Mar
26
Netflix #13 - Enchanted - Suggested by Steve, Barbra, Dave S, David, and Matt
This is the part where I squeal like a little girl. SQUEAL! I loved this movie. I thought it was completely adorable and wonderful and other longish words for cute. I thought it had the perfect balance of paying homage to, spoofing, and turning Disney traditions on their head. Amy Adams was wonderful and totally should have been nominated for an Oscar. Speaking of Oscars…
Netflix #14 - Crash - Suggested by Karen and Minh
Ugh. Seriously? I hated this movie. Does that make me racist or something? All it was was awful people doing awful things to each other for an awful 2 hours. It reminded me of House of Sand and Fog which I also absolutely hated. Were we supposed to learn something from this? It was like an overblown episode of Three’s Company, loaded with annoying misunderstandings. Except no one ever died because Mr. Furley thought Jack was gay. And it won the Oscar for Best Picture! Not that I’m mad that it beat Brokeback Mountain, because I didn’t like that either. Transamerica (which wasn’t even nominated!) totally should have won that year. God forbid an uplifting movie that actually gives you hope in humanity gets nominated.
The Other Boleyn Girl
I thought this movie was great. I hadn’t really known the Boleyn story (other than Henry VIII being a player) so I was able to go in fresh and I was surprised by all the scandal behind it. My sister was disappointed because she’s used to all the characters on Showtime’s “The Tudors”. But I thought Eric Bana, Natalie Portman, and Scarlett Johansen were wonderful and all had a really great chemistry together. A lot of people complained that it was too soap-opera-like, but that didn’t bother me at all. I thought it was on the same level as the Elizabeth movies and almost seemed like it was made to lead right into them. So if you like the Elizabeth movies, I’d definitely recommend this one. Although Natalie’s Ugly Betty necklace was a bit distracting.
March 26th, 2008 at 5:39 am
You loved Enchanted and you hated Crash ? Well, it looks like we really have opposite tastes in movies then ! I hated Enchanted SO MUCH, after your review I am beginning to wonder if maybe I wasn’t in the right mood when I watched it (too tired ?) and missed the things that made you love it… But Crash, come on, it was brilliant, it had to win the Oscar, actors were fantastic, story was heartbreaking, political message was great. I agree with you though on Transamerica, it was definitely brilliant too, and it well deserved a nomination. But come on, Enchanted ? really ?
March 26th, 2008 at 5:52 am
We have different reasons behind it, but share overall opinions on Enchanted and Crash. I loved Enchanted mostly because if featured my boyfriend James “Cyclops” Marsden. And Crash, for all it’s supposed importance and controversial or difficult subject matter, is actually a rather unsophisticated, predictable and melodramatic look at race relations.
March 26th, 2008 at 7:24 am
I never saw Crash — most of the people that I knew who saw it at the time it was out didn’t like it, so I stayed away.
Enchanted on the other hand was a hell of a lot of fun. Marsden was great, stealing the screen from his co-stars in every scene he was in. And the subtlety of Amy Adams’ acting as she transformed from the figuratively one-dimensional Giselle to a real-world woman was brilliant. And I’m not a fan of Patrick Dempsey, but he actually pulled off the character of Philip pretty well and was fairly funny.
Didn’t like the the whole giant dragon thing at the end, but the rest of the movie was good enough that I was willing to overlook it.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Didn’t see Enchanted, but its on my Netflix list. Crash was overrated. I LOVED Transamerica! And I don’t really wanna see the Other Boelyn Girl, although since it starred Your Wife, Natalie Portman, I can understand why you went to see it.
HUGS…
March 26th, 2008 at 9:40 am
I went and saw Enchanted in the theater when it came out, and completely agree with you. It was an unexpected surprise for me, I absolutely loved it.
I have not seen Crash, and was never interested in seeing it… After reading what you had to say, I am pretty much set on not seeing it now.
I would like to recommend a movie that we just rented from Netflix… It was Idiocracy… If you haven’t seen it, it will make you laugh hysterically. It is a look at a future where everyone has become really stupid from not reading, and relying too much on technology to do everything. A man put into a cryogenic state in our time, wakes to find he is suddenly the smartest man on earth.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Hayes - I totally wanted to see Idiocracy. Thanks for the reminder and recommendation! I’m adding it to my queue now.
March 26th, 2008 at 10:28 am
I thought Enchanted was cute, but I got a little restless with it towards the end. Of course, I watched it after we saw “I Am Legend” on the IMAX. They certainly don’t mesh well thematically, except for New York getting knocked around.
I despised “Crash” with every fiber of my being. It was just so contrived, and Paul Haggis was trying to damn hard. The way the stories intersected was just so annoyingly pat. Ugh, makes me mad thinking about it…
March 26th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I think you cement your position in the non-racist camp by not liking Crash. Nothing like super stupid and simplistic attempts at tackling the race question to make a bunch of whities feel like they get it now. But how do you watch movies and get up at 4 am to go to work?
March 26th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
i am so relieved to see that i am in shared company of crash-haters. not only was it pandering and contrived, but for a film that claims to break racial barriers and all that hoo-ha, it completely ignored the 3-dimensionalism of a racial group that makes up a significant percentage of L.A.: ASIANS. its oscar win was a statement in how much farther the american media still has to go.
ps when are we going to do our debate??
March 26th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I haven’t seen Enchanted, but I agree with everyone here who hated Crash, a movie I refer to as “Racism for Dummies: The Movie About Racism.” In all its pretentious glory, Crash taught me that a black guy can philosophize about racism while mugging white people, run over an Asian guy but be redeemed for it (because of the illegal cargo stored in the Asian guy’s van), and finally drive away with a headshake and a smirk — because he’s really a good guy at heart. Aww. I’m pretty sure this movie won’t last.
And I’m glad you liked The Other Boleyn Girl, Craig! I really want to see it, and everyone seems to be criticizing it for not being more like The Tudors (a.k.a. “Ye Olde Sex Romp” with the hotness that is Jonathan Rhys Myers), a comparison I don’t think is fair.
March 26th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
NefariousCarrot - Agreed! I’ll take Eric Bana over crazy-eyed Jonathan Rhys Myers anytime!
March 26th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I loved Enchanted!! I just watched it last night! Plus Idina Menzel was in it…mmm…James Marsden made my swooon….**sigh** I need a Prince Edward..haha
March 26th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I could not BELIEVE when Crash won the Academy award. It was such a contrite, obvious film! I felt like I was watching something written by third graders! Glad to hear I’m not the only one!
March 26th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
I was a little frightened by the Enchanted review. What is next…A Hannah Montana concert?
As for the Boleyn movie, they totally cut out all the good stuff from the book.
March 26th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Totally agree about contrived Crash and I did really like Enchanted a bunch, bought the silly thing actually. I loved The Tudors, Johnathan Rhys Myers gets my girly bits all a-tingle, and stuff. But will watch The Other Bolyn Girl soon, so thanks for that tip:-)
March 26th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Hmmm…I feel left out.
I’ve not seen Enchanted yet, but will rent it soon just because of all the good reviews so far.
I had no desire to see Crash and now I am certain my eyes will never feast on it’s apparently awfulness.
However, I would like to see The Other Boleyn Girl though. I wasn’t a fan of The Tudors and couldn’t make it past the 3rd episode. Buta movie with Eric Bana…yeh, it’s definitely worth watching right there.
March 26th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
The Ugly Betty necklace actually came form anne Boelyn. I loved all three movies actually, the Other Boelyn girl was great. I love The Tudors but this was excelent for what it was and I agree with you that it felt like this lead into Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
March 27th, 2008 at 2:10 am
I rented Enchantment tonight…soooo good!
March 27th, 2008 at 6:29 am
Yay I’m so glad I’m not the only person who absolutely hated the overwrought “Crash”. It was so trite and tried to make everything racist, it was so annoying. I also absolutely loved “Enchanted” it was so charming and cute and fun. Right now, all those pretentious imdb movie snobs are moaning.
March 27th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
What? You hated Crash? Would alcohol have helped? It may have figured prominently in my experience of it. But I actually didn’t think about it as being a film about race, but more a film about how connected we all are to one another in ways that are often unexpected yet strangely profound. That other people influence our lives in ways we aren’t even always aware of.
*ahem* That’s my “deep” version, anyway, and I’m sticking to it!
March 27th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I loved Crash and I loved TransAmerica, too.
I don’t know if I would like The Other Boleyn Girl, because I’m watching The Tudors. It’s very soap-y, but they said this next season they’re going to get into more bloodshed, yay!
March 29th, 2008 at 1:28 am
ugh. The Other Boleyn SUCKED. Seriously, NOTHING like the book.
If you want some scandal, read the book. Natalie Portman looked like crap too. Total disappointment.
June 12th, 2008 at 5:14 am
[…] movie was horrible people doing horrible things to each other, which is exactly what I said in my review of Crash. And don’t even get me started on Christian Slater. What was with that Jack Nicholson […]