I’m trying to think of something great to pre-empt about my week of movies and such… but other than me finally reaching the end of one massive project at work this week here’s what I watched:
SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE (2002)
Having tons of tweets on Park Chan-Wook I realized that by some illogical reason I had yet to see this film that was a part of his Vengeance Trilogy, and with Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance being two of my favourite revenge/Korean films, I guessed it would a good idea to complete the set. That being said this film took a while to get me on the hook, the first twenty – thirty minutes felt very disjointed and unsure of the direction it was going in, but once we reached that point that instigates the revenge plot that we’re waiting for the film kicks into high gear and becomes the bone crunching-ly revenge film that we expect from this trilogy of films. If I had to rank them this would be the lowest of the three, but that’s like saying peanut butter is my least favourite spread… it’s still a great movie nonetheless.
THE BOSS OF IT ALL (2006)
Lars Von Trier woke up one morning, I imagine, and made a bet with himself to instead of making people writhe in agony and sadness to try and make them smile and laugh… so he made this film. Go hear my thoughts over here.
WAR WITCH (2012)
Supposedly the best Canadian film of 2012, I disagree on principle. The film, while beautifully shot and presented, is a a story that barely registers I feel. It begins as a tale of a young woman, like many African teens, who’s forcefully enlisted into a rebel army (under some of the worst circumstances). Then however it shifts into a somewhat romance story only to then shift again into the film it started out as. The movie’s turns in narrative causes a twisted sense of direction that makes the viewer unable to understand what he’s supposed to take away from the film. Maybe I’m too simple to take in a story like this, but it just didn’t work for me.
IDENTITY THIEF (2013)
So… I guess the internet was right on this one. I honestly hoped for a somewhat likeable comedy because I honestly want Seth Gordon (director of Horrible Bosses and The King of Kong) to make good movies. Sadly I found myself seated in the theatre for what is I believe a near two hour movie and not laughing once. Just don’t watch it.
GAMBIT (2012)
Talking about bad comedies… please stop making them people. Anyways, more on this in the coming week through TUMP.
THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
Here’s this week’s John Ford film that I’ll be writing about. However, here’s a film that I feel the world has hyped up a bit too much. It’s ideas created are great in small moments but as a narrative from the start to end it didn’t completely win me over.
REWATCHED
With hopes of watching the sophomore effort by Andrea Arnold I decided to revisit Fish Tank a film that I’ve yet to see since 2010 when we discussed it on TUMP. I can’t remember exactly where I fell on the film in 2010, but if I already didn’t I now love the movie unequivocally. The film features a character study in a way that allows us to understand her through not just the cantankerous rants as she lashes out against things around her (sometimes for little reason) but more through us watching her just exist in her surroundings.
My count for the year of 2013 is updated to 50 First time watches (8 from 2013); 28 Rewatches; 78 Total Films