So, while he's been illin', I've been chillin' catching up on the DVD's for the week. Four out of the five were really good, the fifth was sadly disappointing.
Not The Messiah (He's A Very Naughty Boy
Let's get the disapponting movie out of the way. This is not a movie, it's a concert by Eric Idle (and some of the Monty Python crew: Michael Palin, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam--I have no idea why John Cleese (probably busy that night) and Graham Chapman is no longer with us). And it was performed like an opera. The preview for it looked pretty decent, but it was a disappointment. (I couldn't even finish watching the whole thing, I wound up turning it off more than half way through it.) So, unless you are a true Python fan, I'd go watch the original movie instead of this one (that movie was funny).
Shutter Island
Directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Leonard DiCaprio, co-starring Ben Kingsley (I love him), Max Von Sydow, Michele Williams, Jackie Earl Haley, and Patricia Clarkson (among others)). The story is about two Federal Marshalls called in to a psychiatric hospital on Shutter Island to look for a missing patient. This is one of those movies where the preview caught my attention, the movie somewhat caught my attention, then the end of the movie happened and -- wow-- I became so enamored of Martin Scorsese at that point that if I lived near him I would've walked to his house and given him a great big hug [then I'd probably be arrested for trespassing, and a trip to court for a restraining order would follow]. This movie was based on a book (which I never read, actually I never heard of it). The movie was enough to convince me to read the book. But I may possibly buy the movie (or definitely rent it again so I could catch what I missed while watching it.) Definitely a decent movie.
From Paris With Love
John Travolta and Johnathan Rhys Myers star in a Luc Besson written (not directed) movie. (Luc Besson of "The Fifth Element" fame -- now that was a great movie). Myers plays a young employee in the U.S. Embassy in France. John Travolta (no way, looking like Travolta) is an American spy (no agency was mentioned, I think) who is hooked-up with Myers to uncover a plot to hurt the Embassy. (I know, a bad sounding set-up, but the execution was fantastic and the writing was great.) Travolta had a lot of fun with this movie. Definitely worth a look.
Edge Of Darkness
Mel Gibson back in front of the camera. Playing a cop, again. But don't think that it's Martin Riggs in his older years. He's a Boston detectice whose daughter comes to visit him one night, and when she leaves she gets murdered in front of him. The mystery about it is the father has not kept up contact with his daughter, so he really doesn't know anything about what she's been doing. It's a really good thriller of a movie. Worth a look.
Side Notes: 1) This was based on a BBC telenovel (which I had heard about, but not see). and 2) Mel seems to be back. I just checked his IMDB page and he's got at least four movies in the pipeline: 1) The Beaver (directed by Jodie Foster who is also starring in it as Mel's wife); and co-starring Anton Chelton (Checkov in the new Start Trek movies) as their son. The plot is about a guy who wears a beaver puppet on his hand that he treats as if its real...I can't wait to see what this movie turns out like); 2) The Cold Warrior (could Mad Max be back??? I hope so); 3) The Drowner (which I can't find anything about); and 4) A Mel Gibson/Leonardo DiCaprio untitled movie (another one which I can't find anything about). Welcome back Mel--love to you back in action. (He's like the crazy Uncle that nobody reaaly talks about or particularly likes and gets embarrassed when he shows up, but someone's got to love those guys.)
Crazy Heart
Jeff Bridges plays a country singer who has lost his popularity. (I keep telling people this is 2009's "The Wrestler" -- it did for Jeff Bridges what the Wrestler did for Micky Rourke.) Jeff plays a good disgruntled drunkard, and I found the opening scene to be a neat homage to "The Big Lebowski" (he's at a bowling alley sitting at a bar, like he was in The Big Lebowski.) That's where the homage ends and this movie begins. Jeff definitely did deserve the oscar this year for this movie. He plays these characters like he's playing himself. This movie was an OK movie, besides Jeff, Maggie Gyllenhall played a newsreporter whose uncle got her a chance to meet Jeff so that she could get an interview with him. They wind-up as a couple during the movie. Then Jeff does something really stupid (takes her kid to a bar in a mall, where he looses the kid--that was actually a really tense moment, and it was very well done). The characters were true to themselves. So this movie was pretty good. Worth a look. (And Jeff sings, he's pretty good at it.)
Well that's it for now. I leave you with this:
Have a happy sunday. More later....Booboo
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