Hey Todd, Dante Bean.  If you were planning to review this yourself, I totally understand and won't be offended if you disregard.
 
Up in the Air -  

I should disclose from word one that I will pay to see just about any George Clooney movie there is.  It would really have to look like an incredible misfire for me to avoid it, ala Intolerable Cruelty.  I think he is a legit movie star and can carry any flick on his back, even a run of the mill genre flick like Michael Clayton, and knock it out of the park, which he does here.  He completely sells the role, a traveling bearer of bad news contracted by CEO's too spineless to deliver it themselves.  I loved this flick.  I love the Clooney.
 
My only real reservation about this flick was it being billed as "From the director of Juno".  Which is a turd, but that really isn't the fault of Reitman.  And I enjoyed Thank You For Smoking.  So I guess he's 2-1 for me now.  It's a sharp flick, he keeps the pace brisk and given the drab setting, it's pretty stylish overall.  I think he wants to make indie hipster finding yourself type flicks, but he wants to do it with a big budget and A-list stars.  The Bateman and JK Simmons both return from Camp Reitman.  Zack Galafalinkaalkakas, Danny McBride and (way unexpectedly) so does Sam Elliott.  But most of them don't even get two minutes of face time.
 
For a movie that so clearly has an agenda (this economy, woooooooooo boy I tell you what) it mercifully doesn't beat you over the head with it by focusing on the story of Clooney who happens to be in that setting first, instead of the other way around.  It never came off as preachy or obnoxious.  My only misgiving about the whole thing really is what feels just fine as a far away sub plot becomes a major focal point in the final act.  They could have cut it out entirely, and it would have no ill effect on the story and the ending would remain unchanged.  Which pretty much defines completely unnecessary.
 
3 Things I Liked About This Movie:
-Clooney always sells it.
-I came home and bought the soundtrack on iTunes
-Topical without being pretensious
 
3 Things I Didn't Like About This Movie:
-Stumbles in the final act
-So much great talent relegated to cameo status
-Spillover Juno stink
 
If this is playing in your area, it's an absolute must see.  Best flicker show I've seen at the movie house since The Hurt Locker.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Same deal as last time OT!
 
Brothers -
 
This movie has the worst trailer ever made.  As I'm sure you could probably tell, it pretty much goes over the entire movie for you.  From opening shot to finale.  This movie only keeps one secret to itself, and while a relatively important plot point, it's inclusion or absense doesn't really alter the proceedings that much.  So because the trailer gives everything away, I'm not especially worried about spoilers.
 
So basically, Spiderman goes off to war, leaving Queen Amadalia to watch after the kiddos.  When an accident happens overseas, his brother Donnie Darko is there to watch over the fam and ends up almost laying his wife.  There are two problems with this okay setup.  One, all of this happens in the first twenty minutes or so.  It is too much, too fast before we know or care about any characters here.  It's impact is dulled even further by letting us know going in that Spiderman is going to make it home to Amadalya anyway.  So not only do they let all this high drama unfold on total strangers to the audience, we don't care anyway because we know how this all wraps up.  I won't give away what little there is left, but it's obvious there is no positive way to end this one.  This is one of the most down depressing flicks I've seen in ages.  Up there with The Killing Fields and Big Mama's House 2.
 
Even with all these nagging problems, this movie gets away with it to some degree because our three leads have friggin great performances.  I liked watching these three act out this story.  Spiderman's post war freak out on Donnie is awesome.  It looks like he lost a ton of weight like Batman did for that Machinest flick.  His cheeks are sunken and his eyes are hollow.  Total creeper, in a good way.  This movie even skates around what is normally a huge problem with child actors.  These two little girls who's names I'm too lazy to look up are excellent.  The best I've seen in ages, especially the older one.  They really hold their own.
 
3 Things I Liked About This Movie:
 
-Queen Amidala having long hair again
-Great performances, even from the kids
-I like seeing Spiderman in pain.  I liked pretending it was pennance for Spiderman 3.
 
3 Things I Didn't Like About This Movie:
-Debbie.  Downer.
-Zero surprises
-Way overlong, especially considering the trailer told the story in two minutes.
 
 
Netflix it if you're really, really interested.

<<<Chyatt?

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warning: Some comments below may annoy you or make you roll your eyes...

=

=

=