The Beaver (Foster, 2011)
“Are Mel Gibson’s eyes really that blue, or does he wear contacts or something?” my little sister asked me after The Beaver. In the era of color-grading, you can never be quite sure– but Mel’s piercing blue eyes are a Hollywood relic. “Piercing” isn’t really the word that I would use anymore, though. It’s too active. It implies focus, control– traits... Read More
Crazy, Stupid, Love. (Ficarra, Requa, 2011)
At first, Crazy, Stupid, Love made me mad. With a bit of time, the vitriolic feelings have all but drained, leaving me with some benign images of Ryan Gosling in a suit. The movie is his, after all, despite its ambitions to be some sort of intergenerational portrait of love and its many splendors. Hollywood seems to think that if you put enough interweaving love stories together, it will all coalesce into an impression of meaning,... Read More
Buck (Meehl, 2011)
Not knowing a lot about Buck before I walked into the theater, I sat down assuming I was about to witness the inspirational tale of a “horse whisperer.” The story of Buck Brannaman is one that lends itself to such Hollywood sensationalism, ripe for reimagining as a feel-good family flick. But this spin isn’t something I imagine Buck himself endorsing. A staid-but-pleasant stand-up guy, Buck isn’t here to... Read More
Winnie the Pooh (2011)
This is the third review from Filmwell’s guest contributor Lauren Wilford, who blogs at Midas and the Movies. We are pleased to announce that Wilford has agreed to join the Filmwell team as a regular contributor, so you will see more of her reviews in the coming months. • The advertising campaign for Disney’s new Winnie the Pooh film is genius. I am convinced it was devised by a pack of hip interns—who else would think it was a good idea to use the melancholy... Read More
Beginners (Mills, 2010)
This review is the second from Filmwell’s guest contributor Lauren Wilford. • “You don’t know me. I like that.” So says the She of Beginners to the He, on one of those floating walks that fill up the start of a relationship. She’s teasing him, but we know it’s more than a bit of banter– it’s an attitude that can easily turn into a way of life. Beginners is at once an ode to this sentiment and a critique of it, equally at home... Read More
Midnight in Paris (Allen, 2011)
Today, we welcome a new guest contributor, Lauren Wilford, with a review of the new film by Woody Allen. Lauren studies Theatre and Art History at Seattle Pacific University. She wanted to add Philosophy as a third major but she watches movies instead. She blogs at Midas and the Movies. • Midnight in Paris: the title slides in one ear and out the other, the words worn down to wisps of meaning. Juxtaposing them is almost a joke — for what two words have borne the weight... Read More
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