It's been a while. The wife has me slaving around here so I can't even drink beer. I did sneak in some movie watching though. I saw these films and figured I would let everyone know what I thought of them:
THE HURT LOCKER
This film is about the addiction to war and danger that soldiers can develop as the remain in combat. Jeremy Renner stars as a bomb defuser in the Iraq War. He had defused something like 875 bombs since arriving and as the film progresses, we see that he is reckless, crazy, and more then a little bit of a hotshot; although he does still maintain some connection with other human beings at times. This split personality causes problems for everyone but him as we see through the film.
The cinematography was outstanding. It was truly a beautiful movie and the scenes and set locations perfectly complemented the ever-growing mood of dread at what will happen as the film progresses. Kathryn Bigelow deserved the Oscar as this film was close to perfect. Easily in my top 10 of the 00's (I have to go back and amend my list- bye bye Bond flicks). As I am one of the 12 people on Earth who didn't see Avatar yet, I'll have to wait until seeing that to really judge which was better although I'm going to lean toward someone who's film is really filmed; not generated on computers.
Overall, I would give this a five out of five with no reservations at all. For anyone who is familar with Stanley Kubrick's work (The Shining and Full Metal Jacket in particular), I would love to hear if you thought that Bigelow models her sets and shots after him. I certainly thought so as it kept popping in my head as the film went on.
PRECIOUS
Possibly the most depressing film ever made, it is still very good and clearly makes it's point. We meet Precious who has everything (and I mean everything) go against her in life. She is kicked out of High School and heads to an Alternative School where her life is changed. Without giving anything away that isn't in the trailer, the acting is phenomenal, the screenplay is razor sharp, and the film's low budget doesn't hold it back too noticeably. I would have preferred some more elaborate sets and some more thought into the setting, but I'm sure the low budget was to blame.
Overall, I'm saying 4.5 out of 5. The actors (particularily Monique) were fantastic. The screenplay was outstanding as well. Go rent it as long as you don't mind feeling like you have been kicked in the nuts for two hours straight. (Really, go rent it- it's good.)
Angels and Demons
Ron Howard's second installment in the Dan Brown book adaptions was a tremendous improvement over the first. The pacing and plot development were more structured and cohesive and the film did not have the ten or twenty minute dry spells that DaVinci Code had. The rest of the movie was up to par; nothing great although Tom Hanks did get rid of his 70's porn haircut. (No pun- but thank God!) The rest of the acting was acceptable but nothing memorable. If you like the books, rent this on a night when you really don't want much substance; just a plot twist or two that follows the book.
Overall, a 3 out of 5.
INGLORIUS BASTERDS
Quentin Tarantino takes some fairly large liberties with history to accomodate his latest cast of memorable, off the chart lunatics in Inglorius Basterds. The Inglorius Basterds are a group of Nazi hunters during WWII who will stop at nothing to intimidate the Nazis by their violent actions toward them. Brad Pitt is perfect as the leader; Christolph Baltz is better as the German Jew hunter they are pursuing. The film is set up as a play with each change in venue and plot becoming it's own "scene." Don't let this fool you as it is a much more linear story than Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill which were nothing more than plays for the big screen. Tarantino's fantastic storytelling and direction elevate this would-be middle of the pack film to respectability but it falls well short of the other films nominated for the Best Picture in 2010. If you are a Tarantino film, rent it ASAP as it reminds the viewers of his other films. If you didn't care for Kill Bill I or II or Pulp Fiction, I would probably stick with something a little more realistic. (The Hurt Locker for instance).
Overall a 4 out of 5 but I enjoy Tarantino's quirky way o0f filmmaking that tends to not be the road most taken.
Please reply with your opinions of these films. I would love to hear what others thought.
Bigwallabowski
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