murmur & shout

Hey, I’ve had a weird week and just realized that I never told you guys about the movies I watched in June.

Total watched: 26

New to me: 17

Spike Jonze uncredited cameos: 2

Continuing the ancient battle epics from May: Immortals (spent the whole time shouting I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE at the screen), Alexander (awful), Kingdom of Heaven (pretty good), Beowulf (would have liked a lot more if motion-capture didn’t make me want to tear my eyes out), Gladiator (still the gold standard)

Saw in the theater: Snow White and the Huntsman (entertaining but irritating), Prometheus (same)

Crying like a baby no matter how many times I watch them: Lars and the Real Girl, Once

Other rewatches: Inception was much more satisfying the second time around when I wasn’t busy trying to figure out just what the hell was going on; La haine might be a perfect film; When Harry Met Sally… because, of course.

Haywire: Gina Carano is not a good actress, but the impressive supporting cast balanced that out, along with the phenomenal fight scenes.

The Grey: Shallow character development and middling sfx, but the emotional moments were beautifully handled and Liam Neeson delivered. Plus bonus stealth Dermot Mulroney.

Coriolanus: The only Shakespeare adaptation this month. I thought it was brilliant. I watched it a second time with director/star Ralph Fiennes commentary track, which I recommend. He’s so clearly in love with the material, he sounds like a kid.

Mammoth: Valiant efforts from Michelle Williams and Gael Garcia Bernal, though the script was lazy and the social commentary overbearing. It was booed at the Berlinale, apparently. Take that however you like.

The Adjustment Bureau: I only watched this one because my mom asked me to so we could talk about it, which is the first time she’s ever said that to me in my life. Honestly, I was so distracted trying to figure out what struck her so strongly that she wanted to discuss it, I don’t remember it that well. God is in the Matrix? Or something?

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover: More than a little…challenging, let’s say. I did love, however, the little bits Tim Roth put on in the background when his character wasn’t the focal point of the scene. That guy’s all right.

Moneyball: Great performances, plus I am always a sucker for baseball movies.

The Game: (opinion here)

LOVED: Midnight in Paris (here), Bullhead (still working on this one)