To say that I knew what I was getting in to with “Midnight in Paris” is indeed would be a gross error. I had no idea what “Midnight in Paris” would bring me. So for the sake of not ruining what is ultimately a surprise filled comedy drama, I beg you to heed my warning about spoilers as “Midnight in Paris” is such a film that will demand audiences to suspend their belief, but in the meanwhile is typical Woody Allen whimsy. The man has the ability to channel surrealism and fantasy with films like “Zelig” and “Sleeper,” and thankfully “Midnight in Paris” is a return to form. Once again, Allen has lost a lot of his touch with his past films as he no longer spotlights the regular individual, but the glamorous one, but he surmounts such a caveat by delivering a premise in the tradition of the classic Allen pictures. The demented and lively, the ridiculous but existential.
Tag Archives: Drama
Submarine (2011)
“Submarine” isn’t just the anti-teen romance, it’s actually a film that doesn’t glamorize the romance even though it’s essentially about falling in love and losing love. Almost like a lost Wes Anderson film, director Richard Ayoade’s dramedy is a bold cinematic venture that dares to defy any preconceived freshman notions about his film making and fully grasps on to pretension (featuring title cards and monotonous narration et al). This is basically because our main protagonist Oliver is anything but a humble heroic young man. In actuality, he’s very much filled with enormous pretension, and enough self-loathing to garner expectations from the girls of his dreams that are rock bottom.
Young Justice: Season One, Volume One (DVD)
After the success that was “Teen Titans,” it was only a matter of time until the Cartoon Network in America decided to re-tap the well that provided them with top ratings and dive in to a famous title from the comic world. This time around, Warner has tackled the “Young Justice” brand, a title about the second tier young cohorts of DC Comics titan elite and their efforts to prove themselves to their elders. This time providing a sterner tone and more defined animation styles, “Young Justice” is a definite contender for breakout series of the DC label.
The Surge (2002)
I guess it’s too much to ask for a good time from a film from The Asylum, but I’m an ever so optimistic movie watcher. Some would say naive, in fact. “The Surge,” also known as “The Secret Craft” also known as “The Source,” has a relatively good idea on its shoulder that could be turned in to something of a magnificent low budget epic if it really had some talent in its corner. Alas it doesn’t, thus we’re subjected to what is primarily a really bad rip-off of “The Craft.”
The Ark (2007)
Some viewers of Grzegorz Jonkajtys’s work may consider his films to somewhat pessimistic about the world, but I view them as a refreshing state of animation where we can reflect upon our own humanity for once. Not all animation has to have dancing penguins and talking teapots to be considered watchable. Most times animation can be used to reflect humanity as a whole. That’s what “Ark” essentially is. While it’s another post-apocalyptic tale, it’s also a meaningful one about one man’s struggle to stave off a disease that’s consuming his very essence.
Drive (2011)
Director Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 masterpiece may be one of the most misunderstood gems of the year. Rather than opting for a simple take off on the Ryan O’Neal classic heist film, he instead focuses in on the consequences of the choices made by criminals and the deeply meditative state of life that can ultimately be a reflection of the crimes we commit throughout our years. “Drive” feels almost like that lost jewel of the late seventies and early eighties, a film that focuses solely on the aftermath of crime rather than the crime itself and zeroes in on a sole individual whose own choices have come back to haunt him and ultimately put him in a position where he must seek redemption before the evil corrupts the only good in his life.
The Night Caller (2011)
One thing you can be sure about in horror is that if someone makes a promise, they’re going to keep it no matter what. Thus is the conundrum with “The Night Caller.” Originally I thought this would be yet another iteration on the famous urban legend about the babysitter, but alas it ended up being something completely different. And so much more uncomfortable in its premise. Though “The Night Caller” doesn’t have any ghouls of vampires or amazing special effects, it has a shocking ending that will leave audiences uneasy for a good period of time.