The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Jan.24, 2010, under 2.5 stars, Drama, She says...
I would just like to start this review by saying that I loved the cast of this film, but I did not love this movie. Needless to say, I am on the proverbial fence about it, and cannot decide if I liked it or not. If any of you have ever seen a (recent) Terry Gilliam directed film, you can understand me when I say he really enjoys messing with your mind. Well sir, my mind does not appreciate this.
As we all know (or maybe we don’t, so let me help you) this is Heath Ledger’s last film. He was working on it when he died. He is, as always, remarkable. I have never, and will never, have a bad thing to say about the films he chose to participate in. I don’t feel like anything I can say in this captures exactly what I mean, so I’ll just say he was perfect, and leave it at that. After he passed away, they had to do some rewriting in order to alleviate his absence, and into his shoes stepped Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. I won’t give away how they do it, or why, but it is very cleverly done. The rest of the cast (Lily Cole, Christopher Plummer, Verne Troyer, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Waits) are really good too. Like I said, I love the cast of this film. They are all wonderful, and even though I had a hard time following along with what was going on, this is in no way their fault.
Okay, here’s the part I didn’t like. I am not giving anything away by revealing the plot, in fact, I might be doing some of you a favor! “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” is a traveling show featuring the teachings of Parnassus (Plummer). The actors in his show are his daughter Valentina (Cole) and Anton (Garfield). Along the way, they meet Tony (Ledger- it’s really hard to explain, but this part is also played by Depp, Law, and Farrell). It is revealed the Parnassus made a deal with the devil, Mr. Nick (Waits) and they bet on human decisions. The mirror featured in the traveling show is actually a doorway into Parnassus’ mind and the people who go into it are given two choices: if they make a good decision, they come out of his mind feeling free and happy, and if they make a bad choice, they die. They don’t make it back through the mirror. The movie is all about life and death, good and evil. For me, it got a little muddled. There was a lot going on, and there was not a good enough explanation in my opinion as to why some of the things in the film were happening. There were a lot of plot gaps, and that really drives me nuts.
I am not completely cold hearted when it comes to this film. I did get a bit weepy when hearing Tony deliver the line “nothing is permanent, not even death.” And there is a beautiful tribute to him during the credits. For those of you who are fans of Heath Ledger’s or a fan of any of the men who play in, or a fan of anyone in this film, you will not be disappointed. If you’re a fan of avant-garde films, or a fan of Terry Gilliam’s work, you’ll love it. Otherwise, wait for the DVD.
Rating: 
The Princess and The Frog
Jan.16, 2010, under 4 stars, Family, She says...
Let me just preface this by saying that I have a soft spot in my heart for all Disney films (and all things Disney in general- I love that mouse!), but especially 2D animated Disney films! This was right up my alley. I also knew I’d love it before I’d even bought my ticket. I’m biased, there aren’t any laws against that, right??
This movie has got a lot of heart. Yes, it’s a cartoon, but it’s not just some dumb kids movie. It was a good message to it, along with some great songs! It’s all about working hard for what you want; wishing on a star will only get you so much, you’ve got to work for it! Come on now, that’s not just a message for the kiddos! That message certainly contradicts the ideas of the studios earlier films, but it is geared towards a generation growing up in a tough economic climate, so I can certainly respect their new approach. I could get on my soap box about this topic, but I will resist!
The story takes place in and around 1920’s New Orleans. What really makes the film is the supporting characters: this includes alligators and fireflies and voodoo shadows. I know this is a contradiction, but the bad guy is awesome. He’s a voodoo king. Does it get much cooler than that?
It’s just a really fun story, and you don’t need to have a 5 year old to enjoy you. You may need a 5 year old to use as an excuse to see it without looking weird, but if you manage to go, I hope you like it as much as I did (and no, I didn’t steal someone’s kid to go see it, we went at 9 o’clock on a Friday night, and we were not the only adults in there. And none of them had children either).
Rating:
Leap Year
Jan.10, 2010, under 3.5 stars, Comedy
If you’ve seen the trailer for this film, you have seen the entire film boiled down in a minute. That being said, I still enjoyed it. Even the parts I’d seen in the trailer (the car rolling into the water, her shoe flying off and hitting the bride in the face) were still funny. So keeping in mind you’ve already seen all of this, I don’t think I’ll be giving anything away. Unless you haven’t seen the trailer, or even heard of it, and in that case, stop reading and let me say this: take your girlfriend and go see it, she’ll love it!
This is the epitome of all chick flicks. It follows the simple romantic comedy formula to a tee, and in my opinion does a wonderful job. You can’t really screw this up. Yes, actually, you can, but that’s a whole different review.
I am an easy target for this film for two reasons: I am a sucker for attractive men with accents and my favorite place in the whole wide world is Ireland. Amy Adams and Matthew Goode have decent chemistry, and they have good comedic timing as well. She played neurotic well, and he nailed even-tempered and mildly amused. There are a few inconsistencies, such as the warm and sunny weather everyday in Ireland, or the incessant and obvious use of green screens, but really, does that matter in a romantic comedy? And like I said, you’ve seen the preview, and you know the boyfriend proposes, but you probably still know what happens, and who really gets the girl. Nonetheless, the story was heartwarming and completely predictable, but it left me smiling as I walked out into the winter weather, so in my book that gives it two thumbs up!
So all in all, if you have a special lady friend, take her to see it. If you’re a female, get a group of girlfriends and swoon and giggle your way through this. It’s geared toward us lady folk, so gentlemen, consider yourselves warned.
And just for my own personal enjoyment, the word “ejit” four times! It’s my favorite word of all times. (What? I’m quarky!)
Rating:
Avatar
Jan.06, 2010, under 3 stars, Action, Drama
I saw it in 3D, if that makes any difference…
There was a lot of hype surrounding this film. I heard it left people speechless. People said it would change my life (don’t deny it Mom, I have witnesses that will back me up). So naturally, I had really high expectations. It was okay. Keep in mind, I’ve already stated that I like my movies to take place on the planet earth…
The plot really isn’t anything new. It’s your typical story of a man sent into a new culture who must become one of the locals, and then ends up falling in love with one of the natives and inevitably takes their side against his own kind. You’ve probably seen this once or twice. That’s exactly what happens. But these locals just happen to be 9 feet tall, and blue. There are also blatant political undertones, trust me, you can’t miss them. They are just that obvious (unobtainium, really?).
The one thing that I kept hearing about over and over again was the technology. Yes, the look of the film was very impressive. I don’t know what technology he developed, although I do know the budget of the film, and honestly, this could just be me, but it wasn’t 500 million dollars worth of “cool”. The image was crisper then if it had been CGI, but you could also equate that to the fact that you were wearing 3D glasses. On that note, I do have to admit I am incredibly grateful to James Cameron for not putting in 3D gimmicks like rocks coming at the audience. Thanks for that!
It’s good movie, and I really did enjoy myself. And if you’re going to see it, make sure it’s in 3D. I have my doubts about 3D dvds….
Rating:
Nine
Jan.06, 2010, under 3.5 stars, Musical
I think this might be the musical that breaks my winning streak. I had yet to find a musical I didn’t love. I didn’t think it was possible for me to not love any film that had elaborate musical dance numbers. Until now…
The movie is based on the Broadway production of the same title, and I would put good money on the fact that the play is better than the movie (I haven’t seen it on the stage, so I’m just guessing). It’s about this guy and he’s a director and the influence women (seven of them, to be precise) have in his life, and essentially, on the films he makes. Sounds really intriguing, right? Well, it’s not. The guy, Guido (played by Daniel Day Lewis) is a cad. There isn’t anything likeable about him, he’s just a big jerk. And not once throughout the entire film does he redeem himself. He mistreats all of these women, and then I think the film expects you to feel sympathy for him when they abandon him.
The women, on the other hand, are amazing. I have zero complaints about the female roles, as they are all so incredibly talented. Obviously with the likes of Sophia Loren (his mother), Judi Dench (his costumer designer/ confidante), Nicole Kidman (his muse), Penelope Cruz (his mistress), Kate Hudson (a journalist) and Marion Cotillard (his wife), you expect nothing less than stellar performances, but the one who truly stunned me was Fergie (a hooker). Going into this, I was slightly disappointed in her casting, but that girl can flat out sing and she’s got intense screen presence. None of the songs were particularly notable, but the ladies all did a great job with what they were given. So while the women are the ones who make this movie worth watching, Guido really brings it down. I mean no disrespect to Daniel Day Lewis, I think he’s a truly wonderful actor, but his character is just not worth a musical.
I will warn you, this film made me want to go to Italy in the worst way possible. It is the films other star. And the musical numbers are beautifully done. While the “reality” portions of the film take place in and around Rome, all of the musical numbers, which take place in his head, are on a big sound stage. It really is very cleverly done. Again, having never seen it on stage, I don’t know how it’s done in that production, but it translates well on screen.
All in all, if you want to see it, I recommend waiting for the DVD. It’s a fun flick, but if you’re a devoted thespian and have seen Nine on stage, I’m going to go out on a limb and say this one’s not for you.
Rating: