2009 Films

I've been watching a lot of films lately, courtesy of my friend's screeners (that's industry-speak for free DVDs distributed to members of the various unions/guilds in the entertainment. A perk of being in Los Angeles, for sure). So, knowing some of you may not be so blessed with free opportunities, here's a quick rundown of my take on a few the films:

• The Lovely Bones -- Skip it. Heard it was a good book, but the film didn't know what it wanted to be, so it didn't straddle and weave in and out of genres as well as the book probably did. Stanley Tucci was great, sure, but he's great in everything he's in, so just watch him in Julie & Julia or Big Night.
  
• Julie & Julia -- Watch it. I really would consider anything with Meryl Streep in it. Wonderful and well-done film, written and directed by women (woot!) who painted such awesome men in Julie's and Julia's husbands. See what happens when women take over?
  
• Inglourious Basterds -- Watch it. Watch it. Watch it. You will want to shut your eyes in some gory bits but oh, it really is fun to be in an alternate realm in which there was a band of Nazi-killin' Jewish guys. Christoph Waltz was tremendous; the movie would have suffered if it wasn't for this brilliant performance. Impeccable. Really solid Tarantino scenes/dialogues too.
  
• A Serious Man -- Watch it if you like the Coens' and if you're not afraid of a slow film. It's not entertaining at all. The notes that those actors (and the script) hit feel so real and so ludicrous at the same time that it is, well, not entertaining! I felt like I was watching a modern-day Job, watching his life disintegrate one scene at a time. On one level I was fascinated by the story-telling, but on another I couldn't stand it. There was no redemption in it. Job at least was restored by God.
  
• The Blind Side -- Watch it. Preferably as a rental. The story definitely is uplifting and it is well-told. Of course it has cheesy moments and it is predictable, but I forgive them because a. Sandra Bullock's character is charming/endearing/likeable/funny, b. Michael is really someone you wanna root for, and c. Michael's younger brother is adorable.
• Avatar -- half-hearted watch it. The visuals are stunning. Remarkable. So gorgeous you want to stay there. And preferably not have a film/story at all. Because the rest of the film really just ruins it. Especially the film's depiction of the Na'vi as "native/tribal" people. Ugh, Jim Cameron, really?! Devoid of nuance. Insulting, even. Other-izing & stereotyping to the max. Shallow. I much prefer how District 9 treated their aliens and humans. They gave it more thought and more respect, and as a result, their depiction was much more complex, like how real cultures are. So, if there is a way to just have Pandora (the planet where the Na'vi live) and not the movie, do that. By the way,...
• District 9 -- Watch it. Hard to watch some parts, and don't expect a lot of action, but go and appreciate how complex and difficult it can be for different groups of people (or aliens) to co-exist.
  
• An Education -- Watch it. An older man and a much younger girl become an item (which was hard to watch), but the "predictability" stops there. I thought it interesting what the characters eventually stand for. The major conflict was not between the girl and her parents, for instance, so the generation gap was not the source of tension. I won't spoil it for you, so I'll stop there. Carey Mulligan was really that good, and Alfred Molina also, per usual.