Through the Reels: Project 365: Movies 158

158 / 365: A Little Chaos (2015, US)

I'll go see anything that Alan Rickman is in. It's how I found myself enduring the almost unendurable Bottle Shock. Not only was he starring in this one, though, he also directed it. Sold. The moment you walk in, there's an upfront acknowledgement that the film is a fantasy. "There is a ballroom in the garden of Versailles... this much is true." Immediately, our expectations are set to not take the whole thing too seriously, that the story is a romantic idea, not fact.

Sabine (Kate Winslet) is a landscape architect working in Paris during the early 1700s. King Louis XIV (Alan Rickman) has demanded his new palace at Versailles contain the most grand, most elaborate gardens ever built, so he enlists master landscaper, Andre (Mathias Schoenaerts), to assemble a team to design it. When Sabine's chaotic design submission challenges Andre's call for order and symmetry, she wins a coveted position previously only held by men. As she makes her way to Versailles, she becomes embroiled in the politics of the court, especially when a friendship develops with Andre.

All of the actors are British, despite this being a French story—frankly, that's pretty par for the course. Schoenaerts is dashing, and has more luscious locks than Winslet, who is wearing probably the world's worst wig. Andre says sexy, flighty things, like "Like a good plant, I submit" which leads to us witnessing his submission to his philandering and insufferable wife.

The dynamics of the court are the most intriguing part of the movie, and I wish there'd been more of it. Like a Parisian Mean Girls, Versailles is not unlike a high school cafeteria. The best scene consists of a community of women who must find time in secret to be their honest selves in a world that does not encourage them to do so. Stanley Tucci shows up, as well, and everything is immediately more fun—he delivers the only comedy of the film. And of course, Rickman possesses an unparalleled romanticism in all that he does and says.

Unfortunately, the movie is overloaded with an unnecessary attempt to give Sabine substance, awkwardly incorporating memories and hallucinations of a deceased daughter. There might be more gravity to it if it had anything to do with the movie, but if anything, it's a manipulative plot point meant to add complications to a potential romance with Schoenaerts. It distracts from the fun of the court, and the beauty of the gardens of Versailles. See this if you're a fan of Rickman, or only care about Mathias Schoenaerts' piercing stare... otherwise, there's not much else to enjoy.

Rating: ★★ / 5 stars
Watched: Theater
Seen Before: No

159 / 365: Terminator Genisys (2015)

New movie release, reviewed previously on Through the Reels. Read the full review here.

Rating: ★★★ / 5 stars
Watched: Theater
Seen Before: No

160 / 365: Magic Mike XXL (2015)

New movie release, reviewed previously on Through the Reels. Read the full review here.

Rating: ★★★½ / 5 stars
Watched: Theater
Seen Before: No

161 / 365: Independence Day (1996)

No matter how drained you are, or how full of beer and hot dogs you are, it is your patriotic duty to watch Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith fight the alien invasion every Fourth of July. Independence Day is the It's a Wonderful Life of "United States of F*ckin' America" movies. The script, the visual effects, the acting—it all holds up. It also has the greatest inspirational battle speech delivered by anyone in the history of movies, and I don't even like Bill Pullman. But man, did that guy kill that Presidential pep-talk.

What else is there to say? It might be worth noting that this star-studded cast will be back (and I mean everyone) for the long-awaited sequel, coming out next summer, exactly 20 years after the original. It's about time.

Rating: ★★★★ / 5 stars
Watched: DVD
Seen Before: No

162 / 365: The Tribe (2015)

New movie release, reviewed previously on Through the Reels. Read the full review here.

Rating: ★★ / 5 stars
Watched: Theater
Seen Before: No

163 / 365: North By Northwest (1955)

This movie was the #55 film on my AFI Top 100 countdown challenge. Read my full review here.

Rating: ★★★★½ / 5 stars
Watched: Blu Ray
Seen Before: Yes

164 / 365: National Treasure (2004)

Two words: Scavenger. Hunt. One of the best filmed scavenger hunts ever, it's also about my other favorite subject. History. If Nicolas Cage could make a National Treasure movie every couple of years, he'd be my favorite person. The high-stakes silliness of these movies suit him perfectly, and it doesn't hurt that the surrounding cast is so memorable.

Cage plays Benjamin Gates, whose family has been searching for a hidden treasure since the American Revolution. Ben, naturally, is the closest anyone has ever been to discovering the initial clues that have stumped the Gates' for centuries, despite his father (Jon Voight) professing it's all made up. Round out the team of history nerds and tech dorks (including Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha)—plus the villains (Sean Bean, duh)—and you've got a rag-tag team of treasure hunters!

This first National Treasure is a surprise to anyone who sees it, because it's pretty darn great. The reveals are interesting and most of the clues aren't obvious. We aren't being fed a bunch of exposition just so the clues will make sense. The script actually has faith in the audience to follow along with having their hands held (unlike some movies *cough*Da Vinci Code*cough*). Dan Brown wishes his story had been this fun.

I'm a sucker for people figuring out clues and doing all the hard work so that I can sit back and enjoy the treasure finding. And the end is just as cathartic as you hope it will be.

Rating: ★★★½ / 5 stars
Watched: DVD
Seen Before: Yes

165 / 365: Can't Buy Me Love (1986)

When I heard about the passing of Amanda Peterson, I was shocked. She hadn't done much since her foray into teen romantic comedies as the most popular girl in school alongside Patrick Dempsey in Can't Buy Me Love. But I was struck with sadness, and couldn't help honoring her by watching the adorable fun that is her biggest hit—not to mention the movie that introduced the world to how dorkably-cute Patrick Dempsey is.

Reluctant nerd, Ronald Miller (Dempsey), dreams of spending his senior year in the company of the school's popular group, particularly his long-time crush, head cheerleader, Cindy Mancini (Peterson). When Cindy runs into some money troubles trying to keep up appearances among her critical friends, Ronald comes to her rescue with money from his summer job. The catch? She has to pretend to be his girlfriend for an entire month, something that's guaranteed to propel him to the height of popularity. Popularity, though, might not be all he'd anticipated.

Nothing about Can't Buy Me Love is unique. It's pretty by the book, but Dempsey makes it special. He's cartoonish, sometimes to an extreme, but it all compliments his delusions and transformation. Peterson gives Cindy a maturity that the other characters lack, which helps her stand out as someone that would absolutely be the most popular girl in school. It's never more annoying than a character being beloved by everyone for no other reason than because the script says so. That is not the case with Cindy. She's well-developed and actually a nice person with plenty of truths to share with Ronald, who isn't quite ready to listen.

As far as teen comedies go, this one is delightful. The side characters are just as memorable, despite being totally one-sided, and there are plenty of fun and games to enjoy. Amanda Peterson may not have done a lot in her career, but she gave a wonderful performance here, well beyond what was likely required for the role. Worth watching at least once, but I think you'll find that once just isn't enough.

Rating: ★★★ / 5 stars
Watched: DVD
Seen Before: Yes

166 / 365: Amy (2015)

New movie release, reviewed previously on Through the Reels. Read the full review here.

Rating: ★★ / 5 stars
Watched: Theater
Seen Before: No

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Project 365: Movies 158 - 166

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