Ever watch a movie and afterward just kinda wonder what it was that you just watched? That's happened to me quite a few times. Sometimes the movie is clearly trying so hard to convey some kind of message that the message gets muddled in the narrative. Sometimes the movie just seems really pointless. Other times the movie can be nonsensical. At one point I just flat out couldn't formulate an opinion about a movie. Other times the movie's characters can be so off putting that it's hard to connect with virtually any character at all. But after watching these movies, I would always say something along the lines of 'WHAT WAS THAT??' or more commonly 'Well....I saw that.....'
'Cloud Atlas' (R)
Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Jim Broadbent, Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, Keith David, Doona Bae and Susan Sarandon lead a huge ensemble cast that tells different stories from different periods of time, yet they are all connected through their interactions with each other. Each of the actors play multiple roles, even changing gender and/or race for a character. Directed by The Wachowski Siblings ('The Matrix' trilogy, 'Speed Racer') and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), from a 2004 novel by David Mitchell that I never read.
The trailers for this honestly did make it look like it would be really good. Upon it's release into theaters it received wildly mixed reviews, so I stayed away from seeing it in the theater. I got it from Redbox...and than I ended up being too busy to watch it. I rented it a second time from Redbox...I got about 40 minutes in, had no idea what was happening, and then shut it off and went to go see 'The World's End'. Earlier this year I rented it from the library and finally watched all of it. And even after watching all of it....I couldn't really tell you what it was about. The acting is fine, the special effects range from great to rather poor, the make up changing the actor's gender/race when necessarily ranges from good to distractingly bad (Hugo Weaving is a woman in one segment, Jim Sturgess, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving are all in yellow face for another segment, Halle Berry is in white face for another segment....but no one's in black face since, you know, that would be racist. Everything else I guess is fine). It's clearly trying to convey some type of message about how everything is connected, but it's told in a muddled way that left me with a blank expression on my face as the credits finally started to roll. I almost decided to do an entire post about 'Cloud Atlas' but I decided to keep things short(ish) and combine it with a few other movies that I kinda had the same reaction to. If you got more out of 'Cloud Atlas' than I did, good for you.
Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Jim Broadbent, Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, Keith David, Doona Bae and Susan Sarandon lead a huge ensemble cast that tells different stories from different periods of time, yet they are all connected through their interactions with each other. Each of the actors play multiple roles, even changing gender and/or race for a character. Directed by The Wachowski Siblings ('The Matrix' trilogy, 'Speed Racer') and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), from a 2004 novel by David Mitchell that I never read.
The trailers for this honestly did make it look like it would be really good. Upon it's release into theaters it received wildly mixed reviews, so I stayed away from seeing it in the theater. I got it from Redbox...and than I ended up being too busy to watch it. I rented it a second time from Redbox...I got about 40 minutes in, had no idea what was happening, and then shut it off and went to go see 'The World's End'. Earlier this year I rented it from the library and finally watched all of it. And even after watching all of it....I couldn't really tell you what it was about. The acting is fine, the special effects range from great to rather poor, the make up changing the actor's gender/race when necessarily ranges from good to distractingly bad (Hugo Weaving is a woman in one segment, Jim Sturgess, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving are all in yellow face for another segment, Halle Berry is in white face for another segment....but no one's in black face since, you know, that would be racist. Everything else I guess is fine). It's clearly trying to convey some type of message about how everything is connected, but it's told in a muddled way that left me with a blank expression on my face as the credits finally started to roll. I almost decided to do an entire post about 'Cloud Atlas' but I decided to keep things short(ish) and combine it with a few other movies that I kinda had the same reaction to. If you got more out of 'Cloud Atlas' than I did, good for you.
Naval veteran Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) arrives home from the war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). With Amy Adams as Dodd's wife, and all three earning Academy Award nominations (Phoenix for Best Actor, Hoffman for Best Supporting Actor, Adams for Best Supporting Actress). The latest from Paul Thomas Anderson, the director of 'There Will Be Blood', 'Punch Drunk Love', 'Magnolia' and 'Boogie Nights'.
So in the fall I start seeing more and more movies that are getting critical acclaim to help stay ahead of awards season so that I don't have too much to do catching up once award season finally hits. 'The Master' is a fine example of that. Although I was also kinda looking forward to this since I did like 'There Will Be Blood'. But...while the movie does feature some stunning cinematography, it's also kinda pointless and thinks very highly of itself. Several scenes just go on and on, and many images and subplots just kinda pop up out of nowhere and then are more or less ignored for the rest of the movie. If you got more out of this than I did, good for you.
A team of explorers (including Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, Charlize Theron, Rafe Spall) discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. This is a prequel to 'Alien' that was claimed to not actually be a prequel to 'Alien' but exists in the same universe....but ultimately is a prequel to 'Alien'.
It was my night off from camp, so I decided to go see this. And you know what? It's a hard movie to pin down. I didn't think it was bad....but at the same time I'm not sure if it was all that good. The special effects are great and Michael Fassbender is great....although his role is rather confusing and his motives for his actions aren't very clear. This is one I've been meaning to rewatch just so I can finally say whether it was good or bad.
The lives of two mob hit men (John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson), a boxer (Bruce Willis), a gangster and his wife (Ving Rhames and Uma Thurman), and a pair of diner bandits (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer) intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. Nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Travolta), Best Supporting Actor (Jackson), Best Supporting Actress (Thurman), Best Original Screenplay (Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary), Best Film Editing, and Best Director (Tarantino). It's only win of the night was for Best Original Screenplay.
With it's extremely non-linear storyline, graphic violence, constant profanity, snappy dialogue, and many 'WTF' moments, the best way I can describe 'Pulp Fiction' is that it's 'Pulp Fiction'. I never seen a movie quite like it. Once again, a movie that isn't necessarily bad....I'm just not completely sure if I liked it or not.
Three college girls (Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine) hold up a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation to Florida with their friend Faith (Selena Gomez). While partying/drinking/taking drugs they are arrested only to be bailed out by a drug and arms dealer (James Franco), who takes three of them under his wing. Things spiral out of control from there. Directed by Harmony Korine, who also directed the controversial 90's movie 'Kids', 'Gummo', and 'Trash Humpers'.
Think of an art house version of the found footage party movie 'Project X', then make it a hundred times uglier. Despite the looks of the four leads, this is quite an ugly movie. Constant party montages that just make the movie drag, some rather poor acting, constantly jumping back and forth between scenes, constantly repeating dialogue (and then repeating it again as a voice over) and none of these characters are believable. And with how off putting the characters are, it's hard to connect with any of them. James Franco does give a bonkers performance as a wannabe-gangster type, but even that's not enough to save this movie. Party's over folks. If you got something out of 'Spring Breakers', you know what? More power to you. As soon it cut to black and the colorful credits starting rolling to the Ellie Goulding song "Lights", I just kinda said to myself, "About enough of that...whatever that was'.
Have there been any movies that have left you scratching your head, wondering what it was that you just saw?
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