TRUE GRIT

At its most basic, this movie is about a little girl seeking vengeance. I saw the 1969 version of TRUE GRIT starring John Wayne in 1969 and remember it as being a great movie.  I never saw it again after its initial release, and I really didn't remember what it was all about except that there was a little girl named Mattie Ross traveling the old west with the crusty, crotchety, old, one-eyed Rooster Cogburn, looking for something.
Well, what they were looking for, it turns out, is the killer of the little girl's father.  He had taken in a drifter, Tom Chaney, to do some work around his ranch and Tom Chaney turned on him and killed him.  Now Mattie is out to avenge her father's death and nab the man who killed her father.
She enlists the help of Rooster Cogburn, who has a reputation for no-nonsense bounty hunting.  He's the guy who has no ties or obligations to anything whatsoever.  He seems to like nobody and and nobody really likes him.  Doesn't care about anything -- we all know the type. But somewhere along the way, Rooster has developed a sense of morality and has chosen to use his skills to bring in bad guys for a living.
Since the killer is legitimately wanted by the law, a Texas Ranger by the name of LaBoeuf, goes along with Mattie and Rooster to administer some good ol' wild west justice.
Mattie's father was such a fresh kill that Mattie had been able to see his body in the undertaker's shop before they put him in the ground.  But what struck me as odd was that Mattie didn't really seem upset at all that she had just lost her father. She just seem pissed off.
So the three of them set off on their adventure.  Nobody really got along with each other and I guess that was supposed to be the humor in the film.  I suppose it was to an extent.  What I do remember from the first TRUE GRIT was that Mattie and Rooster eventually developed some sort of a bond, or friendship which never happened in this version.
I am a great fan of the Coen Brothers' movies, and I did like this movie, but it wasn't quiet up to par with most of their other stuff.  A few of their signature quirky characters were there (the bad guy who only makes animal sounds), but didn't really fit into the mood of the picture.  I won't tell you to rent the 1969 version instead of seeing this one because that version is probably terribly dated by now.
Maybe not..

ALL GOOD THINGS

This is the story of yet another severely dysfunctional filthy rich family with skeletons in their closet.  It's the story (based on true events) of the Marks family (Durst in real life), who owns the more properties in Manhattan than almost anyone else.  They built their fortune from buying up and renting  out skanky tenement apartment buildings in the worst parts of the city. There is Sanford Marks, the father and patriarch, and two sons, David, the elder, and Daniel, the younger.  The story begins in 1971 when David was around 21, and Daniel was around 19.
David, more of a free spirit, never cared for the family business and had no interest in having the torch passed from his father to him.  Instead, he dreamt of moving to the Vermont countryside and opening a health food store, which he did with his charismatic new wife, Katie.  The name of the store they operated was All Good Things.  Hmmmm. . . .
All seems blissfully well at first, but David's family did not approve of the lower-class Katie and wanted David to move back to NYC to join the family business.  Sanford convinced  David that Katie would eventually grow tired of Vermont.  Sanford told him that Katie married him only for his money, and once she sees that the health food store doesn't keep her in the lifestyle she sought, then the marriage would be over.
So back to NYC they go.  And here is where their lives start to come unraveled.  David can't handle the day to day affairs of the business, so he is relegated to a "nothing" position in an out-of-the-way office, collecting a paycheck for just showing up.  The younger Daniel takes the position meant for David.
David, always a little "off," is starting to become more detached and exhibit more and more bizarre behavior, like mumbling to himself and staring off into space.  We find out that there is a horrible memory that he is holding on to involving his mother and what happened to her when David was a child.  This, on top of the unwelcome announcement that Katie is pregnant, sends David over the edge and accelerates the demise of his and Katie's relationship.  David forces Katie to get an abortion, which sends her into a downward spiral from which she never recovers.  The two miserable souls start living separate lives, reconciling every now and then, but never reconnecting.  Katie is showing her independence more and more by going to medical school and becoming a doctor, leaving David to wallow in his miserableness.
Then, in 1982, after eight years of marriage, Katie disappears.
Vanishes without a trace.
Everyone thinks it was David's doing, but he (and no one else for that matter) was ever convicted. The case today remains unsolved.
There is no resolution in this movie, and I never really had any sympathy for any of the characters.  There were no moments of great dialog or OMG scenes.  Kinda dull through and through, which is too bad.  I had high hopes for this movie.  I get more satisfaction from "Forensic Files" on TV.  At least there, I find out who did it.

BLACK SWAN

I must admit that I had some reservations about seeing this movie.  After all, it was directed by Darren Aronofsky, who also directed THE WRESTLER, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, and that completely bizarre PI,  three very depressing films.  I don't like movies about miserable people and their miserable lives, but I heard a lot of good things about BLACK SWAN, so I checked it out.  I've never been to a ballet, nor have I ever stopped on ballet while channel surfing, but the few movies I've seen about ballet I really liked (WHITE KNIGHTS, THE TURNING POINT).  And BLACK SWAN was no exception.  A common thread present in the three of these ballet-themed movies is intense competition and enormous pressure on the dancers.  Here, both are in full force.    An aging prima ballerina in a prestigious ballet company is being forced into retirement and the company's ego-centric director, Thomas, is looking for a suitable replacement to star in their season-opening performance of "Swan Lake."  Rabidly pushed by her former dancer mother ("I gave it up to have you"), Nina is one of the most promising up-and-coming young ballerinas.  She's the logical choice for the lead role, but Thomas plays with her mind, pushing her to her physical and psychological limit before she can be formally named the ballet's star.  On the brink mental collapse from the pressure put on her by Thomas, Nina's domineering mother, as well as the intense competition from Lily (Nina's nemesis and the only girl that could take the part of the Swan Princess away) Nina is sucked into a vortex of paranoia, psycho-sexual fantasies, and self mutilation.  It can only be a matter of time before she self-destructs, but can she stay outside the edge of insanity long enough to give the performance of her life?  My only problem with this movie is that it took a long time to get going. More than an hour into it, I was thinking, "C'mon. Lets get going here." But when it did get going -- WHOA! Quite a few "holy s***" moments as well as a couple of times you might want to look away or cover your eyes.  Definitely not for the squeamish.  And all this from a BALLET movie??  This is an example of a psychological thriller in its finest form.

BURLESQUE

Just because we're gay doesn't mean we have to love Cher all the time. . . right? Don't get me wrong -- I DO love Cher, but to say she was at her best in BURLESQUE is a load of doo doo. Absolutely no comparison to her performances in movies like SILKWOOD, MOONSTRUCK, MASK, COME BACK TO THE FIVE AND DIME JIMMY DEAN JIMMY DEAN. I saw this movie on Thanksgiving Day in Palm Springs with a pretty large group of guys, and the theater was packed with our kind. . . a very forgiving audience, if you will. I can't tell you how my times I heard, as I was walking out of the auditorium, thins like, "OMG! That was fabulous!" What ev. Bottom line -- It wasn't. I'm not even gonna go into how bad the script/story was. Other than Cher's cheezeball "anthem," "You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me," (which really means we HAVE as far as movies go), the film was pretty much a two-hour Christina Aguilera video. So if that's your thing, then you will no doubt like this movie. I couldn't wait for it to end.

THE TOWN

The town is Boston, and the director and star is Ben Affleck, who is doing for Boston what Woody Allen did for New York. Actually, "the town" more specifically is Charlestown, a particular neighborhood in Boston where more bank heists take place than anywhere else in the USA.
This is the story of a group of old neighborhood buddies who get together and pull off daring capers instead of getting real jobs. They all have deep-rooted issues which led each of them to a life of crime. You know -- environment, parents, peer pressure, the mob -- the usual.
The FBI is there too, relentlessly pursuing the young thugs. Dagnabbit, he's gonna catch those punks come hell or high water.
And then there are the women. Three figure prominently, and they are the ex-girlfriend, the hostage, and the mother of one of the heisters (heisters???).
All the components of your typical bank heist movie are here. It all worked, though. It was put together well, kept a brisk pace, and the entire cast (save on old Scottish dude) are very easy on the eyes. You find yourself rooting for the bad guys, even though they're lacking any semblance of morality or conscience. There's plenty of bang bang and a pretty awesome car chase through the streets of Boston.
It's not gonna win the Palm D'or at Cannes, but it was fun.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

We all know what this movie is about, so there's really no ruining the plot. A Harvard freshman, Mark Zuckerberg, creates what becomes the world's most prominent social networking website with over 500,000,000 users. Actually, this movie could have been about any start-up business venture -- who came up with the original concept, the idea, who wrote the code, who fronted the initial capital, who gets creative control, etc. But it's not about just any company -- it's about Facebook. And since anyone reading this is a user of Facebook, there is an immediate interest in the subject. It's completely understandable that we all want to know how this obsession for some, pastime for others, came into existence.
After demonstrating an unbelievable ability to understand the internet, write code, and hack into a system as secure as Harvard's, Zuckerberg is approached by a pair of twins who are on the Harvard crew team (and bear an uncanny resemblance to Judge Reinholdt) and their friend, to help them start an exclusive networking site just for Harvard students - those whose email addresses end with the prestigious @harvard.edu.
Instead of helping the twins and their friend, Zuckerberg starts developing his own site with the same concept, and called it "The" Facebook with his best and only friend, Eduardo (the money) and his roommate, Dustin (the codist).
Naturally, when the twins found this out, they were furious and tried to take back control. It's was an epic battle that, of course ended up in federal court.
And if that's not enough, there are others who Zuckerberg walked over to get FB going in the direction he had mapped out in that genious mind of his - those who trusted, helped, and believed in him in the beginning.
This movie was directed by David Fincher, so I knew it would be good. Fincher was behind some of my faves like FIGHT CLUB and SE7EN. (And props to Fincher for making Cally look so cool and hip, while making New England look boring and stiff). It was just about two hours long, and I found myself a little disappointed that it wasn't longer.
The story kept bouncing back and forth between the developing story of the growth and evolution of Facebook, and the hearings between Zuckerberg and his accusers.
A surprise to me was how influential the creator of Napster, Shawn Parker was to Zuckerberg. He gained the trust and admiration of Zuckerberg, and Zuckerberg hung on his every word to help guide him through. After all, Shawn's creation had revolutionized the music industry and helped to kill the corner record shop. He was the cavalier rebel that Zuckerberg wanted to be.
Instead, Zuckerberg comes across as an emotionless robot, so focused on his "baby" that he has no time for anything else. Ever. He was, ironically, constructing the world's foremost social site, while having zero social skills himself. The only emotion he seems to be able to display is anger, which is what got him started on the whole notion of Facebook, anyway.
It absolutely kept my interest, even though I knew (basically) what the outcome was going to be. And even though, this review and most other media that I have seen regarding THE SOCIAL NETWORK leads one to believe that Zuckerberg is a complete AH, Fincher leaves it up to the viewer to make his or her own assesments and conclusions. I, personally, came away wanting to sit down and have a beer and a conversation with the mastermind behind the worldwide phenomenon.

EASY A

Shades of John Hughes! Olive is one of thise kids who just doesn't quite fit in. She's just quirky enough to be cool without being weird, a fine line to walk in high school.
An untrue rumor starts circulating that Olive slept with an older "college" guy, and after trying for a brief time to dispel the rumor, she decides to run with it. She is hoping that if her classmates believe it, somehow her "coolness factor" will be given a boost.
Well, as you might imagine, everything goes wrong. Judgements are made, friendships are lost, then made, then lost again, and Olive is in way deeper than she could have ever imagined. She even goes as far as attaching a scarlett A to all of her clothes, just as Hester Prynne had in THE SCARLETT LETTER, which her English class was reading.
I think EASY A is great. the writing is sharp and witty, and the comedy is smart, without succumbing to "ass" and "tit" jokes like teen movies so often do now. It definitely doesn't insult the viewer.
All the usual characters are there -- the mega-bitchen bff, the under-the-radar studly dude who Olive has a secret crush on, the athletic crew, the gay boy, and the morally righteous ultra Christian chick and her bitchy prayer group pals.
Then there are the way cool teacher and the hippie-ish parents to round out the superb cast of characters.
EASY A is an obvious homage to the John Hughes movies we loved in the 80s, with direct references to PRETTY IN PINK, SIXTEEN CANDLES, and THE BREAKFAST CLUB.
I completely dug it!

WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS

While the original WALL STREET was one of the defining movies of the 80's, its sequel will soon be forgotton.
The world of Wall Street is so not my world. I've never been one to buy and sell stocks and I just get confused when I hear anyone talk about this fund or that portfolio. So the subject matter just didn't interest me.
Gordon Gekko, in prison for insider trading, gets out of jail after twenty some years and hits the road as an author and highly paid speaker. Before long, he meets the young man who idolizes him and just happens to be engaged to his daughter.
Oh yeah -- His daughter hates him: "You went to jail and LEFT US (sob). How could you (sob). I never want to see you again (sob). Uh. . . Nevermind that I'm filthy rich because of you and I live in a gazillion dollar Manhattan penthouse condo, even though I work for a non-profit 'green' website. Nevermind all that."
Hasn't the "I hate my father" story been done ad nauseum?
Well, anyway, Gordon, hoping to win back his daughter's favor, gets involved in another heavy-duty scam. What a surprise.
Actually, no surprises here. Just a dumb story with a completely predictable ending. The only good part of this movie was Charlie Sheen's cameo.

CATFISH

OMG! Is this really real? If it's a hoax (ala THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT), we'd know by now -- right? If you're ever on Facebook (duh), and especially if you friend people you don't actually know, then this documentary will definitely touch a nerve. It all begins when Abby, an 8-year-old budding artist from upstate Michigan contacts Nev, a mid-to-late 20s professional photographer in New York City via email. Abby wants to paint one of Nev's pictures that she has seen published. She does, and he is very flattered and impressed with her talent. The relationship quickly moves to Facebook, where Nev (pronounced NEEV) "meets" and friends most of Abby's family, including her mother, Angela, her father, Vince, her 19-year-old sister, Megan, and her teenage brother (I forgot his name). Well, as Abby continues to paint more of Nev's photos as well as other subjects, including Nev's protrait from his Facebook profile pic, sending them all to Nev, Nev starts up a torrid Facebook affair with Megan.
The only thing weird about this for me is that Nev's buddy wants to document all this and put it on video. How could he have known what was to come??? And what DOES follow had me on the edge of my seat better than any scripted movie I have seen in recent memory. Who are these people? Why are they doing what they're doiing? Is Nev in too deep with Megan, who he has never met face to face? He HAS spoken with her on the phone, though. Matter of fact, Nev has spoken with Megan, Angela, and even little Abby. So what the hell is going on here? The art is really real. In fact, it's the only tangible connection to the "Facebook Family" that Nev has
This documentary has it all -- suspense, deceit, humor, surprise, and even compassion. I can't really reveal any more about the film or it would spoil it parts of it. And the name, CATFISH???? You get that explanation in the final minutes. You won't be disappointed -- you will find out everything that's going on.
I will be very surprised if this doesn't get an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary.
If I were Siskel and Ebert, I'd give this one two thumbs through the roof!

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

I went to the theater that night to see EASY A, but got there too late. Hmm. . . "What other movie is starting now"? Voila, SCOTT PILGRIM it is! (Thanks in part to the woman in line who said, "That's a great movie!") The best way I can find to describe this movie is like this: Remember movies like MARY POPPINS? Or PETE'S DRAGON? Or even WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? They might be too old skool for some, but the common denominator is that they combined live action with animation. SCOTT PILGRIM, along those same lines, combines live action with a video game. In the "live" facet of the film, a complete nerd (who somehow gets the hottest girlfriends ever) is in a band and the band is gearing up for a Battle of the Bands-type competition to finally get the recording contract they've been after. Scott just got a new girlfriend, a groupie for the band, but dumps her for a different hot gf. Here's where the "video game" facet begins. Scott's new new girlfriend (no, that's not a misprint) has seven evil exes who Scott must defeat (not beat, but DEFEAT) in order to keep dating her. And so begins the two story lines with the blurred fine line between them. The movie really didn't interest me, and I didn't really care whether Scott got killed or not. And as for the girlfriend -- she wasn't even worth the trouble. Geez - smile every now and then will ya? The band competition and the battling of the exes all comes together at the end (surprise, surprise) when Scott meets the seventh and last (thank God) ex at the competition. Wait!! He's the record contract guy!! The effects were kinda cool, but is that a reason to go to a movie anymore? We can see cool effects any night on our TVs at home. And the one after another after another after another fight got pretty old. It reminded me of a bad version of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. Let's just say, I wish EASY A hadn't been sold out.

THE TILLMAN STORY

I already knew the story of Patrick Daniel Tillman - sort of. He was the 27-year-old dude who tossed aside a multi-million dollar NFL contract and chose to enlist in the US Army. He had every intentiion of serving three years, doing his duty for America, and then returning to a lucrative football career. But that didn't happen. On April 22, 2004, Tillman was killed while on a mission in Afghanistan - by his won fellow soldiers (his own brother Kevin was on that same mission).
This documentary is the story of how the Army first tried to make the death of their most famous enlisted soldier since Elvis look like an act of heroism. The first report told of Tillman fearlessly leading a charge on foot up a steep hill and met with enemy Taliban fire, sacrificing his own life, while saving those of his men. What follows is a trail of deceit, lies, and fabrictions that lead all the way to Congressional hearings, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and President G. W. Bush. It's all shocking, but not entirely surprising given the Bush administration's track record. Even with all that, the truth never comes out (but, ah, yes it does).
The human element of the story tells of two Pat Tillmans: one that the public perceived and another whose mother, father, and brothers try to tell the real story of. Poingnant and sometimes outlandish and funny stories of the Pat Tillman that America thought they knew, but really had no idea. At it's basest, this movie is about a family who just wanted to stay out of th public eye (including Pat), to get closure, and to just know what really happened.