I’ve been that scourge of the blogosphere lately: the non-updater. So normally I update the blog when I see a movie, and for not much else. I may try and change this in future. For now though, I’ve seen three films lately and not blogged my thoughts on any of them. So here are some mini-reviews to make up for it.
First cab off the rank was X-Files: I Want To Believe. And I did. Want to believe, that is. But unfortunately I couldn’t. If you’ve read any reviews, then you’ve probably heard this already, but it just felt like an overly long TV episode, replete with average special effects and a jarring moment with a portrait of George Bush that’s the sort of thing you get away with on TV a lot more than you do on film. My overall impression was that this would have been a better film if they’d made it independently of X-Files, i.e. used different characters and called it something else. The references to the characters’ history were the weaker moments of the film. Overall this could have waited for DVD, but I had won tickets, and felt obliged to use them. Six out of ten Snifters for this one.
The following night the wife and I returned to the theater for Forgetting Sarah Marshall. This is a comedy from writer Jason Segel, who also stars. Segel is an Apatow alum, and the film incudes Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd, who will be familiar to fans of the Apatow stable. The reason that I think this crew are doing so well is that they provide romantic comedies that follow the formula, but manage to also treat the audience like adults. Characters tend to act true to type, rather than the inevitable crisis coming from someone doing something that they just wouldn’t do. Feelings displayed by the characters feel more real and less contrived, giving the comedy a much more real backdrop to play against, which I think makes it funnier. Overall I enjoyed this film, and it gave me a new appreciation for the, um, talents of Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell. Eight Snifters out of ten.
More recently, I saw Wanted. This actioner based on a lesser-known graphic novel and it pays to know this going it – it makes the crazy action and hyper-stylization easier to deal with. Once you’ve realised that the laws of physics aren’t going to apply consistently, you can sit back and enjoy the fun. James McAvoy is a charismatic lead, even when he’s playing a bit of a loser. He’s likeable and easy to barrack for. Angelina Jolie is made for the kind of role she plays here. She has a way of saying an awful lot without opening her mouth, with a kind of knowing smile that conveys amusement, indulgence, kindness, patience and disdain all at once, which is perfect for her character of Fox. Director Timur Bekmambetov has the “style over substance” thing down in this movie, and it’s great for a while, but when the movie takes its inevitable twist, it’s not as much fun as the first half journey that McAvoy’s character takes. Worthwhile overall, but not an instant classic. Seven Snifters out of ten.
August 27, 2008
Categories: Movies . Tags: Angelina Jolie, Apatow, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Want To Believe, James McAvoy, Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, movie, review, slack, slacker, Wanted, X-Files . Author: hamo455 . Comments: Leave a Comment