Margin Call
All star cast of actors that left me in a state of not caring. It tried hard to be suspenseful and intense, but by the end I didn't care. The plot had so much to offer yet left so much to be desired. It didn't hold up to the test of true financial thrillers like Wall Street or Boiler Room. It was an under used cast and a rushed plot to the end. The ending itself made me hate the film. It also has extremely foul language where every other word is the "F" word. I'd skip it.
Traffic
There was probably a good reason I didn't remember watching Traffic. It is terribly boring. A film that was recommended to me by many friends just didn't cut it. Loaded with top name actors, the movie was dry and never hooked me. I watched half of it before realizing I had better things to do. I like these types of movies, pitting cops and DEA agents against strong, violent drug kingpins, but I didn't care about anything that was going on and none of the characters were engaging. I thought Del Toro's character had the most captivating story of the bunch, but even his acting chops left something to be desired. It was recently released as part of the Criterion collection and I have to wonder why? Maybe it's another art house flick that only those who truly understand the craft of film making can appreciate. I just didn't dig it.
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Okay, I am one of those jerks who makes fun of everyone that likes this kid. I still don't dig his music and the fact that all of these tweens and teens are head over heels for the dude leaves me in a mysterious funk. However, I was surprised how much I enjoyed a behind the scenes look at his story and honestly, he seems to be a decent kid that has surrounded himself with solid people that care about him, and he acts mature for the amount of fame and fortune he is raking in. I never wanted to stop it or found myself wandering around in my head thinking of something else to do. I really got into it and found it to be a decent documentary that gave a small glimpse inside the life of a cultural phenomenon. Am I a Belieber? No. Am I downloading his music? No. But I do respect him more and wish more of these teen pop stars found themselves taking the path he is. I'm not gonna rush out and claim him for the Christian faith as many have done after watching the film. It did show him praying with his crew a few times and referenced him singing at church, but we know how that ended for Britney Spears. I will say that the film is worth a view if you are at all interested in how and why he is influencing so many people with his music and life. The only time I shook my head in disgust was at the moms who were acting pathetically immature around him. It's okay for your daughter, but you need to grow up woman!
Moneyball
I hate baseball. I really hate it. It's slow, boring and takes a bazillion years to finish a game. I played it through my sophomore year of high school but should have quit much sooner. The only way I'll watch is if it is in person, and that has happened only once in the last 12 years. I had several friends invite me to watch it in the theater and I declined each time. Nope, I'll just catch it on Netflix. I had several say it is this year's Social Network, to which I kindly suggest they stop drinking whatever naive juice they are. Even if it's good, it's no Social Network. I know a little of the back story and honestly if Brad Pitt wasn't in it I wouldn't have given it a chance. But I did and here is my verdict: BORING! Seriously didn't get into it. I thought I might. It started off interesting but it didn't keep me. I didn't finish it. While it's not really a baseball movie in the sense of Major League or The Natural, it had enough that I wanted to do other things. Normally I think Brad Pitt is a fantastic actor, but I didn't like his last two films (this one and Tree of Life). It wasn't my type of movie.
The Ides of March
This is one that I wish I would have caught in the theater but just couldn't make it to. Two of my favorite actors going toe to toe, with a supporting cast that is stellar. Normally political thrillers don't get much attention from me, but I couldn't pass up on Gosling, Clooney, Giamatti and Seymour-Hoffman playing the political cat and mouse games. This film shot up to the #3 spot in my top ten list for 2011. I wish I hadn't missed it in the theater so it could have shown up on my list in December. It's a film that either seems to slow for most people so they check out early, or they'll complain that the plot has too many holes and blah, blah, blah. I loved it for the individual performances, the dark tone in the writing and the visuals of each scene. It was a work of art that made me appreciate film. Gosling is turning out to be one of my favorite actors of modern film. He already made the list with Crazy Stupid Love, now The Ides of March joins the list, and I am most certain that Drive will sit atop somewhere as well. Such a fantastic film!
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