Catching Up With More Movies

Rendition



This movie was so-so. It’s a typical Hollywood movie in that it’s boiled down to the simplest, most black-and-white scenarios (all while supposedly dealing with morally ambiguous material). I’m sure the filmmakers thought they were making a complex, thought-provoking movie, but it’s kind of the opposite. A lot of critics complained about the love story between two incidental characters distracting from the main story, but I actually liked that part of the movie more than the main one. At least it had more of a sense of time and place than the scenes with Reese Witherspoon wandering around Washington D.C. and dramatically flipping out at various politicians.

The Kingdom



Argh, more time in the Middle East. Watching these movies back-to-back made me extremely tired of the desert. I can’t even begin to imagine how the people stationed there must feel… or the people who call that part of the world their home. It’s just very foreign to me.
Anyway this movie was entertaining, in a Hollywood blow ‘em up way. It’s worth watching for Jason Bateman’s wise-ass character. He’s somehow inherently charming, even when his characters are kind of losers. Here’s another good example of a movie that posits an anti-war message to pacifists, but would be seen as a pro-war movie by warmongers.

Dan In Real Life



At the end of our three-movie day, it was nice to see something that was a little more personal and light, even though the main characters are tortured and depressed in their own ways. This film was really quite funny and I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a pleasant diversion, or just to counterbalance too many movies about war and torture.

Michael Clayton



I loved this movie! I read a lot of reviews describing it as overly portentious and kind of boring, but I disagree completely. It’s the kind of subtle, slow-placed thriller that I just love. Which means that most people will probably not like it. The worst part is being forced to stare at George Clooney’s ugly mug for two hours. When will Hollywood wake up and start putting attractive people in movies for once?