melair

This will go for TV and movies, feel free to comment if you agree or disagree.  I love to hear what everyone else is watching too. And I’m not just posting about new movies, anything I’ve seen recently.  Some are sadly over-due.

Rachel Getting Married 2008

Unlike The Wrestler, which I was set up to expect the world of, I didn’t know what to expect from Rachel Getting Married and I was very, very pleased.  This movie is amazing.  You really feel like you are a part of this family, making judgments about all of them, the same way you do your own family.  And it isn’t all sad and stressful.  Some of it is joyous and sweet, just like life with our own families.  There is just a lot of heart and soul in this film.  The acting is great, as is the direction.

The Wrestler 2008

Boo.  Hissss.  Boo.  The previews were very misleading in my opinion.  They really tried to make the thing look like an introspective chick-flick.  It was not.  There were some rather lengthy wrestling scenes…fair enough.  The other major component were long scenes in the strip club.  That being said- it has a lot more guy appeal than lady appeal I think.  And it was really just ungodly boring to me.  I felt entertained for a good 20 minutes, and in fact had a good ten minute debate with myself about whehter I should get up and demand my money back half way through.  It wasn’t the most horrible movie I’ve ever seen.  There were a few artistic elements that were okay and the acting was good.  Overall the thing was just very, very overrated.

Slumdog Millionaire 2008

Before I saw this movie I heard a lot of hype about it being the best movie of 2008.  It’s always a tricky thing when you hear this assessment of a movie because typically your expectations are too high.  I tried to stay down to earth in that sense and I was not disappointed.  It was, in the end, my favorite movie of 2008.  I will admit that Milk and Synecdoche followed very close behind.  While it was a very, very good movie, I won’t say it completely blew any of the other good movies of this year out of the water.  Go see it.  You won’t be disappointed.

Milk 2008

No, it’s not a movie about the great milk mustache campaign, nor is it a vegan protest film.  It’s the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician voted into public office.  I have to say, I really go back and forth on Gus Van Sant (the director).  When he’s on- he’s on and many of his films I’ve seen are brilliant.  Some, after watching them make me feel like I just wasted a couple of hours of my life.  Not this one.  It was amazing.  Beautifully, beautifully shot.  The story is compelling and the casting if brilliant.  I have to admit here that I’m not really a big fan of Sean Penn either (he plays Harvey Milk in the film).  But he gives an amazing performance.  Kudos too on all the gay make out scenes.  He may be straight, but he made me believe he was enjoying it.  I highly recommend seeing this movie.  Unless you are homophobic.

The Changeling 2008

Eh.  I mean, I don’t know what I’m supposed to say about this one.  It’s the ‘ole Hollywood standard formula.  Written well, directed well, great sets and costumes.  There is plenty of creative license taken with the “true story” the film is based on.  My main complaint is that it is one of those movies that so intentionally pulls at your heart strings.  I had to make a decision in the first 10 minutes, to cry, or not to cry.  I chose not to because I could tell that there would surely be a massive headache to follow due to dehydration at the end of the two hours.  So, I sat there kinda stone-cold which certainly takes something away from the experience.  Note: This was not my first choice of movies to see, but a friend of mine’s who had free tickets.  It was definitely worth the free tickets.

Synecdoche, New York 2008

Wow! and double wow!  I admit, I am particularly biased as Charlie Kaufman is my all-time favorite writer.  Synecdoche, his directorial debut might just bump him to my favorite director as well.  Can this man do anything that isn’t brilliant?  I’ve read mixed reviews on the film, and am at a loss for why everyone doesn’t like this movie as much as I did.  Now, my father, for instance would hate this movie.  He is of the opinion that movies aren’t supposed to make you think, or analyze, but are instead to entertain.  I understand this view point, but do not agree.  Or maybe I do agree, because I think film can be both: entertainment and art.  This movie is of the artistic persuasion and is executed brilliantly as such.  Liking this type of movie made it entertaining to me as well.

I don’t want to give away a lot of the plot, and probably couldn’t if I tried.  The main character wakes up one morning into a mid-life crisis when he comes to the realization that he is dying.  That we all are dying, but one of his character flaws is that he is unable to care or recognize this is an inevitable part of the human condition and rather than letting this realization link himself to his fellow man, he allows it to isolate himself instead.  I won’t say it isn’t a little depressing, but I guess the sooner we all get comfortable with this idea, the more at ease we might be.

In Bruges 2008

Jim picked this one and I was ticked because I wanted to see Oceans 12.  So, aside from sulking through the whole thing, it took me a day or two to sort out whether I liked this film or not, but I’ve decided that I did.  The story is very well written: 2 hitmen are routed from London to Bruges after a “job.”  One of the hitmen has been in the game for a long while, the other has just popped his murder cherry so to speak and botched the job by killing more people than he was supposed to (sorry to be vague, but I don’t want to spoil any of the plot).  I won’t lie- the film is very slow for the first half.  Very, very slow.  But I’m accustomed to watching indie movies which often have the “sleeper” element to them.  You don’t expect that from a movie about hitmen, but if you are patient, you’ll get some action at the end of the film.  Besides the plot, the cinematography is better than average.  All be it dark (we are in Belgium where it’s not quite so sunny), it is none the less beautiful.  One surpirse to me was Colin Farrell’s performance.  I’ve never seen him in anything before, but his cheese-ball, bad-boy Hollywood image has always kinda made me want to barf.  So I really wasn’t all that hopeful about seeing him act.  Not too shabby.  In fact, the acting was good all around.  Just after the movie was over, and I was still pouting about not seeing Ocean’s 11, I told Jim I’d only give it a 6 out of 10.  After a couple of days to mull it over, though, I’d bump it up to an 8.

Religulous 2008

I loved, loved, loved this smart documentary.  The problem with it is two-fold: 1) Much like a Michael Moore movie, the people who go to see this will likely be people who already agree with the sentiment.  So, it’s serving mostly to reinforce what the viewers already know and believe.  If the usual suspects weren’t attending and the religious fanatics and fundamentalists were, the world might just end up being a better case, but I’m not counting on it.  2) The second problem is that the movie skews anti-organized religion, and leaves out at least one benign component of religion which is the comfort it brings to those who are sick or dying or who have loved ones who are sick or dying.  Although I took the main point to be that religious fundamentalism is detrimental, not having any religion in one’s life at all.  I’d be so happy if everyone in the world would at least watch it, reflect, and then decide for themselves.  I guess I’m secretly an idealist at heart.

Burn After Reading 2008

I hate when movies come out and the preview makes you think it’s one kind of movie, but it’s really another kind of movie.  That’s like this one.  I thought I was in for a kinda goofy comedy, but this is actually a pretty dark comedy, a favorite genre of the directors.  I guess I’ve recovered from the shock enough to comment.  It’s pretty good.  All star cast for sure, so the acting is very strong and as odd-ball as the characters are, they are still very believable.  I really hate to comment too much on the plot as there are twists and turns the whole way that will remain entirely more shocking and effective if I don’t spoil them for you.  I really enjoyed it over-all, and if you are into quirky black comedies, I think you’ll enjoy it too.

The Office (American version) season 5

Thank God it’s back on.  And FINALLY, Jim has proposed.

My Name is Earl season 4

In season 1 I thought the show was cute, but saw it getting stale fast with the same tired formula.  The writers keep it fresh though, and though it isn’t my all-time favorite show, I do keep watching ’cause it’s just the kind of feel-good TV you need at the end of the week.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 4

Jim and I just started watching this show last season and regret that we didn’t start sooner.  Granted, it’s stupid humor, but it’s just about the funniest stupid humor I’ve ever seen.  The season premier proved it’s gonna be a good season.  The format is for them to air two 30 minute episodes back to back, and the first 30 minute episode was much funnier than the second one, but they were both still pretty funny.  I just keep watching to see what the heck they’ll think of next.  And they never cease to amaze.

Vicky Christina Barcelona 2008

Loved it!  God how I want to go back to Spain and do it right this time.  Besides that, I thought it was a Woody Allen treasure, and I am not of the opinion that all of his movies are treasures.  I could have sat and watched the movie play for another two hours, so either it was really good or I am really bored.  I do think Woody Allen in general does a really good job of conveying the whole gamut of human experience.  And this movie was all about relationships, experimenting, giving into relationships for the sake of comfort and how that isn’t always a bad thing.  Who doesn’t think about these things daily?  When you are single, you want a partner, when you have a partner you want to play the field.  I like how he doesn’t shy away from these realities.  I thought it was brilliant.

Bottle Shock 2008

So cute, so light, a great pro-America, pro-hardwork and industry story.  Nothing too deep here, and as I saw it on a Sunday afternoon, I can say that a weekend afternoon is the perfect setting.  There is a half-assed love story in the back ground and some father-son tension.  The movie is loosely based on the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976.  If you are into wine, the historical facts are an interesting quick-read on Wikipedia.  See it, it’ll make you smile.

Murial’s Wedding 1994

I seem to remember hearing a lot about this movie, but I just saw it rececntly for the first time.  Ummm…maybe it was better watched 14 years ago.  I think the 80’s clothes and the Abba references may have been funnier back then.  Still, it was cute, and oddly interesting.  Leave it to those Austrialians to come up with some seriously odd plot twists.  I think it’s a good movie to see if you are single and think you want to be married.  It definitely makes you reflect on whether you want to be married for the right reasons.  Overall, just cute.  If you want to see a good Austrailian comedy, I think Strictly Balroom is in the same vein, but much funnier.

Oceans 11 2001

God- I know, I’m so behind the tims.  And THIS is my kind of action film.  Very sleek, low stress, amazing acting and cinematography.  Can’t fight the box office on this one.  I’ll pare you the synopsis since everyone’s already seen it anyway.

Mad Men

This is an AMC original series and one of the only shows I watch.  Anyone who knows me knows I cam up in the ad agencies only hoping it was this glamorous.  The only part that rings true is that everyone was sleeping with everyone else, only on a boring scale.  If you are into 60’s clothes, this will be enough aesthetics to get you through boring plots every 3 to 4 episodes.  If I were a lesbian, Joan would be my girlfriend.