Even if you don't care about the 2008 financial crisis you will be intrigued by this movie. It has an outstanding cast that are perfect in their roles. The standouts are Zachary Quinto (Spock in the last Star Trek movie) playing a rocket scientist working in an investment bank who discovers that the bank is bankrupt before the bank knows. Kevin Space is terrific as head of the investment division having the make difficult moral choices. Paul Bettany (Russel Crowe's imaginary friend in A Beautiful Mind) as the rocket scientist's boss and Jeremy Irons as the evil CEO. If you skip this movie you will be missing some of the most powerful performances of the year. The tension in this movie as the characters deal with their world crumbling around them is intense and allows the movie to seem 30 minutes long. I wanted it to keep going so I can find out what happens to all the characters. Every american should be required to watch these movies (best in this order) to understand why the economy is in such bad shape and who is responsible.
Capitalism: A love Story: Micheal Moore's very slanted view but he'll make understand the basics easy to take because he does it in such a humorous and painless way.
Inside Job : This documentary will make you so angry you'll join the nearest 99 percent group. Unlike Micheal Moore's slant on this subject, this is even handed in blaming everyone. The most powerful part of the movie is the interview of economists who "missed" seeing the crisis. They don't know when they start the interview that the interviewer knows exactly why they "missed" it. Powerful stuff.
Too Big to Fail : This one is a little slow but will also make you very very angry when you find out how the financial crisis unfolded, who did what, and what happened to all the bad guys (they made millions and are still in charge of the banks).
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Movie Review: 50/50 3.5 stars
You want to watch this movie after the Ides of March to get you out of your funk. This is the feel good movie of the season. It's hard to imagine watching a movie about a man dying of cancer as being uplifting but this movie accomplishes that. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception) has cancer and his life is unraveling. He is helped along this bumpy road by his slacker best friend played by Seth Rogan. Of course, Seth plays the role of the lovable slaker in every movie he's been in. He actually way overplays this role and because quite annoying as the movie goes on. In fact, his performance is the only negative aspect of this movie. If you don't get a chance to see it in the movies you need to put it on your "must see" list when it comes out in DVD.
Movie Review: Ides of March 3.5 stars
This movie had the most powerful performances of the year. Everyone did a great job but particularly Ryan Gosling and Phillip Seymour Huffman. It had a powerful story too. Unfortunately, it was very depressing. George Clooney is a Governor running for President. Things start to going wrong in his campaign from the start of the movie and they keep going wrong until the movie is over. I highly recommend this movie. Just go in knowing that you will not be happy when you leave. I don't doubt that this movie will be an Oscar nominee.
Movie Review: Drive 2 stars
This movie could have be, should have been one of the best of the year. The story though is terrible. I was hoping for the standard formula of the quiet guy gets poked with a stick by the bad guys until he beats or kills them. That's the formula! With great actors like Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan this movie should have blown everyone away. Instead they give us a very depressing bit of tripe that we just can not swallow. Anyone who sees this movie can't help but be disappointed. Casting was a problem too. They made "Mr. Whiner" Albert Brooks the menacing bad guy. Really? Albert Brooks a menacing bad guy? Kirsten Dunst is more menacing than Albert Brooks. All that bad is balanced by an incredible performance by the two stars. Do NOT rent this movie when comes out. I think that only a dozen people went to the theater and watch this movie but people will see Ryan Gosling on the cover and assume it's a good movie....it's not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)