Chasing Mavericks

Movies to See Right Now

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LIFE OF PI

Three films on my list of Best Movies of 2012 – So Far are now in theaters.  In Lincoln, Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis push aside the marble statue and bring to life Abraham Lincoln the man.  Argo is Ben Affleck’s brilliant thriller based on a true story from the Iran Hostage Crisis.  The rewarding dramedy Silver Linings Playbook has a strong story, topicality and humor, but it’s worth seeing just for Jennifer Lawrence’s performance.

Ang Lee’s visually stunning fable Life of Pi is an enthralling commentary on story-telling.  The Sessions is an uncommonly evocative, funny and thoughtful film about sex leading to unexpected emotional intimacy. Denzel Washington stars in Flight, a thriller about the miraculous crash landing of an airliner and the even more dangerous battle against alcoholism. A Late Quartet is a gripping drama with a superb cast led by Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The wild and puzzling art film Holy Motors has its moments, too.

The engrossing but overlong drama In the Family is more than just another social issue picture because of Patrick Wang’s authenticity as a writer and brilliance as a director.  The indie odd couple drama Starlet packs a surprising emotional punch.  In the entertaining Hitchcock, Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren star as Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hitchcock as they collaborate on making Psycho.  Skyfall updates the James Bond franchise with thrilling action and a more shopworn 007 from Daniel Craig.

The crime drama Killing Them Softly wastes an excellent cast on a run-of-the-mill gangster story.  Chasing Mavericks is a predictable and heartwarming true story that is just OK for most movie-goers , but is a Must See if you’re into surfing and/or have an interest in the Santa Cruz and San Mateo coast. Cloud Atlas delivers six fast paced stories set across six centuries with lots of movie stars playing multiple roles; it’s fun to watch, but it’s not as good a film as the ones listed above. A Royal Affair is an overlong historical costume drama with two fine performances.  Skip the forgettable non-comedy Lay the Favorite.

You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the superb and important Beasts of the Southern Wild, which is currently #2 on my list of Best Movies of 2012 – So Far.

Movies to See Right Now

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Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

The strong autumn movie season continues.  In Lincoln, Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis push aside the marble statue and bring to life Abraham Lincoln the man.  I recommend the rewarding dramedy Silver Linings Playbook for its strong story, topicality and humor, but it’s worth seeing just for Jennifer Lawrence’s performance. Ang Lee’s visually stunning fable Life of Pi is an enthralling commentary on story-telling.

Argo is Ben Affleck’s brilliant thriller based on a true story from the Iran Hostage Crisis. The Sessions is an uncommonly evocative, funny and thoughtful film about sex leading to unexpected emotional intimacy. Denzel Washington stars in Flight, a thriller about the miraculous crash landing of an airliner and the even more dangerous battle against alcoholism.  A Late Quartet is a gripping drama with a superb cast led by Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman.   The wild and puzzling art film Holy Motors has its moments, too.

Skyfall updates the James Bond franchise with thrilling action and a Daniel Craig’s more shopworn 007. The Paperboy is a deliciously pulpy crime drama, enhanced by a trashy Nicole Kidman and a canny Macy Gray.

Chasing Mavericks is a predictable and heartwarming true story that is just OK for most movie-goers , but is a Must See if you’re into surfing and/or have an interest in the Santa Cruz and San Mateo coast. Cloud Atlas delivers six fast paced stories set across six centuries with lots of movie stars playing multiple roles; it’s fun to watch, but it’s not as good a film as the ones listed above.   A Royal Affair is an overlong historical costume drama with two fine performances.

I haven’t yet seen the crime drama Killing Them Softly, which opens this weekend. You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

This week, there’s no DVD of the Week.  There are too many good movies in theaters for you to stay home.

Movies to See Right Now

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LINCOLN

Everyone should see Lincoln, in which Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis push aside the marble statue and bring to life Abraham Lincoln the man. It’s a top-of-the-line political thriller, and one of the year’s best movies.

Argo is Ben Affleck’s brilliant thriller based on a true story from the Iran Hostage Crisis. The Sessions is an uncommonly evocative, funny and thoughtful film about sex leading to unexpected emotional intimacy. Denzel Washington stars in Flight, a thriller about the miraculous crash landing of an airliner and the even more dangerous battle against alcoholism. A Late Quartet is a gripping drama with a superb cast led by Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Skyfall updates the James Bond franchise with thrilling action and a Daniel Craig’s more shopworn 007. The Paperboy is a deliciously pulpy crime drama, enhanced by a trashy Nicole Kidman and a canny Macy Gray.

Chasing Mavericks is a predictable and heartwarming true story that is just OK for most movie-goers , but is a Must See if you’re into surfing and/or have an interest in the Santa Cruz and San Mateo coast. Cloud Atlas delivers six fast paced stories set across six centuries with lots of movie stars playing multiple roles; it’s fun to watch, but it’s not as good a film as the ones listed above.

Paul Williams Still Alive, an affecting documentary about the songwriter, omnipresent in the 70s, but not now, is available on Video On Demand. The poignant French geezer comedy All Together is also available on Video On Demand.

I haven’t yet seen the highly anticipated dramedy Silver Linings Playbook, Ang Lee’s visually stunning Life of Pi or Hitchcock (with Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren and Scarlett Johannsen), which have opened this holiday weekend. You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the hilariously awful Troll 2.

Movies to See Right Now

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LINCOLN

The absolute Must See is Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, in which he and Daniel Day-Lewis push aside the marble statue and bring to life Abraham Lincoln the man.  It’s a top-of-the-line political thriller, and everyone should see this movie.

Argo is Ben Affleck’s brilliant thriller based on a true story from the Iran Hostage Crisis.  The Sessions is an uncommonly evocative, funny and thoughtful film about sex leading to unexpected emotional intimacy. Denzel Washington stars in Flight, a thriller about the miraculous crash landing of an airliner and the even more dangerous battle against alcoholism.  A Late Quartet is a gripping drama with a superb cast led by Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Skyfall updates the James Bond franchise with thrilling action and a  Daniel Craig’s more shopworn 007.  The Paperboy is a deliciously pulpy crime drama, enhanced by a trashy Nicole Kidman and a canny Macy Gray. I also liked the thinking person’s sci-fi movie, Looper.  Perks of Being a Wallflower is an authentic coming of age story.

Chasing Mavericks is a predictable and heartwarming true story that is just OK for most movie-goers , but is a Must See if you’re into surfing and/or have an interest in the Santa Cruz and San Mateo coast.  Cloud Atlas delivers six fast paced stories set across six centuries with lots of movie stars playing multiple roles; it’s fun to watch, but it’s not as good a film as the ones listed above.

Paul Williams Still Alive, an affecting documentary about the songwriter, omnipresent in the 70s, but not now, is available on Video On Demand. The poignant French geezer comedy All Together is also available on Video On Demand.

I haven’t yet seen the Danish historical drama A Royal Affair (in contention for Best Foreign Language Oscar), which open this weekend. You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the engaging indie dramedy Dark Horse.

Movies to See Right Now

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Denzel Washington in FLIGHT

Now that we’re deep into autumn, there are plenty of great movie choices.  The Must See is still Argo, Ben Affleck’s brilliant thriller based on a true story from the Iran Hostage Crisis.  The Sessions is an uncommonly evocative, funny and thoughtful film about sex leading to unexpected emotional intimacy.  Denzel Washington stars in Flight, a thriller about the miraculous crash landing of an airliner and the even more dangerous battle against alcoholism.

The Paperboy is a deliciously pulpy crime drama, enhanced by a trashy Nicole Kidman and a canny Macy Gray. I also liked the thinking person’s sci-fi movie, Looper.  Perks of Being a Wallflower is an authentic coming of age story.

Chasing Mavericks is a predictable and heartwarming true story that is just OK for most movie-goers , but is a Must See if you’re into surfing and/or have an interest in the Santa Cruz and San Mateo coast.

Cloud Atlas delivers six fast paced stories set across six centuries with lots of movie stars playing multiple roles; it’s fun to watch, but it’s not as good a film as the ones listed above. The dark crime comedy Seven Psychopaths is well-acted by a very deep team of my favorite actors and is embedded with belly laughs, but, as a whole, it’s just not that satisfying.

Paul Williams Still Alive, an affecting documentary about the songwriter, omnipresent in the 70s, but not now, is available on Video On Demand. The poignant French geezer comedy All Together is also available on Video On Demand.

I haven’t yet seen the James Bond movie Skyfall or the indie comedy A Late Quartet, which open this weekend. You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the inventive romantic comedy Ruby Sparks.

Chasing Mavericks: awesome waves, OK movie

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Chasing Mavericks is the true story of Santa Cruz teen surfing prodigy Jay Moriarty being mentored by a veteran surfer so he can challenge Mavericks, the mythic surf spot near Half Moon Bay, California.  Moriarty was a kid left with just one unreliable parent who developed his passion with the help of a surrogate father, himself a damaged soul.  It’s a good story and heartwarming, if predictable – but exceptional in two respects.

First, the scenes of Mavericks are awe-inspiring.  Michael Apted took over when director Curtis Hanson became ill.  Whichever one of them shot the scenes at Mavericks deserves significant recognition.  As anyone has taken an amateur snapshot of the Grand Canyon knows, it’s tough to convey colossal scale in a photograph without a person or familiar object for comparison.  In Chasing Mavericks, we do see the surfers, tiny against the 30 foot faces of the waves.  But we also see the massive swells alone, erasing the coastline as they rise – and it is an unforgettable experience.  My one criticism of the surfing scenes is that almost every shot is less than 4 seconds, which doesn’t allow for full appreciation of long rides.

Second, the movie was shot on location at Mavericks and at many Santa Cruz locations, including Lighthouse Point, Steamer Lane and Seacliff.  The depiction of the locale and the local surfing culture will especially resonate with anyone familiar with the area.

Surfing is a sport that has inspired superb documentaries (Riding Giants, Step into Liquid, and the Endless Summer films) and generally putrid life action fictional films (Blue Crush and the Beach Party drek).  For all of its limitations, Chasing Mavericks may be the best ever non-documentary surfing feature.

Chasing Mavericks is just OK for most movie-goers , but if you’re into surfing and/or have an interest in the Santa Cruz and San Mateo coast, it’s a Must See.