Reel Reviews

Annie (2014) -- It's tempting to view this "colorized" version of the old musical as something gimmicky and as an unwarranted attempt to "update" the look of what has long been considered a classic, but as you watch this film, it becomes clearer and clearer that this is a legitimate re-telling of the tale. Indeed, this is probably how the story should play in today's world; we should expect a modern-day Annie would be more Quvenzhané Wallis than Andrea McArdle. Having never seen the play or original movie (or even read the comic strip, for that matter), I have no opinion on how "true" to the original this version is; I just can testify that the story remains strong, its modern touches make sense and work within the plot, the cast of characters is well-represented here, and the performances are mostly true and done well. This seems to have been an overlooked work when it came out, and unfairly so; I suspect most viewers will appreciate it greatly and enjoy it very much.

For The Record, Scale Check

This picture is from last Tuesday morning, July 21st, so it's already out of date, and I probably have already gained back a few of these pounds. The big leap forward (or downward) resulted from a long weekend at Disneyland, which meant a LOT of walking around; hence the big four pound drop from the last low point. Interestingly, this experience reinforces my theory of the "vacation paradox"; while most folks gain weight when on vacation (assuming they do, or maybe they simply assume they do), I tend to lose weight when I'm away--probably because my vacations take me out of my all too familiar environment (including the bad habits of my normal space) and put me in a situation where I suddenly get a lot more exercise (be it hiking in the mountains, or footing it around the Disney parks for three days). So even with 5 days of eating little more than junk food, I still lost weight, and achieved my lowest reading yet. Fascinating stuff; let's see if I can make more of it happen down the road here, before summer is up and the fall weight gain commences.

Reel Reviews

St. Vincent -- Everything in this film is telegraphed, fairly obvious, and not especially original. The thing that saves it--indeed, raises it above the ordinary--is the fact that much of the humor here is funny in its own right (not just derivative of earlier curmudgeon stories), and the quality of the performances given by the principals involved. It's hardly a perfect movie, but it provides enough entertainment to make it worth it.

Reel Reviews

Selma -- An impressive presentation, outstanding performances, and strong, nuanced storytelling make this an exceptional piece of historical movie-making. A most notable feature is the multi-faceted portraits of each of the participants in the narrative; there's some hagiography here, but it is tempered with an honest representation of real characters, faults and all, that adds human dimensions to what otherwise might have been, in less capable hands, a flat, uninteresting work of something near propaganda. Instead we are treated to an effective and ultimately moving history, one that deserves to be viewed on many merits, and which couldn't be more relevant even today, 50 years later.

Reel Reviews

Foxcatcher -- The moral of this story: strange, damaged people should not get together with other strange damaged people. The odd thing that comes through while watching this odd movie is how unnecessary the story--and its tragic ending--were. John duPont could just as easily have stood in Mark Schultz's corner as the wrestling team's sponsor; it's what a lot of rich guys do. But that damage--the need to be his "coach" beyond all self-awareness--led to inevitable conflict and breakdown, and makes this a highlight reel that no Olympian would ever want to be in. The story is clearly told, and the actors do a fine job of conveying the sense of the people--not sure how closely they capture the nature of the people they're playing--but the film loses points for its measured pace, and for being so weird and challenging to the viewer; lots of moviegoers simply would not have the patience for this one. It's worth a look, but a lot of folks simply won't like it. Your mileage may vary.

Reel Reviews

The Postman Always Rings Twice -- He's a dirtbag. She's a cunt. They're both stupid. Her husband's an old drunken fool. What could possibly go wrong? This is one of the oddest movies I've ever watched. It wasn't exactly unengaging, but it's hard to know what to make of a film where the sleazy lawyer character is the one you root for the most. At least Lana Turner was fairly easy on the eyes. Not only were the characters all anti-heroes, but little of the story made much sense. I stayed with it for all of its length--though I was tempted to bail after the second or third false climax--but didn't feel particularly rewarded for the effort. This may be a "film buffs only" project; the rest can probably do without.

Reel Reviews

John Wick -- Shakespeare it ain't. And I imagine that a lot of the plot points would not hold up under rigorous scrutiny. But oh, man--is this movie a hoot to watch. You pretty much know everything that's going to happen long before it does, but it's still wonderfully kick-ass and entertaining to see it anyway. One of the real delights here is the terrifically and comprehensively imagined underworld of violent yet weirdly urbane criminals--a milieu in which everyone understands each other with barely a nod and dirty deeds can get done by just speaking one well-known phrase (though not necessarily done dirt cheap). You may need to check your brain at the door--and not be easily offended by violence; if you are, stay away from this neighborhood--but you will have a rollicking good time with this one.