Cinderella

Today I saw Cinderella, starring Lily James and Cate Blanchett.

The story of Cinderella is sewn so tightly into the fabric of our collective memories that the plot doesn't need repeating, so instead I'll just highlight the pros and cons of this live action rendition:

• I missed the music. I like a little Bibbidi-Bobbiti-Boo with my fairy Godmothering and the fact there was only a drop of song here and there was disappointing.
• I loved the cast of ladies. Lily James was convincingly sweet as the star and Blanchett equally so as the villain. Helena Bonham Carter too.
• The pace was a little slow. Knowing every step of the story going in is an obvious disadvantage, but it's exaggerated when things don't move swiftly.
• The costumes and scenery were gorgeous. I loved getting lost in that forest and dancing across that ballroom. 
• I wish there had been more of the stepsisters. Nasty as they were, they brought great comic relief to the story. But they were hardly there.
• The overall theme of kindness was well executed. The screenwriter did a beautiful job of capturing the true spirit of the fairy tale, sending the message that good people finish first.

In conclusion, the magic is there if you believe in it.

~~~

SIFF REVIEW ROUNDUP: Week 1

The 40th Seattle International Film Festival starts tomorrow and I've already seen cluster of great movies from the selection. Countries of origin in this batch include Norway, Canada, the United Kingdom and Greece.

Head over to Cinebanter for my capsule reviews of 1,000 Times Good Night and Burt's Buzz, and full reviews of Mirage Men, From Neurons to Nirvana: The Great Medicines and Standing Aside, Watching.

Stay tuned for more in the coming days!

~~~

12 Years a Slave

Today I saw 12 Years a Slave, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender.

It will be the topic of our November Cinebanter episode, so tune in later this month for our review.

Cloud Atlas

Today I saw Cloud Atlas, starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry.

It will be the topic of Cinebanter #118, so tune in later this month for our review.

Magic Mike

Tonight I saw Magic Mike, starring Channing Tatum and Cody Horn.

Let's be real—none of us were going for the plot anyway.

Magic Mike is the stripper name of Mike (Tatum), who has a lot of 'career' irons in the fire. He's a construction worker, auto detailer and maker of high-concept furniture, but his bread and butter comes from stripping.

Adam (Alex Pettyfer) is a 19-year-old 'kid' who Mike meets on a construction job. Down on his luck, Adam needs work, so Mike recruits him to be a prop guy at the club...which soon leads to him also becoming a stripper. And a drug dealer. And a punk.

Amidst all the chaos is a budding romance between Mike and Adam's sister Brooke (Horn). Brooke is the physical opposite of all the ladies that frequent the club: low-maintenance, sans makeup, real breasts. He's immediately smitten, of course.

As Mike attempts (quite unsuccessfully) to keep Adam on the straight and narrow, Brooke acts as his judgmental conscience, all the while falling equally in love (or lust) with him.

If the characters weren't so devoid of intelligence, it would have borderline sweet.

But Mike thinks he can get an SBA loan with a stack of ones he collected from his underwear, and Adam thinks he can 'lose' a backpack full of ecstasy and not repay his debts to the drug lords.

Really?

Yeah, it's not so good.

But the werewolf from True Blood (Joe Manganiello) does do some dancing, and Channing is undeniably convincing as the 'lead' stripper, so there are moments of pleasure here and there (I was personally partial to the 'military' sequence).

And Matthew McConaughey? Well, he's almost too convincing as the slimy club owner.

All in all, for a stripper movie billed as the ingredients for a quintessential ladies' night, I could have done with much less talking and a lot more action.

~~~

The Whale

Last night I saw the documentary, The Whale, by Suzanne Chisolm and Michael Parfit.

In the spring of 2008, I screened a documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival that left me weeping and smiling all the same. It was called Saving Luna, and it captured the story of an orca from Washington's L-pod that became separated from his family and built a life in Canada, making friends with humans instead of returning home.

This film is a re-purposed version of that film, and delivers just as powerful a punch—reminding us to embrace nature and respect all of the treasures that our earth delivers.

My opinion hasn't changed since I wrote this review for Cinebanter, three years ago.

I encourage those of you in Seattle to get to The Whale before it leaves SIFF Cinema at the end of the week (and yes, I encourage you to take the kids). Those of you in other cities and countries should lobby for this beautiful film to come to your area. You won't be disappointed.

To view the trailer, click here.

Contagion

Yesterday I saw Contagion, starring Matt Damon and Kate Winslet.

It will be the topic of Cinebanter #107, so tune in later this month for our review.

Page One: Inside the New York Times

On May 25, I screened the documentary Page One: Inside the New York Times.

You can read my capsule review on Cinebanter.com.

The Adjustment Bureau

Yesterday I saw The Adjustment Bureau, starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.

It will be the topic of Cinebanter #102, so tune in later this month for our review.

Fair Game

Today I saw Fair Game, starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn.

It will be the topic of Cinebanter #99, so tune in later this month for our review.

The Social Network

Today I saw The Social Network, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake.

It will be the topic of Cinebanter #98, so tune in for our review (coming soon).

The American

Tonight I saw The American, starring George Clooney and Violante Placido.

It will be the topic of Cinebanter #97, so tune in on September 13 for our review.

The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls

On June 1, I saw the documentary The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls.

Click here to read my review on Cinebanter.com.

Robin Hood

Yesterday I saw Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett.

It was the topic of Cinebanter #90, which is available here.

Cinebanter Featured on Sodapop Journal

My podcast partner (Michael) and I are featured in this week's Sodapop Journal, sharing our summer movie picks.

You can read the article here.

Be sure to also share your summer picks in the comments section!

Hot Tub Time Machine

This morning I saw Hot Tub Time Machine, starring John Cusack and Rob Corddry.

It was the topic of Cinebanter #86, which is available here.

Crazy Heart

Today I saw Crazy Heart, starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

It was the topic of Cinebanter #85, which is available here.

The Informant!

On Monday I saw The Informant!, starring Matt Damon and Scott Bakula.

It was the topic of Cinebanter #78, which is available here.

District 9

Today I saw District 9 starring Sharlto Copley.

It was the topic of Cinebanter #77, which you can download here.

Public Enemies

Tonight I saw Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp.

It will be the topic of Cinebanter #74, which is available here.

To learn more about John Dillinger, click on the sidebar link that will take you to the National Crime Museum, where they are hosting a special exhibit about him.