Movies I Saw in November, 2008

So after a slow month in October, I finally got back to my old friend the silver screen for some good old-fashioned Hollywood entertainment. Nothing great, but definitely nothing terrible either. November definitely presented some easy ways to be entertained. Having only seen two movies, I missed some sequels that I'm sure will be classics (Madagascar 2, Transporter 3), and there were some critical and box-office successes that I wished I could see (Quantum of Solace, even Bolt got good reviews). So I will continue adding some movies that you should throw on your Netflix queue or pick up at Blockbuster.

ROLE MODELS (David Wain) - Crude and politically incorrect, yet hilarious and (gasp!)heartwarming. To keep from going to jail, friends Danny (Paul Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott) must act as "big brothers" to two troubled youth (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bobb'e J. Thompson). One of the few movies I paid to see twice in a long while. Quite possibly the funniest movie of I've seen this year, although it is NOT for everyone. Wain makes his major-studio-directorial debut with this, previously making the now cult classics Wet Hot American Summer and The Ten. He also happens to be one of the creators of an extremely underrated and short-lived Comedy Central show, Stella, which you should leave this blog to look up RIGHT NOW! Moving on, Thompson absolutely steals the show upon first viewing as a foul-mouthed 10 year old. However, the relationship between Rudd and Mintz-Plasse, of McLovin fame from Superbad (which was highly overrated in my humble opinion), is so genuine and funny that you forget you are watching an R-rated "shcoker"-comedy. Also, Jane Lynch as the manager of the big brother program grabs more of the limelight that she usually gets, and hopefully will get a vehicle to show off more of her dry wit. Some of the gross-out stuff was stupid and unnecessary, but a great rental for sure. FAVORITE SCENE: The film ends with a giant, medieval role-playing game called LAIRE...Simultaneously hilarious and engaging. CAUTION: Fairly strong R: Two scenes of nudity (go with a girlfriend and stare at her during the morning-after scene in a tent and the party scene in a bedroom...thanks Jake and Julie!), and tons of bad words...definitely not for kids. Kind of a shame since it's so good.

AUSTRALIA (Baz Luhrmann) - Entertaining enough for 2 hours and forty minutes, although not short on the "gag-me"-factor. During World War II and Japan's attacks on Australia, a woman (Nicole Kidman) is trying to save her deceased husbands cattle ranch and help the people living and working there accompanied by the help of a wild cattle-wrangler (Hugh Jackman). Luhrmann, best known for his visually stunning films Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!, takes a more mainstream turn in this obvious love letter to his homeland. I went into this one skeptically, and came out...surprisingly pleased. It features one of the best "you-love-to-hate-him" villains since Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus in Gladiator. Sure, the romance between Jackman and Kidman begins somewhat hastily. Okay, so the romantic dialogue between the two of them hinges on idiotic. And maybe parts of the story are so sappy and fairy-tale-ish that it loses some realism. However, it is a fun throwback to epics of 30's and 40's era cinema. Not nearly as bad as many of the reviewers out there would have you believe. FAVORITE SCENE: An amazing scenic shot of a stampede of 2,000 precious cattle about run off a cliff. Luhrmann's cinematography is absolutely breathtaking. CAUTION: Fairly mild PG-13. There is one quick and discreet scene of seex (I know how I spelled it!), and one F-word, used to good effect. The rating seems to mainly be based on a few scenes of tasteful, violent images.

RENTALS!

Stevie (2003) - A documentary of a filmmaker going back to visit a troubled man who used to be his "little brother". Not the most pleasant of stories, but extremely intriguing.

High Fidelity (2000) - A comedy starring John Cusack and Jack Black about a record store owner and his trouble with women. A favorite for any musician or rock-n-roll lover.

Being There (1979) - Peter Seller's last film. A naive and kind gardener is released into the world for the first time in his fifty years of life, and his simple ways are considered so profound that he eventually becomes an advisor to the president.