Quantum of Solace

Links
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Plot
Quantum of Solace has Bond (Danial Craig) chasing down his girlfriend's (Vesper's) killer from the end of Casino Royale. It starts with a fast car chase with Quantum agents, and we soon learn that Quantum is tied up in Vesper's death. Bond chases down Quantum perhaps to help the British government and perhaps just for revenge. Along the way he meets Camile (Olga Kurylenko), who has a vengence scheme of her own. Camile and James go to Boliva, and save the government.

Review
This is a fresh new take on the Bond formula, and I like it. The action is faster, and the action is intercut with other scenes to tighten the emotion. The plot is harder to follow, and the audience needs to pay attention to catch all the plot twists.

I liked the entire movie, and half way though I was saying that I want to see it again.

The campy Bond gadgets are gone, along with Moneypenny, Q, and there was only one flirty floosie in the film.

Cast and crew:
Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Judy Dench; directed by Marc Forster

Rating
3.5
1/2

More
The United States is shown as unprincipled and corrupt. This is the poorest depiction of the American Government in the series. No doubt this is a reflection on the Bush Administration.


Even More
Bond's "Vesper" Martini is in the movie:
3 oz gin
1 oz vodka
1/2 oz Lillet® Blanc wine
Twist of lemon peel
But I don't think I'd like it.

Zack and Miri Make A Porno

Zack and Miri Make A Porno

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Plot
Producer: "No red-blooded guy wants to see a ChickFlick romantic-comedy."

Writer: "I know! Let's make a rom-com about pornography and fill it with locker-room talk."

Producer: "Great idea. Yeah, put in just enough skin for the horny kids -- so it'll still play on HBO. Then the guys will think it is cool, and the girls will get their love story. "

Writer: "And let's rake in the nerdy guys with perverted Star Wars characters."

Producer: "Great! Here is your check! Let's make this!"

Zack and Miri is a boy-friendly romantic comedy. Two platonic friends Zack and Miri decide to film a homemade porn movie in order to pay their utility bills. The enlist some friends and oddballs to film the movie. The actors talk about sex a lot and film sex a little. Being a romantic comedy, all this sex awakes Zack (Seth Rogan) and Miri's (Elizabeth Banks) true feelings and the story leads us to romantic-comedy utopia. The best scenes are the relationship scenes between Zack and Miri.

The buzz about this movie is that, despite its weak premise, it has some very funny parts. It has a few funny parts: probably not enough.

Cast and crew:
Starring: Seth Rogan, Elizabeth Banks; written and directed by Kevin Smith.

Rating
2.0
(Almost 1.5)

More
Seth Rogan is a good bumbling, loveable loser, but not a good romantic lead.

Ratatouille

Watching a movie in the theater is much more fun than watching it at home. Perhaps at the theater I would have liked this more.
Pixar has a long track record of good movies, but this is the weakest. I thought the rats were unloveable, and never really got past that.

The story is about a rat, Remy, that wants to be a chef, and how he manipulates a helpless boy to take over a restaurant. Of course the movie's writers probably thought the rat was cute and likeable, but I thought he was pushy and selfish. For example, when the boy, Linguini, kind-heartedly takes in the rat, and carries him in the restaurant. The rat crawls around inside his shirt and bites him all over his body. Later that rat takes control of his body like a puppeteer. I don't see what is entertaining about this.

Cast
Written and directed by Brad Bird, Jan Pankava

More

I liked was how they made visual images of how good food tasted. That was creative.

Rating
1.5
1/2

Religulous

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Plot
Religulous is a personal statement and exploration of faith from comedian Bill Maher. It is a straight-up documentary, and not a satire or comedy. Maher discusses his childhood religious beliefs, and then moves to a survey of world religions as presented in interviews with adherents.

Review
The film is amusing, but not as funny as a Michael Moore film; not as clever either. I was disappointed because I expected something irreverent, clever and funny. This was OK, and I don't mind watching a documentary on religion occasionally, but this is not Borat or even Fahrenheit 911.

I most appreciated the personal statements of doubt and belief from Maher personally. I thought that the interviews with religious people were unfair because Maher could make fun of anyone. Seriously, a cynical intellectual can tear up just about anyone's personal beliefs.

More serious comments on my other blog.


Cast and crew:
Starring: Bill Maher; written by Bill Maher; directed by Larry Charles

Rating
2.0


More
The movie is worthwhile, but it was a waste of money to see it at the theater --it would have been just as good at home. .

Body of Lies

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Plot
Body of Lies is the story of a CIA agent, Roger Ferris (Leonardo Di Caprio) working in Amman Jordan fighting a local Al Qaeda terrorist. Roger's boss in Washington, Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) is a micromanaging cut-throat veteran, who puts Roger and his local associates in danger with his self-interested operations. There is a plot twist in the middle in which Roger sets up a fake terrorist cell that is clever and entertaining.

Review
Body of Lies is a spy movie with a post-911 terrorist as the enemy. I think the enemy is well-drawn, and the balance between American interests and the plight of the local people. The movie starts slowly, but is carried by the well-written and well-acted dialog between Di Caprio and Crowe. Di Caprio gives his best performance in recent movies, and Crowe is run to watch. Golshifteh Farahani, who plays the nurse Roger flirts with, is cute and likable.

There are some good action scenes, especially the helicopter battle at the beginning. Still the movie is not an adventure movie or 007-style movie, and those who expect that will be disappointed.


Cast and crew:
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe; directed by Ridley Scott based on a book by David Ignatius.

Rating
2.5
1/2

More
DiCaprio's beard, while disgusting, is less disgusting that it is in most of his movies. Will he every play a clean-shaven character?

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

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Plot
Nick (Michael Cera) meets Norah (Kat Dennings) as he is breaking up with Tris (Alexis Dziena), a friend of Norah's, at a concert Nick is playing in. They flirt, and they spend the night chasing around New York looking for a concert and Norah's drunken girlfriend. By sunrise, they learn... well you know.

Review
The movie revolves around Norah; her character is detailed and interesting; Kat Dennings' performance elevates the movie. Michael Cera's Nick is a likable Charlie Brown character to whom interesting things happen. I found his performance passable, but he did not create the chemistry with Norah that would have elevated this movie to excellence. I know the ladies find Cera puppy-dog cute, but I think he needs a makeover.

The story is a nice balance between melancholy and humorous. The dialog is strong, but not up to Juno standards. 

It is a worthwhile movie -- better quality than Afterschool Special fare -- though it has an Afterschool Special plot. 

Starring: Kat Dennings, Michael Cera, Alexis Dzienna; directed by Peter Sollett, based on the book by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Rating
2.5


More
Kat Dennings' Norah and Michael Cera's Nick are just so likable.

Burn After Reading

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Plot
The plot is complicated, but that does not matter. This is a spy comedy, and the story twists are supposed to roller-coaster. A CIA officer gets fired, his wife is playing around, and he is getting blackmailed some fitness instructors. This is against a web of interconnected romantic relationships.

Review
The movie builds from reasonable drama to ridiculous farce gradually. The characters are bigger than life, and give the actors a chance to show off. Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, and George Clooney are very good and fun to watch. Don't get worried about the plot -- farces are not supposed to make sense. The movie has an basic absurdity and blackness that rises above most comedies, and while this is comedy for the fun of it, it is a little more mindful than most.


Cast and crew:
Starring: Frances McDormand,George Clooney, John Malkovich, Brad Pitt; written and directed by Ethan and Joel Coen

Rating
3.0


More
The closing credit song is worth staying for.