porcupine Blog

The Noah Mini-Review

porcupine — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:58:31 GMT

This movie really devolves. Who would have thought going crazy could be so boring.

The Rocker doesn't rock very hard

porcupine — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:13:36 GMT

Rainn Wilson is right for the part, and he doesn't do too bad, but the whole thing felt like something I'd seen before. The laughs are rather weak, and the plot feels tired.

Not sure this is aging well...

porcupine — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:27:20 GMT

I just watched this for the first time the other day. I'd heard that it was one of the first of a new crop of talkie, low-budget indy movies, a few of which I've really liked (namely Quiet City and The Puffy Chair). I guess that when it first came out I can see how the no-frils naturalistic dialogue could seem really fresh, but watching it now it seems like a tool that's used well, but it doesn't accomplish much.

Award contender?

porcupine — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:45:11 GMT

I like this movie, it's good. I would even say very good. But Oscars? Seriously? Can someone explain to me why this movie got nominated?

Have I seen this before?

porcupine — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:35:44 GMT

Not a bad movie, but if you've seen as many competition and rock documentaries as I have, it feels a little tired.

Nothing New

porcupine — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 22:33:30 GMT

This movie is passable, but never lives up to the many, many films it draws from.

Needed to go One Way or the Other

porcupine — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 02:06:15 GMT

Not a bad doc, but it couldn't make up its mind whether it wanted to be a study of the cultural and historical issues surrounding depression in Japan, or personal look at individuals struggling with the condition.

Tension Above Action

porcupine — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 01:55:14 GMT

They don't make movies like this very often any more, and it's a shame. I enjoyed this year's other notable Western, 3:10 to Yuma, but the two films are so different I wonder if they belong in the same genre. While Yuma keeps its tense countdown filled with white-nuckle shoot-outs, Assassination fills its run time with wonderfully layered tension, punctuated with brief scenes of shocking violence. Add to that stellar performaces by Pitt, Affleck, and the entire supporting cast, and you've got the best Western of the decade.

Simple drawings, complex issues

porcupine — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 02:38:30 GMT

It's obvious that this animated feaure was adopted from a graphic novel. While I haven't read the source text, it looks like it might operate better on the page. Never the less, the film is a funny and sometimes shocking portrait of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, shown through the eyes of an outspoken and audacous Iranian girl. A coming-of-age tale is woven into the political turmoil, which does well to illustrate that violent politcal affairs are made up of many thousands of small, personal stories.

Sweet Rain

porcupine — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 02:26:05 GMT

Elisa Miller won the Palme d'Or for her bittersweet rumination on young love. The film is refreshingly understated, not attempting to overstep the limits inherent to the short format. Miller should be a name to watch.