Mission: Impossible: Fallout. Such a reliable franchise! I like how this one raised the level of glamour, the cosmopolitan sheen. And I love how they handled the White Widow/Max connection.
Tag: alecbaldwin
The Departed
The Departed. Third, maybe fourth viewing. Somehow it’s compulsively watchable but I don’t actually like it that much? I like the Japanese original Infernal Affairs more, I think. Filed under: Martin Scorsese.
The Aviator
The Aviator. I often struggle with biopics, but I liked this one a lot. I like how the film stock and coloring shifts with the passage of time, the recurring hands imagery, and the sympathy we feel as we see this man changing. “Nothing’s clean, Howard. But we do our best.”
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. It’s fun! I wish it were as stylish as some of its predecessors. I wasn’t picking up on a McQuarrie directorial stamp like we saw in the De Palma, Woo, and Abrams movies. Also a little bit disappointed with Hunt this time around. Seems like he was a bit overmatched at times – more like something you saw in the early stages of Edge of Tomorrow, or something out of Indiana Jones. I’m use to a Hunt that’s more ruthlessly (absurdly) competent. But still, really solid, and I love the pace. That Ferguson is Cruise’s equal (superior?), the opera scene is top-notch, the villain is perfect, and it’s nice to see an action movie that doesn’t feel like it needs a built-in romance. Filed under: Tom Cruise, Mission: Impossible.
Still Alice
Still Alice. Effective and depressing. Moore is awesome, but the movie isn’t very adventurous, and sometimes a little tedious. Unfortunately strays a bit into advertorial/advocacy/message territory. Which is fine, it’s a great cause, etc. But I think it would have been stronger if it had stuck with the family.
Mark Larson 