DESPICABLE ME is a "computer animated" feature film, or what they used to call when I was a kid "a feature-length cartoon." But no matter how it was created, what makes it so satisfying is a clever script, great animation and great characters, especially Steve Carell's voice as the vaguely Russian or some kind of Slavic accent. It's hard to believe it's him, he disappears into the animated lead character so well.It, of course, is a touching story of transformation from evil to good etc. Maybe we've seen it before, but never quite like this.
KNIGHT AND DAY is another wild couple on the loose shooting lots of people dead and not exactly blowing things up but being around a lot of things being blown up. A familiar formula in recent years, but, for my money, this time out it works. No expectations for great art or even great Hollywood movie making. Just solid, competent turns by two hard-not-to-like-in-these-kinds-of-roles movie stars—Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise.I know I know, Cruise has become more and more bizarre in real life, but he can still pull off the movies. Both of them show off their bodies which are pretty stunning for their respective ages, no matter how they achieved that. And both can charm audiences into falling for their action-movie antics. What can I say, I thought KNIGHT AND DAY worked well enough for me to have had no regrets for taking my little guy's suggestion.
Yes, it's over the top, but satisfyingly so for my taste. See for yourself. But remember, no big expectations.
3 comments:
Glad to read your review of KNIGHT And DAY...,
I actually was seduced by the previews and wanted to see it. A literary manager was over at the house and he actually laughed when I told him I wanted to see KNIGHT AND DAY... I guess the knives are out for Tom in Hollywood.
Suzanne
Hey Suzanne, I hear ya. But much like Gibson, Cruise's particular weirdness works in certain roles and this was one of them. And Diaz is great as the ditzy but ultimately super competent physical leading lady. As long as the audiences' expectations aren't high and they remember it's a total fantasy to help them escape for a few hours, I don't see why people wouldn't enjoy the ride.
Dear Lal--Maybe I'm a dummy, but what is a "literary manager"?
Meanwhile, you might want to check out two films with the by now aged Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station" and "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus." Plummer-as-Tolstoy in the former is a walk in the park, but Dr. Parnassus requires some acting of the sort Plummer can still do better than all the hotshots who cut their teeth in tacky daytime TV.
Bob B.
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