Haiku Review: 15 February 2010
This week I’m buckling down on what will hopefully be my last round of revisions on TDPU. Last week I finished a short script I’m hoping to film in the next couple of months, and I’ve got another short script I’d like to write whilst planning my next feature to be written in April for ScriptFrenzy.
I’m also trying to see as many Oscar-nommed movies and read as many Oscar-nommed scripts as possible before the big night on March 2nd. I know there are a lot of folks out there who say the Oscars don’t matter unless you’re nominated for one, or they’re not in line with what the public thinks is good, but I still enjoy them. And I don’t know — it is a jury of one’s own peers voting, and that has to count for something I think. Generally, I’ve found that, even if I don’t agree that the Oscar picks are the best of the best, they’re still films worth seeing. Now, onto the Haiku Review…
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (4 stars): visual stunner / in the Gilliam archetype / I miss Heath Ledger
Dorian Gray (3½ stars): lovely to look at / a worthy adaptation / please come to the States
Adam (4 stars): an autistic man / struggles with love and himself / moves the audience
La Jetée (3½ stars): a film in still shots / mind-bending and heart-breaking / check out 12 Monkeys
Food, Inc. (5 stars): eye-opening doc / helps us make informed choices / when choosing our food
Cry-Baby (3 stars): so bad it is good / ’50s spoof with fun music / and young Johnny Depp
Charade (5 stars): murder and deceit / but Cary Grant charms us so / can Audrey trust him?
America’s Sweethearts (3 stars): a guilty pleasure / an atypical rom com / about Hollywood
An Education (3½ stars): naïve girl wants more / older man shows her the world / and opens her eyes
The Hurt Locker (4 stars): detonation team / fights against bombs, hate and angst / can’t defeat the thrill
Un Chien Andalou (3 stars): unrelated scenes / but the brain makes connections / that do not exist
New York, I Love You (3 stars): it wanted to be / charming like Paris, Je T’aime / but can’t quite get there
Valentine’s Day (2½ stars): too many stories / to tell any of them well / but some parts are fun
A Serious Man (2 stars): life is difficult / for the man in this movie / not sure of the point
Pretty Woman (3½ stars): for Valentine’s Day / iconic rom coms are good / even when single
Haiku Review: 12 January 2010
I’m tired of doing normal mini-reviews, so I’m going to try my hand at doing haiku reviews instead. If you’d like to know what I thought about a particular movie in more detail, just ask. 
Arsenic and Old Lace (4 stars): screwball comedy / with a bit of slapstick, too / Cary Grant is hot
District 9 (5 stars): men v. aliens / against odds, two join forces/ one of the year’s best
Blind Date (4 stars): a tragic story / hopeful yet melancholy / captivating leads
Nine (2½ stars): pretty to look at / A few enjoyable songs / otherwise empty
Nosferatu (3 stars): vampires are scary / and can haunt your dreams with ease / when they’re not sparkly
The General (4 stars): a silent movie / with a delightful story / and Buster Keaton
Up in the Air (4 stars): a story about / the worth of what we carry / or leave behind us
What’s Up, Doc? (3 stars): Barbara Streisand / plays a screwball heroine / who gets what she wants
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (5 stars): revenge fantasy / and unknown consequences / not for claustrophobes
Statuesque [short film] (4 stars): Neil Gaiman directs / a short, silent film about / statues come to life
Avatar (4 stars): we’ve seen this before / but it’s still a good story / with gorgeous visuals
Shaun of the Dead (4 stars): a zombie movie / that spoofs but has lots of heart / Simon Pegg is great
The Bicycle Thief (2 stars): black, white, and silent / an Italian classic film / I hate the ending
Rebel Without A Cause (4 stars): a James Dean movie / that was surprisingly great / holds up against time
The First Wives Club (2½): so-so comedy / about fed-up ex-spouses / who get their revenge
Leap Year (2½): guilty pleasure film / rom-com clichés left and right / Ozymandias
