Flick Chick: The Dark Knight

It's been a while since I've done a Flick Chick blog, and I assure you there has not been a shortage of movie going by yours truly (a bonafide movie popcorn addict) in the past few months, but there has been a shortage of time and worthwhile movies about which to write. Last night's flick, however, proved worthy. Oh so worthy.
So, OK, superhero DC Comic movies are not everyone's cup of tea, I get that. They tend to not be mine, either. (Trust me, I was subjected to Hell Boy II last weekend. A cup of-- well, I don't know what, but most certainly not mine.) But I have always enjoyed the Batman series. Maybe because I enjoy a darker hero-- one who is flawed, mysterious and private, unencumbered, and whose hair doesn't glisten with Ken doll sheen. Maybe because his alter ego isn't the cliche nerdy reporter/science geek/kid-everyone-picked-on-in-school, but a hottie philanthropist billionaire and that's just... well, sexy.
While never actually owning a comic book, my friends and I still watched the Keaton/Kilmer/Clooney movies with unfettered interest and, of course, wanted to be as beautiful as Catwoman when we grew up. I loved the Batman music, the all-black Batsuit, the supersweet 007-esque toys. I loved my Batman sheets when I was younger (you're thinking 8 years old, right? Nope: college.) And, in the newest movies, I heart Christian Bale.
Batman Begins was probably my favorite Batman movie to date thanks to director Christopher Nolan's ability to give the audience a bit of credit and offer a more mature, meatier, darker, less kampy feel to the film; and, of course, the aforementioned Christian Bale who played a Batman with more depth and less ego was the perfect actor to show us the descent into darkness. I also found the villians more believable in Batman Begins because they were more psychopathic (a la Hannibal Lecter) rather than just over-the-top caricatures of themselves (a la Jim Carey as the Riddler.)
I was looking forward to seeingThe Dark Knight because Bale was still the hero, and because Heath Ledger's casting as the Joker was intriguing; Heath had good looks (a cute Batman villain? Can this happen?) and he seemed young for the role which was so... I dunno, iconic for Jack Nicholson.
So last night we waited with the masses and saw The Dark Knight. I give it an enthusiastic Flick Chick rating of Woohoo! Bale is just as suited for the role this time around, but less tortured than the last film required. I sent Ian this e-card earlier in the day yesterday because I was getting a bit sick of the buzz:

And the answer is yes, yes it is. Heath's Joker delivers a deranged psychopathic criminal that is truly scary. Per one of his lines in the movie, "Gotham deserves a better class of criminal" Heath's performance gives viewers a better class of Batman villain. His makeup hides his leading man looks and his age doesn't really factor in the performance the way I expected. His performance is every bit as good as the buzz... His personification of the dark, twisted, son-of-chaos Joker is a jolting punch in the gut throughout the movie. TDK is not a feel-good flick; it is tense, it is sad, it is the darkest yet of the series, but it stands alone as entertaining through and through thanks to all the shining performers and a rare-for-this-genre quality script. And, ps, I TOTALLY called the Aaron Eckhart twist. I won't spoil it here. But I called it early into the film and my little hunch had me even more enthralled to see if I was right. And I was. And it was awesome.
You do not have to be a fan of the Batman series to like TDK-- which I think holds true with Batman Begins, too. Both films stand great on their own as, get ready to roll your eyes, works of cinematic art. I would recommend seeing Batman Begins before seeing TDK however, because there are references you just won't get otherwise-- and Morgan Freeman's character is not developed in this film at all because the director assumes you know who he is from Batman Begins. TDK really is a great movie in its own light, exposing the dark of humanity and the gritty of a Gotham world where, much like our own, the lines blur between terrorism and heroism. Gone are the "holy cheesy, Batman" lines, gone are the slapstick bad guys in tights. Welcome to the new black.

The only thing I found disappointing was the chemistry between Maggie Gyllenhaal and the movie's leading men. I found her a bit flat in her role, her face bothers me (I'm sorry, Jake, but you got the looks in the family) and the love story/back story seem rushed and totally second-fiddle to everything else-- which would have been fine except that it becomes the precipitating driver for the whole last hour of action. So I guess I would have liked to see her story/character a little more developed so that I cared about her more. I think more of her character (preferably played by someone I like to look at more) would have helped give this film a little more balance from the bleak themes that made it a haunting, bitter cup at times. As for truly fun surprises? Anthony Michael Hall (remember him from The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles?) pops up in the second act as a reporter. (No sign of Molly Ringwald, however.)

Still not convinced that TDK is your cup of tea? There's always WALL-E. That was really good, too, and a bit easier to swallow.

Flick Chick: Juno and The Bucket List

Two recent theater visits have enabled another multi-subject Chick Flick entry: Juno and The Bucket List.

I think the most appropriate word I can think of to describe Juno is quirky. It's just... offbeat. I really liked it, although I'm sticking with my rating of Decent. It didn't totally wow me, but I did laugh so hard I almost choked on a Mike and Ike at one point. It has a great smattering of truly hilarious moments. For an indie film, this was surprisingly star-studded and bemusing throughout; yes, a bit contrived in places, but overall a terrific reason to eat movie popcorn and partake of the blessed Ian-patented Theater Mix of 3/4 diet coke, 1/4 cherry coke.

This is definitely a movie for people still in touch with the teenagers of today, however. Be warned that the tempo of the dialogue and vernacular in general takes some getting used to, and may be more like a foreign language in places if you're not currently familiar with anyone in high school. The best thing about Juno is the performance by leading lady Ellen Page. She truly shines. Her portrayal is real, honest and smart. The relationship between her and her crush and also the prospective adoptive father Jason Bateman are not entirely believable--which I think is the main reason I hold back on my coveted (read: not coveted) Woo-hoo! rating-- but the performances, and relationships, kept me intrigued to say the least. I also liked the newer take on the subject matter of teen pregnancy. And the soundtrack was very cool. All in all this movie is quirky, witty, offbeat... and totally decent. And, since there's Oscar buzz, worth the trek to the video store at least.

We saw The Bucket List this weekend. I give it a Meh. Like so many Hollywood comedies fall victim, the funniest scenes are already in the previews, and that expected heart-wrenching emotional crescendo? Meh. I was waiting throughout the movie for that lump-in-my-throat moment that should be a given with two old men living out their final days in glory. But no, never happened. It's the same old stop-and-smell-the-roses meets don't-forget-to-say-I-love-you cliche after cliche. Plus,it's generally slow-paced, which had me checking the time during the film... Never a good sign since I'm pretty sure given the right circumstances (i.e. I didn't have to work for a living and movie popcorn suddenly became as healthy as broccoli) I could live in a theater forever. And while both actors are talented, their characters really aren't anything original. I was waiting for those moments where you think, "This is why Jack/Morgan is perfect for this..." and again, never happened. So much of this movie was simply generic and formulaic, it was hard to get past the resentment of knowing exactly what was going to happen (and that I spent my precious dolla-dolla bills, yo, to see it).

My favorite character was the assistant played by Sean Hayes, formerly Jack on the sitcom Will&Grace. His scenes were the best, and he added a nice respite from the somewhat tiring drawl of the two main players. There was one classic line, however, which I have quoted at least twice since viewing on Saturday, and will probably quote forever more, and for that, and that alone, will this movie be memorable.

Flick Chick

Ah, the holidays. Family, friends, food, presents, trees, luggage, air mattresses, car trips, after-Christmas sales, pets, video game marathons... and ample time to see movies. This Flick Chick entry covers two recent viewings, and one not-so-recent viewing: I Am Legend, The Golden Compass, and Lars and the Real Girl.

I Am Legend, starring one nee west-Philadelphia born and raised Fresh Prince: Will Smith. I give this flick a Meh on the scientific rating scale of Boo, Meh, Decent, and Woohoo! Here's the thing: this is not "Urban Castaway." I thought it was, and let me just tell you, going into this movie with high expectations is unwise. Go into this movie with "monster/zombie movie" expectations and you'll probably enjoy it a lot more than I did. The movie takes place in post-Armageddon-ish NYC where Will Smith is a lone scientist survivor of an outbreak of a mutated virus that has turned humans into cannibalistic zombie monters. This movie has its fair share of bumps in the night that caused me to jump and such intense scenes that I was forced to watch through fingers and attached to Ian's arm at times. So, as far as zombie movies go, this one is pretty darn scary; but the zombie monsters themselves are so CGI, they're not even believable as former humans. And, ps, totally designed by a man, because the female zombies, although running around naked and deformed for supposedly 4 years, still have perfect C-cups, bouncy and perky. Riiight. Smith's performance doesn't disappoint, but it's nothing to write home about. So I won't.

The next film we saw during our winter holiday break was The Golden Compass. Now, there were all kinds of mass e-mails swirling about the interweb calling this movie everything from "of atheist sentiment" to "this movie will brainwash your kids into satanic worshippers." Methinks most of these e-mails were probably clever marketing ploys to peak interest in a movie that was easy to write off as "Narnia-with-different-kids." It worked for me. I was curious enough to give it a shot when buttered popcorn was on the agenda. The movie was Decent. And I did not find it the atheist anthem some feared it to be. Granted, this was just the first in a series, and I haven't read the books, but from this movie alone, one has to work to see any kind of atheist symbolism. The movie surrounds Lyra, a little girl who lives in a world controlled by the Magisterium, an organization seeking to take away free will and torturing children on the side in their experimental efforts. Could the Magisterium be a symbol for organized religion? Sure. But, really, it-- and it's representative Nicole Kidman-- are just the standard children's movie villains more symbolic of evil in the good vs. evil plight than anything else. Performances in this movie are quite good. And the effects are stunning. The battle scenes are too graphic for little ones, however. The movie makes no attempt at an ending since sequels are expected-- annoying-- but, on the whole, an entertaining jaunt through a fantastic world of mystery and magic.

A movie I saw a while ago but haven't had a chance to blog about is Lars and the Real Girl. This movie gets a resounding Woo-hoo! Loved it, loved it, loved it. The story surrounds Lars (Ryan Gosling), a lonely man struggling with a delusional disorder that he and his family and townspeople all have to try and understand before he can get well. The writing is sublime, the psychiatrist (Patricia Clarkson) character is brilliant, and this heartwarming movie tackles dark themes such as mental illness and death with humor and realism. It's just a quiet little film that matches the quiet little town in which our hero, the flawed Lars, takes his journey.

Flick Chick: August Rush

How can a film starring the talented Terrence Howard and Keri Russell be anything but amazing? I'll tell you how: bad editing, bad writing.
On my very scientific Flick Chick official rating scale (Boo, Meh, Decent, and Woo-Hoo!) I give August Rush a Boo. I was going to go with Meh because the musical score is actually pretty nice (and it takes place in NYC which is always a pleasant stroll down memory lane,) but the more I thought about my $6.95 and two hours of a Saturday afternoon I will never get back, the more I think this movie really does deserve that cursed Boo.
The story falls apart about 15 minutes into the film, the characters have zero depth, and the most talented actor of all (Mr. Howard) completely disappears for 80% of the movie. The littlest star, Freddie Highmore, is cute; I'll give him that. But since he spends most of his scenes in wide-eyed innocent stare-off-into-space closeups and clueless overacting during his musical scenes (with that blasted Iron Chef 360-degree spinning camera maneuver) there's not much more to like. He plays a musical prodigy orphan whose parents are star-crossed lovers with musical talent. Spoiler alert: Little "August" thinks if he can play his music his parents will hear him, and find each other and then find him. And guess what, he does and they do! Neat and tidy. The end.
The story is sappy-- soggy sappy. And it needed a million completely unlikely and unbelievable coincidences and happenstance to make any sense at all. It's like the movie couldn't decide if it wanted to give itself over to fantasy and complete romanticism or stay grounded in real life. So what you end up with are some scenes in cliche-fantasy-world and others that aren't. It just didn't make sense.
However, I got to see the movie with my mom who was visiting from Oregon, so that was a plus. It seems the best claim this movie can make, as far as I'm concerned, is that it sat me next to a nice person for two hours. Not all was lost.

Flick Chick: Dan in Real Life

We saw Dan in Real Life last night in our own real life. I laughed, I cried, I fell more in love with Steve Carell as a major player in Hollywood.

The beauty of Dan in Real Life is in the details-- the small quirks and flaws that make it real and funny and human. It's smart, and charming, and it doesn't take itself too seriously or try too hard for the magic moments. But the magic is there; this movie just entertains effortlessly. Mr. Carell is Dan, the timid widower and advice columnist. Juliette Binoche (of Chocolat) is the woman who captures Dan's heart. And then there is The Family-- admittedly the source of most of the movie's best moments. ("This corn is like an angel.") Ian loved it too, proving it's not just sentimental goo for the ladies. I give it a coveted Flick Chick rating of WOO-HOO!

This is a great movie on par with other family-driven romcom dramedies, such as The Family Stone, Something's Gotta Give, Little Miss Sunshine and the like. It's for anyone with a family, anyone who can appreciate the unsung drama that comes standard with teenagers, with love, with work... with real life.

Flick Chick: Elizabeth The Golden Age

It's no secret that I heart movie popcorn. It's a bit of an obsession, really. As such, I am always game for a trip to the theater for whatever might spark even the slightest interest on the silver screen. My latest buttery, salt-filled theater visit was last weekend when I accompanied some lovely lady in-laws to see "Elizabeth, The Golden Age" starring Clive Owen and Cate Blanchett. I like Cate Blanchett as a general rule, and now, after this movie, I really like Clive Owen. He's just plain nice to look at. Mmmm. Clive.

The movie did not get great reviews, but I found it good on most accounts. The costumes are insanely gorgeous and the performance by the talented Ms. Blanchett does not disappoint. I found the story, while criticised for being historically inaccurate, to be a good one. Although I suppose if you're some sort of Elizabethan scholar as the movie critics seem to be, then perhaps you should spare yourself the heartbreak of learning that Hollywood-- contrary to all that it stands for in this gleaming day and age of accuracy in the media-- actually embellishes stories for drama.

There were times this movie couldn't seem to decide if it was an artsy cinematic study in contrasting wardrobes to backgrounds or an episode of "Iron Chef." Seriously. Subtlety was not this movie's strong point. The music was way over the top and every once in a while there were these weird 360-degree camera maneuvers around the actors, who were clearly just posing for the camera that was spinning around them. I kept waiting for Bobby Flay to pop out in his chef coat, knives a blaze. Over. The. Top. It may be how I want my popcorn, but it's a little much for the main feature.

Other than that, I have to say I liked this movie. I give it a "Decent" on of my extremely scientific Flick Chick rating scale of "Boo," "Meh," "Decent," and the rare, but coveted, "Whoo-hoo!"

Any recommendations for my next butter-coated theater visit?

More Than Meets The Eye Candy

Having grown up with afternoon viewings and many a neighborhood game of Transformers, I admit I was almost as excited as Ian was to see the new blockbuster live-action movie. So we did. And, yes, it's action-packed and entertaining... And hi, who doesn't love any excuse to eat movie popcorn and red vines for dinner? But can someone please explain to me why the female lead was nothing more than eye candy? I mean, Dreamworks had to know this wasn't just a movie for 14 year old boys, right?

Mikaila, the "damsel in distress" character, was so ridiculously shallow that it was painfully clear what she was: a set of tan legs and breasts... and nothing more. With a few, simple tweaks to her lines she could have been a nice addition to the story as a pretty, talented and intelligent girl; instead, she was just the hot girl, posing provocatively in practically every frame-- kind of slutty, with a few action scenes to keep her relevant to the plot. (The picture with this post is from an actual part of the film... Not a chop shop wall calendar like you'd expect... I mean, I totally pose like that when checking out car engines in my mini skirt and tank too, but still...)

I felt like I was watching a rap video where the hotties just dance around in teeny clothes and let the big, bad men do all the talking. I was surprised to find this in such a big summer film. With the huge audiences this movie would draw, I'm curious why the writers didn't try a harder to give a little credit to the ladies.

Next stop: Harry Potter 5. Let's hope Hermoine doesn't start showing up in miniskirts and heels.