there will be blood

this weekend i had a few hours to kill, so i checked what movies are showing around here, and it turned out that 'there will be blood' finally came to town! so off i went...

this movie is directed by paul thomas anderson, who directed a film a few years ago that i really love called 'magnolia'. having seen it and a few others of his i was very excited at the fact that he was releasing a movie at all. when i heard that it was going to star daniel day lewis i knew it was going to be something special. turns out, it is.

the story is a different one, its actually based on the novel 'oil!' by upton sinclair. it is a story that takes place at the turn of the century 1900s and follows a man who travels the country helping out in different towns setting up oil rigs. the film really interested me because it was a story i hadnt ever heard told before. daniel day lewis, who is always amazing, creates such a strong and unusual character that you are just drawn to him. his journey is a bumpy one, some of it is his fault, but much of it is out of his control. to see him deal with what ever comes can be chilling, and at times gruesome. the character has a bit of a social problem: he not only wants to succeed, but he also wont be happy until everyone else fails. the title is a bit mystifying throughout most of the film, but it becomes quite evident when all is said and done. the raw emotion and passion that is shown by the characters is so visceral that its somewhat startling and telling.

the film is a bit long and a bit slow, but it is always riveting.

juno

ive been wanting to see this one for quite a while now. even before it got all the oscar attention ive had my eye on it. i figure anything with jason bateman, the kid from arrested development, and kitty pryde from the x-men movies was going to be at least ok. as it got more and more attention i figured i should definitely check it out.

well, saturday i finally got around to it, and boy was it worth it! the movie was hysterical! if you dont know the story line of this movie then you really need to stop living under that rock of yours. but just in case, ill summarize it for you. its about a 16 year old who gets pregnant and decides to go through with the birth and give the child up to a couple who hasnt been able to conceive. its not the story thats getting everyone talking, its the writing that makes this movie great. the style of conversation among everyone is a bit different. everyone is highly intelligent and amazingly witty, which just doesnt happen in real life. it almost teeters on the wes anderson style of quirky, but it has a lot more heart. after about the first ten minutes you start to accept this hip hyper-reality and can really get into the characters and their relationships with each other. the main character juno is very self confident and certain that she knows everything. and for a while, we believe her. she is so sure footed and wise beyond her years that she thinks she can handle whatever life throws at her, and for much of the film we are prone to agree. but one of the themes that the film (expertly) explores is the idea of naivete.

over all the film is certainly one of the funniest of the year, and also is surprisingly touching.

[editor's note: i saw this in the theater on a date.  in case you are wondering- yes, the date went well, i have since married her!]

cloverfield

the guys and i went to go see this on friday, opening night. ive been looking forward to this one since they first had the teaser attached to transformers over the summer. i didnt really get into the online hysteria around it, but i kept it in mind as one to see. ive been seeing reviews of it that say its total crap, and others that say its awesome. the hype has been so deafening, that it was time to make the decision for myself.

turns out, its pretty good. the premise is simple: a giant monster attack from the perspective of those who are in the city it is stomping all over. the style is very much 'blair witch project' with the perception given that we are about to watch a tape that was found. as we watch it it becomes clear that this is going to be a shaky camera ride. in fact, before the movie started, someone from the theater actually came up and warned us that this film could induce nausea. needless to say, that got us even more excited for it. i didnt have any problems with it, but a couple of the guys said they felt a little dizzy at points. the premise of the film is done well, its a bunch of twenty somethings throwing a party for a friend who is leaving town. just as the party gets going, the power goes out. they look outside and see the city being destroyed. they have to get out of there quick. they head to the subway system and other places looking for a friend and a way out. part of what makes the film work is that even the effects shots are done from the handheld camera, so they look real. this is what makes the monster really work- we never really get a clear shot of what the thing looks like. well, actually we do, and thats the one complaint i have with the movie. at the end they show too much of the monster that it takes away some of the mystery that had been such a strong part of the movie up until that point. also, it suffers from too many endings. for a movie that was so chaotic and strange, the ending is a little too neat and tidy.

over all though, this is definitely one to see in the theater, i have a feeling that it will loose a lot when its seen on a regular tv screen.

michael clayton

i saw this movie on a whim. i remember it coming out this past fall, but not really knowing anything about it. i had some time to kill, so i figured id give it a shot.

the movie itself is about a guy who works for a law firm whos life isnt exactly in order. there is a class action lawsuit going on against a company where they are being sued for putting bad chemicals in the ground. the huge law firm that is handling the case has been working 12 years on it, trying to wear down those suing the company. one day the head lawyer just cracks. he realizes that this is a terrible thing and doesnt want anything to do with it anymore. he goes crazy in front of court officials. the company fears that this will hurt their case, so they send in someone to fix it for them. in comes george clooneys character. hes kind of the janitor who comes in to clean up any messes that arise. hes very good at what he does, but he is having a hard time cleaning up the messes in his own life.

the story is quite interesting, and the character arcs are very compelling. we really see the struggle that both men go through with who they are and what they do. there is a little bit of time jumping as well (we see events happen, then jump back a few days to see what lead up to it). it was at times confusing, but it seems like that was a bit intentional. the character doesnt know the whole story, so we are left out a little bit as well. it is a twisty tale that is told, but the ending is incredibly satisfying.

alien vs predator: requiem

i know, i know, i should have known better. but i went anyway. i have a bit of a soft spot for those 'alien' movies, and i dig predator too. i saw the last avp and was disappointed. i wasnt sure what i was expecting, but it wasnt as good as i was hoping. but i must admit, in light of avp:r, that first one sure is looking a lot better...

the story, if you can really call it that, is about an alieny predatory thing who accidentally crashes on earth, and the predators have to get rid of him for some reason. many people die, many stomachs burst open. many predator weapons are used. big showdown. the end.
heres the biggest problem: its generic. the first avp didnt have enough action, but at least they brought up some interesting mythology about the creatures. we learned a bit more about the aliens and why the predators are after them. but this movie? it could have just as easily been made without either of the franchises being involved. it could have just been monster vs monster and it would not have suffered at all for it. actually, now that i think about it, it might have helped- there wouldnt be as much expected, so the fact that it is just a run-of-the-mill monster movie would not have been such a letdown.

i would say 'oh well, maybe next time', but i think if they tried again it might make this one look good...

i am legend

when we finally got to see this movie, i was quite excited for it. i wasnt sure what to expect, the advertising champagne focused on will smiths character being alone in this desolate future. but i also knew a little bit about the story, so i knew it has its roots in a much more horror style genre.

the story begins with a plague wiping out almost everyone, and smith is the last man in new york. hes been on his own, with his dog, for almost three years when we meet up with him. we follow him around as he looks for food and his typically uneventful search for any survivors. this, by far, is the best part of the film. we see him trying to live a normal life, setting up mannequins in stores he frequents and talking to them as if they were real. we get a sense of what it must be like for him, trying to stave off insanity. the mood is slow and introspective. like the island part of castaway, it begins to become a thoughtful portrait of loneliness, and how one tries to adapt. there are even some good scares with what is out there. but about three Fourths of the way through the movie, it takes an unfortunate turn. the story falls off the rails and falls into all the cliches it had been so successful in avoiding up until that point.

over all, it was worth seeing for the first half. the quite moments and the story reveals along the way are pitch perfect, but when the plot turns, it turns hard.