aaaanndddd I'm back
Saw these over the weekend. The group as a whole were solidly good. Some were better than I expected, some less. Take Shelter was the only one that really stood out from the rest
The Woman in the Window - 8.5/10:
I went into this without much expectation, aside from knowing it was Fritz Lang. As far as the directing is concerned, it was very well done. But the story, which is quite important imo, when comparing all this film noir, was lacking. It stars Edward G. Robinson(my first time watching one of his movies) as a Professor who kills another man in self defense, and decides to cover it up with the help of a woman.
I don't know what it was, but something felt like it was missing. I have to imagine the ending was one of the first of its kind, and I don't think it hurt or helped the movie. While I didn't love the story, it was executed well. Solid solid movie, but not great.
Take Shelter - 9/10:
Finally it arrived at a theater nearby. Saw this Friday night. I've seen a pattern lately, whatever movie I see, usually on the day it comes out, is always in the furthest/smallest theatre at the 20 theater AMC lol. That's depressing, but I digress.
What a ride. I can't think of any movies as suspensful, this may even beat Jaws on that level(take that with a grain of salt). I can't see the mainstream movie watcher liking this at all, but damn it was good. I'm not quite sure about the message of the movie, but for pure entertainment value, very awesome.
It stars Michael Shannon as Curtis, a man who has dreams/visions of an apocolyptic type storm. However, he has a family history of mental illness. Conflicted about what to do, he begins to build out the storm shelter in his backyard, determined to protect his family.
I don't know if I've seen Shannon in any movie besides Groundhog Day(lol), but I don't like his character in Boardwalk Empire. But in Take Shelter he is PERFECT. Jessica Chastain plays her part perfectly as well, and Shea Whigham, who I was unsure about going into this, did a great job.
The music that is used repeatedly does a great job setting the mood, with some nice sound effects in certain scenes as well. Shannon is friggin incredible in some of the dreams. The suspense is what drives this movie, and it works.
The Trip - 7.5/10:
This was a fun movie. Until I just saw on IMDB I forgot this was a short tv series that was cut down into a movie, which I remember KT mentioning. I think that explains most of my problems with this. Great chemistry between Steve and Rob, and lots of laughs, but it all felt disjointed. It was all a bit rushed without much continuity. The serious parts, the phone calls and the ending, felt out of place and didn't mesh with everything else. The banter between the two guys was a little too random without any explanation. I still liked it, but there are a lot of flaws. As a series I imagine this was a lot better.
Double Indemnity - 8/10:
This was the disappointment of the group. While it was still good, I don't think it deserves to be on a top 100 movie list, which I've seen a few times. As film noir goes, I think there are many many better examples. It was a less than great intro into Billy Wilder for me.
An insurance rep lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigator's suspicions.
The insurance rep, Walter Neff, is played by Fred MacMurray. He is pretty good, but his female co-star Barbara Stanwyck is way better imo. She is the husband of the man they plan to kill. Coincidentally, Edward G. Robinson, who starred in The Woman in the Window, has a sizable role in this as the insurance investigator, one of Neff's colleagues. He is really great in this, particularly one scene in their boss' office. Awesome.
Anyway, the plot and movie as a whole just didn't do it for me. It was good but very average as far as good film noir goes.
Wheels on Meals - 8/10:
Old school Jackie Chan, how can you go wrong. After reading a little about this movie today I learned that it stars Chan along with two other guys who are a very famous comedy/martial arts trio in China. Apparently, or obviously, the other two guys aren't as famous or well known in America.
Anyway, it was really funny in the same way as Rumble in the Bronx, though this one is better/funnier. Story isn't great but it's executed better than Rumble(which unfortunately is the only Chan movies I can really compare this to, but it makes me eager to watch the rest of them). It's still very tongue in cheek, but not as corny as Rumble. The dubbing and production value still adds to the comedy, but somehow Wheels on Meals seems better made.
I won't go into the plot but if you like these older Jackie Chan movies(he should really make another, and not the stupid stuff he does now) then I highly suggest this if you haven't seen it.
^Wrote those yesterday at work. Last night I watched
On the Waterfront - 8.5/10:
Sometimes it's really hard watching classics for the first time, trying to fully appreciate them. I struggled with this one for a little while, but the second half picked up. Still, my rating is partly respect and partly me knowing that it's difficult to judge classics like this. It's a very good movie, but I can't help thinking it's overrated, as is Brando. I really liked the Priest character the most, even though I don't believe the religious message he preached. I think the basic plot and struggle was very interesting but it could have been done so much better, maybe if it was more subtle and understated.