RED EYE
I watched this one a week ago and already don't remember that much about it. Okay action-thriller with plot holes and predictability. That chick sure had some fight in her to be a hotel manager.
Basically, a terrorist group plots to kill the head of Homeland Security and to do so, they need the 'help' of a hotel manager who is out of town for a funeral. So, they threaten her father to get her to help. And she fights back to try to save her Daddy.
Interesting premise, I suppose. But the action falls a little weak and is very predictable. And this is yet another movie with one of my pet peeves - the seemingly normal, but unkillable bad guy. I made a game of counting the number of serious injuries he received and just kept coming.
3/5
THE FAMILY STONE
Drama. I don't like dramas in general. I did not particularly care for this movie, either. I found this family to be highly 'offensive' in the way they treated a guest in their home, yet they were portrayed as the 'heros' of the story.
My wife says I am wrong and it was the purpose of the movie to highlight their bigotry and hipocrisy. Okay. Whatever.
Anyway, the title family is one of those that act all high-and-mighty about being open minded and tolerant. One son is gay with a black boyfriend, the Dad (Craig T. Nelson) is a professor, someone is an artist and one son (Luke Wilson) is a bit of a stoner. One son, the black sheep I guess, brings his highstrung, uptight and CONSERVATIVE girlfriend (the always annoying Sarah Jessica Parker) home for Christmas (their first meeting of her), and mayhem ensues!!
Mayhem in this case means they treat her like absolute dirt. Only moments after they met her, the whole family, except the stoner dude who is the only decent one of the bunch, decides they don't like her and proceed to berate and ridicule her. To her face and with no compunction.
So, what does she do? She calls her sister to come visit. Huh? Who's idea for a plot device was that? I would have just left, for crying out loud. Anyway, we all can see that the only reason the sister (Claire Danes) is called is so we can have some fun with mixing up some love interests. What fun!
I'm not sure if Diane Keaton is doing a good acting job in THE FAMILY STONE or not. I know I hated her character intensely, and feel no sympathy for her with her illness. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we get treated to the big "C" as a potential 'excuse' for acting like a douchebag.
In the end, they all become friends, though, as they must in any Hollywood depiction of real life. One of the things that really stuck in my craw, however, was how Parker's character changed at the end. Again, my wife says I am wrong, and that it was to show who she REALLY was under her 'conservative' exterior. I think this movie sends a horrible message of phoniness, closedmindedness and pretentiousness. And I do not give the director/writers credit for doing it on purpose.
The bright spot is Luke Wilson. That ought to tell you something about this movie. Nelson was good, as usual, and his character was less abrasive than some of the others.
2/5 (points for good acting performances and a few laughs here and there)
GATTACA
A world dominated by genetic perfection happens in stages. The first stage is parents wanting children with a 'better chance.' That evolves into parents 'designing' their children. In GATTACA, we see the final stage - where people who were NOT genetically engineered are a sub-class or even a sub-race and heavily discriminated against. While today we have id cards to verify who we are (on the 'outside'), in GATTACA's future, DNA will id us as 'acceptable' or not.
I really liked this movie, but it scared me little. Ever seen "Fallen Angels," a documentary on shown PBS about a year or so ago (if that long)? It would seem the eugenics depicted in GATTACA are really beginning.
That some people think we can achieve perfection scares me - scares me a lot. Especially when the social divisions are based on genes. But aren't they now? Anyway, if you like GATTACA, try to get your hands on "Fallen Angels" to see it in real life, going on right now (at least the first part).
4.5/5
MAY
Oh man, this movie is BRUTAL. It was funny (We think Anna Faris is a hoot anytime) and it was an interesting story. I found this to be what a horror movie SHOULD be. Suspended violence that you KNOW is coming but just hangs in time, a main character who is creepy but has good depth and story that is ultimately believable.
A young girl has one screwed up Mom who essentially manages to convince her daughter that she is 'wrong' due to a physical disability (a lazy eye). In adulthood, she is one weird chick, socially isolated and naive but by no means stupid. She just wants a friend, to be accepted by SOMEONE, but sees plenty of "perfect parts, but no perfect wholes" in other people. Great stuff.
We get to ride with her on her slide toward dementia - a dementia that was probably present at the beginning of the story but remains just under the surface as she struggles to fit in. Angela Bettis did a great job portraying May as sweet but off kilter just a touch. We also get to ride along with those around her as they realize, too slowly perhaps, that she's more than just a little odd.
This movie has some of the most brazen, non-politically correct violence I've seen a while, BUT, it fits the story and is not forced at all.
Fearless Freep's Comments and replies to his comments were spot-on.
What did I think? "It's sweet."
4.5/5, heck maybe even 5/5
