12.13.2009

Crazy Movie Lady 46

December 6-12, 2009
684. 12 Men of Christmas.  I watched this because of Kristin Chenowish (of Pushing Daisy).  When her character breaks up with her fiancé and quits her job right before Christmas, she gets on a plan to get a new job.  The Lifetime movie-ness of this movie makes it take some predictably bad turns and plot contrivances.  She moves to a small town and experiences culture shock after living the high-powered NY life.  Then she gets an education in small town values and meets a cute guy with whom she butts heads.  And she finds a way to turn the struggling town around.  Typical.  And she manages to move to a small town full of hot guys.  Of course they bond in a way they didn't know they could.  This doesn't count as a spoiler because it's so predictable.  It actually got worse the longer it lasted.  2.3 stars
685. To Have and To Have Not.  Bogey and Bacall in the film based on Ernest Hemingway's work, screenplay by William Faulkner.  "You know how to whistle, don't you?  Just put your lips together and blow."  I could've done without most of the musical numbers.  I must say I wasn't terribly into this film.   An outfit repeat!  How quaint!  Lol.  This movie was interesting enough I suppose.  3.3 stars
686. Buena Vista Social Club.  Documentary about a group of the best musicians in Cuba.  Some awesome music as you would imagine.  The opening credits were interminable.  All the interesting shots last for two long which diminishes the interest.  I got dizzy during the spinning shot.  One giant concert... with a few anecdotes sprinkled in.  Visually the production quality wasn't great either in the concert.  26 minutes in it's still not particularly clear who these people were and why we should care about them.  Way too long (by at least 20 minutes) for there to be no discernible story line.  More than 2/3 of the way in, you finally find out some reasons.  Too much knowledge of the musicians  is assumed by the filmmakers.  3 stars
687. Funny Face.  Audrey Hepburn! And Fred Astaire... but Audrey!  :)  Lol.  And music by George & Ira Gershwin?  Delightful in theory.  In practice whimsically silly... but not in a derogatory way.  I've definitely seen that strange all black but the white socks dance before.  Even funnier in context.  The Givenchy clothes?  DIVINE!!  I loved the song and dance of a regular girl transformed into a fashion model.  5 stars
688. Beautiful Losers.  Documentary about awkward/indie/non-mainstream artists who became mainstream artists.  Basically the obscure-ish people people like to say they love because they know a lot of people don't know about them.  Creative opening credits, though overly long.  I would like to own some of this art.  It takes a creative mind to also get a lot of the engaging shots in this film.  The incorporation of the interviews became very predictable and a bit boring after a while.  Interview, art, interview, art, lather, rinse, repeat.  Interesting at first.  It would've been more effective if it ended at 30 or 40 minutes instead of an hour and 30 minutes.  A lot of people will love this movie and that's great.  I'm just not one of them.  2.9 stars
689. Desk Set. Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy star in a film about a woman who heads a department being automated by a computer built by the latter.  Hepburn is AWESOME!  Witty, well-timed line delivery.  And a Christmas scene to boot?  YAY!!  The end began to feel stilted and awkward on the part of some supporting characters.  Still pretty cute.  3.9 stars
690. Date Movie.  Lol.  Very silly movie that's basically a mash up of every romantic comedy you've ever seen.  It was most amusing to pick out the films.  This film was what it was.  Alyson Hannigan was hilarious.  3.2 stars
691. No Reservations.  Katherine Zeta-Jones, Abigail Breslin.  The controlling chef aunt who takes care of her orphaned niece.  Predictable.  Not bad, just nothing you haven't seen before.  3 stars.
692. The Dinner Game.  French film about a group of intellectuals who gather for dinner every Wednesday and must bring an idiot.  Familiar story except one guy bringing an idiot throws out his back and ends up with an idiot for a nursemaid.  Hilarious.  At one point I got slightly obsessed about an omelette that supposedly tasted amazing because it had a few drops of beer in the eggs!  Mmm!  Anyway this film is so funny!!  All of the twists were so unexpected!  The end almost partly ruined it but recovered nicely.  4.8 stars
693. The Third Man. Orson Welles stars in a noir film set in Austria about a man who arrives to visit a friend who died just before he arrived.  He encounters multiple obstacles as he tries to solve what he believes is a murder.  Some strange derby-style music.  Irritating and didn't fit the plot.  The murder was never explained and the end was dissatisfying.  3.2 stars

3 comments:

Rashan Jamal said...

Pass on the lifetime movies, even if I wanted to see it, I would have to do it on tape or on demand, my short attention span would have me turning during a commercial.

I still have to watch the last 30 of To Have and To Have Not, but suffice it to say I was enjoying it more than you.

I also like beautiful loser way more than you. and desk set less than you.

SincerelyGo said...

Oh wow..I don't watch many movies...my status is always "In Transit" LOL

I sat and watched one with the girl who had parents that were drug users, contracted HIV/AIDS and she ended up homeless and went to school then college..blah blah blah..but truth is Lifetime movies makes me sad!

Sincerely,

Go

Sincerely,

Go

Jameil said...

rj... i know, right? those movies are BAAAAD!! i was wondering why you enjoyed to have so much while watching it. BL was just whatever to me. i liked KH a lot in desk set.

go... lol. i hadn't watched many when i got to grad school & my classmates are those people who can name 5 movies if you give them three descriptors!! i had to at least TRY to catch up! Lifetime movies make me vomit! lolol. they're so corny!