her

has it really been 3 years since my last blog? well, getting married and having a child has been my excuse...

the film "her" by spike jonze is what sparked me to write a review again. "her" is beautifully crafted and well written. it is sweet, heartbreaking and relevant. i was pleasantly surprised by the depth of "her." can we fall in love with self-actualized artificial intelligence? although the theme may not be new, the way this story is lovely. joaquin phoenix and scarlett johanson give great performances. amy adams and rooney mara round out the story in their supporting roles. chloe recommends!

i'll write more reviews, but i can't promise how often. ciao for now.

the debt

this film was much more intense than i had expected. very moving story and great performances, even if the actors occasionally slipped into their native accents. the film highlights that relationships are difficult and ethical choices are difficult. chloe recommends.  just don't expect it to be a happy film.

youth in revolt - nick meet francois

yes, i know, it has been too long. what can i say? i've been a busy girl.




nick twisp figured he could win the girl of his dreams by creating an alter-ego, francois dillinger. there would be consequences... rebel, rebel...

this flick was better than expected - funny, witty, naughty, creative with stop animation shorts interspersed and (as i interpret) a little nod to tyler durden (if you don't get the reference, hint: one of the best films of 1999)... michael cera as francois is hilarious, as nick twisp, he is pretty much the same character he plays in most films. adhir kalyan steals a few scenes with some great moments. zack galifinakis, steve buschemi, ray liotta and justin long round out the funny cast, but don't have significant roles. would i pay full price ticket for this flick if i hadn't seen it in advanced screening? probably not, but the dvd would be worth a gander. good soundtrack too. ciao for now.

i've been distracted and haven't had as much time to write. i may be more abbreviated in my reviews going forward. in fact, i'm considering twitter... not just yet though...



lucía y sexo (sex and lucía) este película es extraño, bella y sensual. this film is strange, beautiful and sensual. it is dark in ways. it is fantasy in others. it is confusing with the overlay of the "story" and "reality" of the characters. although i have some dislikes with some of the plot towards the end, sex and lucia is worth watching.




ne le dis à personne (tell no one)
it's a thriller, but not typical. the story unfolds in layers. well written and engaging. and there is a love story embedded subtly. definitely worth watching.







sunshine cleaning. this dramedy is more drama and less comedy than the trailer would lead you to believe. great performances by emily blunt and amy adams. the story is good, but there needed to be more humor and something else i can't quite name. wait until the dvd/download/on demand is released.

changeling, gran torino and rock-n-rolla

changeling
starring: angelina jolie, jeffrey donovan (touching evil - brilliant, but canceled),
the corrupt los angeles police department covers up that they can't find a woman's son. angelina plays the distraught mother going through hell to find her son. you can tell that having her children of her own affected her convincing portrayal. jeffrey donovan (sigh) is flawless as the wayward detective who cannot allow himself to be wrong. the cinematography is so well done and adds a layer to the story. the movie was more violent and dark than i had thought it would be. it could have been edited to be a little shorter, but overall very well done. i recommend 'changeling' if you haven't seen it yet.



gran torino
engaging story, but really slow. clint eastwood is dead on as a snarky old widower adjusting to the diversity of his changing neighborhood. recommend for a rainy day dvd so you can take breaks.









rocknrolla
starring: gerard butler, thamie newton,
not nearly as good as lock, stock and two smoking barrels, but you can't always replicate brilliance. rocknrolla was slow to unfold. perhaps the slower pace to introduce the players. there is after all a sequel - 'the real rocknrolla.'

action bonanza: push. eagle eye. pride and glory.

i've been busy catching up on movies... it's been so darn cold in chi-town for weeks.

push
directed by: paul mcguigan (lucky number slevin (fantastic - see previous post))
written by: david bourla
starring: chris evans, dakota fanning, djimon hounsou, camilla belle

the trailer sells this film really short. "there are some people with extraordinary gifts. we don't ask to be special... secret organization within our government called the division... the future doesn't look good... blah blah..." i thought it would be mediocre and was surprised to find that i really liked "push." the story is original, fun, funny, slightly dramatic and cool. i like the originality of the players: "movers, pushers, watchers, sniffers, shadows" and more. the music is pretty spot on too. there is good interplay between chris evans (nick) and dakota fanning (cassie). chris evans has grown a little since his sophomoric showing in fantastic four. dakota has always been good, but she is maturing as a young actress. camilla belle (kira) - pretty but not so much. dakota acts circles around camilla. the hong kong setting is perfect for this story and the action. the "pop" hk mob family is tough and campy at the same time. the ending is somewhat flat compared to the rest of the story, but this is good for one of the first action films of 2009. this is a perfect film to break up the serious oscar movies which i haven't seen yet...



pride and glory
directed by: gavin o'connor
starring: ed norton (ray tierney), colin farrell (jimmy eagan), jon voight (francis tierney, sr.), noah emmerich (francis tierney, jr.)


new york's finest have crossed the thin blue line by a mile. only no one knows (or pretends not to know) until a tragic incident. ray tierney is given the uneviable task of investigating. great drama. lots of violence (but lends to the measure of how deep the cops have gone). ed norton is on par as usual, as well as colin farrell. both give performances that draw your empathy for their characters. jon voight (chief) and noah emmerich (captain) round out the family and the web of guilt, expectation and burden of these cops' lives. perhaps it can be said that "pride and glory" is not as good as "the departed." however, they cannot really be compared apples to apples because the story lines are significantly different and "pride and glory" is a more personal take on the corruption in a family setting.



eagle eye
directed by: d.j. caruso
writers: john glenn, travis wright, hillary seitz, dan mcdermott
starring: shia laboef, michelle monaghan, rosario dawson, michael chiklis, billy bob thornton

i didn't want to see this one either, but it turned out better than expected. not as good as push, but kept my interest with intensity and the way the story unfolded. could a computer take over infrastructure? sure, but the premise went too far in some instances. shia was good as a confused kid trying to make sense of this voice controlling every move. michelle monaghan (who looks like she could be marcia gay harden's daughter) was fair as the single mom wrapped up in the nightmare. luckily they didn't spoil the movie with heavy-handed romance (not that i don't like romance, but it has to be done right). fun action flick for rainy day or subzero weather day.

will smith mash-up and indie flick

in theatres:

seven pounds
written by: grant nieporte directed by: gabriele muccino
starring will smith and rosario dawson
hopefully you haven't heard any spoilers because the story unfolds in such a mysterious way. you are astute so you'll figure it out but enjoy the ride. it is worth it. will and rosario give top shelf performances: heart-wrenching and beautiful. go see it.



now on dvd:

hancock

writers: vincent ngo & vince gilligan
directed by: peter berg
starring will smith, jason bateman, and charlize theron
this is an action film with heart without being too heavy-handed and a little bit of a surprise thrown in. very cool. good flick to check out during these cold winter months.

independent circuit:

the first breath of tengan rei
written & directed by: junko kajino & ed koziarski
an intense independent film (still seeking distribution). filmed in okinawa and chicago, this drama takes the audience on an emotional journey as tengan rei returns to make right the past. erika oda (tengan rei) gives such a powerful performance. katori eason, as paris land, gives a strong showing too, but erika eclipses all of the actors. it's not a happy go-lucky film, but if it comes to your town, i recommend it.


feedback corner:
i like indie, drama, action, commercial fluff (yes i'm seeing bride wars this friday), dramedy, international - the whole gamut. the only genre i can't get into is horror. i like suspense/thriller (seven, silence of the lambs, etc.), just not horror... i hope that's good for you in terms of broad range of your likes and dislikes. a friend (p.t.) commented, "when do have time to watch these films that i haven't even heard of?" with the advent of downloads, on demand, tivo, and more, film is more accessible than ever before. (movies are a great past time during chicago's brutal winters :0) also being a member of genart (org that showcases film, fashion and art) helps and i have friends who have their pulse on what's going on (shout out to w.w., a.c., s.h."doctor-cito", r.a. love y'all!).

when you have time, please make comments (or send me private messages) so that i know what you think or tell me i'm smoking crack (just no foul language please) or give me recommendations. i love fresh perspective and new ideas. i found out today that chicago's libraries have a great dvd collection for perusing and you can reserve them online. gotta love free movies, especially in these tough economic times.

chloe out ; ) mwah!