Rent It
Obviously this movie is no longer in theaters so I had to rate it accordingly. But I think this movie is very good. I was up late, laying in bed, wishing I could sleep, so I decided to see what was up on Netflix. I actually watched this movie when it first came out. I don't normally watch movies twice, that just tells you how much I like this movie.
The Young Victoria is a an amazing love story. Emily Blunt is fantastic in the film. She is so good at playing a young girl with great responsibility. She skips down the stairs, pushing the limits of her mothers rules. She runs in the hall when she gets excited. She giggles with joy, then quickly regains her composure. An interesting element the film used to add to this image of youth was to have her sit far enough back on any chair or bed that her feet hovered over the floor. This gave the impression that she was still small. Blunt had perfect posture for this time period, and every costume looked amazing on her. Rupert Friend was a great Prince Albert. They were completely convincing as a romantic couple. They portrayed one of the sweetest love stories I have ever seen.
Another interesting thing that stood out to me was the way Victoria and her mother spoke to each other in their shared room. They sat on opposite ends of the room at their respective vanities. They spoke more towards their own reflections than at each other. It was a great way to define the distance between them. It reminded me of modern day messaging. I had two friends my freshman year of college that used to sit at their desks, with there back to each other literally two feet away from each other, instant messaging each other instead of just talking.
If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it. It is a great period piece. It is extremely well done. It will make a great addition to any home collection to be seen over and over again.
Theater Worthy
I have been anticipating this movie for months. And I am happy to report it did not disappoint. Go see this movie. I have to admit, going to a movie on opening night is just not as nice as watching it in the day when you are practically alone. I just forgot how loud opening night can be. So thank you boisterous guys in the row behind me, apparently I needed reminding.
Sucker Punch is about a young girl called Baby Doll (Emily Browning). After her mother's death, her step-father has her institutionalized. She retreats to an alternate reality as a means to cope with her life. In this alternate reality, she attempts to find freedom with the help of four other girls in the facility. Her alternate reality has two layers, a brothel and a battlefield. The battlefield is more of a layer inside a layer. This layering effect reminded me of Inception. However, Sucker Punch did not explain the layers as Inception did, but rather used costume and setting to distinguish between the realities. Almost every scene in the brothel has a mirror. I find this detail fascinating. One shot in particular was extremely meaningful and well done. The girls were sitting in front of their dressing room mirrors talking. The camera pans behind the girls focusing on their reflections, then seamlessly crosses the plane of the mirror and the reflection becomes the reality. This sets the theme for the entire film. Everything becomes a reflection of reality. The battlefield is a reflection of the brothel. The brothel is a reflection of reality. Absolutely genius, Zach Snyder, absolutely genius.
This film was cinematically breath taking. The first five minutes of this movie were so visually striking no dialog was needed. It was amazing to see the entire setup of the film done without a word being spoken. I was completely enthralled. The action sequences were also stunning. There are a number of slow motion shots which I enjoyed, well up until the train scene at least. My favorite battle scene was definitely the trenches. Zack Snyder did an amazing job of creating fantastic fight scenes with five girls that wouldn't normally be cast in action roles. And as the guys in the row behind me can attest, they looked hot. I was particularly impressed with a fight sequence involving Vanessa Hudgens, who plays Blondie. I was watching carefully and her almost completely real time fight scene included no stunt double. I did not think she had it in her, but not only did she pull it off, she did it well. As did the rest of the cast. The computer graphics had an animated feel. This added to the feeling of a false reality.
The styling and makeup were up to standard with the rest of the film. There were, of course, some stunning beauty shots of all the girls. I especially loved Jena Malone's (Rocket) hair in the battle scenes. It was so perfectly placed it felt animated, which was enhanced by the setting created by the graphics. The sound effects were flawless. Every song, every sound was perfectly placed. This soundtrack has already been added to my play list. The acting was on par with the other elements. Even down to the minor roles. Jon Hamm was amazing as the doctor. His appearance was so brief but his impact was great. What made it so great was that he didn't know how much of an impact he would have by mentioning something so seemingly small.
In short, go watch this movie. The story line wasn't what I thought. The ending was a bit of a sucker punch itself, but after knowing the whole story, no other ending would have been acceptable. The movie leaves a lot to think about, fueled by some unanswered questions. I want to go a little deeper into those questions and things that will ruin it if you have not seen it so read the rest after you watch the movie.
Caution: The continuation of reading this blog post before watching this movie will result in pain and affliction of knowing you have just ruined the awesomeness of your movie watching experience.
Ok so I wish there had been one scene of Baby Doll interacting with the other girls in the institution. She saw the other girls interacting, well fighting, when she arrived, but I never knew what her relationship with the other girls was. We can assume that everything that happened in the alternate worlds was a reflection of reality. In this case, she did interact with the girls. Perhaps she did save Rocket from the cook, and we know she definitely stabbed Blue. But then the question arises, did everyone else really die? Well Baby Doll was sacrificing herself to what seemed a certain death in the end of the alternate reality. The reflection in reality, being lobotomized. So were the other girls also lobotomized? Or were they harmed at all? When everything shifts back to reality, the fire is mentioned, the stabbing is mentioned, the escape is mentioned, but no deaths are spoken of. Another question, were Rocket and Sweet Pea really sisters? If so, they also ran away from home, and perhaps Sweet Pea wasn't crazy but went to the facility in order to protect her sister. Or perhaps a mental patient is now on the loose. But since this story is about freedom and Sweet Pea got the freedom we expected from the story, I will choose to believe she was going home to her mother. And when she gets there she is going to tell her Rocket loves her, because that is just how the story ends.
I found it really interesting that this alternate reality worked as a therapy for Baby Doll. In the beginning when she was attacked by her stepfather, I wasn't then, nor am I now, certain whether he was going to physically or sexually abuse her. The way the camera focused on her fallen button made me think sexual,. Perhaps it was both. The layers of her alternate reality addressed both issues, one being sexual and the other violent. The film also inferred that Blue was sexually abusing the girls, which was confirmed in the end. When Baby Doll was admitted to the mental institution, I saw Blue and wondered, "What is a young man doing around these girls and why isn't anyone concerned about it?" My suspicions were confirmed when he had Baby Doll put in what looked like a gutted men's bathroom at the end. It also worked as a therapy as she went on her quest for freedom. I originally assumed she wanted to escape the facility. When she realized that this wasn't about her getting free from a building, but from herself, she accepted, and even desired, the way to that freedom. In the brothel she desired death, and in reality she wanted the lobotomy. Jon Hamm's character saw that longing in her eyes. After killing her little sister, what else could she long for. Escape from a building would never provide her freedom. I loved that her sacrifice actually did bring down Blue. She really did give all the other girls in the facility freedom, as she found her own, by being the means to rid them of Blue.
After the lobotomy, everyone keep saying, "Look at her eyes" yet the camera never allowed a view. I waited with morbid anticipation for the look in Baby Doll's eyes. I expected a deadness, an empty numbness. The film so perfectly denied the audience any view of her face. She was led as a puppet, not responding to anything. When I finally saw her face, I was pleasantly shocked. She really was in paradise. She did find that freedom. It is not the freedom any of us would think to want, yet after her life, I doubt there was any other freedom for her. So the movie did end happily, if not the happiness I originally envisioned. She would never again be burdened by pain. Brilliantly done. Bravo Zack Snyder. Bravo.
Rent It
The Tourist follows Elise (Jolie), the wife of a elusive thief, Alexander Pearce, wanted by a very powerful gang lord, Scotland Yard and local police. Elise is instructed by Alexander to find someone of his height and build and use him as a decoy Alexander Pearce. She meets and American tourist named Frank (Depp) on the train to Venice, Italy. The gang lord is quickly convinced and tries to capture Frank. The police realize he is just a tourist and feel he is of no consequence, therefore offer him no protection. Elise seems to somehow have developed feelings for him in an unusually short amount of time and decides to save him herself. Frank later attempts to return the favor when she tries to help the police catch Alexander Pearce. This leads to an eventful ending that was the best part of the movie.
Jolie's costumes and makeup were stunning the entire movie. Too stunning in fact. Her eyes looked so large she could have just stepped out of an anime. Every time the camera went from her face to Depp's face it was jarring. He looked ragged and his eyes looked beady. Now I am a Johnny Depp fan, but this movie just didn't do it for me. I can't believe how plain he looked next to her. Jolie was also the only female in the movie. The only other women were only extras with no lines. No other woman spoke. She was always dressed beautifully. Interestingly, she never wore pants. Neither did any of the other women in the movie. Always dressed in skirts and heels, I wonder what statement they were trying to make.
The acting was well done, though I have never seen a less convincing love story than between Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. They had crap chemistry. The rest of the cast did well. Paul Bettany joined the supporting cast as the Scotland Yard inspector. He is another actor I will watch just about any movie they are in. It was weird to see Johnny Depp in Europe with an American accent. Perhaps that is part of what made him less attractive. He did bring a little humor to the film by using Spanish when trying to communicate with the local Italians. I could have done with a little more light moments along the slow beginning so it wouldn't seem so dry.
So if you have to see this movie because you are a fan of the actors, rent it. Otherwise wait for it to come to Netflix. It isn't getting five stars or two thumbs up from me.
Rent it
I don't think a summary is necessary for this film as most of us grew up on this story. It was a good retelling of the childhood story. It was not as suspenseful as I thought it would be, though there was a nice twist in the identity of the wolf. Just a content note; I don't recall any language but there is a, well I guess I can't say sex scene so make-out scene that felt a bit smutty. It just felt out of place.
We all know this movie is from the same director as Twilight. So if you liked Twilight will you like this movie? The short answer: Probably. It felt very similar with a little Van Helsing mixed it. In the case of both Twilight and Red Riding Hood, great cinematography does not equal a good film. In this case, the great camera angles did not contribute to the overall movie. There were really great shots but it felt like the combinations of great camera shots were driving the movie rather than the vision of the film being accentuated by the cinematography. It continually pulled me out of the movie. It felt disjointed. I wish that all aspects of the film were more cohesive.
The styling was also continually distracting. The young generation was fine. Not too much makeup and the costumes were appropriate. Valerie's (Red Riding Hood) mother looked like a bar maid. The curls of hair were too perfect, too much makeup and eyeliner, which was definitely not period. It completely distracted from the movie. Same for the grandmother. It felt to modern and distracted me every time I saw either of them. Especially since they were the only two in the film with modern stylizing. The effects were pretty good. The werewolf was like a black, ratted version of the Twilight wolves, another obvious similarity.
Amanda Seyfried was amazing. Of course, I was already a big fan of her. She was easily the biggest talent in the movie. She carried the story, definitely setting a wide gap in the parallel between this film and Twilight, as Twilight is seriously lacking in leading lady department. Gary Oldman was also good in this film, so good in fact that I hated his character and celebrated his death. Lukas Haas was a convincing young priest. I found him loving and charming. Billy Burke was a familiar Twilight face(Charlie). He also did well in this film as the loving father.
Did I enjoy the movie? Yes, but I wouldn't pay more than $5 to see it, even for more than one person. If you think the Twilight movies are worth the 15 plus dollars it costs to do a movie date night, then maybe you will think this movie is likewise worth it. But if you live on a budget, like most people, save it for a better movie and pick this one up at the Red Box. Hey it is only $1. Almost any movie is worth $1. . . Almost.
Discount Theater
This is actually a tough one for me to rate. If you really like movies and are interested in all elements of film making you will really enjoy this in theaters. It was well made, the acting was great, and it made interesting social comments. This was not some fluffy blockbuster. This movie had a lot to say and found a very creative and entertaining ways to say it. However, it was not as mind blowing as I thought it would be. If you watch movies to be entertained and are not interested in social commentary, I would say rent it. If you are religious and cannot stand to hear or see an opinion that is negative against God or you just don't like movies with agendas, I would recommend skipping this one because it makes some pretty strong comments. Also not a lot of swearing but there is one F-bomb and a sex scene, though no nudity.
Summary
"The Adjustment Bureau" follows David Norris (Matt Damon), a young politician running for a spot in the Senate. He has a spotted past, and when photos surface of him mooning his high school reunion, it costs him the election. As he is preparing his losing speech he meets a girl, Elise (Emily Blunt). She inspires him to be open and honest rather that rehearsed and political. The success of this speech sets him up for the next election.
Meanwhile, four agents from the Adjustment Bureau are meeting. Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie from We Are Marshall) is the agent that has been in charge of David for many years. One morning he is supposed to make sure David spills his coffee by 7:05. While waiting for David to cross through the park, Harry accidentally falls asleep sitting on the park bench. This miscue leads to David not spilling his coffee as planned. David boards the bus he was meant to miss and re encounters Elise. After a successful chat, he gets her phone number and arrives to work ten minutes too early. David happily makes his way through his office. He is too blissful from his rendezvous to notice that everyone in the office is frozen in place. He is rudely awakened from his daze as he walks into the conference room and discovers mysterious men dressed in black using an unknown apparatus on his unmoving colleague. David is chased from the room by the men, who have the ability to walk through doors that lead like portals to another part of the building. David cannot escape, and is quickly brought down. He wakes with his hands tied, sitting in what looks like an empty warehouse. The Adjustment agents are discussing what to do with him. One looks into a book that they all carry and points out that if they make up an excuse he will question it to the day he dies, meaning someone will have to watch him for his entire life. Another suggests resetting him, erasing everything about him. Finally the most senior agent present references a case that happened 40 years ago, and they decide to tell him the truth. They tell him they are a bureau that watch over humans and make sure they follow the plan. When they need to, they make adjustments as they were just doing with his friend. David was supposed to spill his coffee, go back upstairs and change, take a later bus and never see what was happening. Now that David knows, he is told that if he ever tells anyone they will reset him. They also tell him that he was never supposed to see Elise again. That was only chance and not part of the plan. An agent takes her number and burns it. They then open a door and throw him back into the office. The office is back to normal and everyone is fine. Later Harry talks to David and answers his questions. David asks if they are angels, Harry replies people sometimes call them that. He also explains they work for the Chairman though humans call him by many names.
David decides to take on the Bureau and be with Elise no matter what the plan or the Chairman want. With Harry's help, and hat, the required key to use the portals, David sets out to make his own plan.
My Thoughts
Overall I thought the movie was good. It wasn't as action packed as I thought it would be, but it was still exciting. The acting was up to the standard I expected of this cast. Matt Damon isn't a household name for nothing. And I find that the more I see of Emily Blunt, the more I like her. (Just a little plug here but if you are in the mood for a great mushy romantic story watch The Young Victoria.)
I couldn't help comparing this film to "The Matrix." They both have agents in suits, and once you know about them, everyone is a potential threat, or in the case of "The Adjustment Bureau", anyone wearing a hat. The agents in both seem to be offering a false sense of free will. And in both movies the higher power is real. Whether it is the Chairman or the machines, the people are not in control. However, as I stated earlier this movie was not the action adventure or the mind-blowing thriller that "The Matrix" was. It didn't really break new ground, though it was still interesting. If you are a film or theater major you can pick this film apart for hours. I also felt that "The Matrix" happened in a world outside of my own, in a fantasy. It used that fantasy to make social comments. The comments of "The Adjustment Bureau" were much less hidden by the fantastic elements of the film.
You can't deny that "The Adjustment Bureau" was making a comment on religion. But it was not denying the existence of a God, rather making the statement that God takes away the free will of mankind. This movie seemed to suggested that people's lives are planned out, predestined. But it also enables rewrites. However, the Chairman is the only author and editor. The characters couldn't make their own plan, but The Chairman could change their plans if he so desired. In the end no matter how much the characters fought they could only get what they wanted if the Chairman allowed it. The film gives the reason that when humans are left to themselves they destroy everything; that they give in to their most carnal desires instead of using reason to rule their lives, making it clear to the Bureau that mankind could not handle free will. As the movie closes, Harry's voice is heard. He talks about how maybe all of it is a test. Maybe people can only be responsible enough to have free will if they are willing to fight for it.
There are many interesting religious parallels in this film. I agree that some of the film's implications are correct. As Harry says it is a test to prove that we can use free will wisely. I disagree that God would take away man's right to make decisions. I also agree with the film that God has a plan, and offers aid to stay on or get back to that plan. And there are books, scriptures, that work as a blueprint to tell man what that plan is. But God never has, nor ever will force anyone to follow that blueprint.
I also found it interesting that the agents knew what David's actions would be, not by reading his thought but because they knew the probability of his choices based on past experiences. Like knowing a friend so well that you know exactly how they will react in a given situation. This related strongly to the way I feel God knows each person. In is also true, as Thompson said, that man has a tendency to rule life with desire instead of reason. There are also agents, sometimes in suits, all around us; not to make the adjustments for us, but rather to help us make the adjustments for ourselves.
It is also true that people who believe in a higher power see things in the world around them differently. Once David learned about the Bureau, he saw their influence all around him. Likewise, people who believe in a God, see his hand in their lives and the world. This view can be positive or negative. I do not think the comment was on Christian religions alone but on all religions that believe in a god, no matter the name. As Harry said the Chairman is known by many names. By combining all religions' gods, the film implies that parallels can be drawn between all religions, or from a negative view the film could imply that all religions bare the same controlling attributes.
The Bureau could also be viewed as a comment on government. As it is set up after the model of a government agency, the mind naturally connects the two. If the Bureau were viewed acting under the direction of a government, rather than an all knowing, just being, than that changes the movie entirely. Some already think the government has too much information about citizens. They worry the government could be tracking you by your phone, or other means. Personally I doubt any person or government would care enough about my life to track my phone. But what if there was an agency that was specifically meant to "adjust" things. Cover things up, change peoples minds, make sure people got on a certain bus and a certain time. And haven't there already been accusations of this very thing? Through that lens the film takes an eerie turn. But a natural connection as it is after all a bureau.
I think this film was meant to make people think. To ask questions. I have spent hours thinking about this film and it's possible implications. Lucky for me, I highly enjoy a good deep thought thread. I like questions. I like when the limits of my mind are pushed just a little bit further, and my convictions become a little bit firmer. I do not think this film can be viewed for pure entertainment value. It was good to watch a movie that stimulated my brain, rather than numbing it.