Wanted (2008)

This is not a stupid action film. This is a great action film. One of the best. Story, well, lets not be concerned with that so much. Let’s just say there is enough there to keep your interest up, but if you think about it for a second allusions to Fight Club ,Star Wars: A New Hope, and The Matrix are more than obvious.

It stars my main man James McAvoy; who has the distinction that nothing I have seen him in as been in even remotely mediocre. The Last King of Scotland, Atonement, Ten for Starters,Penelope have all been great. He even had a small part in the T.V. series of Band of Brothers. Wanted was no disappointment. It was great.

The movie is gripping or probably unintentionally funny at all times. There is not one dull moment. The styled violence gets better and better. It is surely something that I have not seen on the screen before.

The movie is set in Chicago, and makes Chicago like an amazingly cool city. I was just there last year, and I surely didn’t think so.

It also starts Angelina Jolie in a role somewhat similar to her husbands role in Fight Club, which gets less interesting the more you think about it. She looks really good in a dress, but I guess she is a sex symbol for men and lesbians alike. That f#$ked-up girl role really fits her.

The actors carry the film and the non-stop action is full of an endless supply of cool moves. I don’t want to give too much away but there is a good twist in there to look forward to. Also, like the movie Speed the climax of the film is in the middle, and then the movie picks up again.

The dialogue is surprising good. There are some biting phrases, which are sometimes aimed at the audience.

There’s not too much more to say about it, except that Danny Elfman did the music. It is not too long, and it surely one of the best movies to come out this year. I have been see one too many hero movie. One more comic book movie would surely drive to me to library, but this one is an exception.

I highly recommend Wanted, because it is one great ride.

Penelope (2008)

Penelope is a little movie that most people probably will wait to see on T.V. This is fair enough; especially as this is another late review, where the movie has left theatre, but I thought I might get it out anyway.

Penelope is short and sweet updated fairytale. It is a delightful story of a girl who was cursed by a witch to have a pig’s noise. The curse can only be broken when a suitor of blue blood marries her. Her parents, especially her mother, being of high society, in London maybe New York or a hybrid of the two, hide in her room till she is of age. Upon time that she is ready, they send in boys with blue blood to meet her. The problem with that being that when they get a look at her they go running to woods or anywhere they can get to. To off set this Penelope hides behind a two way mirror when she meets them in an effort to not scare them off too quickly.

Now being that she is such a mysterious girl of wealth and stature there is a media interested. A newspaper man, little man, goes after picture of the young woman; as none exist in the public spectrum. He finds a blue blooded boy, played by James McAvoy, who is down on his luck to walk in with a secret camera to snatch a shot. He is collected by the parents along with other boys, but he misses the sight of Penelope when the others run. He stays. He keeps coming back, talking to her through a wall until he can take a picture. He ends up liking her and he doesn’t run when he sees but he cannot marry her because he is not really of blue blood, which no one knows.

Penelope runs away to the city, and is discovered. When she learns to love herself the curse is broken. She finds the young man of her affections and they go out.

It is a charming little movie with a blight and vibrant look to it. It marks Reese Witherspoon’s first producer credit. She is also an actress in it.

Penelope is a great family film that is totally watchable for adults.

Atonement (2007)

Atonement is like two stories, hence two movies. One is very good and one isn’t. Based on a novel that I now want to read, Atonement tells story of an event; what leads up to the event, and the effects of that event.

The first part is set up a like thriller. It has an effect a little like the movie Momento(2000) in that is told in not quite a chronological order. I really like this because it seems true a memory. It feels like you are inside someone’s head as think about something and rethink it.

You have a bizarre preteen in a love triangle of sorts with her older sister, and the maid’s son Robbie, whom both girls have known since childhood. Both sisters have a burgeoning interest in him. The older sister Cecilia and Robbie are at the beginning of starting a romantic relationship. The younger sister Briony, who has an active imagination, watches them through a window and thinks she catches them in a sexual act. Later she really does. That same night two of cousin, two little boys run away. Everyone in the house party that night, including Robbie, go looking for them. During the search, another cousin, who is also a preteen girl, is raped. She doesn’t see who does her, but Briony who walks in on the act says it was Robbie. The viewer knows it was someone else.

When Robbie comes back with the two boys found, he is arrested based on Briony’s story and his stature in society. Cecilia is heartbroken and distrusts Briony’s story, but it does little good.

This part is excellent. It is a taut thriller. It is shoot beautifully, actually the whole movie is. Everything is beautiful. I have never seen Keira Kinghtly look more beautiful. I actually couldn’t stand her before. Everyone looks glamorous here.

I kept thinking that my grandfather was the same age as the characters at the same time this story is suppose to take place, which gave it an interesting perspective.

The second part isn’t so good. Although early World War II England is interesting to see, and there is some historical interesting aspects to it, once Robbie goes off to war it just becomes really boring. There are some interesting bits about nursing in World War II London. I suspect that book goes into that a little more. Robbie and Cecilia to stay together through everything, but they meet a tragic ends. It ends with a present day interview with Briony and offers some plots twists, but the end is unsatisfying. They should have done something with the second part to make it better like edit it down.

While leaving the theatre, I heard people talking, as the post movie analysis usually happens in New York theatres, some people said that couldn’t have watch it on T.V,and others said that it made them appreciate the book more. I can see how this must have been great book.

I think this is a movie to see on the big screen, if you are going to see it, because it is the only way to appreciate fully it’s beauty, which is really it’s strongest feature. Well that and the actors are amazing.