I ventured to London for the summer so here are the flicks I've been checking out while I've been here!
Last Chance Harvey.
Overall this movie wasn't anything spectacular. Yet that is exactly what I liked about it. The story, the acting none of it was trying too hard. It was very honest and didn't need to get lost in lengthy melodrama. The poignant pieces like when Harvey buys a new suit for his estranged daughters rehearsal dinner but the security tag gets left on, or when he joyously declared "I'm going to dance your socks off!" you can't help but smirk. Its these brief moments that make the film believable, and therefore for many a bore. I think its a short and sweet little movie that looks honestly into the effects of middle age and beyond.
Star Trek.
Saw this at the London IMAX which is the biggest screen in Great Britain. Wonderful. Had a really nice blend of action and plot. An excellent start to a new age of the franchise. Casting was perfect with youthful, on the cusp of fame actors who brought a new life to a classic favorite. Made a trekkie out of me and I'll be very interested to see what they do with the obvious upcoming sequels.
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen
Why is it that the second is never as good as the first? It didn't come close to surpassing the first but after the horrid reviews it received in the papers it was much more than I had expected. I thought they really let the lead couple-ship of Michaela and Sam fizzle. I was more annoyed with the 2 of them at the end than anything with the whole "i love you" "do I love you?" "you say it first" bullcrap. That was a cheap way around writing emotional dialogue or content. I mean there is more love between Bumblebee and Sam when they are briefly on screen together. In my opinion the second sequel in a series always fails because instead of putting the same characters in better situations you try and introduce too many new characters to a tired situation. I mean we are in the middle east desert again???? Highlights were the twins, the fabulous old British autobot/decepticon and Michaela's pet deceptacon. Other than that though I couldn't keep track of all the new characters. Like why on earth was Sam's roommate there. . .it made sense at first but then I just wished we'd lost track of him. Why did Sam get a new dog who his old dog humped?? unnecessary. What happened to the deceptacon in human form (yeah what even was that?!?!)???? Where DID Michaela's pet deceptacon go????
I mean I still loved it because its Transformers. Its larger than life (literally, again I saw this at the IMAX) and the action is just impeccably set up. Bay is a master of action so I wish he had stopped beating us over the head with that fact since we didn't dispute it. Instead if he had infused more genuine emotion and humor into his story as in the first he would have hit a grand slam. Instead he took up from his home run first film to leaving us in a pickle between this double at times triple hit.
Worth a look but I won't be watching this one multiple times like I always find myself wanting to do with the first.
Wendy and Lucy.
This is a beautifully sad movie. Most people unfortunately miss how fantastic an actress Michelle Williams is because she only does small art house pieces like this. However, this look at the lower working class and the trials of being alone with no where to go are heart rendering and fantastically shot. Worth a watch if you are willing to be adventurous enough to leave the mainstream.
<3