Joe and I recently had a movie night and this was our selection.
Upstream Color
This film is the story of two people picking up the pieces of their destroyed lives after being robbed and drugged. The drug that they were given wiped their memory so they don't know what happened and they are left dealing with the residual effects. After finding each other, they start their journey of figuring out what happened and what is still happening to them. The cinematography and style of this film reminded me of Terrence Malick's films. I am not a fan of his films, so naturally I wasn't thrilled by one that reminded me of them. The story was more developed than the typical Terrence Malick film and the characters definitely spoke more than they would have if he had been directing. I found the story to be intriguing and my attention never wondered during the film. However, I cannot forgive the incredibly stylized cinematography or the disjointed narrative. If you watch this movie I would recommend looking at the themes of the film and try to connect with it on a more philosophical and artistic level. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do this. Maybe it's because I don't like worms or pigs? (After you watch the film you will understand)
Rating: C
And just kidding, I love little piggies!
I saw this movie in 3D at the theater.
Gravity
This film is the story of astronauts dealing with catastrophic events that occur during a spacewalk. Without giving too much away, it's a story about the strength of hope and the human spirit. Wow! This movie was awesome, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
As a child I wanted to be an astronaut, I no longer wish that dream had come true. Not only did this movie make me realize I don't want to go to space, it also made me feel like I had been to space. Sandra Bullock's acting is superb, it would have been easy to overact and make this role melodramatic and unbelievable. George Clooney is charming as usual (feel like he always plays himself, you know, charismatic, handsome, funny).
The special effects were fantastic, again it made me feel like I had been to space. My prediction is that this movie is going to be a major contender at the Oscars (lots of people have predicted this). I highly recommend seeing the movie in 3D. If there is a theater near you that's playing it, go see it. Now.
Rating : A+
I love watching movies! Joe and I see anywhere from 1 to 3 a week. I like most genres but I can be picky. And what better way to share my particular movie opinions than to write a movie review!
Elysium
The film is the story of a doomed man who is trying to break into the uber exclusive world of Elysium. It's an action-packed science fiction with mild emotional manipulation (i.e. the use of a dying pet or child, or overly sentimental flashbacks, to elicit an emotional response from the audience). The acting in the movie is good, however it's so action-oriented there is not a lot of time for character development. Matt Damon is great and does not disappoint as the main character. You'll also love to hate several characters. The movie starts out strong but somewhere in between the middle and the end it starts to drag. In the theater my mind started to wonder: what should I make for dinner tomorrow; I should write an email to so and so; what should I post on my blog next; and so on. The unending action wore me down, I mean, how many times do I have to watch this one guy punch, stab, and explode stuff? Although the special effects were impressive. The ending was a little predictable but fine. Nothing about this movie blew me away and I expect this movie to be somewhat forgettable. If you're bored and it's raining outside and you like action movies, then maybe go see Elysium. Or just stay home and watch Terminator again.
Rating: C+
