2 days in paris

very talky movie about a couple bickering during a 2 day layover in paris, where Julie Delpy's parents live. interesting that her fictional parents are her real ones, but the whole American culture clash/misunderstanding thing really isn't that funny, and who wants to watch a couple fight for an hour and a half?

rendition

this movie has two stories - one loosely based on the true story of a Canadian who was sent by the Americans to another country to be tortured, and the other about suicide bombers. the second story is better. this is yet another tale of terrorism and torture with really-hard-to-watch parts that leaves you wondering what the point was. nice to see Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Saarsgard, Meryl Streep, etc, but none of them stands out - the actors playing the 'North Africans' steal the show.

you kill me

this dark comedy about a Buffalo hit man in rehab in San Francisco doesn't quite work - it mixes too many genres and cliches, and there's absolutely no chemistry between Ben Kingsley and Tea Leoni. Luke Wilson isn't as annoying as usual, but that's because, despite having a pretty big role, he doesn't actually do anything in this movie. I expected more from John Dahl.

a scanner darkly

although I enjoyed the book much more, this adaptation is interesting and Linklater puts his animation technique to good sci-fi use. Robert Downey Jr. is deliciously hateable and Keanu does what he does best. the tale is tricky and the drug-induced paranoia and confusion play well on film.

zodiac

I'm kicking myself for not having watched this in the theatre because it's really good and not even scary. Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr are all excellent and the true story is compelling. even at almost 3 hours, I wished for more.

gone baby gone

the Afflecks won me over with this thriller about a missing girl and a young, neighborhood investigator who tries to help the cops solve the case. the casting is excellent - so many really ugly people in this one, as well as familiar faces including one of my new favorites, Michael K. Williams (the wire). the movie is thoughtful, suspenseful and engaging. thumbs up.

michael clayton

if you didn't know that working for a big law firm compromises your integrity, you may want to check out this movie. it turns out that agricultural companies aren't all benevolence - who knew? but if you're a George Clooney fan, you'll probably love this because he's in almost every scene looking very serious and mysterious.

in the land of women

this is an odd little drama about cancer, mother-daughter relationships, and Adam Brody bringing out the best in every woman he meets. it's a fairly implausible premise and nothing much happens, but it isn't a terrible movie, just kind of dull.

daddy's little girls

Idris Elba is REALLY HOT in this Tyler Perry movie about a down and out dad trying to gain custody of his girls. Gabrielle Union doesn't bring too much depth to her role of high class lawyer slumming it with her driver, but she doesn't ruin the movie either.

the hoax

the true story behind this is film is pretty interesting - hack author writes fake Howard Hughes biography, but the whole thing felt a little too staged for my taste. Marcia Gay Harden's german accent was particularly grating. Alfred Molina's sidekick was just a little too gullible and Hope Davis, who's usually good, seemed like she was trying too hard. Richard Gere, however, portrays the paranoid and desperate Clifford Irving with style.

redemption: the stan tookie williams story

although this was a tv movie, it's hard not to be inspired by the true story of the founder of the crips who was nominated for two nobel prizes. Jamie Foxx is hot, Lynn Whitfield is earnest, and Vondie Curtis Hall's directing brings a lot of flair to the story.

a guide to recognizing your saints

being in the hospital put a very unwelcome damper on my movie-watching this week, but a lot of stuff I want to see has been released here recently, so I hope to catch up very soon. meanwhile - videos. this one starts out very disjointed but starts to come together by the end. it's a fairly seen-it-before tale of poor kids growing up in a poor neighborhood. the acting is good, but every role feels undeveloped. that said, I liked the kid Shia LaBoeuf- adult Robert Downey Jr. and kid Melonie Diaz-adult Rosario Dawson pairings - I could see it.

the take

my college friend, the very famous and brilliant Naomi Klein, made this documentary with her husband Avi Lewis about workers taking over closed down factories in Argentina after the economic collapse. the glimpse into this period of Argentine history is fascinating and the workers' determination to create employment for themselves and reject corrupt leadership is inspiring. well done Naomi! and don't forget to read her books - No Logo and the Shock Doctrine.

we own the night

this movie is simple but very engrossing. Joaquin Phoenix shines as the bad boy son to Robert Duvall who clearly favors the dull but dutiful brother, played by Mark Wahlberg. Eva Mendes is hot, of course, and it was cool to see Danny Hoch in a pretty good role in a serious film. cops and drug dealers, good versus evil, the ties that bind - it's all here.

28 weeks later

this movie was all gore, and no character development - nothing at all to care about. at least I watched it at home so I could fast forward.

sydney white

I'm a total sucker both for these kind of movies, where nothing really terrible ever happens and geeks rule, and Amanda Bynes herself, who by all rights should be completely annoying, but somehow isn't. a lot of the actors in this movie look familiar, but haven't actually been in anything else, excpet of course for go-to geeks Samm Levine and Danny Strong. you don't need a review for this one - if you like this kind of movie, you'll like it, if you don't, resident evil:extinction is playing right next door.

the jane austen book club

I read this book a while ago, but don't really remember it. I can only hope that it wasn't quite as cutesy as this movie. I also don't remember all the characters and plots of all the Jane Austen movies, which makes the book club discussions near impossible to follow. Emily Blunt is extremely pouty as an unhappy French teacher, Maria Bello looks good, and all the lesbian characters are as cute as buttons. the movie's fun to watch, but much too cheesy to be taken seriously.

the tv set

the only thing worth mentioning about this cliched movie about a television writer watching his script get butchered in the interest of ratings is Sigourney Weaver's performance as a kindly evil network president. but it's still not worth watching. I expected more from Jake Kasdan.

bug

this is an intimate drama about a woman who is so lonely she'll believe in anything to stave it off. or, it's a paranoid thriller about the victim of government experiments. or, it's a violent horror movie about a bug infestation. however you look at it, it's interesting. and, tin foil has never looked so beautiful and creepy.

the kingdom

this is a high action movie that scares you with acts of terrorism, keeps you at arm's length from the characters, and sends the message that all anyone really wants to do is kill their fellow human. Jamie Foxx and Chris Cooper are both great actors, and you get little glimpses into their talent, but not enough to truly engage. Jennifer Garner has one great but disgusting Sidney Bristow moment, but mostly this film just blows shit up, and proves once again that Americans value American lives over all others.

death at a funeral

wow this movie is so not funny. most of the jokes derive from gross out humor, homophobia and the old classic, someone mistakenly takes psychedelic drugs at a solemn family gathering. it was fun to see Alan Tudyk (Wash from Firefly), naked I might add, and Peter Dinklage, but overall this movie is painful. as an aside, I spent the weekend on Culebra, island home to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. very nice.