Cast Away

Impressions before seeing it
Wow, it took me like ten years to see this movie. I thought it looked interesting at the time and Tom Hanks is a talented actor very much capable of carrying a film, but I think I wasn't around when my parents rented it.

How was it?
I think some of the most interesting movies are the ones with the least amount of dialogue. Obviously when you have a man isolated on an island he isn't going to do much talking (although he did some - more on that in a moment) so everything other than dialogue is needed to get the point across. I think the real selling point of this movie is not watching how our hero survives on his own, but watching his transformation and his journey, how much it changes someone to be isolated for a long period of time and then suddenly reintegrated into society. Also the plane crash scene looked cool. I like when they show crazy vehicle accidents from the inside because it makes such a big impact, as if you were involved too.

Now, Cast Away is also famous for being (I think) the first movie to make a celebrity out of an inanimate object. I am of course talking about Wilson the volleyball. I assume this happened as a kind of joke because audiences found it so funny that Tom Hanks spent the better part of a movie making friends with sports equipment (there are skates, too!), and it is funny, but it's also a little sad. However I wouldn't say his character went crazy. In fact he was talking to Wilson as a way to maintain his sanity. Everyone needs someone to talk to sometimes, and sure, talking to inanimate objects is loopy, but being alone and having no conversation at all makes a person go even loopier. As sad as it is, Wilson really was his best friend and played a key role in his survival.

Recommendation
It can be very slow and quiet, but sometimes I like that in a movie. The survival part may interest some.

The IT Crowd - Season 2

Impressions before seeing it
I very much enjoyed season one and had gotten a peek at season two when I saw the third episode (Moss and the German) a while back on TV. Recently I bought season two on DVD.

How was it?
Once again the DVD menus are awesome. Seriously, they're worth buying just for the menus alone. I love how the episode selection screen is a Mortal Kombat type character select screen, and if you wait patiently you can watch the characters fight each other, and each fight cleverly parallels moments from the show.

As for the show itself, I think I liked season one better. Don't get me wrong, season two is still very solid, but I feel that the first season is stronger overall. The introduction of Douglas as the new boss is actually a welcome addition, as I like his wackiness, especially later in the season, but I look back on episode two as being the weakest (I didn't like it as much as the others for some reason) and I feel that season one has no weak links. But I loved episodes one and three (the latter I discovered is a parody of a disturbing yet true story of a German man who posted an ad on the internet for someone to let him eat them, and even more disturbing is that someone answered and followed through). Maybe it is a good thing after all for this show to have six episodes per season, as it allows the episodes to be written by the same writer and to remain fresh without being drawn out and tired. I'm looking forward to season three, and the Christmas special at the end of the year!

Recommendation
A satisfying follow-up for anyone who enjoyed season one.

District 9

Impressions before seeing it
A fake documentary about aliens trapped on Earth? What a cool idea!

How was it?
This was one of those times where, minutes into the film, I was already thinking "this movie is awesome." And I didn't stop thinking it, even when it decided to shift genres around the halfway point and become a sci-fi action thriller. Well, maybe that's a drastic way to say it, but I personally was expecting more of a drama than an action-packed thrill ride. Not that I was disappointed, or that it didn't wear both hats.

There are some scenes that are difficult to watch. As in any good "war" movie, there is gruesome violence and senseless killings. The aliens (known as prawns), like anyone else in their situation, are pissed off at the way they're being treated and just want to go home. The movie allows you to sympathize with the prawns but you can also see why humans fear and hate them, and that's exactly the boat you need to be in to best take note of the racism themes. The sympathy allows you to realize we're not above them, and the fear forces you to admit that perhaps there is a problem if you're capable of thinking of others as monsters. It just wouldn't work if you only felt one or the other.

Furthermore, I think the stronger message is that we could abolish racism if we would simply work together. It's that simple. Our hero, Wikus, didn't truly have his feet in both camps until he started to turn into a prawn, and that's when he found that they had a common goal. They hatch a plan and agree to work together, but notice how horribly everything goes wrong the moment Wikus makes a selfish decision to take matters into his own hands. It's not because he's a scew-up (well, maybe that's partly true), it's because every individual is stronger when they can form a team combining their strengths. Fighting is pointless, if we work together, everybody wins!

And if you're opposed to having morality messages thrown at you, that's okay too, because this movie is also just awesome as a piece of entertainment.

Recommendation
It's definitely worth checking out. Probably one of the best movies of the year so far.

The IT Crowd - Season One

Impressions before seeing it
I've already seen season one. This was a DVD rewatch.

How was it?
Why does this show only do 6 episodes a season? It's too brilliant to be short.
It's a sitcom about nerds and for nerds so I have to take a moment to say that this show came out before The Big Bang Theory and in my humble opinion is far superior. There are similarities, especially in the three main characters (the exceedingly nerdy one; the calm, almost-cool-but-still-a-loser one; and the cute girl who enters their territory and changes their everyday routine), but when directly compared I think The Big Bang Theory has been watered down in order to be more accessible to the general public. I think it takes a really big nerd to truly appreciate The IT Crowd. I mean if you just look at the DVD, it has menus parodying old Atari/Commodore games, and even more brilliantly it contains L33T subtitles! Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the nerdiest reference Bang makes is showing the characters playing Halo.

Anyway, back to the show itself. The IT Crowd was created and written by Graham Linehan, who also created Father Ted (which I'm also a big fan of), and the resulting zany British humour is why I am able to forgive the laughtrack (which I am not a big fan of). I love the running gag about most I.T. problems being solved by restarting computers, and how the technicians are such slackers they intentionally wait a while before heading up to fix a problem. I also like that the female gets to be funny instead of just stand there looking good. She kind of reminds me of Elaine from Seinfeld. And then there's the ridiculousness of things like testing stress machines on oneself, mysterious doors that no one is allowed to look behind, getting pictures printed on the bottoms of mugs, and whistling happily after learning of someone's tragic death. I think I actually had more fun watching this the second time than the first. I even had fun watching those awesome DVD menus.

Recommendation
If you're reading this, you're probably a nerd and thus will love this show.

Gigantic

Impressions before seeing it
Gigantic is one of two indie romantic comedies this summer featuring Zooey Deschanel. That's about all I knew.

How was it?
I'm not really sure what this film was about. The opening scene had this little thing about a scientist studying depression in mice and I thought that would have possibly alluded to one of the characters because it seemed significant, but no one was depressed. Brian (Dano) may seem like it at first glance, but as we see when he is randomly attacked by a homeless guy, he fights to survive. The homeless guy element goes unexplained (the same guy seems to stalk Brian and beat him on a regular basis for no reason), but this is the only reason I can think of for it to be in the movie, to show that Brian "swims" rather than give up and drown like the depressed mice in the experiment.

The plot isn't very complex at all, but I didn't mind. The selling point of the movie is the characters, Brian and Happy (Deschanel), and their relationship. The unique thing about these two is that they seem somewhat awkward and distant from each other, yet at the same time there is still a feeling of chemistry somehow. I think it makes it relatable rather than being a storybook lovey-dovey romance, or even a dysfunctional "always bickering but still madly in love" romance. This one is just... a relationship. That's what I liked about it.

Recommendation
I suppose it's just another average indie film. It's not really funny, nor is it heartwarmingly romantic, but there was something about it I liked that I can't put my finger on. I guess if quirky and interesting is your type of movie then this one is worth a look.

The Spirit

Impressions before seeing it
Initially I did want to see it because I'm a big fan of Sin City and this looked to be similar. Then I heard it was bad and coincidentally I wasn't as interested anymore. But I gave it a shot, hoping I might like it anyway.

How was it?
I'll just come out with it: what a stinker! While I do like the Sin City type comic art style, this one didn't have much else going for it. The acting was bad and uninspired, except for maybe Sam Jackson, who I'm sure had a blast playing a campy villain; I didn't care about any of the characters at all; some of the one-liners are just plain weird; and I didn't really find the story that interesting either. There are some unintentionally funny moments and some moments that are meant to be funny, and are, but only because they aren't, if that makes sense. I don't even think I have anything left to say about it. It could have been a cool movie, and I don't know whether the source material is to blame, but somebody dropped the ball somewhere.

Recommendation
Pretend The Spirit doesn't exist and go watch Sin City.

Doubt

Impressions before seeing it
I knew it was an Oscar movie and that there was something about a nunnery. I wanted to see it for the Oscar part.

How was it?
I expected it to be good, but I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. First of all, the main cast is fantastic and their performances helped drive up the intensity. I think I like seeing actors yell at each other, and when they're as talented as these three are it's like sitting in the front row at Sea World: you might get wet.

This movie is not about a priest who may or may not have a thing for little boys. I mean it is, but only on the surface. What it's about, as the title so aptly suggests, is doubt. I'm sure we've all known someone we didn't like simply based on impressions and intuitions, and not really because that person necessarily did anything wrong. I think it's just part of human nature, some people rub us the wrong way and there isn't always a good reason for it, the feeling is just there. Am I saying that I think Sister Aloysius (Streep) was wrong and that Father Flynn (Hoffman) is innocent? No, nor am I saying that I think he's guilty. It doesn't even matter if he is. The movie's not about him, it's about Sister Aloysius. This is a very strong-willed woman who believes in what she knows. The problem is, she doesn't know anything because there is no evidence against Flynn. Therefore all she has is faith. Not faith in God, although she is a nun, but faith in herself, that her instincts are correct. But that's what faith is. If there were any proof, it wouldn't be faith. Nor would it be faith without a certain amount of doubt, because we as human beings have trouble believing without at least some proof. And that's why the film never reveals what really happened in Father Flynn's rectory.

Recommendation
This is a powerful film. I think everyone should see it.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Impressions before seeing it
Here's a nice change of pace: I wasn't intending to see this because it looked like another gimmicky lowbrow comedy.

How was it?
First off, let me say the humour was really nothing new. Most of it consisted of Kevin James falling down, bumping into things, and doing a lot of tumbles and rolls. The rest of it was pretty much everyone else making fun of how fat he is. I suppose that part was to be expected - this is a Happy Madison production after all, and anything involving Adam Sandler tends to have insult jokes aimed at weird/loser characters. That may sound like I'm attacking Sandler, but think about his comedies, it's true.

A lot of this movie was ridiculous, I thought (I'll get to what wasn't in a moment). It tries to slip in a few plot twists that aren't really that shocking. The mall robbers have crazy acrobatic skills, doing jumps and flips all over the mall and from great heights (if they have this kind of talent, couldn't they get a decent job at the circus instead of having to rob malls?). An obsessive boyfriend tracks his girlfriend's cell phone with GPS (Really? Does anyone actually do this? Ever?). And in true 1950's style, there is a scene where Blart fights the villain while the damsel (who is not restrained or incapacitated in any way) stands about four feet away and just watches instead of helping out by getting the villain from behind while his back is turned.

All of that being said, I must admit that the movie was at least entertaining and kind of fun. I enjoy the idea that, basically, the robbers' entire plan was foiled because Paul Blart decided to play some Rock Band in the arcade. I also like how, for once, the love interest (Jayma Mays - Fun Fact, I share a birthday with her) had no interest in the sleazeball character who hits on her throughout the movie and would normally provide some competition for Blart. For a moment I had that dreaded feeling that she was going to fall for him and then Blart would have to win her back, but I was delighted when they decided not to go that route, as we've seen it many times in other movies.

Recommendation
I can't really recommend it unless you want something that's fun but not necessarily good.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Impressions before seeing it
I think I saw the trailer a while back. I don't even remember. But I think I was intrigued.

How was it?
I hate Nazis. It's kind of hard to sit there listening to people say stupid things like "dirty Jew" this and "Jews are a plague" that. I say Nazis are a plague. HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES, HITLER?!

But in all seriousness, this is a movie about scapegoat genocide causing collateral damage. Because that's what happens when you do idiotic things, you hurt innocent people. I don't know if this was based on a true story or not but either way it seems like a likely story and something similar has probably happened in the past. You may think this film is irrelevant seeing as how the holocaust is over, but that doesn't matter. Racism still exists, and as pessimistic as this is I think it always will.

I like that the story was shown through a child's point of view. It takes the innocence of a child to truly show how ridiculous the holocaust was. For the length of the film everyone keeps trying to tell him how terrible Jews are and that he should keep away from them, but he (nor we as the viewers) never sees a Jew committing a single wrongdoing. In fact they're nice to him, so this kid is left wondering why everyone is so against them and why they're being locked up like prisoners. Why indeed.

Recommendation
It's not a pleasant story, but it's one that more people need to pay attention to if we're ever going to realize that racism is holding us all back.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Impressions before seeing it
I don't know why it took me so long to finally see this. There's no real reason other than "I just didn't get around to it." I like Kevin Smith. I like Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks, too.

How was it?
I had a blast watching this movie. It's actually a lot of fun watching a bunch of normal people try to make a porno. It's also a lot of fun watching Justin Long play a character other than "Mac" or "the awkward loser teen who Jason Biggs was too old to play." He should show off his range more, he was one of the funniest parts of the movie. Not to discredit everything else, of course. Rogan and Banks have great chemistry, probably because they were friends and because they both seem like cool people off camera. It's also great to see Craig Robinson again, who started out playing the warehouse foreman on The Office and is now a rising comedy star, and a funny cameo by Kenny Hotz of Kenny vs. Spenny fame.

Now let's address this film's famous criticism: everyone says it's trying to capitalize on the popularity of Judd Apatow films by mimicing the adult-humour-followed-by-heartfelt-ending style. Do I think Smith did this concsciously? Probably not. In fact if you look back at some of his other films you could argue that he was doing this long before Apatow achieved mass popularity. I will say that Zack and Miri's romance was done in a way that was not at all new, but you know what, it works because the characters are so likeable. I also believe that one should be very good friends with one's spouse, but that's a matter of personal opinion.

Recommendation
As you can probably guess, I'm just going to say that you should see it if you're a Kevin Smith fan (Yes, it does have Jason Mewes and Jeff Anderson and Smith's wife Jennifer), or if you're a Judd Apatow fan (You'll probably still get "the Apatow experience"), and especially if you're a fan of both.

Three Colours: Blue

Impressions before seeing it
For those who don't know, this movie is part of a trilogy by polish director Kryzstof Kieslowski. I had already seen the other two, Red and White, and enjoyed them, so I picked up the trilogy from Amazon to check out Blue.

How was it?
Where is apathy in the five stages of grief? Juliette Binoche plays a woman who, after losing her husband and daughter in a car accident (not a spoiler, it happens in the first two minutes), stops caring about everything. I don't think I've seen grief done in this way before so that was refreshing, although it took some getting used to. Kieslowski's films have a way of alienating me at the beginning and then gradually pulling me in until I'm fascinated. I don't know if anyone else gets this feeling or if it's just me.

As the title suggests, the colour blue shows up a lot in this movie for added symbolism. I can't remember if Red and White do this too, but I assume so. It's a nice touch anyway, although it was so blatant that I kept getting pulled out of the movie by the reminder that I was looking at a visual representation of its title. Luckily Juliette Binoche's performance as a very damaged woman was good enough to bring me back in. Good work, madam.

Recommendation
I don't think there are many people who would necessarily be interested in a Polish movie from the 80's starring French actors. But if you've already seen Red and/or White, give this one a shot, too.

The Promotion

Impressions before seeing it
I'm a big fan of both John C. Reilly and Jenna Fischer so that was enough to hook me.

How was it?
I kind of need to watch it again because I missed some parts due to a noisy environment, but what I saw was fun. The concept is simple and not really anything new, but it's the execution that makes it worthwhile. Seann William Scott's ironic voiceovers and John C. Reilly's subtle-douchebag-acting-like-he's-not-being-a-douchebag performance set it up for some good laughs. Fred Armisen also plays a good nerdy wiener type manager that feels like someone we probably all have met before. However I do feel that Jenna Fischer was unfortunately wasted in a minor side role as Seann William Scott's wife, who doesn't get much opportunity for comedy. It gets tiring to see this in comedies, where the men get all of the hilarious roles and the women get stuck playing the girlfriend/wife who says "Oh, you!" and rarely does anything funny. No wonder we hear actresses say there aren't enough good female roles out there.

Recommendation
Some parts almost reminded me of a comedy version of The Pursuit of Happyness, or the Zach Braff/Jason Bateman comedy The Ex. If that sounds good to you, or if you like those "person vs. person" comedies, check it out. This one got overlooked and is probably a lot better than some of the more widely released comedies out there.