Wow, I've seen a lot of movies since I last posted. What a shock, since I rarely ever post anything these days. Let's see, where to begin...
The Bad:
First of all, let me warn those who haven't seen it: DON'T SEE CLOSER. It's terrible. Ok, let me rephrase. It's very well made, certainly. It's obvious when you watch it, the director has a lot of skill, the actors are superb in their roles, the soundtrack is well-crafted, etc., but this is one of the most disgusting movies I've seen in recent memory. The dialogue, the situations, the moral filth of the characters is astounding. I wish we had been warned before renting it.
Next, Sin City. I kinda figured this one wouldn't be Lacey's favorite, but I left it up to her: Sin City or Sahara. She chose Sin City, much to her chagrin. I'll admit, I thought the movie was ok. The first hour or so wasn't anything to shout about, but it warms up nicely. Especially if you know anything about graphic novels. Plus, I'm bit Robert Rodriguez/Tarantino fan. But even I thought, for the most part, this one was pretty forgettable, and even unwatchable in small parts. I'd steer clear of watching it again, let's just leave it at that.
Finally, Birth. I had heard nothing but good things about this movie, especially from one Josh Gibbs, whose opinion I for the most part trust. And aside from interesting bits, and good performances, this movie was puzzling. I thought at the time I understood it, but the more I think about it, I realize it might have gone over my head. You see, I'll readily admit that I am not great at analyzing layers of certain movies. Having a very concrete, scientific mindset, I see the obvious things in film, and if I think about it for long enough, I can begin to peel it and understand it. But this one I don't consider worth it...yet. Maybe Gibbs can turn me around. Who knows. I don't know, I guess I was just bored by the whole thing. Especially the ending. I hated it.
Ok, this has turned into a marathon post, but I have to get to the good. First off, have I mentioned Finding Neverland on this blog yet? Because you NEED to rent this movie. It is fantastic. Also, we really liked Hotel Rwanda. I realize that it might be UN propaganda in disguise, but the movie really hit me hard. I thought it was fantastic, and Don Cheadle and his movie wife were AMAZING in it. What really got to me in this movie, was a quote by Joaquin Phoenix, who had a small role as a cameraman. After getting some of the slaughter (almost a million people were killed) and devastation on film, someone around him remarked that other countries would HAVE to send help now, after seeing all these atrocities. Joaquin's response was very telling. He said something to the effect of, "Unfortunately, most people will see this, say 'oh wow, that's terrible' and then finish their dinner." And you know...he's right. And the sad thing is, I don't know how to respond to that. What can we do? I'm still struggling with this, and will continue to. Anyway, all that aside, Hotel Rwanda is excellent. Other than that, there's not much worth mentioning. We rented Ocean's 12, which is a lot of fun, and the Karate Kid special edition. I love that movie. It's one that brings back a lot of memories from when I was a kid. It is one of those rare movies that is a cultural phenomenon. I mean, who DOESN'T know "wax on, wax off"? I love it. Ok, that's the rundown. Next up on the list is A love song for bobby long, and the interpreter. Should be good.
Since my close friends and family are the only ones that read this, I don't feel so bad using it as a forum to have everyone help me wish our good friend Christin a
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Lacey and I really miss you, and the whole crew from Funroe. Have a great B-Day.
Well, the wife was gone this past weekend, surprising her family in Funroe. I sure would have loved to be there, but work constraints were calling. Anyway, it gave me a chance to ponder what my life used to be like without her there. And I found it was really hard to do so. Do any of you married guys out there find that? It was weird, I remember a lot of things about my life without Lacey, but I don't remember that well what life was like without Lacey...only that it sucked compared to this:) I swear, it's such a cliche, but being married is the best thing that's ever happened to me. And yeah, we don't have kids yet, nor have we been married that long (10 months and two days), but it's incredible. I don't know how I survived life without her. She makes me a better man, and that is the best compliment I can give her. Ok, I didn't mean for this to be a sappy post. Sorry.
This weekend alone also gave me a chance to get some movie-watching and video-game-playing done. I have just started to get into games like Age of Empires and Empire Earth. How addicting are those? Anyway, I got to watch Flight of the Phoenix (pretty good), the Final Four (I love college basketball, so I had to put it in here), and The Final Cut with Robin Williams. That one I loved. I mean, it wasn't the best movie ever or anything, but it was just so stinking interesting. It revolves around people called cutters, who take futuristic implants from dead people that have been in their brains since the womb and recorded everything. The cutters then splice together the good footage for a "movie" about the person's life called a rememory. Of course, the cutter sees everything, good and bad, and there's where the tension lies. It is wild, and very, very good.
Lastly, Lacey and I watched Sideways last night. I thought it was excellent. The acting was fantastic, and the way the script used different wines as analogies for the characters was lovely. There is some adult content that kind of comes out of nowhere (mostly male nudity), but aside from that, I thought it was an extremely well done movie.