Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

It succeeds despite itself. How? Largely based on the tremendous skill of the principal actors, who turn in terrific performances and make you care ultimately about people who are, frankly, not particularly likable on the face of it. This film is clearly meant to be a showcase for Cate Blanchett, and she's good, but without sterling work from Billy Crudup (a vastly underrated actor) and young Emma Nelson--who really binds the whole work together with her marvelous, heartfelt, spot-on performance--you would just have a star turn for an actress presenting a profoundly antiheroical lead character. The ensemble work overcomes the relative mundanity of the slightly-elevated suburban-angst plotline. Thanks to those efforts, when the payoff comes the viewer feels that all that came before it, including the audience's own dubious feelings about the matter, was worth the effort. Good enough.

Boyhood

Upon release, this movie got a lot of praise for its unique concept of filming a story over a decade with the same actors, allowing the audience to see the young boy grow to manhood. I think many observers got caught up in the gimmick and glossed over the key film-making mechanism in that idea: the experience of seeing the actors--particularly the children--age over a compressed time period creates an artificial sense of long-term familiarity. That is, the viewer gets the impression that he knows these people like friends or family, which raises the quotient of caring about what happens to this boy, this family, these people. Had this story been filmed in three months, with different young actors representing the stages of the children's lives, viewers would be faced with the fact that, in and of itself, any given individual's life cycle is not especially meaningful or interesting to an outside observer. But develop that artificial sense of intimacy, as this movie does, and you find yourself caring about these characters far beyond anything on the screen--in terms of "story"--actually demands. It's a unique experience, to be sure, and worth seeing for yourself--but perhaps it's not as profound as some might have you believe.

Bernie

An odd little movie, to be sure. I don’t think everyone will find this film to the his or her liking, but there was just enough humor, quirky fun, and good performances to pull this over the top in the end for me. Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey give fine performances in their roles, but the real stars of this movie are the Texas locals who bring a whole Home Depot paint department’s worth of “color” to the screen in the interspersed interview segments. Besides, I can’t really argue too strenuously against a Richard Linklater movie. Yeah, see it--just bring your most open mind to the proceedings.

A Scanner Darkly

I'm two days removed from watching this movie, and I'm still not sure what to make of it. Is the paranoia trip focused on the government? Corporations? Every one of us? It's tough to tell. The performances work, I can say that. And the rotoscoped animation is OK; it serves its purpose in a few places, allowing touches of visual flair that would have just seemed weird in total live action. But...something's missing. You're pretty much on your own here; watch if you must.

Fast Food Nation

I agree with this movie's principles, but I think there are some big mistakes here. Throughout the running time, I kept feeling that a fictionalized treatment of the muckracking bestseller was the wrong approach; a documentary would have worked a lot better (though telling that much truth probably would have led to substantial lawsuits). Plus, the storyline here takes the problems with the fast food industry and externalizes them too much; most people watching this film aren't interested in what happens to poor Mexicans--their question is, "How does this affect me?" Again, I applaud the politics, but I think the heart of this matter, as shown here, will be too distant for most viewers.

The School Of Rock

I actually wanted, for a brief time, to give this a negative review. After all, it doles out cliche after cliche, even as it mocks cliche after cliche. But I can't do it. The movie is too infectious--mostly due to Jack Black's performance--and you just can't help but admire its energy. No one's playing hall monitor today; this one gets a pass.

Tape

Very much an "anti-movie"; it watches like a filmed play, which in fact is exactly what it is. Its "story" consists of nothing more than one long scene in a motel room, with two old school buddies delving into the truth of one past incident. But as skimpy as it is, that thin framework provides a tense and engrossing film. Another interesting film by director Richard Linklater, with great work by Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Uma Thurman (the cast in its entirety).

Waking Life

This flick would probably have gotten a PURR simply for showing that animation can be used for something other than standard Disney bullshit. Watching this movie is a bit like attending a Spike & Mike festival, with less ass and shit jokes. But don't be fooled--this movie has some serious stuff on its mind, and it deserves credit for showing that at least a few people out there are thinking about the nature of our world. Some of the philosophical discussions may fly over your head (particularly if you have not done any background reading), but you'll absorb at least some of it.

Slacker

Quite the disappointment. This one got a lot of buzz when it came out, but watching it showed a movie which seemed mostly pointless. And if these folks are typical of Austin, that town's rep for coolness is grossly undeserved.