ＧＲＥＧ日記 ｉｎ ニッポン

Night at the Museum

It was a beautiful day yesterday (no jacket required), so I went out for a bit in the afternoon.
After walking around for a bit, I went to the movie theater and saw NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM.
It's a comedy starring BEN STILLER, ROBIN WILLIAMS, and OWEN WILSON.
It's interesting because a lot of humour doesn't translate well into an international language, but this movie
seemed to be just fine.
There were some funny references in the film where the audience didn't laugh at all, but most of the jokes
were recognized.
The movie was a lot of fun - the audience laughed out loud so many times during the film that I can't even
guess how many times it happened.
The story is simple - at night, all the exhibits in the museum come alive.
There are a few other elements to the story, but that is the basic premise.
It was also nice to see a couple of veteran actors like DICK VAN DYKE and MICKEY ROONEY in the movie.
If you feel like laughing and getting release from the usual stress and tension in your life, this is a good
movie for you.

Capote

IN CLOOD BLOOD has long been one of my favourite novels.
Though I haven't read it for a long time, it's one that I'd read again and again.
It is, of course, a factual novel based on a murder that took place in Kansas in 1959.
The novel was written by TRUMAN CAPOTE.
The movie CAPOTE deals with the years that it took the author to write his masterpiece.
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN won the Academy Award for this portrayal of Capote.
He is simply amazing in the role, and in a year of excellent nominees, he was certainly deserving.
Not limited to HOFFMAN, the film is also lucky to have two other excellent actors in prominent roles: CHRIS COOPER and BRUCE GREENWOOD.
The movie is both humourous and sad, touching and horrifying.
I'm not sure that there was anything in the movie that I didn't know, but that doesn't detract from the film.
Simply put, it's an excellent movie.

Click

Here is another ADAM SANDLER film.
It also starts CHRISTOPHER WALKEN and KATE BECKINSALE.
The story is about a busy architect who doesn't have time for his family.
Through a series of mishaps, he ventures out to get a "Universal" remote control for his house.
Little does he know that the "Universal" remote will control everything in his universe.
He is able to rewind, pause, and fast forward his life.
While the movie has its share of funny moments and great 80's music (as always), it does have a serious
ending, and I suppose in its own way, a message.
Dare we think that SANDLER is maturing into something more serious ala JIM CARREY, TOM HANKS, and
ROBIN WILLIAMS before him?
Somehow I can't imagine that as his acting skills seem rather limited.
Anyway, it's a fun movie that I enjoyed.

The Final Cut

Now this movie raised some interesting points.
The idea that you could have computer chips implanted in your eyes at birth which would record everything
you saw or heard throughout your life sounds both exciting and horrifying.
The movie stars ROBIN WILLIAMS, but it is certainly not a comedy.
Anyway, whoever starred in the movie wouldn't matter.
The moral issue of privacy is the reason to watch the movie.
Would you want others to see/hear what you saw or heard?
Would you like the chance to relive your life - good and bad?
It's a pretty serious subject which I have no doubt we'll be facing in the near future.

A History of Violence

This is another movie that I'd been waiting a long time to see.
It had been my number one choice on TSUTAYA for months.
I suppose it was appropriate that it finally arrived on the weekend of the Academy Awards as it was
nominated last year.
It had a great cast, including, VIGGO MORTENSEN, WILLIAM HURT, and ED HARRIS.
It was directed by DAVID CRONENBERG - the second-best Canadian director (ATOM EGOYAN is #1, sorry JAMES CAMERON!).
Anyway, the film received a lot of buzz last year for the amount of violence and disturbing moments in the
movie, so there was some surprise when it received some nominations.
It is violent and disturbing, but no more than most movies these days.
What can't be denied is the quality of the story, and especially, the quality of the acting.
Whereas I was somewhat disappointed with INSIDE MAN, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE was everything I'd
hoped it would be.
Sure, it's not for everyone, afterall, my good friend in Toronto preferred INSIDE MAN, but, to each his own.
One has to admire artists that take risks that will knowingly damage the financial possibilities of their works.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE could have sold a lot more albums if they changed some of their lyrics, but
they had something they wanted to say, so they said it. Forget the radio and all the listeners that could have heard them there and then went out to buy the CD.
The same thing with movie directors. CRONENBERG could have easily edited a couple of scenes, or at
least toned them down a bit, but he didn't. Less violence would have meant a broader audience could have
watched the movie, and thus created more income for the picture.
But editing those scenes would have lessened the overall impact of what he was trying to say.
I'm glad there are artists in the world that place money lower than creativity.