Movies

In order to be more like all of the major print publications, I will be publishing film Capsules of what I see. I believe that I am the ultimate film connoisseur so you should listen to me. Plus I have seen like three movies this week. Since it is the season of movie going.

Walk The Line

I need to preface this by the fact that I am a huge Johnny Cash fan. I have gone through several periods in my life where it was all Cash all the time, in terms of my listening taste. And for that reason, I have to say that I thought the movie sort of did not work. I mean I thought the actors were great, especially Reese Witherspoon as June. I guess that I sort of feel that it is almost impossible to make a movie about Johnny Cash. I think it has to do with the fact that his music is intensely personal, he seems to be so vulnerable. People have always such a personal connection to him. That is not in the movie. That being said, the music is great.

Syriana

I had read many reviews about this film and they were mixed. I really wanted to like this film but was afraid I would be disappointed. I am happy to report that I was not disappointed at all. I loved it. It was completely engrossing. The performances were wonderful. Many people have commented on Clooney’s, role and the fact that he packed on the poundage for the role. He is really good, don’t get me wrong, but other performances are really quite wonderful. Jeffery Wright (one of my favorites) is absolutely stunning as the corporate attorney for the big oil company. I think Matt Damon puts in a performance of a lifetime as an idealistic energy Analyst. Christopher Plummer is fabulous as a cold and calculating oil executive and there are also wonderful performances by Tim Blake Nelson, William Hurt, Alexander Siddig and Chris Cooper. I felt that this movie was not just completly engrossing, but it was also completely informative. I think that Stephen Gaghan did a wonderful job of showing how the Oil industry infiltrates all parts of society. Its great I think every one needs to see this movie.

Brokeback Mountain
Do any of you remember that movie about fly-fishing called A River Runs Through It? If you do and you are not my Dad you might remember it as sort of a boring movie about Fly Fishing starring Brad Pitt (Angelina Jolie's Babies Daddy). This movie was a lot like A River Runs Through It, only instead of Fly Fishing, there is Gay Sex. They are both movies that take place in a rural, depressing yet beautiful part of the country and they also both have hot guys in it. Well, I know that my gay friends will be disappointed but and perhaps I am not cultured enough to like this film. But I thought it was sort of Dull. I mean I know that Life in Wyoming must suck, I mean after all you have to deal with the likes of Dick Cheney. And honestly, if I were gay in Wyoming, I would totally go someplace else. But this movie was 2 1/2 hours of two manly men grunting at each other and then having sex. If I wanted to see that, there are plenty of places in the Castro where I don’t have to pay $10 to see it. I mean I guess the real problem was that I did not believe nor was I at all engaged in the "Love Story". I sort of wished that I were. I mean there were good things about it.

It is beautifully shot, Ill give the movie that. I really like Nag Lee. The Ice Storm is one of my favorite movies.

I didn’t hate everything. I thought the Leger and Galangals performances were adequate. The women in the movie were actually more interesting than the men. Anne Hathaway and Michele Williams both turn in interesting performances as the wives of the gay cowboys. Kate Mara was also very good as the daughter of Heath Legers character, who never gives up on her father despite in emotional unavailability.

I mean if you like, big sweeping, beautify shot films about men who grunt and bugger each other then this is a movie for you. If you are looking for a realistic love story between two men, this is not it. A shame. There should be more of those.