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Liberal Arts
Liberal Arts (2012)
9/10
Surprisingly great film!
10 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Most folks only know Josh Radnor from his work in "How I Met Your Mother," which is certainly serviceable but doesn't show the depth he clearly has. I also watched "happythankyoumoreplease" which was okay, but this is the high point of his career.

Everyone wishes they were at a different point in their lives. Young people want to be older. Middle-aged people want to be younger. Older people are smart enough to only want to turn back the clock to middle age... and as I write that, I catch myself thinking, "Well, I'd want to be younger if I could quit focusing on how much better life will be when I get older," so there you go.

Anyway, the point is (and the point of the film is) we all need to pursue happiness with where we are at whatever point we find ourselves. Yesterday isn't coming back and most of us have already wasted enough of our todays dreaming about tomorrows. And whatever age we are, there is someone who would gladly trade, so why not find peace with that?

This was a very thought-provoking film for me, and I doubt I'll ever look at life the same way again.
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Hope Springs
Hope Springs (2012)
3/10
Not Quite What It Says on the Tim
10 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Considering the word "funny" appeared on the box twice, you might expect a bit of humor. And you would be disappointed. I made the mistake of watching this with my wife on our anniversary, and it is seriously depressing. A "feel good romantic comedy"?

To consider this a comedy, I would have to delight in the suffering of others, because that's all you get. I'm not expecting slapstick, but I was expecting some wit and gentle humor. Instead, all this film does is give a slice of life as to the struggles of a couple who have grown apart.

Had this been presented as a drama, or even a "dramedy," I might be a bit more patient with it. But it is presented as a comedy and it fails... our moods were actually worse by the time the credits rolled.
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The River Why
The River Why (2010)
1/10
"The River Why-Was-This-Even-Made?"
25 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The only redeeming quality to be found in this film is the beautiful Oregon scenery. However, that means that this *highlight* of the movie- watching experience is the equivalent of watching someone's vacation videos. When this is the best thing you can say about a movie, you are in for a painful time.

It's a movie about fishing. Granted, you can only expect so much regarding a movie about something like fly fishing, but it *can* be made entertaining (remember "A River Runs Through It"?). This film has the requisite father-son issues, the "surprisingly thoughtful and well-read" protagonist, the spunky love interest, the "I've been searching for fish, and yet I now know I've only been searching for myself" hackneyed conclusion. The only thing that's missing is a group of people slow-clapping at the end. These are 101 minutes of your life you'll never get back. You have been warned.
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Super
Super (I) (2010)
10/10
Powerful...
20 December 2011
At the risk of making a terrible pun, "Super" is a powerful film. It's not for everyone, to be sure. Nor is it something I could watch numerous times. It's extremely violent, dark and exhausting. But as difficult as it can be to watch, Super is a masterpiece.

The relatively low budget actually works for me. Frank is a low-budget Bruce Wayne, so why *wouldn't* his story be told in a low-budget way. It's the only way it would work. Any imperfections in the film (which I didn't notice, but I don't watch movies looking for imperfections) simply add to the whole "most of us aren't independently wealthy playboys, even those of us who want to fight crime" motif.

I first saw Rainn Wilson on Six Feet Under, and enjoyed his quirky performance. And, of course, we know him for his comedy chops. But anyone who thinks he can't do drama should see this. His anger, his frustration, his self-loathing, his sheer ANGST is heartbreaking. He doesn't "act like" his characters... he BECOMES his characters.

Of course there are similarities to Kick Ass and Defendor, two films with similar themes. But it's in the character development that Super becomes its own film. Everyone is flawed, some are pathetic, some are detestable, some are likable... it makes a mosaic of depth that really draws you into their corner of the world.

Again, this is not for kids. It's VERY violent and disturbing. And this film probably won't have universal appeal. But it isn't supposed to.
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The Nines
The Nines (2007)
2/10
You know how someone starts to tell you a joke...
23 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
... and then they tell you the punchline and say, "Shoot, did I forget to tell you that the guy was carrying a walrus? Because that's really important." That's how I felt after watching this film.

Ryan Reynolds is a favorite of mine. I also loved the movie "Big Fish," so I had some high hopes, all of which were ground into a fine, bitter powder and blown into my face.

This is one of those movies where it goes in many different directions and all you can do is hang on for the ride. And that's fine, but you dang well better make it all come together in the end. It's one thing to give me a disappointing ending if I'm watching something that's easy to follow, but if I'm seeing the same actors in three different roles and I have no idea how they relate, you have failed miserably if you don't reconcile everything.

And... it does, but in the most "I've painted myself into a corner and this is the only explanation I can make work kind of way." It was a lot like the season finale of LOST in that respect.

This one disappeared, and deservedly so. Even watching it for free on Crackle, I felt ripped off.
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Small Town Murder Songs
Small Town Murder Songs (2010)
You have to watch it the "right" way...
23 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
As a murder mystery, it crashes and burns terribly. If you want a "whodunit," prepare to be disappointed, because you don't have to be Encyclopedia Brown to put THIS one together.

But as a character study, it's interesting. Yes, these people would have to be absolute cretins to not know who killed the girl, but that notwithstanding, it's an interesting look at someone trying to move beyond his past in a small community where it's difficult to start over because everyone knows you too well. I've lived in a "no traffic light" town in my day, and anonymity and privacy are nearly impossible to find, much less a chance to re-make yourself. And, as one of the town's police officers, the protagonist has to interact with the community all the time, making a re-invention that much more difficult. Watching it for THAT makes it worth watching.

So, consider it a movie where the event is more the internal struggle and not the outward struggle of solving the murder mystery. Keep your focus on the character, not the events, and you'll like it a lot more.
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Country Strong
Country Strong (2010)
3/10
Every Cliché a Country Music Movie can Have...
1 September 2011
... can be found in Country Strong. Every plot device has been done (and done better) in films you have seen a thousand times before. That alone doesn't necessarily make for a bad movie. Crazy Heart had nary an original idea in it, but it was still a great film.

This is the kind of movie you expect to see on the Lifetime Network. Lazy writing, competent-but-nothing-memorable acting and a generic soundtrack total a big "there's nothing THERE there!"

Paltrow tries gamely, bless her heart. She's an okay actress and has a decent singing voice, but still managed to be absolutely unconvincing in her role. You will never lose yourself watching this performance - you are acutely aware from start to finish that you're watching someone ACTING.

Sorry, folks, but I'm from Oklahoma and we know country music and the country music scene. This movie is the kind of movie that gets made by people who think they know what they're talking about, but you know better. I'd strongly recommend Crazy Heart over this nonsense.
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