The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Year: 2009
Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Heath Ledger, Andrew Garfield, Colin Farrell, Johnny Depp, Jude Law

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is pure magic. It's one of those movies where you are so awestruck at the creativity and imagination that you accept and embrace it all. It's full of things you'd never think about outside a weird dream. This movie was a well-acted sugar rush that had depth, drama, and a whimsical quality that perfected the atmosphere.

Briefly, the plot revolves a man, Dr. Parnassus, who along with his daughter have a traveling magic show. Along the way they meet a mysterious stranger (Ledger) and everything explodes from there. Let's just say there are magic mirrors, really giant ladders, and Verne Troyer.

This film is also the last project of Heath Ledger before his death. He actually died during the filming and so in his place stepped in three superstar actors: Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. I know it sounds weird that four people can play the same character, but they pulled it off brilliantly in the film. It was amazing.

Also for you Social Network fans, this was the first major role for Andrew Garfield who was really good in it.

I watched this movie when it came out and didn't watch again until last week, but I'm so glad I did. It's still just a great piece of film. Go see it.

Score: A

50/50

Year: 2011
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anjelica Huston

If you go into 50/50 thinking it's just going to be a really funny comedy with slight cancer undertones, I must warn you; you will be disappointed. That doesn't mean, however, the movie is bad. On the contrary, I think the fact that 50/50 was more on the drama (and dark comedy) side really made a more powerful statement than just a typical laugh out loud movie would have.

50/50 is really a heavy subject movie. You do have the cancer topic which is heavy in itself but on top of that you have various subjects that can come with cancer including, inevitably, death as well as relationship strains. It's unfortunate but this movie is very relatable to many people and it is this familiarness that makes for such a striking movie. It's also worth mentioning that 50/50 is loosely based off of the real life story of Will Reiser who was a co-writer on the movie and a good friend of Seth Rogen.

Acting wise it was spot on. I was originally worried about Seth Rogen's part. I love Rogen but in more comedies and was unsure how well he'd do in a more serious movie. So while he did play the comedic relief, which was to be expected, I do think he did a good job transitioning when he needed to. As for Gordon-Levitt...well he was spot on as usual and his dynamics throughout the movie were hauntingly real.

Overall 50/50 is a great move. It may not be the pick me up movie you want after a long and stressful week but it is well worth the watch.

Score: B+

Texas Killing Fields

Year: 2011
Director:  Ami Canaan Mann
Starring: Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jessica Chastain, Chloe Grace Moretz

Texas Killing Fields is my unofficial "part two" of a Worthington and Chastain film. I came upon this and THE DEBT around the same time and so I decided to review them back to back.

This movie is hard to describe in terms of genre because the genre that it would traditionally be described as would take away from the movie's effectiveness. I suppose I would categorize it as a cop drama, but with way more plot depth than a typical cop drama would be. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Sam Worthington play partners who are trying to solve a murder in their city, Texas City. They are also put into a obligated situation to help out Jessica Chastain (who works for another police department) with her missing persons - turned - homicide case. While the officers try to solve these crimes they are also going through things in their lives separately that dictates their actions and pushes them to certain breaking points.

For the second time in a row, I found myself actually enjoying another Sam Worthington acting job. I'm surprised. In both THE DEBT and this film, he seems to have found what he is good at in acting. He plays a blatant jerk who using violence and aggression to be a great cop. Along with his surprising performance was a solid "good cop" acting job by Jeffrey Dean Morgan who plays mature very well and Jessica Chastain who once again acts her heart out even though her character was not a focal point.



I liked this movie. I liked the pace of the movie and how the slowness of a Texan, Southern city reflected the tone of the movie. The writing was decent, but the plot and the story were powerful and at times disturbing.

Go see this film.

Score: B

Memento

Year: 2000
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano

I'm reviewing Memento  not so much for the acting, but for the amazing writing and directing done by Christopher Nolan. Everyone knows who he his, but many people, unfortunately, only know him for Batman and Inception. I'm here to tell you that before the masterpiece that is Inception, there was the first AWE-mazing movie Memento. It is the perfect cinematic brain punch where you have no idea what's going on throughout most of the movie and you love it. 

 I don't want to give away even a hint of the plot. Instead I want you to just watch the movie. It's a really well put together film and it is so smart. I found myself saying "cool" many times during the film. It's just entertaining. I'm not a huge fan of Guy Pearce as an actor and because of that my rating is not perfect, but luckily amazing script writing and directing saved it. Hey... go see this movie.

Score: B+

Hesher

Year: 2010
Director: Spencer Susser
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson, Natalie Portman and Devin Brochu

If you like dark comedies than Hesher is quite the film for you, although I will warn you it's a bit weird. Actually, I kind of take that back as I've seen much, much weirder films. I guess just different is the word I'm looking for here.

What I mean by this is just the happenings within the movie. First off you have Brochu's character, T.J. who is your typical depressed kid after his mother's death who is getting bullied. He then meets Gordon-Levitt's character, Hesher...a desolate metal head who then just sort of moves in with him, his father and grandmother. The quietness that this all happens with and the acceptance of Hesher just moving in and then the other crazy antics he pulls is astounding. It actually brings me to question the "realness" of the characters and story writing. Something that I've been questioning a lot recently for some reason.

Gordon-Levitt has never looked better

The movie does make up for this pseudo (or real) fakeness but an albeit good story chemistry between Brochu, Gordon-Levitt and finally Portman. The story is then tied in quite well with the heavy subject of death in multiple ways which brings this dark comedy into more drama territory that actually gets a good point across surprisingly.

Score: B-

Sucker Punch

Year: 2011
Director: Zack Snyder
Starring: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish

Sucker Punch was everything I expected it to be. But then again I didn't expect much. I wasn't looking for amazing acting, writing, or directing. I was completely void of all my typical movie critiques because I knew what I was about to watch. A lot of movies fool the audience into believing it is so much deeper than it is causing them to become detached instantly when it isn't and ultimately killing their chances of becoming successful. Sucker Punch did not try to be anything more than what it was. It was beautiful girls, intense action, and well done CGI.

The story is about a girl (Browning) who is put into an insane asylum  where the warden runs a brothel using his ridiculously attractive patients. The movie swerves in and out of reality as she deals with her time in the asylum. I've always been a huge fan of Emily Browning and her acting chops. She really acted well in this film even though she didn't have to at all. She was a big reason I enjoyed this film.

Sucker Punch is entertaining at best. That's why I watched it and that's why I enjoyed it. If you expect too much from certain films they'll have a tendency to let you down. Don't expect too much and you'll enjoy this movie.

Score: C+