Yet another very good film I wouldn’t have seen except for the Channing Tatum Film Festival. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and details about how the protests were planned and executed. Actual footage from the “battle” made the movie that much more gripping.
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Yet another incredibly good movie I would have never heard of if not on a Channing Tatum quest. This is a great action/adventure story set in a time period not currently in vogue (pre-Christian Roman times) with a lot of interesting period details and good acting. Unlike most conquest movies, it also comes free of “white guilt” as the conquering and the conquered both fall into today’s “Caucasian” category.
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This looked dumb and I was so embarrassed to rent this movie I got it from the anonymous Redbox, instead of supporting my local video store. However, it turned out to be a fabulous movie, interesting and compelling. Both leads were quite good at getting across the difficulty of recovery from head injury, and the movie never sank to a schmaltzy level.
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Having seen
, I was aware that Channing Tatum can dance and rented this film for more evidence of the fact. The plot was predictable, but I wasn’t watching it for the plot, so I can report that the acting was good, and the dancing was fabulous. I also rarely see movies featuring children in foster care, and Channing Tatum played a nicely rounded foster kid.
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“Sweetheart, this movie has Ryan Phillippe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt AND Channing Tatum, why I have I not seen this before?” said I. It also has Abbie Cornish, who I like despite not liking her character in
. This was a pretty good movie, full of drama and tough choices, marking this as a “good” MTV films production.*
*Matt thinks he hates MTV Films, but I argue they can make some darn good movies when they set their minds to it. Check out a
. Despite the presence of
Jackass 2.5
and the like, there are some darn good movies on that list. They are especially good a capturing moments in adolescence. (
Varsity Blues
,
Election
,
Napoleon Dynamite
.)
Also, I really like this movie poster. Well done, unknown designer.
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Due to the
and our timing not quite coming together, we missed seeing Portland Actors Ensemble’s production of
,* but handily had this adaptation at the ready. Amanda Bynes’ comedy was quite broad throughout, which was annoying at first, but grew on me eventually. Surprisingly, Channing Tatum was quite good as Duke making this a great evening of movie “theater.”
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http://www.impawards.com/2006/shes_the_man.html
*Don’t worry, there are multiple performances and we will see it eventually.
While the TV series I grew up with was a drama-fest, and this was a comedy, I still liked it.* Though not as much as Matt who was set to “low chortle” for most of the movie. This movie is worth seeing just for the cameos and also now that it is on DVD, you can see the deleted scenes, one of which (the discussion of the inappropriate nature of sleeping with one of the high school girls) was my favorite part of the movie.
*Favorite interchange:
-Run!
-I’m wearing tights! I can’t run!
-Well, I’m wearing skinny jeans and it’s the exact same thing!
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http://www.impawards.com/2012/twenty_one_jump_street.html
Also, a slight Channing Tatum obsessing uncovered this video which is amusing, though not hilarious, as the title overstates a bit. I do feel bad for the reporter trying to get a story out of that interview. It’s eight minutes. No commercials.
I had only a smattering of interest in this movie but it was playing at a time I could see a movie so off I went. The general feeling in the theater populated by only women was a feeling of glee and that dissipated once the movie got going because, as my friend Christi commented, “Those are sad, tortured male strippers.” There was a lot to like about this film–the dancing was fabulous (nearly naked or not, I appreciate some dancing), I think Matthew McConaughey’s “Dallas” might just eclipse his
Dazed and Confused
character, and I also appreciated the tempering presence (of the woman), who not only had a good solid female character to work with, but played her close and tight.
p.s.This movie launched me on another “personal actor film fest” a la the Vin Diesel film festival of last year and the Chris Hemsworth fest of earlier this summer. Wanna guess which one?
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The first ten minutes of this movie I had the following thoughts: 1)I’m glad I didn’t grow up in Queens, and 2) these guys are assholes. But then I got sucked into the story and ended up really enjoying the movie, though I have a sneaking suspicion I would find the whole thing juvenile if I watched it in five years. I’ve never understood the whole Shia LaBeouf thing before, but I get it now.
Bechdel score. Two women: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2006/guide_to_recognizing_your_saints.html