Sorority Row

Well, the hubs likes horror films. While I don't find them particularly compelling I do have to watch quite a few of them. This one was - shockingly enough - predictable but as far as gore is concerned quite low for a horror film. I'd even go so far to categorize it as thriller but there wasn't too much in the way of a mystery. There was quite a few unique ways to kill people, not all of the same old stabbing and gutting, but whenever I saw something weapon-like on screen, a tire iron, a flare gun...well I knew what would happen next. Someone spent a lot of time planning this one out and for the most part it worked pretty well. The bad guy wasn't very convincing to me and the actresses (sorority sisters) were lame, tired-looking actresses. And the multifaceted (Ha!) Audrina Patridge (The Hills) makes an appearance. They've set it up for a sequel -of course - so I may be subjected to that when/if it ever appears. If you like the genre you may find this worth watching it for the unique killings and if you tend to shy away from horror as I do, you'll be able to handle this one.

Weekend Mashup

Okay, so due to being completely overburdened this past week I have been neglecting my movie review duties. I therefore will be cheating and doing several at once. On the list this time Sleeping Dogs Lie, Easier with Practice, Old Dogs, An Education, A Serious Man.

I'm going to go in reverse order. A Serious Man is a Cohen Brothers flick, and is true to form. I hadn't seen it for so long thanks to my mother's title confusion with A Single Man, the Colin Firth film (which of course I watched, too) and me thinking it was the same film. This one is definitely worth watching although be prepared for the Cohen-esque ending and their constant need to set up a metaphorical little black raincloud on every one of their main characters, and you'll enjoy it more. Also I disagree with most of the critics out there that this was a "inevitably bad things happen" story and feel it was more of a "corruption" film. Maybe it's both.

An Education featured Peter Sarsgaard as David. He always plays a bad guy and this movie was no different, and Shia LaBeouf's current girlfriend Carey Mulligan as Jenny - which was, of course, my main reason for watching it. There were too many holes for me in regards to David's friends in the film. A little bit ambiguous as to whether the male friend was married to someone else as he judges David fiercely for his decision to wed Jenny, and where exactly his loyalties lie. I wouldn't watch this one again if I had it to do over because I didn't learn anything new or see anything in a different way.

Old Dogs was some lame attempt to payoff John Travolta and Robin Williams without having to break tax laws. Seth Green why must you participate in this drivel? You are talented, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Easier with Practice was so sad. It made me cry quite a bit. I felt bad for just about everyone in the film. It could have been fine with less masturbation but I do understand the level of misery and desperation the film is shooting for. But please someone let me in on what happened with the real girl, the friend of his brother's. Is he gay or does he just not like her?

And the piece de resistance Sleeping Dogs Lie was about, and no you aren't misreading this, a girl who blows her dog. I didn't ruin it for you she does this in the opening credits. The movie is mostly about the consequences of this action and whether or not she should tell her fiance, family, and friends. In the end she decides it's best not to tell anyone and I'd have to agree with her there.

Falling Up

Very deep title. A lowly doorman/nursing student falls in love with a upper class millionaire penthouse dweller in his building (hence the "up"). It was cutesy, horribly predictable, the male lead was average to unattractive, and Snoop Dogg was the best actor in the entire cast. One can only imagine the lead couple breaking up in a few years (if they even last that long) because they have the kind of differences that love can't conquer. It's an interesting road to tread but you would need one hell of an exceptional man (attractive, suave, intelligent, read: something!!!) to win over the beautiful, rich woman who can have any guy she wants. I honestly would have turned it off if I didn't have an obsessive need to finish every movie I start. If you're a big Snoop Dogg fan he has a lot of scenes and you could simply fast forward through the rest of the film, otherwise, pass on this one.

Bounty Hunter

To be fair I watched this one on an airplane after sleeping maybe an hour the night before so my attention may have waned in an out, as did my consciousness. Jennifer Aniston looked pretty tired in this film. Too many late nights on set? Alcoholism? Tabloid fever? She is showing her forty plus years, that is for sure. Gerard Butler seems like a hyperactive child in comparison. There was zero chemistry between the two. The "romantic" scenes felt forced and uncomfortable which led to few if any laughs. The secondary characters were even more stereotyped than usual, probably to offset the flat main characters. And the plot? Well I can't say I know what exactly happened. Aniston's character was supposed to be solving this many layered press mystery, trying to find a missing reporter, and investigating the possible corruption of the local police. Meanwhile Butler's character is an ex-cop (we never really figure out why he left the force just a few random comments about laziness) turned bounty hunter (hence title) who is out to collect his ex-wife (who he apparently divorced for working too much?) for skipping out on her court appearance. The mystery unraveled rather quickly and the movie tried to press on the relationship between Butler and Aniston by playing on their history together (as craps playing bed and breakfast frequenters) which was far less interesting.

It seemed like this movie wanted to go in a hundred different directions. It wanted to be deep, meaningful, mysterious, more than just your average romantic comedy, but they not only missed the mark in all of those categories they didn't focus on their genre enough to use the romantic relationship as a foothold. The love between the main characters, the will they/won't they is what gets the viewer through the obviously staged "tension" and "obstacles" put in their way, without that you just have two people running around aimlessly for no reason who somehow manage to have even less intrigue by the end of the film than they did in the opening credits. I generally find Aniston capable enough and hell, Butler isn't hard to look at for an hour and a half, but there are thousands of romantic comedies out there that don't lack both romance and comedy.

Shutter Island

I began watching this film already knowing something was being kept from me. The reviews and talk about the movie claimed it was confusing and that the ending didn't make sense, so I was prepared for a bit of a puzzle. It wasn't, as it turned out, confusing at all. The only part that was really up for interpretation was one line given by Leonardo DiCaprio's character about dying a good man rather than living as a monster. There were heavy Holocaust undertones throughout, I think mainly to distract us or perhaps evoke sympathy, but also to provide further explanation of the main character. There were some really neat special effects, Mark Ruffalo was at his best, and anything with Ben Kingsley rarely dissapoints.

I knew some things were going to be set up as "dreams" and "imagination" and that the main character would find himself in a am-I-crazy-or-not scenario but was still a little surprised with the way the story handled that part. Jackie Haley did a fantastic job as always, as did Michelle Williams. This film is full of movie magic, beautiful and haunting music, and one constantly questions what parts are real and what role everyone is really playing. This is definitely one you should watch at night with all the lights off. Turn the volume up and give it all your attention.