Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2006 > March > 28 > Entry
Home (Re) Viewing: Memoirs of a Gorilla
King Kong: Yes, it was too long, and the journey to Skull Island in particular could stand to be tightened, but I don’t care — no other film from last year so powerfully reminded me of why I love the movies. Peter Jackson’s unbridled glee at filming his dream project is so palpable, that even when the movie is particularly indulgent, it’s still fun. And when the movie works, it is electrifying. With all due love and respect to Reese Witherspoon, Naomi Watts was last year’s best actress, giving this Kong an emotional pull that was even stronger than the original’s. GRADE: A+
Memoirs of a Geisha: If movies only had to be concerned with appearances, this would have been the best film of last year. Geisha looks positively gorgeous, with lush photography, impressive sets and dazzling costumes. It’s just missing one little thing: a reason to care. Ziyi Zhang, Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li do their best to infuse the film with some passion, but director Rob Marshall paces the movie leadenly and is so caught up with exteriors that I was never drawn into the story. It becomes not much more illuminating than a visit to the Japan pavilion at Disney’s EPCOT. GRADE: C-
(DATE CHANGE: Fun with Dick and Jane was erroneously placed on the DVD schedule I consulted last week. It has been rescheduled for April 11.)
Also out today:
Get Rich or Die Tryin’: 50 Cent tries and fails to score his own 8 Mile.
A Sound of Thunder: One of two recent Ben Kinglsey movies no one saw, the other being Bloodrayne. Somewhere, Gandhi is shaking his head sadly.
Stay: The mainstream Naomi Watts movie from last year no one saw.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: On Video/DVD
Comments
By SRCputt
March 28, 2006 6:42 AM | Link to this
Last year’s best actress Oscar nominees list was an embarassment. Watts should have been nominated, but also missed were Joan Allen in The Upside of Anger, Maria Bello in History of Violence, and my personal favorite, Toni Collette in In Her Shoes (and I would have also taken Cameron Diaz for that film, too). Then people were complaining about how weak the actress field was. That’s because the deserving performances weren’t nominated!!! (Except for Reese. She deserved the praise.)