This is possibly the most movies I’ve caught in a week. I’m just back from Alice in Wonderland (in 3D!) and caught Up in the Air and A Serious Man over this past week.
Of the three, I have to say I enjoyed this the most because it is plain wicked. We were meant to catch A Serious Man but the theatre wasn’t showing it so this was the next alternative. The casting of George Clooney as a commitment phobe is very ironic of course and he definitely oozes charisma, fitting into the role very well. I actually found the first half of the show bland, cookie-cut and predictable but it picks up after that and messes with your head while continuing to charm with a healthy dose of humor. I don’t really know what to make of the story, to be honest. It definitely wasn’t a story per se but a slice of life. There’s no high moral to be learnt. Well, maybe there is but who knows? This is about as good as satires of romantic comedies go. It’s cheesy at points but generally, it’s a good movie.
I’d watch the Coen brothers. Burn After Reading was genius; Fargo and The Big Lebowski were hilarious; I haven’t got to catch No Country for Old Men yet. This show’s about a very messed up Jewish family, centering around a devout husband, father and worker who’s trying his best to live a righteous life. You feel almost guilty for being gleeful at the plight of the poor guy. Like all of the Coen brothers’ shows, the characters are very distinct caricatures and scenes are often outrageous. It’s a good tale, the sort you’d want to watch on a Saturday afternoon.
This is somewhat disappointing. I’ve been waiting for this show sincei t’s announced and Tim Burton sounds like a great fit as director, on paper. After all, weren’t Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride very similar in style to what Alice is about? Like NBC, this is not typical Disney and the story doesn’t follow exactly the events of the Lewis Carroll books. That probably explains where it went wrong. Johnny Depp reprises his role again as the Willy Wonka-ish character, the Mad Hatter, only the 234728th time he’s played such a role. I’m usually pretty favorable of Johnny Depp in shows but he’s rather unimpressive in this one. The visuals were definitely pretty since we watched this in 3D but the story was only about ok throughout until the ending which was horrid. The ending was so glib and convenient, it’s almost like they ran out of film and had to wrap up filming fast. I don’t understand the ending or what relation the ending had to the rest of the story. All in all, the most disappointing Tim Burton show in memory.
I didn’t think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was fantastic. It was directed by Tim Burton and starred Johnny Depp as well. If the past precedents were to be a gauge, my guess is that I too would be disappointed with Alice in Wonderland.