Movie Review - The Thin Man

I have seen this title for a long time and assumed it was a classic film noir(click to see definition) - and though it does have a touch of noir - it's really more screwballish and fun than that. This film was made in 1934 not too long after the advent of sound in Hollywood(1927) and it follows the trend of a lot of that era's pictures - snarky and witty, full of lively conversation - celebrating the art of sound. Though the transfer is a little rough around the edges and really should be completely remastered - it is a gem.

Now, I love old movies - everything about them. I love the black and white film, the simple editing and sound, and I like to see what people were watching so many years ago. And this qualifies as old! I am particularly interested in films made during the Great Depression as this one was. Though those were extremely difficult times, Hollywood was on top of it's game - people were escaping from their problems at the movies. And this film came smack dab in the middle of the depression and was the most popular movie of the year. The main character played by William Powell is a retired detective - a.k.a. everyman who has married a wonderfully witty and beautiful millionaire played by Myrna Loy - just what everyone dreamed of doing during those hard times. She convinces him to solve a mystery for a friend just so she can see him in action. The movie isn't scary or action packed but the fun between the main characters is great and the film will keep you guessing - even nearly 80 years later. Now that's a classic! This film is among the must see classics and I'm surprised I waited so long to see it. The fashion is also top notch - I love seeing the old dresses and jewelry and hair from those times. There are some beautiful women in this so it's perfect for that.

FYI - If you have a hard time with older films especially ones with a lot of dialogue I'd suggest you start with something a little easier first like - You Can't Take It With You before moving on to this.

Tomatometer - 100%(since this film is really old the rating might be a little inaccurate)
The Thin Man was one of the most popular films of 1934, inspired five sequels, and was nominated for four Oscars (best picture, actor, direction and screenplay). Yet it was made as an inexpensive B-picture. - Ebert

Movie Review - Last Chance Harvey

It seems I'm watching a lot of romantic comedies/dramas lately. Well, this one is technically both - a romantic "dramedy". Starring some of my favorite actors - Emma Thomson and the always wonderful Dustin Hoffman. I tell you what - that guy is great. Anyhow, this film is no different from his others - it's simple, it's classic, and it's totally romantic. The story is about two slightly lonely people who find each other and fall in love. Typically when people fall in love in a movie I think, "No way they are really in love - it's just not possible to already be in love." And even though they are only together for a couple of days I really did believe that two people had fallen in love - without having sex - imagine that!
One of my favorite parts of the movie was to see their paths cross several times before they actually meet - like they are fated to be together - drawn to one another. I like to think about how Mike and I were complete strangers when we met and how we had no idea of the future that lay before us. It's sweet and often deeply moving.
I also really appreciated the normalness of everyone in this film. It's quite brave for a leading lady like Thompson to let herself appear as she really is - in normal, sometimes unflattering clothing and showing her true height and width. And the same goes for Hoffman. But if they hadn't it would have been hard to believe they were really two lonely people instead of two Hollywood Stars.
No surprises in this film but it is just so enjoyable to see regular people fall in love and find companionship. If you are looking for surprise endings, plot twists, or really new stuff - this isn't the film for you. But if you enjoy watching two people get to know one another, find love, and complete one another then I whole heartily recommend it.

Tomatometer - 71%

Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I have to admit - I like Brangelina. Yes, they are over-hyped but Angelina is a good actress, not to mention she's beautiful and Brad - well, Brad is close to Greek god status. And I also like Kate Blanchett - she's done some really nice work so when I saw the trailers for this film I was pretty excited. The story looked amazing and the preview was filled with sweeping cinematography that promised great moments so it seemed everything was coming together to make a really great film.

BUT - you knew that was coming...I just didn't like it. It wasn't TERRIBLE but it wasn't even close to great. Yes, there were great moments and the idea had so much potential but it just fell flat. And I wanted it to be good. I saw the magic it was trying to create. I wanted to experience the memorialization of the historic town of New Orleans and it's people but it was never fully delivered. It felt more like a balloon letting all of it's air out until it's limp. I don't know exactly what a filmmaker has to do to make you care about the characters - and this director didn't seem to know either. I felt more like I was watching a video for 7th grade health class than a compelling drama.

However, it did keep my interest - mostly because I wanted to catch any glimpse I could of Brad Pitt in all his glory. Like the scene where he's on that motorcycle or sailing, shirtless, in the sun. Unfortunately, those scenes were no more than vignettes without compelling story to guide the way. My sister said it seemed to be the curious case of Benjamin Button's sex life. And really, if there is any common theme running through the movie it's that no matter how old or how young - sex is always a great way to fill your time. It's too bad really. It could have been great. But if, you're still curious - go see it. You may like everything I hated.

Here are a few quotes from rotten tomatoes that really sum up how I felt about it:

Given the resources and talent here, quite a movie might have resulted. But it's so hard to care about this story. - Ebert

This bizarre American odyssey carries a lot of cultural freight, but fails to delivers it to a destination of any significance. - French

The lesson here is never to aim to make a great movie before locking in the framework for a good one. - LaSalle

Tomatometer - 73%

Movie Review - Ghost Town

When my brother Weston told me about this movie I was pretty skeptical. First off, I hadn't heard of it and second of all, it is a romantic comedy. I tend to be leery of romantic comedies because a lot of them are terrible. But he said it was good and we watched the trailer and it seemed promising. It stars Ricky Gervais who is hilarious if you've never seen him before. He was the star of the BBC's Office and he is one of the producers on NBC's The Office. Costarring in this film with him are two people I love to watch - Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni.

The premise is simple and the plot slightly formulaic. Meaning you pretty much know where it is going but the chemistry between the three characters is good enough you are up for the ride. Ricky Gervais is a jerk who has something happen to him so he is able to see dead people. When dead people find out that he can see them they all come to him with their problems. I know, it's not that original of an idea but Ricky Gervais reactions are so humorous that you don't care. In the end, it all ends happily and you feel good. Plus it's not sexy or raunchy and has a surprisingly feel good message. I definitely recommend this one and I'm glad Weston told me about it.

Rotten tomatoes rating - 84%(this is pretty darn high for a romantic comedy)

Introducing Movie Reviews

So I've decided to take my movie ratings a step further and start actually reviewing them. I'm also going to change my rating system from 4 stars to the basic "see it" or "skip it". I have been thinking about doing these for a long time but each time I try I have no idea what to write. I still don't know what to write but hopefully each time I do it, it will get easier. I do love to talk about movies. I majored in film at BYU and got to watch who knows how many movies while in school and Mike and I watch a lot of movies. I mean - a lot. Since we don't have television we spend most of our evenings watching movies.

Now, you may not agree with my opinions on movies all or most of the time and if so - sorry! But hopefully some of you will get some ideas for what to rent on your weekend nights.

Also, I belong to Netflix which I count as really imperative if you are a movie lover. No local store - no matter how well stocked - will have a diverse enough collection to keep you interested for very long - unless you are into soft porn - they always seem to have plenty of that! Netflix is great because when I hear about a good movie I can go put it into my queue so that I won't forget and will be able to get it when I am ready. Also, movies only take a day to get to us or back to Netflix so the turn around is excellent. You can also watch movies immediately streaming from their site for free(if you have that plan) which is also really great.

Another site that we put a lot ot stock in is rotten tomatoes. That site pulls together ALL of the critical reviews of the movie and gives it one score. I like to know what the critics have to say but I don't always agree with them. And sometimes I wonder if their moods or personal experiences play into their reviews more than they should. But with rottentomatoes it weeds out a lot of those off reviews to give you a pretty good idea if the movie is worth your time or not. I will include the rotten tomatoes rating in my reviews.