Nichols | House

Planet B-Boy was one of the best documentaries I saw last year while hitting up the festival circuit. Not only is it an explosive taste of inspiring internal rhythm but it also touches upon global themes of poverty, humanity, and determination. You have no idea how excited I am for this film to come out.

Check out the trailer!

Persepolis had some funny, moving, and politically pointed moments, but quite frankly the movie was boring. I think it was just too long for what it was. There was more than one graphic novel compiled into this film and I think that was their mistake.

I’m not just saying this because I am guy watching a story about a girl growing up. Both girls and guys who have seen it agree: Interesting for a moment but dry on a whole.

This is an amazing movie. My initial reaction is to recommend it to every person I know… But I don’t want to give the wrong impression. You might not love the movie but I can guarantee Cloverfield will keep you riveted (and I’m talking beyond Bourne Ultimatum riveted), and afterward you certainly will respect it.

Genius storytelling.
Great camera work.
No score (well we could get technical if you want…there is “music”).
Killer, yet unknown, actors.
And JJ Abrams.
It all adds up… This movie rocks.

I won’t spoil any plot points, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but oddly enough I left the movie wanting someone I could truly love (haha yes true love what a cliché, but honestly). I mean lots of action  flicks try adding in the noble love story and usually fail (check out Pearl Harbor for what not to do). There might be a lot of stuff going on during this action packed rampage but no movie has made me want to find true love more.

OH PS I strongly disagree with MANOHLA DARGIS (NY Times film critic). Her review seemed to expect we all went to Cloverfield to see the greatest movie of all time. In fact many people probably went for one of these reasons:

1. Lost is amazing,
2. Monsters generally mean great action.
3. After seeing I Am Legend you had… still have… an obsession with seeing a New York destroyed.
4. You thought one of the girls in the trailer was hot.
5. You got dragged along.
6. (did I mention theres lots of action?)
7. You had free screening tickets.
8. You were just bored.

Cloverfield is what it is and nothing more. Certainly its a better version of War of the Worlds (though I thought Cruise did a great job).

Times Review: http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/movies/18clov.html

I was duped. In order for me to explain I have to go back a year. When I first saw the trailer for Blood Diamond I instantly laughed at what struck me as the most obscene accent ever (Dicaprio as a South African). Little did I know that Blood Diamond was an amazing story with a heart in all the right places. Fast forward a year. I saw Blood Diamond on DVD and realized that accents, even ones that make you cringe at first, can sometimes work. I loved Blood Diamond and felt stupid for judging it so quickly.

SO… back to Eastern Promises. I saw the trailer, I hated Viggo’s accent, yet I told myself, “Eric don’t judge this like Blood Diamond.” So I rented Eastern Promises and wow. The blatant throat slicing complete with spraying blood in the first thirty seconds should have been a hint. I really did not like this film. Yes it has stars like Viggo Mortensen, and Naomi Watts. Yes it has a compelling plot twist, but when the credits rolled I felt a little empty- and not in a good way “I just finished Children of Men” empty.

I guess I read the reviews saying how great a film Eastern Promises was and so I expected something great, not something a step below good and a step above OK.

Take my advice and only see Eastern Promises if you have a compelling reason because on a whole its almost boring and we have seen the story before (a lot). It’s not a bad movie but it feels slightly tired.

PS Mortensen does a good job with his part and eventually I was OK (still didn’t love it but OK) with his accent. Oh and he has a completely nude fight scene.

Charlie Wilson’s War, directed by Mike Nichols, is one of the best films this year. Aaron Sorkin, creator of West Wing and Studio 60, has written another hit. Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are amazing, yet Philipp Seyore Hoffman cast a hilarious and stunning shadow over them both (well except when Roberts gets out of the pool, nobody could cast a shadow over that).

I know all the reviews are writing about Hoffman and his amazing-ness, but I have no problem doing it too. Every single thing Hoffman says is hilarious and daring, which also embodies the film as well.

I’m excited to see where Nichols, who also directed Closer, is up to next. Overall Charlie Wilson’s War is extremely funny and comical, yet simultaneously “bi-partisan” with an ominous point.

Though I wonder: Would liberal minded people, like myself, enjoy the movie as much if Charlie Wilson was a Republican?

A seizure may have been more interesting than National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

First Book of Secrets was EXACTLY the same as the first National Treasure. Second the only reason we liked the first National Treasure is because we were surprised that it was a decently good movie. The sequel held no surprises or really anything resembling interesting. Third, how in the world does Nicholas Cage keep getting work?

Enough said. Do not waste your time with Book of Secrets unless your renting, or better yet pirating, DVD’s and you are extremely bored.

This movie was just bad. It was a really expensive rip of LOTR. Basically there a bunch of problems but most of all the movie was just boring! (GASP, did I just say that about a movie? yes)

PS the books rock.

This film is a giant bundle of cliches which build to the climactical line “Run August, Run.” Enough said. Oh fun fact: the reverend in this movie also played Bubba in Forrest Gump.

Also it has a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/august_rush/)

There was never a doubt in my mind that George Clooney could act, but in Michael Clayton, directed and written by Tony Gilroy, the gloves come off and Clooney shows us what its all about and instantly redefines the lawyer movie. The film is smart, really smart, but don’t let this intimidate. As for the plot?

Just accept the mystery and let it unfold around you into a cloud of coherent confusion that exponentially builds the artfully told story.

Without the gritty beard, I half expected clean cut Ocean’s Clooney, and even though he’s ridiculously well dressed, Clooney still pulls off an honest interpretation of true grit. It might be easy to forget to watch the other actors with Clooney’s inspirational performance, compiled with his three minute stare at the end (just watch it), but don’t forget about the ensemble of brilliant support. Tom Wilkinson plays a genius yet unstable lawyer, while Tilda Swinton defines power through her rehearsed character, and Sydney Pollack explores evil.

With the start studded cast, Gilroy convincingly takes that great Jason Bourne magic and applies it to one hell of a dialog driven story. Some might say this film is boring but trust me Michael Clayton is one of the best films of 2007.

PS this movie blows the socks off The Firm, just incase you thought Cruise could play a better lawyer than Clooney.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age more like Elizabeth: We don’t know why we are making this movie but lets have famous people in cool costumes and nobody will notice the lack of plot Age. This film was truly awful there is no way around it.

It felt reminiscent to The Tudors on Showtime but without the interesting stuff. Simply put I don’t know why I wasted two hours watching this film that lacked essence of movie.