The September Issue and Into the Storm

On the face of it, The September Issue is a documentary about the months it takes to put together Vogue’s huge September issue, but really it is a glimpse into the real scary calm rule of Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor, known to most of us nonfashion followers as the woman who Meryl Streep played in The Devil Wears Prada. I kept seeing Streep’s portrayal throughout this movie, without the over top behavior liking flopping the coat on her assistant’s desk, such as the stare of disdain. You know really, the movie isn’t just a portrayal of Wintour, the movie plays up the conflict between the decisive Wintour and the creative director, Grace Coddington, who seems to be the great talent of Vogue magazine. The two of them, women of a “certain” age, go to head to head, while never directly confronting each other. They do try to strong arm the other – of course, Wintour usually way wins, but it is definitely a battle that is fun to watch: reality drama at its finest.

I also watched Into the Storm – another portrayal of a real person: Winston Churchill. The segment of his life we see in the movie is during WWII, and it shows his strength in leading England through one if it’s most difficult times. We also see a quirky, petulant, brilliant side to Winston Churchill, a man I knew little about it before I saw this movie. It was an interesting but probably but not exciting movie for most. My dad, a big Winston Churchill fan, would probably really like it.

Funny People

For starters Funny People is not funny. It is at times dismal, at times pathetic, and at times really crude. It’s about horrible unlikable people or comics, (I guess) who say horrible things to each other. It’s another one from the Judd Apatow comedy factory – you know the maker of 40-year-old Virgin, Super Bad, and so forth. In fact since 2004, he’s made more than 10 movies: a mixture of very funny ones and real duds. This one has one of his favorite actors Seth Rogen who is the only actual “real” person in this movie. Adam Sandler is the famous comic who is no longer happy with his riches and fame. He goes searching for a woman he loved. It’s so blah and unrealistic that I stopped caring about this movie somewhere during the last sentence.

The Hurt Locker and Crazy Heart

It just so happened that I went to two movies in one day (I had already gone to The Hurt Locker and got an invitation to go to Crazy Heart) which forces me to compare these two movies: one intense and stressful, and one slow and drowsy.

The Hurt Locker
Before going to Hurt Locker, I had a knotted muscle in my back and believe me this movie did not help me de-stress. I was tense throughout the movie and my face held a cringe. Even though it is not the type of movie I usually see – it has all the elements I usually like to avoid: war, blood, macho men with guns – I was too intrigued to miss it, especially when it can be found at our new independent theater. In its simplest form Hurt Locker is just three guys who go from one potential deadly threat to another, diffusing the situation or in some cases creating some added drama. Their leader and the man who wears the padded bomb suit, is Will James played by Jeremy Renner, and he is a reckless adrenaline junky but incredibly skilled at what he does. He says nutty threatening things and then says, “Just kidding” in a way that makes him seem crazy – but you can’t keep your eyes off of him --he is interesting on screen except when his team member Sandborn, played by Anthony Mackie, is onscreen – he also gives an amazing presence. Do I recommend this movie? Yes, I think for the performances and the intensity, but no if you don’t want to be freaked out and make your back get even more knotted up.

Crazy Heart
Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart plays a broken down alcoholic country singer. This movie is a character study and the character, Bad Blake. His performance basically IS the movie and the movie may be worth going to if only to see his performance, I guess. But it is also pretty plotless and too slow-paced. It was like they tried to slap a pretty cliché plot structure around a great character and some good songs and performances. Giving him a love interest of the beautiful and way too young Maggie Gyllenhall seemed all wrong. Bad Blake is gross – who but a star struck drunk fan would want to kiss him? And the ending definitely falls flat. After hearing an interview on Fresh Air with T. Bone Burnet who produced and wrote some of the music for this movie I had high hopes for this movie, but maybe because my expectations were too high, I was disappointed.

Sugar

Sugar is either a baseball movie about a Dominican or an immigrant movie about a guy who plays baseball. After training in the Dominican Republic, Sugar leaves his family and a simpler life to strive for his dream of playing baseball with the Yankees. I won’t tell you the ending, but it is not predictable. The movie spotlights what it must be like for a non English speaker to come to a place like Iowa (where he plays on a minor league team) and try to assimilate. The boy/ man who plays Sugar is a real Dominican played by Algenis Perez Soto, and he’s very charming and is able to show his sense of displacement with just a look. We get to experience America through his intense stares. There are moments in the movie where you almost don’t want to watch it anymore because you fear the worst for Sugar and you want the best for him, but I’m glad I made it to the end. So, baseball fans, and fans of a quality American made movies in Spanish, I think you would like this movie. By the way, the directing/writing team behind this movie were also behind the great movie Half Nelson, a favorite movie of mine.

I also saw Beauty in Trouble, a Czech movie about a troubled marriage. The fact that it was a foreign movie and was supposed to be pretty good did not make it so. Another movie that I watched so you don’t have to. 

The Answer Man

I decided to see this movie because A. we were having a snow storm and I didn’t have a movie to watch so I sloooowly fired it up on Netflix watch instantly … and B. it had Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls fame and I like her and C. it was a romantic comedy and sometimes I'm just in the mood for one of those. The Answer Man, played by Jeff Daniels, is an author of self-help books with a cult following whose personal life is a mess. My findings of this so-so weirdo romantic comedy, are that it was interesting enough to hold my attention, and odd enough to be unpredictable, and an overall unique premise, good actors, but in the end kinda cheesy and kinda enhhh with no chemistry between the two leads.

In the Loop

In the Loop, the sometimes hilarious British political satire, makes politicians out to be ridiculous boobs. Tom Hollander as Simon Foster is hilarious as the foot-in-his-mouth minister to the Prime Minister and his boss, played by Peter Capaldi, swears a blue streak and is mean in a very funny and belittling way. The action moves to Washington where we get a look at some boobs on the other side of the pond. They are all trying to start a war or stop a war or be neutral on the war. You definitely hope that our political system works a lot better in real life.

At times In the Loop is a little bewildering -- the British accents and the political maneuverings move around in circles -- but it is well worth seeing if for nothing else than for some good laughs.

Update on Movies I Still Want to See, and more

December Movies I saw and liked:
Up in the Air: George Clooney and Vera Farmiga spend a lot of time in airports.

Me and Orson Welles: One of my favorite actresses, Claire Danes is part of this ensemble piece that is set during the 30s and directed by Richard Linklater. A period piece/character-driven movie. Now that’s right up my alley.

Still want to see but haven't yet -- from earlier list:
The Messenger: Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster are two army officers whose job it is to deliver the news to families about the death of their soldier.

Broken Embraces: Another movie from the great Spanish director Pedro Almodovar with the beautiful Penelope Cruz

Movies I am adding to my list
In the Loop: British political satire that has been around for a while, but I can't get my hands on it.

The Hurt Locker: A movie about a bomb diffusing squad in Iraq that has gotten great reviews. At first this movie seemed too violent for me -- but now after seeing it on many best movies of '09 lists, I gotta see it.


The Young Victoria: a story of the first few years of Queen Victoria's rule played by Emily Blunt. (I love stories about the English Monarchy and period pieces, so of course, I want to see this movie)

The Single Man: I heard this movie, about a gay professor in the 50s who has to hide his grief over the loss of his partner, is very sad. But I love Colin Firth and apparently this is an Oscar-worthy performance, so I want to see it.