What have I been watching...

I've had a flurry of movie watching lately. A little of this, a little of that. A little good, a little bad. Let's check it out.
Moon- a dazzling and brilliant debut for Duncan Jones. Sam Rockwell, as usual, is a scene-stealer. Luckily, there's two of him. Which means twice as many scenes to steal. It's a a testament to Jones that he keeps the film working and engaging with virtually one actor at work.
Valkyrie- pretty standard action-thriller here. Lots of things were missing, a few things worked. Overall the storyline was actually pretty boring considering the material. Tom Cruise was, as expected, a poor fit. What was really surprising is the poor work on the part of some normally solid actors. Thus I concluded that it was a poor directing job by Bryan Singer. He was unable to properly give his actors things to work with.
Death Race- As you'd expect a Paul W. Anderson film to be. Fast, convoluted, silly. The action is furious. The story is not. It leaves a lot to be desired.
The Straight Story- a rare normal turn for David Lynch. A touching and refreshingly simple story. A man rides a lawn mower to meet his sick, estranged brother. Filmed eloquently. In a manner that reflects its simple pleasure.
The Last Picture Show- A classic coming-of-age story. Makes you pine for younger days, appreciate the time you have, and want to forget the seemingly aimless years in between. Excellent stuff, but too slow for some.

Bruno- thatz zuch a grozz movie

Movies that defy convention or that break trends are often met with mixed reactions. Skeptics question why something has to go out of the conventional mold to do what it has to. Supporters hail it's bold approach to something different. Either way, like any movie it still has to work.
Bruno is a character creation from the mind of Sacha Baron Cohen who brought as such whackos as Borat and Ali G. In his feature film, Bruno is a failed fashion TV star who comes to America to try and find fame. Along the way he attempts different strategies, including: making a sex video with a politician, interviewing celebs, and acting in prime-time TV shows. Naturally, graphic hijinx ensue. Where Bruno shows, as did Borat, is that it isn't the main character that is being lampooned. Your average fan would think Baron Cohen is making fun of Austrians or gay people, but it's quite the opposite. He uses the facade to make lampoon everyone else. It's priceless to watch the reaction of a focus group when Bruno shows them a sample of his TV show he wants greenlit. They react in anger, with humor, and confusion. It's the interactions of the people around Bruno that make this movie, despite it's extreme vulgarity, amusing.
A word for the weak: Bruno is not for the faint of heart. There is nudity, from head to toe. There is discussion of graphic homosexuality. It pretty much goes as far as a conventional movie can go. In that regard, it's brilliant. Just be on your best behaviour.

Snatch- so much fun

A growing genre of film these days is known as 'guy noire'. Essentially, it combines all the things that would appeal to the top demographic of moviegoers: males aged 18-35. These are element such as quick, witty, expletive-filled dialogue. Ridiculously eccentric characters. Fast and stylish editing, music, visuals, etc. Guns, explosions, action, hot women...you get the idea. It's a genre that has been bred from directors such as Quentin Tarintino, Michael Bay, and....
Guy Ritchie has cooled in recent years. Once he was white-hot. When he made Snatch, Ritchie was at his peak and essentially provided a blueprint (which has never been replicated) for an entire new genre. Snatch is one of those movies that is a pure joy to watch. The dialogue is brilliant, made better by the English dialect. The storyline is just crazy enough that it makes you go, "Nooo waaay....well...?" It's got nutty characters, who are either too smart for their own good or dumb or just tricking everyone. The editing works so well it looks easy. Overall, the package is extremely entertaining and, in my opinion, will likely never be done again.
Snatch is fun and furious. It's smart and dumb at the same time. It's the kind of movie that makes you want to keep watching.

Public Enemies- number one

Everyone is afraid of criminals. Yet there are few things as exciting as being in or near the thick of some serious criminal misdoings. That's why audiences love crime flicks. The escape to a world of no laws where anything goes. It's a fantasy that gets the heart racing and blood pumping.
Public Enemies is the semi-fictional tale of the crime wave during the Depression that saw John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd rise to criminal prominence. This also signaled the beginning of the FBI who were tasked with stopping them. Michael Mann is at his best. Think Heat meets the Untouchables. Yea, boom goes the dynamite. The gunfights are loud and tense. Which is a staple for all crime flicks. Mann is on his game, creating aesthetically pleasing shots from scene to scene. He uses close-ups as if they're going out of style but leaves tons of open space conveying oodles of tension by letting the viewer see not only the face but the environment around them. The music was dead on as well. Johnny Depp shines as John Dillinger, a man of charisma and criminal brilliance. Depp plays Dillinger to be an uber-confident but flawed man. While he tricks the feds and seemingly dances under their noses, he lives every moment by the seat of his pants. Dillinger irresponsibly looks no further than he must which makes him appear accepting that his fate is to die young. Depp will say a line with a deadly serious look on his face then momentarily break a witty smile only to let it fade his face as Dillinger returns to the reality that he's not destined to experience joy for long. Excellent. As well Marion Cotillard is excellent as Dillinger's star crossed love.
This is an excellent crime story. It's a longer flick but moves fast. It grips from the opening to the end. If only all films were like this, the world would be a better place.