#8 - Silver Linings Playbook (01/20/2013)

What drew me initially to this movie was that it had a different approach to two topics that have almost been sucked dry by Hollywood. 

The first is the classic lovestory. One has seen it in all variations and what most have in common is that despite the obvious the leads are kind of a catch. This is where Silver Linings Playbook is different. the leads are basically broken people one would consider "undateable". 

Second and more important in my point of view is the issue of mental health problems. While most movies or tv shows only deal with extreme cases e.g. psychotic killers or comically distorted versions of people suffering from OCD, this movie in my opinion shows the real deal. What happens when people are released from the mental health facilities and try to adjust to normal life. How they deal with an illness they have to accept as part of their life as other people have to accept diabetes. 

Silver Linings Playbook deals with this in a sensitve yet entertaining way. Pat, the lead character, is never ridiculed, on the contrary, the movie shows how he fights bravely to get his life back on track despite the ocasional set back. 

Bradley Cooper's protayal is nuanced and engaging. In one simple phrase: He makes you care for Pat! I have seen some of his work before and while I considered him a decent actor until now, he literally blew me away in this movie. 

Opposite of Bradley Cooper they casted Jennifer Lawrence, who is proving to be one of the most promising actresses despite being only 22 years old. While her introduction is rather slow and slightly tedious she manages to quickly give depth to her character. A lot of people have mentioned the age gap between the two leads, but to be honest I wouldn't have noticed had I not known the actors real life ages. Especially since Jennifer Lawrence interpretation is very mature her character seems much older. 

Also the supporting cast is a sheer delight Robert de Niro in particular whose acting skills are well known and don't require further comment. 

While the movie is smart entertaining, there are also some negative points in my opinion. The introduction is a little too slow for my taste so that in the end the pace quickens a little too much (Due to Hollywoods recent idea that movie shouldn't be much longer that 120 Minutes). But this seems more like a matter of personal taste. 

All in all I really enjoyed this movie, it has some great acting, awesome writing and the right balance between entertainment and sophisticated art. 

Points 8/10

#7 - Argo (01/08/2013)

It took me some time to watch "Argo" due to long working hours. So it came that I had to drive one hour to the only cinema that was still showing this move, yet somehow I thought it was worth the trouble and wasn't disappointed. 

I would like to start by saying that I hadn't seen any of the movies Ben Affleck has directed before, but of course had heard he was an even better director than actor (I have always liked him as an actor) and I admit he is!

One of the things that have impressed me about "Argo" was that despite of (or because of?) its calm demeanor the movie manages easily to keep the suspension up for two hours. In a way this mirrors the characters and their situation. At all times they have to appear calm in public while in reality they were tense beyond imagination. 

I also like the fact, that the movie quality was made "to look" like a 70ies movie as it greatly enhanced the atmosphere and at times you had the feeling you were watching an old documentary of the time. 

The acting of the whole cast was superb. I would like to mention in particular Ben Affleck himself, Alan Arkin and John Goodman who render beautifully understated performances, which in my opinion supported the credibility of the movie. I personally was impressed with Scoot McNairys performance, whom I had never seen in a movie before, but is definetely a name one should keep in mind. He steals every scene he is in. 

*minor spoilers*

I am not going to spoil too much (Although in this movie the point is not what happens, but rather how is happens). To me there was one thing in particular that impressed me and in my eyes interpreted best how the "houseguests" must have felt. I write "interpreted" consciously since this is one of the ficticious scenes of the movie. 

The scene I am referring to is, when they get stopped at the airport and Scoot McNairy's character tries to explain the situation to the security personel in Farsi. What Mr. Affleck did (I only watched the dubbed version, but I assume the original version is the same in that aspect) is that he choose not to add subtitles to the conversation execpt for an explanation as to why he speaks Farsi. The viewer finds himself again in the same situation as the "houseguests". We are not understanding what is going on, but know that their lives depend on the outcome of that conversation. 

*minor spoilers end* 

I have only one very small issue with the movie, which has been addressed already many times, but I feel the urge to mention it to, so that this review is "complete". The movie neglects the assistance of the British and New Zealand diplomats, when in fact they also assisted. I understand that for the movie actual facts had to be shortened and events simplified, but as a final comment was inserted to acknowledge the canadian efforts I would have love to see that justice done to the British and New Zealand diplomats as well. 

Still I believe Ben Affleck has created a wonderful masterpiece. "Argo" is intelligent movie, that manages to keep you glued to your seat. The cast is fabulous and the only reason that no single actor sticks out, it that each one of them is fanastic. The historical "inacuracies" can be forgiven, as in my opinion it helps to capture the mood and desperation of the situation. 

I will certainly check out now the other movies Ben Affleck has directed. 

Points 9/10