Made me smile almost the whole way through. It was full of joyful moments, real surprises, silliness, and sometimes sorrow. Enjoyed the great soundtrack, and listened to it at work the next day. Also a showcase for some fine acting and writing. This was the 2nd viewing for me and I'd totally misremembered the ending... which meant I was watching for clues to a completely different resolution :)
Misc notes:
- Everyone looks better in a hat
- Adrian Brody might just have the saddest face in the world
Also, "Is this the bathroom? No... this is camels."
The Dinner Game - D+
Can't really put my finger on why I didn't like it - but just didn't! It seemed to take awhile to get going, and when it did, it just wasn't fast or fun enough. Often the dialog just felt somewhat clunky and forced, with the exception of Mr. Pignon's many fake phone calls, which were the best parts.
The Fall - B-
Just about has it all - laughs, tension, sweetness, sorrow, all with some truly stunning scenes. Little Alexandria could steal anyone's heart, which made it so interesting to see her character paired with the seemingly opposite: A jaded, angry and hopeless man immune to her charm. The grade's "minus" is because the film could have used some editing, and seemed to have a tacked-on ending, perhaps to better explain how Roy came to be there / his occupation.
- That shot of the pinned butterfly transforming into the overhead shot of Butterfly Reef took my breath away.
- The little actress seemed so genuine that it made me wonder if most of her scenes were unscripted, and they managed to film her genuine responses.
Frenemy - B
At times very difficult for me to watch - had to avert my eyes for quite a few scenes. I found the two leads compelling, the dialogue strange and poetic, and the soundtrack excellent. Reminded me quite a bit of Magnolia. I have a feeling I'll be thinking this one over for awhile.
Limitless - A-
Stylish and exciting with some really tense and dark moments. I was able to completely suspend any disbelief and happily be taken along for the ride. The worst part of the whole thing, for me, was the casting of the actress to played the girlfriend. Super role for Bradley Cooper.
- It was cool to see the two leads from Pushing Daisies during this double feature!
Moonrise Kingdom - A
(Potential spoiler)
Visually delightful, with that certain Wes Anderson feel to it in the muted colors and quirky sweetness. The story of the two leads' adventure was charming with a few moments of violence which caught me off-guard... Snoopy comes to mind. Loved seeing all the adult leads, and was pleasantly surprised by Bruce Willis' good-hearted gentleness as the police captain. And the final scene got me all misty.
Misc notes:
- I thought those were fishhooks, and worried about just how she'd get them out
- Whenever the little narrator (Bob Balaban) was on screen looking like a tiny wise gnome, I was grinning.
And regarding the tree house, "Well, where would you have built it?" "Lower."
The Talented Mr. Ripley - A
I'd seen this intense film when it first came out, but didn't remember all of the details. Nor did I remember how long it was. I enjoyed the music since I'm a fan of Chet Baker. Beautiful scenes of Italy and the water contrasted with the creepiness and wrongness of the very disturbed Tom Ripley. Very tense throughout and unexpectedly brutal at times. This is a film I'd recommend.
Wet Hot American Summer - C-
Not exactly "my" genre! A few good laughs, but overall groan-worthy. Rarely do I enjoy spoof movies (Airplane! is one of the few exceptions) Always love Janeane Garofalo; she, the soundtrack, and the therapist kid were the highlights.
Misc note: I thought the actress who played Katie* was surprisingly good - why haven't I seen her in more stuff?
*IMDb tells me it's Marguerite Moreau
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