Bølgen (The Wave). With disaster films, you pretty much know what you’re getting into. This one delivers on all the beats you want – peaceful daily life with the foreboding undercurrent; the guy who has a spider-sense about what’s coming; the family drama; the series of traps and mishaps. These can only get so good, but it holds up its end of the deal. This could make a nice double-feature with Force Majeure.
Halloween. It holds up!
Sicario. As visually awesome as you’ve heard. Blunt and Brolin are great as usual, fine, sure, but Benicio Del Toro is probably in my top 5 all time?
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. As always, good company elevates everything, so live-tweeting the movie took a fun story to another level.
Chimes at Midnight. Kinda exhausting.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Disappointed. There is some charm in its weird parent-comedy moments, but missed the mark for me. Still a big fan of the first one.
Hush. There’s a pretty bullshit moment near the climax but it’s mostly pretty fun. I had a few shouting-at-the-TV moments, which is mostly what I’m looking for in this kind of movie.
Kubo and the Two Strings. Absurdly gorgeous for stop-motion animation. I’m so impressed. The plot drags at times, but always dazzling in some way or another.
Alone time is a gift many people don’t feel comfortable asking for, and not having it when needed is a common cause of stage sighing and other put-upon theatrics.
*ahem*
Carolyn Hax: A quick trip from travel mode to grump mode – The Washington Post
Fantasy, even when it’s rooted in practical details and doesn’t involve any metaphysical impossibilities, is the hardest genre to pull off, for the simple reason that life is interesting. A drama or a comedy that sticks close to experience has the intrinsic virtue of documentary—and, as with documentary itself, less is usually more.
In “Collateral Beauty” and “Passengers,” Two Tales of Gaslighting – The New Yorker
Hell or High Water. A western family heist movie that has it all: quiet moments, comedy, high-stakes action, strong relationships. One of the best of the year.
Man of Tai Chi. Good fightin’. It’s rare that martial arts movies work in some good grappling and wrestling, but it really takes this one to another level. This makes a nice pairing with 99 Homes – about a hero’s incrementally ignoble choices leading to self-destruction. Filed under: Keanu Reeves, martial arts
99 Homes. A tale of greed and selfishness. I think the lead’s motivation is borderline too irrational to hold up, but you never know. Wasn’t expecting so much from Andrew Garfield, but he’s legit. Shannon is the king.
The Ides of March. I don’t think I remember a single thing about this one. ¯(ツ)/¯ Seems like a shame, with Hoffman, Giamatti, Tomei, and Wright on the cast.
Eastern Promises. It’s fine!
Gone Baby Gone. Second viewing (I like my first write-up). One thing I hate in this movie is how a disfigured villain character distances us. Seems like kind of a weasel move. You see similar in True Detective, which also really bothered me. So much of the series lingers in mundane evil and violence, and then… the final villains are freakshows. Lame. I suppose it’s a bit different here with the denouement, but the earlier raid still gets under my skin.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. It’s an odd one. Absolutely gorgeous at times. I like the olde-timey lens distortion and sepia tones. And the slow-burn obsession is awesome. Reminds me a bit of Public Enemies, with the possessive attraction to a charismatic criminal.
Force Majeure. Domestic dramas are better when they are also dark comedy. I really liked the balance here. So much awkwardness, the couple tentatively probing and exploring what they’ve learned about each other, figuring out how to break the silence when vulnerability is high.
Into the Blue. One of the mid-level ‘00s action/adventure films that holds up. I love some of the cliche characters here. Like, yep, that new friend is definitely going to ruin everything by doing something dumb. You know it instantly. And I’d totally forgotten about Brolin’s role in this. If a movie makes you envy a lifestyle even if it’s not a great movie, it’s still doing something right.
Midnight Special. This was one I liked so much in previews and during the majority of its runtime that there was probably no way for it to conclude in a way that I loved. Good ride. Jeff Nichols is on a roll.
Mark Larson 