Phillip Cairns

Movies I’ve Watched in 2008 (So Far)

These are quick comments about movies I’ve recently seen or re-watched. Each title is linked to a review (usually one I agree with) from DVDTalk, James Berardinelli, or another reputable online source. I don’t provide too many plot details or in-depth analysis because I want to don’t give away the movie, and I’m mostly just writing these things for my own reference anyway.

I’ve been too busy working to watch many movies. I saw Wall-E which is good and Wanted which isn’t. I also saw the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. It’s twisted and dark and definitely not for children. I’m not a fan of any of the previous Batman movies, but this one is worth seeing. It will mess you up, especially if you’re expecting a typical super hero movie. Heith Ledger is likely to win a posthumous Academy Award as the Joker.

The Happening — There is no reason to see this movie, ever, not even out of morbid curiosity. Considering the downward slide M. Night Shyamalan has been on since, well, arguably since The Sixth Sense, it seemed inevitable that he would eventually hit rock bottom, and this is it. Even The Village had moments where you think, “Maybe this’ll get good now,” but there isn’t a single compelling moment in the entire running time of The Happening, and subsequently nothing to feel disappointed about. I like Shyamalan as a director, so I was hoping to see at least a few good scenes or cool shots. But nope. The Happening is a zero on every level. The writing, the acting, the direction — it’s all bad, mediocre at best. (June 14/08)

The Incredible Hulk — Another Marvel comic book movie. The Hulk smashes the crap out of everything. Ed Norton and the rest of the cast play their roles well. The story isn’t as involving as Iron Man, but it’s done well and it’s never boring. What else do you want from a comic book movie? It’s fun for what it is. (June 14/08)

Duel — A big ominous ugly truck comes barrelling down the highway and makes life difficult for a lonely businessman in a car on his way to a meeting. It’s like Jaws on wheels. Directed for TV by Steven Speilberg in 1971, this 90-minute theatrical cut is nothing but entertainment. There’s no moral to the story. It’s just one long chase scene that keeps you wondering, “How the hell is he going to get away from that truck?” Speilberg takes that simple concept and milks it to the hilt. (June 12/08)

The Stone Angel — Based on the novel by Margaret Lawrence, starring Ellen Burstyn. Another sad and depressing Canadian novel where nothing good happens to anyone or anyone’s children, and then they die. (That’s an accurate summary of more than a few Canadian classics.) The film adaptation isn’t much more uplifting or hopeful. The movie tries to encompass too much of the novel instead of taking its time to develop the characters. It definitely has its moments, but I lost interest well before the closing credits. (June 7/08)

The Strangers — SPOILER ALERT. A couple looking for a quiet night in their secluded summer home are terrorized by three masked people who walk slowly in and out of shadows while kicking empty cans and knocking over stuff. And they’re not in a rush (which I think is supposed to make them scarier somehow). Eventually they tie up the couple, stab them to death and drive on down the road. That’s it. (June 03/08)

Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull — The first and third Indian Jones movies have stories that are fun and characters you can care about. The second movie doesn’t. This, the fourth in the series, has one interesting character (Indiana Jones), and a story that just barely pulls the action forward. But it does manage to make it over the finish line without thoroughly disappointing. There is some CGI, but it’s not distracting. There are no scary or super evil villains, but there is plenty of entertaining action. I had fun watching Harrison Ford play Indiana Jones one last time. Every other aspect of movie is forgettable. (May 22/08)

Brief Encounter — A 1946 film about two people who meet, have strong feelings for one another, toy with the idea of taking their brief encounter to another level and then… I won’t tell you want happens. My initial feelings were, “I’m not in the mood to watch some stiff British actors sit around a table with their cups of tea and say la-dee-da back and forth for an hour and a half,” but I’m glad I stuck it out. Over looking the film’s dated qualities is a small price to pay for a love story that rivals anything out of Casablanca. And what an ending! (May 16/08)

The Visitor — In a multiplex full of crappy Hollywood blockbusters, The Visitor is an unusual find. It’s a nice quiet night at the movies (there were plenty of empty seats when I saw it). It’s a simple story of a professor sleepwalking through his humdrum life until he finds some people living in his usually vacant New York apartment. He becomes friends with them, and that’s all you need to know. It’s a story about finding friendship in the most unlikely places. There’s no flash or glitter or contrived twists and turns. It’s just a story about life, and it’s a good one. (May 9/08)

Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead — Directed by Sydney Lumet. If you think you have problems or that your family is messed up or that your life hasn’t turned out the way you hoped it would, watch Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead and you’ll be grateful for everything you’ve got. It’s difficult to talk about the plot without giving away the story, but it involves two brothers who plan a heist that goes all wrong. And that’s just the beginning of their troubles. It’s the kind of story that only exists in movies, but the people feel so real, their reactions to the extreme circumstances so genuine, that it works. It’s completely engaging. The entire cast — Philip Seymour Hoffman, Albert Finney and even Ethan Hawke — couldn’t have given better performances. When you see acting on this level, you quickly realise how mediocre most actors are and what a challenging profession it really is. (Marisa Tomei has a major role, but they don’t give her much to do except take off her shirt.) It’s not a happy movie (though I had to laugh at the absurdity of it all from time to time), but it’s so over the top and compelling, it’s difficult to look away. (May 5/08)

Iron Man — I enjoyed Iron Man more than any super hero movie that has come out in recent years. It’s well-acted and it tells a good story that doesn’t exist just to show off special effects. Had the producers gone heavy on the CGI, it could have easily slipped into mind-numbing territory like Transformers. Instead, it’s in a league of its own, presenting us with real characters and a compelling origin story that doesn’t feel childish or cartoonish but is still entertaining and full of really cool stuff. (May 4/08)

Once — A unique film about a singer-songerwriter in Dubln who works at his dad’s vacuum repair shop and spends the rest of his time busking on a street corner with his guitar. He eventually meets a girl and tries to make more of his music, and that’s pretty much the whole story. The film has been described as a musical because whenever the guy sings a song, we hear the whole thing. If you like the music, the full songs will work for you. I’m not going to go out and buy the soundtrack, but I still got into everything about this movie because it looks and feels like a documentary with characters who seem like real people. The plot (if you want to call it that) doesn’t feel contrived. You meet these people, you like them and you want find out what happens to them. It’s a simple equation that works on a nice, quiet, genuine level. It’s not a visually spectacular movie, but it doesn’t need to be. Once — once it gets noticed — is likely to become a favourite of independent singer-songwriters everywhere. (May 3/08)