Movie Schizo

random movie musings

Archive for category Art

Up in the Air: Clooney delivers again

Feb 13

Posted by Helmut in Art, Comedy, Drama | 1 Comment

Up In The Air PosterI heard about Up in the Air (directed by Jason Reitman) about 6 months ago, in the UK. Of course it was released there shortly after I was back in SA, so I had to wait a while longer for it to be released here. But it was worth the wait.

Ryan Bingham (Played by George Clooney) works for a company that helps other companies fire their employees. Ryan is this company’s top “consultant”, and travels across the country most of the year, telling dozens of people every day that they’re being “let go”. Over the time he’s grown to love the travelling, and it has become his life. When his company employs Natalie (played by Anna Kendrick), who plans to make his travelling obsolete by introducing new technology, Ryan is not impressed. He is then instructed to take Natalie along with him for a few weeks, to show her the ropes. The struggle to deal with all the changes that threaten the life he’s learned to love brings many new experiences and Ryan learns much about what is missing in his life.

I really enjoyed watching this movie, because it dared to delve beyond the superficial. Ryan’s difficulty in dealing with change speaks about a lot of things we face nowadays. Ryan is used to being alone most of the time, and is only focused on his own goals, but starts to wonder whether a complete lack of any meaningful relationship might be a concern. Is it really worth it, living so isolated and separated from anything deeper than a mere acquaintance? I won’t tell you what his conclusion is – you’ll have to go watch Up in the Air yourself. It’s a great movie.

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The Hurt Locker

Dec 26

Posted by Helmut in Action, Art, War | No Comments

The Hurt LockerOne of the most unique war movies recently was The Hurt Locker. While the movie doesn’t have a plot in the classical sense, it does a brilliant job of showing you what the war in Iraq is like. Jeremy Renner plays Sgt. William James, who joins a bomb diffusing squad after their last commanding officer tragically died trying to diffuse a bomb. Sgt. James now leads the team, continuing their duty in the middle of a war-torn Iraq.

The squad is made up of vastly differing personalities, each having their own issues and quirks. While the rest of the movie doesn’t have a continuing story, it portrays each of the characters as they perceive the different challenges they face. The pressures of their job start to affect some of them, while others seem unaffected.

The stand-out character for me was Sgt. James, who is portrayed as fearless in life threatening situations. Watching how the others try to cope with this addition to the team becomes one of the most fascinating parts of the movie. I would recommend The Hurt Locker to anyone who enjoys a modern war movie that makes you think.

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Review: Hollywoodland (2006)

Jul 29

Posted by Helmut in Art, Drama | No Comments

Hollywoodland

Hollywoodland

The movie Hollywoodland is based on a true story. While it wasn’t thrilling or action-filled, it had very interesting qualities, including some excellent acting by Adrian Brody and Ben Affleck.

After an actor, George Reeves (played by Ben Affleck), the first actor to appear as Superman, apparently commits suicide, his mother hires a private investigator (played by Adrian Brody). She thinks her son was murdered. The investigation turns up several leads, with significant resistance coming from “higher” people/places. But the conclusion turns out to be different than one would expect. The investigator has an interesting “light-bulb” moment, about what it all means for his own life.

I would recommend this one only to people who like watching an arty movie occasionally. It’s a real treat for someone who appreciates a thought-provoking story.

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Moon: A tribute to the Sci-Fi greats

Jul 23

Posted by Helmut in Art, Science Fiction | No Comments

Moon

Moon

Yesterday I watched Moon. The first thing I had read about it is that the movie was made as a tribute to some of the great Sci-Fi films (those that focus more on the characters and the story, e.g. 2001: A Space Odyssey). And it turned out to be a great tribute! Sam Rockwell plays “Sam Bell” brilliantly. Minutes after the film began, I could immediately feel what three years alone (i.e. no direct human contact) can do to a person. At all times I felt in touch with his character, and really wanted him to conquer his adversities.

Here’s how the story begins… When Sam Bell, who’s been stationed on the Moon for the past three years (alone), is about to go home, things are looking up. Until he starts seeing things. Very unusual things. Is he going insane? Has this solitude taken its toll? The situation just gets stranger and stranger, until Sam discovers what is really going on.

The movie deals with a few issues that humanity has been debating over the last decades. It hits the nail right on the head when it exposes just how extreme the consequences of certain choices can be, and how people’s lives can be affected.

Even if you’re not a great Sci-Fi fan, there is still a chance that you might like this movie, since it’s quite character and story-driven. It’s about so much more than Science Fiction. But it is more of an art film, so if that’s not your cup of tea, I guess you’re out. Otherwise, give it a try! You might be surprised! :)

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A Goodie/Woman

Jul 21

Posted by Helmut in Art, Drama | No Comments

A Good Woman

A Good Woman

I’ve seen A Good Woman (starring Scarlet Johansson and Helen Hunt) twice, and it is good. If you’re interested in what it’s about, here’s a short summary (don’t worry, it won’t spoil too many details):

  1. Goodie A & B are newly-weds.
  2. Baddie A comes to town and seduces Goodie B.
  3. Goodie A finds out about this.
  4. It turns out Goodie B really didn’t have an affair with Baddie A.
  5. Everything is restored, but only Baddie A (who has become Goodie C by now) knows the whole truth about the misunderstanding.

There’s much more to it than that, obviously, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. The movie is light-hearted, witty, and the story has much more depth than in most other movies. I recommend it to those who want something that’s a bit more intellectually challenging than watching stuff explode. If you only want explosions, rather watch Transformers 2. ;)

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