While I'm proud to report I won my Oscar pool last month, I'm certainly not winning movie blog diligence.
A quick summary of some recent Seens, all of which have merits, and I recommend, if in the appropriate mood:
The Adjustment Bureau -- basic, linear love story thriller...a little light on thrills and not as complex as it hopes to be, but some good chemistry between Damon and Blunt which keeps us engaged. I also just generally am excited to see John Slattery in a suit.
Winter's Bone -- a vehicle for Jennifer Lawrence, a wronged daughter in an Ozark meth lab of a town, violence, tedium, the same blue-tinted lens of the Twilight, didn't do for me holistically. I felt like I was watching a mystery that was never solved, and wasn't all that interesting to begin with. Plus, I had this nagging feeling that the film was a little poverty tourism for some Ivy-educated suburban-born white gal. It does seem that was the case. However, Lawrence, who just landed the lead in the much-anticipated Hunger Games film adaptation, proves herself to be incredibly tough, vulnerable, and compelling.
Never Say Never in 3d - You might say, why would you pay money to see this Justin Vehicle promotional schlock? Well, I challenge the haters to see this movie and not be moved by the story of Bieber, the plucky prodigy of a single teenage mother in Canada, who propelled himself, through social media, sheer talent, and some bizarre haircut to be the reigning teen pop king. Bieber and director John Chu, of Step Up 2/3 seem like a perfect pair. Chu navigates Bieb's short, but impressive life, with a lot of finesse, and quick edits. He is a storyteller who completely understands the phenomenon of his subject. I was charmed and consider myself to be a belieber.
Oscar Shorts -- Live Action and Animated -- Like a shopping trip to H&M, the Oscar shorts can be very hit or miss. This year, I wasn't dazzled by the animated series. I guess the stand-out was Day and Night, which still didn't make a whole ton of sense with that weird radio broadcast section. And while the Madagascar entry was visually sophisticated, the story was haywire. I thought Let's Pollute could have been a bit more clever in its messaging, a little less 1950s PSA in its delivery (spoofs are funny, but you have to add something to make them original). The Lost Thing, which ended up with the big prize, did have a sense of intrigue and wonderment. So I hear that, though I wasn't as smitten as I've been in past years.
However, Live Action was full of fresh perspectives. While I took issue with some aspect of each of them, these were minor quibbles in what was otherwise an honest and dramatic lineup. My favorite was actually God of Love (though I was certain Na Wewe would get it), which was arguably a little self-indulgent, but kind of lovely in a Sabrina the Teenage Witch kind of way.
The Company Men - For starters, I'm a sucker for any Ben Affleck movie. This has been the case since the seventh grade. Good Will Hunting, Armageddon, Shakespeare in Love, Reindeer Games. The time I drove 5 hours to see Gigli at the only showtime at the only theatre in Ohio after it disappeared from the nation's cineplexes after only one week. Ben and I have been through a lot together. Anyway, thankfully the Company Men (like his earlier release this year, The Town) showcases Ben in a mature, thoughtful, conflicted actor-y light. The film focuses on the lives of white-collared execs forced out of their high-powered jobs at a shipping company. It shares a vibe with Up in the Air. I left satisfied, that I had seen some good characters work through their issues, and hopeful that everything within the frame, and possibly in the outside economy might be okay. Escapism.
Rango - Possibly the most bizarre film I've seen of late. Like most animated films, this one seemed geared to the kids, but, in fact, it was some sort of spoof on spaghetti westerns slash Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I don't imagine the average 10 year old has the patience for a film so ponderous, and potentially rooted in issues of urban sprawl. I couldn't quite wrap my brain around what was happening, and why I was supposed to care, other than be amazed by the stellar animation. I found Rango himself to be flat (narcissistic actor? too close to home?) but I was curious about the world around him. The urban wasteland...what might be across the road...etc But I think why this film didn't soar for me was expectations as to what the conventions of animated films might invoke. I wanted to be delighted. I craved a journey, zany characters, jokes...basically the first ten minutes of Up! meets Toy Story. Instead, I lost the path and started charting the genre references. Difficult.
Just as I was utterly convinced I had become too critical and jaded to like any movie, I caught Scott Pilgrim vs. the World yesterday on On Demand. What a winner! It was genre-bending, cool, quick, cute. Everything you want on your home television. Highly recommended.
Along with...midnight cookie deliveries from Insomnia Cookies (now on the UWS). Yes, the two best words in the English language: warm cookies. And they are delivered! At all hours. Try the S'mores flavor. Incredible.
