wonga's filmblog

timecrimes

wonga — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:33:37 GMT

this is a wonderful movie, which i don't understand and which i couldn't explain if i had to! its a great twisty story that will have you thinking and rethinking everything you know (when it comes out on DVD i'm going to see if i can figure it out by watching it again). i don't really fall into the mystery/horror/sci-fi demographic but i found it very entertaining.

the great buck howard

wonga — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:26:10 GMT

i saw this as an HDNet sneak preview or whatever its called. i loved John Malkovich and the story was interesting but Colin Hanks was kind of boring and unfortunately, despite the movie's title, the story was more about him. Emily Blunt was good, as always, but could have had more to do. an overall neutral movie for me but i think worth seeing for John Malkovich.

noise

wonga — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:16:55 GMT

the synopsis/description refers to this as a comedy but i don't really agree. if you like Tim Robbins (as i do) you will probably find it interesting. its different and a little odd but different is good - right? i also liked that i couldn't tell how it would end.

my 2008 movie list

wonga — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:12:18 GMT

favorite 10 movies seen in the theater (2008)

*Croatian movie from the Denver Film Festival. original title is "Iza Stakla" and director is Zrinko Ogresta.

honorable mention (alphabetical)

Burn After Reading
Caramel
The Damnation Of Faust (Metropolitan Opera broadcast)
Happy-Go-Lucky
Iron Man
The Last Command (1928)
Mongol
Nick And Nora's Infinite Playlist
Son Of Rambow
Towelhead

rachel getting married

wonga — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:33:45 GMT

to get this out of the way, i thought the family in this movie was really annoying! i didn't like them very well and my husband hated them. watching them interact together, especially a scene where they had a race filling the dishwasher, was absolutely painful. why that matters is that this movie plunked us down in the middle of their lives as they were living through this very stressful weekend and we were there living it too - we could have been an usher or maybe a cousin or something. it was like it was happening to us, a big difference from just watching other people being dysfunctional (Margot at the Wedding). it was more personal somehow. It also subtly captured the way some families can't connect and how things are left "on the surface" because its easier. yes, Anne Hathaway was amazing but so was everyone else (Debra Winger was absolutely perfect). anyway, annoying people but a wonderful movie. it had won me over even before the Neil Young song!

bottle shock

wonga — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:11:30 GMT

ok, i'm not a wine person but that didn't stop me from enjoying Sideways, one of my favorite movies. the story idea of Bottle Shock is interesting but the writing really is pretty bad/cliched, the worst being a speech where Freddy Rodriguez waxes passionate about how you have to grow up among the vines and get your hands dirty to be a real winemaker. i love Freddy and he is one of the few bright spots in this movie (ditto Dennis Farina) but overall i thought it was a real groaner.

my Telluride Film Festival 2008 list

wonga — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:28:36 GMT

i don't have time to write reviews but i pretty much liked everything i saw. unlike apparently everyone else who's seen it, i'm not such a big fan of "Slumdog Millionaire" and thought it was just OK. i loved the silents and the film noirs best, especially "The Last Command." we had a good year this time and were only shut out of one movie all weekend. i was sorry i didn't get to see the tributes and i would have liked to see the other film noir.

Mary Pickford: The Muse Of The Movies
Happy-Go-Lucky
The Last Command (with the Alloy Orchestra)
Nightmare Alley
Kisses
The Rest Is Silence
With A Little Help From Myself
Italian Straw Hat
You Must Remember This (part 2)
On Dangerous Ground
Slumdog Millionaire
Laughing 'Til It Hurts (5 silent shorts)
O'Horten

in the last month i've seen...

wonga — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:06:12 GMT

SWEENEY TODD: DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (A) - i put off seeing this until the very last day it showed here! i'm a big Depp and Burton fan but all the rumors of horror and graphic blood-letting had me spooked. finally after all the nominations and watching the trailer a few times i screwed up my courage and went to a matinee. i've never seen the previous stage musicals and so i can't compare but this was wonderful! very operatic and moving. i liked the singing and the songs. yes, it had bushelfuls of blood but it was sort of like Monty Python blood if you know what i mean...it didn't seem really real. there have been comparisons of Sweeney Todd to Depp's Scissorhands character but he reminded me of an older pissed-off Gilbert Grape. nobody does brooding better! Helena Bonham Carter was also fabulous.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD (B-) - i also put this off but my husband wanted to go and actually i'm the easiest person ever to talk into going to a movie. i will see almost anything with just about anybody! DDL i thought was amazing but i didn't really enjoy the movie that much. i appreciate that it's a beautifully told story and i liked the cinematography (maybe not the music so much) but i had a constant sense of dread and was ready to go when it was over. put me down for more of a Magnolia fan.

THE GOLD RUSH (A+) - this movie never ever disappoints. i saw it with a live orchestra and theatre organ. they don't make them like that anymore i'm afraid!

OSCAR-NOMINATED ANIMATED SHORT FILMS (A-) - five shorts, most of which i really liked. my favorites were I Met The Walrus and Peter And The Wolf (which won the oscar). by the way, it looks like most of the oscar shorts (animated and live action) can be downloaded from iTunes.

OSCAR-NOMINATED LIVE ACTION SHORT FILMS (B-) - five shorts, some of which i liked. my favorites were The Substitute and Tangi Argentini. The Mozart Of Pickpockets won the oscar but i didn't think it was that original.

PERSEPOLIS (A) - i can't believe this was in competition with Ratatouille for an oscar! it should have been in the foreign film category. kind of long but i liked it a lot. i'd like to know what happens next. it was an interesting point of view that isn't heard from much.

lately i've seen...

wonga — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:30:44 GMT

TEN CANOES (B) - i liked it. i probably wouldn't have gone if i hadn't heard such good things about it first on FilmCouch. what's there not to like about lots of little people with no clothes on running around in the woods, building canoes, hunting, and telling stories.

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (B+) - liked it a lot. Tom Hanks is at his best when he's funny and charming (instead of sentimental). very entertaining, and Philip Seymour Hoffman was awesome. don't know how the facts stack up but it's a great story. one of my favorite scenes is when they are shooting down Russian helicopters to the music of Handel; it's just perfect.

THE SAVAGES (B) - supposed to be an "adult comedy" but it's really not funny. i liked it but i'm not sure i'd want to see it again. i loved the opening surreal scenes from Sun Valley. there are moments in this movie that are absolutely perfect and it's well worth checking out. i could see the end coming but i liked it anyway. Laura Linney does find her inner dog person and gets an Oscar nomination but i don't see her winning.

SOUTHLAND TALES (B) - i'm not going to pretend that i know anything about what is going on in this movie! i did think it was really funny. the cast is fun to watch and the special effects, especially at the end, have to be seen on the big screen. i think it will turn out to be a huge cult film and down the road everyone will say that they loved it from the beginning.

my 2007 movie lists

wonga — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:19:35 GMT

i have a wonderful picture of all my movie ticket stubs from this year in a pile but i can’t get it transferred to my filmblog (yes, i save my ticket stubs and scrapbook them at the end of the year…i know, it’s sad really)! armed with discount movie coupons, i saw 118 movies this year at the theater and, as usual, it was really hard to narrow them down but here’s my list, for what it’s worth. some are from 2006 that i didn’t see until later.

my 15 favorite movies at the theater in 2007

honorable mention (alphabetically)

2007 movies i still want/need to see

king of kong
the savages
sweeney todd
there will be blood

2007 movies I didn’t like so well

before the devil knows you’re dead
feast of love
i now pronounce you chuck and larry
la vie en rose
martian child
old joy
ratatouille
spider-man 3

other movies (on video) that I fell in love with this year