Atonement

Not what I was expecting exactly, but a very good movie nonetheless. Keira Knightley again proves that she actually can act with the best of them, and isn't just eye candy. I have to warn anyone who might be curious about this movie though, it's very slow-moving and deliberately paced. (Hey, it's British). But there is some beautiful cinematography, especially during one sequence on a war-ravaged French beach with the remnants of the British army waiting for their transports back home. Also nominated for Best Picture, it doesn't really come close to Michael Clayton, but still is a damn good movie. I think the Academy is under the impression that a British movie always needs to be nominated for the big one, and Atonement just happened to be their pick from last year. Not a bad flick to show if you're entertaining a lady.

Michael Clayton

This didn't make a whole lot of money when it was released in theatres last fall, which is a shame because for my money, it was the Best Picture last year. Anyone who saw some of the old 70's thrillers along the lines of 3 Days of the Condor should really appreciate this movie as it's cut from the same cloth. No car chases or gunfights, but the title character gets into some deep shit throughout the course of the story, even though he's not aware of it until it's almost too late. I know it's popular to knock George Clooney as being nothing more than an empty shell of an actor, but he's fantastic in the roll of a man who's lost his moral compass, but begins to find it again. Tilda Swinton walked away with the only Oscar the movie received, and she very much deserved it, her final scene is phenomenal. Tom Wilkinson is also amazing as the mentor/friend of Clooney's character whose breakdown sets the plot in motion, and the late great Sydney Pollack delivers his usual solid work as Clooney's boss. Not a movie for people who don't appreciate intelligent dialogue or a story you actually have to pay attention to, but if you like that from time to time, give this one a chance.

Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull

This is the review I posted on another website that got the attention of a couple of good people who suggested I do it more often, thus spawning this blog. Figured it would be a good first review. While it's not as good as the original (how many movies are?), it's better than the second and on par with the third. Some of the action scenes were a little over the top, I blame Lucas for this more than Spielberg, the Indiana Jones movies, while fantasies, aren't set in a "galaxy far, far away" where implausible feats are a little more easy to swallow. Harrison still has it, and other than being a little more weathered, doesn't look any worse for wear than he did nineteen years ago. Cate Blanchett is good, but under-utilized as the villain, Shia LeBeouf makes a competent sidekick, and Karen Allen's chemistry with Harrison picks up where it left off in the original. A local critic and people at Cannes reported being bored in the middle act, but I didn't get that from the movie, not sure what they were expecting. But Cannes viewers and critics aren't typical moviegoers so I rarely put stock in much they say. The movie doesn't destroy the memory of the first three, unlike the new Star Wars trilogy did, instead it provides a welcome return of an old friend and a pretty satisfying conclusion to his story. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars, and two hours of solid if not utterly spectacular entertainment.