Crazy Movie Lady 18

May 17- 23, 2009
I'm caught up on my movies! Yessss! Back on target and ahead by 2 after watching 5 movies in one day. This was a mixed week. I saw no 5 star movies but saw at least 3 movies I couldn't stand and don't even want to see outtakes of ever again. Yeah... like that. That's a disappointing music week to me.
277. Volver. Penelope Cruz movie about a dead woman reconciling with her children and fixing things she couldn't in life. Good movie. Engaging and funny. 4/5 stars.
278. City of Angels. I wasn't expecting this to be a sappy movie... hmmm... I didn't dislike it but I wasn't in the mood for it. I might like it better at another time in my life. I got kind of bored. 3/5 stars.
279. Blazing Saddles. This is supposed to be funny? Maybe it's because they lost me after the 15th nigger. No, that's not it, either. It just wasn't funny. 2/5 stars.
280. My Man Godfrey. 1936 version of the film about a rich man posing as a butler for a crazy family. Not as interesting as I wanted it to be. Nice start, a really pedantic scene toward the end and amusing-ish ending. It could have been better. 3/5 stars.
281. Sweeney Todd. Crazy film starring Johhny Depp as a man out for revenge after his wife and daughter are taken from him. I could have done without the musical numbers but a good film overall. A bit gory. The last scene was jaw-dropping. Tim Burton has a crazy mind. I always wonder how people think of these things. 4/5 stars.
282. King of California. Sundance film about a girl (Evan Rachael Wood-- I like her for some reason) whose mentally ill father (Michael Douglas) decides he knows where buried treasure lies and decides to find it. Cute movie, well written. 4/5 stars.
283. Gone Baby Gone. Overall, a good movie about a 4-year-old who goes missing from her drug-addicted mother. There was one preachy soliloquy I could've done without but I didn't expect the twists and turns which made me like this movie a lot. I'm always looking to be surprised. I want to see the unexpected and I did. 4/5 stars.
284. Baby Mama. Tina Fey's character hires Amy Poehler's character to be her surrogate with some guest appearances from Steve Martin. I wanted it to be funnier than it was and it was predictable which was sad for me. 3/5 stars.
285. Run Fat Boy Run. This script needed to be tightened. Great concept and really funny when it wasn't meandering so crazily. The script issues pushed it down to 3/5, though.
286. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Crazy Robert Downey, Jr. movie where he narrates the story of what happened to him last Christmas when he went to L.A. to screen test for his first film and got pulled into a murder investigation. RD, Jr. is HILARIOUS. So funny. 4/5 stars.
287. Redemption. I bought this movie a few years ago because Jamie Foxx was in it but had never watched it because the reviews were so bad... I see why. The style of the film would have worked better as a documentary. As a feature about C.rips co-founder T.ookie Williams it was actually boring which is bizarre considering he's a gang member who tried to turn his life around in prison and was eventually nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. It has everything it needs for a great story, including Lynn Whitfield as the lead actress, but falls short. 2/5.
288. The Other Boleyn Sister. Fascinating film about Henry VIII's most famous wife, Anne Boleyn and her sister, Mary with whom the king had an affair during the marriage which preceded his with Anne. I wouldn't have been as interested if it wasn't based in fact. This is why I love docs! We get the real story and hopefully from the horse's mouth! No such luck since this was in the 1500s but cool story. 4/5 stars.
289. Loot. HBO doc about two WWII veterans who use a used car salesman to help them find hidden treasure in Austria and the Philippines. The unfocused story line felt plotless which made this painful to watch.
290. King of Kong. As funny as it sounds, this is a documentary about the underdog in the video game King Kong. It's about an up and comer against the video game establishment aka the man. Full of game nerds I love to laugh at but also in a way admire for their dedication even if I do think they take it too far. I loved this movie. I would've given it 5 stars if it had been at least 10 minutes shorter. There was a GREAT scene of drumming combined with video game playing. One of the best scenes I've ever seen in a documentary. Excellent storytelling. At the end I actually cheered. Lol.
291. Singin'' in the Rain. Gene Kelly classic that has earned the moniker classic. It's not just old, it's a great musical film. Fab dancing!
292. 10 Questions for the D.alai L.ama. It is taking everything in me to be less negative about this personal documentary about an interview with the Dalai Lama. Too many vistas and people shots with nothing happening under the extremely boring, pointless, overly dramatized and at times repetitive narration. There goes my exasperation and harshness but an example. On B.uddha: "I have an image of him from eating in Thai restaurants." Seriously? Moving on. Way too heavy on history on personal information-- more than 30 minutes worth without so much as video of the current D.L. Get to the 10 questions before 38 minutes!! And let me hear the D.L.'s answers w/o your commentary and viewing the poor as happier than the rich. Stereotypical response to abject poverty the director witnessed in India. At least 30 minutes too long. Actually it would've been more interesting as a short. I think I was most pissed off by the title. If it had been called "Journey to the D.L." I would've felt less mislead. By the time the questions came, I barely cared. 1.5 stars.
293. The Big Lebowski. Rashan said, "I suspect John Goodman's character is my least favorite character in the history of movies. And I've seen movies about H.itler." LOL! This was a bad movie. It had absolutely no point. Horrible movie. 1/5 stars because you can't give 0.
294. Monster. Charlize Theron's Oscar-winning role as a prostitute turned serial killer. Interesting and jaw-dropping story which somehow didn't move as quickly as I wanted it to. She deserved her Oscar. 3 stars.
295. Wattstax. Documentary about the 1972 Watts Summer Festival with AWESOME music. LOVED IT! The music was great. The best sequence was a montage during the Shaft theme song performed by Isaac Hayes. I could've done without the Richard Pryor (un)comedy breaks. The commentary from Watts residents was great. 3.5 stars.