BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) GIRL IN PROGRESS
This movie isn’t made for me. I’m cool with that and can objectively look at the movie with a solid frame of mind. Movies like this have a weird balance of either being a Lifetime movie or Glitter. The main reason I support this movie is that it’s a chance for Eva Mendes to rock a starring role. She deserves the shot after a spree of awesome support roles. She plays a single mom that works a lot to attempt to pay the bills and spends the rest of her time with a married man. Her daughter is a sassy, but neglected kid. I know that sounds really weird and bland, but that’s how it’s described. It seems to have more substance than that. It has some edge in the trailer. The direction seems better than expected, the cast seems good, and Eva Mendes is awesome. With all things considered, I’d actually watch this movie if caught at the right light on the right afternoon.
(THREE) DARK SHADOWS
So this isn’t a drama? I’m not going to lie. I’m bias. I think the past few Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaborations have been shit. I’d like to see Depp doing more movies like The Rum Diary and less of these dress up characters. I blame that on Tim Burton. He made some great and innovative movies with and without Depp, but Alice In Wonderland, Chocolate Factory, Sweeny Todd, and I’m sure a few others just didn’t do it for me. I think I even mentally lump the Pirate movies into this and they have nothing to do with Burton. I just feel like their recent shit has been shit. These movies are almost becoming niche’ projects made specifically for kids, girls, girly guys, and Hot Topic customers. Then I saw THIS trailer. Granted I have no connection or actually any reference to the source material, but this looks inspired and fun. It looks to be the closest thing to “Edward Scissorhands” since that great project came out so many years ago. It has a dark tone, comedy, a little bit of horror and creepiness, and an all too enjoyable vibe. I didn’t expect that I’d want to see this movie at all. The supporting cast is really good as well so that makes it even harder to hate on. On paper it sounds like the same stuff we’ve been seeing, but the trailer made it seem “quirky” and possibly fun. I can’t tell you the last time I thought a Tim Burton movie could be fun. I could probably be talked into seeing this movie…
(TWO) THE HUNTER
I’m surprised this movie isn’t getting that much publicity. It looks gritty, bad ass, and is stars Willem Dafoe. Do we need to know anything else? Dafoe is “Martin”, a bad ass mercenary sent into the woods to hunt down a tiger that everyone thinks in extinct. He meets a family, gets close to them, and is most likely changed in the end. Is that why the movie isn’t getting love? Too obvious? From the plot description it seems pretty clear that this movie is going to be “dude is ice cold, dude works for bad people, dude meets nice people, dude warms up, and when it comes to the conclusion of the movie he does the right thing. I REALLY hope I’m wrong. Then again, if not Willem Dafoe is a strong enough actor to make it work. “Taken” was a pretty a-typical plot a few years ago, but Liam Neeson made it rock. Dafoe does have that capability. I’d watch this movie if the mood hit, but the trailer didn’t exactly make me want to jump right out and see it. I just hope it’s better than what I’m imagining.
(ONE) MOONRISE KINGDOM
I’m always game for a new Wes Anderson movie. At his worst, he’s still very good and very interesting. I’ve loved his past works a lot and I find myself staring at the screen lost in his created world. The other day I found myself enthralled with Rushmore and the same has happened with Life Aquatic and Tenebaums and the rest. I think I might even like Darjeeling Limited the most. I know, I know… crazy! The point is that Wes Anderson makes great films. This one looks no different. It looks like a lot of fun and the cast is amazing. Bill Murray, Ed Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, and Harvy Keitel. In this film we get an amaaaazing ensemble cast for a 1960’s period piece about two kids who fall in love and decide to run away together. The search for them and witty hilarity ensues! This movie is going to be good. I don’t even feel that my expectations are even that high. I expect a great movie… at least! I’d really like to see this in a theatre.
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