I Am Legend, I'm Not There, Once

I Am Legend - First off, I have to admit my love for Will Smith. When the end of the world is coming, I trust Will Smith and only Will Smith to save the world. Not only is he my favorite heroic actor, with I Am Legend, he proves that he can carry an entire film on his own. This is not something many actors can do. Tom Hanks can do it (Castaway). I'm sure there might be a few (very few) others but Will Smith definitly can. His Robert Neville is someone we want to cheer for. Smith brings his acting A-game to a movie that requires a lot of emotion in order to captivate the audience. That is what I loved most about this movie. Sure, it was thrilling and intense. That's a definite. But it was also emotionally heartbreaking. (Seriously, try not to cry during a particular scene involving Neville and his beloved dog). Smith plays Neville, the seemingly sole survivor of the world, living in New York City, after a virus created by man that was originally created to cure cancer does unspeakable damage instead. Smith, alone in a new world with his dog, mannequins and random deer, dedicates his life to finding a cure for the virus... and talking to said mannequins (the scene with 'Fred' is particularly wonderful... as is the scene with the dark haired beauty at the video store. Ha.). The special effects are great - especially the endless shots of a destroyed New York City, a Times Sqaure populated by lions, streets of deserted cars, bridges blown in half. The movie isn't necessarily scary, but it is intense at some points, especially the first encounter in the darkened warehouse (or whatever). So, the first half of I Am Legend is quite spectacular. It sets a tone, it has great cinematography, it has a great performance from Smith. Then Neville meets a fellow survivor. And it kind of goes downhill from there for me. I really just didn't like the last 20 minutes (especially the very end) at all. I'm sure some people might... but not me. Overall, it's a solid movie with a lot of thrills and, surprisingly, a lot of heart.

Grade: B-

I'm Not There - It's true: Cate Blanchett is EXTRAORDINARY. I'm not one of those 'Cate Blanchett is the best actress whoever lived in the history of the world. OMG Cate' people. But, even if you hate Blanchett (which seems a bit harsh), you can't deny she dominates this great artsy film. This film amazed me. It was a vision in black and white and color, drenched with Bob Dylan music. This movie is like a dream, lots of random scenes and random images that all are somehow cohesive in a way that is impossible to explain. Of course, there's so much publicity around the movie. Cate Blanchett is a female Bob Dylan! Marcus Carl Franklin is a 12 year old African American Bob Dylan! There's also Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere and Ben Winshaw. All of these characters, these versions of Dylan's life and music, are like a kaleidoscopic dream where the pieces never quite meet. This movie is almost too brilliant. Will people who don't like Dylan even get it? Will they even care about it? It's possible that they won't. It's possible that this movie is too smart for the average viewer... but that's what I loved most about it - it makes you think. There wasn't a movie this year that was more unique, more stylish, more individulistic than I'm Not There. All of these actors and actresses playing Bob Dylan? Well, guess what. Dylan was exactly the mess of lies, grandeur, childishness, arrogance, rebelliousness and genius that is portrayed by one or all of these actors. Of course, when you have a movie that follows multiple storylines, it's usually the case that some of the stories are more interesting than the others. What would have made this movie more interesting? Well, they could have fleshed out the Richard Gere storyline, for starters. I walked away hating that part of the movie but I think if it was done better, it could have been great. Also, and I hate to say it because I absolutely love him, I could have completely done without Christian Bale. Franklin and Winshaw are stellar (Winshaw doesn't have a storyline, per se, but I love every single word that came out of his pretty mouth). I liked Heath Ledger in this movie. If you would have told me quite a few years ago that Ledger would have this kind of career right now, I would have laughed at you. Never would I have seen this coming after The Order. I thought his career was over. But he's coming one of the most surprisingly strong actors of his generation. He's doing great work lately. He has great chemistry with his artist love played very well by Charlotte Gainsbourg. The instant attraction is great and the eventual downfall is even better. Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams and David Cross show up to add a little support. But, really, this is Cate Blanchett's show. She melts into her eye-rubbing, nose-twitching, lip-conscious character that is only too quick to lash out on whoever is closest. So, best Bob Dylan? From best to worst: Blanchett, Winshaw, Ledger, Franklin, Bale, Gere. Still, even though it's not a perfect film for me, it's still visceral, enlightening, comedic, pensive, wild, tender. It's a film that is complex, like it's subject.

Grade: B+

Once - Let's vote this one: Most Likely to Make You Smile No Matter How Cynical and Full of Despair You Are. Let's also Vote Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova the Best Unconsummated Romance of the Year. This movie was really just honest and beautiful, spectacular and full of great, great, great music! It's a modern musical about a street musician (Hansard) who meets a pretty imigrant (Irglova). They form a friendship that could have been a romance at another time in their lives. They write songs together, they play music together, they rehearse, they record a great demo. It's simple and it's lovely. What more could you possibly want out of a movie? It doesn't disappoint in any way, shape or form. It's filmed beautifully (that scene near the end where they are frolicking at the beach is just the definition of beauty). This is a feel-good movie that is not mushy in any way. It has comedic moments that are realisitc and relatable. This is the way a musical should be - contemporary and not cheesy at all. It's not too sentimental. The movie was great. The music was great. I strongly suggest you check this movie out as soon as possible!

Grade: A