Movies watched recently 14

21 Grams: This depressing Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu movie is worse than Babel, though still fine. The screenplay has got to be one of the most depressing things ever: the characters are realistic but their lives are so miserable that it can get a bit unrealistic and the voice-overs are a failed attempt to add depth . The acting is powerful: Benicio del Toro is frighteningly real as a too religious man being overcame by guilt, Naomi Watts shapes up her character beautifully and carries on extremely difficult scenes with intensity and Sean Penn plays his character with a lot of feeling. The supporting actors are also good. The direction, use of the music and cinematography are all distinctive. It would have been a much better movie if the editing was linear, using time better: this way, it can get muddled, messy and lose some of its impact.

The Big Chill: This is an agreeable film enjoyable enough, but forgettable. The screenplay is average, with a promising premise developed around shapeless characters and dull situations, but it has an interesting meditation about Baby Boomers. The direction and technicals, especially the soundtrack, make this fell very dated, giving it a funny 80's feeling. The acting is unremarkable, mostly due to the lack of screen time each character has and how poorly written they are ( but William Hurt was hot, which made it much more bearable). Overall, I just think it could have been so much better.

Stardust: This is an excellent fairytale. It has a cosy, familiar feeling about it, with the deliciously evil villains, the innocent leads and the beautiful love story, but also dark humor. It feels honest and it's intelligent and accessible, warming your heart and making you care for the characters. Michelle Pfeiffer plays one of the most fantastically evil, charismatic witched I can remember, Charlie Cox captures the innocence and growth of his character earnestly and Claire Danes is just purely lovable. The direction is common but professional and technically it's very good. The costumes, sets, use of music, make-up and editing contribute to make this an entertaining, beautiful fairytale.

Bridge To Terabithia: As the book, this is a great movie about friendship and growing up. The screenplay adapts the book faithfully, actualizing it appropriately and adding useful action scenes that end up making you know the characters better. It's obviously written with love and care. The acting is natural: Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb ares charismatic, subtle and perfectly believable, with a unique chemistry between them and Zooey Deschanel is the best in a very good supporting cast, making you fall in love with her character. The direction is loveable, though slightly flawed. The wardrobe and sets are amazing, original, beautiful. All the technicals are fine, too. This is just beautiful and I believe it will become as classic.
Dead Man: This is a subverted western: not really about guns and fighting, more a bout poetry and illusion. The screenplay is incredibly simple but interesting and very thought-provoking, with some dark humor and natural dialog. The acting is also really good, with Johnny Depp embodying the essence of the movie and diving deep into hell with his character and several amusing, though slightly distracting cameos. The direction is brilliant: Jarmush shoots it with a clear black-and-white, involving shots and meaningful, metaphorical camera angles. This and the psychedelic, laid-back, dark soundtrack by Neil Young, make the movie seductive. Its only flaw is the dragging pace and some repetitive moments, though mostly the scenes are beautiful and needed.