I'm literally on the cusp of insanity. Why so? For starters, I've been spending my entire vacation at home. Doing chores. Sleeping. Getting fat.
So to make an interesting day out of lameness, I delved into the world of cinema. Not making it, but just watching, enjoying and critiquing. Here is a sampler of my cinematic adventure with accompanying grade system:
"Up in the Air"
This movie deserved to be in the Oscars. It touches so many dimensions of real life that one has to wonder why it didn't snag Best Motion Picture of the Year. (Darn you "Avatar"!)
The emotional story arc is rich and compelling, and commentary about the complexity of relationships--with family, colleagues, friends, lovers, career, and self--is just mind blowing. Kudos to Anna Kendrick for playing the naive idealist! Totally empathized with her. Verdict: A
"Brideshead Revisited"
Based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh (a dude by the way), "Brideshead" is a story of one man's venture into the intriguing world of Catholic high society.
Charles Ryder, a down-to-earth artist, becomes center of attention as he befriends peculiar (but fabulous) Sebastian Flyte. Little did he know that Sebastian belongs to an aristocrat family whose unwavering faith in Catholicism is a major dealbreaker. Cue the love triangle between Charles, Sebastian and Julia (Sebastian's sister), and we have drama!
Unfortunately, forbidden love and snide remarks directed to, um, Catholicism can't save this movie. Stick to Waugh's vision, folks! Verdict: C
"Dominick and Eugene"
This gem of a movie is unbelievably underrated that I watched it at an unbelievably underrated channel. Despite it being old (hey, it's only 1988), the film clutches superb points for envisioning the unconditional brotherly love of Eugene and Dominick.
Thomas Hulce's portrayal of slightly challenged Dominick deserves laudatory mention. While Ray Liotta's Eugene is remarkable for being the conflicted yet caring brother. Minor characters should be noted for adding unbridled charm to this movie too. Verdict: B+
Image from lbcc.edu; videos from youtube.com
3 comments:
Oh wow...good reviews. How I wish I had time to laze around at home and watch movies and the likes. I miss those days.
Have you seen Salt yet? I've been waiting fr it since I saw the trailer late last year. I can't wait to watch it over the weekend
I've been curious about up in the air. I've heard a lot of good things about it. Perhaps I will see it this long weekend!
I haven't seen up in the air, but now I will! I had some summers like yours. Chores, ugh! Hey, but they build character, right?
Yep, I always wanted one of the old, metal lunch boxes. Never got one, but I have a thick, molded plastic one that does a great job insulating the drink and food.
There's something cool about little boxes. I have a wooden cigar box I keep junk in and I find uses for those tiny, metal mint containers.
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