Movie of the Day: Ratatouille

  I've seen this one before, of course, but this, my friend's favorite Pixar movie, was on TV yesterday, so I had to record it and sit down and watch it. (My favorite is probably Finding Nemo, for the record, with The Incredibles being a close second.)

The Basic Premise: A rat in Paris wants to be a chef and finds a human to help him out, and chaos ensues.

The Verdict: Do I even need to say how great this movie is? The action/chase sequences are some of the most exciting ever, especially considering that they're animated. The emotions and characters and themes are all beautiful, of course. (The scene of Anton eating Ratatouille comes to mind. <3 ) Also, the animation is visually astonishing (like wide shots of Paris at night are gorgeous to an absurd degree, and ethereal Gusteau is impressive). Also, can we take a minute to acknowledge the soundtrack and score, please? What BEAUTIFUL music. Listen to this.

How beautiful is this music? And how fitting to the atmosphere of the movie? And I love that the melody is incorporated into the score itself in key scenes of the movie.

All in all, this is an absolutely wonderful movie, a truly immersive experience. Pixar delivers a movie enjoyable by all once again. 9.7/10

Favorite Line: "Anyone can cook!"

College Hopes and Plans

  I think I suggested a long while back that I would post about my college plans at some point, so I figure now's as good a time as any.
  First choice school, to which I've applied Early Decision, is Rice University. Oh, that campus! That atmosphere! Those academics! Everything is so perfect there.
  Second choice school, to which I will probably be accepted, is University of Texas at Austin. If this is where I end up going, I won't be too disappointed at all. It's a great school, great city, and I have friends there, so that'll be fine.
  The only other school to which I am applying is the University of Houston (the main campus). Good school as well, and rapidly improving, but this is my safety school, so obviously not my first choice.
  I'd like to study Physics, is the plan, and I would also really like to take some film courses, depending especially on the school I end up going to.
  *Crosses fingers* Wish me luck!

Movie of the Day: Being John Malkovich

  After Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which I loved, I was really looking forward to whichever Charlie Kaufman-penned movie I would watch next. My two options were Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. This one seemed more interesting and was the one I knew less about, so I decided on this.

The Basic Premise: Puppeteer Craig Schwartz finds a portal which takes you literally into actor John Malkovich's body and mind. Chaos ensues. (Now, don't let this mislead you. There's a good half an hour of movie before Craig ever finds the portal. This is a very character-and-conflict-driven movie. Very hard to explain all of the crazy things that go on in this movie.)

The Verdict: This is possibly the oddest film I've ever seen. Like, the craziness of premise, of gags and jokes, even of third-act plot devices, is off the charts. This is a fantasy/sci-fi dramedy (emphasis on the comedy) at its core, and it does all of these things well. It is absolutely laugh out loud funny at some points, emotionally compelling at others, sometimes just on the verge of both with dark situational humor. It's really a bizarre movie.
  Now, it's also hailed as one of the greatest screenplays ever written, and I think I'd have to disagree, given the insertion of several third act plot points to resolve the story how it should be and a lot of on-the-nose dialogue. On the other hand, the shoehorning of plot points almost adds to the weirdness of the movie, which may be the end goal. Also, I tried explaining the basic plot of this movie to a friend today, and it would probably take me longer than the length of the movie to sort out all of the insane character relationships and stuff in a retelling, so maybe it was more concise than I thought.
  Regardless, it's a movie that's almost too weird to judge. As far as enjoyability and achieving the writer's and director's vision goes, I'm gonna give this an 8.8/10.

Favorite Line: "You don't know how lucky you are being a monkey. Because consciousness is a terrible curse. I think. I feel. I suffer. And all I ask in return is the opportunity to do my work. And they won't allow it... because I raise issues." Sittin' at home alone, talking to his pet monkey about how his whole life is a paradoxical failure... Pretty effectively shows that Craig's both pathetic and discontented with his life.

Movies of the Day: (Quickie Time!) The Brothers Bloom, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Moulin Rouge!, Amelie, and City Lights, Catch Me If You Can, To Kill A Mockingbird

I've seen a lot of movies over the past few weeks, as you can tell, and I've just been so behind on these reviews. I almost wanted to just skip them, but there were so many amazing ones, I couldn't bring myself to just skip them. So, in the hopes of getting back on track, I'm gonna review them, but try to keep them a tad shorter.

The Brothers Bloom
And with this, possibly (and probably) the greatest conman movie I've ever seen, Rian Johnson (otherwise known for Brick and, another movie on my top movies list, Looper) enters my list of favorite writer-directors. That's the same list that Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino are on, so that's saying something. This movie is amazing and, as a friend put it, is truly art. 10/10

Favorite Line: "The perfect con is one where everyone involved gets just what they wanted." A great example of a fantastic line in and of itself that takes on new meanings and nuances after you watch the film.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Believe it or not, though this movie is 12th on the IMDB top 250 movies of all time, I'm not a huge fan. It's quite good, and I can certainly understand why it's held in such high regard, but it's not quite my cup of tea. I found that the plot was a little slow at times and Nurse Ratched wasn't nearly as evil as I was led to believe. I'm sure a lot of my reaction was because of the high expectations I had going into it, though. The film makes an extremely interesting statement about freedom and society and is an interesting character study that, for once, doesn't try to elevate clinical insanity to some quality that just makes someone "special" and "see things differently". Some great lines and scenes in this one, too, and a strong ending. It's certainly a movie I can appreciate intellectually, just not particularly enjoy. Let's say... 7.5/10 for me.

Favorite Line: "But I tried, didn't I? Goddamnit, at least I did that." Verging on cliched, but the scene that comes before it, filled with reversals of expectations, justifies it, and it's a really skillful statement of one of the themes of the movie, something to tie the rest together.

Moulin Rouge!
This one verges on a guilty pleasure, but this movie embraces everything it is, which is something like the dark underbelly of a campy circus musical mixed with a Greek tragedy with a bittersweet ending, which makes it perfectly all right to love this, which I do. From the opening credits with the animated conductor, the very get-go, I knew I was in for something special, and when it hit the "Zidler's Rap (Medley)", which is a mash-up of "Zidler's Rap", "Lady Marmalade", and "Smells Like Teen Spirit", I couldn't keep the smile off my face. This movie had the effect that a favorite of mine, "(500) Days of Summer", had on me, which was to depress me and restore my faith in love all at once. The cinematography and direction were surprising to an absurd degree, to the point that I almost trust Baz Luhrmann to do my favorite novel, The Great Gatsby, justice next year (despite it containing two of my least favorite actors, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire). The acting was also great. (A female friend couldn't stop exclaiming, "OH EWAN.") Obviously, I can recognize that the writing is often clumsy and on-the-nose with the wide and overarching themes beating the audience over the head often, but that almost elevates it to another level of storybook magic, like a fairytale. 9/10

Favorite Line: As far as favorite original line goes, since this movie uses many song lyrics as dialogue to great effect, I'd have to go with:
[To the Duke] "This woman is yours now. I've paid my whore."
[To Satine] "I owe you nothing. And you are nothing to me. Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love."
The most emotionally compelling and heartbreaking line of the movie by far.

Amelie
This movie is like... a modern fairy tale. Such an original film, unlike anything I've ever seen before. Right down to the care taken in the color scheming and such, you can tell that this movie really was the product of many people's love. Also, one of the most inventive uses of voice-over I've ever seen. It makes for perfect introductions to characters and really makes sure the story doesn't slow down. A really powerful movie that takes someone who believes that if you never take any risks, you can never be disappointed, and shows that that's no way to live. It's charming and quirky and immerses you in its world; it's a romance, an adventure, a comedy, a drama, and much more. Easily in my top 100 films ever. 10/10

Favorite Line: Oh, such a toughie. When in doubt, go with the first lines, which are wonderful.

"On September 3rd 1973, at 6:28pm and 32 seconds, a bluebottle fly capable of 14,670 wing beats a minute landed on Rue St Vincent, Montmartre. At the same moment, on a restaurant terrace nearby, the wind magically made two glasses dance unseen on a tablecloth. Meanwhile, in a 5th-floor flat, 28 Avenue Trudaine, Paris 9, returning from his best friend's funeral, Eugène Colère erased his name from his address book. At the same moment, a sperm with one X chromosome, belonging to Raphaël Poulain, made a dash for an egg in his wife Amandine. Nine months later, Amélie Poulain was born."

City Lights
I'm not a fan of slapstick comedy usually because it's generally just cheap laughs, but Charlie Chaplin has always been the exception to the rule. His writing is always on point. This movie is an absolutely wonderful romance/drama/comedy. Buyer beware, it's a silent film, so it's not for everyone, but it's one of the sweetest love stories I've seen in a long time, and has some incredibly moving and compelling scenes. Not much more to say here, except that if that sort of thing appeals to you (and maybe even if it doesn't), this movie is for you. 8.8/10

Favorite Line: The final line is so moving. "Yes, I can see now."

Catch Me If You Can
Spielberg-directed, John Williams-scored, Leonardo Dicaprio (who for almost the first time acted amazingly), Tom Hanks, and Christopher Walken? Need I say more? It seems that con man stories are instantly interesting to me, and this one is no exception. Such great character development, such great acting and writing, SUCH a great score. If you only watch three movies on this quickies list, they should be The Brothers Bloom, Amelie, and Catch Me If You Can. 10/10

Favorite Line: "Frank, look. Nobody's chasing you." A turning point if ever I've heard one. A verbal revelation.

To Kill a Mockingbird
Adapted from Harper Lee's novel of the same name (which I read in middle school, years ago), this is a powerful movie with a lot to say about equality, justice, courage, and the other important things in life. One of the better adaptations I've seen, but I think this book was made to be a book. The movie can come across a tad episodic and plotless. A lot of my favorite lines were left out, as well, which disappointed me. In particular, my favorite line from the novel was, “Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what,” or something to that effect. Still, some scenes are very powerful to see, and it really brings into focus that these were kids who had to deal with these issues. I'll give this movie... an 8.25/10.

Favorite Line: "There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible." Atticus Finch was voted in many places the greatest hero in film history. It's lines like these that make me wont to agree. What a man.

Music of the Day: Jaymay!

  I'm a little back-logged on movie reviews, I've seen a couple I haven't written up yet which I will get to eventually, but with college application deadlines looming, I am a little stressed. This is a quick post to say, merely, that if you have not heard of Jaymay, you need to go listen to her. Now. RIGHT NOW. Here, I'll even get you started.

This is now one of my favorite songs ever. Those lyrics... Gah. 

This is also absolutely wonderful. 

  Just go listen to all of her songs, okay? Okay. I've been darn-near fixated on her music for maybe 4 months now. She just... gets things. Go listen.

Movie of the Day: In Bruges

  So I'd heard good things about this movie, and particularly the writing, so I was looking forward to it. I'll get right into it.
  The Basic Premise: Two hitmen have a job that goes wrong and are forced to hide out in Bruges (hence the title). Bruges is a city in Belgium, in case you didn't know (which I didn't).
  The Verdict: I'm teetering on the edge of "liked it a lot" and "loved it". This movie is beautifully, amazingly, fantastically written. Extremely well-plotted, as nothing is unmotivated, nothing is unexplained, everything leads back to some more important event later. And such well-handled exposition, which is the mark of a strong screenplay. The music's quite nice, too, though it does detract from the tension some moments should have. The directing and acting are very good, but a tad artsy and in-your-face for my taste. You become slightly too aware of the directing, I think, which pulls you out of the immersive experience of an otherwise great movie. Otherwise, though, the screenplay by Martin McDonagh (who also directed it) astounds. If nothing else, Martin McDonagh has a new fan in me, he's definitely one to watch. I need to watch Seven Psychopaths now; it's his second writing/directing feature and is in theaters currently. I'll give this an 8.8/10, but the screenplay alone gets a 10/10.
  Favorite Line: Very tough choice, since this movie functions so well as a drama and a crime story and a comedy and so much more, all of which is due to some fantastic lines, but I think the very first line of the movie is one of the most gripping first lines I've ever heard, and it really sets up the flexible tone of the rest of the movie. "After I killed him, I dropped the gun in the Thames, washed the residue off me hands in the bathroom of a Burger King, and walked home to await instructions. Shortly thereafter the instructions came through - 'Get the f*** out of London, you dumb f***s. Get to Bruges.' I didn't even know where Bruges f***ing was. *Pause* It's in Belgium."

Movie of the Day: Looper

  "What?! He's going to talk about a movie that is current and relevant?! What a twist of events!"
  So, as the trailer shows, Looper is basically about a hitman who kills people sent back through time by the mafia, but one day future-him comes back through time, and he lets himself escape, and chaos ensues.
  This movie was written and directed by Rian Johnson, of Brick fame. That movie, a cult classic at this point, also effectively launched the career of another incredibly talented actor (one of my favorites) and the star of the movie at hand, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (I recommend Brick if you haven't seen it, by the way; modern film noir in a high school setting might be as intriguing as it gets.)
  Now, I don't know if I'm just really easily pleased or I just happen to watch a lot of good movies, but I've given a lot of high scores in the reviews on here. Looper, though, deserves the high score I'm obviously going to give it, without a doubt in my mind. For being one of my most anticipated movies of the fall season and having been given very high ratings by all of my favorite Youtube reviewers, Looper still managed to impress beyond any of my expectations.
  How do I love Looper, you ask? Let me count the ways. The exposition is handled perfectly, which is the mark of a masterful screenplay. JGL's acting is phenomenal, he completely disappears into the role (like he does in every other role of his). Emily Blunt and Pierce Gognan truly surprised with their acting chops. Rian Johnson's writing is impeccable, layered with complexity but understood with simplicity. His directing style is risky in all the right ways, with all the perfect payoffs; he takes his time when he's supposed to, skips over what he should, is fragile when he needs to be and aggressive when he needs to be. AND THAT ENDING. Perfection. Just perfection. Every time I think of the ending, right down to the song during the credits, I just get a deep feeling of satisfaction somewhere deep inside my stomach. I love it. I'm a little suspicious of the IMDB Top 250 list, but this movie definitely deserves its place on that list. It should probably be higher, even. This rating is solidified in my head the more I think about it. 10/10

  Favorite line: Can't type it here, both for fear of spoiling it and because I don't remember it word for word, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt's final voice-over monologue of the movie. Perfection. Rian Johnson is really one to watch.