Oh, yeah, I need to see this

Johnny Depp with thinning, slicked-back hair and light blue eyes is creepy as hell.  The story is interesting.  The rest of the cast looks great--and includes Benedict Cumberbatch, who barely appears in the trailer.



Yeah, I'll be there.

Transcendence

I left this movie with very mixed feelings.  On the one hand, as I usually do, I had a good enough time watching it.  It kept me reasonably engaged, even though the plot arc was clear from the start.  Johnny Depp turned in his usual odd performance, but for the most part I bought him as human; he was much better suited to the slightly inhuman, awkward AI that he played for most of the film.  The supporting cast turned in appropriate performances, with Paul Bettany delivering possibly the best character portrayal I've seen from him.  The subject matter is of great interest to me, so I enjoyed seeing other people explore the ethical questions involved. 

Despite all those positives, I can't come right out and say I liked it.  The best I can do is to say I sorta liked it, but I need that qualifier. 

Its biggest weakness may be that it added nothing new to this ongoing public and entertainment-media discussion.  Nothing felt at all new or original to me.  It also seemed to be unable to decide how it felt about the various people and organizations in its story.  Depp turned crazy--maybe--but he was also doing good work.  His wife, Rebecca Hall delivering a solid acting job, was the innocent victim--and also possibly the source of all the trouble.  The terrorists were short-sighted AI-age Luddites who murdered a ton of researchers--and who turned into kinda-sorta good guys working with the government at the end.  The power went out and stayed out all over the world--but everything seemed to be peachy-keen. 

Obviously, Transcendence was yet another of the many movies that you can't think at all hard about, because it cannot bear the scrutiny, but that's most films these days (maybe, probably, most films and works of fiction always).  Yet I did think about it afterward, and I'm thinking about it today, and so perhaps that's enough to make me give it a very qualified recommendation. 

Check it out if you are interested in this area and have the time, but don't go out of your way for it.

Dark Shadows

I wasn't a fan of the original series, nor did I disdain it; I simply didn't watch it. I am, though, a huge fan of both Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, so I had to check out this movie.

It's decidedly a mixed bag.  The stylized look starts out fun but ends up wearing a bit, like a friend who's told the same joke too many times.  The actors all chewed the scenery, but for the most part they did so while somehow managing to stay low-energy.  As a result, the film at times was sleepwalking when it should have been running.

The one exception was Eva Green, who as bad-gal Angelique always bristled with energy.  I had liked her in Casino Royale, and now I will be on the lookout for more performances from her.

Despite all that, I had a fun enough time simply watching Burton move the actors through the straightforward plot.

In the end, though, I can't recommend it unless you're jonesing for a Depp or Burton fix. 

Pirates 4

On opening weekend, a group of us ignored the reviews and headed out to see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I've been considering for a while how to sum up my reactions to it, but now I have both an open blog day and a reasonable summary.

I had a pleasant time watching it. Johnny Depp chewed the scenery, and so did the other leads. Penelope Cruz was as Cruzalicious as ever. The plot was as sensible as in the earlier three films--which is to say, it was a thin layer of silliness on which the actors danced. All the things you've come to expect from this franchise--from the inevitable getaway-with-chase of Depp to the pirate scenes aboard ship--appeared and were competently rendered.

The problem, though, is that the film was exactly what you'd expect. At no point did I sense the smallest spark of originality. It's as if the producers and director and writers had outlined the previous films and then made sure this one contained one of every element they found.

So, if you don't mind your formulaic movie hewing so closely to the formula that at times you long for something new, or if a great cast and pretty darn good CG effects are enough to draw you into the story despite the formulaic nature of the movie, then you'll enjoy Pirates 4. Otherwise, give it a pass.

The Tourist

Never has a film wasted so much beauty as The Tourist. Angelina Jolie alternates between achingly beautiful and searingly hot. Johnny Depp delivers his bumbling everyman character with all of his customary charm and appeal. The brief moments in Paris made me ache to return, and Venice has never been lovelier. Even the room in the Hotel Danieli looked better than any lodging should.

Sadly, beauty was all the film had going for it. The lead actors were as disconnected from one another as if they had never met. The plot meandered along in entirely predictable steps, so that by the big surprise at the end all that was left for me to wonder was when they would finally, please, God, finally tell us the "surprise." To call The Tourist formulaic would be to praise it.

I am a hardcore Angelina fan, and I own the DVDs of every film of hers, but I don't plan to pick up this one. Spend your holiday entertainment money and time elsewhere.

Benny & Joon

is one of my favorite movies. It's quirky and loving and always entertaining, but most of all, it has a pure and wonderful heart. Johnny Depp earned my admiration forever with just this one role, and Mary Stuart Masterson was perfect. Aidan Quinn and Julianne Moore in key supporting roles were also amazing.

The music, too, was often wonderful. Sarah and Ben watched this film last night, TV in different places but a shared experience nonetheless, and Sarah pointed out the following video, which is for a great John Hiatt song I've long loved.



Watching it got me thinking about the song that acted more or less as Benny & Joon's theme, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" from the Proclaimers. I can't embed the link to that video, but I'll wait while you go watch it.

Even though I know the real world leaves few of us with ideal outcomes, even though many of us go to bed alone each night far from our loved ones, even though most hours of most days may be hard for us, even though we may never get as much as we want of those we cherish, I will always believe in love. I will always believe that no matter how weird, how troubled, or how different you are, you will be able to find at least moments of transforming love with someone who tries to see you for everything that you are and still loves you with an aching, longing heart.

Those moments make everything else worthwhile.