Friday, September 12, 2008

Burn After Reading


I was so excited to see this movie. I mean it's the insanity of the Coen Brothers! I loved Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

This film was a HUGE disappointment! After exactly one hour into the movie, I finally laughed. I was rolling on the floor in the first 3-5 minutes of Oh Brother and I never stopped. I think I only laughed out loud once during this entire weak sauce of a Coen Brother presentation.

It's about a CIA analyst quitting his job, meanwhile his wife and every other person in the movie is having an affair, a couple of not-to-bright fitness trainers find a CD they think has top secret info on it and try to turn it into money, meanwhile the CIA, and private eyes are watching everyone, and through a series of wrong place at the wrong time, and avid paranoia, the story unfolds.

It's not that the story wasn't interesting, or that the character's weren't colorful or not doing a terrific acting job. Heck Brad Pitt was awesome as usual; he played a moron perfectly. So what was wrong with this flick? It was not funny. Not at all. I would have put money on this one as the top comedy of 2008. But you would be much better off going to see Pineapple Express or Tropic Thunder.

At the End of Burn After Reading, the CIA director says, "What have we learned? Heck if I know! But let's not do it again." I hope the Coen Brothers have learned something as well and don't do this again! Catch it on cable one day peeps!

Friday, September 05, 2008

Bangkok Dangerous


Did you see No Country for Old Men? I liked the movie till the ending. Why? Because it did not have the typical "Hollywood" ending that I was expecting, or wanting for that matter since I have been trained or brain-washed over the years to expect a happily ever after ending. Sure the film makers have the right to buck the trend and give us the unexpected, just so long as I can't tell they are doing it just for the sake of bucking the trend. Confused yet?

Well Bangkok Dangerous, starring Nicolas Cage as an assassin (Joe) has an ending that I didn't expect either. But was it a good movie? I'd have to say that I liked it. Except for Nic Cage's hair! What is up with that? It's like the make-up department doesn't know what to do with it. So they dye it jet black and leave it a stringy tangled mess. He had the exact same hair in NEXT, it is awful looking.

Okay, enough about the bad hair. In this film the assassin, Joe leads a lonely life (go figure). He starts thinking about retirement and finding someone special to spend his days with. He just has a few more kills and then he can be out for good. He has four simple rules he lives by, and trouble begins when he starts breaking them.

Overall the acting and actions scenes fall a little flat (like his hair), but the plot moves along well enough to keep you interested. No need to check out Bangkok Dangerous at the theater, I'd add it to your Netflix queue. Cheers!