clevername wrote:watched Synecdoche, New York this afternoon.
my brain folded in upon itself several times.
Usually that kind of movie appeals to me. For some reason, that movie doesn't.
The complicated plot mechanics worked against it this time, at least for me. I ended up being too detached from the characters while trying to figure out what the hell was going on and didn't get the big emotional payoff at the end. I just wanted it to end. Might be better on repeat viewings.
1. Mickey Rourke is great in this. It is, indeed, the role he was made to play. If the things being said to Randy "The Ram" Robinson were instead being said to Mickey Rourke the actor, they'd still make sense.
2. I like Marissa Tomei's boobs
3. And the movie breaks your heart.
In terms of overall quality, I'd say there's very little difference between Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler, and Milk. All three are really good movies; all three would've been reasonable Oscar winners; none of the three stands out to me as being head and shoulders above the other two. But "The Wrestler" was my favorite of the three.
I caught Role Models, mentioned a few pages back, on PPV today. Very funny movie and reflecting upon it I realized the following:
1. Paul Rudd absolutely shines in everything. Even crap like Over Her Dead Body is sorta watchable when he's onscreen.
2. I don't hate Seann William Scott any longer. I grew incredibly sick and tired of American Pie about 14 sequels ago, and had a knee-jerk resentment of Scott as the one guy whose career didn't oblige me by rolling over and dying. My distaste started to soften with Mr. Woodcock, which was not a good movie but which I somehow found him tolerable in. Maybe it was just surprise that he could play anything but obnoxious. The Promotion was the rare restrained comedy that worked, and he was again cast against-type to great effect. In Role Models, he was back to playing a Stifler type but now he can hold himself back and not make me want to reach through my TV to punch him.
3. Maybe McLovin and Michael Cera are just playing themselves over and over, but so what? These characters are worlds better than the awkward teen archetype from years past sot I couldn't care less. I'm not saying they deserve awards for their performances, but I'd rather see another George Michael or McLovin than someone channeling George McFly (ARE YOU LISTENING, CHRIS KLEIN?) or Anthony Michael Hall.
Da wife and I were at blockbuster, and got tempted by the "buy 3 movies for $20" table. So we bought 3 movies.
There Will Be Blood (my pick)
Burn After Reading (my pick)
Elegy (her pick)
Since I got two picks, we watched her choice first.
Elegy: Starring Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz.
The highs: Penelope Cruz's boobs
The lows: Everything else. Slow. Pretentious. Dennis Hopper's walking middle aged cliche of a supporting role. Plotless until the end, when the plot becomes obvious and cloying. "Oh, you used to be an amateur photographer and you used to love my boobs, but you quit when we broke up, but now I have breast cancer so I need you to start taking pictures again, of my breasts. And I'll pose just like that Goya painting that you said you loved in the first scene of the movie. Now that's what I call a screenplay!"
Save your two hours. Do a google search with safe mode off.
