Air

I can’t really tell: does being old enough to remember the period of this particular period piece make it a better viewing experience or not? Sure, you get a kick out of the music and the artifacts, as well as knowing the details of how it all turned out—but in some ways that’s the problem, too. Try as the principal actors might to inject some suspense here, there’s no way you don’t know the ending to the story (which is really a beginning, after all), and that fact drains out a large amount of the drama. Still, the movie deserves credit for its precise recreation of the past, and Matt Damon performs yeoman's work in making the stakes for his character Sonny seem pretty close to life and death, for the company at least if not any of the people involved. Most intriguing may be scriptwriter Alex Convery’s decision to make one character present but mostly not a presence in the tale; that makes the story more about those other folks than the one person in the tale everybody already knows all about. The one big misstep comes at the crucial moment, when the pitch is made by recounting everything that hasn’t happened yet but will, as if the future itself is intruding upon the depicted past; it makes for a scene that is just not believable, and contrary to the rest of this story's telling. Still, the overall impression is of a well-played game. I wouldn’t say that this film soars to unprecedented heights, a la a certain basketball legend, but I think it does score enough points to come away with a win.

The Last Duel

One is tempted to suggest that this movie gets hoisted on its own petard. It presents one story told from three different perspectives, with the heavy hint that only one version is the "truth." But...by presenting the notion of unreliable perspectives, the filmmakers suggest--perhaps unintentionally--that ALL the versions of the tale contain untruths. An intelligent analysis must recognize that the woman’s story isn’t automatically true just because she’s a woman. Only by way of a an uncritical acceptance can those watching take at face value the notion that only one of these accounts is factually accurate and honest. That conundrum diminishes the impact of the work as a whole, despite its fine performances and meticulous presentation of the period. (Director Ridley Scott is an old hand at putting spare-no-expense visuals on the screen.) This is hardly a bad film, for sure, but one can’t help but think that, perhaps, this could have been a more forceful work without indulging in the narrative puzzle-making.

Justice League

I've generally been more on board with the DC stuff than Marvel's overwhelming orgy of comic book movies; they've generally been more grown-up in feel and more realistic in presentation (realistic being a relative term). So I'm not one to jump on the bashing boat just for the sake of piling on. Then again, it's clear that this entry in the largely Batman-driven movieverse is not quite up to snuff. The villain seems to have come out of nowhere, and has little anti-appeal. The proceedings follow a template that's well-worn by now, particularly in "get them together" flicks, up to and including the over-the-top violent ending. What saves this movie is the presence of a large number of likeable actors; the female triumvirate of Gadot-Adams-Lane alone builds a lot of goodwill. Besides, it's an Entertainment with a capital 'E'--not really trying to be anything else, and thus you're seriously off-kilter if you don't enjoy this thing at least a little bit. Not great, but nothing to be ashamed of. Mellow out.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Again, I find myself liking a movie more than the general population, and more specifically the group--geeks--for whom it is mainly intended. I didn’t expect this film to hew so closely as a sequel to Man of Steel, which it very much is...and that turns out to be a good thing. Like its predecessor, this is darker, moodier, more thoughtful, more grown-up, than the rest of the superhero flick flock. That appeals to me, however much it turns off the adolescent brains who keep bemoaning this storyline. If this group wants to keep going, I’m in for more.

Gone Girl

Hard to tell what to say about this one. A couple of things spring out: for one, this story relies on the same conceit as almost all mystery genre works, namely that there can be such a thing as the perfect crime. Certainly, this is a story that believes wholeheartedly in its own smartness; perhaps it's better to say the author believes in how smart she is. But this scenario would almost certainly not play out this way in real life; the presumed mastermind would be caught and exposed much easier than is seen here. The movie does make its case (so to speak) that one could get away with it because media are so guilty of fashioning "the truth" that it hazes everything, including detective work. It also implies something I've known since at least the old days of watching Xena: Warrior Princess: men can be bad, but when a woman goes wrong you get a real monster. That may be a minor spoiler, and sorry for that, but that slip doesn't really give much away. All in all, it's entertaining, and I'm not sure it ever could have been anything more that that. Mostly, you'll have to rely on your own judgement here.

Argo

This is a very enjoyable movie, but then no duh, it did win Best Picture. That statue does not always necessarily go to the deserving film; in this case, I think the win was deserved, given that all the competitors were flawed. And this too is a film with flaws, but they are slight enough--a few cliched scenes at the climax--that they hardly make watching this work anything less than a fine experience. One interesting thing to note: the verisimilitude is almost too good, in that watching this flick as an American of a certain age can call up a little more rage against Iran than anyone, at this remove, should feel comfortable feeling. Let’s hope that with time comes wisdom, all the way around.

The Town

Apparently, that Affleck boy can make a movie. With the newly crowned Best Picture Argo still hanging in the award-season air, I watched this other, earlier case in point. What the man offered here was a well-crafted film, one with a good visual sense and excellent pacing, both of which served well an otherwise pedestrian story. A lot of what's in that story has already been well covered in other films, though I do appreciate the touch of ambiguity in the ending. One bit of absurdity, or at least a questionable choice: would any Bostonians, even Charlestown bank robbers, actually try to rip off the Red Sox? Seems highly implausible. But that doesn't spoil the movie--it's still worth a look.

Jersey Girl

Director Kevin Smith himself seems to disavow this one; I'm not so sure that's necessary. If you can steer yourself past a couple of gigantic logical flaws in the plot, you will be rewarded with a sweet, charming, emotionally true movie. Ignore the flaws, enjoy the flick. As simple as that.

Changing Lanes

It's a murky world out there, or so says this movie. I agree with it, but I'm not sure that's enough to recommend this movie. The story is good, the leads are good, the supporting cast is great, but overall it falls a little flat. The movie seems to be less than the sum of its parts. It's not a waste, but it's not must-see stuff, either.

Pearl Harbor

Technically well done, but that only counts for so much. It's hard to care about any of these characters. Ironically, the interest only picks up after the titular battle, when the focus shifts to the Doolittle raid of 1942.

Bounce

Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, but I think this one's worth a look--probably because Gwyneth Paltrow is good enough to lift any movie she's in. Just don't expect an profundity or lasting impact; it's simply one of those standard issue romance movies that the medium is so good at producing (and that work so well in the medium).