Here's an example. "Lost in Translation" is Bill Murrays finest work. So I hurried out to see it. "Lost in Translation" was like Chinese water torture. Old dude spends the weekend in hotel kind of stalking young chick and then at the end something may or may not have happened. Hang around any airport hotel on a convention weekend and you can see this story played out a hundred times only at the end someone will get laid, possibly after an exchange of currency, but at least it will give you a sense of closure. Sure, there was some nice cinematography, I enjoyed the shot of the cherry blossoms falling in the water which I'm sure symbolized something and I would have attempted to follow the symbolism if there was any God damned plot to make me care! The whole time I kept waiting for Murray to do something funny, or meaningful or blow up a gopher. Anything...but it never happened. But what really pissed me off wasn't how bad it was but how all these idiot critics were falling all over each other to proclaim how great it was.
Sorry about that...got a little side tracked...anyway, to summarise, the reviews here will not be about showing you how much more I know about movies than you, but about weather they made me laugh, cry, piss myself from fear etc. If they were fun to watch they will get a good review. Just remember, if you disagree with any of the reviews it's probably because I know more about movies than you.
Since the first time I saw his little, rodent like face on film I've felt an innate dislike for Leonardo DiCaprio. I'm not sure if it's the greasy hair or the shitty little half beard....whatever it is I have to let it go because he just keeps making good movies. In "Shutter Island" he plays Teddy Daniels, a US Marshall sent with his new partner (Mark Ruffalo) to investigate the escape of a female prisoner from a federal institution for the criminally insane located on, you guessed it, Shutter Island. Set in the 1950's on a rocky out crop in Boston harbour the whole film has a cool, dark feel to it and the wind swept island setting adds to the feeling of unease. Also it gives DiCaprio a chance to run around in those cool looking trench coats and fedora's all law enforcement officers apparently wore back then and use a understated yet still wicked awesome Boston accent.Soon after their arrival, DiCaprio reveals he had an alternate motive in pushing to be assigned to the case and it begins to look like things might go a lot deeper than an escaped prisoner. The staff seems un-willing to co-operate, may contain a few ex-nazis, never a good thing on a hospital staff, and reports of experiments on patients begin to surface. As DiCaprio searches for answers he begins to question what is real and who he can trust.
Scorcese throws lots of twists into the ending but if you've been paying attention you just might figure it out before all the cats are let out of the bag. All in all an entertaining if slightly disturbing film.I give it 3 and a half hooves up (out of a possible 5)
PS Here are five Bill Murray movies that were better than "Lost in Translation"
1.Caddyshack
2.Stripes
3.Groundhog Day
4.The Man Who Knew Too Little
5.Every other movie he ever made including student films, childhood birthday parties and even "The Life Aquatic".
Oh! And his Cameo in "Zombieland" is awesome!
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And even the Life Aquatic! Life Aquatic was genius! Not to mention Rushmore though almost makes this review irrelevant my friend! And what about Ghostbusters??!! Who are you!?? Scrooged? C'mon!
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying this. (A small tip: you should click done once you've finished your spellcheck and then it wouldn't leave every word it doesn't recognize highlighted :)
"Lost in Translation" I think may have sucked some of my lifeforce right out of me. What was Bill thinkin? "Shutter Island" was a pretty good movie. Did you think he still new what had happened and was letting them give him the lobotomy so he wouldn't have to deal with the pain? I agree with Freya how did you leave out "Scrooged"??
ReplyDeleteI'll have to keep track of "The Goat's Eye View". Geez Goat thoughtful insightful and even a little depth and you were still able to sound like a redneck ?? Who knew?
Freya I in no way made to suggest that the movies listed were the ONLY Bill Murray movies which were better but more of a random sampling of the MANY Bill Murray movies that are better that "Lost in Translation". So Fuckin' take it easy alright?
ReplyDeletePS Thanks for the spell checking tip, you're the best.
PSS Thanks for the kind words Spade, I don't really want to get into the ending here in case people havn't seen it yet. Good to know I can be insightful and still come across as a shitkicking hick. You'll love next week's Hank III concert review and diatribe explaining why new country is shit and old country (and the artists trying to bring it back) is THE shit.
Shutter Island was painful....I will never have that time back again and the ending was disturbing.
ReplyDeleteLoved Life Aquatic!!! My second favourite Wes Anderson film.