The Way Way Bank isn't going for American Pie-style raunch to prove its comedy. It would rather charm you with heart. That's what makes it great.
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For this writer, Paul Thomas Anderson is a divisive tough sell. His movies, while technically sound and visually sharp, can frequently feel tiresome, bizarre, and vague to me. For many critics and cinephiles, those adjectives make him a courageous, risk-tasking genius instead. Such can be granted, but, with apologies, his nature and results can still make him exactly the former: tiresome, bizarre, and vague. The Master perpetuates that split sentiment.
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Overall, Lawless is on par with Public Enemies and is a worthy choice for those looking for a Western-like tale and a gangster film with a more rural and gritty country setting. For those modern folks out there, think of it as a prequel to FX's Justified.
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Safety Not Guaranteed dares to keep your attention at every turn and really succeeds. The script is brilliant and deserves the praise it has already gotten. From diving deeper into Kenneth's world to seeing the different motivations that come to light, for both our time travelers and our magazine team tailing him, more and more layers of interest keep coming into play. All the while, you feel the countdown and are driven to wonder if Kenneth and his time machine are the real deal when the time comes to leave. This pace makes the movie breeze by and, unlike some other edgy indie movies that sell you with teases, the payoff is really rich and deserved.
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Melancholia is not your your typical science-fiction drama or even a typical family drama. With Lars Von Trier and his track record (Europa, Dogville, Antichrist), we shouldn't be surprised. It's essentially a wedding movie about two very different, yet equally damaged sisters, but it has a lot more going on. What's going on exactly? Well, it's a little foggy and full of issues.
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50/50 will have you packing your tissue box to wipe away both tears of sorrow and tears of laughter. It's more than a numbers game, though, in balancing humor with drama. It's not about adding up equal parts. It's about timing your jokes to fall in dramatic places when you need them and in funny places where they work like magic.
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