The Machinist (oh...and The Foot Fist Way)

The Machinist(2004)
R
Running Time: 102 Minutes
Spain
4.5 Nuggets

Some method actors make me roll my eyes at their pathetic attempts to get in touch with the characters they play...others make me respect the trade. I hadn't heard anything about this movie until I got it in the mail. After watching the first few minutes and wondering out loud "I thought this had Christian Bale in it..." my jaw hit the floor, realizing that the skeletal figure I was staring at in disbelief was The Dark Knight himself. Method actor? I should say so...

Mr. Bale lost 63 lbs to play the role of Trevor Reznik (yes, that picture is REALLY him), a machine worker that hasn't slept for over a year and whose body is obviously paying the price. The movie centers around some strange events that take place in the shop which lead him, and the audience, to question his sanity. Nobody is sure if he's seeing things or if it is a huge conspiracy, out to exact revenge on the sleepy protagonist. With strong supporting roles played by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Aitana Sánchez-Guijón, Brad Anderson directs a truly thrilling and Hitchcockian drama about just how badly our head can mess with us in the event of sleeplessness. The film was shot entirely on location in Barcelona but was made to look like a run down part of LA. Great cinematography, awesome tension built through fantastic mise-en-scène and the fact that Christian Bale is literally a walking skeleton make this one movie you should definitely check out. It's rated R for some graphic violence, sexual images and adult language...but worth it. Trust me.

Oh, and don't waste your time with The Foot Fist Way. 0 nuggets. Worthless. Not Funny. Makes me want to punch Will Ferrell and Adam Mckay (producers) in the junk and make them tell me some jokes to bring laughter back into my life. Even Danny McBride couldn't salvage this one. BOOOOOOOOO.

Appaloosa

Appaloosa (2008)
R
Running Time: 114 minutes
4 gold nuggets

At one point in this film there is a shootout between 6 of the fastest guns. The scene happens fast. There is no standing and talking about the size of the town, no waiting for the other guy to draw, no drawn out Italian interpretations of samurai fight scenes (not that those are bad things). Virgil Cole (Harris) and Everett Hitch (Viggo) walk up to the jailhouse and five seconds later, three men are dead, one has escaped jail, and Cole and Hitch are both lying wounded on the ground. Hitch remarks, "that happened fast." To which Cole replies, "everybody could shoot."

The humor is as dry as the surrounding landscape, the one-liners are great, and what is left unsaid is even better. Harris and Cole do a great job acting. Zellweger, in my mind does a great job too. Although not on par with her performance in Cold Mountain, she adds a certain softness that distinguishes the violent tension that runs throughout the film. (I haven't read the book, but I have it on good authority that Zellweger strays slightly from the original character's manipulate ways.)

I just want to make sure everyone knows that Hitch walks around with an eight-gauge shotgun. It's like a portable canon.

The film does a good job of developing tension. The plot line is a little thin, so the suspense of certain scenes really helps to carry the film. Basically, Zellweger wants the alpha male who is, in here estimation, one of at least three people. Supposedly she loves Cole, but is kind of into Bragg (the bad guy, yeah, he's bad), and she makes a pass at Hitch. Hitch is some sort of a Galahad. He's with Cole and Ms. French (Zellweger) is with Cole. Bragg, however, is not with Cole, he hates Cole, so it's really easy for him to shack up with Zellweger (plus I think she is the only pretty girl that lives in Appaloosa).

Every so often, there is a scenic shot. They are all pretty, and they add to that soft/harsh contrast, setting a lonesome silent tone. But, there is one really sucky cut scene where a mountain lion watches a train go by, like this guy. I've yet to be convinced that mountain lions watch trains from mountain tops despite all the westerns that I've watched.

Catch up - not to be confused with Catsup (or Ketchup)

Ok...I've slacked. I'll admit it. All this free time with being jobless and you'd think that I have ooooooodles of time to write and alas...here I am, playing catch up. Because I've watched quite a few movies in the past few weeks and haven't dedicated any time to reviewing them properly, I'll just do a quick summation and pick up where I left off. Please forgive me...but hopefully I'll have some good suggestions in there for you to check out. Oh, and I'm going to start giving things a rating scale...and since stars, thumbs and smiley faces are SOOOO 15 minutes ago, I'm going to use gold nuggets (a 1 - 5 scale, 1 being a piece of crap and 5 being the bomb.gov) soley because I think the word nugget is pretty funny:

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - 2 nuggets. I'll be honest...this was Peter Sollett trying to recreate Juno and falling WAY short. I love Michael Cera, as I've said before...and Kat Dennings did a decent job at being his counterpart. However, there were a LOT of disjointed pieces, leaving me with a curiosity to read the novel that it was based on. More than likely those scattered pieces made sense in that context. The soundtrack was pretty good, though...I'll admit. Check it out but don't expect too much.

Out of Africa - 4.5 nuggets. A stunning, epic tale of romance, relationships, oppression, feminism and politics. Robert Redford and Meryl Streep give incredible performances in a true story about courage, compassion and love. Yes, it's a "chick flick" to some degree...but let's be honest: All men could use a little estrogen to balance out the macho bull sh** that resides within us. Snuggle up to your loved one, relax and enjoy this one. I promise it's worth it.

Jump Tomorrow - 5 nuggets. Seriously, I LOVED this movie. It reminded me of an appropriate mix of Bottle Rocket and Napoleon Dynamite (stop it...I know what you're thinking...and yes, Napoleon Dynamite was good before it became a cultural icon. Don't fight it). Very quirky, very "indie" and VERY funny. This was a Sundance entry that should have gotten more exposure, in my opinion. Definitely check it out.

What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? - 3.5 nuggets. I've been fascinated with string theory, quantum physics and general relativity for a while now (I'm not trying to sound smart...just think it's interesting) and this movie attempts to put them in layman's terms. It's a bunch of documentary style interview clips surrounded by a narrative story line. Honestly, the narrative bugs the hell out of me but I think it's worth watching for the factual pieces. Watch it with the intent to discuss afterwards. Good brain food.

Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill - 3.5 nuggets. If you're not familiar with Eddie's work, then you may be a little shocked to see him on stage. Yes, he's a British transvestite. Yes, he is a little abrasive. YES, he's hilarious. Watch it if you can handle a lot of cursing and some "adult" material. Pretty funny stuff.

Ok...that's enough for now. I'm recommitting myself to the blog. Look for more soon.