Tag: three sentence movies

It’s a heist movie with magicians, which if neither of those things are your thing, this isn’t the movie for you.  But if one or both are, I encourage you to find this overlooked flick with fabulous actors all doing their fabulous acting thing, as well as special effects that don’t intrude and an excellent plot.  This also has the best character intros I’ve ever seen in a film, which, even if you think you don’t like heist films or magicians, you should watch the first part just to be schooled in that particular bit of movie magic.*

Cost: free from library (Ruffalo?  Eisenburg? Freeman? Cane? Fisher?  Why the hell not?)
Where watched: at home, and at home with Matt

*The intros were so good, when I showed them to Matt, he watched the entire movie in one setting which he never does.**
**This meant I watched it twice in one night, and yes, it was that good.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2013/now_you_see_me.html
It also has an excellent poster.  Is there anything this movie can’t do?
World peace?
Perhaps not that.

Regular commenter Jan recently watched this and I was intrigued enough by her review to put it on hold.  What I found was an engrossing depiction of both class and a frank (especially for 1951) depiction of an accidental pregnancy. Expertly acted by all three leads, with special props going to Shelly Winters, who had the tough job of walking the line between trapped/insistent/annoying and sympathetic.*

cost: free from library
where watched: at home

*Look at how awesome she looks on this poster!

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1951/place_in_the_sun_ver2.html

I enjoyed watching our heroes navigate through three more cases.  Sadly, I already know that season three exists so the emotional weight of the final episode rested lightly on my shoulders.  In general though, I feel quite happy when excellent actors find an excellent show and I get the quite awesome product.

Cost: free from library.  (And plucked off the shelf!  I didn’t have to reserve it!)
Where watched: at home.

poster from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/sherlock/season2.html
(sorry this was the best I could do, IMP Awards doesn’t do DVD covers of series.

Part two of my Elaine May marathon, this movie was both written (adapted from a short story) and directed by Ms. May.*  I watched the entire film with a smile on my face, and then spent some time afterward trying to figure out just what made the movie so pleasurable.  I think partly this was a dark comedy** filmed with a very light touch and partially because both characters should have driven me crazy*** but instead I found them completely delightful.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home

*This is also the film I watched with my mother when it played on TV.  I was quite young, maybe six, and felt very grown up to be watching.  I have very clear memories of parts of this movie and I’m not sure why, as watching movies was not unusual in my childhood.
**Not laugh-out-loud, but quite amusing, with many chuckling parts.
***Matthau is a spoiled trust fund playboy who has stupidly spent all his money and thus must find a rich women to marry quickly, May is the rich woman who is also a completely spacey Botany professor, who is klutzy and speaks in a high, breathy voice.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1971/new_leaf.html
IMP Awards had TWO posters for this film, which is rare for an obscure early 70s film.  I also liked this poster because it was pre-Photoshop and it’s fun to imagine Matthau holding up that thousand dollar bill whilst trying to shake hands while May holds her teacup.  (An action which her character would not actually be able to do for long.)

With Driver/Sayfried/Watts/Stiller this had a very good cast who did very good things with this story.  It also was quite funny in places, and nicely captured couples in two different stages in life.  I was all in, loving this film right up until the last five minutes when I suddenly did a 180 and hated this movie; if someone else has seen it and would like to discuss the ending, do let me know.

Cost: $7.00
Where watched: Kiggins Theater

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2015/while_were_young.html
(Why so much white?  Why?)

I really loved Frances Ha, which stars the star of this movie, so I perhaps set my expectations too high, assuming that just because it was the same actress, this would be similarly delightful.  Also, I was drained from marathon tidying and had two drinks to unwind which might have been one drink too many because I fell asleep for the third act.  Reviewing the last part a few days later, I was happy to find that the ending did not ride off into the carry-across-the-threshold-sunset sort of direction, but stayed true to what the story was trying to impart, so for that I give it my blessing.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2012/lola_versus.html

The problem with sequels to charming sleeper hits is that the original charming nature can’t catch us by surprise anymore. Which leaves time to notice that all of the Bellas who are of color are just cardboard stereotypes, and because of that, I don’t think this movie will age well at all.  However, while watching, I would be distracted/disgruntled by this fact and then something funny or charming or some singing would happen and I would think, “this film is such FUN!”*

*I totally smiled through the whole thing.  But I feel very ambivalent about it now that I’m not sitting in the theater.

Cost: $5.00 (I made the most of $5.00 Sunday pricing)
Where watched: Regal Vancouver City Center 12 with Matt.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2015/pitch_perfect_two_ver4.html
I had to go to the German poster to avoid the use of “pitch” I found mildly offensive on the English posters. For all I know it says that in German too, but I can’t read German.

On second viewing, I caught some funny lines that had escaped my notice the first go-round, and had time to contemplate things because I wasn’t so busy following the plot.  Aside from having an Avengers: Home Renovation, I would pay to watch a Bruce Banner/Tony Stark feature film where they just spout science jargon for two hours.  That would probably happen before a movie featuring Black Widow is produced.

Cost: $5.00
Where watched: Regal Vancouver City Center 12 with Mom.  It was her Mother’s Day choice.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2015/avengers_age_of_ultron_ver17.html
Heh.  Thor.

If you have little tolerance for make-up-breakup relationships this is not a movie for you.  But if you like mostly improvised movies that don’t employ a lot of dialogue about the fragility of relationships, you will be as enchanted as I was.  Much like Drinking Buddies, this movie stuck with me for days afterward and I highly recommend it, assuming you meet the above qualifications.

Cost: Free from library.  One of those “why not?” movies.
Where watched: at home.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2011/like_crazy.html