Tag: review

One thing can be said about the Coen brothers latest film, A Serious Man (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1019452/), it sure is Jewish. What seems to be a reflection at being Jewish, A Serious Man, is, if anything, another of their head scratching efforts. Or at least, it will take you some time to figure out what it is the Coens are driving at in their movie. Again, the Coens make you leave the theatre quietly in reflection.A Serious Man opens with a Jewish parable. A man meets a neighbor on the lonely road home and invites him for some tea. Before the neighbor's arrival, the man's wife tells him that the neighbor isn't all that he is. He is a demon reincarnated after he died. Or he could just be a resilient man who survived. The wife takes it upon her to show her husband that she is right leaving the neighbor injured and dying. Or is he a demon and will survive? Are they blessed or cursed?The rest of the movie follows Larry Gopnik, a college professor, as he goes through trials and tribulations that Job would have found hard to get through. His wife wants a divorce to marry a divorcee friend. His children don't really care for him. His students are annoying. His brother is troublesome. And his neighbors are either racists or bored, free spirit housewives. Larry has to deal with all this even though he doesn't know why it is all happening to him.He tries to see a rabbi who will tell him what to do and what it all means. Yet, can you trust the advise of the religious? For example, the parking lot. Or for another example, Jefferson Airplane. It's all meaningless. So Larry is left to ponder how one is left to the fates. He is lurched from bad to good all the while helpless but persevering. When it all works, is he blessed or cursed?The Coens always make a film that you have to ponder about. This one makes me think of Barton Fink. I thought A Serious Man was penned by Barton Fink. Both films protagonists are afloat in the world that seems to have it against them, and they are powerless to effect change. It is fate, god, Hashim that animates their world, but why does He seem to be leveling pain and suffering. Perhaps, to the Coens their Jewish-ness is inherently un-understandable. What is it about their religion that motivates the Jews to be put upon? And should they stand for it?Finally, what is it with the Coens and Asians? Whenever an Asian is in their film prepare for a bizarre characterization. It'll make you cringe.3 of 5 stars.

The Men Who Stare at Goats (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234548/) was a movie I knew nothing about before paying my $8, plopping myself in a seat at a Sunday matinee, and getting to see a pleasant surprise of a movie. Of course I've seen the trailers and commercials, but I didn't bother to read the movie reviews. You see, I usually like to know what it is I'm getting myself into. When I don't know anything about the movie, I'm usually sceptical about how good it would be. I prepare for the worst. Most of the time, the movie is better than I expected. This one is one of the ones that turned out to be such. It must be because of the movie type, the actors involved, and the time of year. Thrillers and non-fictional fiction turn out for the better. Action and comedy turn out for the worst. George Clooney: yes. Jim Carey: no. The serious Oscar season of late fall and winter works. Silly summer movies doesn't. As you can see, my mindset entering into this movie was susceptible to liking the film. So, entering the theatre for The Men Who Stare at Goats, I had low expectations. I left liking the movie. First, George Clooney is always decent in a movie. I've not found him unlikeable in any of his recent outings. Also, Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges are also likeable in this film. McGregor, an actual Jedi Knight, investigating Jeff Bridges' New Earth Army of Jedi Knights. They're just a wink-wink, nudge-nudge reference to previous roles. And also, a cameo by my favorite, Stephen Root. I was waiting for his Milton to show up.The tale is also intriguing. Is it real? Did the US Army really create a unit of psychic warriors? Possibly. Anything goes with this army. If they can torture, why not ESP? The plot boils down to be a Mulder revelation, an explanation of the unexplainable. It'll leave you laughing and crying about our US Army. Finally, I couldn't help but be amused by the fact that a few weeks ago an internet meme was running through twitter, one letter movie titles. It's taking a movie and transforming it by adding or changing a letter to the movie. "The Men Who Stare at Goats" became "The Men Who Stare at Goatse." I'll leave that as an exercise to the reader to find out. I apologize in advance.3 of 5 stars.

The Informant! is Homer Simpson. Most everytime that Matt Damon opened his mouth and talked about ADM I was thinking that he was Homer Simpson brought to life on the big screen. The cluelessness and the profound stupidity was all there. Matt Damon can do no wrong in channelling the buffoon, Homer Simpson.

The only problem Matt Damon is Matt Damon. I could not get past fat Matt Damon to imagine the actual protagonist which distracted me all movie long because he was supposed to be portraying a real man. Fat Matt Damon is still Matt Damon rather than the guy who brought ADM ignominy.

The film though was awkward. It was rated R, but I don’t think there was any profanity, nudity, violence, or adult themes to warrant that rating. It was supposed to be a comedy, but wasn’t of the Something about Mary type. It was very Coen-ish. It looked like the seventies, with clothes from the eighties, taking place in the nineties, and funky sixties fonts. The story was rambling. I couldn’t tell the time frame when the actual events took place. Did he meet with the FBI months later? Or was it next week? No idea, because it all seemed to take place in a compressed time frame. One scene wasn’t directly related to another scene in time. Awkward.

In the end, the film sorta rambled then it ends. It’s an ending at least.

2 of 5 stars.

Ponyo or in the romanji, Gake no ue no Ponyo, is another of Hayao Miyazaki fantastic movies. He’s the last of the animators that still believes in hand drawn animation. It is difficult to find it being used as the medium in the US, but in Japan with its lively anime scene, hand drawn still seems to be a cherished medium. John Laseter agrees considering that it is his Disney that has been releasing the latest Studio Ghibli films, and he has a Disney hand drawn animated film coming out soon.

As for Ponyo, it isn’t as great as Miyazaki’s latest films. It isn’t as awe inspiring as Spirited Away, and it isn’t as cute as Totoro, yet, there is still some charm in it. And still some fantastic imagery.

The scene of Ponyo running on the waves. The joy in her face. The waves cresting and moving. Fun. Exciting. Something that hand drawn animation seems to get done very well. There is an organic quality to these scenes, and for me it illicits a feeling of fun.

As for the story, it was okay. Another of Miyazaki’s meditation of the human-nature conflict. And transformation of the human soul. And it hints at Yellow Submarine.

Still pretty good. I want to hear the original Japanese seiyu.

3 of 5 stars.