Martin's Musings

Early on in Alice in Wonderland, Alice’s father tells some colleagues, “Nothing is impossible if you believe it to be possible.”

After seeing this movie, I can now say I believe it’s possible for a Tim Burton movie to be pretty awful.

Less an adaptation of the Lewis Carroll novels than a story based on the characters in them, Alice picks up the action 13 years after Alice has returned home. Now a 19-year-old headstrong young woman, Alice follows the White Rabbit down a hole and thinks nothing of it; she believes her earlier trip to Wonderland was just a dream. Thinking she’s back in a dream, she goes through the motions, quickly reacquainting herself with the Cheshire Cat, Door Mouse, and yes, the Mad Hatter (played by Johnny Depp).

Since she’s been gone, Wonderland (or “Underland,” as it’s called here) has turned into a bleak wasteland, and the Red Queen (a big-headed Helena Bonham Carter) is in charge. Alice’s return means there’s a chance that things can be set right and all can be wonderful again. If only Alice herself seemed a bit more interested in helping out. Continue reading →

Click on the link for my review:

1. HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU

2. TWO LOVERS

3. WATCHMEN

4. SUNSHINE CLEANING

5. DUPLICITY

6. I LOVE YOU, MAN

7. FAST & FURIOUS

8. STATE OF PLAY

9. 17 AGAIN

10. THE SOLOIST

11. X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

12. STAR TREK

13. THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE

14. AWAY WE GO

15. UP

16. THE HANGOVER

17. THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3

18. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER

19. PUBLIC ENEMIES

20. BRUNO

21. FUNNY PEOPLE

22. JULIE & JULIA

23. PAPER HEART

24. IN THE LOOP

25. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

26. TAKING WOODSTOCK

27. IT MIGHT GET LOUD

28. THE INFORMANT!

29. CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS

30. COUPLES RETREAT

31. CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY

32. A SERIOUS MAN

33. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

34. AN EDUCATION

35. THIS IS IT

36. DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL

37. THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS

38. 2012

39. PRECIOUS

40. FANTASTIC MR. FOX

41. UP IN THE AIR

42. INVICTUS

43. BROTHERS

44. IT’S COMPLICATED

45. AVATAR

46. SHERLOCK HOLMES

47. NINE

48. A SINGLE MAN

49. CRAZY HEART

50. THE BLIND SIDE

51. THE HURT LOCKER

Things aren’t what they seem on Shutter Island, and neither is the movie of the same name. Shutter Island would appear on the surface to be a crack thriller: It has Martin Scorsese behind the camera, source material written by Dennis Lehane, and actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kingsley in lead roles. Instead, this film, about a federal marshall investigating a disappearance at a mental institution off the coast of Boston, is a bit of an overly long, heavy handed mess. Nearly everything about it is overdone, from DiCaprio’s acting (and his Boston accent) to the score, which announces early on in no uncertain terms that the institution is bad news. When the plot reaches its climax, the resolution just goes on and on, as if Scorsese was trying to trap you — just like his lead character has been trapped. Shutter Island won’t go down as one of Marty’s best, that’s for sure. I’m giving it a C.

When it was released in November, I had very little interest in seeing The Blind Side.

But then Sandra Bullock started winning all kinds of awards (including the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and SAG) for her performance in the film, and she’s a sure shot to be nominated for an Oscar, so I kind of figured I had to see the movie just to see what all the fuss was about, and to find out if she’s really that good.

The pleasant surprise is that she is good. Really good. Not quite as good as Carey Mulligan or Gabourey Sidibe, but Bullock’s sheer will, her determination, and her total investment in the role make The Blind Side worth seeing. (Another reason: She looks great.) Continue reading →

In the film A Single Man, Colin Firth plays George, a gay college professor still mourning the loss of his partner, Jim (Matthew Goode), who was killed in a car accident eight months earlier. The film follows George over the course of one day in 1962, as he prepares to end his life by committing suicide. As George remembers the life he shared with Jim, he is also consoled by his closest friend, Charley (Julianne Moore), who is also still getting over a lost love. Then hope and a chance at a future comes in the form of an attractive student (Nicholas Hoult, all grown up since most folks saw him in About a Boy), who shows interest in George and thinks he can help his professor break out of his depression.

Directed and co-written by the designer Tom Ford, A Single Man is one of the most stylish movies I’ve seen recently. Every frame, every detail, is impeccably arranged and composed — almost to the point of overdoing it — with colors becoming muted and brighter throughout. No surprise, Firth is also very well dressed; all of his clothes were designed by Ford himself. Thankfully, there’s also plenty to feel. Firth gives a heartbreaking performance that’s surely one of the year’s best. Much of the film finds George in quiet contemplation, and the look of sadness on Firth’s face is just devastating.

Thankfully, the film does not stay downbeat throughout. That said, this is clearly not a happy, festive movie. (And, by the way, it is not to be confused with A Serious Man, even though both are set in the 1960s and focus on a college professor.) Rather, this is a showcase for Firth, and a chance for Ford to indulge his cinematic interests. And indulge may be the operative word here. Ford does overdo it a bit, and that becomes a distraction, but so be it. Colin Firth makes the movie worth seeing, in spite of his director’s meddling. But that’s why I’m only going to give this movie a B.

I wish I had more to tell you about Sherlock Holmes, but to be honest, it’s not really worth a very long blog post. Soon after it was over, I had pretty much already forgotten about it. Continue reading →