Harry here... When I put up that first review of Gus Van Sant's GERRY, I knew that the opinions would be wide and far on the film. From that negative, you could tell that the viewer just wasn't going where the film wanted them to. They seemed to just have not gone with it. And ya know... That could very well be the same case for many of you, but some... some may react like our friend here. Who had the exact opposite reaction. NOW... the movie MAY that he's reviewing... DEAR GOD I WANT TO SEE IT NOW!!!!! PLEASE!!!!! AGAIN!!!!!! So Jimmy Duval had DONNIE DARKO at Sundance last year, and this MAY thing this year. He is the man! Way to go Jimmy! Keep picking them there projects... and someone... a screener please?
Hey Harry, it's me again. Just got back from day two of the assualt on Park City. Today i took in five movies. Starting off with "Better Luck Tomorrow", then over to "Gerry", "The Good Girl", "Run Ronnie Run", and finally the midnight movie "May".
I will not be doing a review for "Better Luck Tomorrow" because Harry nailed it with his review. It was a fine film, see his review for why. The others i will do in a two parter.
Before i begin to talk about these films (not all right now, and not in the
above order), can i please issue some death warrants? To everyone who felt
the need to mob Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Jennifer Aniston,
thus setting the movies' start times back thirty minutes, please jam a stick
of dynamite up your collective asses and light it. Yes, these people are
famous. Yes they are sitting in the same theater as you. Sure you can ask for
some autographs when the time is right, but damn it don't hold the movies up
just so you can shake their hands and get some pictures taken. You're
screwing people's movie schedules up.
GERRY
Anyway, i want to start off with "Gerry". Mostly because its the movie that has created the most debate among my crew of dirtriders.
"Gerry" is the Matt Damon, Casey Affleck movie that most of you had never heard of before a month ago. Gus Van Sant directed and co-wrote this film with the two stars. The story goes a little something like this. Two guys name "Gerry" (maybe they both were, i don't really recall them saying Matty's name) go on a small hike and fall off the trail. Then they stroll around lost and quiet for nintey minutes.
Now, don't get me wrong. I actually enjoyed this film quite a bit. Honestly, i've never been truly impressed with Casey Affleck. I've enjoyed his work in the past, but never have i been floored by him. Today i can say that i am really impressed with him. And thank god that he was the Affleck that was involved here and not his brother. I can not imagine Ben Affleck in that role.
The movie is slowly paced, but its done to put you in the position of these characters. There are bits of humor throughout, but this movie to me is more of a survival film than "Cast Away" could ever dream of being. Though in an oddball way, i can relate to both of these characters. The film was shot beautifully and the score (when present) was quite powerful.
I will be honest, going into this film, i believed that it could have been a joke film. Something created to merely test the audience and make those over-analytical pricks in the audience (ie. me) fall for something that was total nonsensical dogshit. But alas, i wrong. It was something special. Something that will create debate in most of those who see it. The four people who saw it with me tonight had feelings ranging from "what a slow piece of shit" to "wonderful".
It was nothing short of a pleasant surprise.
Now, for the audience Q & A. Why does the audience feel like asking retarded questions? To the guy who asked "Was it just me, or were there three people on screen there at once" (when you see this film you will realize what that question means), you should be horsewhipped my man. In case you didn't notice, Those guys were shocked by your stupidity as was most of the crowd. If you have a question that begins with "was it just me..." ask your North Face-clad buddies before asking the filmmakers. Shithead.
Anyway... i guess i'm the asshole here.
Moving on.
MAY
I closed the night with "May", directed by Lucky McKee. In case you haven't heard of this film, its a gory little comedy drama horror gorefest about an outcast girl named May who has no friends so she decides to make her own. I didn't just ruin a thing for you by the way, that's on the poster so settle your sassy mouth.
Angela Bettis plays May wonderfully. She's so damn creepy and cute and bizarre and sexy and all sorts of things that she's damn near impossible to take your eyes off of. This is obviously her movie from the get go. Though written and directed with an impressive amount of confidence from first time director McKee, this is Angela's movie all the way.
The audience was eating this up with a spoon (at least those who didn't leave when the carnage began). It's a great throwback to those horror not-so-classics like "the Re-Animator" and "Frankenhooker" and "Dead Alive". The supporting cast is good as well. Anna Faris, Jeremy Sisto, and James Duval all add some good laughs throughout.
This movie was exactly the kind of fun energetic slasher flick that i wanted "Jeepers Creepers" to be, before i realized that movie was shit. It was a breath of fresh air for the pompous hip-as-shit crowd that packed the Egyptian tonight.
My only gripe about this movie was the film short that preceeded it. The short was called "16F9" or something to that effect and it was directed by a fire-engine red haired raver named Stephano somethingerother. Yep, Stephano (and yes, he is American). It was just utter garbage being passed off as artistic garbage. It did have a naked girl being pleasured by a floating arm in the middle of a subway system, but that does not make a good film short. I know that i've been known to say that those are the key ingredients to a great film short, but damn it i will say it here and now that i am wrong. He basically recorded ten minutes of MTV's AMP and then pasted his name ALL OVER THE DAMN THING. His name was in the credits a good 57 times. And it was just no good. Maybe ever worse than that piece of dogshit "Soft for Digging" that i warned you about last night.
Go see "May", but sleep through the shitty film short. Please. You have been warned.
Before i go, i would like to thank Roger Ebert yet again for showing me that he truly is movie super fan number one. You shoved those two teenage girls aside with such grace that i must applaud your hard work. And also, it was funny to see you argue with that old lady about your seat that you station yourself in. I only wish that tonight i would have seen you eat another 12 pound sandwich. No matter, trampling two young children to get to your seat before someone takes it was just as good. Kudos once again, Ebert. You rock my world.
i'll be back later on with the awesome duo of "the Good Girl" and "Run Ronnie Run", i'll also be seeing "Pumpkin", "Love Lisa", and "One Hour Photo" tomorrow, so i'll get you those as soon as i can get to a computer. Toodles and enjoy the sabbath.
