i can't wait just like you can't wait / until we're out past familiar gates / those seven words shook the life back in / so let's just run 'til we lose our breath.

film maker. film critic.

Posted: Feb 1, 2010 | Posted by marcy |

in light of my recent movie watching overload, i thought i could shed some light on what's currently playing in a theater near you. if you're looking for a review a la Ben Lyons, i am not your girl. i probably won't elaborate much farther than "i liked it" or "it was fair" but nonetheless, here are my thoughts:

crazy heart.
















RUN, do not walk, but run to your local cinema immediately. this film should not be missed. Jeff Bridges' performance as a 57-year old washed up country singer traveling with one too many benders under his belt and one too many broken hearts in his chest is worthy of every accolade he is receiving as of late. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays his love interest, which is harldy an expected match-up, but she is perfect - in every sense of the word. and hats off to the casting director for adding Colin Farell to the roster as a country megastar ... i wouldn't have anticipated that working at. all. but it is again a unique fit and he a'int bad to look at either. like i said: run.

edge of darkness.
definitely recommended. action packed. smart. Mel Gibson (despite his erratic mid-DUI rants and tirades) gives a great performance and a man on a mission. in essence, his daughter has been slaughtered before his eyes and he is hell-bent on hunting down her assasin...who wouldn't. it's a good thriller, i would see it twice.


the blind side.

i don't even no where to begin with this one. i could go on for days and i know that isn't how you want to fill your free cyber surfing time, so i will leave you with this. brilliant. go. see it. now. Sandra Bullock is a genius and her supporting cast is hardly anything less. you will laugh. you will cry. you will want to be a better person than you already are. it changed me. and would get 3 thumbs up if i had 3 thumbs.
the true heroes are the real people behind this story - which is why their photo is far more important than the hollywood movie poster could ever be.


the imaginarium of doctor parnassus.

it's hard to recap this one. it was weird. it was in the vain of Tim Burton, but not. it was good, but. but. but. i dunno. you really have to see it for yourself. Heath Ledger gives a great performace in his final curtain call. to say it is eerie to see him so alive only days/weeks before he was not so alive would be a grave understatement. pun, not intended. i love Heath. i wish he could have gone on to make more films.
the filmmakers do a hats-off jobs of picking up the pieces in Ledger's absense, filling his place with not one, but three incredibly brave and talented actors: Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law. and it works. well.
i recommend it if for nothing else than to see Ledger's last show, if he is someone who interests you as an actor. he did an amazing job.


leap year.

ohhh what to say about this fine piece of cinamatic work. let's put it this way: it will not win awards, most men will refuse to see it with their girlfriends or wives (unless they are in the dog house and in serious need of redemption), and both Amy Adams & Matthew Goode have finer works to place higher up on their resumes, but you actually won't be disappointed. it's lighthearted, it's fun, it's sweet, and it will make you want to go to ireland and belly-up at a pub. truth be told, it's my kind of movie. it's cheesy and you don't have to think too much. if there's nothing else playing that tickles your fancy, totally see it.

up in the air.

i liked it a lot. a whole lot. however, i don't really get all the award season buzz around it and it's abundance of nominations. but then again, it's Clooney, and he gets award nominations for walking across the street. so there you have that.

i would see it again. it's fun.

it's complicated.

loved it. it's fun and lighthearted and boys and men alike will enjoy it. Meryl Streep is great in everything she does, and this is no exception. Alec Baldwin is funny and oddly even a teeny bit sexy and plays off Meryl's character brilliantly. there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. it's a feel-good one.

the lovely bones.

like "Imaginarium," this one sort of falls under the 'weird' category. i liked it but it's a thinker. visually, it's incredibly pleasing (save for a few uber cheesy green screen moments). Peter Jackson likes it that way. it's a murder mystery of sorts but the idea that a father will do anything for his daughter is really the leading character. you kinda sorta know how it will almost end but there is a fantastic non-cliche ending that is far more realistic than most stories spun out of this genre. if you've read the book, i suppose you already know all you need to know, but i didn't read the book so it was uncharted waters for me.

i will say one additional thing. Ryan Gosling was originally set to play the role of the father, which was picked up by Marky Mark Whalberg when Ryan and Peter shared an overload of "creative differences" (allegedly). i worked very closely with Ryan during the filming of Half Nelson. he is a genuis and one of the single most gifted actors i will probably ever have the pleasure of knowing. however, i do not believe this role would have suited him and as much as i feel somewhat betraying in saying this: Marky Mark owned this role and whatever "differences" were had between actor and director, i think it is best that Ryan stepped down.


sherlock holmes.

i liked it. didn't love it. wouldn't marry it.
Robert Downey, Jr. is fantastic, Jude Law is very good, Rachel McAdams does a fine job. it's entertaining for sure and a nice way to spend 2 hours in a dark theater but i may not run to see it a second time. it might mean more to those who are big Sherlock fans, but i never was so it wasn't like a cult necessity like it has been for some. but i did enjoy it. i would see all above others first.
okay ........... that's all i have to say about films for now.

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