August 27, 2009

  • Movies I've Seen Recently...


    Inglourious Basterds (2009)  A

    To say that "Inglourious Basterds" is a very dialouge heavy movie is quite frankly an understatement. Since this is written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, that should come as no surprise however. I'm talking scene after scene of conversations with very minimal action here (in a 2 1/2 hours movie no less), which may be a turn off for some movie goers out there. It'll be their lost though, as I thought that this was brilliant film making here. It's incredible how the movie felt like I was reading a novel instead of watching a movie, because scenes were created with meticulous detail, with Tarantino allowing things to just breathe, and creating tension to the inevitable climax. Keep in mind that I'm talking about scenes where it's something like two people having a conversation in a span that lasts five to fifteen minutes. Doing so, I was just sucked into his vision of what a regular normal day life in Nazi occupied France could have been. I should also point out the fact that the movie is about 90 percent subtitled, and has four different languages spoken (English, German, French, Italian), plus added emphasis on the different dialects and accents in said languages. The action scenes that are shown are unsurprisingly violent for a Tarantino film, and when Lt. Aldo Raine says he wants his men to give him the scalps of dead Nazis, the movie does not shy away from actually showing them scalping people's heads.

    As it is with a Tarantino film, there is a smorgasbord of many quality characters and actors here, that are able to meet his standards for drama and humor. Brad Pitt as the over the top Aldo The Apache is quite the crowd pleaser, Mélanie Laurent as the Jewish girl who was the only one to survive the massacre of her family was just captivating, and even dialog-lite roles like Til Schweiger's Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz was very entertaining to watch. However it's Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa who absolutely steals the movie, as the cunning "Jew Hunter," creating at the same time the sense of dread and awe whenever he is on screen. Waltz deserves all the awards and praises for his fantastic role here. "Inglourious Basterds" does have it's minimal share of questionable plot points, and there is a certain sense of self-indulgence by Quentin Tarantino here (no surprise), but this movie is a continuation of his unquestionable love of films; like spaghetti westerns, and it's hard to deny the fact that this is yet another masterpiece to add to his stable of work.


    Paper Heart (2009)  B-

    A combination of actual documentary work by director Nicholas Jasenovec; excellently played by Jake M. Johnson in the movie, as well as a mockumentary about the making of this fictitious documentary, "Paper Heart" is quite amusing. The main draw to this movie is of course the very eccentric and awkward Charlyne Yi, as the girl who does not believe in love. She is definitely a character that's very unique and memorable, and very much not the typical female lead of a movie. Charlyne comes to the attention of a certain guy named Michael Cera, who falls for her, and the two become a part of the documentary, much to the discomfort of having their personal lives be caught on film. If there's one fault I could say about their relationship as portrayed here, it's that while Michael Cera is shown to be somewhat of an eccentric guy himself, compared to Charlyne, his character was very one dimensional in the movie. It doesn't help that the movie tries hard to avoid the fact that Michael Cera himself is a successful actor in real life, and is only labeled as the Director's friend here. i feel that it's a discredit to the film in assuming the audience "gets" that inside joke. On the other hand, I thought the actual documentary parts where they interview different people and their opinions on what love is to be quite charming though. The puppet shows that reenacts some of the stories told in the documentary I thought were brilliant, and very much one of the highlights to the movie. "Paper Heart;" although slow moving at times, does have it's charms, and has enough quirkiness in it to keep you entertained (or annoyed, depending).


    Funny People (2009) B

    Written and directed by Judd Apatow, "Funny People" really did turn out to be a drama about comedians, more than another full on comedy. There is an underlining theme throughout the film of sadness and melancholy, which is understandable considering the story is about a celebrated comedian who finds out that he is dying. It can be somewhat of a downer for a story, but being that this stars comedic talent such as Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, to Jonah Hill, there are several lines of dialog that are pretty funny and lightens up the mood. While the story isn't exactly for everybody, I thought it was rather fascinating. Despite the "dying comedian" thread, it feels like we are getting an almost autobiographical peek into the lives of comedians who are living the celebrity lifestyle, and comedians who are still struggling to make a mark for themselves. True to Apatow fashion, that very human element of the story really grounds the film, and makes the pairing of Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen perfect for it. The movie also let's us see some funny stand up comedy moments, and even does social commentary on comedy in general. There is a game changer to the plot in the last quarter of the film (trailer spoiled it), which some can argue does not really work for this movie, and makes it longer than it has to be. "Funny People" may not necessarily be Judd Apatow's best work, but it really shows that it's probably his most personal film that he has made.