Amazon.com has reduced the price on many of its Criterion Blu-rays. Here are the main deals, although several others have been reduced to the $24 range. Stock usually goes quickly, so order now if you see something you like.
Welcome to the seventh installment of What I Watched This Week. I don't review everything I watch, but I have time for quick comments about the movies that I don't fully review.
The Descendants (2011)
I keep going back to The Descendants. I must have seen it close to 10 times. Read my full review for more of my thoughts.
Overall Score 5/5
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
After checking my Top 25, I realized that I had seen 24 of them in the past year. Inglourious Basterds was something I overdosed on when it was released, so I hadn't seen it for 13 months. It was good to revisit the movie and spend 2.5 hours with these characters again. I still think the opening scene is probably the best that Tarantino has ever written. Christoph Waltz deserved his Oscar.
Overall score 5/5
Castle in the Sky (1986)
I've been looking forward to seeing Castle in the Sky on Blu-ray ever since it was released in Japan. The presentation is perfect, but the film was not quite as good as I remembered. There are too many chase scenes and explosions for my taste, although the Miyazaki magic shines through at times. The third act was easily the best part of the story beginning when we first set foot on Laputa. It's good to see an early Miyazaki title given such good treatment.
Overall score 4/5
Larry Crowne (2011)
Tom Hanks was one of my favorite actors 10 years ago, but I've been disappointed with his recent output. He teamed up with Julia Roberts in Charlie Wilson's War, but I didn't like it at all. Larry Crowne has received a lot of poor reviews, but I quite enjoyed it. I identified with his character as I also went to college late in life. This is a gentle comedy with plenty of good moments.
Overall score 3.5/5
We Bought a Zoo (2011)
I didn't really know what to expect from We Bought a Zoo. I enjoy Matt Damon's acting and Scarlett Johansson is usually pretty good, but what kind of story would this be? Damon's character plays a widower who is reminded of his wife by his possessions and surroundings, so he decides to move house. He has a girl of 7 and a boy of 14. The boy is a bit of a problem child and doesn't want to move, but his daughter is incredibly sweet and steals a lot of scenes. The story tells the tale of what happens when the three buy a zoo. They love the house, but have very little idea of how to take care of the animals. Luckily, the small staff, led by Johanssen's character, know what they are doing. This is a feel-good story of how the family makes a new life and pulls together with the staff to make the zoo a viable attraction. There's nothing startling, but it's worth your time.
Overall score 3.5/5
Battle Royale (2000)
I've been hoping to see Battle Royale ever since Tarantino named it as one of his favorite films. It's a Japanese language movie which tells the story of a class of children who are forced to fight to the death over the course of three days. I'm really not sure how I feel about it. There's a lot of violence and not much story, and it's hard to identify with many of the characters. I'm not against violent scenes if they add something to the story, such as some of the scenes in Kill Bill, but this particular story isn't really my kind of thing. I'm glad I saw it and I understand why people like it, but I don't need to own it. I could score this anywhere from 1/5 to 5/5. I'll give it credit for attempting as much as it did.
Overall score 3.5/5
Shame (2011)
My final selection this week was one of the most interesting films from 2011. The subject matter isn't easy to view and I'm not sure how often I will revisit the film, but it's extremely well made. Michael Fassbender plays Brandon, and he's addicted to sex. Women find him attractive at first, until they discover his true nature. We see him pursue several women and have sex with them, but the act has become something without much joy. It drains him rather than pleases him. He's not content to just have sex with other people; he uses computers at home and at work to search for porn, he sneaks off to masturbate, and he has a liaison with a man. His sister, Sissy, is played by Carey Mulligan, and she also has problems relating to people. Director Steve McQueen hints that it may be because of childhood experiences, but we aren't given the full details. This film is not for everyone. It contains a considerable amount of nudity and fairly explicit sex scenes, as well as other material which may disturb some viewers. I was impressed with the main two actors and the honesty of the film.
Welcome to the sixth installment of What I Watched This Week. I don't review everything I watch, but I have time for quick comments about the movies that I don't fully review.
The Italian Job (2003) (Blu-ray)
I'm a fan of most of the cast and the 1969 original version is a cult classic, but this 2003 version disappointed. I found it unoriginal and quite boring in places. It's not that anyone performed badly, it was just a tired story with nothing to make it stand out.
Overall score 3/5
Killer's Kiss (1955) (Blu-ray)
Stanley Kubrick made so many interesting films in a variety of genres. I'm a fan of The Killing, but I was thrilled to find out that one of the special features on the Criterion Blu-ray was an HD version of Killer's Kiss. I had never seen the film. The story itself is an unremarkable crime drama and it's not something I will watch often, but it's worth seeing just to see how Kubrick's career evolved.
Overall score 3/5 (4/5 for The Killing)
Videodrome (1983) (Blu-ray)
Another Criterion that's been on my shelf for months. I first saw Videodrome soon after release and it was the UK cut version. It was good to revisit after all these years and I enjoyed the unsettling world that Cronenberg creates. James Woods was a good choice for the role of Max and Deborah Harry is surprisingly good as the twisted Nicki. The effects look dated, but it still succeeds in creating a unique atmosphere.
Overall score 4/5
The Secret World of Arrietty (2011) (Blu-ray)
I've seen Arrietty about five times this year, but this was the first time I had watched the Japanese dub. I had already seen the UK and US versions. This version follows the UK script and doesn't include the additional exposition present at the end of the US dub. I think my favorite version of the three is still the UK dub which I have already reviewed.
Overall score 4.5/5
The Grey (2011) (Blu-ray)
I like survival stories and usually enjoy Liam Neeson's movies, so I was excited to see The Grey. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but it may be even better than I had hoped due to the realism. Read my full review for all my thoughts.
Overall score 4/5
A Dangerous Method (2011) (Blu-ray)
I find it difficult to watch Keira Knightley, but she was actually fairly good as Sabina Spielrein. Fassbender and Mortensen were also convincing and I enjoyed the story, but something stopped it from being great. It felt unfinished in a way and I would have liked a stronger final act.
Overall score 3.5/5
Being John Malkovich (1999) (Blu-ray)
Amazon.ca managed to get this to me on release day, and I was very happy to see it again. Criterion has done another great job and this quirky movie has never looked so good. Cusack, Diaz and Keener are all good, but it couldn't work without Malkovich. It's one of the most enjoyable and unusual ideas that I've seen in a film.
Overall score 4.5/5
Cool Hand Luke (1967) (Blu-ray)
I can't quite agree with Roger Ebert on this one, and I would rate it as very good rather than great. That said, there's still a lot to like. Newman and Kennedy are both superb and the supporting cast includes Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin and Ralph Waite. It's a prison drama and Newman is cast as a rebellious prisoner who doesn't want to conform. I think the thing that holds the film back from greatness is Luke's general behavior. He deserves to be in prison and it's hard to feel sorry for him. Cool Hand Luke is the subject of this week's discussion over at 1:37 exactly, so feel free to join in.
The Grey (2011)
Action, Adventure, Drama
Directed by Joe Carnahan
Starring Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney and Frank Grillo
The presence of Liam Neeson is main reason that I wanted to see The Grey. I've become a bigger fan since I bought Taken and saw that he could even bring depth to a character in an action movie. Neeson seems authentic in just about any role, even if he's just providing the voice for an animated character.
In The Grey, Neeson is clearly the main character. We see him contemplate suicide at the start of the movie, before deciding against it. The story involves a group of oil workers stationed in Alaska. Ottway (Neeson) is a marksman who keeps the workers safe from wolves when they are at work. He carries a rifle and is always watching for possible attacks. He has a low opinion of most of the workers and doesn't enjoy having to spend time with them.
Ottway's world changes when he's involved in a plane crash. The oil workers encounter bad weather and turbulence, and the resulting crash leaves most of the group dead or dying. It's here that Ottway assumes a leadership role without being asked or voted in. Like the wolves he kills, his instincts cannot be denied. In the surviving group, it quickly becomes clear that he's the alpha. Ottway has a way of facing facts and helping others to accept the inevitable. This is perfectly illustrated when one of the crash victims dies in front of him. Ottway calms him and takes charge of the situation when the other men are incapable of deciding how to handle it.
The movie partly reminded me of The Edge, starring Anthony Hopkins. Although this group of survivors is larger, and they are hunted by wolves instead of a bear, the terrain is similar. The Grey seems realistic and doesn't idealize the situation in any way. The men are in danger and fighting for their lives, and their actions are plausible. If you are facing a pack of wolves unarmed, your chances of survival are not good. The Grey doesn't shy away from that fact.
Action scenes are infrequent, but have considerable impact. How would you try to survive if you had no food or shelter and had to make your way through freezing snow? Would it be best to try to make your own way back to civilization, or stay at the crash site and hope for rescue?
The movie explores the characters of several of the crash survivors and we come to understand their individual choices. The setting is grim, so don't expect a heartwarming story. This is real.
I didn't know what to expect from The Grey, but it left me somewhat surprised. The body count was definitely higher than expected, and I assumed that the group would generate more internal conflict than it did. That said, I did feel as though I was a part of the quest for survival and I was engaged at all times. Neeson carried the movie, but three or four supporting characters were important to the story.
If you enjoy experiencing things that you are unlikely to witness in your real life, The Grey is a compelling story which transports you to an unfamiliar setting. If you are sensitive to watching characters get picked off one at a time, it might not be for you.
The Blu-ray offers a pleasing presentation. The audio is just about perfect, and you'll feel involved in scenes such as the plane crash. The picture quality is also very good, but sometimes appears intentionally grainy to heighten the effect of being lost in a bleak, snowy wilderness.
I've recently been given the task of reviewing upcoming Canadian releases over at Movie Jury, who I have been writing for over the past two or three years. I'm still getting used to the video format, but here's my latest attempt if you enjoy seeing old men struggle with their words:
