Sans Soleil

The next logical step for anyone taken by Chris Marker’s La jetée is to view Sans Soleil. This was probably the best film I have seen in a long time and viewing it makes me want to see more “better” films. I may try to review some more remarkable films, but I promise that the reviews will still be poorly written. That is a Worst Reviews promise!

What makes any film or work of art memorable or particularly favorable for me is typically if specific images or dialogue resonant long after viewing the film. Marker accomplishes this with Sans Soleil – a film with intriguing visuals, narrative-style and depth that exceeds most films.

It’s harder to review a really good film because essays could be written that serve a sense of critical justice, but just my initial emotion impact will be significant enough for this purpose.

The film breaks documentary convention in the most entertaining way with letters written by travelers of various countries illuminated by staggering visuals, including distorted scenes of war and travel through the use of a Spectron video synthesizer. Overall, the film is a contemplation on memory, which couldn’t be anymore fitting considering the tranquility which proceeds the most memorable of images in the film – including the scene of suffering giraffe being shot in the head. Graceful and brutal.

10/10

Dan in Real Life

I put off watching Dan in Real Life for a long time due to the fact that Dane Cook is in it. Everytime, well this and Mr. Brooks, Cook stars as a supporting character I have someone telling me that he’s not that bad or annoying in the film. This is somewhat the case with Dan in Real Life, but not entirely. He’s still douchey Dane Cook.

I understand some people dislike Steve Carell as much as I despise Dane Cook, but Carell has grown on me over the year. Carell does take a stab at actual acting, but it’s the screenplay that really suffers. The story is just a little too obvious and the film is just a mundane romantic comedy that wishes it had some artistic direction.

The best part of the film is the music by Sondre Lerche throughout the entire duration, and there’s even an appearance by Lerche at the end. But even his music kind of just adds to the cornball factor of the overall picture. It’s simply a Lifetime movie starring Steve Carell.

4/10

Everything Must Go

I’m not sure why they even bother saying that the film Everything Must Go is based of a Raymond Carver story when the only element borrowed from the 5-page short story, “Why Don’t You Dance?” is the character, Nick Halsey, selling all his belongings on his front lawn.

I’ll admit that I was attracted to the film based of the Carver connection, but I also wanted to come in with no expectation for a hyped performance by the one-note Will Ferrell. Many reviewers have been comparing Farrell’s performance to Adam Sandler’s dramatic turn in Punch Drunk Love, but the two films just can’t be compared.

Ferrell’s performance is underwhelming instead of his overwhelming zaniness. I agree with one review that I saw that this film is still more decent than most of the crap that comes out. However, what the film lacks the most is having a sense of still. The film-making and way that the story is too generic and forgettable.

6/10

LOL

LOL isn’t funny and that’s kind of the point. The film screams cheap Indie film, and was the predecessor for the mublecore movement. Consider I haven’t really met a mumblecore film that I don’t like, I knew I had to give this film a chance.

I put it off for so long after viewing the trailer and seeing how much it reminds me of film student’s final project. In general, this film isn’t all that great or considerable well acted. It’s a decent final project for any amateur.

What the film did do well was examine three different male characters social/relationship disconnections due to their constant drive to always be connected (laptop, cell phone, etc.) The degradation of communication in our society in regards to over-consumption of technology has always been interesting to me, and even blogging about such a film holds a least three or four separations or irony.

Greta Gerwig did not really stand out at all in this film, and barely had any real scenes. The best character study in the film was the musician who was obsessed with meeting someone online while shutting out the only person who probably would like him.

LOL is slow, corny, gimmicky and, at times, too uncoordinated. But, it was a nice start for a film movement. Unfortunately, when the film came out in 2006 the Internet wasn’t as prevalent as it has become more than four years later. It does make one think, “Just how bad is this all.”

6/10

Rabbit Hole

Let’s start the first post in a while for The Worst Reviews with a poorly written review of a decent movie. The reason why Rabbit Hole exceeded my expectations was due to the fact that I expected something overacted, melodramatic and slowly-paced.

The plot centering on a couple grieving over their son’s death is nothing new for film, but what this film does well (as well as the play it’s based on, I can only assume) is avoid the pitfalls of turning real-life drama into a laughable Lifetime movie.

I thought the movie might have made me fall asleep, but Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart carry the film. The dialogue doesn’t get to sappy or cheesy, and for the most part the film avoid clichés that would have been so easy to slip into.

7/10

Let's Try This Again

Alright, here's the obligatory post about writing on here again. Since I got rid of TV and have been drinking gallons more of coffee, I should be able to keep this thing updated. I might look back on some of the movies I watched the last few months, but I'll try to just keep things simple. Observational. Get ready for a fun-filled summer!

Timecop

I haven't had much time to update lately due to catching up on work and studying. However, I was able to fit in watching a lot of different movies. So expect more reviews coming in.

For now though...Timecop

Oh, Timecop is there nothing you can’t do? It has come to my attention that I’ve been rating movies pretty high lately. I definitely need to be a little more focused. As much as I love giving films an 8 out of 10 or higher, I also enjoy rating films real low.

Well, I thought Timecop would be another 8 out of 10 for sure. Boy, was I wrong. The movie spent much of the opening having characters complain about time travel, making references to Star Wars. The set up is that time travel is “sissy stuff”, and the rest of the film is supposed to prove that’s not true.

But, really it is sissy stuff. Besides a funny scene here or there, the idea of Jean-Claude Van Dame traveling through time gets old fast. This is Van Dame at the end of his blockbuster action streak, and it really shows.

Towards the end, the action and plot get so convoluted that you just really shouldn’t care.

4/10