December Movies

2001: Space Odyssey (****)

I watched this movie with my 3-month-old daughter. She had two naps and three diaper changes before it was over. This movie begs the question, can a film be both extremely boring and intriguing at the same time? I made an attempt to watch this movie years ago and fell asleep before getting through the first act. Talking with a group of friends, falling asleep is not an uncommon reaction to this film. Nevertheless, 2001 certainly has great merit. Visually it is an amazing film. The special effects are incredible considering it was filmed in 1968 without the use of CGI. I feel that Kubrick also provided a realistic view of space life, for the most part, with the absence of sound in space and the monotony of space life. Although there is a scene where an astronaut goes out in space holding his breath without a helmet, which isn’t terribly realistic. I am pretty sure his head would explode in this situation (a la Total Recall). I also enjoyed the scenes involving HAL-9000, who provides a great “villain,” but by the end of the film these scenes appear to be just an interesting subplot. What the main plot is, in relation to the “monolith-ic” climax at the end, I am still not sure. I guess I’ll have to read the book to find out.

I have to say, I did like the set design of 2001, especially the furniture.

The Simpsons’ Movie (***)
I love the Simpsons and this film received rave reviews from critics nationwide. In fact, on the cover of the DVD is a quote from O. A. Scott saying that he would watch this movie 20 to 30 times. I however wasn’t super impressed by the movie. It just seemed like an extra long episode of the Simpsons. I have seen television episodes that were more entertaining (of course there are hundreds to choose from). I guess I was just expecting more.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (****)
I have a confession. I have never read the Harry Potter books, nor have I seen all the Harry Potter films. This is probably to my detriment considering how often I work with children. My sister picked this one out and I was very impressed. It was a good film with a great commentary on contemporary US politics.

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (**)
Have you ever found yourself getting roped into a movie that no one really wants to see? My in-laws planned for us all to see this movie. I figured I would go to humor them – it couldn’t be that bad anyway, right? At the last minute my in-laws backed out to see the Chipmunks movie instead, leaving a half dozen of us to suffer through a Dan Brown knock off starring Nick Cage, with only my 7 year old nephew wanting to see it. It was completely lame. Will Cage ever star in a decent movie again?

The Christmas Story (****)
I never get tired of watching this movie. It is so very quote-able. It is a modern Christmas classic and I would venture to say that there is no Christmas movie released in the last 50 years that could beat it. Can you image this was made by the same guy who wrote and directed Porky’s? Fun fact: Peter Billingsley who played Ralphie also had a small role as an elf in Will Farrell’s Elf.

I am continually amazed at what you can find on he internet. Check out this link to book a tour of the Christmas Story House and to get directions to the Christmas Story Chinese food restaurant: http://achristmasstoryhouse.com/

An Affair to Remember (****)

We watched this film starring Cary Grant and Debora Kerr for the first time this month. I can see why it is a romantic classic, it is very sentimental. Grant’s affection for Kerr isn’t very convincing until the end. The romantic banter is pretty slick though and yet some of the best scenes in the movie don’t involve talking at all (e.g., their looks back and forth when leaving the cruise, overplayed but very comical).

Saboteur (****)
Many critics have said this is not one of Hitchcock’s better films. That’s like saying “minor Picasso or Van Go”. While Saboteur might not be as good as some of the other movies in Hitch’s amazing repertoire (e.g., North by Northwest, Vertigo, Rear Window, Psycho), this is still a fun and entertaining film. It has many of the same elements of his earlier 39 Steps and North by Northwest. Each of the characters is great and the film has strong writing. I would strongly recommend it to anyone. It’s a great action/adventure road movie.

Sudden Fear (****)
I became interested in this movie after reading about it in a fascinating book called San Francisco Noir by Nathaniel Rich. The book, a cross between a movie reference and a travel guide, reviews various noir classic films that take place in San Francisco.

Sudden Fear, filmed in the city by the bay, stars Joan Crawford and Jack Palance (pre pre-City Slickers). Both of them are wonderful. There is a suspenseful scene where Crawford sweats profusely that is pretty unnerving. This is an enjoyable film with an interesting twist to the classic noir femme-fatale motif.


The Sentinel (*)
The director could have greatly improved Eva Longoria's acting had they used a cardboard cut out of her on wheels that followed Sutherland’s character around. The funny thing is that Douglas is supposed to play a legendary secret service officer who took a bullet protecting the former President Regan. I thought that was ironic because when Hinckley actually shot Regan, Douglas was being cast in movies as an anti-establishment hippie, such as in The China Syndrome, which is coincidently a great film.

The Hustler (*****)
This is a classic film that I put off too long to watch. I was really blown away by it, although I don’t know why I was surprised, you can’t go wrong with Paul Newman. In a way, I thought the movie was in itself a kind of hustle, starting off slow and detached and in the end packing an emotional wallop. The intensity of Newman’s performance and the character he plays, Fast Eddie, are both very reminiscent of Marlin Brando’s portrayal of Kowalski in A Street Car Named Desire filmed ten years earlier. What makes this movie so interesting is the complexity of the many different characters, such as Sarah Packard, Fast Eddie’s girlfriend played by Piper Laurie, Minnesota Fats played by Jackie Gleeson, and the infamous Bert Gordon played by George C. Scott. I look forward to seeing the “sequel”, The Color of Money which was filmed 25 years later by a director named Martin Scorsese.