Day 25: Sideways (2004)

I'm spending the last day of my beach vacation enjoying a nice, little 2004 indie film. Tomorrow I'll be off to Oklahoma to visit Chris. I'm going to have to watch a damn fine film to take my mind off of flying.

Starring: Thomas Hayden Church, Paul Giamatti, Sandra Oh
Directed by: Alexander Payne

The Positives:

- Thomas Hayden Chruch is one of those actors I forget I enjoy until I see him in another film.
- 'Tis a road trip movie, which is one of my favorite sub-genres!
- Smooth jazz is always a welcome edition to any soundtrack.
- Paul Giamatti has a certain smart-ass quality to him that is rarely paralleled by others.
- The camerawork in this film is... Sophisticated? I suppose that,s the proper word. It' noticeable and smart is what I'm saying.
- Wine-tasting has never been that entertaining to watch.
- "Two Tickets to Paradise"!
- This flick's funny in a subtle sort of way.

The Negatives:

- This isn't a movie full of action and cheap gags. It's slow and mature and it feels a bit lifeless at times.
- I am not a fan on Sandra Oh. She always seems to have this pretentiousness about her.
- I don't drink, nor am I divorced or getting married. I just can't identify with these character's problems. Since I can't identify, they come off as pathetic.


Grade: C

The film is a bit too mature to be enjoyed by somebody my age. I assume the older you get the more you can relate to this film and the character's marital problems. Even if I enjoyed Thomas Hayden Church's performance I could still care less about the difference between merlot and Pinot noir.

Day 13: I ♥ Huckabees (2004)

Starring: Lily Tomlin, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Wahlberg

Directed by: David O. Russell

The Positives:

- Best opening movie line ever, but it is much too vulgar to post here.
- "Have you ever transcended space and time?" "Yes. No. Time, not space. ...No I don't know what you're talking about." Well deadpanned Mr. Schwartzman
- Naomi Watts is smokin'. David O. must think so too because the first time you meet her character in person, all you see is her ass bent over in bikini and then another good ten seconds of her shaking it about. (This seems to be a constant theme as of late.)

- I swear I see Kevin Dunn in everything. Counting this film and yesterday's he's already been in 1/6 of the movies I've reviewed.
- Dammit Marky Mark! I shouldn't like you as an actor this much.
- I just noticed how many movie scenes I enjoy that are set at a dinner tables.

The Negatives:

- I could've gone my entire life with out seeing Jason Schwartzman dressed as a baby sucking milk out of the tits of woman's body with Jude Law's face superimposed on it.
- This film feels like a movie Wes Anderson would make while kicking an unhealthy addiction. Not that it's about substance abuse mind you, but it feels both dirty and gawky.
- The script seems a bit... disjointed at times, and it's existentialist nature is not one for most people.
- I also found myself losing interest as the film progressed.

Grade: C-

This is either a love it or hate it film, and I wanted to enjoy it much more than I did. Maybe in two or three years, if I choose to ever re-watch it, I may enjoy it more than I do presently, but as of now I find it very "Meh."