Last year, between the two of us, we watched an average of 317 movies.
This year our goal is to top that by watching at least one a day.
And as an extra special torture, we've decided to write about all of them.

05 June 2008

Sex and the City: The Movie, dir. Michael Patrick King (2008)

NIKKI says:
Okay, let me start by saying one thing:

Sarah Jessica Parker -- I think you're gorgeous.

There. That's out of the way. God, what is it with all the ugly-talk surrounding poor SJP? So she's not classically, wonderfully beautiful. Who cares? I don't even find her ugly. So her face is a bit long, I don't get why that's ugly? This movie only proved how brave a woman she is, getting "old" with style. When I watched her in Mexico, rip of those sunglasses, I wanted to cry -- not for Carrie's sake (as if she wasn't going to be happy in the end), but purely for the awesome girl-power fuck-you-ness of the scene. Yes, SJP seemed to be saying, I'm 43 -- so fucking what?

She's actually the reason I wasn't disturbed about seeing this film. I went on invitation from my co-worker, Steph. She's a huge fan of the TV show, and I'm sure would shop like the women in the movie if Video Ezy raised her salary by about four million dollars. Every other week she's got herself a new bag, new shoes, new wallet, new pants. It works out for me, because I've started to get all the cast-offs. And I hate buying wallets, shoes and handbags, so it's great.

I, of course, have no idea of anything that has gone on in this show since about episode four, when I tuned out. I don't remember actively turning away from the show, I just remember not really caring if I missed it. The only episodes I made sure to catch were those with Jon Bon Jovi and Timothy Olyphant. But I like SJP a lot, and was happy to watch her big movie.

And I actually liked it. It was smart, funny, emotional, and surprisingly well-written. It doesn't make me want to rush out and get the series on DVD, but if I had the time, I wouldn't say no to a marathon or two.

All the things I remember not liking about the show were present, too, though. I still don't like Samantha. I find her hopelessly sad. I also think Kim Cattrall is a terrible actress. I do think they did the only believable thing by breaking her and her boyfriend up. That seemed very silly. And I still hated Charlotte. She's just so dumb. Why are these women only stupid when it's necessary for a joke? She's really that ignorant about Mexico? Is she really that dumb? And I also don't think I'll ever get this obsession with material things these women have. It's so weird. I did find it hard to feel bad for Carrie with all that money at her disposal. Poor rich people, whatever will they do!?!

But I did like Carrie, and I thought Miranda was good. I didn't like that Miranda went back to her husband, but I don't know him very well, so I could be wrong on that. I also liked Jennifer Hudson thrown in there -- she's so beautiful. And her song at the end... I'm so getting this soundtrack. The version of "Auld Lang Syne" was amazing, too. And the Al Green song! I know someone who cried right then!

So, a success. Even for someone with no knowledge of anything about it.

3/5

Steve did not view.

Cassandra's Dream, dir. Woody Allen (2007)

NIKKI says:
Even with the standard credit sequence, the expert pacing, and the un-Hollywood ending, it just didn't feel like a Woody Allen film. The best Woody movies feature multifaceted characters; nuanced, intriguing, complex people. The main characters here couldn't have seemed more cardboard had the words "Corn Flakes" been printed on their foreheads.

Two working class English guys need money -- one has to pay off gambling debts, the other wants to move up and out of his small town and on to bigger things, with the girl of his dream on his arm -- and she's in dire need of impressing.

What do we do? We take a rich uncle's offer to help us out of our scrapes by killing someone.

It's been done, right? And this one re-did it without any Woody Allen wit, no subtext whatsoever, and very little in the way of punch. It was all very predictable. From the second one character references Bonnie and Clyde, I knew the fates of our heroes. And while I was impressed with the ending, I didn't feel at all satisfied. And so... I kinda felt. Now what? Also, the uncle character was foreshadowed to death as not the man we might think he is. Over-development is very un-Woody.

I don't know quite what I think about Woody's new career as a maker of British caper flicks. I didn't care for Match Point and Scoop, while fun, was nowhere near the Woody Allen standard I am so used to. Where did our Woody go? His dialogue has lost its snap, his characters have lost their individuality and realism, and his plots have lost their ferocity and their absurdity. Is Woody Allen so purely an American writer that his British works can't help but feel inferior?

I agree with many of the film's reviews that the actors were very good. I've never liked Colin Farrell in anything before this. For the first time, I saw him as a real actor. He is actually the most compelling thing about this film. Still, his character is riddled with cliches.

I don't know -- even bad Woody Allen is still pretty good, but I want more. Anyone could have made this movie, not the single greatest writer/director in the history of cinema.

2.5/5