Cam Reviews "Crazy Heart"

Well, I've had enough time to think about this movie. I think we watched "Crazy Heart" almost three weeks ago. "Crazy Heart" is the story of country singing star Bad Blake. Bad is past his prime. He's 54 years old and knows no other life than country music. He's broke and alcoholic.

Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blake. He does more than that. He becomes Bad Blake. There are some roles in movies that for one reason or another, are so incredibly believable, that you forget you are watching a movie. You are watching a real person go through real experiences. Everything Bridges does in this role, is Bad Blake.  He struggles, he smiles, he falls in love. We are held at a distance from Bad. Just as he holds all others from getting too close. His protege is the new country star, and it doesn't sit too well with Bad. He has fallen from grace and now must watch from the bowling alleys and dive bars of the world that his old Suburban can drag him to.

I'm not a huge country music fan, but I appreciate good country music. There is plenty of good old fashioned country music with heart in this film. Songs that mean something, were written with heart and not pop-tarts.

"Crazy Heart" made me laugh, cry, and reflect. But I did not judge. It was too immersive. That's how it's done.

Cam Reviews "Kick-Ass"

I'd never read the Kick-Ass comic.  My only knowledge of the story came from the movie trailers I had seen.  I was kind of expecting a family film.  The characters seemed fun and innocent, with a penchant for doing good.

My expectation held for the first half hour, until seven people with at least ties to a drug dealer were sliced and diced.  Whoa.  It's that type of movie.

I actually really liked this movie.  I liked the set design, I thought the editing was tight.  The story moved quickly through multiple story lines, but still felt congruous and complete.  The acting was quite competent, creating believable characters.

The only aspect of this film that kept me from "loving it" was struggling with the light-hearted characters and their ultra-violent behaviours.  I can handle criminals being ruthless, but sometimes the good guys should be good.

That being said, if I had read the story first, and been a fan, I think I would have loved this movie.  It's very well executed.

Cam Reviews "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

Woody Allen makes movies. He has written and directed 40+ feature length films. That's a lot. He has experience. It seems he is very focussed on character driven dialogue in his films. The conversations always seem natural and at length. Scenes will extend several minutes with just conversation between characters. And more often than not, it is the essence of these conversations that make his films. Real conversations, real arguments, really interesting.

I've always been a fan of great dialogue in movies, maybe because I feel that it is an area of my life that I wish I was better in. Conversing, confidently, with aplomb, is enviable. Few writers and directors truly tackle fantastic challenging dialogue in the films that I've seen. It requires a great deal of faith on behalf of the director/writer that the actor can pull it off and make the audience believe, in the character, in the situation.

Maybe some of the scenarios in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" aren't the most likely to occur in most of our lives, but a lot of them are. I found several instances portrayed to be exactly what relationships are like, why we get into certain situations, and why we remain in them past their expiry date.

For humour, scenery, love, and heartbreak, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" touches on a few beautiful but difficult human experiences. It's entertaining, skillful, and engaging. If I had to make a romantic comedy, this would be it. It helps to have two of the most beautiful leading ladies available in one film, as well as one of the top two actors living today (Javier Bardem, Daniel Day Lewis being the other). This was the second time we watched this film, and it's lost none of it's luster.

Cam Reviews "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is an entertaining movie. It has all the sex, violence, and plot twists that keep the viewer engaged. The actors are all competent. There are no gaping holes in the storyline. It does every thing well. It's a Swedish blockbuster.

A brilliant bisexual computer hacker with a chip on her shoulder "teams up" with an investigative reporter who has his own scores to settle. Decades old, the mystery of a missing girl still haunts a wealthy industrialist uncle. Cue the hacker/reporter team.

Watching "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" was easy, all the actors were new to me, no preconceived notions clouded the viewing experience.

I don't have really anything negative to say about the movie, it does nothing poorly, but does nothing in a fantastic/mesmerizing way either. For a bowl of popcorn and chill out evening with a crowd of friends, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" would be sure to entertain the masses and leave everyone satisfied that they did not just waste two hours on druck. This truly is a film for the mature masses, the sex is graphic, as is the violence, so the only warning would be to the light-hearted, take heed "some offensive material."

Cam Reviews "A Single Man"

Here it is. My first post. A better movie for my first critique would be hard to ask for.

I've become a bit of a design buff of late. Reading architecture, fashion, and interior design blogs, magazines, and newspaper articles. Embracing my inner gay male you could say.

"A Single Man" is pure eye candy. A beautiful mid-century modern home for the main setting. Impeccable fashion, (it helps when the director is the former head of Gucci) and a subtle refined soundtrack that really adds to the feel of this film. (I had to buy "Your Rocky Spine" by the Great Lake Swimmers after watching) Most impressive though, is Colin Firth's performance. I don't remember the words that he said. I remember the way his eyes moved, the postures that he held, the pauses in his step. A brilliant performance, I've found a whole new respect for Mr. Firth.

I can hardly wait for Tom Ford's next film. In his debut, he has crafted a piece of art. It's watching movies like this that make me remember that film is art. A lot of popular fare now a days, makes me hinge the other way. There was no extraneous filler needed to make this feature length, it is a tight, engaging, emotional exploration of a gay man in the early 60's who has lost his true love.

I'm glad I've begun to embrace my inner gay man. I would not have wanted to miss this.