Mickey 17

Let me say right up front: the best thing about this production might be its visual design, including the promotional materials and packaging artwork. The poster alone, with the cloned Mickeys with Xed out eyes, is both clever in its own right and immediately conveys a crucial aspect of the story, before the movie even starts. So there was obviously a lot of terrific ideation and conceptualization going on here. Does that translate into a great movie? No, not great. Good, I think; "mostly interesting" is a judgment I’m comfortable making. But it takes its time getting to a point where the elements begin to come together and make for a compelling narrative. In fact, it is hard to know what to make of this story in the early part of the film—something about the tone seems hesitant, maybe even a touch indifferent. And there are certain distractions that take the viewers out of the story: the personality of one key character seems to contradict everything we are told about our hero’s (quite literal) process, plus the political satire is so over the top and obvious (even if spot-on) that it draws focus from the core plot. The villain is evil, for sure, but he is not really the author of Mickey’s predicament, so the characterization potshots feel like intrusions, to a certain extent. Finally, though, the big questions that the script has in mind push their way to the fore, and when they do the story becomes more effecting and ultimately satisfying. I don’t know if multiple viewings—pun intended—would help make this flick work better, but at least there’s something original—rather than recycled—on offer here. That’s more than you usually get from movies these days. 

XX/XY

Mostly, zzzz. One of the problems with being not orgy-eligible: you can never really understand those who are. Thus, this flick  is mostly unintelligible to yours truly. It's first half is almost entirely about young people humping, which to the college-age crowd it depicts and presumably targets as an audience may seem like the height of arty profundity, but to anyone else just comes across as vapid, pointless and indulgent stupidity (and, more cynically, an excuse to get young actresses to take their clothes off). The most notable part of the early scenes may be Mark Ruffalo's facial hair, which he apparently borrowed from the gay porn flick that was being filmed next door. Later, the movie shifts to ten years in the future, where everyone gets marginally more tolerable but not particularly smarter or more interesting. Ultimately, the whole thing serves as an exploration of the interpersonal dynamics of unlikable people, which is hardly must-see stuff.

Avengers: Endgame

Watching this film is like being at a well attended party. There's lots of people present, many of whom are your friends (or at least people with whom you are friendly), and you run into groups of them here and there. But you also get enmeshed with others whom you don't know so well, and who really don't do so much for your enjoyment of festivities. And so this, the ultimate money shot--in more ways than one--of the MCU comes across as exactly that way: chaotic, too big, occasionally fun, maybe even an emotional event now and then, and ultimately a night that leaves you with a certain amount of memories--but also wondering if it was really all that good a time. It's easy to take shots at a piece like this, and that's the kind of whining and nitpicking reaction you get all too often these days--the kind of behavior I really hate. So I'm not here to just dump on what is, mostly, a decent popcorn flick. Suffice to say, this movie delivers what you expect, both good and bad, and that's pretty much that. Whether it's worth it to you or not depends entirely upon who you are (and how well you know yourself). That's not hero work--that's just life.

Avengers: Infinity War

Well…that's one scenario. I'm not so sure it was the best scenario, because the whole thing came across as very uneven, sometimes funny and entertaining, sometimes just plain grim. You don't want flicks like this taking themselves too seriously. Unless they really mean the serious. This one doesn't feel quite so sincere. That said, I suppose it's not a bad way to spend a couple of hours; basically, you're hanging out with a bunch of old (by this time) friends, and though they sometimes annoy you, you appreciate their company, too. And it won't last forever, so you might as well enjoy them while they're still around. Just don't expect them to be great all the time.

Thor: Ragnarok

So this is what you get when the MCU drops acid. It's impossible to watch this movie without being very conscious of how weird it is, in many ways, despite the fact that it stays entertaining all the way through. The comedy stands out for sure; this movie is very consciously trying to be funny, which is a real change of pace from so many of the extremely self-serious comic book movies these days. And then you have the weird '80s vibe throughout, expessed through the music (Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo contributed to that) and a number of visual, stylistic choices. Had this movie been in less competent hands, it might have been a disaster. Instead, we got a fun ride that bears an obvious resemblance to the other Marvel flicks, but is also different enough that it makes the case that, yeah, this whole thing can go in different directions and remain vibrant and worth the audience's time. At this point, that's quite an accomplishment. We'll see if future films live up to that promise.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Oh, boy. I warned in the review of the previous Avengers movie that the property was dangerously close to being little more than empty--and not very intelligent--spectacle. It's hard to argue that this entry in the series (there will be a third, per the promise in the credits) doesn't tip over that edge and descend into utter schlock. This is really a baffling outcome; these characters somehow work far better on their own, and the humor that should be a big part of such a "fun" franchise is again largely missing here. Given the inputs--including the very sharp Joss Whedon directing again--it makes no sense that this movie should be the fairly joyless exercise that it is. I suppose, if you're into the genre, you must watch these Avengers flicks, just to keep pace with developments that affect the rest of the individual storylines. But please, don't pay for any more of this nonsense; check it out from the library if you need to get your fix.

Foxcatcher

The moral of this story: strange, damaged people should not get together with other strange damaged people. The odd thing that comes through while watching this odd movie is how unnecessary the story--and its tragic ending--were. John duPont could just as easily have stood in Mark Schultz's corner as the wrestling team's sponsor; it's what a lot of rich guys do. But that damage--the need to be a "coach" beyond all self-awareness--led to inevitable conflict and breakdown, and makes this a highlight reel that no Olympian would ever want to be in. The story is clearly told, and the actors do a fine job of conveying the sense of the people--not sure how closely they capture the nature of the people they're playing--but the film loses points for its measured pace, and for being so weird and challenging to the viewer; lots of moviegoers simply would not have the patience for this one. It's worth a look, but a lot of folks simply won't like it. Your mileage may vary.

Now You See Me

I think I might be a sucker for magic tricks. I usually enjoy those specials on TV where some magician gets a laugh or two from passers by with some elegantly clever trick, so it's no surprise that I found this flick to be entertaining. Much of the goings on rely on obvious movie hokum (there's no way live performers could pull off such elaborate stunts), and the ultimate resolution kind of stinks (somewhat preposterous, although perhaps sharp viewers could have seen it coming), but it's the splash and dash and elan that carries the day (not to mention a couple of very easy on the eyes ladies to brighten up the screen). The cynic wants to say no, but the pragmatist just says "to hell with it, just enjoy the show."

The Avengers

Mmm'okay. I guess. So this is what everyone was pissing themselves over last year? Sure, there are likable characters here--Captain Steve Rogers is an emblematic, admirable hero, plus there's that ever-reliable ton of fun, Tony Stark--but this film has too many "star" players to allow for anything like real character and/or storyline development. Plus all the pissy conflict among the team members--in the face of an immediate, known, deadly threat, no less--rings false. And then the climactic battle sequence is just plain dumb: an orgy of mindless destruction at the hands (claws?) of pan-dimensional but apparently mentally retarded aliens, who seemingly just show up without any particular battle plan, and are beaten back by a mere six beings (albeit superior or greatly equipped uber-beings). This is what stands as today's greatness? Joss, you'd better do WAY better with the next one, or you may wind up being known as the guy who queered the entire deal for everyone.

Date Night

I was all set not to like this movie, but the combination of appealing lead actors and a well-rounded supporting cast--with one or two pitch-perfect cameos--put an otherwise run of the mill movie over the top.

Collateral

An enjoyable thriller, made that much more watchable by Michael Mann's usual stylish vision. The intriguing set-up, and good interplay between Cruise and Foxx, combine with that stylishness to craft a movie that's better than it would be in lesser hands.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

More mind-bending fun from the word processor of writer Charlie Kaufman. This one is not as heavy on the goofy humor as, say, Being John Malkovich; Eternal Sunshine is moodier, more contemplative, more interested in delving into the feelings of the leads (expertly played by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet). You laugh, but you get to experience other emotions as well. If you enjoyed Kaufman's other trips inside various heads, you'll like this one too.

You Can Count On Me

It has its moments, but most of it is fairly obvious. Laura Linney (Oscar-nominated) is good, but Mark Ruffalo is better. A "not quite" movie.