Year-end movie reviews

I watched a few movies over the holiday break. Some were really good. Here's the rundown.

Gone Baby Gone

Directed by Ben Affleck. Starring his brother Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris, and Morgan Freeman.

Based on the Dennis Lehane novel (he also wrote Mystic River) about two Boston area detectives investigating a little girl's kidnapping, which ultimately turns into a crisis both professionally and personally.

I thought this was a good movie that didn't follow the usual predictable story line for the most part. Casey Affleck does a great job playing a believable character and I like any movie with Ed Harris playing a bad-ass. Michelle Monaghan does OK in her role. She also played Tom Cruise's wife in Mission: Impossible 3. I recommend this movie.


Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, and Marisa Tomei.

When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelery store, the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother's wife hurtling towards a shattering climax.

This was one of my favorite films of the year. It's a great Fargo-like family crime story where nothing goes right. I like Philip Seymour Hoffman and he plays a great role in this film. I recommend this movie.



Once

I hadn't heard of this movie until I read about it on a couple of lists of best movies of 2007. It stars Glen Hansard from the Irish rock band The Frames and Markéta Irglová as struggling musicians. Hansard and/or Irglová composed and performed all but one of the original songs in the movie.

It's described as a modern-day musical about a busker and an immigrant and their eventful week, as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story.

The film was shot for only $160,000 received the World Cinema Audience Award for a dramatic film at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. I liked it a lot and thought is was interesting and unpredictable. I recommend it.


I am Legend

Staring Will Smith. Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.

I thought this movie was entertaining, although it wasn't great. I thought 28 Days Later... did a much better job telling the same story and was much more frightening. The computer animated zombies definitely detracted from I am Legend. I preferred normal actors playing the zombies in 28 Days Later. Real people wanting to kill you is much scarier than computer monsters, in my opinion.

I did like the movie though, and it's worth watching. Maybe wait for the DVD.


I'm Not There

This is the biographical film inspired by the life of musician Bob Dylan. I was eagerly anticipating watching it, but I was disappointed with the result. The storyline was too disjointed and difficult to follow for me to enjoy the film.

I'm Not There depicts the Dylan through seven distinct stages of his life by using six different actors (Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, and Cate Blanchett).

Wikipedia says the film tells its story using non-traditional techniques, similar to the poetic narrative style of Dylan's songwriting. It takes its name from the Dylan outtake "I'm Not There", which was never officially released until being included on the film's official soundtrack album.

I guess the poetic narrative didn't work for me. The acting was very good and the music was fantastic, but the story was weird and didn't flow and I lost patience trying to keep track of what was happening after the first hour.

I read several very positive reviews of this film (one that called this the best movie of 2007) and I had high expectations for it. Even though I am a big Bob Dylan fan, I don't recommend this movie, unless you just want to enjoy the music.

I did get the two disc soundtrack after watching the film and it's great. Eddie Vedder, Sonic Youth, Richie Havens, John Doe, Yo La Tengo, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jack Johnson, and Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (from the movie Once) all perform on it.


Juno

Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman.

Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.

I read several positive reviews of this film and I agreed with them. This movie is funny and touching and very entertaining. The lead actress Ellen Page played her role perfectly and I think she is likely to win an award for her acting. I recommend this movie.

I saw this movie at the Marcus North Shore theater in Mequon on a Friday night and that was probably a mistake. Half of the theater was filled with spoiled North Shore teens with their Ugg boots and North Face jackets who constantly opened their mobile phones throughout the movie to check for text messages. The kids were also chatting during parts of the movie and their bright phone screens in the darkness annoyed and distracted me and also reminded me that I'm now a grumpy old man. It's just another reason why I prefer watching movies at home.