In Bruges

Have you ever heard of this movie? Me neither. But when I saw it advertised in the paper starring Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes and Brendan Gleeson, I figured I’d give it my Saturday night.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/

This British/Belgian movie is basically about two hitmen who are told to hide out in a small Belgian town called Bruges after their last job, while they await further instructions from their boss. Sticking to your principles also factors strongly in the "plot", which unfolds at its own pace. Which is to say, slowly. Not knowing what the movie was about before sitting down, I started to assume it was just going to be a leisurely art-film about two hitmen juxtaposed with a quaint Belgian town, then assumed it was about two hitment finding a quaint Belgian town's odd underbelly. But then it started to choose a target. This movie is listed as a crime, comedy, drama – and it is all those things. Its humour is British, its violence is graphic, and its drama is oddly compelling. But I can’t stress enough about how the movie unfolds at a leisurely pace – not un-enjoyably but at times apparently aimlessly. I’m going to come down on the side of saying it is worth finding it in your local theatre or the rental store, and seeing it with an open mind. Just experience it. Don’t expect from it. Verdict: Movie Rental

Run, Fat Boy, Run

It's one of the oldest romantic comedy plots: wimpy guy leaves hot pregnant fiancee at the altar then decides to run a marathon to win her back. Okay, so that part may not be so common, but a lot of this movie goes precisely where you think it will go, and takes the exact path you expect it to. But even if you know where Simon Pegg is going, he just makes it so damn enjoyable to watch him get there. (I got a little geek-crush on the guy at the moment) I guess if you're not into his style, you may be underwhelmed with the movie. But if that's the case, that's your fault not his, isn't it? Verdict: Movie Rental

[edited b/c Zen is a geck]

Coming Attractions:

Watch this space for reviews on:

Run, Fat Boy, Run

21

Stop-Loss

just as soon as I see them!

You may also be able to watch this space for

Shutter

... depending on my mood.

The Mist

I love the fact that hotels now usually have movies-on-demand ... the only question remains: what do I wish to demand? When I'm kicking back on the bed in my hotel room, I don't wish to have to think about anything too deeply or really even follow along with any plot all that closely. So that leaves a comedy -- but I don't want to chance paying $9 to $12 bucks on top of my hotel bill for one that isn't actually funny -- or a horror movie. Given that I won't be following any plot all that closely, all I need is a few good scares, preferably not too gory of horror, and a bit of catharsis over the fact that what is happening on the screen isn't happening in my hotel room. So, Stephen King's The Mist it is!

I believe the true horror of this movie was meant to be the monsters the townspeople became as they awaited being eaten by the literal monsters, and that transition did provide just as much tension as knowing there was something in The Mist. As far as what is exactly in The Mist ... I think King changed his mind midway through. What attacked them the first time didn't really make sense with what we find out is in The Mist. And how they got in the The Mist ... and what the heck is the point of The Mist ... well, I was sitting in a hotel room, and as such, was personally obligated to not concern myself with such things. But had I gotten in my car, waited to get my tickets at the theatre, sat through the inane screeching of adolescent girls trying to catch the attention of block-headed adolescent boys (were we that useless when we were their age? I say not), and endured endless advertisements before getting overtaken by The Mist -- I may have concerned myself. Verdict: Movie Rental if You Must

The Bank Job

Supposedly based on a true story from the 1970s, a group of small-time criminals really step in it when they are conned into robbing a bank’s safety deposit box vault. Where’s a rag-tag gang of ol’ buddy crooks to turn when every direction leads them to a pissed off porn king, a drug-smuggling murderous Malcolm X wanna-be and Britain’s MI5 (or was it 6?) hoping to protect a certain naughty Royal? The movie runs longer than two hours (who knows just how long ... when the commercials outlast the previews, one loses track of how long one has sat waiting for the movie to start), and it did start to drag at what was probably the two-hour point, where I wondered how they were going to get out of their predicament but then realized I didn’t much care as long as the credits rolled soon so I could say I finished watching it. Aside from the lag, it was entertaining. Prepare for a late-minute lag, perhaps you’ll do just fine. Verdict: Movie Rental

27 Dresses

In general, this kind of movie isn't my bag of popcorn. We all know what's going to happen in the end, right? The best we can hope for is to be entertained as the movie-makers get us there. What kept me interested in this movie was the dialogue, actually. It was a little more ... sharp than other brainless romantic comedies. Quirky, left-of-centre, unique enough to be pleasantly noticable. If you're not one to care what is coming out of characters' mouths, then this would just be the usual fare. Verdict: Movie Rental If You Must

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

I know - this has been out for some time. Since Christmas, actually, which is when I saw it with my niece. Should have taken her to Enchanted. I was expecting some sweet and predictable E.T.-esque story about a boy and his Loch Ness Monster, where the boy learns that if you love monsters you must set them free to boost the Scottish tourism industry. What I got was armies and depth charges that drive monsters to the brink of insanity sharp-teeth-baring and require the naive love and trust of a small boy to return to its cuddly nature. It was a good movie, I thought, but the preview campaign really truly steered me in the wrong direction as to what to expect. And made me take my niece along for the ride. I asked what she thought, and suggested that it was a bit "darker than I had expected." She agreed that she could barely see in the theatre. (She's young. She's literal. It was my fault for setting her up that way.) Verdict: Movie Rental