30. Elegy (2008, Drama)

30. Elegy (2008, Drama)

This was really beautiful, from the cinematography to the language to the music to the stunning Penelope Cruz. The movie was rife with stereotypes but I wasn’t bored.

I’m not I will ever understand why people push one another away. I’m not sure anyone in the world ever will. The prevalence of aversion to true trust and intimacy is so perplexing, particularly since it is something that is clearly good for us. It enriches our lives and helps us to grow. That is not to say that the presence of another is absolutely necessary for a full and good life. I’m just talking trends in human behavior!

So … that’s what the movie is about, more or less. And it had the impact you might expect. So it was a beautifully-made movie that told a sad, effective, touching story.

I don’t know what my problem is, but I just couldn’t get over how sad so much of it was. One of my high school English teachers / drama coaches was fond of saying “A movie should be like a two-hour escape from real life.” And as much as those perfect, Hollywood endings make me roll my eyes, a big part of me gets equally exasperated at filmmakers who seem so eager to deny me the joy of a wholly unrealistic happy ending.

Final Grade: B

29. The Clique (2009, Comedy)

29. The Clique (2009, Comedy)

As someone who spends a great deal of time with teenage girls – as well as a survivor of that whole … scene -- I am fascinated by that whole queen bee / mean girl dynamic. So I guess that’s why this movie wound up on my Netflix queue. As to why I spent a Friday night watching it, I can’t really tell you. Blame it on the warm weather; blame it on a long work week; blame it on the fact that I have 9 instructional days until sweet, sweet freedom! For whatever reason, I settled in this evening for some wholesome PG fun.

Did you know that the word “bitch” (and not in the context of dog breeding) is allowed in a PG film? Yeah, neither did I. Until … The Clique! This movie was fucking crazy.

There are so many things I want to say about this movie – far too many for me to stick with standard narrative flow. I must create a list of the things that made this movie so unbelievably, jaw-droppingly insane:

1. Claire. Now, I am not one for Blaming The Victim … but whoa. This girl was a major glutton for punishment; no matter how rude and hostile the clique became, Claire kept coming back for more! I think after a couple of harsh run-ins most of us would just cut our losses and avoid the Queen Bee. Claire, on the other hand, actively sought her out. It was really uncomfortable … like watching a gal with her skirt tucked into her tights.

2. Massie. In no universe could this girl be 12. And by “this girl” I am referring both to the actress and the character. Also: she was a completely fabulous supervilliain. Really just over-the-top and campy.

3. Vincent. The flaming, flamboyant art teacher. So exceptionally bitchy! I loved him!

4. Chris Abeley. The actor was kind of a nonentity, but I cannot get over how awesome it was that all the star-struck girls kept referring to him by his full name. Hee! Hello teenage years! Such a weird, weird hilarious formality. Also, they sometimes call him “Chris Babely” which is also hilarious and awesome.

Oh, man. The acting was horrible. I mean … just awful, awful, awful. The characters and storyline were completely implausible. And I was wholly entertained the entire time.

I doubt I will ever want to watch this movie again (which is why it will not get the coveted F grade), but it certainly was fun while it lasted (unlike New York City Serenade, which is probably the worst a movie can be without being so-bad-it’s-good)!

Final Grade: D

28. Commune (2005, Documentary)

28. Commune (2005, Documentary)

In the past year or so, it has come to my attention that even if I am not exactly a hippie, I do exhibit some hippie-ish tendencies (into which we need not delve further!). Anyway, one aspect of hippiedom that has always both intrigued and repelled me (not in an "Ewww, gross!" sense, more in a "Wow -- that lifestyle would just NOT work for me sense) is the commune. Although I am way into people generally looking out for one another and embracing all sorts of families, I am perplexed by how often communes seem to begin with completely sexist models of living and how quickly they become totally corrupt or anarchic. Call it human nature, I guess.

Anyway, Commune did not disappoint. While the structure could have used some work (I would have liked to see a slightly stricter narrative structure; it was kind of hard to get a linear grasp on anything), I really enjoyed the integration of past and present interviews and pictures/film. The director seemed to focus on the motif of how the desire for freedom can actually become really stifling and restrictive (seen mostly in the examples of lovers who felt like they couldn't make an agreement to be exclusive and Elsa Marley's (one of the founders of the commune at Black Bear Ranch) desire to create art). Maybe I enjoyed it because that's one of the things that worries me so much about these structures.

Overall, the director did a good job of presenting a fairly balanced view of things, highlighting both highs and lows, seeing people talk about great experiences and sa dones, people who loved the lifestyle and those who hated it (Michael Moore he was not!). And this movie was just the right length! 78 minutes -- perfection. Long enough that I feel like we really got into some neat stuff, but short enough that it didn't become boring.

Final Grade: A-

Mass Update. (Movies 17-27)

The prodigal blogger returns.
Since March 7th I have seen several movies but have not been blogging. At all! My bad. In the interest of time, I am just going to post names of movies I have watched and overall grades. Maybe someday I will come back and write fuller reviews. Probably not.

March 7th

17. Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland: The 3D IMAX Experience (2010, Fantasy)

Final Grade: B-

March 27th
18. Darkon (2006, Documentary)

Final Grade: B+

March 28th

19. Serving in Silence (1995, Made for TV)

Final Grade: C

March 29th

20. When Night is Falling (1995, Romance)

Final Grade: C-

March 31st

21. Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009, Comedy)

Final Grade: B-

April 10th
22. The Big Lebowski (2009, Comedy)
Final Grade: B

23. Bingo! The Documentary (1999, Documentary)
Final Grade: B+


24. Arranged (2007, Drama)
Final Grade: A

April 17th
25. The Alphabet Killer (2008, Thriller)
Final Grade: D

April 18th
26. We Live in Public (2008, Documentary)
Final Grade: B+

April 25th
27. Sunshine Cleaning (2008, Dramedy)
Final Grade: B+/A-

At this point in my project ...

There are 223 days left in 2010 (Approximately 30 weeks)
I have 73 movies left to watch.

This means I need to watch approximately 2.5 movies a week in order to stay on track.
I had better get to work!