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mrsmagloo
Reviews
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Great for ANY age!
I went to see "Scott P." with my 14-year-old daughter and I don't say this lightly: I LOVED IT! And take note: I will turn 55 years old in less than two weeks. I totally understood the movie, because the problems and thought patterns of the characters are timeless, at least in the crowd I ran with way back when. My daughter and I could not stop laughing, and neither could the rest of the audience. I was vaguely reminded of "Wayne's World," but this movie was much better, and far less vulgar. Kudos to the filmmakers for choosing incredibly good actors and fantastic writers. The editing is superb, and you're almost sorry when it ends! We're going back for a second viewing. Bonus: the last evil ex-boyfriend looks like my husband when he was in his twenties! I could NOT stop laughing.
A Christmas Carol (2009)
Strange Like "Polar Express" but Ultimately Satistifying
My family (including my very rapt 8-year-old grandson) were lucky to see this in a "Medical IMAX," which is state-of-the-art, and were not disappointed. While the preview of Disney's upcoming 3-D "Alice in Wonderland" with Johnny Depp looked more colorful and eye-popping, "A Christmas Carol" had me laughing and crying out loud, even gasping in fear.
The technique used to animate is uncanny (the same one used in "The Polar Express, and Scrooge's fiancé Belle and other minor characters did look rea in spots), I still didn't always like it. What DID like were the animation of the Three Ghosts, in particular, the Ghost of Christmas Past. That thing that will haunt me for the rest of my life. Part Gray Alien, part Caspar, part alter ego, it is one's life flashing before you at the moment of death. Hand's down, it is THE best depiction of this particular Dickens character. Quite frankly, it deeply shook me to the core. The Ghost of Christmas Present dazzled me with his beautiful room and ability to be everywhere at once while still being in the same room, which is the idea Dickens was trying to convey in the first place. The mostly two-dimensional simplicity of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be was brilliant. His silence and darkness is what scares us most about the future.
Kudos should also go to the incredible attention to the detail of the period costumes, furniture, and warm hues of the wood, the metal, and every scrap of fabric, every whisker on a animal, even the hairs on Scrooges nose were carefully put in. Detail was a priority to everyone involved in the this movie. Bravo!
Finally, it is Jim Carrey's vocal and facial performances, not only as Scrooges (in all stages of life), but as ALL THREE GHOSTS, that should challenge the Academy to create a new category, for best performance by a lead actor ... in an animated film! One hundred and sixty-six years after he published it, Charles Dickens would (if still with us) count this incredible adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" as on of the best. The 1951 Alastair Sim version, of course, IS the best, but for me, George C. Scott's tour de force performance in 1984 is damned close. There is also a rarely aired 1971 animated version that is incredibly sublime, and available on DVD. Do check it out.
Soldier of Fortune (1955)
Slick Political Thriller with La Hayward at Her Best!
Jane Hoyt (Susan Hayward, graceful and stunning, but tough as nails, as always), arrives in Hong Kong, intent on finding her husband, photojournalist Louis Hoyt (Gene Barry), who went missing in Communist China (where is Bill Clinton when you need him? ;) several months before. Back then, the British Empire owned Hong Kong, so she must go through them (in the form of a dashing Michael Rennie), but gets few leads, except for the name of a Mr. Lee, whom Rennie has few good words for.
Thanks to deft editing, solid acting throughout, and beautiful photography, the flick moves quickly, taking us to seedy Tweedy's bar, the streets of Hong Kong, and ultimately to the luxurious home of the mysterious Mr. Lee (Cable) himself. Clark seems a tad old for the part, but is in great shape physically, and moves quickly and gracefully through all the action scenes. There is plenty of comic relief in the scenes at Tweedy's bar. Look for a stand-out performance by Anna Sten as Madame Dupree as Tweedy's "starving spy" who finds true love.
If you like "Love is a Many-Slendored Thing," you will like this movie, although people with strict morals about marriage may raise any eyebrow or two throughout the course of the movie, even for one made in 1955!
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
A Mind-Blowing Film That Demands a Second Screening
Having seen some bad reviews of this movie, Ebert (a God to me) among them, I wasn't sure whether to take my 13-year-old daughter to this one or not. She's a romantic at heart, and loves to cry at movies, as do I, so we went. We weren't sorry. I won't give anything away except to say that whoever cast this movie was a genius, as there are many "lesser-knowns" who simply jump out at you with their brilliance. I loved Captain Mike, because Jared Harris has really come into his own. This guy deserves a star role in something bigger than an indie film, folks! You can see a lot of his late father in him, but he's become such a good actor now that the first time I wasn't sure it was a Harris boy! (I'm a Richard Harris-phile). Still, his Dad would have been proud. The photography is gorgeous. Yes, those Gulf of Mexico sunsets/sunrises really ARE that beautiful. I was there this past April.
The Tom Button character was intriguing and might have been fleshed out a bit better. And what of the mysterious clock? Were others affected by it? It gets fuzzy in the details.
However they managed to trick us into believing that was Brad Pitt in those scenes was much more impressive than any big blockbuster space or superhero movie. I'm not a huge Cate Blanchett fan, as she comes across as cold and indifferent in nearly every movie I've seen, and this one is no different. The "Queenie" character was just wonderful. I agree with another user commenter who said the fancy flashbacks and stuff sort of distracted from the story, but in the end, it was still riveting. Stock up on popcorn and don't drink a lot of fluids before going, or else you'll miss something important! I certainly plan to see it a second time. I predict many awards for this movie, and certainly one for Brad Pitt. There are enough great quotes in here to fill a book, oh, that's right! F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the story, didn't he? ;)