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 #290 - I (Heart) Huckabee's

I (Heart) Huckabee's
2004 - Rated R - 1 hr 47 min
Director: David O. Russell
Starring: Jude Law, Jason Scwartzman, Naomi Watts, Mark Wahlberg, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin

What's the meaning of life? Why are we here? Are thing within the universe connected or arranged out of pure chaos? Does it matter what we do?

And can we achieve pure being by hitting ourselves in the face with a big red ball?

These are the questions that the characters of I Heart Huckabee's strive to answer.  The movie itself brings us web of characters who seem to be connected but may also be strewn hither and thither as a result of said chaos.  Can they really impact one another? Does it even matter if they do?

Yes, the movie's not great.  There are some funny bits here and there, plus the overall theme is one we can all relate to.  And Huckabee's style of business is a huge metaphor for the whys and hows explored in the movie.  It seems like a Hollywood attempt at philosophical thinking, if you choose to watch it that way.  Or you can just watch it as a weird movie filled with random actors who behave oddly.  I pick B.

Movie #157 - The Departed

The Departed
2006 - Rated R - 2 hr 31 min
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin

As expected, this movie's kind of a big deal around Boston.  And with all that swearing and gunfire and all those accents, I can see why.  It's about Boston, crime, double-crosses.  It's all the stuff we love and it's in our hometown.

Watching this movie's like playing a game of "guess who practiced their Boston accent today."  Some of these actors are really good, like Alec Baldwin.  Some of them were born here, so they'd better be good, like Mark Walhberg and Matt Damon.  And some of them get by okay, like Jack Nicholson.  It's jarring at first, how strong all of them lay it on, but after the first half hour you forget about it.

Then, of course, in the last half hour, it's now a race against death.  This movie has all the blood and murders of a Shakespearean tragedy.  But the way half the cast gets mowed down gives new meaning to "sudden death."  Yikes!  Someone's talking and everything fine one minute and then BAM! Bullet to the forehead. 

From beginning to end, a whole 2 1/2 hours later, it holds your attention and keeps you scratching your head.  Who's working for who? Who's gonna die next?

It makes Boston look pretty bad ass, I must say.

Movie #150 - Date Night

Date Night
Twentieth Century Fox
2010 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 28 min
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Steve Carrell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson, Wiliiam Fichtner, Mark Ruffalo, Kristen Wiig, James Franco, Mila Kunis

Finally... something with a budget!

I love this movie.  Mostly, I love the things in this movie.  Steve Carrell. Check. Tina Fey. Check. Mark Wahlberg's abs. Check!  There's lots of cameos too and tons of awkward situations that make you just uncomfortable enough to laugh.

This was one of the movies we saw when our daughter was still in the hospital, so since it made me laugh then, it will always hold a special place in my heart. And on the movie wall.

I won't ruin it, just suffice it to say that no one does ordinary-suburban-couple-thrown-into-extreme-and-dire-circumstances quite like these two.  And there are moments when I see flashes of my own future while watching this.  Hey, if that means our life is going to be this funny, so be it.