a) Save The Date
This is the kind of fidgety ambling indie dramedy that I'd probably hate, or at least put up my defenses against, if it wasn't full of people I love watching like Lizzy Caplan and Alison Brie and Martin Starr. But a charming cast goes a long way, and without it being too overly dramatic it ended up being kind of a good acting showcase for people that usually do straight up comedy. Still kind of a 'pointless indie flick about hipsters' (complete with wolf band jokes!), but it felt lived in and realistic enough without going for any kind of labored mumblecore realism.

b) For A Good Time, Call...
I liked that this was essentially a sex comedy written by a woman that ended up being more about friendship than anything else. Basically, it managed to hit the right notes of being sincere but also raunchy and funny in all the ways that something like Zack And Miri Make A Porno, failed to be. Which was a comparison that occurred to before I even realized how many people it had in common (the writer/star, Lauren Miller, was briefly in that movie, and her husband Seth Rogen makes a cameo in this one, as does Kevin Smith).

c) Friends With Kids
This is another comedy written (and directed) by a woman, one that seems like it's trying to do something unique, but ends up falling into some really familiar, predictable rom-com conventions. As good as the cast is, it feels like most everybody is kind of wasted in it, especially Adam Scott, who is usually good at being an unsympathetic dick but kinda rings hollow here, while still managing to not be very likable by the end when you're supposed to actually root for his relationship. But I was never really a fan of Jennifer Westfeldt's previous movie Kissing Jessica Stein, anyway, so my hopes weren't high.

d) Project X
I started to watch this, but it only reminded me how little patience I've ever had for teenage boys, even when I was one, so I suppose it was realistic in that regard.

e) One For The Money
I know I'm supposed to hate Katherine Heigl and her movies but I just don't, I love these cheesy flicks. And when you add in her as a brunette with some curls, man, I'm there. It was a little painful to watch her play this Italian chick from Jersey, but I liked that as an action movie it was kind of purposefully clumsy, that the point was that she was a novice, it worked.

f) Thor
Like with Captain America, I had no desire to watch this until I saw The Avengers, and while it was nice to get some background on the character, it actually kinda made this movie more boring to see it second, since the scale felt smaller. It was kinda decent and entertaining, though, I'll check for the sequel.

g) Cure For Pain: The Mark Sandman Story
I have an internet video player thing hooked up to my TV that has a bunch of movie services, some of which are usefully and some of which have tons of random stuff I've never heard of, and one night I was browsing around and found some interesting music movies, including this one. I really loved Morphine and think they were one of the most unique and fascinating bands, so this was fun just to watch for all the footage and interviews. But I dunno if it was particularly well made or provided much illumination into Sandman's life -- if anything it just made him and where his music came from even more appealingly enigmatic.

h) Big Night
I've always thought Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub were a couple of the best character actors out there and knew they had this really well regarded movie together that I'd never seen, so it was fun to finally see it, totally lived up to my expectations, so many great performances in this movie.

i) Miller's Crossing
Another movie I'd known by its reputation for a long time but, despite being a big Coens fan and seeing most of their other movies, had never caught it before. One thing that crossed my mind, seeing Buscemi in this, is how much more I'd probably enjoy "Boardwalk Empire" if the Coens were involved instead of Scorsese. It's also interesting to watch in light of some of their more serious, Oscar-nominated films, in that it has some of that impish humor of my favorite Coens flicks, but is also incredibly violent in a way that doesn't take the violence lightly, that leaves you gasping in horror rather than laughing it off.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 06, 2013 at 10:00 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.