Rio (2011)

After being a little more than pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Kung Fu Panda, and then adoring last year's How to Train Your Dragon even more than critically lauded Toy Story 3, it goes without saying that in my mind, Dreamworks has gone from being a factory of second-rate animated fare to a studio that could someday rival even the Grand Deity of Animation itself in terms of consistent quality (the "Grand Deity of Animation" being Pixar, of course). Dreamworks' latest effort, Rio, hasn't quite taken them to that point yet, but it's still a ridiculously enjoyable and lusciously vibrant romp.

The film follows Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a rare blue macaw who lives in Minnesota with his owner,

Linda (Leslie Mann). When Blu is taken by ornithologist Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro) to Rio de Janeiro in order to mate with the fierce and independent Jewel (Anne Hathaway), he is promptly kidnapped by a group of bird smugglers. Thus, with the help of the other birds of Rio, Blu and Jewel must go on an adventure through the streets of Carnaval in order to escape and return to Linda and Tulio.

From the very first scene (an exhilarating musical number), the film takes full advantage of the resources that are at their disposal automatically from the plot - those being the gorgeous colors and delectable beats of Rio and of Carnaval. The score, helmed by John Powell (one of my favorite underrated film composers), is, needless to say, amazing - and the use of classic bossa nova is intelligent and perfect. And then there's the visual spectacle on display, one of reds, blues, oranges and yellows, put on display most effectively in the climax of the film, which takes place in a Carnaval Parade. It's in this aesthetic care that the film gets its most success.

Also, it's important to mention the quality of the voice acting on display. Though perhaps Rodrigo Santoro takes it too over the top, the rest of the cast is splendid. I'm a shameless Jesse Eisenberg fan, and I loved him here - he was neurotic, funny, and adorable. Anne Hathaway is, well, Anne Hathaway and what's better than that? And then there's Jemaine Clement, whose deliciously evil work as bad bird Nigel is made even better by a musical number that could have come straight out of "Flight of the Conchords".

As much as I wish awesome voice-overs and great aesthetics are enough to make a film succeed completely, they're not. Unfortunately, Rio suffers from an unspectacular screenplay. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it; it flows well, it's funny, and there are unexpected touches of heart here and there. But, it lacks the sparkle that everything else about the movie has, preventing the film as a whole from reaching the heights that it could have.

However, it's impossible not to enjoy Rio. It's cute, adorable, vibrant and totally entertaining. It may not have taken Dreamworks to a Pixar level (and it's certainly no How to Train Your Dragon) but it's still great fun for any age.

See it: if you like any of the actors involved, if you think Dreamworks has potential, if you like bossa nova, if you kind of want to feel like a kid again, if you've ever seen Black Orpheus.

Skip it: if you didn't like How to Train Your Dragon, if Jesse Eisenberg does nothing for you, if you're imperative to cuteness.

8/10

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Woody Allen's record hasn't exactly been spotless lately. For example, though I basically enjoyed his effort last year, I was certainly in the minority, and his other recent films "Whatever Works" and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", though with their admirers, are certainly not up to par with Allen's earlier filmography. That's why "Midnight in Paris" had so much promise - with many at Cannes calling it a return to form for Allen. And though the film does deliver in many ways (especially in the charm that it's been repeatedly said to exude), it also fall short from being as good as classic Allen.

Owen Wilson plays Gil Pender, a screenwriter who is on a vacation in Paris with his fiancee, Inez (Rachel McAdams), and who is also working on a novel which he hopes will solidify him as a legitimate writer - not just the shallow corporatized one he feels he has become in Hollywood. Feeling disillusioned by his modern life and with his fiancee's rich parents (Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller) and pedantic friend Paul (Michael Sheen), Pender yearns for what he considers the golden age of Paris - the roaring 20's. Gil soon gets his wish when a mysterious car comes to pick him up at the stroke of midnight, and transports him directly back to the time period for which he yearns, throwing him into the midst of great authors and artists like F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston) and Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) along with an enigmatic beauty, Adriana (Marion Cotillard), with whom he soon falls in love.

As a continuation of Allen's cinematic love affairs with European cities (Barcelona in "Barcelona", London in "Tall Dark Stranger"), "Paris" is completely successful. Sure, it treats Paris like an unrealistic utopia, but that's acceptable considering that most Americans see it in that way. Plus, Allen never forgets the fact that the film is in essence a love letter to Paris, filling the screenplay with monologues about its beauty and even making the movie's first three minutes a montage of Parisian streets. For someone who's never been to Paris (like myself) this adoration of the city is perfectly welcome.

Also completely welcome is the lack of a narrator. This allows the film to work on its own behalf for the most part - a refreshing change from the plodding narration in other recent Allen films.

Though Wilson is given a few solo talking-to-himself monologues that could be effectively interpreted as narration, he sells them, and despite the fact that it doesn't quite allow the film to speak for itself as much as it could, compared to a bored sounding male reciting how excited a particular character was about architecture, it's tolerable and, occasionally, even a bit endearing.

What's absolutely not endearing about the film, however, is its complete lack of complex characters. Though it does make sense for the famous authors and artists of the past to be somewhat "fake", there's no excuse for real life characters like Inez and Paul, both of whom (among others) are devoid of any shades of interesting characterization. Problems like this make many of the plot points of the film more like plot nubs (because they're pointless -- ha ha, get it?).

However, that is not to say that the acting is poor, as the cast works very well despite the script's shortcomings. Wilson is probably giving his best performance to date (it helps his character is actually kind of interesting) and works perfectly as a stand-in for Woody. Mimi Kennedy, Adrian Brody and Alison Pill all shine in brief roles, and Marion Cotillard gives her potentially stock character the most interesting shades of humanity (not that this should come as any surprise - it seems like Marion is always doing more than the script's bare minimum). And even Rachel McAdams and Michael Sheen do well considering what they're given to work with.

But despite the movie's fundamental problems, it still manages to be irresistibly

charming and utterly adorable. I couldn't stop smiling throughout - it's funny, it has clever dialogue, and the ending is almost perfect.

It's not necessarily the Woody Allen comeback some are claiming it is, but we're definitely getting closer. If Woody can mix the charm and fantasy of this film with the complex characters of his earlier work - perhaps we'll then have a new masterpiece. For now though, we can at least enjoy what he's giving us.

See it: If you have a yearning desire to go to Paris, if you like seeing a cast at its best, if you are a Woody Allen die hard, or if you've always thought that Owen Wilson could be taken seriously as an actor but he just never got the right role.

Skip it: If you like complex characters, or if you've seen "I Spy" and know that Owen Wilson can never be forgiven for that movie.

8/10

Can we all just take a moment...

...to recognize the awesomeness that is Emma Stone?

Needless to say, I just finished watching "Easy A" and though this may just be that post-movie high, but allow me to just say how truly wonderful Emma was in the movie. Every little sarcastic eyebrow raise, every little snarky rhetorical remark, and every single faux-slutty strut that she took was so, so perfect and she injected so much into her character. As she began to go in too deep, we could see the subtlety of Olive's lies and how she was trying to be strong above it all.

Gosh, without Emma Stone "Easy A" would be nowhere near as good as it was. Though, that's not necessarily true because the supporting cast was quite good (the Tucci-Clarkson-Stone chemistry was irresistible) but let's be honest - Emma was just wonderful.

I know I'm always the last to the party but I just had to throw some confetti Emma's way nonetheless. ;)

Right now the movie is feeling about an 8, and a large part of that score is Stone. Loooooove

Catherine O'Hara Filmography: A Mighty Wind (2003)

Ah, finally, we've come again to a Christopher Guest movie. Unlike most, Guest actually realizes how talented Catherine O'Hara is and utilizes her so well in every one of her movies. "A Mighty Wind" is a hilarious mockumentary about three different folk groups who are coming together to play a memorial concert in honor of the man that gave them all their start. The film follows each of the three groups as they reunite, rehearse and get ready for the big night.

Catherine O'Hara plays Mickey Crabbe, formerly of the sweetheart folk duo "Mitch and Mickey", along with her past lover Mitch Cohen (Eugene Levy). During their prime, the duo was famous for their song "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow", which always ended with a kiss that left audiences swooning. However, Mickey is now married, after a horrible dispute that left their duo broken and Mitch an emotional trainwreck.

Overall, "A Mighty Wind" is a wonderful and endearing, not to mention hysterical little movie. I used to consider it one of Guest's lesser works, but after recently rewatching it with a friend (and my mom, who is awesome) I realized how truly funny and wonderful it actually is. As to be expected from Christopher Guest, there are some fantastic performances that make this film shine - for example, Jane Lynch and John Michael Higgins, who play the color-worshipping frontliners for the sugar coated folk group "The New Main Street Singers", are simply hilarious. I consider this to be easily Jane Lynch's greatest role.

BUT! We're here for Catherine O'Hara and, truthfully, this is probably one of her greatest roles as well. Unlike the other characters, Mickey is much more real, human, and disillusioned. O'Hara knows that Mickey is truly the emotional core of the film and she doesn't turn her into a caricature whatsoever (unlike Eugene Levy, who is funny but completely devoid of emotion). Instead, O'Hara truly becomes Mickey, and in her soft spoken words and the way she looks at the camera, we feel a truly pining individual who longs for the glory days but knows they can never be.

And then, there is the one running plot point that solidifies the brilliance of her performance - "The Kiss at the End of the Rainbow". During the final performance, the way that O'Hara shows the longing for that one kiss during the song is just a gorgeous display of true emotion. Not to mention, the fact that O'Hara sings the song beautifully. Her chemistry with Eugene Levy is quite convincing - even though Eugene is making it hard to believe that they'd ever love each other, O'Hara works past it and makes Mitch and Mickey one of the cutest screen couples of the decade.

I must mention one other admirable thing about this performance - for the majority of the film, O'Hara is by herself, talking in interview format. She rarely interacts with other characters besides Levy, and even when she does it's short in comparison to her interviews. I feel like this sort of solo work is so much harder to pull off, since she can't work off of anyone, and let's not forget that it's a lot of improv. Her ability to be so real and convey everything that she does all by herself is such an accomplishment.

Wow, so I really went crazy singing her praises but like I said this is easily one of O'Hara's best performances. Another snub for her at the Oscars! (Though she did get to sing "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" at them - yay!). Oh, and the movie has so much to recommend besides just her. Jane Lynch is amazing, the rest of the cast (especially Parker Posey's one tiny interview) is wonderful, and the music is great. It may not be Guest's funniest, but it is probably his most lovable.

The Movie: 8/10

Catherine: 10/10

Best in Show: Of course, Catherine, though this is also Jane Lynch's finest hour.

Tangled up.

That pun was just too obvious but I couldn't help myself.

Last year I fell just a little bit in love with Disney's back-to-roots princess animation story "The Princess and the Frog", which, though not one of my FAVORITE films of the year, was absolutely lovely. To be honest though, my love for that movie is kind of what made me worry about "Tangled". It seemed to me like Disney was going for a snarky Shrek kind of thing, and I was sort of upset - that sort of thing is better for Dreamworks, and after proving how well they could do it the old-fashioned way, why go back to the same old generic thing?

Thankfully, my reservations were proven to be somewhat incorrect, though after watching Disney's 50th Animated Film EVER I have an entirely new set of scruples.

"Tangled" is, as you all surely already know, a reinvention of the Rapunzel story. Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is a girl whose hair has magical healing properties due to a flower that healed her mom during pregnancy. Her parents, the king and queen of a kingdom, lost Rapunzel when the evil Mother Goethel (Donna Murphy) stole her as a baby to keep her powers to herself. Of course, Rapunzel yearns to be free, and on her 18th birthday, she decides to sneak out of her tower, with the help of a bandit named Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) who accidentally lands up there while escaping the king's guards.

This reinvention of the Rapunzel story is quite successful and works perfectly as the vehicle for the typical Disney romance. Duh, Flynn and Rapunzel fall in love and whatnot, but for some reason it doesn't feel corny or anything. A lot of this is due to the technical brilliance of the animation. The movie is so refreshingly colorful and carefully animated - though Rapunzel's hair may not be a consistent length, as my sister lamented, it is still captivating to watch. CGI is very rarely beautiful, and I'm pleased to say that this film achieves some rather aesthetically gorgeous moments.

And Mother Goethel is, simply, one of the best Disney villains in recent years. Where "Princess and the Frog" and even in some ways, "Enchanted" fell slightly short was the very one-dimensional nature of their villains. 'Tis not the case here! The maternal relationship that Rapunzel has with Goethel is rather compelling - we can't forget that she is basically the only mother that she's ever known - and seeing the affection, such as hugs and kind words, between them, makes the villainship so much more horrifying and perfect. Of course, Donna Murphy's brilliant voice work is much to credit for why Goethel is such a great character. She's over the top, she sings wonderfully, and she nails every line.

Sadly, such laurels cannot be awarded to Mandy Moore. Her Rapunzel is occasionally quite good, but too often she sounds whiny, or even worse - as though she's not getting into it enough, which leaves the viewer feeling super distanced from the character. This happens especially during the musical numbers. Her singing voice (at least in my opinion) is kind of annoying, with this weird airyness that is just not convincing.

This leads to another problem with the movie - it doesn't seem committed enough to being a musical! The songs are fine, if not somewhat unmemorable (I mean, it's hard to say anything bad about Alan Menken), but somehow in the context of the entire narrative, they don't feel natural or necessary enough. However, Mother Goethel's song "Mother Knows Best" is probably the best in the movie; it's funny, creepy, and its animation sequence is tight and clever. On the other hand, the movie's musical non-singing score is quite fitting and often transcendent.

Of course, that's not to say that I didn't like the movie. I very much did, and I guess I almost started crying at the end (I'm a leaky faucet though, so don't mind me...). I suppose I'm just trying to identify the reasons it didn't lodge itself into my heart like I would have expected. It's good in so many ways, and it did not fail in the ways I expected - it just didn't reach the level of quality that perhaps it could have. I'm honestly a bit conflicted about it, but I would recommend it even if only so you all will be able to discuss it with me and help me figure it out. Haha!

7/10

Catherine O'Hara Filmography: Speaking of Sex (2001)

All Melinda (Melora Walters) wants is to save her dissolving marriage with Dan (Jay Mohr) who, though he has trouble being intimate with his wife, had an affair with a waittress. So, the two visit Doctor Emily Paige (Lara Flynn Boyle), who is intrigued by the couple. She sends Melinda to a depression expert, Dr. Roger Klink (James Spader), who then has an affair with Melinda. Disgusted (and with an agenda of her own), Dr. Paige convinces Melinda to sue Dr. Klink, and from there things get crazy.

"Speaking of Sex" isn't a HORRIBLE movie, but it's really not very good, either. There are a few good things about it (especially the tantalizingly European-sounding score), but overall it's a big failure. It attempts to be some kind of classy, yet over-the-top farce but neither the director nor the actors know how to pull it off. Had it been made in Europe, maybe it would have worked, but alas. Which is truly sad because you can just feel the "good movie" hiding beneath the surface.

The worst thing of all is really the acting. Mohr is occasionally adorable but more often intolerably one-note. Spader is neurotically annoying. And Melora Walters gives what has to be one of the most emotionless, unnatural, robotic and weird performances ever (even though this technique does work in maybe one or two scenes).

The three really big stars in this movie (Catherine O'Hara, Bill Murray, and Megan Mullally) each have upsettingly small roles, considering they're the best acted in the movie Murray plays Klink's lawyer, O'Hara plays Melinda's lawyer, and Mullally plays Klink's soon-to-be-ex-wife. Mullaly is especially great - she's got a couple of scenes (especially her last) where she just nails it, giving her character WAY more dimensions than necessary and being really funny.

Oh, but back to Catherine! She's just fine. As I mentioned before, this movie tries so hard to be over the top and goofy, which is something we all know O'Hara is brilliant at doing, but she actually acts really restrained and low-key, since her character is really more down to earth than the others. She has a couple of really funny lines, but otherwise, she doesn't get much to do and the way this movie can stifle talent sadly catches her in its clutches as well.

O'Hara's best scenes are when she is with Bill Murray. The two have great chemistry together and get a little romantic subplot that brightens the movie up. It's small, but they both make it work really well despite everything going against them. It's really fun to watch them work off of each other!

Anyway, it's a whatever movie. It's harmlessly bad, and there are enough good things to make it tolerable. Had the material been handled better it could have been something really special, but alas. At least they cast Catherine O'Hara! Haha.

The Movie: 5/10

Catherine: 6/10 (eek that's a low score...sorry Catherine!!!)

Best in Show: Really nobody...except Mullally. She was great.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger...

Poor Helena (Gemma Jones). Her husband, Alfie (Anthony Hopkins), has just left her to go pursue a more youthful existence. Psychologically unstable, she begins visiting a psychic, who gives her exactly what she wants to hear, much to the satisfaction of her daughter Sally (Naomi Watts), who is falling in love with her boss Greg (Antonio Banderas) as she deals with her own struggling marriage with failed author Roy (Josh Brolin), who believes that the lovely Dia (Frieda Pinto), who lives across the street, is his muse. Bring in Alfie's new actress/prostitute girlfriend Charmaine (Lucy Punch), and you've got one wonderfully kooky and messed up web of people!

There's a lot that goes right with Woody Allen's latest. The dialogue is witty and very sharp, and the screenplay weaves together all of the film's many subplots very well. On that note, each of the characters and their stories were very interesting, intriguing, and fleshed out, making it all very fun to watch. Oh, and the narration wasn't unbearable like it was LAST TIME! In fact, it was quite effective!

Oh, and the acting is very good as well. Gemma Jones is wonderful, giving her character the perfect amount of sincerity and parody, and Lucy Punch is hysterical (and surprisingly multi-dimensional) as the over-the-top hooker. Watts, Brolin and Hopkins are also very, very good, making their characters both very funny and very sympathetic. Pauline Collins hams it up in her small but crucial role as the psychic, delivering some of the film's best laughs.

So even though on paper, the film does everything right, there's still something so vital missing. It's hard to place exactly what's wrong with it, besides the fact that nothing quite feels new. Structurally, it ends up being really similar to Vicky Cristina Barcelona - for example, remember the recurring guitar tune that made Rebecca Hall swoon in VCB? Well, it exists this time too. Except, instead of Albeniz, it's Boccherini; and instead of Hall, it's Brolin.

And, really, the films are different enough that this might not have been a problem - what the film is truly missing is the spice and flair of some of Allen's past work (especially VCB). By the end of the film, even though everything in it was good (and by no means boring), you sort of forget about it simply because it was just so flavorless. It's very well made, very well acted and very enjoyable, but overall, really nothing outstanding.

7/10

Catherine O'Hara Filmography: Penelope (2006)

This is a continuation of my mission to watch all of Catherine O'Hara's movie roles.

Reese-Witherspoon-produced "Penelope" is a cute film that tells the story of the titular Penelope (Christina Ricci) who, due to a curse from her father's side, was born with the nose of a pig. Her parents, especially her mother (Catherine! more on her shortly), want her to get married to a man of wealth, which would presumably break the curse. James McAvoy plays the only guy who even gets close to falling in love with Penelope, but needless to say things don't quite work out, and a fairy tale adventure ensues.

And while there are a lot of things wrong with "Penelope", that would be useless to get in to now, there are a lot of good things about it too. Besides O'Hara's great amount of screentime, the film is ridiculously cute, and Ricci and McAvoy give charismatic performances. Reese Witherspoon herself also has a small, but lovably scene-stealing role as a friend that Penelope makes after escaping her home.

O'Hara plays Jessica Wilhelm, Penelope's well meaning but severely misguided mother. Throughout the film, Jessica's sole mission is to get Penelope married so that she'll become a normal human - with the personal agenda that her own life will also be returned to normal. Jessica is conflicted because she loves her daughter but hates the curse that her husband's blood line has brought upon her. Even though she wants so much to help Penelope, her obsession with materialism and her manic desperation for nobody to know about the curse cause her to do more harm than good.

As aformentioned, Catherine has a great amount of screentime, which gives her a great opportunity to shine. She really has a hold on Jessica's conflict, and though the movie often villainizes her character, she is somehow able to keep you feeling a bit sorry for her all the same. O'Hara does such a good job of treating Jessica as human that she creates a three-dimensional portrait out of the caricature that was handed her, while still being able to do the over the top comedic things the script requires (like at the end when she uses her face to great comedic effect).

However, even though O'Hara is able to rise above the limitations of her character, the script really does continually work against her. For a perfect example, take her last scene with Penelope (sort of SPOILERY but not too much) in which she apologizes for her selfish actions. Her teary delivery of the lines is so sincere that we can really feel Jessica's remorse. However, then she goes on to comment on a possible plastic surgery job for Penelope, which totally undermines what could have been the most meaningful and heartfelt scene of the movie. O'Hara pulls it off, but it was a distasteful script decision that shows how the movie is bent on casting Jessica in an unfairly poor light.

All that being said, "Penelope" is still a very cute, if not forgettable movie that is perfectly enjoyable, despite its many flaws. O'Hara's perfectly non-judgmental, multi-layered and refreshingly substantial work as Jessica is definitely worth watching. Oh and did I mention that Reese Witherspoon steals the movie?

The Movie: 6/10

Catherine: 8/10

Best in Show: Disregarding Reese Witherspoon's cameo, I'll go with Catherine. But I must say, Ricci was absorbing and I loved watching James McAvoy be American.

City Island (2010)

Like most movies about people with secrets, "City Island" was extremely frustrating, accenuated by the fact that neither the script nor the actors gave enough justification to why the characters were refusing to tell each other anything. Additionally, the ridiculous amounts of subplots were not really balanced well at all, especially not helped by the weird editing (the random scenes of the son with the fat women were not integrated well at all, even if they were some of the more interesting in the film). Emily Mortimer's storyline is the most compelling, because she also gives the best performance in the film - and it is a lovely performance. Ezra Miller was also very funny. Everyone else does just fine, not really doing anything original. The movie was entertaining enough for me not to despise it, but it's nothing new or really even successful in the family-dramedy genre and I was really just waiting for it to be over the entire time.

5/10

Catherine O'Hara Filmography: Best in Show (2000)

This post is the first in my mission to watch all of Catherine O'Hara's movies.

If there's one place that has been proven time and time again to nourish Catherine O'Hara's talents both comedically and even dramatically, it has been the films of Christopher Guest. Ever since "Waiting for Guffman" fans have known of O'Hara's brilliance.

"Best in Show" is Christopher Guest's second mockumentary, which follows a group of odd characters as they and their dogs prepare for the Mayflower Dog Show, a prestigious event that every character wants to win. Catherine plays Cookie Fleck, the owner and trainer of a ridiculously cute terrier. More importantly though (plotwise anyway), Cookie also had a very colorful and prolific sex life in her younger years, much to the dismay of her husband Gerry (Eugene Levy).

Sadly, O'Hara's screentime is rather limited in the movie, and her character just isn't as memorable as some of the others in the film, such as Parker Posey's uber-bitch Meg Swan or Jennifer Coolidge's ditzy Sheri Ann Cabot. The two of them have some of the funniest moments in the film and Posey especially is just phenomenal. However, though this is surely not a quintessential O'Hara performance, it's still really wonderful, because I feel it gives us a bit of everything that makes her brilliant.

First of all, she and Eugene being a couple (that sings!) is a lovely foreshadowing of the wonderful work she was to do in "A Mighty Wind". Secondly, we see Catherine's skills as a physical and over the top comedian when she injures her knee and is hobbling around. Then, she also shows her ability as a subtle, talented actress when she encounters her past lovers, or when she's worried about the credit card, or when her dog is being held hostage on the roof of a shed.

So despite her limited screentime, Catherine O'Hara's role as Cookie Fleck is a loving reminder for all fans of why she is amazing. The movie is hysterical and also features wonderful performances by its entire cast, especially Parker Posey, Jennifer Coolidge, and Jane Lynch (!!!) so if you haven't yet seen it, I highly recommend. :)

The Film: 9/10

Catherine: 9/10

Best in Show: Parker Posey for sure, with Jennifer Coolidge following closely behind

What were your thoughts on Best in Show? How do you like the project so far? Make your voices heard in the comments!

Tropic Thunder (2008)

This was easily one of the funniest movies I saw in a long time. Also, it was extremely creative - the way that it began with the faux-trailers was just brilliant, and though it's a narrative cop-out it works just perfectly. The entire cast works with each other perfectly, and Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise were definitely worth the buzz. Of course, sometimes I feel like the humor went just a bit too far over the top - when Ben Stiller was messing with the dead director guy's head, for example. I'm also just not the hugest fan of Stiller in general. Nonetheless, though this is no life changing work of cinematic magic, it completely achieved its goals as a crazy comedy with a cinephilic sense of humor.

9/10

Paper Moon (1973)

I'm beginning to realize a fondness I have for Peter Bogdanovich. A long time ago, I sang praises for "The Last Picture Show", and now, after seeing "Paper Moon", I just have more and more good things to say. So prepare yourselves!

"Paper Moon" is an adorable comedy about a young, stubborn girl in the 30's named Addie (Tatum O'Neal). The movie begins at her mother's funeral, where the con-man Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neal) comes to pay his respects. The adults at the funeral tell Moze to take Addie with him, to her aunt's house in Missouri. He reluctantly accepts, and as they go along, he begins to realize that she's just as good a con artist as he is...and we begin to wonder if perhaps he is really her father.

The film is just irresistibly cute, from beginning to end, mainly helped by Tatum O'Neal's lovely performance as Addie. Her comedic timing is just impeccable for someone of her age...her "I want my 200 dollars" scene is just perfect. There's just something about her, a sort of wiseness, that you can feel, that sets her apart from the typical child actor. She was completely deserving of her Oscar win (though she was really a leading role).

Madeline Kahn and Ryan O'Neal both also give very good performances, helped by the sharp and multi-dimensional script. The script gives each character just enough backstory for them to work with and yet it never gets in the way. It's amazing to think of what Madeline Kahn's character must have been thinking during her monologue in the tall grass with Addie, in which she makes a very personal confession. Additionally, the screenplay balances hilarity with the necessary drama, and it's perfect.

Bogdanovich does the film in black-and-white just like "The Last Picture Show", which is a perfect technique for the film. It juxtaposes the whimsical story with the stark desperation of that time period which is a very strong technique. There's something to be said for the fact that my entire family loved the film - even my elementary school brothers adored it.

If you haven't seen it, "Paper Moon" is definitely worth your time. It's a wonderful little film that contains a spectacular child performance from Tatum O'Neal and the entire piece is just lovely. It's hilarious, light, and nearly perfect.

9/10

Now Playing: Date Night

First of all, Steve Carell and Tina Fey are an amazing duo! Their chemistry is fantastic and they work off each other so, so well. But the movie is working against their comedic chops - it had its hysterical moments but the chase scenes and um, the rest of the plot got in the way. Celebrity cameos from Kristen Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, etcetera made me happy, and Taraji P. Henson proves once again that she has the gift for making unimportant characters so special. Overall enjoyable and optimistic, but not as funny as it could have been.

6/10

Linda Linda Linda (2005)

It was a totally random decision to watch the Japanese movie "Linda Linda Linda". I found out about it after watching "The Host", due to Bae Doona's presence in both films. Anyway, watching this obscure little movie was a decision I don't regret!

"Linda Linda Linda" follows a group of three girls that are putting together a band for their school festival after a couple of their members drop out. The remaining three girls (one cute, one bratty/popular, one kind of awkward) enlist the help of a Korean foreign-exchange student, Son (played by Bae Doona) to sing vocals, even though she barely speaks Japanese...and...there you have it! The title comes from one of the songs that the group covers in the movie, "Linda Linda" by The Blue Hearts (a Japanese pop band that influenced big groups, like the Ramones).

Obviously the premise of the film is extremely limited and...not a lot happens. However, "Linda" is irresistibly charming throughout. It's such a high-school girl movie, with lots of meager drama going on, and crushes!!! and stuff, but like, it's still entertaining and thankfully avoids crossing the teen drama line between "hehehehe" and "vomit".

Also, Bae Doona brings an absolutely fantastic performance to the film. She's a bit shy and confused at first, but then she opens up, showing her love for her newfound friends despite the language barrier. She's also wonderfully funny at times (that karaoke scene is great) and you just can't help but love her. Oh, and the movie has a fantastic concert scene to end it all, and how can you resist that?

Nevertheless, the movie could have definitely used some more editing. There are scenes that just go on for TOO long, it got ridiculous. And really, with such a simple premise, there's only so much you can do - this nearly two hour film could have easily been forty minutes shorter and we wouldn't have missed anything. Oh, and I got annoyed by the director's use of faraway shots when characters were interacting...I don't know why, I just wanted to see their faces more or something.

Anyway, "Linda Linda Linda" is a really cute and fun little rock film that shows the true power of friendship and all that jazz. An enjoyable watch for sure, with a great performance from Bae Doona and awesome music to boot.

7/10

The Host (2006)

This post is for the 1001 Movies Club. Go see what others had to say!

The inherently fantastic thing about the 2006 Korean film "The Host" is that it's a stunning return to the good old-fashioned monster movie. It's a lot like "Jaws" with a hint of "District 9" and a good dose of "Cloverfield" as well. In fact, it has so many elements of those movies that it's impossible not to wonder if the latter two were slightly influenced by it. Perhaps?

Anyway! "The Host" begins in the year 2002, showing us how the monster came to be (the classic - irresponsible disposal of dirty formaldehyde into the Han River). Then, four years later, we come upon Gang-Du, a seemingly irresponsible and ever-sleepy man who, along with his father and daughter, run a food stand on the shore of the Han River. Then...you guessed it...THE MONSTER ATTACKS!!! And steals Gang-Du's daughter.

Now, with the help of his brother (an unemployed college grad) and his sister (a famous archer) he must try to save her. Oh and there's this whole thing about a virus that Gang-Du may or may not have that the monster supposedly spreads and the irresponsibility of the Korean government and its failure to address the situation. In the meantime, we also see Hyun-Seo (Gang-Du's daughter) as she tries to survive in the large sewer that the monster has brought her to.

The movie does a pretty okay job in blending laughs and screams. At one minute you'll be laughing and then the next minute be on the edge of your seat in suspense. This mixture of two genres can be a bit confusing (are we supposed to pity or laugh at the Parks' mourning?) but it does create this kind of tongue in cheek attitude to the whole movie that I think is very effective.

There are also so, so many good "sequences" in this movie. For example, when Nam-Joo (Gang-Du's sister) is running through the bridge and into the sewer to attack the monster. It's such an exciting and exhilarating scene, and it's just one of many other exciting and exhilarating scenes that there were in the film. The suspense and tension were perfect - especially in the last thirty minutes of the film when everything starts to come together, in a huge climax. So exciting!

And artistically the movie is great as well - I absolutely LOVED the score and the cinematography was quite fantastic. Additionally, the monster was frightening and very well designed. Since we see it throughout the entire movie it is important that it always scares, and it did.

Where the movie fails is in its overly complicated screenplay. The timing is off a lot in the movie and some scenes drag on for far too long. Additionally, things can begin to get confusing and there are a lot of plot holes. I always have a problem with films (or TV shows) that try to do too much with the story and then fall underneath the weight of their own goals. It's not horribly written by any means, but the loss of focus really takes a bit of "umph" out of the film, which prevented me from really, really loving it.

However! "The Host" is still a really great monster movie, perhaps one of the best I've seen in the genre. Though the story's shortcomings keep it from getting the truly high quality it could have had (and my heart's affection), it has enough amazing and memorable sequences to keep it above the average level of American thriller-comedy-dramas, and it is a LOT of fun to watch. The score was absolutely fantastic and the acting was top-notch as well.

I didn't love it, but I'd watch it again! I bet it would be perfect to watch in a group, on a dark, rainy night...hehe

7/10

What did you think of "The Host"? Respond in comments!