I seem to be perpetually short on time so I thought I’d make a nice list instead of those long, drawn-out posts I like so much 😉
I really liked Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (4 out of 5 stars). I usually like espionage movies, and of course there is the cast (some of whom are wearing some pretty great suits). Even if just any two of these guys was in it, I’d have gone, plus I am no longer ignorant of Benedict Cumberbatch. (Don’t judge the gaps in my knowledge! OK, go ahead…but at least leave a comment.) There isn’t a lot of shoot-’em-up behavior, but it is suspenseful nonetheless, especially if you get nervous when spies are spying on each other. Shoot-’em-up is fine too, though. This Means War? I’m so there.
I really liked Shame, but in a different way (4.5 out of 5 stars). It’s nearly perfect in itself but I don’t think I could see it again. I found it as depressing as I thought it would be from reading the script, although a lot of stuff in the version I read didn’t make it into the finished film. There’s no question that Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan deserved Oscar nominations. Both actors suggested so much in a non-showy way, without much dialogue, and I believe those performances are actually what kept Academy voters away (in addition to the subject matter). I’d have given it 5 stars if there had been just a little bit more backstory about Brandon and Sissy. What is the significance of “New York, New York?” Why is Brandon obsessed with the Standard Hotel? You know that cool girl in your high school that wore vintage years before it was cool and always looked fabulous? That’s Sissy…but what happened to her after that? You won’t find out in this interview Fassbender did on Canadian TV show The Hour but I’m throwing it in here because it’s pretty interesting.
I really liked The Mill and The Cross (4 out of 5 stars). I wish there was a movie like this for every painting. It’s difficult to describe it. Again…not a lot of dialogue. It basically shows Brueghel’s (Rutger Hauer) inspiration for each figure and situation in the work. It’s a meditation on the creative process, a record of the human condition in Flanders in the 16th century (hint: lousy), an invective on humanity’s inhumanity, and a powerful statement in favor of the separation of church and state. If you get a chance to see this on the big screen, definitely go. Much will be lost on even the biggest home TV.
I loved The Artist (5 out of 5 stars), it’s just brilliant. It’s also laden with homages and tributes to Old Hollywood and the early 20th-century silents — a feast for classic movie fans. Still working on a larger post on this theme.
This month I also decided there should be ejector seats in cinemas (5 out of 5 stars). People who are talking/yelling, chomping loudly on gum, crinkling candy wrappers, talking on a cell phone, texting, tweeting or IMing can be removed in a speedy and efficient manner. Alternatively, should ejector seats prove too costly, perhaps two auditoriums can show the movie at the same time — talkers in one, silent types in the other. I’m kidding…sort of 😉 The stillness of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Mill and The Cross was almost wrecked. That was my non-classic moviegoing month of January 2012, how was yours?
Paula's Cinema Club 
Ejector seats! That would be awesome. I hate to sound mean-spirited, but the point of going to a movie theater is to be immersed in the film. Talking etc. yanks you out of it.
But what an amazing number of awesome films. It seems like we’ve gone forever without a really good movie, and now we’re drowning in them 🙂
So true…I didn’t pay $5-10 to hear some random person’s commentary on a movie! Ugh. If it’s an action movie or comedy, I guess I don’t mind so much.
I don’t think there are as many in February as there were in January. Hoping to see The Artist one more time.
Ejector seats works fine for me personally. Or people who whisper LOUDLY……For some reason not interested in the Artist, in fact, I was annoyed that it won so many awards.
In any case, I can’t wait to see Tinker……have you seen something called 50/50? I thought it was pretty good, not at all sappy,funny even. I”m also interested in something called In Darkness…..do you know anything about that one?
Yes, the loud whisperers drive me nuts…if you have to whisper, maybe you should be quiet! 😉 I read & heard good things about 50/50 but it never made it here so I’ve not seen it, probably a rental or on-demand at this point. I know very little about In Darkness, other than the trailer is pretty stunning & it was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. That’s another one that might not be shown in the theatre here. It does have 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty rare. I’m keeping an eye out for it. Thanks for commenting Val!
In Darkness is about the Holocaust, one of my pet themes….I can’t wait to see it.
Let me know what you think definitely when you see it. I’m interested in too, though I sometimes get depressed with that subject matter. Just don’t know when. If it gets here, it probably won’t be until after the Oscars. It may be scheduled for longer than one weekend if it wins.
actually, I have it on demand. I don’t usually go to the movies because the seats are so bad for my back
YAY, 5 out of 5 for The Artist, I feel the same way, the only full stars I gave all year. I really should review TTSS already, I’m impressed by it but it didn’t quite blow me away. As for This Means War, that’s more of a rental at best. I like Hardy but even watching the trailer is painful! Sorry girl.
LOL that’s OK Ruth, I haven’t seen Warrior yet, for same reason. Although I heard it was actually really good, the trailer seemed so hokey. We just saw The Artist again and I wondered if it would hold up. It did, actually I noticed even more the second time. Thank you kindly for stopping by 🙂
What is this means war?
A movie being released on February 14 about a couple of spies (Tom Hardy, Chris Pine) who are in love with the same woman (Reese Witherspoon). They start using covert methods to get the advantage. It looks sort of cheesy but the clips I’ve seen are pretty funny, plus I like the cast.