Opening in Dallas, 08/18
by Brian
Nine movies this week, but nothing all that special.
The Illusionist (trailer): I’m a big fan of Edward Norton, although the only movie he’s ever done that I really thought was great was Spike Lee’s 25th Hour. The People vs. Larry Flynt was pretty good, too. Nonetheless, it’s somewhat disappointing to see such a mediocre body of work from probably the greatest actor of his generation.
My Country, My Country (trailer): Documentary about a Sunni physician who decides to run for office in Iraq. You’d have to screw up pretty badly to make an uninteresting film with that subject matter.
Snakes on a Plane (trailer): Well, at least we had fun with this back in the day, at the old place … seems like so long ago. Oh wait, that was October - it was a long time ago.
Quinceañera (trailer): Big winner at Sundance, but the trailer looks fairly generic - girl gets pregnant, family objects, et cetera.
Lower City (trailer): Looks kinda like Y tu mamá también, which I liked, but grittier and less observant. Reviews have been somewhat less than enthusiastic.
Accepted (trailer): You know what this looks like to me? “Saved by the Bell”, ca. 2006. It seems more innocent and less crude than most teen comedies that come out today. Of course, it doesn’t look very good, but it also doesn’t look as actively annoying as most entries in the genre.
10th & Wolf (trailer): Cyclops joins the mob. Looks pretty bad. Also, Tommy Lee’s in it. Yikes.
Boynton Beach Club (trailer at official site): If you came up with something that is the exact, polar opposite of MTV, I think this would be it. Just like MTV makes it clear that they don’t want you watching if you’re over 25, I think it’s equally clear that the makers of this film don’t care about you if you’re not at least 60. It’s as old-at-heart as it gets.
Material Girls (trailer): Listed here solely to complete the record.
The Illusionist (trailer): I’m a big fan of Edward Norton, although the only movie he’s ever done that I really thought was great was Spike Lee’s 25th Hour. The People vs. Larry Flynt was pretty good, too. Nonetheless, it’s somewhat disappointing to see such a mediocre body of work from probably the greatest actor of his generation.
My Country, My Country (trailer): Documentary about a Sunni physician who decides to run for office in Iraq. You’d have to screw up pretty badly to make an uninteresting film with that subject matter.
Snakes on a Plane (trailer): Well, at least we had fun with this back in the day, at the old place … seems like so long ago. Oh wait, that was October - it was a long time ago.
Quinceañera (trailer): Big winner at Sundance, but the trailer looks fairly generic - girl gets pregnant, family objects, et cetera.
Lower City (trailer): Looks kinda like Y tu mamá también, which I liked, but grittier and less observant. Reviews have been somewhat less than enthusiastic.
Accepted (trailer): You know what this looks like to me? “Saved by the Bell”, ca. 2006. It seems more innocent and less crude than most teen comedies that come out today. Of course, it doesn’t look very good, but it also doesn’t look as actively annoying as most entries in the genre.
10th & Wolf (trailer): Cyclops joins the mob. Looks pretty bad. Also, Tommy Lee’s in it. Yikes.
Boynton Beach Club (trailer at official site): If you came up with something that is the exact, polar opposite of MTV, I think this would be it. Just like MTV makes it clear that they don’t want you watching if you’re over 25, I think it’s equally clear that the makers of this film don’t care about you if you’re not at least 60. It’s as old-at-heart as it gets.
Material Girls (trailer): Listed here solely to complete the record.
|Link|2:04 PM
6 Comments:
OK. I'll bite.
Who do you consider is in Ed Norton's generation? Anyone currently in their 30's? 40's?
Anyone who made movies for the past 10 years?
I love me some edward norton jr, but I just need a frame of reference before forming an idea about who's the greatest.
No hard and fast definition, just actors of roughly the same age. Norton's in his late thirties, so early to mid 30s to mid to late 40s.
Fight Club was great, and I think Edward Norton is good, but there's something about him that bugs me. Like I get the feeling that he thinks being in movies is somehow beneath him and I see that leak through in his performances. I'd take Daniel Day-Lewis or even Ralph Fiennes over Norton any day.
I got to go with Sean Penn. I know some think he's over-rated, but not me. Just in the past few years I've been dazzled by him in Mystic River, 21 Grams, and the Assassination of Richard Nixon. Granted, I've never seen I Am Sam.
Ralph Fiennes is a good choice - I thought his performance in The Constant Gardener was - easily - the best there was last year. And he's definitely got a leg up on Norton when it comes to career value.
Day-Lewis, I don't think makes the cut. He came on the scene in the mid-80's, way before Norton or Fiennes. I think he's just too old to put in the same category as those guys. I do agree that he's great, though.
I'd put both Norton and Fiennes over Penn. His Dead Man Walking performance was truly profound, but I don't think his range can match the others'.
Anybody like Giamatti? He's definitely all over the map but when he's good he's real good.
Same for Giovanni Ribisi....
Why am I stuck on Italian names?
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