I thought this list was interesting. I particularly recommend Winter's Bone with Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games) and Half Nelson (Edgy teacher movie) with Ryan Gosling.
Showing posts with label Ryan Gosling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ryan Gosling. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Two Movies in one Day
Today I went to Ides of March and was told that with my ticket I could also go to Moneyball for free. It seems excessive to go to two movies in the theater in one day I know, but what the heck. And I must say I enjoyed myself a lot. Both movies are good.
Ides of March has everything I like in a movie: politics, character-driven drama, and, of course, Ryan Gosling. And it is also unpredictable. In the beginning Ryan Gosling’s character is idealistic claiming he has to believe in the candidate he’s working for. Gosling’s character Stephen Meyers, is working for presidential candidate is the seemingly virtuous Governor Mike Morris played by George Clooney. The outcome, I thought, will be obvious: something will happen to shake his belief in the governor - - he will betray him (et Brutus, anyone?) and then come out the other side scathed but repentant having learned a valuable lesson. But, happily, the end came as a surprise when our dear campaign worker takes an unexpected turn, and it’s fascinating to watch. The movie is a bit too long, but overall a great story with great acting.
Moneyball, the movie I was not intending to watch (It’s rarely my first choice to watch a sports’ movie), was unexpectedly charming and equally as compelling – and too long in parts too! Why are movies these days always too long? Anyway that’s another topic. I liked Brad Pitt in this movie – He plays the general manager of the Oakland As who employs a nerdy statistician from Yale to help him hire unappreciated but potentially valuable players. The movie has its sports clichés for sure – underdogs get beat up but triumph against all odds, blah, blah … but the character that Brad Pitt plays, Billy Beane who is based on a real guy, is given more to do than give inspirational speeches and look pretty; he makes the character believable and real.
On a side note, the commonality between the two movies, besides being two well acted realistic dramas, is Philip Seymour Hoffman. In Ides of March he plays the campaign manager who’s jaded but has integrity and in Moneyball he plays the constantly pissed off manager of the As who’s made to look like a jerk. He’s good in both and his presence always a good sign in a movie, I think.
Ides of March has everything I like in a movie: politics, character-driven drama, and, of course, Ryan Gosling. And it is also unpredictable. In the beginning Ryan Gosling’s character is idealistic claiming he has to believe in the candidate he’s working for. Gosling’s character Stephen Meyers, is working for presidential candidate is the seemingly virtuous Governor Mike Morris played by George Clooney. The outcome, I thought, will be obvious: something will happen to shake his belief in the governor - - he will betray him (et Brutus, anyone?) and then come out the other side scathed but repentant having learned a valuable lesson. But, happily, the end came as a surprise when our dear campaign worker takes an unexpected turn, and it’s fascinating to watch. The movie is a bit too long, but overall a great story with great acting.
Moneyball, the movie I was not intending to watch (It’s rarely my first choice to watch a sports’ movie), was unexpectedly charming and equally as compelling – and too long in parts too! Why are movies these days always too long? Anyway that’s another topic. I liked Brad Pitt in this movie – He plays the general manager of the Oakland As who employs a nerdy statistician from Yale to help him hire unappreciated but potentially valuable players. The movie has its sports clichés for sure – underdogs get beat up but triumph against all odds, blah, blah … but the character that Brad Pitt plays, Billy Beane who is based on a real guy, is given more to do than give inspirational speeches and look pretty; he makes the character believable and real.
On a side note, the commonality between the two movies, besides being two well acted realistic dramas, is Philip Seymour Hoffman. In Ides of March he plays the campaign manager who’s jaded but has integrity and in Moneyball he plays the constantly pissed off manager of the As who’s made to look like a jerk. He’s good in both and his presence always a good sign in a movie, I think.
Monday, August 15, 2011
A few more Ryan Gosling Movies
I watch a lot of movies because this or that actor is in it. Of course, I have my favorites (criteria for a favorite has to do with my belief that this actor is a very talented and he or she has some quality, some je ne sais quoi quality that makes him so captivating on screen – this list does not include my favorite comedians btw) Here are some of my favorite dramatic actors, in no particular order:
Carey Mulligan: a new favorite, great in An Education
Claire Danes: I’ve always loved her starting with My So Called Life
Colin Firth: the best Darcy ever! Need I say more
James Franco: my love for him is waning, but 127 Hours, great – I even saw him in Howl
Keira Knightly: thought she was great in Atonement
Clive Owen: he made apocalyptic cinema great in Children of Men
Mark Ruffalo: ever since You Can Count on Me, I’ve been smitten
Viggo Mortenson: kinda scary sometimes, I even suffered through A History of Violence to see him
Laura Linney: so great in so many things, but first loved her in You Can Count on Me
James McAvoy: Last King of Scotland, adorable and a great actor
However, the actor whose films I rarely miss would have to be Ryan Gosling. I haven’t seen all of his films and even I won’t go to ones that are supposed to be terrible, but I've seen most (see Ryan Gosling movies listed on the side). With that in mind I have see two of his movies recently. Both not great, but worth a look if you are a fan like me:
All Good Things All Good Things: All Good Things tells about the fascinating real life story of a wealthy New York family and a creepy murder. It is based on a real story of Robert Durst. Ryan Gosling plays the put upon son and Kristen Dunst his hapless wife. Here's a fascinating link to a New York Times article about the real-life murders.
Crazy Stupid Love – This ensemble romantic comedy was, as my friend said when we came out of the theater, pretty stupid. But I got a lot of laughs out of Ryan Goslings’ gigolo character and guess what, the actor who can do it all can also be really funny. Emma Stone I thought was pretty good in it too.
Carey Mulligan: a new favorite, great in An Education
Claire Danes: I’ve always loved her starting with My So Called Life
Colin Firth: the best Darcy ever! Need I say more
James Franco: my love for him is waning, but 127 Hours, great – I even saw him in Howl
Keira Knightly: thought she was great in Atonement
Clive Owen: he made apocalyptic cinema great in Children of Men
Mark Ruffalo: ever since You Can Count on Me, I’ve been smitten
Viggo Mortenson: kinda scary sometimes, I even suffered through A History of Violence to see him
Laura Linney: so great in so many things, but first loved her in You Can Count on Me
James McAvoy: Last King of Scotland, adorable and a great actor
However, the actor whose films I rarely miss would have to be Ryan Gosling. I haven’t seen all of his films and even I won’t go to ones that are supposed to be terrible, but I've seen most (see Ryan Gosling movies listed on the side). With that in mind I have see two of his movies recently. Both not great, but worth a look if you are a fan like me:
All Good Things All Good Things: All Good Things tells about the fascinating real life story of a wealthy New York family and a creepy murder. It is based on a real story of Robert Durst. Ryan Gosling plays the put upon son and Kristen Dunst his hapless wife. Here's a fascinating link to a New York Times article about the real-life murders.
Crazy Stupid Love – This ensemble romantic comedy was, as my friend said when we came out of the theater, pretty stupid. But I got a lot of laughs out of Ryan Goslings’ gigolo character and guess what, the actor who can do it all can also be really funny. Emma Stone I thought was pretty good in it too.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Four Movie Update
I’ve seen a lot of movies in the past month and have been delinquent about blogging about them. So here goes. I will start with the best and and with the least best.
Blue Valentine
When you hear about the premise of Blue Valentine, a depiction of the decline of a marriage, you think that does not sound fun. Of course, I wanted to see this movie from the start because it has Ryan Gosling, a great actor, but also, I kept hearing about how amazing this movie was. And it is amazing. The director switches back and forth between two marriages: the new and promising beginning and the ugly reality of a marriage beginning to fray. Gosling and Michelle Williams play Dean and Cindy, a married couple with a little girl of about 5 years old. Older Dean seems like he is desperately trying to hang onto his marriage while also having a playful and tender side to him – it’s hard to understand at first why his wife is seeming to sour on him. Cindy seems like the together one who reveals her intolerance of the goofy Dean and her deep insecurities. As the movie flashes back to the incipient stages of their life together a lot of what you first think about them begins to change. This director takes viewer on such an interesting journey – it’s hard to describe, especially without giving away some important plot points – but it’s a journey very much worth going on. Although Blue Valentine leaves you feeling depressed, it’s absolutely worth seeing. You can look at this movie from many different angles and see the characters from each of their points of view. I think it’s a remarkable little gem.
127 Hours
With a strategic bathroom break, I managed to get through 127 hours and actually enjoyed it – if enjoyed it is the word? With the –oh --so anticipated arm-lopping scene missed, I was able relish the great acting by James Franco and be amazed by the man he portrays, Aron Ralston. It’s hard to believe that a movie about a guy stuck in a canyon can be as compelling as 127 Hours, but it really is. I think a combination of the incredible story, the acting, and the amazing scenery makes this movie well worth watching. That desert in Utah seems like a pretty cool place to visit too.
True Grit
The best part of True Grit is Matt Damon who plays LaBoeuf, a doltish Texas Ranger. His character is the most surprising and interesting. Jeff Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn and he’s pretty funny, but often hard to understand. The spunky Mattie is played by Hailee Steinfeld who is very charming and fun to watch. True Grit is more violent than I thought it would be (I guess I should have figured since it is a Coen Brothers flick) but I still enjoyed it.
The Fighter
I resisted going to The Fighter because let’s face it, I don’t like to watch fight scenes. But after watching Melissa Leo at the Oscars and hearing about her memorable stint as the hard-edged but hilarious mother Alice, I had to know what this movie is all about. Alice, the mother of the two fighters, is a definitely a wack job; older brother Mickey is a drug-addled freak show, and younger brother Dickey is seriously deluded. Don’t even get me started on the nutty sisters. It is kind of like watching a movie that is not intended to be a comedy, but is very comic. I don’t think it’s a great movie, but it’s certainly something to see.
Somewhere
Sophia Coppola makes another paralysis inducing film that has us spying on a mundanity of a movie star as he sleep walks through fancy hotels. Her other film of this type is, of course, Lost in Translation which I liked. But this movie was really hard to sit through. (My reaction may have something to do with my friend I was with who though she tried her best to sit patiently through this movie, she did have the demeanor of someone who was being tortured). So if you’re up for some slow going – maybe you need to practice some meditation techniques, who knows, -- then you could try Somewhere. But you probably don’t want to.
Blue Valentine
When you hear about the premise of Blue Valentine, a depiction of the decline of a marriage, you think that does not sound fun. Of course, I wanted to see this movie from the start because it has Ryan Gosling, a great actor, but also, I kept hearing about how amazing this movie was. And it is amazing. The director switches back and forth between two marriages: the new and promising beginning and the ugly reality of a marriage beginning to fray. Gosling and Michelle Williams play Dean and Cindy, a married couple with a little girl of about 5 years old. Older Dean seems like he is desperately trying to hang onto his marriage while also having a playful and tender side to him – it’s hard to understand at first why his wife is seeming to sour on him. Cindy seems like the together one who reveals her intolerance of the goofy Dean and her deep insecurities. As the movie flashes back to the incipient stages of their life together a lot of what you first think about them begins to change. This director takes viewer on such an interesting journey – it’s hard to describe, especially without giving away some important plot points – but it’s a journey very much worth going on. Although Blue Valentine leaves you feeling depressed, it’s absolutely worth seeing. You can look at this movie from many different angles and see the characters from each of their points of view. I think it’s a remarkable little gem.
127 Hours
With a strategic bathroom break, I managed to get through 127 hours and actually enjoyed it – if enjoyed it is the word? With the –oh --so anticipated arm-lopping scene missed, I was able relish the great acting by James Franco and be amazed by the man he portrays, Aron Ralston. It’s hard to believe that a movie about a guy stuck in a canyon can be as compelling as 127 Hours, but it really is. I think a combination of the incredible story, the acting, and the amazing scenery makes this movie well worth watching. That desert in Utah seems like a pretty cool place to visit too.
True Grit
The best part of True Grit is Matt Damon who plays LaBoeuf, a doltish Texas Ranger. His character is the most surprising and interesting. Jeff Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn and he’s pretty funny, but often hard to understand. The spunky Mattie is played by Hailee Steinfeld who is very charming and fun to watch. True Grit is more violent than I thought it would be (I guess I should have figured since it is a Coen Brothers flick) but I still enjoyed it.
The Fighter
I resisted going to The Fighter because let’s face it, I don’t like to watch fight scenes. But after watching Melissa Leo at the Oscars and hearing about her memorable stint as the hard-edged but hilarious mother Alice, I had to know what this movie is all about. Alice, the mother of the two fighters, is a definitely a wack job; older brother Mickey is a drug-addled freak show, and younger brother Dickey is seriously deluded. Don’t even get me started on the nutty sisters. It is kind of like watching a movie that is not intended to be a comedy, but is very comic. I don’t think it’s a great movie, but it’s certainly something to see.
Somewhere
Sophia Coppola makes another paralysis inducing film that has us spying on a mundanity of a movie star as he sleep walks through fancy hotels. Her other film of this type is, of course, Lost in Translation which I liked. But this movie was really hard to sit through. (My reaction may have something to do with my friend I was with who though she tried her best to sit patiently through this movie, she did have the demeanor of someone who was being tortured). So if you’re up for some slow going – maybe you need to practice some meditation techniques, who knows, -- then you could try Somewhere. But you probably don’t want to.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Teacher Movies
As I previously posted, I hate feel good teacher movies -- they are so far removed the daily grind of being a teacher -- they just bug me. I have also listed my favorite edgy teacher movies, Half Nelson (great Ryan Gosling movie), Election, and Notes on a Scandal. So I was really interested when I heard on NPR's On the Media an interview with Mary Dalton who wrote The Hollywood Curriculm about teacher movies. She discussed how most teacher movies are either about totally evil teachers or the wonderful inspirational teachers. Evil teacher movies mentioned were Teaching Mrs. Tingle, and Porky's (esp. the gym teacher in Porky's of all things). In good teacher movies, the pattern is that those teachers are always outsiders in a conflict with the powers that be. She mentioned that the "good" female teachers like in Dangerous Minds and Freedom Writers (Yuck!) are not allowed to be seen as sexual beings. And, I was glad to hear, she said that Half Nelson is one of the few movies where a teacher is actually seen presenting curriculum and has a nuanced or not all bad or not all good teacher. She even mentioned TV teacher break throughs like the first gay teacher on TV in My So Called Life and the first sexual female teacher in Boston Public (kinda dumb show in my opinion.) The Wire, season 4 was lauded as one of the first TV shows that dealt with the complicated world of education today. All in all, it was a very interesting interview and right up my alley.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Two More Ryan Gosling Films: Stay and The Believer
In an effort to watch as many Ryan Gosling films as I can, I rented Stay and The Believer. Stay is pretty much an unwatchable arty, way-over-stylized supposedly psychological thriller. It’s not even explainable. It stars Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, and of course Ryan Gosling. And even though he is very freaky in Stay, he is still hard not to watch. Ewan McGregor makes a splash because of his el strango wardrobe that includes too-too short pants. Was it supposed to be funny?
Elizabeth Reiser, perhaps best known for being in Sweetland and Grey’s Anatomy, is also in both of these films. In The Believer, she plays a Jewish attorney with Ryan Gosling as the even freakier NeoNazi who is also Jewish. This movie, which was originally banned from be distributed because of it’s exceptionally disturbing anti-Jewish content, was finally shown first on Showtime. It’s no joy ride watching this cringe producing movie, but Ryan Gosling’s performance is remarkable. All of the movies that Ryan Gosling has been in so far are listed below. (Half Nelson is still the best of the bunch, I think)
1. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
2. Fracture (2007)
3. Half Nelson (2006)
4. Stay (2005)
5. The Notebook (2004)
6. The United States of Leland (2003)
7. Murder by Numbers (2002) *
8. The Slaughter Rule (2002) *
9. The Believer (2001)
10. Remember the Titans (2000)
*Haven't seen these ones yet, maybe never
Elizabeth Reiser, perhaps best known for being in Sweetland and Grey’s Anatomy, is also in both of these films. In The Believer, she plays a Jewish attorney with Ryan Gosling as the even freakier NeoNazi who is also Jewish. This movie, which was originally banned from be distributed because of it’s exceptionally disturbing anti-Jewish content, was finally shown first on Showtime. It’s no joy ride watching this cringe producing movie, but Ryan Gosling’s performance is remarkable. All of the movies that Ryan Gosling has been in so far are listed below. (Half Nelson is still the best of the bunch, I think)
1. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
2. Fracture (2007)
3. Half Nelson (2006)
4. Stay (2005)
5. The Notebook (2004)
6. The United States of Leland (2003)
7. Murder by Numbers (2002) *
8. The Slaughter Rule (2002) *
9. The Believer (2001)
10. Remember the Titans (2000)
*Haven't seen these ones yet, maybe never
Saturday, June 28, 2008
One Year Anniversary of Mary's List
I am pleased to say that Mary's List has been around for a year, and I achieved my goal of posting at least once a week, sometimes more. After reviewing my blog, (while I was adding labels so you, the reader, could search my blog) I noticed a few trends. First off, apparently this was the year of Ryan Gosling--I have seen more than a handful of movies featuring him. Second, I watch my fair share of movies in French. Finally, I watch a lot of "independent" movies, whatever that means. Actually, I think it means "arty" FILMS and believe me it does not always mean they are good. Probably, I read a review or saw a preview of spme little known film and thought I MUST see it. I guess, I keep trying to find that perfect movie. And I will keep reporting my findings. Thanks for reading, Mary
Friday, June 27, 2008
The United States of Leland
In my effort to see more and more Ryan Gosling movies, I watched The United States of Leland that came out in 2004. The movie has several other great actors such as Kevin Spacey, Don Cheadle, and the young talented Jenna Malone, but despite such talent, the movie is a muddle of story lines just started and not ending anywhere. From the beginning of the movie we find that the young Leland, Gosling, has inexplicably killed a special needs child. Leland seems lost and detached but also gentle. Gosling gives him a sort of airy-like quality which helped me become invested in the question of why he would kill. Don Cheadle's character is also interesting in the movie but his character seems a little mixed up. Worth seeing for all, probably not. For Ryan Gosling fans? Probably!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Lars and the Real Girl
I love Ryan Gosling and had planned on watching this movie for a while, but the thought of watching a movie about a guy who thinks his girlfriend is a blowup doll seems kinda creepy. The surprising thing about this movie is that it isn't creepy; Lars' creation of this "girlfriend" from out of town who is in a wheelchair is a manifestation of his own screwed up mind and is mainly just sad and uncomfortably funny at the same time. Even though I don't think this situation could happen in real life, it seems very believable (with the exception of some of the townspeople's reaction to him) This movie left me wondering. One thing that is for sure though, Ryan Gosling is a great actor!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Fracture
I saw Fracture with Ryan Gosling who plays a sleepy and sexy lawyer while Anthony Hopkins plays a creepy, smarmy killer. It's a murder mystery of sorts although you know who the killer is, the suspense lies in how they will pin the murder on him. Ryan Gosling, I have loved since Half Nelson and indeed he is not as captivating in this movie. Fracture is good but is more of an expanded Law and Order with a much better cast.
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