Well, I am safely returned from my most recent trip. For varying lengths of time I was in : Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, DC, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. I intend to begin writing about it all in full very soon now.
Tonight, however, since I saw several movies since we last spoke, I thought I'd write up my brief movie reviews so as not to disturb the travelogue. Some of these are older movies, some newer. Only one is in the theatres as I write this.
Man on Wire— Russell and I rented this movie while we were in Atlanta and got around to watching it on a day after I'd had a bad headache. While watching the Oscar broadcast this year, I told myself that I needed to watch more documentary features, and this movie was at the top of the list. In case you don't know what the movie is about, in the early 70's a French tightrope walker string his cable between the two towers of the World Trade Center and walked back and forth on that wire for almost 45 minutes. This movie documents how he got to that point. What amazes me the most after seeing this movie is the fact that all along I knew he was successful in his attempt, and yet I was glued to the story every minute of the way. By the end of the movie I was emotionally wrapped up in the attempt as if I'd been there. This is definitely a movie to see!
For Your Consideration— This is the most recent movie from Christopher Guest, all of whose movies are improvisational. That is, the cast members know the direction of the movie and of their individual scenes, but they are unscripted in getting through those scenes. Previous movies have been Waiting for Guffmann, Best In Show, and A Mighty Wind. This latest movie doesn't compare well to the earlier ones— it also seems to be the most nearly scripted of the lot. While I laughed and enjoyed the movie, it only reminded me how much better Best In Show is. As always, look for enjoyable performances from Catherine O'hara, Parker Posey, Jennifer Coolidge, Eugene Levy, Michael McKean, Fred Willard, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley Jr, and many many others. If you've seen the previous movies and enjoyed them, then you need to see this one. However, if you haven't encountered one of these movies before, look for Best In Show before you watch this one.
My Name Is Bruce— If you are a fan of Bruce Campbell, there's no need to say much about this movie. It's another one. See it. If like most of America, however, 'Bruce Campbell' is not a household phrase, then you can probably skip this. Bruce Campbell is the star of many low-budget camp and/or horror films, including most notably the Evil Dead movies. This movie pokes fun at his career. When a 'real' town is besieged by the ancient Chinese spirit of War, Bruce Campbell— the actor himself, not one of his characters— is 'recruited' to fight the monster by one of his uber-fans. Through a trick of the plot, Bruce thinks the whole situation is an elaborate birthday romp set up by his agent... until he meets the monster. The movie very closely echoes Army of Darkness in plot and tone, casting Bruce as a real-life Ash. Many heads roll in a very camp style. Look for Ted Raimi in three different roles.
Kung Fu Panda— I am a fan of computer animation but generally not of the movies produced by computers. Too often the writers and directors aim firmly at the pre-teen crowd, slipping in a so-called 'adult joke' now and then without any real attempt to please an adult audience. Since I am a fan of Chinese culture and martial arts, however, I wanted to see this movie. I was also told by a friend last year that it is very good about capturing true Chinese culture. I can't speak for any supposed authenticity, but I did enjoy the movie. It is easily the best looking computer-rendered movie. Since I had the pleasure of watching it on an enormous HD television, I couldn't help but notice little things like clothing textures, all of which were simply gorgeous. Unfortunately, the lead character, the panda voiced by Jack Black, grew a little tedious and was easily the weakest part of the story for me. I hope the sequel movies will more heavily feature the other kung fu masters.
Watchmen— I saw this movie just this afternoon in the theatre. Because of the R rating and my memories of some scenes from the original graphic novel, I wasn't sure I wanted to see it, but curiosity won out. It's nearly three hours long and by the end of the movie, I was ready for it to end. That said, I give it an overall thumbs-up rating. It's a little too slavish to the source material, and the middle third of the movie is a bit of a wallow, but it looks good and does a very good job at adapting the graphic novel. (Short of a mini-series, there was no possible way to adapt all of the original story. The writer and director here made most of the right and necessary compromises.) When the concluding acts of the movie came around, I did not experience the same thrill and wonder that I did when reading the comic, but that may have been a product of foreknowledge. If you have the stomach for a lot of stylish violence, this is a must see. (I was able to sit through it without turning away— although a few shots will haunt my memories.)
That's it for my movie reviews. I've been in something of a funk since returning home— I'll be back tomorrow, with or without the beginning of my travelogue, depending on whether or not I feel up to it. In the meantime, you can view the pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9017488@N07/sets/72157615357151451/
Until next time!
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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