Movie Review: Religulous (2008)

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Brian Wright

Thanks a bunch, Bill, it needed to be said __ 8/10

Written by Bill Maher
Directed by Larry Charles

Bill Maher … Himself
Several: Including his sister and mother

Bill Maher: It seems, people, that this is the very spot … [Megiddo, Israel] … where a lot of Christians believe life on earth will end. The irony of religion is that because of its power to divert man to destructive courses, the world actually could come to an end.

Based on the trailers, I didn’t encounter anything too unexpected with Religulous: it’s a essentially a home movie about a man in the public eye, Bill Maher (comedian, political gadfly) who questions the standard Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, Mohammedism (Islam)—not as a theologian or philosopher might, rather as a conscientious Joe Lunchbucket might. He starts out with his remaining family, simply sitting down in a room with his sister and mother. I believe his ancestors professed Judaism, but he was raised to believe in the Catholic religion. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Walkabout (1971)

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Brian Wright

Unusual movie that will have you wondering about the essence of things

Girl: Water. Drink. We want water to drink. You must understand! Anyone can understand that. We want to drink. I can’t make it any simpler. Water. To drink. The water hole has dried up. Where do they keep the water?

Believe me, this low-budget, early 1970s subtle cause-oriented art film is unlike any you will ever see. Unique in so many ways: a) for painting an unromanticized, existential-angst picture of white Australia, b) for showing the connection/disconnection between a colonizing civilization and the indigenous culture displaced by that civilization, and c) for plumbing the elemental depths of how man and woman survive in nature. If I had to pick a genre for the film, I’d call it a combination of environmentalist and native peoples’ epic, say, Jeremiah Johnson meets Dances with Wolves—to the accompaniment of Albert Camus reading his book, The Stranger. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Stuck in Love (2012)

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Brian Wright

Love and morality play for writers of two generations 8_10

These are the kinds of movies I like—romance, with loss and love found (or lost), especially among the youthful who are new to the experience. Some guys like action and adventure, me, I’m all into the subtle language of relationships. And speaking of language, the principal characters are working or soon-to-be -working writers. [Stuck even has the bonus of Stephen King in the movie, playing himself via telephone voice.] Also, everyone connected with this movie is really competent at what they’re doing. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Gilda (1946)

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Brian Wright

Another one that ought never be remade ___ 8/10

Gilda: You do hate me, don’t you, Johnny?
Johnny Farrell: I don’t think you have any idea of how much.
Gilda: Hate is a very exciting emotion. Haven’t you noticed? Very exciting. I hate you too, Johnny. I hate you so much I think I’m going to die from it. Darling…
[they kiss passionately]
Gilda: I think I’m going to die from it.

Continue reading →

Movie Review: Don Jon (2013)

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Brian Wright

Modern morality comedy in candid setting ___ 8.5/10

Don Jon is another Netflix pic that panned out nicely.

[Who goes out to the movies anymore? Last time yours truly took in the silver screen up close and personal was to watch Atlas Shrugged III. To make it an official night at the cineplex I ordered a MEDIUM cola and MEDIUM popcorn… then walked away, I think it was, $12 poorer! Yikes! They need to surround the concession stands with yellow tape as a crime scene.]

But back to the movie at hand. The IMDb blurb says, “A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love.” So I expected it to be on the frank, perhaps even raw, side, but I’ve always liked Gordon-Levitt’s movies where he’s an actor—since Brick (2005), The Lookout (2007), and especially (500) Days of Summer (2009)—and this one he also writes and directs. So I put my offensiveness meter on standby and gave Don Jon a fair shake, so to speak.:) Not the kind of movie to watch with one’s parents… or one’s kids. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Management (2008)

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Brian Wright

Better than average ‘quirky’ film ___ 7.5/10

Mike: Take care of yourself a little… so that the people who love you don’t feel like they’re annoying you!

So along comes a simple movie with eccentric characters in a long line of such movies, from, say, Harold and Maude (1971) to Night Shift (1982) Benny and Joon (1993) to Stuck on You (2004) to Sunshine Cleaning Company (2008) to dozens of others over the years. And we tend to like movies in which one or more of the principals is a ‘few bubbles off of plumb.’ When you look at various projects available to Hollywood actors who have ‘made it’—and that designation certainly applies to Jennifer Anniston and Steve Zahn—I feel the better ones take time for some smaller, odder ideas that give them more delight in the performance than cash in the bank. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Sideways (2004)

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Brian Wright

In vino… funny! __ 9/10

Maya: No, I… I like to think about the life of wine.
Miles: Yeah.
Maya: How it’s a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it’s an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I’d opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your ’61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline…
Miles: Hmm.
Maya: And it tastes so fucking good! Continue reading →