful mood this sets up. The three leads--brother, sister, and brother's friend--had very natural relationships on screen. Conversations were quirky and believably realistic, with humor that for the most part wasn't put on. Highly recommended.
Fright Night [ 3/5 | IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes ]. I didn't remember much from the original, so Lisa&I re-watched it a couple of years back. It's difficult to replicate a movie that was very of-its-time, but this remake succeeds with a good cast and that silly premise. Good, not great.
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