Movie #352 - Lady in the Water

Lady in the Water
2006 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 50 min
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeffrey Wright, Bob Balaban, Freddy Rodriguez, Mary Beth Hurt

Another twisted fairytale movie, this one from the famed director of Sixth Sense (who many say peaked with his first movie).  I think people put too much pressure on Shyamalan, honestly.  This movie is good... it's just different. There's not really a big surprise, twist ending.  It's just a unique version of a *very dark* bedtime story.

Very dark, indeed.

The plotline is creative, the premise an odd juxtaposition of the mundane and the fantastical clashing together, and the effects are pretty good too.  I think some of the dialogue is a bit lacking, and some of the random bit parts are eaten up by the world's worst actors (I cite the cop that comes to file the animal report as Exhibit A).  BUT the major billed roles are all done very well, from Bob Balaban's underwhelmed and annoyed movie critic to Giamatti's spot-on stutterer.  It's not a perfect movie, but it has so many things going for it, that I like it all the same.  And Bryce Dallas Howard is amazing, in my opinion.

I give credit to Shyamalan for his diverse subject matter in all his movies, from fairytales to ghost stories and everything in between.  At least he's out there trying to do something a little different.

Movie #297 - The Illusionist

The Illusionist
2006 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 50 min
Director: Neil Burger
Starring: Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Paul Giamatti, Rufus Sewell

A little bit of misdirection goes a long way, as illustrated by this film about an illusionist.  The love story at the center (Norton and Biel) is strong and drives the whole plot, even without you realizing it at first.  I won't give too much away, but all the magic stuff is just gravy.  Fun to watch, sure, but this is really a story about love.

Rufus Sewell doesn't add much more than his usual sinisterness.  And Paul Giamatti does well as the main investigator and narrator.  The Austrian accents really get me down, since no one seems to be able to do them very well.  It doesn't enhance the story, just makes it harder to understand the dialogue.  Overall, this isn't the strongest movie based on magic nor is it the strongest performance given by any of the four main actors.  But for its originality, I like it.

Movie #175 - Duplicity

Duplicity
2009 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 5 min
Director: Tony Gilroy
Starring: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti

We saw this one in the theatre and, if I remember correctly, the critics weren't big fans of the caper.  Seeing it now, I have to admit that it was a bit weird, but not because of the movie itself.  It was weird to see Roberts/Owen in another movie together after I just saw Closer last month.  I wonder if it was weird for them too, gettin' it on again on screen.  Huh.

Anyway, I like the movie and it was nice to see it again after all some time, since I'd forgotten all the twists and turns of the plot.  Rediscovering the con within a con within a loooooooong con was fun, like seeing it for the first time again. 

It's hard to talk about this one without giving it away, so I'll stop here.  The movie's full of intrigue, vagueries, and definitely makes you pay attention.  It's a great thinking movie, but it will probably still surprise you in the end.  I don't know why the critics didn't like it. I think it's original and fun, and this pair is great once again.

Movie #128 - Confidence

Confidence
Lions Gate Entertainment
2003 - Rated R - 1 hr 37 min
Director: James Foley
Starring: Edward Burns, Dustin Hoffman, Andy Garcia, Rachel Weisz, Paul Giamatti, Donal Logue, Luis Guzman

This movie has a great cast, which caught my attention right off the bat the first time we watched it.  And since we bought it soon thereafter, you can assume safely that the cast delivers as expected.  This has a great twist-twist ending, lots of mind games between con artists, and plenty of Rachel Weisz being coyly devious.  I kinda love it. And Ed Burns.

I don't want to reveal too much for those who haven't seen it, but this movie keeps you thinking. I always enjoy a good double-cross or triple-cross or who-the-heck-is-working-for-whom kind of movie.  Just watch it sometime and you'll see what I mean.