First off let me just say thanks for all the lovely people that wished me a happy birthday!
I know the BTLs out there are clamoring for more content and you are in luck! Due to unfortunate circumstances I will have a lot of time on my hands in the next few weeks, so get ready for a barrage of posts wither you like it or not! For your reading pleasure I have two great movies to talk about today, one being incredibly obscure and the other coming to you through your favorite streaming service(s?):
On paper this movie sounds like something that was made from a drunken film mad-libs: A Iranian western vampire drama set in a fictional city but shot in California that goes through the dramas of 20 somethings who are aimless and looking for love.
And yes, its as weird as it sounds. But also hauntingly beautiful.
The bleak landscape that hey chose has a very surreal affect on the viewing (think the Minnesota Frozen wastelands from Fargo and your close to on point for this) and the stark black and white cinematography sets a very distinctive visual style. I dragged my dad - who for those playing the home game is a minister and generally stays away from anything that's not a comedy - and while expecting him to hate it was surprised when he said he really liked it! The story isn't anything that is super outside the norm but the characters all cut a very unique path. The two leads, one the ancient vampire who looks like a young girl and the other the James Dean wannabe, work so well together, and while they share hardly any dialogue you can see that they are both looking for something to complete their lives. While the story isn't horrible it really plays second fiddle to the feeling this movie exudes. Each shot is almost photogenic in his composition, beautifully highlighting the internal and external struggles that everyone is going through.
If this was still in theaters, I would highly recommend you to check it out. Granted it is incredibly bizarre and nonsensical at times, but it has a lot for the both the indie film fan and more mainstream audiences.
Also, for you cat lovers, there is perhaps the most handsome cat that has ever graced the silver screen. He gets so much screen time he may as well be a secondary character!
Final Grade: A-
Side Effects (2013):
Streaming now on Netflix, this film went fairly unnoticed in theaters. Steven Soderburgh released this in close succession to both Magic Mike and Haywire, and of the three it probably went the most unnoticed, which is a shame as it is a very tight thriller that I did not expect to be so engrossing.
Obviously a big draw for this film is the whole cast. Rooney Mara (naked), Channing Tatum (half naked), Jude Law (fully clothed), and Catherine Zeta-Jones (doesn't matter what she's wearing) all own and kill their roles. While I'm not sure its completely intentional - Soderburgh is so prolific I imagine it has to be - the movie teases with your perceptions of these actors, playing them both with and against what you would expect. Its hard to talk a lot about what happens without breaking into some major spoilers, but to suffice to say its a good watch if nothing else is on. It can be very intense at times and doesn't really say much outside of the well written story and acting, but overall is a very strong selection to pull up on the Flix.
Final Grade: B+
Apologies for the brevity here, but there's not a whole ton more to say about either of these except "Check them out".
Until Next Time,
Big Tuck Tucking
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