For the
sake of not having to write the same intro a million
different ways throughout the rest of time, just know that
this column avoids the overly long and sometimes dull
process of full film reviews and instead opts to break
things down based on what I thought going in, what happened
while I was there and what I learned at the end of it all.
Thanks for reading!
The
Breakdown - The Yellow Handkerchief
The Impression:
A Debbie Downer
independent film that's been gathering dust on the shelves
for almost two years, only to see light in the wake of
Kristen Stewart's disturbingly meteoric rise to fame? Well,
at least it's a road-trip film, and I love a good road trip
film.
The Reality:
A breathtaking
character study of three very lost soul who's lives
intertwine on an unexpected road trip through the South.
William Hurt's performance as Brett Hanson, an ex-con
recently released from prison, is, quite simply,
magnificent. Hanson's downfall is his nearly uncontrollable
anger, and William Hurt keeps the burning rage just below
the surface, always a heart-beat away from lashing out.
Eddie Redmayne is so believable in the film, I can only
imagine that this isn't acting, that if you were to drive
across the South in a powder blue convertible with him at
the wheel, this is exactly how he'd be. Kristen Stewart, still shockingly
bland in every role, manages to amble along exuding her
trademark bruised anguish.
Softly beautiful with a script that allows it's leads to
truly shine, I recommend nearly every moment of this film,
but
know
this: leave the theater exactly two minutes before the
credits roll, as the last shot of the film nearly decimates
the hard-won good will that has come before. Honestly, one
of the worst, patched on conclusions of any film I've ever
seen.
The Lesson:
Ninety minutes of amazing film can be brutally raked across
the coals by a
terrible
ending.
Noah Sanders is the blog/news editor at Light In The
Attic and a contributor at Sound On The Sound and
the KEXP blog. He also has his own
Criterion-based film site, Criterion Quest.
If you'd like to contact Noah in regards to his
writings here at Side One: Track One then please do
so
here.
For the
sake of not having to write the same intro a million
different ways throughout the rest of time, just know that
this column avoids the overly long and sometimes dull
process of full film reviews and instead opts to break
things down based on what I thought going in, what happened
while I was there and what I learned at the end of it all.
Hope that's OK.
Read on!
The
Breakdown - She's Out Of My League
The Impression:
While trying to win over an incredibly beautiful women, Jay
Baruchel (Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder) proves
that he IS the average Joe-type character that's he played
in all his other movies. Also, there's some filler
material that features him with what seems to be a cast of
b-side versions of Judd Apatow's inner circle.
The Reality:
As it turns out, this is actually a pretty hilarious flick.
Sure, there isn't anything in it that you haven't seen or
laughed at before, but it's so damn charming that you won't
be able to not enjoy it. And don't worry about it
being an Apatow rip-off, it actually has more in common with
a Ben Stiller-type rom-com. Only, and this is the most
important part, you don't have to sit through one outrageous
misstep after another (I'm looking at you Meet The
Parents). This is all laughs, and fortunately for
all they're the kind that don't make you hang your head in
shame.
The Lesson:
The world needs more watchable R-rated comedies, and
She's Out Of My League is a good start.
For the
sake of not having to write the same intro a million
different ways throughout the rest of time, just know that
this column avoids the overly long and sometimes dull
process of full film reviews and instead opts to break
things down based on what I thought going in, what happened
while I was there and what I learned at the end of it all.
Hope that's OK.
Read on!
The
Breakdown - Eve's Necklace
The Impression:
A thriller with an interesting concept - no actors, just
mannequins.
The Reality:
If there's anything that seems to widely be considered as
creepy it's lifeless objects that are treated as though
they're alive. So, naturally you'd think a black and
white flick that stars said purveyors of the dead eye stare
would make for a cringe-worthy experience, and you'd be
wrong. Eve's Necklace actually works in a
non-nightmarish way. Unfortunately though, that may
have been because I was thoroughly distracted by a fairly
standard "woman with a dark past" story and more
laughably-bad voice work than Kim Cattrall could shake a
stick at.
The Lesson:
Good direction and an interesting concept aren't the only
things you need to make a great movie. Actors (or at
least good voice actors) are also an important part.
The pairing of Tim Burton and Lewis Carrol's Alice In
Wonderland seems a match made in heaven. Burton has,
and I believe always will, dedicated his career to injecting
the idea of the children's story with his trademark sense of
gothic nightmare. The worlds he creates toe the line of
terror, but manage to do so with an underlying sense of
quirky playfulness, inviting the viewer to enjoy, even
embrace the terrifying. Alice In Wonderland, is, at
heart, a kid's book about a psychedelic dream, a brightly
colored nightmare of sorts, and Tim Burton crafts a
brilliant, visually stunning world that brings the
hallucinogenic aspects to the forefront.
Review - Alice In
Wonderland
Tim Burton's bad-acid-eaten Wonderland (or Underland) is set
some 13 years after Alice's (Mia Wasikowska) inaugural
tumble down the rabbit hole, and this sort-of-sequel finds a
Wonderland near destroyed. The Red Queen (a brilliant
Helena Bonham Carter) has, with enchanting malice, ravaged
and razed old Wonderland, leaving its beloved and familiar
denizens in a state of abject disregard. Alice,
unknowingly, has returned to become a champion and free
Wonderland from the Red Queen's maniacal grasp.
Painting with a palette of blacks, and browns and grays,
Burton creates a Wonderland that borders on grotesque
nightmare. A Wonderland gone to seed, the familiar haunts
of prior adaptations now husk-like remains of the past.
Skeletal trees snake across the horizon and poison-toothed
bandersnatches roam the wilderness. Amongst all this
though, Burton manages to insert the bizarre sense of humor
we've grown accustomed to. Eyes are poked out (and
replaced), fake noses (and breasts and guts) are ridiculed,
the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) dances across the air. The
time-honored characters of Carrol's original world still
exist, but they've been broken, frightened, and abused,
their beloved characteristics turned on their head. The Mad
Hatter (Johnny Depp) is actually quite insane, but not in
the tee-hee funny way of past Alice adaptations,
rather in a shocking, almost sad way. Depp brings a sense
of gallows humor to the role, but this is a Mad Hatter
ravaged by terrible things seen and done, a man shattered by
the past.
Sadly, the story behind this new Alice and Wonderland
fails to live up to the world Burton creates around it.
Alice must fulfill her destiny and kill the Jabbowocky -
that's it, that's all. Less an engaging plot, and more a
catalyst for Mia Wasikowska's bland portrayal of Alice to
tromp about in the fantastical world at hand, engaging with
the extravagant, and oft times hilarious characters that
populate this blend of Burton and Carrol's world.
Amazingly, this was nearly enough for me. I found myself
completely engaged, perhaps not in Alice's quest, but
instead in emerging myself in this truly Tim Burton
creation. I wanted to see the world that existed off the
edges of the page. Slim story aside, I shockingly found
myself in wont of a sequel or two sequels, anything to allow
me another trip down that wild rabbit hole.
Noah Sanders is the blog/news editor at Light In The
Attic and a contributor at Sound On The Sound and
the KEXP blog. He also has his own
Criterion-based film site, Criterion Quest.
If you'd like to contact Noah in regards to his
writings here at Side One: Track One then please do
so
here.
For the
sake of not having to write the same intro a million
different ways throughout the rest of time, just know that
this column avoids the overly long and sometimes dull
process of full film reviews and instead opts to break
things down based on what I thought going in, what happened
while I was there and what I learned at the end of it all.
Thanks for reading!
The
Breakdown - Brooklyn's Finest
The Impression:
Crash but with cops, as directed by
the man behind Training Day, a film I absolutely
deplored.
The Reality:
If you're looking for cop cliche,
Brooklyn's Finest has all the detective cliches
you can stomach: the undercover cop who's been in deep for
too long (Don Cheadle); the detective faced with moral
dilemma when he has to protect his family (a sweaty Ethan
Hawke); and of course, the disillusioned beat cop who has
just days before he retires (Richard Gere). Antoine Fuqua
seems to find that if he loosely interweaves these three
stories and ties them in to a mammoth ball of violence in
the final few frames, that he doesn't need to add anything
but booming symphonics, graphic sex and violence, and showy
visuals to "add something new" to these rote formulas. From
frame one the outcome of each and every story has already
been played out a thousand times on the silver screen,
moment by moment, word by word and by directors and
screenwriters far more talented.
The Lesson:
Originality is well worth it's weight in
gold.
Noah Sanders is the blog/news editor at Light In The
Attic and a contributor at Sound On The Sound and
the KEXP blog. He also has his own
Criterion-based film site, Criterion Quest.
If you'd like to contact Noah in regards to his
writings here at Side One: Track One then please do
so
here.
For the
sake of not having to write the same intro a million
different ways throughout the rest of time, just know that
this column avoids the overly long and sometimes dull
process of full film reviews and instead opts to break
things down based on what I thought going in, what happened
while I was there and what I learned at the end of it all.
Hope that's OK.
Read on!
The
Breakdown - Alice In Wonderland
The Impression:
Tim Burton takes a classic, dips it in his trademark visual
style and then sequelizes and updates it for the modern
masses. Also, it's in 3D (aka the greatest technology
of all-time)!
The Reality:
This film is big, weird and quite possibly the most
fantastical effort in recent memory. Burton actually
throws you down the rabbit hole, where he then hastily
introduces you to a very bizarre cast of characters and then
has a blast showing off an incredibly wide range of humor
and actions that seem bent on making you wonder if you
should even be in attendance. Is Alice In
Wonderland for kids? Adults? I don't have a
clue. For every fantasy-filled moment with Anne
Hathaway as the White Queen in a beautiful castle there's
one with someone losing an eye or freaking out in what could
be called a crack-fueled fit. The whole damn thing,
for lack of a better description, is a wild experience.
But then again, that's probably what the lot of them were
probably going for with this. Tim Burton is a strange
(and super creative) man.
Aside from the actual flick, the 3D was pointless. I
actually would have enjoyed it more without the glasses
hanging on my face for two hours. Don't see it this
way if you can avoid it.
The Lesson:
Helena Bonham Carter + Johnny Depp + Tim Burton + Well
Earned Creative Freedom = Winning Formula.
Time for
your weekly notable news update! Below you'll find a
slew of sentences meant to provide a brief glimpse of what's
been going on over the past week in movieland. If
something leaves you desperate for more info then my advice
is to do a little extra research on one or all of the
following fantastic sites:
Latino Review,
Dark Horizons,
Ain't It Cool News,
CHUD and/or
JoBlo. Now, read on!
Movie News
Rundown
Paul Greengrass
has confirmed that he will for certain not be returning to
the Bourne franchise.
Taylor Lautner has given up the role of Max Steel in
order to make the Stretch Armstong movie.
Robert Rodriguez says he has plans to return to his sci-fi
script for Nerverackers once he is done working on
Predators.
Paramount is rumored to be putting together a remake of
Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion. The original
followed a woman who suspects her loving husband may be a
killer.
The
trailer for The Karate Kid remake
is out. Surprisingly, it doesn't look terrible.
Angelina Jolie has dropped out of Wanted 2, so now
the movie has been canned. She apparently replaced it
with Gravity, a sci-fi flick that's to be directed by
Alfonso Cuaron.
Pixar is rumored to have lined up a sequel to Monsters
Inc.
Brian De Palma is being considered as the director for
Paranormal Activity 2.
Roland Emmerich has begun work on Anonymous, which
deals with the theory that Shakespeare was actually Edward
De Vere, the 17th Earl Of Oxford.
Justin Theroux is going to write and direct Zoolander 2.
Ben Stiller will return. No word yet on Owen Wilson.
Also, Jonah Hill is rumored to be the villain.
The A Nightmare On Elm Street remake has a new
trailer. Could be an interesting
flick.
Bradley Cooper has dropped out of McG's This Means War
because of scheduling conflicts with The Hangover 2.
Rumor has it that John Krasinki is in the lead to play
Captain America.
Nicole Kidman will join Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in
Go With It. No word yet on what her role is, but
the movie is about a guy who hires a family in order to
impress the woman of his dreams.
Kevin Smith's next movie is called Hit Somebody.
It will star Sean William Scott has a hockey player who is
trying to score just one goal.
David Goyer has been hired to write the Superman
reboot, The Man Of Steel.
Matt Damon is said to be the preferred choice to play the
lead role in the planned adaptation of the Robert F Kennedy
biopic His Life.
Jonah Hill has signed on to star in The Sitter.
The movie will be directed by David Gordon Green (Pineapple
Express) and is said to be similar in tone to the 80's
Adventures In Babysitting.
George Lopez will star in a live action/CG hybrid version of
Speedy Gonzalez. Sad.
Bruce Willis has said that he's up for another Die Hard
entry.
Stephen Chow will direct Tai Chi, which is said to be
an homage to Bruce Lee's Return Of The Dragon.
Oddly enough, Jack Black and Anne Hathaway are attached to
appear in the film.
Ian McShane has signed to play the role of Blackbeard in
Pirates Of The Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides.
Jamie Foxx and Ashton Kutcher are teaming up for a buddy
comedy called Streets On Fire.
Christina Applegate, Alyssa Milano and Vanessa Angel have
signed on to join Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis in Hall
Pass. Directed by the Farrelly Brothers, the movie
is said to be about two guys who get a pass from their wives
to have a week of extramarital sex.
For the
sake of not having to write the same intro a million
different ways throughout the rest of time, just know that
this column avoids the overly long and sometimes dull
process of full film reviews and instead opts to break
things down based on what I thought going in, what happened
while I was there and what I learned at the end of it all.
Thanks for reading!
The
Breakdown - The Crazies
The Impression:
Hit or miss. Could be another flop in a long line of truly
shitty horror remakes, or it could be a tense, well shot bit
of nail-biting that pays true homage to the zombie-master
himself, George Romero.
The Reality:
A great, great, great horror film. Hell, a great film in
general. When the denizens of Ogden Marsh start going,
well, fucking crazy, David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant), his
wife Judy (Radha Mitchell), and their wiry deputy Randall
(Joe Anderson) have to fight through townspeople-gone-nuts,
a trigger happy military presence, and trio of psychotic
hillbillies. It's a lot to bite off, and director Breck
Eisner absolutely nails it. This isn't a cash-grab rehash
of Sir Romero's beloved classic, no no, this is a smart,
beautiful bit of horror that plays to the talents of all on
hand.
Eisner does two things fantasically well: one, he makes you
care about the character. If I don't care about the
characters, I don't care when those characters are put at
risk. But the cast assembled here manage to exude
likability amongst the gory proceedings at hand. When they
start to fear that the sickness might be getting them, I was
worried, scared even that I'd have to watch these characters
kill themselves or each other. Eisner also nails the true
point of a film called The Crazies: this isn't just
about people-turned-zombies, this is about the insanity that
lurks at the very core of all of us. In intense situations
(such as your friends and neighbors literally turning on you
with homicidal rage) we'd all act a little crazy. Thus, when
Dutton explodes in a car at his wife, you have to think: has
he gone mad? Or is he just reacting to the stress at hand?
Eisner plays on this throughout the entire film, building a
level of intensity that had me closing my eyes at times to
try and squeeze it out.
On top of that the gore is fantastic. From moment one,
Eisner makes sure we know that he plays for keeps and Jesus
if I've ever seen a pitchfork used so effectively, I don't
know when.
My only worry about this film is that the ending (big and
bold and perfectly realized) leaves room for a bigger,
crazier The Crazies and I don't think the concept
they have at mind would work at all. This is a small town
picture that relies on the stereotypical ideals of a small
town. If you know all your neighbors, it's that much worse
when they start sewing each others eyes shut.
The Lesson:
If anyone was worried that the director of Sahara was
sticking his fingers in to the Flash Gordon/Brood
pies, you shouldn't. This is a clear, concentrated
genre-film and I'm actually excited to see what Breck Eisner
does next.
Noah Sanders is the blog/news editor at Light In The
Attic and a contributor at Sound On The Sound and
the KEXP blog. He also has his own
Criterion-based film site, Criterion Quest.
If you'd like to contact Noah in regards to his
writings here at Side One: Track One then please do
so
here.
I think my brain might've become addled by the
flash-and-glamour of modern big-budget filmmaking. Quite
possibly the Michael Bay's of the world have managed to
subversively kick my grey matter so many times that films
that choose a slower, less visually aggressive tactic seem
almost glacial in their presentation. Take Roman Polanski's
new film The Ghost Writer, a film that leans heavily
on the old school thrillers of Polanski's hey-day in it's
near-ponderous approach to unraveling the mystery at hand.
This isn't a pulse-pounding actioneer, rife with
stunt-filled action scenes and sweaty cleavage, not at all.
Instead this is a slow burner where the mystery's
various angles are exposed through on-screen exposition,
through characters digging and researching and hunting for
the truth.
And I just wasn't having it. In fact, at the film's
end I sat there and wondered to myself, "Have I lost my
ability to enjoy a film that doesn't just bombard me with
excitement?" No, actually I haven't, this film just isn't
exciting.
Review - The Ghost
Writer
So, The Ghost (Ewan McGregor) is a, sigh,
ghost writer contracted to write the memoirs of a
once-loved, but now controversial Prime Minister (Pierce
Brosnan). The former ghost-writer has died mysteriously and
The Ghost, sequestered on a tiny island, is thrust in to a
tightly-spun web involving the PM's wife (Olivia Cross), war
crimes, and the CIA. Up front, a perfectly fine platform
for a master of his craft to bring his formidable old-school
skills to bear. Problem is, the Polanski of Chinatown
and Rosemary's Baby never comes to the
fore. Instead we have a film that features searching on
Google as one of it's most "thrilling scenes." A film that
plods along, never embracing boredom entirely, but always
just toeing the line of excitement.
This political thriller never finds its groove. The film's
main points, which are The Ghost character and the
"simmering" mystery inherent to the plot, are
underdeveloped. Half-way through the film I suddenly
realized that though I was slightly attached to all of The
Ghost's attempts to unearth the solution to the mystery, I
didn't really even know what that mystery was. Murder? War
crime? The true moral rectitude of former-Prime Minister
Adam Lang? I didn't know, and this realization snowballed
in to the next: I didn't really care either.
None of this is helped along by the ironically barely
existent character of The Ghost. Ewan McGregor, always a
likable front-man, tries hard to impress the character with
some sort of uniqueness, but in the end The Ghost is nothing
more than a means-to-an-end. A sort of transparent avatar
that allows the audience a better way of experiencing the
twists-and-turn of the Lang family. He's not particularly
cheeky or driven, but rather just a paranoid, at times
snarky fellow who stumbles upon the possibility of a mystery
and decides, for unknown reasons to explore it.
Polanski, caught up in a quite a bit of his own controversy
these days, does manage to create a convincing sense of
overpowering isolation. Each character is a singular planet
in their own little universe, trying as hard as they can to
bring something in to their orbit. As the plot plays out,
it becomes quite clear that the majority of the actions of
the past and present are aimed at bring some sense of being,
regardless of their moral consequences and immorality. The
character's interactions are mildly desperate ones, feeble
attempts at jerry-rigging emotional connections.
Yes, my brain has been softened by today's
wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am filmmaking. But no, my gooey grey
matter has nothing to do with my mild dislike for The
Ghost Writer. It's just a thriller sans thrill, a taut
film with out any of the stretch.
Noah Sanders is the blog/news editor at Light In The
Attic and a contributor at Sound On The Sound and
the KEXP blog. He also has his own
Criterion-based film site, Criterion Quest.
If you'd like to contact Noah in regards to his
writings here at Side One: Track One then please do
so
here.
Time for
your weekly notable news update! Below you'll find a
slew of sentences meant to provide a brief glimpse of what's
been going on over the past week in movieland. If
something leaves you desperate for more info then my advice
is to do a little extra research on one or all of the
following fantastic sites:
Latino Review,
Dark Horizons,
Ain't It Cool News,
CHUD and/or
JoBlo. Now, read on!
Movie News
Rundown
Jesper
Christensen, who played Mr. White in the recent Bond
movies, says he won't be back for another and that the
previous two were "shit".
Ultimate Spider-Man creator Brian Bendis recently
tweeted that he's had some meetings with the group doing the
reboot over at Sony. Guess this means they're for sure
going the route of teen angst Peter Parker.
Sylvain White, who is currently wrapping this summer's
The Losers, says his next project may be an adaptation
of Frank Miller's Ronin.
Speaking of The Losers, it's release date has now
gone from April 9 to June 4 to April 23. Stay tuned.
Ben Stiller may be close to replacing Eddie Murphy in a
movie called Tower Heist. Supposedly, Chris
Rock and Chris Tucker are already attached to star in the
story of three guys trying to pull of a plan to swindle the
residents of Trump Tower in New York City. Brett
Ratner is said to be directing and, oddly enough, Noah
Baumbach is looking at tweaking the script.
The Secret Of Kells, which was just nominated for an
Oscar, has a
trailer that's definitely worth checking
out.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is set to join Sam Worthington in The
Killing Fields.
John Lasseter has reportedly been brought in to help with
some story problems on Cars 2.
Leo Howard (the young version of Snake Eyes in GI Joe)
has been cast as the young version of Conan in the upcoming
remake.
Amanda Seyfried is said to be the preferred choice for the
lead role in Girl With The Red Riding Hood.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon may be teaming up to do a movie
called The Trade, which is a true story about two New
York Yankees who swapped wives.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo has a new
trailer. Looks interesting.
Owen Wilson has been cast in Woody Allen's next (and
currently untitled) movie.
Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) has lined up a couple
of projects. One is Peter Berg's Battleship and
the other is Raven, which is a fictional tale about
Edgar Allan Poe that already stars Matt Damon.
Rober De Niro and Martin Scorsese are said to be re-teaming
for another mob drama.
Christopher Waltz has replaced Sean Penn in Water For
Elephants. He'll play the crazy husband of Reese
Witherspoon, who falls in love with another man (Robert
Pattinson).
Go see Shutter Island. That's what
the name of this column should be this week, because it's
all I really want to say. I wrote a huge, glowing review of
the film (which you can read
HERE) and it's sheer mastery still has me
on fantastic high.
Aside from that I barely know what's coming out this week,
so it'll be a journey of discovery that we can take
together.
As always, my powerful co-writer Alex Healy will pouring
arsenic in to tea and lambasting the shit out of those films
she just can't stand.
Hitting Theaters This Weekend:
SHUTTER ISLAND
The
Director:
Martin
Scorsese (Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, etc.)
The Stars:Leonardo Dicaprio, Mark Ruffalo,
Michelle Williams
The Studio:
Paramount
Pictures
The Story: Two
U.S. Marshalls (Leonardo Dicaprio and Mark Ruffalo) venture
to an island-bound insane asylum to find a deranged killer
(Emily Mortimer) gone missing.
My Thoughts:
Fucking brilliant. Best Scorsese film in years. It's
horrific, it's taut, it's giant on every level and Leonardo
Dicaprio just fucking nails it. Read my full review
HERE.
Alex Says:A
mind fuck. A brilliant film. I'd go again.
Rotten Tomatoes Score:
68%
THE GHOST WRITER
The
Director: Roman
Polanksi
The Stars: Ewan
McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Catrall
The Studio: Summit
Distribution
The Story: A
young writer (Ewan McGregor) is asked to help write the
memoirs of an influential political figure (Pierce Brosnan),
but things go terribly awry. For some reason.
The Trailer:I'll
be seeing this next week and then you'll get a full review,
but the trailer, honestly, makes the film seem like a
hack-job thriller, not the well-received work of one of
film's great masters. I mean, how the hell does Kim Catrall
still get work?
Will I See It?:
I most certainly will, for free, next week.
Alex Says: Samantha
from Sex And The City is in it, that usually means a
resounding no, but Roman fucking Polanski directed it. "two
snaps in z formation!"
Rotten Tomatoes Score:
78%
HAPPY TEARS
The
Director: Mitchell
Lichtenstein
The Stars:Demi
Moore, Parker Posey, Rip Torn
The Studio: Roadside
Attractions
The Story: Two
sisters (Demi Moore and Parker Posey) return to their
childhood home to take care of their ailing father. A whole
lot of shit bubbles to the surface.
The Trailer: You
know, the director of this film has some chops (he made the
teeth in vagina film Teeth, and hell, his father is
Ray Lichtenstein) but this trailer is so goddamn schmaltzy.
It just reeks of that film about ya-ya sisterhoods or the
one about traveling pants. What I'm hoping is that in a bid
to repackage the film for better audience consumption, they
made this godawful trailer. I hope.
Will I See It?:
I was offered the chance, but turned it down to see a little
film called Shutter Island.
Alex Says:Parker
Posey and filial dysfunction usually peaks my interest, but
something about that trailer left me with mediocrity on my
tongue and "just fine" on my brain.
Rotten Tomatoes Score:
36%
THE GOOD GUY
The
Director: Julio
DePietro
The Stars: Alexis
Bleidel
The Studio: Roadside
Attractions
The Story: A
romantic drama set in New York about dating. I can't even
muster the energy to say anything mean about this daddling
piece 'o' shit.
My Thoughts: I
somehow stayed awake during this film, don't ask me how.
But it is awful. Trite, boring, poorly written. Read my
Breakdown
HERE.
Alex Says: Cheese
and rice! I hate a film about love triangles that have no
same sex couples. This film is doing a giant disservice to
New York City. Noah, I'm glad you went on a romantic
date with JonMarc on this one.
Rotten Tomatoes Score:
50%
Final Thoughts: Go
see Shutter Island. Run to the theater right now and
see it. That is all.
Alex Says:With
the mammoth popularity of 3-D in current film, I'm hoping
that's just a train stop away from silent films !
Lovely, black and white, jittery silent films.
Noah Sanders is the blog/news editor at Light In The
Attic and a contributor at Sound On The Sound and
the KEXP blog. He also has his own
Criterion-based film site, Criterion Quest.
If you'd like to contact Noah in regards to his
writings here at Side One: Track One then please do
so
here.
- Noah Sanders -
-
Unless
otherwise expressly stated, all text in this blog and any
related pages, including the blog's archives, is licensed by
John Laird under a
Creative Commons License.
