I heart I heart Huckabees!

"I heart Huckabees" has been on my to see list since it first hit theaters in 2004. When it finally made it to my mailbox via Netflix, it then sat in my apartment for over a month before I finally saw it. It was worth the wait. I laughed my ass off from beginning to end and clapped at the end even though I was watching it alone.
This light hearted satire about "existential detectives" (i'm laughing already :P ) played by the awesome Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman (in the first role since "The Graduate" I like), hits just the right tone. It's one of those movies where everyone is on the same page. The entire cast is awesome. Jason Schwartzman is a wonderful rare find. As much as I'd love to hate Jude Law, I have to admit that he is just damn good. Naomi Watts gets it right as always, and even Mark Wahlberg is pretty damn funny.

This is a thoughtful, somewhat quirky movie, that manages to escape potential pretentiousness with just the right balance of appropriate silliness. Works for me! :D

4 Hours with Che Gueverra

I almost feel like I have to like "Che" after investing 4 and a half hours in it. I suppose for the most part I did like it, but I can't help feeling that someone thought making a four hour movie with subtitles qualifies it for relentless praise and awards.

The film is broken into two parts, the first depicting the Cuban Revolution, the second depicting Che's foray and subsequent capture in Bolivia. It is for the most part, an epic war movie, with not much difference between the two segments. The first segment attempts to insert some historical context with flash "forwards" to interviews with Che, and Che in the UN. It's a nice attempt, but doesn't quite work as smoothly as one would hope.

Benicio Del Toro is no doubt a talented actor, but with the film's painfully obvious favorable portrayal of Che, you wonder what the real Che was like. With such a lengthy movie I had hoped for a little more delving into this fascinating character, or to learn a little more of the surrounding historical context... something more.

I suppose there is merit in a film that can hold one's interest for over 4 hours, but there should also be reason for a film to be that long.

spirit

Going into "The Spirit" knowing that both yahoo critics and users gave it a C downgraded my expectations, which helped my enjoyment of the movie. The C grade is warranted, but, there are still worthy elements in this film.

"The Spirit" is a good reminder of how difficult it is to make a good film. The lack of cohesiveness can pretty much all be attributed to the amateur direction. Frank Miller, a reputable comic artist, takes his first stab at direction, and it is evident that the medium is just not for him. Most of the actors are in desperate need of solid direction, and thus the tone comes off incredibly odd. Audiences aren't sure how to react. Are we suppose to take it seriously? funny? Sin City captures that mixed tone quite well, but this was no Sin City. When the audience is sitting there thinking "I don't get it," not sure what to make of it, the rest of the film just goes to waste. Instead it reads as unintentional cheese. Eva Mendes could've used better direction with when to be serious and when to be coy, though she pulls off the towel scene quite well. Samuel Jackson didn't seem quite right, and the lead character was just not lead enough. Scarlett Johansson was perhaps the sole actress who (to put it like Roberto), knows what movie she's in. She's excellent. (Respect also to the young actress who plays Sand in the flashbacks!)

That being said, Frank Miller does have a medium that he's tremendously talented in. The comic book of course. (Though I have not read them), many of the noir visuals that look straight out of the comic book, translate well to the screen. We see some of the repeated visual themes from Sin City, like the white shoes on black, bubbling tar, shadowy rain, and of course the stark black and white contrasts. There are times where the film medium doesn't quite capture the effect Miller is going for, but there are many many scenes of thrilling imagery.

I'd be interested in checking out the comic version of "The Spirit." I much enjoyed the basic storyline, and once I accepted its cheesiness and flaws, I did, for the most part, enjoy the film. Had an able director been at the helm, "The Spirit" may have been a favorite. Nevertheless, I'll take this failed attempt over formulaic mind mush any day.