Cloverfield (and more!)

Greetings to everyone out there!

So, last night I saw Cloverfield, and basically it was totally awesome.
I really enjoyed it. The story was cliche, but the way the movie was shot, and the dialog really made for an enjoyable experience. That being said, this movie is not for everyone. You have to be okay with not finding much out about the history of the monster attacking New York, and the hand held cameras can make some people queasy or give a headache. I would suggest sitting to the side in the theater, as opposed to directly in the middle.

The way the movie was presented, though, was really cool. From a film making perspective, the movie was great. They really captured the characters, in my opinion, and though some people were turned off by the seemingly lengthy opening at the party, before the monster ever attacks, I thought it was a brilliant way to get you somewhat invested in these characters at the start. Also, the dialog was perfect, and really made you feel like these were real people caught in this massive situation. The movie is not perfect, and definitely has its major flaws (these people have an inhuman ability to survive catastrophe and injury). Suspension of disbelief is necessary going in.

All that being said, I loved this movie, and am intrigued to see if a sequel does happen. I know I will be there for it.

Now, in the vein of movies to see, there are a couple of movies that I feel like all of you should go see if you haven't yet before they are taken out of theaters. I want to say they will last a little while longer now that they have both been nominated for best picture Oscars, but that could have absolutely no bearing whatsoever on how much longer they stay in theaters.

First, there is No Country for Old Men. This movie is awesome. If you are familiar with the Cohen Brothers' previous films(O' Brother Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski, Fargo), you will know that these two are gifted film makers. This movie, however, is on a whole new level. I feel like it was the best movie to be released in 2007, and I have heard agreement from many places. One of the craziest things, in my opinion, about this movie is that there is absolutely no background music. The only time you would even hear music is if a character were listening to it, or could hear it. Because of this, the film is brilliantly suspenseful. You can hear every creak of a floorboard as someone walks slowly by a door, and the character on the side we experience sits there, patiently waiting, listening for any sound of threat. Also of note, is Javier Bardem's brilliant turn as Anton Chigurh, a sociopath set on the trail of the "hero" of the story. Bardem conveys an insanity beneath the surface, and the cold, expressionless face he puts forward is haunting. I would put him down as having one of the best performances of 2007, if not THE best. Also, if you are curious as to what the movie is about, here is a rundown without giving away too much: Llewelyn Moss is out hunting one day when he stumbles across the remnants of a shootout that left 2.4 million dollars up for grabs. He takes the money, and from then on he is running from Anton Chigurh, a ruthless sociopath trying to retrieve the money, most likely for his own gain.

Second, is Juno. Juno is somewhat dark, but the characters are very real, and endearing. The movie left me feeling very good as it ended, and I was pleased with the way things happened. The movie was really funny, attributed mainly to the dialog. There were definitely bad things that happened to Juno, that put her into situations that no 16/17 year old should have to face, but Ellen Page really shined in this role. I have been hearing her name thrown around over the last couple of years as someone to watch out for because she is going to do some pretty great stuff in film. Apart from Page, the supporting players were really helped me to invest in the story. If you don't know already, Juno is about Juno McGuff, a 16 year old girl who becomes pregnant after her first time having sex. The film revolves around her response to this situation, and what she will do with the baby.

So, that is all I have for you now. Until next time,
-Brandon


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