Cloud Atlas

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.

Movies to See Right Now

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John Hawkes in THE SESSIONS

The best bet is still Argo, Ben Affleck’s brilliant thriller based on a true story from the Iran Hostage Crisis. It’s unquestionably the best Hollywood movie of the year so far.

But there are some other excellent choices. The Sessions is an uncommonly evocative, funny and thoughtful film about sex leading to unexpected emotional intimacy. 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. I also recommend the indie alcoholism drama Smashed.

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.  History buffs will appreciate Ethel, the documentary on Ethel Kennedy by her daughter Rory Kennedy, still playing on HBO.

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.  The Master is a visual and acting masterpiece, but the story fizzles out.  You can skip HBO’s dreary The Girl.

I haven’t yet seen the Denzel Washington blockbuster thriller Flight, which opens 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 Elena, a superbly crafted film that vividly peeks into a dark, very dark contemporary Russia.   Elena makes my list of Best Movies of 2012 – So Far.

Cloud Atlas: more may not be better, but more is fun

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The filmmakers of Cloud Atlas clearly believe that more is better.  They give us not one, not two – but six stories spanning six centuries. They give us lots of movie stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant and more.  The actors each play multiple roles, with Hanks, Berry, Weaving and Sturgess playing at least six each – sometimes playing characters of different genders and different races.  There are costume dramas on the high seas of the 1840s and in 1930s England, plus two sci-fi settings – one recalling the high-tech, high-speed Tron and also a post-apocalyptic tribal future.   There are even two references to the sci-fi cult classic Soylent Green.  Cloud Atlas even had three directors.

Whew.

The six story lines are threaded together so we follow them until all six climax in the final hectic thirty minutes.  The six stories are each a series of cliff hangers.  As a character in one story falls into peril, the screenplay jumps to another thread, and on and on.

As it manically jumps from story to story, Cloud Atlas touches upon some Big Themes (good and evil, kindness and control, freedom, reincarnation), and we get the brush strokes of a New Agey theology (as if the world needs another theology).  This is where Cloud Atlas gets fuzzy.   Fortunately, the movie is so rapidly paced, that it never gets pretentious as we jump from story to story.

Is Cloud Atlas fun to watch?  Yes, there’s just too much fast-paced action going on, too much eye candy and too many engaging actors for Cloud Atlas to fail the fun test.  Is Cloud Atlas a great movie?  No, there just isn’t enough coherent substance in there to hook us emotionally.  Is it a Must See?  No.  Would I see it again?  No, but I’m glad I saw it once.

Movies to See Right Now

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Nicole Kidman in THE PAPERBOY

The best bet is still Argo, Ben Affleck’s brilliant thriller based on a true story from the Iran Hostage Crisis.  It’s unquestionably the best Hollywood movie of the year so far.

But there are some other excellent choices.  The Sessions is an uncommonly evocative, funny and thoughtful film about sex leading to unexpected emotional intimacy.   The Paperboy is a deliciously pulpy crime drama, enhanced by a trashy Nicole Kidman and a canny Macy Gray. You can still find End of Watch, a thrilling cop movie that rises above the genre. I also liked the thinking person’s sci fi movie, Looper.  Perks of Being a Wallflower is an authentic coming of age story. I also recommend the realistic indie alcoholism drama Smashed.

Two lower profile films are continuing their long runs. The zany French odd couple comedy The Intouchables is a crowd pleaser – and an attendance record breaker in France. Another good choice is the compelling documentary Searching for Sugar Man, about the hunt to uncover the secret fate of an artist who didn’t know that he was a rock star.

Paul Williams Still Alive, an affecting documentary about the songwriter, omnipresent in the 70s, but not now, is available on Video On Demand.  History buffs will appreciate Ethel, the documentary on Ethel Kennedy by her daughter Rory Kennedy, still playing on HBO.  You can skip HBO’s dreary The Girl.

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. The Master is a visual and acting masterpiece, but the story fizzles out.

I haven’t yet seen the blockbuster sci fi epic Cloud Atlas, which opens 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 most overlooked film of the year, Sarah Polley’s brilliant Take This Waltz.   It’s a woman’s movie, but in the best possible way. It’s not a shallow chick flick and there’s no wedding scene. Instead, it’s an exploration of attraction and fulfillment from a woman’s perspective. Take This Waltz makes my list of Best Movies of 2012 – So Far.

Coming up this fall

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I’ve recently updated my Movies I’m Looking Forward To (where you can read descriptions and watch trailers) with some upcoming fall releases like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Seven Psychopaths, The Master, Cloud Atlas, Love and Rust and Bone.

I’ve also added some big films playing at the Toronto International Film Festival that will probably be released in the US this fall:  Robert Redford’s The Company You Keep, Silver Linings Playbook (Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence), the star-studded Jayne Mansfield’s Car, Ramin Bahrani’s At Any Price and Passion, the remake of the French Love Crime with Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace.

Seven Psychopaths releases on October 12.  I know that I’m gonna love this movie because I loved writer-director Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges.  Like In Bruges (and The Guard which McDonagh produced), this is a crime comedy.  It stars Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson, plus Mickey Rourke,Tom Waits and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious).  The trailer is freaking hilarious.