Category: Uncategorized

My movie-watching really slowed down this year as the music at SXSW took center stage during the last three days.  Janelle Monae, The Hold Steady, Gary Clark Jr., The Dum Dum Girls, Willie Nelson, Keith Urban (who knew!), and Jake Bugg were some of the highlights.

Hopefully my son reads this installment as he complains that 90% of my reviews get a 3.5 or 4.

She’s Lost Control – 2.5 out of 5

This movie was about a sexual surrogate who becomes emotionally involved with one of her clients.  It’s interesting the insight you get when you wait to review movies.  I remember thinking this was OK when I watched it, but now ten days later, I barely remember it.

A Night in Old Mexico – 2 out of 5

An excellent performance by Robert Duvall is wasted on a movie with a plot that just doesn’t hold up when you think about it.  The movie started out with great promise and style and looked like it would be a great thriller.  Unfortunately, the film falls apart when the 30-year-old Mexican stripper falls in love with the clearly racist Duvall character because he’s the first gringo to treat her respectfully (huh?) and his initially totally wimpy , non-cowboy, long- lost grandson turns into a Rambo wannabe.

Open Windows – 2.5 out of 5

This movie stars Elijah Wood and Sasha Grey in a thriller/mystery set in Austin. This also looked like it would be real interesting, but the plot just falls apart as the movie goes on.  I always have trouble with plots that depend on one person being able to predict with certainty how others would react in tough circumstances (I loved the Mission Impossible TV show as a kid, but often wondered what would happen if the adversary did the more predictable thing). This movie gets an extra half-star because I enjoy movies with Austin locales and it had an extended guest appearance by Owen Eggerton of Master Pancake Theater shot in the theater where we were watching the movie.

The Infinite Man – 3 out of 5

This was an interesting and convoluted Sci-Fi comedy romance time travel movie.  It had lots of twists and reminded me a little of Groundhog Day.

Below are some of the highlights from Days 4-6 at SXSW

The Dog – 4 out of 5

More than 40 years after the real-life bank robbery that inspired Dog Day Afternoon comes a documentary about the bank robber that was played by Al Pacino in the movie.  It’s a fascinating portrait that uses archival and recent interviews with the subject, his mother, the transsexual  that motivated John Wojtowicz, and many others.  He’s a great character for a documentary and this also turns into an interesting look at the gay rights movement in the late ’60s and ’70s.

Wicker Kittens – 3.5 out of 5

Wicker Kittens is a cute little documentary about a jigsaw puzzle competition.  The director followed three teams and the organizer of the competition as they prepared and competed.  The teams take the competition seriously but the movie is a pretty lighthearted look at the competition and there are lots of fun moments.  For those who are into jigsaw puzzles, there are also good tips on how to improve your game.  While I liked this, I’d recommend The King of Kong (Donkey Kong competitors) and Spellbound (spelling bee) for those looking for an offbeat movie about competition.

Fort Tilden – 3.5 out of 5

Fort Tilden won the Grand Jury Prize for feature narrative.  This is a drama/comedy about two female friends deciding to spend a day at the beach. They run into problems going to, at and returning from  the beach, and their friendship is tested.  All these problems lead to revelations about their struggles to become responsible adults.

The Great invisible – 4 out of 5

This film won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Feature.  This explores the problems that led to the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the sad state of the impact to people’s lives several years after the accident.  This is definitely worth seeing.

The Raid 2 – 4 out of 5 

If you like kick-ass action, this is the movie for you!  The hero of the original Raid goes undercover for non-stop, bone-crushing , death-defying Indonesian action.

Great summary of this year in great movies: http://www.richardroeper.com/reviews/bestoftheyear.aspx

 

The Master Pancake Comedy troupe on Austin usually screens a movie while talking over  and making fun of the film (like Mystery Science Theater 300 used to do). Most of their shows are at the Alamo Drafthouse (a great place to see a movie), although occasionally they perform at the Paramount Theatre. This summer Master Pancake also did a free show at the Long Center’s lawn. They are very funny and raunchy. I go to see them every chance I get.

This weekend and next, they are doing something a little bit different. Instead of mocking a single movie, they have a great time with compiled scenes from Tom Hanks movies. This is a great show whether you love or hate Hanks…and, as they like to point out, nobody hates Tom Hanks. The Hanks catalog runs the gamut from his early comedies, his Oscar-winning performances, romantic comedies , etc.

Master Pancake show usually sell out several days in advance, so get your tickets.early.

Tom Hanks Career

Bill C’s Review – 4 out of 5

The other repeating theme (besides robots) from this summer’s movies is coming-of-age stories. This film is about Sutter (Miles Teller), a high school senior. Sutter is enjoying life to the fullest, but is a budding alcoholic who doesn’t worry/plan for his future and has issues due to no father at home.

After he and his girlfriend break up, Sutter meets Aimee (Shailene Woodley) when he wakes up hung-over on some random front lawn. He lives by the spur of the moment and for the spectacular now, while she is more laid back and future-thinking. They help each other grow, but of course also have issues. I thought they both gave very good performances. This also has good supporting performances by Kyle Chandler and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Sutter’s parents.

The Spectacular Now was written by the same folks who wrote (500) Days of Summer, another movie  I really liked. They did not go for the easy, predictable resolution at the end. This film is definitely worth seeing.

Bill I’s Review – 4 out of 5

This reminded me of one of my favorite movies of last year, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This film focuses on a charismatic, charming, savvy beyond his years, high school outsized personality (that’s Sutter played by a spectacular Miles Teller), comparable to Ezra Miller’s Patrick character in Perks, who develops a close bond with a seemingly naive, nerdish outcast (Aimee, by also spectacular Shailene Woodley, incredibly likeable and natural), comparable to Logan Lerman’s Charlie in Perks, and they are both transformed. The theme is a love for life, a realization that you can live your life as your true self and find people who love you as you are. You can have people in your life who disappoint you or even hate you and rise above it. You can be hit with what appears to be horrible experiences in high school and not only survive, but move on to an exciting future. This film, same as Perks, has an inspiring life affirming message that is appropriate for kids of all ages. I would especially encourage teenagers to enjoy this film.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

I haven’t seen this movie but  I want to know if anyone has and what they thought.  This has to have the biggest Rotten Tomatoes differential of all time!!  7% of critics liked it and 90% of people who went to see it liked it!

Rotten Tomatoes

 

Bill C’s Review 3.5 out of 5

The Kings of Summer is is another likable coming of age story.  This one is much quirkier than  The Way, Way Back.

The film focuses on three teenagers who run away from home one summer and build a home in the forest.  Two are best friends, one with a father who doesn’t know how to relate to his son after the death of his wife and the other whose parents are totally overbearing.  The third boy is just a strange hanger on.

The first half of the movie focuses on the three running away and building a place in the woods and settling in which makes for some good laughs.  In the second half conflicts ensue, lives are at risk, friendships + family ties are re-established.

The quirkiness, humor and upbeat/heart warming  ending make this an enjoyable movie.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes