What movies have you seen recently?

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Guardians Of The Galaxy.

Just three words to describe this - - F*ckin' Awesome Man! A genuine must see!

Torment.

A family of a dad, his new wife, and their son who feels his stepmother is an interloper, go to their summer home isolated in the forest. There, they find themselves under siege by maniacs wearing stuffed animal masks. It becomes apparent they want to make the boy believe his parents no longer love him in order to make him one of their own family. It had potential, but was woefully underwritten. Stars the chick who played Ginger in Gingersnaps.

Boyhood

I watched it twice. First by myself and then with my daughter. It's a really unique film.

Saw Guardians again.

The Great Gatsby

In hindsight, this movie is kind of hilarious. Tom Cruise getting recruited by the firm feels like him getting recruited by the Church of Scientology, with everyone there seeming a little too nice and a little too willing to solve all his problems just a little too easily, and his wife keeps telling him that it all seems a little weird.

It's a half-decent thriller ruined by its director. Sydney Pollack wasn't remotely the right person for this movie. He has no idea how to stage a chase scene, and I'm baffled by his insistence that the movie have an all-piano soundtrack that's far too jaunty and makes the whole thing feel like an episode of Maude. I kept thinking of how much better it would be if they replaced it with the music from The Fugitive.

The half-decent part comes from the cast, who make the movie work despite itself. Cruise and Jeanne Tripplehorn are adequate at best (their dialogue came straight from the Cute Romantic Hollywood Couple Handbook), but Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, Wilford Brimley, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Steven Hill, and David Strathairn could make anything watchable. Gary Busey plays Gary Busey, and Tobin Bell plays Creepy Villain #368. They're fine.

It's a bland, mediocre, un-thrilling "thriller" with an all-star cast. I'm surprised it wasn't nominated for Best Picture. It was, however, nominated for Best Music, which kind of makes me want to die.

Here's hoping the TV show, which I'll be watching on DVD soon, will be better.

Bean.

Now this is more like it. Tom Cruise wishes The Firm was this good.

Matthew McConaughey should play more lawyers. He was great in A Time to Kill and he's great here. Not long ago there was talk about a Perry Mason film starring Robert Downey; I suggest scrapping that idea and hiring McConaughey. Better yet, have him do a Lincoln Lawyer TV series. Michael Connelly's other famous character Harry Bosch is getting a series, so why not Mickey Haller? It's not like this movie will be getting a sequel, since it barely managed to double its budget at the box office. TV would be perfect for this.

Oh well. I grabbed a copy of the book, and it has four sequels, so at least I've got that to look forward to.

North by Northwest

La Drolesse and Dylan Moran: Monster

The Railway Man-

Colin Furth and Nicole Kidman star in this account of a British WWII veteran who finds love late in life with an army nurse. Soon, the bride finds his eccentric interest in trains (sounds like Asperger's) is tied to his traumatic experience during the war as a Japanese POW, taking part in building a railway. Still horribly traumatized by his experience, Furth finds and confronts the Japanese intelligence officer who had tortured him, only to find that the man he had hoped to kill was haunted by the demons of his own past. He learns even with the most degradation and inhumanity, forgiveness is possible. Both my wife and I got teary eyed. This movie is a must to see!

"Shadows" by John Cassavettes - I've seen this a number of times. The acting leaves something to be desired, but despite its weaknesses, it's a great film. The characters are interesting and I can really identify with them.

"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" by Jacques Demy - A bitter sweet romance. What is interesting about this film is all the dialog is sung. Even with this sort of operatic style, there is subtlety and nuance. The colors are kind of harsh for my tastes but it is an appealing film.

"Lola" by Jacques Demy - A man rekindles a love for an old friend who still fantasizes that her former lover will come back. The film explores the pain and hopes of unrequited love. Worth watching.

"the Saddest Music In the World" by Guy Maddin - extremely stylized, over the top melodrama. Very good, but you have to have a taste for a loopy kind of film making for this one. I didn't like this when I first saw it (much preferred "Brand Upon the Brain") but it has grown on me. I liked it much more this time around.

Noah

Bibicial film about Noah's Ark. It actually doesn't focus much on the animals. Not what I was expecting at all.