I am a fan of movies and see quite a share of them (I have a Netflix account, so it kinda helps... by the way, I recommend Netflix strongly). Every so often I will write about some recent movies that I have seen, and what I think/recommend. When I will critique a movie, here are a few sayings I will use, and what they mean:
-A must see is exactly that. I don't take it lightly, so if I say that a certain movie is a must see, then from my perspective, I feel that it really is a must see.
-If I say that a movie is on the buy list, that means that I plan on buying the movie. Just an extra applause of the movie that it is so good, I must have it in my library.
-A good movie is exactly that. Not a must see, but it won't hurt watching it. You should enjoy it, if you like movies similar to my tastes.
-And obviously, I will tell you when I dislike certain movies.
One more thing. I believe in watching movies with no prior information at all. This means, if possible, watch a movie without watching a trailer first or reading its description. You will be better off for it. Why? Because this way you will not go into a movie with a bias. You can really enjoy a movie the way the creators of that movie meant for you to enjoy it, from beginning to end. So then why am I even criticizing these movies and describing them in the first place? Well, for myself obviously. But also because movie critiques can help steer us towards watching one movie or another in the first place. Telling someone that a movie is a must see may end up getting them to see a movie they may have otherwise not have watched, yet in the end may be grateful they did. So take my criticisms with a grain of salt, as you should with anything. And this also explains why I will avoid getting into too much detail (if any) about particular movie plots (see Rain Man). The less I give away, the better.
Boiler Room: I've been eyeing this movie for some time, and was soo happy that I got to see it. Pretty much about a 20 something year old that becomes a broker and gets rich, but takes a greater look at corporate greed. One of Giovanni Ribisi's best performances. A must see, and is on my buy list.
Chaplin: The Movie : Chronicling the story of Charlie Chaplin and his rise to comedic fame, this is a must see less because of how good of a movie it is (and it is good) but more because of its historic importance. I think people have forgotten 70 years later how important Chaplin was to the movie and comedic industry and how significant he was to the soul of a lot of the world. It also didn't hurt that Robert Downey Jr. is one of my favorite actors, and to say that he had an amazing performance in this movie is an understatement. His performance was critically acclaimed and earned him a best actor nomination at the Academy Awards. Must see, buy list.
The Contract: John Cusak and Morgan Freeman. Some kind of hit man is captured by a father and son as they are hiking in the woods. I only mention this because it was excruciating for me to watch. I stopped the movie halfway through, something I almost never do. One of the most boring movies, cheap (no wonder... they spent all of their money paying Cusak and Freeman to be in their movie), and had only one constant monotonous scene: the forest. What are John Cusak and Morgan Freeman doing with their acting careers? Little did I know that this movie actually went straight to video. And it was only made in 2006! I just wanted to share my pain. Honestly, the only reason I wanted to see this movie was because the plot sounded decent, the title sounded better, and the movie cover looked cool. I feel stupid and awful!
Rain Man: A more classic movie, but well worth its notoriety. I'm going to leave most of the story to you, but just know that both acting performances by Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman are well worth the mention. It's a must see, but not on the buy list because it had a few slow moments and these are the kind of stories that I don't care to see again. It does, however, have a lot of memorable scenes, more than most movies I have ever watched before.
Slumdog Millionaire: For all of the hype, I was disappointed. I never felt enthralled by the movie, as I expected. Millionaire switched between story lines often. Many movies do this successfully. Millionaire was not one of them. It was a good story with a better message and enjoyable moments. But in the end I just felt myself waiting too long for an ending that was predictable and not climatic. It's worth a rent, but nothing more.
Street Fight: An amazing documentary capturing the 2002 mayoral election of Newark, New Jersey. Cory Booker tries to become mayor as he faces incumbent James Sharpe, and faces vast amounts of corruption and biases as an old school election is held out on the streets of Newark. I am really being lured into watching more documentaries, as the best stories are those that are real. Make sure you look up the Wikipedia information on this movie and on Cory Booker and James Sharpe after you watch the movie. Must see, buy list.
Traitor: Don Cheadle plays a former US special ops soldier who now conspires with terrorists in the Middle East. Although Don Cheadle can have his great moments, he has been better cast in other movies. After Hotel Rwanda (which I have yet to see), it seems like this role has already been done, with the same actor (again, however, I haven't even seen the movie, it's just that Don Cheadle seemed a little dull in the movie... though that is what the character called for). A good movie with a better message.
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