Up in the Air - 3.5 out of 4 - Reitman made his best movie so far. Thank You For Smoking was enjoyable. I couldn't stand Juno, but Up in the Air was great. I can't figure out why I took off a half a point. I can't really think about anything I didn't like. It just didn't overwhelm me after watching (500) Days of Summer and Precious. Glad I got it.
Matt, while you're one of my favorite bloggers and we agree on almost everything, I just saw "Up In The Air" and I would only give it a 2.5. I have to say, though, that it's because of pure bias on my part ... I can't
stand Clooney. He fits in the same category as Richard Gere for me, which is: Pretty Boy, No talent ... or I should say, SOME talent, but way too "camera aware" ... you can tell that they always know
exactly where the camera is and are playing to IT, rather than playing to the other
character(s) in the shot. It just screams of vanity to me, and while I honestly don't know that they are indeed vain, just the
impression they give me is enough to make it distasteful. (If you saw the awards the other night during breaks in the games, George's facial expression while they introduced him said it all .... no humbleness, no acknowledgement of anything other than "Oh, I'm just soooooooooo wunnerful, and everyone thinks I'm dreamy!" (Gag!)
Now, as I stated, I don't know that he's that kind of person or not, but the feeling I get when I watch him in ANY movie, is not that he's living the
part or becoming the person he's playing, but ONLY that he's playing
to the camera, and that he is constantly thinking "Is this my good side? Am I going to look good in this shot? Is she blocking me too much? Does the director know that this isn't my best color?" (Please forgive me, George, and all those who adore him ... I admit completely that it's a totally unfounded distatse and revulsion ... but I can't HELP it ... it's THERE, and I can't ignore it). Everyone has their own versions of someone that just rubs them the wrong way or repulses them irrationally, and George Clooney is one of those for me. There are a few other actors and actresses that do the same thing to me, and I just can't get beyond
them to enjoy the movie they're in for what it is .... unfortunately, (Richard Gere, Kate Winslet, Susan Sarandon, etc.).
Now, it's not just some irrational "pretty boy" hatred thing, because there are actors who fall into that category who I feel are amazing actors as well, (Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, etc.) ... these guys have gone a long way on their looks as well, but are also just incredibly talented, no matter how you slice it, and they don't have that same constant "always play to the camera" awareness that totally invalidates those who are guilty of it. (I hope I'm explaining this well, cuz it's really a difficult thing for me to describe in an understandable fashion). Anyway ... I think "Up In The Air" would have been a home-run for me if someone else was playing Clooney's part, (always loved his aunt, Rosemary, though ... velvet-voiced). I also just saw "Up" and that was absolutely one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen in a long time, despite it being digital animation ... can't wait to see it again, and that's always a good indication to me.
I used to go to movies with an analytical mind-set, and pick them apart for each element involved, but I found that I ended up not getting much enjoyment from them that way ... too much analysis can really take the "joy" out of "enjoyment". So
now I go to movies with no pre-sets or expectations, and instead of analyzing, I just take it
IN ... just let it play out and really ENJOY it, or NOT. Then if it's something I feel is worth watching again, the
next time I watch it I'll be a little more analytical, on purpose, but still not to the point of taking the fun out of it. I believe movies are made for enjoyment first of all, and I've reached a point in my life where I really don't want to be manipulated by a movie politically or socially, I just want to be ENTERTAINED. (Make sense?) So with that in mind I've rated the following by that criteria ... whether or not I was
entertained and/or affected or moved in a meaningful way.
"Up In The Air" 2.5 Stars (Due to GC)
"Up" 4.0 Stars
"Avatar" 4.0 Stars (I'm a sci-fi freak)
"The Blind Side" 3.5 Stars
"The Hurt Locker" 3.5 Stars
Now, while "Avatar" was certainly not a "deep" or artsy-type movie, and while it was a bit predictable and trite as far as the plot and story-line goes, I am a sci-fi freak and this movie took the process of science fiction movie-making and special effects to a whole new level, and I was absolutely entranced and blown away by it. Again, it has a lot to do with where I am in my life now and the "entertainment" factor ... it wouldn't be too difficult to take almost any movie and analyze the enjoyment right out of it, but by the criteria of pure entertainment, Avatar was amazing, and like nothing else I've ever seen. Can't wait for MORE!
Topic: What's the Last Movie You Watched? (Read 953946 times)