Plot: Despite the fact that this indie flick is about existentialism and quantum physics, I think you'll be hearing a lot about it. A scientific look at energy and how it affects our lives, with a scripted story starring Marlee Matlin interspersing discussion by physicist.
Best Part: A truly thought-provoking movie with humor and real truth about how we interact with the world.
Worst Part: You must put on your thinking cap for this. A brush-up on physics and physiology might help during the beginning when you are struggling to shift into that mindset.
Left Me Feeling: Awed. Thoughtful. Proud to understand some of the concepts.
Deep Thoughts: Too many to name, but the major one was that people are addicted to feelings, created by certain behaviors and situations, and they continue to create these situations to feed their need for those feelings, such as lust or victimization or anger. Because matter is composed of energy at it's basic level, and energy can be manipulated, we can cause things to happen to us based on our expectations and energy.
Posted on 01/31/05
Plot: Cocky young guy becomes aging salesman's boss creating power conflicts and business savvy conflict. Is the new guy with his hip marketing ideas and terms like "synergy" going to be able to replace the staid integrity of the old guy? Of course not.
Throw in relationships between the old guy and his daughter and the young guy and the daughter for some heat.
Best Part: Topher Grace gives his role as Carter Duryea realism, from his blurts of honesty to his unquenchable desire for success. He is a complex character rather than the two-dimensional schmooze that many other actors would have created. Scarlett Johanssen is radiant and adorable, giving a bit more understanding to what the fuss is all about.
Worst Part: It is a pretty bittersweet story for all the characters. Is this movie a romantic comedy? I'm not sure, but it's a damn good movie.
Left Me Feeling: What a sweet story about relationships, in their many complicated versions. Love and integrity can make difficulties easier to bear, even if they can't be conquered. It's also sort of a story about business, in an interesting parody of office politics, from the VP basketball game to the mass email about the big boss'arrival.
Deep Thoughts: What makes a young professional so driven to succeed? How do older people cope with change? Sometimes relationships are beyond definition.
Posted on 01/31/05Plot: Love square consisting of Anna (Julia Roberts), Alice (Natalie Portman), Dan (Jude Law) and Larry (Clive Owen.)
Best Part: All of these actors are very nice to look at. Set in London, with the two Brits and two Yanks. The beginning is very entertaining to watch unfold as the foursome meets.
Worst Part: I was not expecting the graphic sexual descriptions and depictions. A little uncomfortable to watch. The timeshifting makes the plot confusing.
Left Me Feeling: Guilty. Confused. What is the point of this movie -- that people in relationships are absurd and controlling and continually hurt each other on purpose?
Deep Thoughts: Can you really just feel your love for someone draining out of you because of something they do? Do some people need to cheat because the guilt of doing so is a turn on?
Posted on 01/04/05Plot: The interesting and sometimes insane life of Howard Hughes.
Best Part: Hughes has periods of manic genius which are fun and impressive to watch as he conquers Hollywood and aeronautics. The cameos are also fantastic: Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Jude Law as Errol Flynn, Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn (brilliant!), Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner.
Worst Part: Watching Hughes fall into obsessive-compulsive self-destruction is painful and scary at times.
Left Me Feeling: Wow, I really didn't know anything about Howard Hughes, and now I do.
Deep Thoughts: Maybe the truly brilliant are not that far from madness. Is that acceptable, so that their ideas and dreams can be brought to fruition? Maybe if they have money, that makes the difference. The crazy rich have it much easier than the crazy poor.
Posted on 01/04/05Plot: The cast of Ocean's Eleven returns for another heist caper.
Best Part: Um, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and George Clooney in the same movie? Catherine Zeta-Jones turns in a great, gorgeous performance as well.
Worst Part: Very disjointed, moving forward and backward in time and place to place.
Left Me Feeling: Can't compare with the first one, but I still liked it. Very clever and still capable of some twists.
Deep Thoughts: Have Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis ever been in a movie together before? (just one, The Player)
Posted on 12/20/04
Lemony Snicket - December 20, 2004
