For ages I've been a film critic on and off for different publications, sites, and so on and everyone always wants to know things like "Have you seen this? What did you think of this? What do you recommend?" The list goes on and on. While I constantly tell folks to never trust a film critic, people still want to know what I think of the movies I watch.
What you'll be getting on this here blog is largely my Netflix intake on a weekly basis and probably whatever random stuff I come across both at home and in the theater. I'll try to keep it brief and to the point. Be forewarned: we aren't always going to agree on things and some of the stuff I love you may end up hating and vice-versa, but don't shoot the messenger.
Available on Instant View? - No.
Rating: 5 out of 5
What a joy this documentary was to watch. Jiro Ono runs what is considered one of the best sushi restaurants in the world and it's located in a subway station in Tokyo of all places. With only 10 seats and meals beginning at $300, people plan months in advance to dine there. Surprisingly, his sushi is as basic as it gets - no frills, nothing fancy. What elevates the cuisine is the master himself who even at the age of 85 is still trying to attain perfection. Sushi is already considered an art but with Jiro it reaches a higher level due to his passion which consumes him more than he consumes the food itself. Mix in the all the wisdom, philosophy, and humor among shot after shot of sushi that seems to posses a heavenly glow to it and what you get is a foodie doc that'll make your mouth water faster than any episode of Man vs. Food.
God Bless America (Dir. Bobcat Goldthwait) - 2012
Available on Instant View? No.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Upon learning he has an inoperable brain tumor, Frank has had enough with American idiocy and decides to set out on a cross country killing spree taking down everyone from bratty teen princesses to poor political commentators to American Idol-esque judges and plenty in-between. After he blows away the latest My Super Sweet 16 failure, Frank attracts the attention of high schooler Roxy and together they ride the open road with pistols in hand.
God Bless America is about as black as a comedy can get on top of being wildly politically incorrect but I enjoyed the ride except for when it lulled occasionally. If you're a fan of Goldthwait's other work such as the equally funny but far more depressing World's Greatest Dad, this is probably going to be your cup of black coffee. You might want to steer clear of it if a guy blowing away a crying baby with a shotgun and killing kids for talking in the movie theater on their cell phones won't sit well with you.
Sound of Noise (Dir. Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjarne Nilsson) - 2012
Available on Instant View? Yes.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5.
Tone-deaf detective Amadeus Warnebring takes on a band of noise terrorists in Sweden. These masked marauders don't want money or fame, they just want folks to hear real music played without proper instruments. By the time the first number "Doctor Doctor Give Me Gas (In My Ass)" came around, I was hooked. The musical numbers are definitely the highlight, think STOMP taken to a completely different level of absurdity, which helps the movie keep moving despite the rather boring plot involving said tone-deaf detective being mopey about how much he desires silence and hates living in the shadow of his virtuoso composer of a brother. Still, when Warnebring is on the actual cases, things get much funnier and interesting.
The Hunter (Dir. Daniel Nettheim) - 2012
Available on Instant View? No.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The Tasmanian Tiger went extinct in the 1930s but even today people claim sightings of them in the bush. Willem Dafoe plays Martin, a hunter tasked with going into the country posing as a zoologist in an attempt to hunt down one of these beasts and bring back DNA/tissue/organ samples for a shady medical corporation. The Hunter is no Brotherhood of the Wolf (then again what is?) but it does have one of the best performances Dafoe has given in recent memory - something that really elevates the film when it leaves man vs nature thriller territory and turns to Martin's living arrangements with a local family where he bonds with mom and the kids of a man who went missing searching for the same mythic predator.
UP NEXT: After school punishment, Jewish rivalry, and Harry Potter fights some ghosts...
