The Constant Gardener (2005) - "A widower is determined to get to the bottom of a potentially explosive secret involving his wife's murder, big business, and corporate corruption."
I watched it because: I've seen it before but it's been a while. I wanted something serious but not "an action movie."
Academy Award winner: Best Supporting Actress--Rachel Weisz
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Adapted Screenplay
• Best Original Score
• Best Film Editing
story: 4/5
visuals: 5/5
acting: 5/5--standout: Danny Huston (Sandy Woodrow)
intangibles: 4/5--Ralph Fiennes is wonderful, and the setting here, disturbing as it may be, is phenomenally gorgeous.
overall: 4.5/5
I watched it because: it was a gift from George, my old community service worker/crush at the library. He gave me this and The Upside of Anger--two more different films I don't think you could ever find--and some sweet memories.
story: 2.5/5
visuals: 3/5
acting: 2/5--standout: Christine Taylor (Lindsey Jones)
intangibles: 3/5--Robin Williams had some great movies, and then he had some utter shite like this.
overall: 2.625/5
On the Basis of Sex (2018) - "The true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights, and the early cases of a historic career that lead to her nomination and confirmation as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice."I watched it because: the person who knows me better than anyone else on the planet, when he first heard about the movie, told me that I absolutely had to see it; he was right.
story: 5/5
visuals: 4/5
acting: 5/5--standouts: Armie Hammer (Martin Ginsburg) & Cailee Spaeny (Jane Ginsburg)
intangibles: 4/5--the history and law were spot on, it was entertaining and educational at the same time, and the (unexpected) love story was outstanding. I loved it.
overall: 4.5/5
I watched it because: I picked it up somewhere along the way. Was looking for something quick and mindless to pass the time while working out. This was NOT mindless.
story: 5/5
visuals: 5/5
acting: 4/5--standout: Brad Pitt
intangibles: 3.5/5--it's a strange movie, a little tightly-wound, but I liked it a lot. And there's no denying the overwhelming sexual chemistry here--Good Gravy!
overall: 4.375/5
Take Down (a.k.a. Billionaire Ransom) (2016) - "Students at a reforming school for rebellious rich kids take matters into their own hands after the campus is taken hostage by a group of criminals."I watched it because: I'm working through Sebastian Koch's filmography. Again, it struck me as a mindless action thing....
story: 3/5
visuals: 5/5
acting: 3/5--standout: Jeremy Sumpter (Kyle Hartmann)
intangibles: 4/5--the location (the Isle of Man, for crissakes) and some of the acting was wonderful. Some of it was embarrassingly bad to watch. In the end, though, I was surprised and impressed. Would watch again.
overall: 3.75/5
I watched it because: it was a preview on another movie that I watched recently, and it looked like "my kind of thing."
story: 4/5
visuals: 4/5
acting: 3/5--standouts: Bill Nighy (Edmund Brundish) & Honor Kneafsey (Christine Gipping)
intangibles: 2/5--I didn't love it. While some of the acting was top notch, I thought that Patricia Clarkson as Violet Gamart was dreadful and obvious, and the poor nitwit playing her nephew (James Murphy) could have actually been made from wood.
overall: 3.25/5
Chasing Amy (1997) - "Holden and Banky are comic book artists. Everything's going good for them until they meet Alyssa, also a comic book artist. Holden falls for her, but his hopes are crushed when he finds out she's a lesbian."I watched it because: I've seen it before, kind of wanted to see it again, and wanted to watch something I didn't have to think about too much.
story: 4/5
visuals: 3/5
acting: 3/5--standout: Dwight Ewell (Hooper X)
intangibles: 3/5--it's a depressing movie (very '90s) stocked with depressing and shrill characters who can't make decisions. Apart from the again-revelatory "chasing Amy" sequence by Silent Bob....
So I'm totally weirded out by this, right? And then I just start blasting her. Like... I don't know how to deal with what I'm feeling, so I figure the best way is by calling her a slut, right? And tell her she was used. I'm... I'm out for blood. I really wanna hurt this girl. I'm like, "What the fuck is your problem?", right? And she's just all calmly trying to tell me, like, it was that time and it was that place and she doesn't think she should apologize because she doesn't feel that she's done anything wrong. I'm like, "Oh, really?" That's when I look her straight in the eye, I tell her it's over. I walk.overall: 3.25/5
...
It was a mistake. I didn't hate her. I wasn't disgusted with her. I was afraid. At that moment, I felt small, like... like I'd lacked experience, like I'd never be on her level, like I'd never be enough for her or something like that, you know what I'm saying? But, what I did not get, she didn't care. She wasn't looking for that guy anymore. She was... she was looking for me, for the Bob. But, uh, by the time I figure this all out, it was too late, man. She moved on, and all I had to show for it was some foolish pride, which then gave way to regret. She was the girl, I know that now. But I pushed her away. So, I've spent every day since then chasing Amy... so to speak.
I watched it because: for a while I thought I wanted to be into Edward Burns. I don't generally love his stuff but had this, so--why not?
story: 4/5
visuals: 4/5
acting: 5/5--standout: Edward Burns (Jordy Warsaw)
intangibles: 5/5--loved it. De Niro is extraordinary, of course. The supporting cast is wonderful. The action is mind-blowing, on what must have been a tight budget. I thought it was pretty great.
overall: 4.5/5
[the title quotation is by Katharine Hepburn]
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