Movie #399 - Legend

Legend
1985 - Rated PG - 1 hr 34 min
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, Robert Picardo, Billy Barty, Alice Playten, David Bennent

 First of all, the original movie is much better than the Director's Cut - something we learned as a group at this week's movie night.  Little did I know we'd even purchased the special Director's Cut version, but there we were.  I have seen the original, maybe twice, so I was glad for the assistance picking out the added scenes. And dialogue. And singing.

Why Ridley Scott thought this cut was better was beyond us.  In fact, it kinda ruins the integrity of this otherwise decent fantasy/adventure movie. Too much singing, Ridley. They cut out Mia Sara's constant warbling for a reason, one we didn't need to see to believe.

Anyhow, as far as the plot goes, a young couple accidentally get themselves wrapped up in the coming of the "dark lord" (who is not Voldemort, but is in fact Tim Curry... dressed as a giant red demon that may or may not have inspired South Park's Satan character's look. Food for thought.) He's pretty bad-ass, it's true. And if they don't save the unicorn, it's gonna stay dark and frozen in their forest forever. Bad news bears.

Fun fantasy adventures ensue, including Star Trek Voyager's hologram doctor dressed in drag as Meg Mucklebone, a swamp witch (who has more screen time in Scott's cut, for better or for worse.) It's a bit nerdy, this movie, but I consider it a guilty pleasure.  The original cut, though. Not this one.

Movie #398 - A League of Their Own

A League of Their Own
1992 - Rated PG - 2 hr 8 min
Director: Penny Marshall
Starring: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Jon Lovitz, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall, Bill Pullman, Megan Cavanagh, Rosie O'Donnell, Tracy Reiner, Ann Cusack, Bitty Schram

A pivotal movie from my youth... Girls can play sports! I remember how much I loved this movie, how I'd want to watch it over and over again.  And also how I'd quote it whenever possible.

"There's no crying in baseball!"  -- The valuable wisdom of Tom Hanks, boys and girls.  There is no crying in baseball, all true.

With a fantastic cast of vibrant characters and the perfect She-Ra strength of star Dottie Henson (thank you, Geena Davis), it's easy to see why this movie inspired so many of my young girlfriends to play baseball. Beyond the fun parts, there's also a really great story line here. A telling portrayal of two sisters, the younger always struggling to get her due and the older just trying to live her life. A heartbreaking reality of war-time America and the lengths people went to in order to go about "normal" life. These girls did much for the spirit of our country and should most definitely be celebrated in a movie like this.

It's always been a favorite, and now that I own it (finally), it will continue to be for a long time.

Movie #397 - The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
2003 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 50 min
Director: Stephen Norrington
Starring: Sean Connery, Naseeruddin Shah, Peta Wilson, Tony Curran, Stuart Townsend, Shane West, Jason Flemyng, Richard Roxburgh, Max Ryan

One of the first in a wave of Alan Moore comics to go to the movies, this one's not the best of the bunch.  It's not awful, but it does get a bit campy at times.  Ooh.... all these characters from fiction fight crime together!

But honestly, why is Tom Sawyer fighting crime?

United by Connery's Alan Quartermaine, the troupe is formidable... but also a bit twisted.  Deception and betrayal runs amok and soon, it all falls apart.

As adventure movies go, there's much that's pleasing to the eye and much to rev up that adrenaline level.  As plots go.... meh.  Connery's the best thing about this one, if you ask me.

Movie #396 - Layer Cake

Layer Cake2004 - Rated R - 1 hr 45 min
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Daniel Craig, Sienna Miller, Michael Gambon, Tom Hardy, Colm Meaney, Tamar Hassan, George Harris

Pre-Bond Daniel Craig is fun to watch in this movie about a drug-dealer trying to get out of the business.  Based on the book of the same name, the unique narration style and larger-than-life characters make a tired premise fresh.  Craig's character puts up with a lot, gets stuck in a lot, and manages it in a cool, collected way. He really just wants to sleep with Sienna Miller, guys. Really.

I won't give away the ending -- which is just awesome, if you like sick twists the way I do -- but it makes the whole movie that much better.   With a great cast, and enough twists to keep you on your toes, it's definitely worth a watch.

Movie #395 - Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia
1962 - Rated ? - 3 hr 36 min
Director: David Lean
Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif, Claude Rains

I like old movies. Really, I do.  But this movie's so looooooooooooong. And there's so much time spent crossing deserts. So much.

Still, this man's story (based on the true events of T.E. Lawrence's life) is really impressive.  It reminded me of the basic concept behind The Last Samurai (which I just watched, so it was fresh in my mind): a displaced soldier finds himself identifying with a foreign culture and winds up torn between his roots and his new "home."  Beyond that, this movie definitely wins for best actor portrayal of that paradox.  Peter O'Toole is truly brilliant -- particularly throughout the transformation from fun-loving, adventure-seeking young soldier to embittered, hardened colonel.  He manages to find enough personal resolution to go home in the end, but I suspect he was never really at peace.

If you're thinking of diving into this one, I suggest you get comfortable and bring some snacks. Lots of water. Plan on taking a bathroom break at intermission.  It's keep you engaged, for sure, but it will definitely leave you feeling as though you have crossed the desert yourself.  It's draining, but it's worth the watch.

Movie #394 - The Last Unicorn

The Last Unicorn
1982 - Rated G - 1 hr 32 min
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, Tammy Grimes, Robert Klein, Christopher Lee, Keenan Wynn, Alan Arkin

This movie was always a favorite when I was a kid, but possibly because it was about a unicorn.  I had a unicorn phase, what can I say? I'm a girl!

And now as an adult, I've rediscovered the tragic beauty of this story.  Honestly, the only thing that makes it a "kids" movie is the animation.  Otherwise, it's dark and grim, filled with lots of evil characters and other scary fantastical beasts... all who want to hurt a poor, defenseless unicorn.

Then there's the love story.  I gotta admit, it makes me teary now that I'm all grown up and I understand what happens to this poor unicorn/woman.  To experience human emotions, fall in love, find real happiness... only to have it all taken away.  So sad, so poignant.

It's such a good story that even songs by America can't ruin it.

Movie #393 - The Last Samurai

The Last Samurai
2003 - Rated R - 2 hr 34 min
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, William Atherton, Chad Lindberg, Tony Goldwyn, Masato Harada, Timothy Spall

First of all, on a side note, I never noticed before how Timothy Spall is in everything. Seriously, the man shows up all over the place.  I had no clue.

Okay, so he's in this too, but not really in a huge part. So I'll focus on the actual plot.  This movie's got the feeling of a Gladiator-like epic, just set in Japan instead.  Tom Cruise's Nathan Algren suffers just about as much as Maximus and learns most of his important lessons while imprisoned.  An American officer sent to training the Japanese army to withstand rebel Samurai attacks in 1876, Algren is a drunk with a death wish.  He gets captured by the Samurai warriors and winds up training with them.  When they release him, he's caught between the old and new worlds of Japan, forced to decide which side he'll stand on.

This is a great story, told very well, albeit a bit long. But honestly, it's one movie where so much happens that you don't notice how long it really is.  Even having Tom Cruise as the star didn't dissuade me from it (I'm really not a big fan, in case you haven't noticed yet) and I think he does well, capturing the essence of this tortured war hero.  Good stuff, all around.

Movie #392 - Kiss of the Dragon

Kiss of the Dragon
2001 - Rated R - 1 hr 38 min
Director: Chris Nahon
Starring: Jet Li, Bridget Fonda, Tcheky Karyo, Max Ryan

It's been a while since my last viewing of this movie so I couldn't even really remember what it was about when I sat down to watch it.  Yes, Jet Li kicks butt -- that's to be expected.  But this movie does have a little more substance to it than your run-of-the-mill action flicks.

Apparently based on a story by Jet Li himself, this one chronicles a Beijing cop framed for a murder in Paris.  Behind the frameup is a chief Parisian inspector who's been abusing his power left, right, and center, unbeknownst to his superiors.  Bridget Fonda and her daughter are caught in his evil web and she winds up square in Li's path to clear his name.  Their mutual hatred unites them (obviously) and they work together to achieve their individual goals.  Clean and simple, but full of some great action scenes too.  Aside from a scene where Li takes out a full class of black-belts, there aren't really any stand-out performances.  What you see is what you get here, but if you've got a love of some good Jet Li action.

Movie #391 - The King's Speech

The King's Speech
2010 - Rated R - 1 hr 58 min
Director: Tom Hooper
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Timothy Spall

Biopics like this always make me nervous there'll be excessive characterization of real people from history. (Well, it's kind of a biopic, though not really. The point remains, there are historic figures here, played by modern actors.) But since even the Queen herself has given a nod to this movie (which portrays her father, King George VI), I watched it with confidence.

This was my second viewing (just got it for Mother's Day!) and I loved it even more.  It's so heavily focused on the relationship built between Bertie and Lionel that the speech problem takes a back seat.  The goal is to help him overcome his difficulty with speech, it's true, but the friendship heals him much more than the therapy does!  Carter, as always, is spot on as a young Queen Mum. Firth... well, he won the Oscar, so there you go. And Geoffrey Rush is also outstanding here.  With three strong performances, I can see how this took Best Picture this year.

Movie #390 - The Italian Job

The Italian Job
2003 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 51 min
Director: F. Gary Gray
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Donald Sutherland, Edward Norton, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Seth Green, Mos Def, Scott Adsit

I've never seen the original, so I can't compare. And I can't give my typical spiel about remakes either, since there's nothing for me to be upset about.  Regardless of its predecessor, I like this movie.  Revisiting it, I was surprised how much, in fact.  There's a great cast of young actors here and an Ed Norton baddie that's kinda fun to see.

A good balance of action scenes, humor, and drama keeps this movie going for me.  It doesn't get too caught up in the heist piece to tell you a decent storyline and the concept of avenging a friend's (or father's) death is much more stomachable than just a group of people out to steal some gold.  It works, it feels like a fresh reboot, and it makes me want to rent the original just to compare.

Movie #389 - The Invention of Lying

The Invention of Lying
2009 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 40 min
Director: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey
Cameos by: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton

To be fair, this movie seems to take a gimmick (a world where no one can lie) and really run with it.  Squeezing an entire plot out of one man's sudden discovery that he can, in fact, tell lies.  Oops!

The saving grace is that the movie resists the temptation to dissolve into a series of scenes where said lying character goes totally off the deep end and lies all over the place just to get what he wants -- the girl included. Where would be the fun in that? I guess of all the people who could've learned to lie, he's the least abusive of the new skill. Kinda.

See, he accidentally creates religion.  I don't have a problem with the implication that there's no religion in a world where no one lies because there aren't any lies, but we start hitting on territory that's off-centered from what's really happening here.  It's funny, it's good for a laugh, but I feel like it detracts from the main character's journey and, ultimately, the romantic aspect of the movie.  Other opinions?

Movie #388 - The Imposter

The Impostor
2001 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 35 min
Director: Gary Fleder
Starring: Gary Sinise, Madeleine Stowe, Vincent D'Onofrio, Mekhi Phifer, Tony Shalhoub

Based on the short story of the same name by Philip K. Dick (author of the stories behind movies like Total Recall, Blade Runner, Next, A Scanner Darkly, Paycheck, Minority Report, Screamers), The Imposter lives up to it's author's reputation. It's dark, twisted, futuristic, and features the incredible self-crisis of its main character. Is he human? Or is he an alien impostor?

I really did enjoy this one and felt like Sinise did a great job wrestling with the question internally while also trying to convince those out to get him that he's human.  On the run, he's resourceful but not very successful. He figures out how to answer the question... but no one likes the answer.  Great twist on a twist at the ending here - and I don't want to give it away!

If sci-fi is your thing, this one's worth checking out.

Movie #387 - The History Boys

The History Boys
2006 - Rated R - 1 hr 49 min
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Starring: Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Clive Merrison, Stephen Campbell Moore, Andrew Knott, Russell Tovey, Dominic Cooper, Samuel Barnett

Okay.... this movie was not at all what I expected.  Yes, it's about a rowdy bunch of male students trying to earn acceptance into Oxford.  Yes, it's about stiff, rigid teaching and modern, "randy" students clashing.  But somehow, all the plot summaries available online glossed over the detail about the manual stimulation between student and teacher.

Oh, it's not sexual though, so I guess it's okay.  For real? Honestly?

I'm not sure what this movie was trying to convey as its lesson learned, but it certainly seemed to me to be a proponent of sexual abuse.  Hooray!

The sad thing is, barring that little tid-bit, I rather enjoyed the rest of the movie.  It just didn't sit well with me. I think it gave me heartburn.

Movie #386 - Heartbreakers

Heartbreakers
2001 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 3 min
Director: David Mirkin
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Gene Hackman, Ray Liotta, Jason Lee, Anne Bancroft, Jeffrey Jones, Nora Dunn, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifiankais, Shawn Colvin, Michael Hitchcock

Mother-daughter con artists Weaver and Hewitt are pretty well paired in this movie.  While it's not the best of films, the relationship between them has all the right elements. They're slightly competitive, they love each other, they trust each other, but they have way too much in common sometimes.  Shame on Weaver's character for bringing her daughter up to be a con, but I guess it's like they say about that apple and the tree.

There's not much too exciting about this one, save Sigourney Weaver's accent, and the whole Jason Lee as a love interest thing just doesn't make sense in my head.  But it's nice to see at least that Hewitt tries to make it legit by the end!

Movie #385 - Harry Potter & The Dealthy Hallows (Part I)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2010 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 26 min
Director: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bill Nighy, Richard Griffiths, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright, Fiona Shaw, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Timothy Spall, Michael Gambon, Robbie Coltrane, Brendan Gleeson, David Thewlis, John Hurt, Frances de la Tour, Rhys Ifans, Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Warwick Davis

The casts of these movies keep getting longer and longer! But what a great cast of main characters this franchise has built, honestly! I have to say that almost everyone chosen, even the most lovable characters and the most hated villains, are so spot-on cast that I have no complaints! And who doesn't think Carter is the craziest Bellatrix Lestrange there could ever be?

Anyway, back to this review. The seventh book took a lot of heat for being reeeeallly boring for the first half, likes its warming up for the epic battle at its conclusion.  But I've always argued that it should be exactly that. Rowling's writing has always been an excellent mimic for the feeling of her hero, and as Harry feels aimless in his wanderings for the horcruxes, we get to feel it right along with him.  I've always felt that to be a strength of her style, a treat for us readers. If you disagree, you're clearly just reading for the juicy bits.

So this movie also took a lot of heat for "dragging" and while I agree that it probably didn't need to be over two hours by quite so much, I think it captures that aimless feel of the book.  We get to see our favorite trio turn on one another and really feel the pressure, the burden placed on their shoulders at such a young age.  It's fitting, too, that we should sit and feel pressured, burdened by their struggle.  It's like the full-experience kind of movie and book we should expect from such a big franchise.

And I, for one, am a big fan.

Movie #384 - GoldenEye

GoldenEye
1995 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 10 min
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Judi Dench, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Cumming, Desmond Llewelyn, Samantha Bond

Although the video game is lots of fun to play, this Bond movie was never one of my favorites.  I feel like they tried to modernize the franchise with all this tech jargon and, back then, I just got confused. I can understand the whole Sean Bean evil-doings better now that I'm older, but by now, most of their equipment's obsolete.

Alan Cumming is a highlight of the movie -- perfect as the goofy techie Russian with a bit of an attitude. And Sean Bean's a pretty good bad guy, bad enough that I didn't sit there thinking about Lord of the Rings the whole time, so that's good!

Anyway, this one's not really a favorite.  It's got some great action scenes, lots of explosions, and plenty of Bronsan-ized Bond to go around.

Movie #383 - Girl, Interrupted

Girl, Interrupted
1999 - Rated R - 2 hr 7 min
Director: James Mangold
Starring: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg, Brittany Murphy, Clea DuVall, Elisabeth Moss, Vanessa Redgrave, Jared Leto, Jeffrey Tambor, Angela Bettis, Jillian Armenante

Ryder plays Susanna Kaysen, the author of the autobiographical book detailing her 18 months in a psychiatric ward.  A colorful cast of women join her -- some greatly outshining her in fact, like Jolie's Lisa, an Oscar-winning performance.

As one of the least crazy women in the ward, Kaysen needs to do the most personal reflection.  Her depression, she realizes, can be overcome... but it takes her a while to get to that finishing line.  No thanks to Lisa, the rowdy, authority-challenging "bad girl" of the ward.  They become friends and, while Kaysen ultimately sees lessons to be learned from the friendship, at first it threatens to lead her down exactly the wrong path.

Whoopi Goldberg is fantastic here as well, playing the head nurse of the ward -- a tough woman remniscent of Chicago's Mama Morten who puts up with a lot of back-talk but knows when its time to speak up.  A great scene between her and Ryder is among my favorites.

So many great performances here -- Brittany Murphy among them -- and it's definitely a great new addition to the wall.

Movie #382 - The General's Daughter

The General's Daughter
1999 - Rated R - 1 hr 56 min
Director: Simon West
Starring: John  Travolta, Madeleine Stowe, James Cromwell, Timothy Hutton, Leslie Stefanson, Daniel von Bargen, James Woods, Clarence Williams III

This is the last of my re-writes, the last deleted post. Thank goodness.

In this one, Travolta is a bit goofy in his role as the lead investigator into the murder of the general's daughter (hence the title, smarties. LOL). His ex-girlfriend is on the scene with him, which provides some tension, though there's not much chemistry to speak of between them.  Disappointing. 

The story behind the daughter's murder goes back seven years and gets pretty dark.  There are deep secrets covered up by men who wanted power. And of course, karma's a bitch and Travolta's not going to let them get away with it.   Cromwell is great as the tormented general -- the perfect combination of heart-broken and suspicious. What does he know? What is he not saying?

And what the heck happened to this girl?  Before the story clears up, it gets much more confusing. But as crime mysteries go, I do enjoy this one.

Movie #381- From Hell

From Hell
2001 - Rated R - 2 hr 2 min
Directors: Albert & Allen Hughes
Starring: Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Richardson, Jason Flemyng

More Johnny Depp!  (And more deleted posts that I have to rewrite and try to make sound good again. argh!)

Based on the Alan Moore graphic novel of the same name, this one's set with the Jack the Ripper story as its backdrop.  Really, it centers on a broken investigator who needs the case to really prove to himself he's worth something.  Enter Heather Graham as Mary Kelly, the prostitute most famously known for being the Ripper's final -- and goriest -- murder.  Hooray.  Of course, she's cooperating with Depp and they fall for each other. Of course. 

Leave it to Moore to turn a grim, gruesome bit of history into a love story.

Still, it's very, very good... just not necessarily accurate.  They blame the Freemasons --- or rather, a Freemason -- and I'm sure that doesn't help their reputation much. Don't believe it though, because Freemasons didn't kill prostitutes, guys. That's just nuts.

Movie #380 - The Frighteners

The Frighteners
1996 - Rated R - 1 hr 50 min
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Michael J Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, Chi McBride, John Astin , Jeffrey Combs, Dee Wallace, Jake Busey

This one got deleted too. UGH!

So, I think I said something about liking the funny take on ghost-busting. Michael J Fox sees ghosts and has some ghost-friends who haunt homes until the owners call him to "exorcise" them.  Good stuff, and it's going well, until a bad-ass ghost of a former serial killer shows up and starts ticking off people around Michael J Fox, one by one.  He sees a number appear on their forehead and then... they die.  Of course, he always seems to be around somehow, leading police to suspect him.

Aaaaaaand there's a creepy old lady with a sketchy past who's helping him out.  Creepy. 

This one's not really a horror movie, it's more a blend of genres and probably closer to a light paranormal comedy than anything else.  Not bad, but not particularly riveting either.

Movie #379 - First Knight

First Knight
1995 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 14 min
Director: Jerry Zucker
Starring: Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Julia Ormond, Ben Cross, Liam Cunningham

Another post deleted by Blogger.  Here we go again...

Yay for gritty retellings of the King Arthur legend, with much less fantastical fairytale and a lot more of the actual climate of the time period. I especially like the shattered illusion that Arthur and Gueniviere were this perfect, handsome couple. He's older than her, their marriage is negotiated like a contract, she's in love with someone else.  It's very accurate for the time and it gives a realness to the story that I think most other tellings miss out on. 

Of course, my favorite scene is the "discovery" and Sean Connery's brilliant performance.  The heartache captured in his expression has always rung true to me and has stuck with me throughout the years since my first viewing. It's powerful and beautiful.... and now I'm gushing again.

Anyway, I love this one for its anti-romance romance :)

Movie #378 - Finding Neverland

Finding Neverland
2004 - Rated PG - 1 hr 46 min
Director: Marc Forster
Starring: Johnny Depp, Kate Winsley, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman, Freddie Highmore, Ian Hart

An error on Blogger erased a few of my posts, including the original of this review. Grrr.... I don't think I remember what I wrote.  Never thought I'd have to, you know?

Anyway, here goes.  I like this movie a lot, for both it's telling of the backstory of one of the world's most famous stories (JM Barrie's Peter Pan) and for the poignant relationship that grows between the famed playwright and a widow for four sons.  Actually, the four sons have a pretty impactful relationship with him as well.  The bittersweet conclusion of the movie really gets me, too.  I've always been a fan of the story around the story and this is a really great entry into that category.

And Johnny Depp has a Scottish accent, so there's that too :)