Plane Movies
I have spent an awful lot of time on planes in the last month. First the trip to Florida for Spring Training. Then the trip to Ireland and England. I'm not complaining, but I've spent at least 24 hours on airplanes in March.
Which, for the most part, means MOVIES. Only one of the flights had the stupid DirecTV - pay us $6 to watch anything system, so for the most part, I got to see a lot of movies I would never otherwise have time to see. And most of them were good. So I figured I'd share my thoughts with the world.
The Blind Side - I hadn't actually heard of this movie before, but it was the only one showing on an overhead screen on the flight from Portland to Minneapolis. It was fantastic. Sandra Bullock shows she has real acting chops, not just silly comedy skills. The actor playing Mike was a firestorm of silent torture and joy at various times. A well made film, and Ms. Bullock deserves the Oscar she won. A friend said that the movie cheapens the book, takes a lot of the depth out. Well, movies can do that, and I haven't read the book. But now I might. When I get the time.
Everybody's Fine - If you have a dad, this will make you cry. DeNiro gives a masterful performance as a regular guy - a former laborer struggling to keep in touch with his adult children eight months after his wife's death. When they all cancel on a family gathering, he sets out via bus to visit each of the four kids in various cities across the US. He discovers their lives aren't exactly as rosy as his late wife pretended. DeNiro is heartbreaking in this role - and Drew Barrymore and Sam Rockwell ain't bad either.
Old Dogs - I've always loved Robin Williams, but I only made it about a half hour into this film before I had to turn it off. And bear in mind, it was the only thing showing.
The Men Who Stare at Goats - Hilarious. Who doesn't want to BE George Clooney, honestly? This was a great film for the first half - unexpected, funny, engaging... Clooney and McGregor have great chemistry. The second half was still fun, but it suffered from a lack of direction - where is this going? What's it about? Still worth watching, but it leaves off feeling like they didn't know how to wrap it up, so they just stopped.
Precious - Well this is a treat for 3 AM on an international flight. Leaves you feeling fresh and cheery. Do note the sarcasm. What a powerhouse. I had said earlier that I thought the Oscar clips looked overdramatic and overacted. Boy was a wrong - put them in context, and you'll be riveted. If DeNiro was heartbreaking, this is heartrending. Be sure to watch a light comedy after.
Couples Retreat - I will watch Vince Vaughn in anything as long as he's being funny. The tasteful answer to Will Farrell. This movie is hilarious, heartwarming and fun. I didn't think I'd like it upon hearing the premise, but knowing the actors involved, I gave it a go. And I was not disappointed. This is what comedy should be, and so often isn't. This is the sort of movie that you could put the wrong actor in and watch it go MILES over the top - but with Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell, it's dead on. Absolutely fantastic performances from relative unknowns Carlos Ponce and Peter Serafinowicz.
Planet 51 - Cute cartoon about a human landing on an alien planet. Lots of references to 50's Sci Fi - great fun after studying that genre for an improv show last year. Great work from some celebrity voices, decent animation and a fun story. Worth watching.
After that I ran out of movies. The only one left on the choose-your-movie thing you get on international flights was New Moon and I just couldn't bring myself to do that. I watched a few episodes of CSI and the new show The Forgotten and called it a day. The Forgotten was pretty good - I may have to check that out online. (Remember, we don't really have a TV...)
So that's my mini-reviews for all the movies I saw on the planes. Rumor is that next month Continental will be showing Avatar. Because that's meant to be shown on those tiny airplane TVs....
Which, for the most part, means MOVIES. Only one of the flights had the stupid DirecTV - pay us $6 to watch anything system, so for the most part, I got to see a lot of movies I would never otherwise have time to see. And most of them were good. So I figured I'd share my thoughts with the world.
The Blind Side - I hadn't actually heard of this movie before, but it was the only one showing on an overhead screen on the flight from Portland to Minneapolis. It was fantastic. Sandra Bullock shows she has real acting chops, not just silly comedy skills. The actor playing Mike was a firestorm of silent torture and joy at various times. A well made film, and Ms. Bullock deserves the Oscar she won. A friend said that the movie cheapens the book, takes a lot of the depth out. Well, movies can do that, and I haven't read the book. But now I might. When I get the time.
Everybody's Fine - If you have a dad, this will make you cry. DeNiro gives a masterful performance as a regular guy - a former laborer struggling to keep in touch with his adult children eight months after his wife's death. When they all cancel on a family gathering, he sets out via bus to visit each of the four kids in various cities across the US. He discovers their lives aren't exactly as rosy as his late wife pretended. DeNiro is heartbreaking in this role - and Drew Barrymore and Sam Rockwell ain't bad either.
Old Dogs - I've always loved Robin Williams, but I only made it about a half hour into this film before I had to turn it off. And bear in mind, it was the only thing showing.
The Men Who Stare at Goats - Hilarious. Who doesn't want to BE George Clooney, honestly? This was a great film for the first half - unexpected, funny, engaging... Clooney and McGregor have great chemistry. The second half was still fun, but it suffered from a lack of direction - where is this going? What's it about? Still worth watching, but it leaves off feeling like they didn't know how to wrap it up, so they just stopped.
Precious - Well this is a treat for 3 AM on an international flight. Leaves you feeling fresh and cheery. Do note the sarcasm. What a powerhouse. I had said earlier that I thought the Oscar clips looked overdramatic and overacted. Boy was a wrong - put them in context, and you'll be riveted. If DeNiro was heartbreaking, this is heartrending. Be sure to watch a light comedy after.
Couples Retreat - I will watch Vince Vaughn in anything as long as he's being funny. The tasteful answer to Will Farrell. This movie is hilarious, heartwarming and fun. I didn't think I'd like it upon hearing the premise, but knowing the actors involved, I gave it a go. And I was not disappointed. This is what comedy should be, and so often isn't. This is the sort of movie that you could put the wrong actor in and watch it go MILES over the top - but with Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell, it's dead on. Absolutely fantastic performances from relative unknowns Carlos Ponce and Peter Serafinowicz.
Planet 51 - Cute cartoon about a human landing on an alien planet. Lots of references to 50's Sci Fi - great fun after studying that genre for an improv show last year. Great work from some celebrity voices, decent animation and a fun story. Worth watching.
After that I ran out of movies. The only one left on the choose-your-movie thing you get on international flights was New Moon and I just couldn't bring myself to do that. I watched a few episodes of CSI and the new show The Forgotten and called it a day. The Forgotten was pretty good - I may have to check that out online. (Remember, we don't really have a TV...)
So that's my mini-reviews for all the movies I saw on the planes. Rumor is that next month Continental will be showing Avatar. Because that's meant to be shown on those tiny airplane TVs....
Labels: Couples Retreat, Everybody's Fine, Old Dogs, Planet 51, Precious, The Blind Side, The Forgotten, The Men Who Stare at Goats
posted by Brian at 1:26 AM
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