Tully

Not quite your sweet love story. Young teenager romanticizes his long-dead m other and that affects all his relationships with other women. He comes around, so it could be typecast as your typical coming-of-age film. But it doesn't feel like anything typical. Which is strange, because if you break down the plot, there's really nothing new here. I think its saving grace is in how natural it feels. Even the ending, which is telegraphed with bright red flashing lights (or the cinematic equivalent thereof). There's nothing special done with cinematography -- no close-ups when there perhaps should be, no effects, not enough sweeping vistas to show the beauty of farm country. It's the acting that gives it the über-natural feel. And, no, you won't recognize any of the actors (unless you pay extreme close attention to popular TV series). It's a very simple film with a very small budget, not meant to be clever or exceedingly thought provoking. I was aware of a devotion to Clint Eastwood-directed films, albeit with less complexity in terms of plot. I'd characterize the film as one of those under-the-radar types that tells the truth without gloss or pomp. What a breath of fresh air.

year: 2000
length: 102 min.
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212604/combined

Ocean's Twelve

Apparently, there is this bastion of people who detested the re-make of Ocean's Eleven (from 2001). I can sorta understand where they're coming from -- the current Brat Pack getting together, having a lark, you know what the outcome will be, what's the big deal? (Of course, the other part of me says, if you don't like stuff like this, why'd you go see it?) But, Steven Soderbergh and the screenwriter of the original film deserve quite a bit of credit, in my opinion. My husband and I watched the original film in Milwaukee a few Christmases ago, when there was nothing else to do, and we wondered whether our enjoyment of it was due to our need for anything to entertain us. Still, we woke up the next morning with certain plot twists still on our mind and have watched that film a couple times over the years. We still enjoy it -- it's clever, twisty, funny, one of my favorite heist films of all time. Ocean's Twelve has all of those elements except the last. It tries to bring back the magic of the first, but it's biggest problem is that, well, nothing happens. I think it was an NPR commentator who was the first I heard to remark on the complete lack of action. Granted, the first one wasn't your blow-'em-up type of heist. Still, one daring stunt in the second film, and it isn't even performed by one of the twelve? The cleverness is almost worth the price of the film, and if you like cinematic (ok, Hollywood) in-jokes, it'll be particularly fun. But it is the Soderbergh pack, scraping by on the acting (except Catherine Zeta-Jones, who apparently wasn't aware that these films are supposed to be one big party), and just having a ball. It should bring a smile to your face, if nothing else.

year: 2004
length: 120 min.
rating: 2.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349903/combined

Closer

It's only been half an hour since I saw this, but I'm going to place it in my top three films of the year (so far). Right up there with Eternal Sunshine and I Heart Huckabees. Yeah, it could be knocked off the pedestal, but it would take a lot. It's always a relief to see stuff like this. After so many mediocre films, you forget that not all the good ideas are used up. And that's not to say that the theme of the film is unique, just that its design is. This one is about unfaithfulness and deceit. That's the non-unique part. But I won't describe much more because you should walk in knowing as little as possible about it. Regarding the plot, I'll just say that your instincts on what kind of characters are being played by Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Clive Owen and Natalie Portman will be thoroughly changed by the end. The dialogue is spare, yet every line counts and every pause counts. It's a film that will make you very uncomfortable and for a reason. It's a film that is very much about sex but is not at all titillating. It's a film that should feel unreal, but doesn't. And lastly, it's a film that you should not, under any circumstance, take a first date or new lover to. Unless of course you never want to see them again. Go with trusted friends, a spouse of many years, your parents if they're ultra-hip. It'll be worth it.

year: 2004
length: 104 min.
rating: 4.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376541/combined