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
Gah! I want to watch Charade now! Curse you!
And I got through about an hour of New York, I love you. It was annoying because one I became interested in a story it was either over or they would come back to it in an hour.
Yeah, there were a few that I liked all right (I thought Orlando Bloom & Christina Ricci’s was cute; I enjoyed Anton Yelchin & Olivia Thirlby’s; I thought Chris Cooper & Robin Wright’s was sweet, and the old couple one at the end with Cloris Leachman & Eli Wallach was pretty great), but it all felt pretty bland compared to PARIS, JE T’AIME. I also didn’t think they showcased the city as much as they did for Paris, which is sort of the point.
I think they’re doing Shanghai next, which should be interesting.
Thanks for this. Very creative way to review some movies. I’ve added five movies to my queue of movies to see. Thanks. I do have to disagree with your review of “A Serious Man,” however. I thought it was amazing. Was the low rating because of its seeming pointlessness? That’s one of the things I loved the most.
You’re quite welcome — glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 As for A SERIOUS MAN, the Coens are always sort of hit or miss for me. BURN AFTER READING was sort of pointless, too, but in a droll sort of way, so I liked it. I just kept waiting for a character to make an active decision, and it never happened. I actually thought things were just getting interesting when it ended. 🙂 I will say I thought Michael Stuhlbarg was very good in the role of Larry. The rest of the movie just didn’t do it for me unfortunately.