You see
most of the yet-to-come-out movies are on there due to the strategic mind of my girlfriend. When she was told I would not be watching anything BUT friends' suggestions she immediately recommended movies she wants to see this coming year. Thank goodness we have similar taste because had she added Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, we'd be splitting up the linens right about now. Sadly however, the next Batman movie was lost in the fray and unless I plan on watching seven or more movies a week, I won't make it to the July premiere. Oh well, there's always DVD.On the positive side, this project has gotten me to enjoy a few decent films I wouldn't have otherwise given the time of day. Bunraku (2010) ranks tip top thus far but The Nines (2007) proved to be a bit of a surprise.
Warning: Here ye be spoilers.
The Nines is one of those vignette movies where seemingly different stories intertwine and connect in unexpected ways. In this case, three actors (Ryan Reynolds, Melissa McCarthy and Hope Davis) play three completely different people. At the center is Ryan Reynolds and his very fragile psyche. This movie ultimately reveals what many obnoxious tweens have felt all along; Ryan Reynolds is God. Well maybe not God. You see he's a nine! He can move and shape the world as he sees fit constantly moving between three different yet troubled lives. For the record, we're all sevens, koalas of course are eights.
Overall the direction is quaint at best and the acting is nothing to write home about but the concept delves into some murky and complex waters. Especially for the writer/director who also wrote Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. It was also interesting to see not one but two 2011 Oscar nominated actresses in this psychological sci-fi: Melissa McCarthy from Bridesmaids, and Octavia Spencer from The Help.
One film I would not recommend
under any circumstances is 1980's Xanadu. Its an early eighties relic that should have stayed in the disco inferno it crawled out of. Starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, Xanadu is meant to be a tongue-and-cheek homage to those MGM musicals we all see snippets of while googling Gene Kelly. What turns up on the screen is more of a homicide. A bland story starring bland characters who dance blandly to bland music. The only thing not bland about this movie is the set-design which resembles a cocaine addict's wet dream. Seriously an irresponsible amount of money was spent on these lavish sets all of which was wasted on talentless hacks who didn't know how to choreograph musical numbers or stick the camera in a good place.
The only other standout is the incredibly hokey special effects which include badly executed cross-fades, obnoxious whizzing orbs of light and streams of cheap looking fluorescent colors. It feels like they just cracked the technology and haven't quite worked out the bugs. This all would have been fun to watch in a guilty pleasure/Uwe Boll kind of way if it hadn't been so freakin' slow! I've had dentist appointments that felt shorter than Xanadu (plus he has novocaine). But hey, the dentist doesn't have a grating soundtrack provided by The Electric Light Orchestra or a mural of dancing muses springing to life only after someone litters. Its clear whoever suggested this piece of neon crap wanted to punish me for something. ...Thanks mom.
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