Movies

Tonight I finished watching Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (2006,R) (ScreenIt! review), a subtle comedy starring Steve Coogan about the making of a movie adaptation of an 18th century novel.  I know Steve from a British TV series that I enjoyed, Saxondale.  I'm sure many don't, but I like British humor...so I liked this one too.

I give it 4 out of 5.

I was a bachelor for several days last week and had a sort of bachelor's film festival...watching movies I didn't think Lisa would mind missing: 300, Black Snake Moan, This Film is Not Rated, Invincible, X-Men: The Last Stand, Nacho Libre, and Blades of Glory.  I'll more to say about each later, but I was pretty much right that Lisa wouldn't mind missing them except maybe for Black Snake Moan and Invincible.  I didn't delete Invincible so I can show it to my football-obsessed boys at a later date.  I didn't know what to expect from Black Snake Moan (and had only seen the bizarre preview of Samuel L. with Christina Ricci chained up), but it turned out to be pretty good too.

Saturday night we watched Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007,PG) (ScreenIt! Review).  From the ScreenIt! review:

A struggling songwriter thinks he's hit pay dirt when he finds himself in the company of three chipmunks who can not only talk, but also sing in perfect, if high-pitched harmony.

It was OK.  I wondered if they skimped on the special effects because the munks at times didn't seem as well done as I'd have expected.  The boys enjoyed it, especially when someone was shaking his booty or making a rude noise.

I give it 3 out of 5.

Saturday night we watched Babel (2006,R) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

Various strangers' lives are affected and become intertwined by an act of violence.

I usually dig films like this, but this one not so much.  I give it 3 out of 5.

Tonight we finished watching World Trade Center (2006,PG-13) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

Family members worry about and rescuers try to find victims buried in the rubble following the attacks of 9/11 and subsequent collapse of the World Trade Center towers.

The depiction of the anguish of the families of the missing first responders was remarkable and  brought Lisa to tears.  Somehow I didn't care for Nicholas Cage's performance.  I give it 3 out of 5.