The Book of Eli

Witwiwo:

What:The Book of Eli

When: Friday, January 22nd.

How Long: 1 hour, 58 minutes.

Where: Regal Manchester, suckahs! 295 Regal points, yo!

Why: Because I heard from a friend that it was amazing, and because RUF was going.

Expectations: Fairly high. Aforementioned friend said it was phenomenal. Denzel Washington is pretty good. Plus the name just sounds cool.

What I ate while I watched: Here's a heavy one: I had a 20oz Mountain Dew, along with a pack of Sour Patch Kids and about a quarter of a pound of cookie dough bites. Lovely. Also: Diabetes.

Directors: Albert & Allen Hughes.

Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis.

Two Sentence Synopsis: A man walks across post-apocalyptic U.S. protecting a sacred book

from the leader of a settlement where he stopped. A young girl from the settlement helps him bring the book to a place where it is needed and will be safe.

My Favorite Part or Quote was:

Solara: I'm sorry about the book
Eli: It's okay. I've spent so long trying to protect it that I forgot to follow what it said.

How Fun It Was: There were exactly not very much funny parts. But some of the actions was pretty sweet. On a side note, is it a bad thing that I recognized one of the guns in the film from playing Call of Duty?

The Positives: The acting was pretty impressive, especially after the twist is revealed. Also, the action was well done, if out of place. By far, however, the message was the best part--very allegorical and thought provoking. Also, for the Christian audience, very practical and insightful.

The Negatives: The action was a tad overdone at one or two parts. It would have fit in a purely action flick, but it seeemed a little out of place for this film. Also, it went a little slow. But that wasn't a huge negative. I thought it built up really well.

The Theology, Philosophy, Morality or Application: Excellent. A clear message about walking by faith, and also about valuing and living out the Word.

One thing I learned: You can protect the truth and live the Bible at the same time.

The ending:Stellar. Very well done. Except for putting the book between the Qu'ran and the Torah. That was just dumb and overtly and unnecessarily politically correct.

Go/Rent/Buy/Don't: Go see it. Now. Or I will defenestrate you.

The Princess and the Frog

Witwiwo:

What: The Princess and the Frog.

When: 18 January, the anniversary of the day I successfully navigated my mother's birth canal.

How Long: 1 hour, 37 minutes.

Where: Manchester Cinemas in Rock THRILL!

Why: Because it's the first Disney animated movie since daggum Toy Story, suckahs!

What I ate while I watched: Cookie dough bites and a friggin' huge Cherry Coke.

Directors: Ron Clements & John Musker

Starring: No one important.

Expectations: Pretty high--I mean, it is the first animated film from Disney for quite a while. I was hoping it would live up to their previously asserted standards.

Two Sentence Synopsis: Tiana, a New Orleans native, has her dream of owning a restaurant put on hold when she kisses the Prince-turned-frog Naveen and is turned into a frog herself. While trying to find a way to return to being humans, they discover what they need, rather than what they want.

My Favorite Part or Quote was: Probably Ray the lightning bug, his Cajun accent and mannerisms were pretty daggum hilarious. Also, this:
Prince Naveen: I am Naveen, Prince of Maldonia, and she is Tiana, the waitress.
Prince Naveen: [leans close to Louis] Do not kiss her.

How Fun It Was: Seeing as it was a kid's movie, the humor was geared toward kids. That being said, it was giggle-worthy throughout.

The Positives: The writing--good lines throughout. Also the storyline, believable (in the fantastic sense) and not overly-happy nor too scary.

The Negatives: There were one or two characters whose accents I didn't really think were believable, namely the Shadowman and Charlotte. And another slight negative was the a whole lot of Jazz music. There was a good bit, but not enough. Never enough in my opinion.

The Theology, Philosophy, Morality or Application: Surprisingly good, much better than I expected from a Disney film. While the dangers of dealing in voodoo/magic were emphasized, there was also a focus on the need for love. As Madame Odie puts it, dig deeper and find what you need, not what you want.

One thing I learned: You gotta dig a little deeper and find what you need, not what you want. Which is love. And a trumpet playing alligator.

The ending: Pretty good. I cried a little when a certain someone met an untimely end. Car said I wasn't less of a man for it, either. So there.

Go/Rent/Buy/Don't: If you are fan of the good ol' animated Disney movies, then go see it. If you are not a fan of those, or jazz, or New Orleans, then don't.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Witwiwo:

What: The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

When: Friday, the 8th of January.

How Long: 1 hour, 27 minutes. Pretty short, but it it didn't seem really quick.

Where: Cinemark 7! Rock Hill's sketchy cinema! But it is only $2.00! Exclamation point-->!

Why: Because stop animation is so baller. And George Clooney is so fly.

Expectations: So-so. It looked well done by the preview, but some of the clips I'd seen beforehand tipped me off that it was not going to be laugh-fest.

What I ate while I watched: A little bit of my friend's popcorn. But I had just had a burger.

Director: Wes Anderson.

Author: Originally, Roald Dahl.

Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman.

Two Sentence Synopsis: Mr. Fox retired from bird thievery to settle down with his family. When he decides to take up his old habits, the local farmer attempt to thwart him.
My Favorite Part or Quote was: How they used the word "cuss" to replace actual cuss words in the dialogue. Even down to the word "clustercuss." It made for some funny dialogue:

Badger: In summation, I think you just got to not do it, man. That's all.
Mr. Fox: I understand what you're saying, and your comments are valuable, but I'm gonna ignore your advice.
Badger: The cuss you are.
Mr. Fox: The cuss am I? Are you cussing with me?
Badger: No, you cussing with me?
Mr. Fox: Don't cussing point at me!
Badger: If you're gonna cuss, you're not gonna cuss with me, you little cuss!

How Fun It Was: Overall, pretty funny--not laugh out loud hilarious the whole time, but the whole thing has a comedic mood.

The Positives: The stop-animation was pretty *ahem* fantastic. And the writing was well done. Even though it didn't have me laughing the whole time, I appreciated the wit. And the substitution of the word "cuss" makes this a movie that will be entertaining and appropriate for all ages. A big plus in my book.

The Negatives: The plot, while not really weak, was not incredibly engaging. It was a tad difficult to relate to the characters (and not because they are animals). I haven't read the story by Roald Dahl, so I don't know how accurate of an adaptation it was, but that is my biggest criticism.

The Theology, Philosophy, Morality or Application: There was a good bit about family values and trust. And understanding yourself. It's difficult to discern a clear point of application, because there wasn't much of a resolution in that area.

One thing I learned: You can easily substitute the F, S, D, B, A, and H words for the word "cuss," without losing much of the force of the statement. I am going to try to implement this.

The ending: Again, *ahem* pretty fantastic. Not honky-dory resolved, but wrapped up quite nicely.

Go/Rent/Buy/Don't: Rent it. Don't worry about the big screen. But it's a nice family flick.

The International

Witwiwo:

What: The Internatinal.

When: January 7th, 2010

How Long: 1 hour, 58 minutes.

Where: THE TESTOSTERHOME.

Why: Because we couldn't decide between Casino Royale and Mighty Ducks. So we went with this.

What I ate while I watched: Cherry 7up and a pudding cup for the Win!

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts.

Expectations: The trailer was intriguing, but I wasn't really convinced. I wasn't expecting much as a movie, but I do know Clive Owen is a pretty good actor, so I was hoping.

Two Sentence Synopsis: Louis Salinger is an Interpol agent trying to prove the underhanded dealings of the International Bank of Business and Credit (IBBC). With the help of New York cop Eleanor Whitman he makes some headway into the case, only to find it may be more dangerous and difficult than he anticipated.

My Favorite Part or Quote was: The gunfight in the Guggenheim Museum. Really well done, as far as action choreography goes.

"There is a difference between truth and fiction. Fiction has to make sense."

"Sometimes a man meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it."

How Fun It Was: Some of the action was entertaining. Other than that, not much.

The Positives: The way the movie was not like the trailer. I thought that it was going to be all about this bank that was literally unstoppable. While there was an element of the criminal connectedness, it wasn't impenetrable "Big-Brother"-esque.

The Negatives: I found it very difficult to get emotionally engaged, I didn't really care why they wanted to take down the bank. And it built up to relatively little.

The Theology, Philosophy, Morality or Application: There were those two quotes up there, a tad bit of redemption...but not much to speak of.

One thing I learned: Yes, people sill make so-so movies. I'd forgotten after the last few movies I'd seen.

The ending: Bleh. I didn't like it at all. It was unresolved, which I'm usually a fan of, but in this case it was just poorly done.

Go/Rent/Buy/Don't: Don't bother.

(500) Days of Summer

Witwiwo:

What: (500) Days of Summer

When: January 5, 2010.

How Long: 1 hour, 35 minutes. A tad short, but solid.

Where: At the Schley residence, actually. Watchin' a flick at home for once.

Why: Partially because Zooey Deschanel is the prettiest girl in showbiz. And I've heard only good things about it.

What I ate while I watched: Koolaid and Cheerios!

Director: Marc Webb

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and (The Lovely) Zooey Deschanel.

Expectations: Very high, because of my appreciation of Zooey and zero-concession-praises of the film that I have heard.

Two Sentence Synopsis: Tom Hanson meets Summer Finn and falls for her, hard. The next 500 days of her presence in his life radically change his view on love and consequently, his life.

My Favorite Part or Quote was:

Vance: Lately your work has been a little off--

Tom: What do you mean?

Vance: Here's one you wrote the other day--"Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, F*ck You, whore."

How Fun It Was: Pretty good stuff throughout, the overall mood of the movie wasn't funny, but there were some pretty comical stuff.

The Positives: The storyline and directing was superb. Cutting between the various days in the relationship was a very effective touch. Just the way the movie was put together, the cutscenes and the music...all well done. That's what you get with an indie film though.

The Negatives: It has the potential to be a boring film. It can engage you well, but my father ended up walking out because the movie didn't make him care enough. So I can see how it could be boring. If you miss connecting with the story early, then yes, the movie will be a bore for ya.

The Theology, Philosophy, Morality or Application: It seemed to be mostly focused on the nature of love, and the different concepts we place around it--destiny, "the one," etc. I really like the closing narration: the narrator essentially said that Tom didn't believe in fate anymore...or he was at least pretty sure about it...and then proceeded to act contrarily to that. I did like how it affirmed fate in an back-handed way. Other than that, the tagline really nails the premise: "This is not a love story, it is a story about love."

One thing I learned: Love is not as easy to nail down as even I, the greatly wise one, had estimated. I've always considered that there is a complete and truthful definition of love out there, and I still do, but I am much less confident I know what that definition is. I really liked it when this bit came up:

Tom: I need to know that you're not gonna wake up in the morning and feel differently.

Summer: And I can't give you that. Nobody can.

Even if I don't necessarily agree.

The ending: I don't know if it could have been better. If it could, tell me how.

Go/Rent/Buy/Don't: Go rent it, now. If you don't want to keep watching it after 30 minutes, then by all means, don't let my review be the thing that keeps you watching.

Up in the Air

Witwiwo:

What: Up in the Air

When: Sunday, January 3rd.

How Long: 1 hour, 49 minutes. Not too short, not too long.

Where: Good ol' Summerville Azalea theatre. It's been a while since I'd been there.

Why: I saw the preview this past semester when I was supposed to be working on a paper, and was highly intrigued by the concept.

What I ate while I watched: A free soda because Regal Cinemas loves me. Or my money. Go Regal club!

Director: Jason Reitman

Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman.

Expectations: Fairly high. Between the preview, Clooney's record and the sterling reviews most people I know have given it, I was expecting a good bit.

Two Sentence Synopsis: Ryan Bingham fires people for a living, travelling all over the country to do so, aspiring to obtain 10,000,000 frequent flyer miles. When Ryan is partnered with the much younger new girl, Natalie, and meets an on-the-road fling, Alex, conflicting ideas of what it means to live causes enough tension that both Ryan and Natalie are forced to re-evaluate their lives.

My Favorite Part or Quote was: Pretty difficult to pick--there were a lot of good quotes, philosophical and comical. Here was one I really liked though:

Ryan: [Talking about his 10,000,000 flyer miles goal]...and you get your name on the side of a plane...

Natalie: Oh my God, you men never grow up, it's like you have to pee on everything. It's like you're afraid of mortality.

Ryan: And why do you suppose that is?

Natalie: I don't know, probably because you can't have babies.

Ryan: Oh, the babies argument.

(Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure I didn't quote that word for word, but it's close)

How Fun It Was: Hil-daggum-larious. (compound words FTW) So many one liners, and then Zach Galifianakis' little side-sketch about being fired had me cracking up. And I quote:

Ryan: Do you know why kids look up to sports stars?

Employee: I dunno, because they have sex with lingerie models?

Ryan: No, that's why we look up to sports stars. Kids look up to sports stars because they follow their dreams.

The Positives: The writing was stellar. More than stellar. Interstellar, you might say. And the smoothly connected conflict between what Natalie thought life was about and the corresponding ideas of Ryan, along with their separate issues left you a flick you could decide the meaning to. Also, the cinematography was subtly fantastic.

The Negatives: Hmm...for some, a touch 0' the language throughout. I didn't so much mind it, but you may. Not much else. I would be fine if this one swept a good portion of the awards.

The Theology, Philosophy, Morality or Application: Like I just said, it is left a little open to interpretation. There is the idea that Ryan lives out--keep moving and don't be tied down, that relationships are the heaviest weight you will bear and therefore should be avoided, which directly conflicts with Natalie's lifestyle of trying to seek out companionship and staying connected. Each character realizes some slight value in the other's viewpoint, while not necessarily adopting it full-on. Essentially, recognizing the value in other people's ideas.

One thing I learned: Not everyone who has a radical viewpoint or lifestyle does so for dumb reasons. There is value in understanding and destroying other's paradigms.

The ending: Took me completely by surprise, in a good way. The twist--which I will not reveal--blew me away and the movie is much better for it. A tad unresolved, but artfully done.

Go/Rent/Buy/Don't: GO SEE THIS MOVIE! I'm serious. Yes, you won't lose a whole lot from the theater to your television, but it is worth getting yourself into the theater for it. And if you don't, then buy it. And if you don't at least rent it, I will hand deliver a box of feces to your place of residence.