Winter break and movies

So, it's winter break time. Being that I like both my home and New York City, I miss school and yet I'm enjoying my time of rest and being able to spend more time with my family and also with my friends. It's great to have a break that's so much significantly longer than those that I had all throughout my elementary, middle, and high school years. I've seen a lot of movies, probably my favorite thing to do during any break from school, and I figured I'd take some time on my blog to post about some of them.

The Squid and the Whale

Overall, this was a relatively entertaining movie. Despite the fact that essentially all of the characters, including Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney and certainly not excluding the children, were absolutely despicable, the movie managed to also be a really great movie about a sense of loss during a divorce. It was really a testament to the acting that the movie was pulled off. I felt it could have been slightly better directed; during some parts it even felt sort of cheap, but it also helped achieve a sense that the movie was really set in the '80s though.

King Kong

Well, when I first saw the previews for this, I thought it would be absolutely horrible, but after reading so many good reviews and finding out more about the movie, I went in expecting it to be really good. In the end, it was what it was: an action movie. Generally, I like action movies. They're excellent occasions to eat popcorn or to stop doing what you're doing in your everyday life and escape, but they're also, usually, wholly unbelievable, and this was no exception. A film crew lands on a "deserted island"...natives appear...a large ape appears...dinosaurs appear...huge insects appear...and, in the process, a woman falls in love with a huge ape. Of course, the movie is really meant as a throwback to the original film, so I suppose only those who truly appreciated the original can really comment on the current film.

The Family Stone

Well, I had no idea what this movie was about going into it, but it ended up being really funny and engaging. It had Dermot Mulroney, who's always hammy but handsome, and Sarah Jessica Parker, as well as Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and a large number of others. It was just an interesting portrait of a quirky family around the holidays when Dermot brings Sarah Jessica home to meet the whole family for the first time. It was good in most regards, but I particularly liked the honest portrayal of a committed gay relationship and adoption. Finally (besides for Brokeback Mountain) we see gay men in a movie who don't merely serve as the sidekick to the heroine or as a stereotype plastered onto the screen. I loved how the movie treated them just like every other character.

The Producers

Hmm. Well, I saw the show The Producers when it toured to Phildelphia and thought it was generally enjoyable. During the 2001 Broadway season, the hype around the show was unavoidable, but, from the cast recording, I thought it was mostly undeserved. By no means is it the musical that deserved to win the most Tonys in history! What about Sondheim, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Kander & Ebb, Ahrens & Flaherty -- ah, I digress. Anyway, I enjoyed the show enough because of its gags, but I thought the movie version fell flat. It felt like the stage show plastered on the screen with some bigger names in smaller roles and a hammy performance from Nathan Lane, whom I very much enjoy as an actor in general. I saw it mainly in support of the form of movie musicals; in fact, I will see whatever movie musicals are released, but I felt as if I would have rathered shelled out a bit more and just seen it again on stage.

Memoirs of a Geisha

I didn't know what I'd think of this movie. The visual imagery of the previews blew me away, but the critical response was rather tepid. In the end, I was absolutely riveted. It was a beautiful movie to watch and really captivated me with its rags-to-riches story of Sayumi (sp?) blossoming into a geisha, complete with all its luxury and the excess result of shedding one's individuality. I think it was worth seeing just to learn a little more about Japanese culture and for the scenery, but the acting was also top-knotch.

Match Point

Well, this was probably my favorite movie of the break. Jonathan Rhys-Myers was spectacular in the leading role, as well as Emily Mortimer and Scarlett Johansson. It was full of drama in the beginning and suspense toward the end, and the final scenes added such an unusual touch to all that had come before. Having just seen Woody Allen's last film before this one, Melinda and Melinda, I expected the worse, but this was certainly an improvement. Perhaps Woody Allen is really more cut out for drama, no matter which he prefers. It was a gripping movie that was well-paced and kept you guessing till the end. I definitely recommend it even if you don't like Woody Allen, because it's a movie unlike most others he has made.