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.