Re: Rate the last movie you saw.
01/20/14 9:26 am | #4895
1/13 - 1/19
Fool’s Gold (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – Not normally the kind of movie I go for, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. It doesn’t really pull any punches and is essentially your typical romantic comedy with a little action thrown in, but Hudson and Mcconaughey make an excellent pair, and the film never takes itself too seriously. Hudson and Mcconaughey seem to have some strong chemistry, which is a must for a film like this to work. The film I watched a few weeks ago, Killers, was a prime example of how poorly a movie like this works without chemistry between the leads. People can bitch about Mcconaughey all they want, but he rarely disappoints; and he plays that happy go lucky role exceptionally well. This movie has been largely panned by most all critics, but I thought it was a decent watch.
6.5/10
The Frighteners (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – I thought it combined elements of both horror and comedy fairly well, and is probably more of a true Peter Jackson film than the LotR trilogies. He got his start in low-budget horror, and from my understanding this was his first bigger-budget release. As is the case with most of these genre combiners, it doesn’t work very well as a horror or comedy film, but has a good enough cast and engaging enough storyline to keep you interested for the full 2 hours.
6/10
The Impossible (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – It features some powerful performances from Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, but the events that follow the actual impact are a little contrived and cliché. You can do a lot worse for survival films, but the last 75 minutes have a hard time meeting the standards set by the first 25 minutes. It deserves the praise it received, but just know what you’re getting into.
6/10
Frost/Nixon (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – Much like last week’s J. Edgar, this is a slower, dry movie, but it’s still a good, if a bit fictitious, look at the interviews between the title characters in the 1970s. Not a whole more I can say, to be honest. The acting is competent, it’s well written, but there’s not anything here you can’t gather from a 10-15 minute reading session on Wikipedia, without the obvious added drama for the film’s purpose.
6/10
Orphan (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – It’s amazing how much better these horror/thrillers are when they bring in talented actors. Other than a twist at the end, there’s nothing here really beyond the typical demented/sadistic child, but Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard help to elevate, and whoever plays the little girl does an excellent job, too. It has some brief stretches of absurdity, but for the most part, it’s pretty good.
7/10
Prisoners (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – One of the better movies I’ve seen from 2013, definitely outside of the summer blockbuster types, which I’ve always had a soft spot for. Hugh Jackman turns in his best acting performance to date, and Gyllenhaal turns in another strong one, though I would have liked a little more development with his character, at least in terms of back-story. This isn’t an easy watch, due to the intensity and disturbing nature of the movie, but it definitely deserves all of the considerable praise it’s received. It makes its 150 minute runtime seem too short, which is almost always strong praise from me. This is right up there with American Hustle and Boogie Nights as the best movies I’ve seen in the last 2-3 months. I predict that fans of David Fincher’s Zodiac, Seven, and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will really, really like it, as it has that same sort of atmosphere and delivery.
8.5/10
Dead Man Down (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – This is an excellent example of movie that is made watchable entirely by the actors. The story itself is a dime a dozen revenge thriller, with an extremely formulaic approach to the genre. Rapace and Farrell manage to add some entertainment, but if not for them, it would be completely worth passing on.
5.5/10
