Mixed Nuts

It achieves a kind of silly pleasantness, but starts off truly bad. Feels like a stodgy stage play for the first act, at least, before the entertainments finally perks it up.

Not to blame it, but this flick has the biggest misuse of Jon Stewart, don't it?


Something finally occurred to me that I think in other movies I never quite wanted to realize: Steve Martin is a bad actor. I can and do appreciate his absurd, over-the-topness in, say, The Jerk, or Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. But in movies like this, or Roxanne, or the truly miscast and stupid My Blue Heaven, he's just no damned good at all. Which is too bad, cause I'm a fan otherwise and dude's clearly a genius.

2 stars; computer; December

Love and Other Catastrophes

Nowhere near as good as I remember. I think maybe younger-me was more impressed by the sometimes-witty script. Recalling this movie is what made me think of finally watching Meet Me in St Louis. Then rewatching this.

Not that that needed explaining....

2.5 stars; computer; December

It's a Wonderful Life

Yeah; good, enjoyable, fun. But fucking loooooooooooooooong.

And then some.

3 stars; computer; December

Four Lions (2010)

Imperfect, but very, very funny.

3.5 stars; iPad; December

Meet Me in St. Louis

Harmless movie with the occasionally fun character (the psychopathic kid sister entertains) that turns stupid the first time the father mentions New York (actually, at the reaction to the news) and fucking retarded when the boy can't get his tux.

But, hey, now I've seen it....

2 stars; computer; December

White Christmas

Did I just become a Bing Crosby fan? I may have. Who's next - Bob Hope?

Also too long.

I'm glad people don't really decorate their trees with tinsel anymore. Good Christ is that tacky-looking. (See also: The Bishop's Wife.)

3 stars; computer; December

Holiday Inn

Just damned fine. The blackface scene was... y'know... unfuckingcalledfor. But the rest was good. I enjoyed Bing quite a lot, which is a first.

Too long, but good.

3.5 stars; iPad; December

The Bishop's Wife

I've never seen It's a Wonderful Life, which seems to plow similar ground, but I doubt it's any better. TB'sW manages to be sweet without being hokey, religious (in the way such things inevitably are) without being stupid, while also being quite funny. A significant part of the credit goes to Grant, of course. Treasure, he was.

3.5 stars; computer; December

About a Boy

What, I can't watch this movie for like the thousanth time? Eff off.

4 stars; computer; December

The Departed

Such a great movie, but it leaves you feeling not so good about humanity or the world or whatever. Basically.

4 stars; iPad; September 11th

Following

Kind of really good. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

3.5 stars; iPad; September 10th

Red Belt

It still seems like a big buildup to a small payoff, but I've decided that the first - what, 3/4s? - is a lot of fun to watch. Chiwetel Ejiofor is terrific.

3.5 stars in spite of itself; iPad; September 9th

Hit Girl

Cute. I liked it just fine.

3 stars; iMac; September 1st, maybe?

The Runaways

Didn't seem like a whole movie for whatever reason. There's a great scene between Haley Joel Osmet, or whatever her name is, and the woman playing her sister, that includes some of the worst acting I've seen in a while.

2 stars; iPad; September 8th (This should've gone before the last one, but you know what I don't feel like changing?)

The French Connection

You can't beat the look of NYC in the '70s, can you? No, you can't. And it's totes gorg here. The movie's fine, too.

3.5 stars; iPad; September 9th

Fish Tank (2009)

Not quite as incredible as Red Road, but it's incredible nonetheless.

3.5 stars; theater; March 6th

The Reader

Just a tremendous performance by Kate Winslet, but I didn't believe most of the guy's story. But let's get to the meat of the beast:

I spent a good long time trying to figure out who the hell the young lead actor - David Kross - reminded me of. Not who he was, or where I'd seen him, but what it was about him that was familiar. Then - what, halfway thru the movie? - he's having the sex with the other girl and it hit me. He's the spitting fucking image of an Alex Gregory* man. The spit fucking image. Watch. You'll see.

Great performance by Winslet, tho.

2 stars; DVD; March 2nd

* I tried desperately to find a link to something featuring him, but apparently ever link leading to such a thing has died. Some sort of incredibly consistent and specific illness.

Touching the Void

Just thoroughly engrossing.

3.5 stars; TCM or IFC; February 28th