Movies, We Got Movies!

"Crash" - This got rave reviews in many sectors, but we were disappointed with it overall. It was clearly meant to be a Very Important Movie, and it definitely addresses some very important themes and showcases some great talent (particularly Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, and Thandie Newton), but we didn't end up feeling that anything deep had happened. I agree with A.O. Scott's review in the Times:

"Crash" writes its themes in capital letters—Race, Class, Life, Fate—and then makes them the subjects of a series of speeches and the pivot points for a succession of clumsy  reversals....

What kind of a movie is "Crash"? A frustrating movie: full of heart and devoid of life; crudely manipulative when it tries hardest to be subtle; and profoundly complacent in spite of its intention to unsettle and disturb.

"Lovely and Amazing" - This should have been called "Neurotic and Insecure." I could tell what we were getting into right from the get-go. It isn't boring or a waste of time, but it doesn't try to leave you with any kind of "message"—although maybe that's a good thing?! There's a lot here about women and body image (old/young, fat/thin, black/white, etc.) and some really well-done scenes, but not a heck of a lot of what  happens actually matters.

"The Winslow Boy" - What an unexpected pleasure! David Mamet wrote the screenplay for and directed this film adaptation of a Terrence Rattigan play. Thus you get the best of both worlds: Mamet's crisp writing and direction but not his crushingly depressing stories. This takes place in London around the turn of the (last) century. It's all about justice and believing in right and wrong, with plenty of smart repartee. Nigel Hawthorne is outstanding in this surprising little gem of a movie.

"Election" - I got such a kick out of this movie! It's about the machinations of an overly ambitious high school know-it-all (Reese Witherspoon) who's running for student council president, and the teacher (Matthew Broderick) who will do almost anything to stop her. I don't know what else to say, but it's just plain funny and cute. Don't take it too seriously—although I'm sure many people will be able to draw parallels to this election and real political elections....

"National Treasure" - Totally Disney-fied. Bland acting (sorry, Nic, I still love you!). Lame screenplay. Every possible cliche in the book. And so on. But, you know what? I loved this movie! The story was so clever and the plot so much fun to follow that I was willing to ignore everything else. Don't expect a Great Movie, but do enjoy this fun treasure hunt.

Comments

[Scott]

I hated all the characters in Crash by the end. I like to have heroes to believe in when the credits roll. Call me a romantic. National Treasure was awful in just about every conceivable way.

[Karen]

I didn't even care enough about the characters in Crash to hate them. What a letdown.

I thought the historical storyline in National Treasure was fun. I like a good treasure hunt as much as the next gal -- and while this wasn't anywhere near the caliber of Raiders of the Lost Ark, I don't think it was such an utter failure. Once I knew it was going to be Disney all the way, I just sat back and enjoyed watching them get from A to B -- because OF COURSE they would get from A to B in a Disney movie!

[nina]

Winslow Boy is one of my favorites. I love the repartee between Rebecca Pidgeon (Mamet's wife) and Jeremy Northam. I am biased, however, as anything with Northam gets a thumbs up from me.

[Leah]

Election is a favorite of mine. Reese's character is just priceless and Mathew Broderick's character is hillarious. Oddy a feel-good movie even though it's probably supposed to be much more.

[Kathryn]

Looks like I'm odd man out on Crash, one of my favorite films of 2005. (My name links to my review from Sept.) I liked the construction of the story and visually thought it had a tremendous impact. To each his own--that's what makes film such a great medium.

I'll be avoiding Nat Treasure. Election, I agree, is terrific, and one of Reese's best performances. (Have you ever seen Man in the Moon? One of her first films; I remember being very impressed by her and moved by the story.)