Crash Into Me

New Movies and such

Thank goodness I've been able to get to the theater 3 times very recently. And just in time too, cause there's tons out there that I have to see. Let's try and do these in order...

First, Cinderella Man. I very much enjoyed this movie. I mean, come on, any time you've got Ron Howard and Russell Crowe together, it's gonna be good. But I was surprised at how well they depicted the poverty and despair of the depression. The boxing action was, of course, very good, and made you get excited. But the human element of the film was what made it. I thought Crowe was amazing as Jim Braddock. Absolutely amazing. Zellwegger was passable, I guess. In the first third of the movie, she was definitely over the top, but in the last two acts, I didn't mind her so much. And I'm not a fan, so that's saying something. Anyway, Howard definitely knows how to craft a movie, and this was no exception. But I just have not been incredibly impressed with any movie in a long time, where I left the theater breathless and amazed. I haven't been inspired. You know, like a Braveheart. Really the last movie I can remember that really caught me and I thought "wow!", was Finding Neverland. And I only got that on video. I don't know, maybe I'm incredibly jaded, so movies don't get to me like they used to. Anyway, Cinderella Man was very good, but I wouldn't rush out and see it again or anything.

Next, Mr and Mrs Smith, the much-hyped and talked about summer blockbuster with Pitt and Jolie. Scott Cunningham on his blog made a very telling comment that it seems like this movie has already come out with all the exposure over the Brad/Jennifer/Angelina triangle, which is kinda true. However, it hadn't, and I really enjoyed the movie. It wasn't deep or telling or anything like that, but it certainly was a lot of fun. The action was excellent, the chemistry between the two main characters was dynamic, and I laughed quite a bit. Now that I think about it, there really is a layer of the movie, underneath the obvious. I think maybe the battle between the husband and wife is a metaphor for marriage in general. It's not easy. There are going to be struggles, and fights, and tough times. But you fight through them. You persevere. Oh geez, I sound crazy. Enough of that. The movie is a lot of fun, just what summer audiences are looking for. And Adam Brody from the O.C. wears a Fight Club t-shirt when being interrogated by Brad Pitt, which while being funny is just downright cool.

And lastly, Batman Begins. I just saw this yesterday, so I haven't had a ton of time to process it, but I did dream about it, and that always means that I liked the movie and it made me think. Batman Begins is the best of this trifecta. It is awesome. Dark, sometimes scary, funny at times, great action, and even thought-provoking...just what you don't expect from a Batman movie. I absolutely loved it. I still think Michael Keaton is an overall better Bruce Wayne/Batman, but Christian Bale is a stinking close second. And I love the way they tie in his past, bring in Jim Gordon, give the flick some romance (Mrs. Tom Cruise)...this one might be the movie of the summer. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Star Wars more, because I'm a nut, but Christopher Nolan is a frickin' genius. He made an absolute whale of a movie. I still hold to my earlier statements that I haven't been blown out of the water by a movie in a long time, but this one came the closest that any movie has in quite some time. I can't go on any longer about this movie, but take my advice: go see it.