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Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2009 > June > 16 > Entry
The return of What Are You Watching?
Today is normally the day I would review the DVD releases, and there are two new titles that will rent very well: The Friday the 13th remake and Tyler Perry’s Madea goes to Jail. I have nothing to say about either one, and quite honestly, have no interest in either one, so I’ve done my duty by letting you know they’re out there. If you want em, have at em.
Moving on, I would like to resurrect a column in this blog space I tried to start some time back, called What Are You Watching? I’ll do my best to run this regularly on Tuesdays, and give it a chance to take off.
The concept is pretty simple. I will offer short reviews of movies I’ve seen on TV or DVD, and in theaters if I haven’t already given them a full review.
I invite you to do the same. Tell me what movies you’ve seen lately, whether they were old or new, or whether you saw them on the big or small screen. Even if it’s something you’ve seen a million times, that’s fair game too. Even if it’s a movie I’ve already covered, like The Hangover or Up, tell me what you thought of it. Anything goes.
So with that in mind, here’s what I’ve seen lately. With one exception, all are available on DVD.
The Brothers Bloom: Fans of this movie about con men and their elaborate schemes absolutely rave about it, while its detractors say its all style over substance. I fall somewhere in between.The writing and the visual style are so self-consciously showy that it comes off as too hip for the room. At the same time, some of the shots and story ideas are so imaginative, it’s hard to resist the energy. Who really saves the film is Rachel Weisz. She’s absolutely delightful as the mark Adrien Brody falls for, and she gives the film much-needed warmth. It’s playing at the Neon now. GRADE: B
The Children’s Hour: This William Wyler drama about Shirley MacLaine and Audrey Hepburn being accused of being lesbians absolutely wiped me out. An underrated must-see. You remember Brokeback Mountain? This movie covered that ground first, and just about as well. GRADE: A
Excalibur: John Boorman’s take on King Arthur and company is great fun; gloriously overheated. It’s certainly preferable to the dreadful film musical Camelot. GRADE: B+
The Electric Horseman: This Robert Redford/Jane Fonda romance ODs on the cheesy romance, but it’s endearing all the same. Fun to watch as a time capsule of Vegas in the 70s. GRADE: B
Nothing but the Truth: This fictionalization of the Valerie Plame story sometimes stacks the deck too high, as is writer-director Rod Lurie’s wont, but it’s still very powerful. Kate Beckinsale gives a career-best performance. GRADE: A-
Pygmalion: This 1938 version of the George Bernard Shaw play is supposed to be a classic, but I don’t rate it quite that high, mainly because I find Leslie Howard a bit of a wet blanket as a lead. It’s still better than My Fair Lady, though. GRADE: B
Robin and Marian: The movie shows us what might have happened with Robin Hood and Maid Marian after Robin Hood came back from the Crusades. It’s a bit slight story-wise, but with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn as the leads, it’s more than a little charming. GRADE: B+
Sherrybaby: Fairly standard drug addiction recovery drama gets a boost from a sterling performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal. GRADE: B+
They Were Expendable: John Ford’s take of PT boat crewmen in World War II ODs on sentiment, but gradually gains power as it moves along. And was there a cuter nurse than Donna Reed? No there, wasn’t. GRADE: A-
Throne of Blood: Kurosawa+Macbeth = Wow. GRADE: A+
Tsotsi: This drama about a criminal who softens when he accidentally kidnaps a baby won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar a few years back. It certainly has its powerful moments, but I also found it dramatically obvious and overrated. GRADE: B
Unfaithfully Yours: Absolutely hilarious, acidic black comedy about a musical conductor (Rex Harrison) who imagines various dire fates for his wife (Linda Darnell) when she suspects he’s cheating on him. One of Preston Sturges’ best. GRADE: A
Your turn. Respond to any of my reviews or tell us what you’ve been watching. Give us recommendations for our Netflix queues/DVRs!
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Ask the Audience, Reviews
Comments
By Brother Phil
June 17, 2009 10:35 AM | Link to this
This last weekend, I watched The Color Purple for the first time in a while. Great movie, but a hard one to watch with friends because the ending is so emotional. Other than that, I have not had much time to indulge myself with the pleasure of movie viewing.By Kim
June 16, 2009 2:53 PM | Link to this
Oh - Excalibur - I have seen that one in ages! I need to rent that one - a beautiful film to look at, which is always a plus for me. I haven’t had much time for movie watching - unfortunately - but I did go for a second viewing of the new Star Trek film in the theaters and loved it even more the second time around (of course - that could be just because I didn’t have someone yacking at me!). I also went to see Up in the theater and loved it - definitely a fine moment for Pixar and a real keeper. On DVD, I’ve recently watched Evolution:Rise of the Lycans. Meh. It was interesting to know all of the back story and it was fine - nothing stellar. I also watched Twilight - this time with the eye of someone who HAD read the book - because the film interested me enough to read the entire series. I enjoyed it much more because my mind was filling in the richness of the background, though I still really like the movie. Looking forward to New Moon! On TV - I watched Happy Feet and didn’t find it as “all that” as what I’d heard it had been. It was fine - nothing that will stick with me. I also watched “Sky High” on the Disney channel - simply because it has Kurt Russell in it - getting back to his cheesy Disney-like roots. :) Obviously not a classic - but it was some cheesy fun. I had never heard of it - don’t know if it was made for TV or what. But Kurt is my Amy - I will watch ANYTHING that has him in it-ha! Gosh - it’s a shame I haven’t had time to watch any movies, isn’t it? ha!By Jeremy
June 16, 2009 1:38 PM | Link to this
I watched mr magoriums wonder emporium the other day and was thoroughly disappointed. It reminded me of a halfrate do-over of Willy Wonka [much like Zathura’s attempt to copy Jumanji]. Some scenes were cute but not really good enough for my netflix list. I was running low on DVDs to get.