Jeff Bridges amazed me in this film. His performance is nothing less than perfect. You watch him and you see "Bad" Blake, an alcoholic country singer who was once a huge star, clearly and vividly. You forget an actor is playing him. Bridges gets absolutely lost in his character and never looks back. This is why he went on to win best actor in the 82nd Academy Awards a week ago. If anyone deserved it, it was him. Maggie Gylenhaal, who was nominated for best supporting actress, is solid as a divorced mother who falls in love with "Bad", or at least she thinks she's in love. The cast is the biggest strength of the film, as the story is nothing unique. The material would just be solid with decent performances, but because of the flawless performance from Jeff Bridges, it's worth seeing.
"Crazy Heart" is definitely not for everyone. It isn't constantly entertaining and some songs seem to drag. Nevertheless, the film is captivating as you start to care for "Bad" Blake more and more as the film goes on. Scenes that involve Blake fighting his addiction to alcohol are filled with genuine authenticity. Everything feels real. Other than that, the Jeff Bridges performance of a lifetime is worth checking out on its own. Watch him play the chords of "Bad" Blake's crazy heart. You'll be satisfied.
Rating: 3 out of 4
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
"Alice in Wonderland" review
I'm always up for a Tim Burton movie. He always delivers something unique and different. Everything that he has done is undeniably interesting and something nobody else could execute as well. All of his films have a certain style to it, and it is very hard to describe. Burton is no different here in "Alice in Wonderland", a very good flick that should definitely be seen in 3D. You are thrust into a supposed world of wonder that's strange, unusual, and downright crazy. But if you buy into the movie and its odd aspects aren't enough to push you away, you'll enjoy your time in wonerland.
Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is a 19-year-old girl who has dreamed of weird visions her whole life. She is about to be forced into a marriage that she doesn't want. What does Alice do? She runs away and follows a rabbit with a coat, similar to the one that she always sees in her dreams. She's led to a hole that she accidentally falls into. After the descent concludes, she enters a place called Wonderland. Here she meets a talking caterpillar, two fat twins with huge heads, a cat that can disappear, and two people who are pretty interesting in their own ways. She meets the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), an orange-haired, hat-wearing, yellow-eyed man who has been longing to see Alice for the longest time. She is then told that she's supposed to slay the dragon Jaberwoky (not one of the dancers), who is owned by the mean, big-headed Red Queen (Helena Bonhom Carter). Why slay the dragon? Because the Red Queen has been tearing Wonderland apart and they want it back to being wonderful, and by killing the Jaberwoky, the very girly White Queen (Anne Hathaway) will be the new leader. I found the story to hold me, not grip me. It's the kind of story that finds its climax in action scenes.
Tim Burton teams up once again with Johnny Depp, and who can blame him? Depp is viewed as one of the great actors of his generation, and it is in no small part to Burton's list of complex characters that Depp has played. Add the Mad Hatter to that list, as Depp is good as usual. Helena Bonham Carter, who happens to be Burton's wife in real life, is terrific here. You hate to love her, but you can't help it. With all this said, I think the one that stole the show was Mia Wasikowska, the young actress who plays Alice. She gives a tremendous break-out role.
"Alice in Wondeland" was mostly entertaining, despite taking a little time to really get going. In other words, it started kind of slow. But other than that, you can't miss a film like this especially with the people involved. Tim Burton attempts to create some magic, and even though he didn't blow my mind, I can easily say that he succeeded.
Rating: 3 out of 4
Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is a 19-year-old girl who has dreamed of weird visions her whole life. She is about to be forced into a marriage that she doesn't want. What does Alice do? She runs away and follows a rabbit with a coat, similar to the one that she always sees in her dreams. She's led to a hole that she accidentally falls into. After the descent concludes, she enters a place called Wonderland. Here she meets a talking caterpillar, two fat twins with huge heads, a cat that can disappear, and two people who are pretty interesting in their own ways. She meets the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), an orange-haired, hat-wearing, yellow-eyed man who has been longing to see Alice for the longest time. She is then told that she's supposed to slay the dragon Jaberwoky (not one of the dancers), who is owned by the mean, big-headed Red Queen (Helena Bonhom Carter). Why slay the dragon? Because the Red Queen has been tearing Wonderland apart and they want it back to being wonderful, and by killing the Jaberwoky, the very girly White Queen (Anne Hathaway) will be the new leader. I found the story to hold me, not grip me. It's the kind of story that finds its climax in action scenes.
Tim Burton teams up once again with Johnny Depp, and who can blame him? Depp is viewed as one of the great actors of his generation, and it is in no small part to Burton's list of complex characters that Depp has played. Add the Mad Hatter to that list, as Depp is good as usual. Helena Bonham Carter, who happens to be Burton's wife in real life, is terrific here. You hate to love her, but you can't help it. With all this said, I think the one that stole the show was Mia Wasikowska, the young actress who plays Alice. She gives a tremendous break-out role.
"Alice in Wondeland" was mostly entertaining, despite taking a little time to really get going. In other words, it started kind of slow. But other than that, you can't miss a film like this especially with the people involved. Tim Burton attempts to create some magic, and even though he didn't blow my mind, I can easily say that he succeeded.
Rating: 3 out of 4
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