Hello, readers. We’ve reached a new month and time to review the past 30 days. You might wonder why I haven’t been blogging much. You might don’t want to hear this, but I need to focus to other of my aspects in life. I have decided to do a little soul searching and regain my blogging energy elsewhere. If you actually miss me, you can read my posts in my other blog. I think somehow I owe you to share my thoughts about movies I’ve been watching lately.
In terms of movies, not watching lots of new releases but there are two new ones that made it to my top 3 this month. Out of expectation, my blindspot movie this month ended up maybe in my top 5 all time favorite movie. But first, here are the mini reviews of new movies I have seen this August :
Fools Rush In (1997)
Opposites attract. Sometimes two different person can be great together and sometimes they don’t. A story of an American fall in love with a Mexican woman. It was the days when Friends were a hit and Salma Hayek is newly hot because of her exotic looks. I often wondered if Matthew Perry can grew outside being Chandler, but this movie doesn’t prove it. It felt like a generic love story, so it felt predictable, though their differences and match are interesting and sweet.
Score : 4
Unknown (2011)
What happens when people you know deny your existence? Pretty infuriating and confusing, especially when you yourself have survived from an accident. Though I actually thought of the correct answers this movie is asking, it gave quite good thrills and action. Liam Neeson was a charismatic and sympathetic man, and a good team with Diane Kruger. It was an okay action and psychological-thriller movie.
Score : 7
Chef (2014)
Growing fond of cooking made me look forward for any movies related to it, and that includes Chef (2014). Supported by solid cast and certainly a bold leading character played by Jon Favreau (known him first as Monica’s billionaire boyfriend in Friends). Chef certainly compliments not only the greatness of a good food, but also the power of social media and internet these days. First by all the preparation Carl (Favreau) do to impress an famous food blogger who then reviewed his food unpleasant. Carl learns that the blogger tweeted his review and it’s become trending on twitter. He replied harshly and it becomes big. When Carl challenge the blogger to taste his food again, Carl changed the restaurant’s menu and makes himself fired. He keeps cooking in his home but somehow he got into the restaurant and blow his madness to the blogger. His act then becomes so popular on the internet, he’s technically a local celebrity. Carl find himself starting his career all over again. What made Chef partially great isn’t just about cooking, but also the bond between a father and son. which is more big than his career. A good comedy movie that might inspire you to make your own business.
Score : 8
Raising Helen (2004)
It was Kate Hudson at her finest, golden time. I remembered her glowing and shine in Almost Famous and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. She looks perfect as a fearless unattached single gal, which makes her great being aunt Helen that is now responsible for the three kids her sister left. But at the same time, in real life she does have kids. It’s a good movie for you mom-to-be and a sweet girl-family movie to rent.
Score : 7
Mom’s Night Out (2014)
There’s a chaotic movie when you watched you feel entertained and feel like you’re in the ride with all the characters in it. Well, Mom’s Night Out turned out to be a little bit more stressful and certainly chaotic in not in a good way. While the mom gang are likeable and feels like nice gals, Bridget (Abbie Cobb) felt like an unwanted distraction for the girls. Though she is supposedly be a rebellious and unsettling mother, Abbie Cobb made her more annoying than she should. Perhaps the night can be more enjoyable without making her problems dominating the night. Like the title Mom’s Night Out, the story could be more rich instead of focusing on the missing baby. It feels like the premise fooled the viewer. Though being a mother ultimately is focusing on her child, but making a movie worthwhile and wilder, adding more content and twist could save the story.Aside from Sarah Drew’s cute appearance and Patricia Heaton’s senior mommy great performance, maybe skip this ‘night out’ and go with another plan.
Score : 5
A Thousand Words (2012)
Seeing Eddie Murphy made me think this movie was released in the late ’90s or early 2000′s, but it actually from 2 years ago. Is it me who didn’t know about this movie? I like the wise concept on how a man who gets money by talking but then only have a thousand words left before he dies. It gives us thinking that words aren’t supposed to be cheap, but meaningful instead. Eddie Murphy is known for a guy who talks a lot, but perhaps his time has passed as the lead? It was enjoyable and gave something to think about, but it would be better without the cliche ending.
Score : 6,5
Neighbors (2014)
It’s a little out of logic for me how a fraternity or brotherhood have a house in a normal neighborhood and only annoy one house next to them. The annoyed couple played by Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen. The gap between a newly parents and party hard boys are big, but somehow over the fear of being a boring couple and to get back at the boys, it all becomes blurry. Aside from the crazy parties and all rough revenges, I find Zac Efron to be successful letting go of his innocent boy image as the lead of the fraternity group and the antagonist in the movie. It’s a pretty crazy movie to watch especially if you have just being a parent.
Score : 6
Under The Skin (2013)
With not much dialog and description of what it’s about, Under The Skin is a movie about a series of happenings to a creature, seemingly not from Earth. It used a body of a pretty woman, who often pick guys on the streets asking for directions, only set them for a trap. Like Holy Motors, I don’t get why the creature did that and what is it’s collaboration with the man in the motorcycle. It sure is make us see how what other living creature find strange on us, our skin and our body members and our food. I love the beautiful nature in the movie and it’s silences.
Score : 7
The Details (2011)
People make mistakes, the difference is what we do next. Tobey Maguire played a respectable doctor having a test in his relationship with his wife after 10 years of marriage. Both don’t feel the magic from each other anymore. They also have ‘intruders’ in their backyard, bad squirrels that turned over their fake grasses. The man confess to his best friend that he’s been doing sex online with girls, but ended up sleeping with her instead. At the same time, their neighbor, a lonely older woman coming onto him, threatening if he turned her down, she’ll tell his wife about his affair with his best friend. The Details certainly one of the comedy movie that tells you, you can’t avoid problems and your mistakes. There are certain quirkiness in the movie that made me like it, but it could be more dramatic instead of staying average.
Score : 7
Locke (2014)
Make a movie ‘simple’ and you won’t forget it. Locke actually have a big potential to be a legendary one. It’s got a simple premise; a man drive 2 hours to accompany a woman who is carrying his baby, risking his job and marriage. It’s a one man show, excellently delivered by Tom Hardy, as a husband, father, a father-to-be and a builder. The movie dominantly filled with his dialog over the phone with his wife, a woman who is carrying his child and on labour, his co-workers and the imagination of his father. Though sometimes there are monotonous points that might bore you, Locke can deliver its emotional ride without any more actors and setting than Hardy and the road. Unfortunately, I find the ending a little careless and vague.
Score : 7,5
The Oranges (2011)
Parents have certain hope for their children, and wish them to be good and responsible. Cathy (Allison Janney) expects her daughter, Nina (Leighton Meester) to be as she wants. But Nina marries a man her mother doesn’t know instead, never comes home for Christmas in several years. Suddenly, Nina comes home for Christmas and shockingly established a relationship with her parents best friend and neighbor, David (Hugh Laurie), whose daughter loathes Nina from school. Seeing Leighton as Nina does makes a little question and certain label she represents; a seemingly self-centered and spoiled girl (she might still bring from Gossip Girl). Meester does gives an interesting color, but I can’t help but thinking someone else who looks more independent might stood out more as Nina. I somehow figured if Kirsten Dunst are younger, she could easily nail the part. Allison Janney, David Walling, Oliver Platt and Catherine Keener are great. It’s a good drama about social values, labels and expectation. Also, to let go of expectations and let others be themselves.
Score : 6
Top 3 in August
Nothing can beat my cinematic journey this month as Persona did. It was indeed the best black and white movie I’ve ever seen. Chef was a great feel-good movie and I love Locke‘s simplicity.
********
Folks, ever seen these movies? Agree or disagree?
