Saturday, July 31, 2010

7 Word Reviews: Animal Kingdom, Cairo Time, Get Low

The adults are coming. Warning: all three of these new movies do not contain super powers. Unless you count acting as a super power. In which case, SHAZAM!


Animal Kingdom

Dir: David Michôd | With: Guy Pearce and Jacki Weaver
Gripping, weirdly frightening performances. Fine script, too. A- [interview]

Cairo Time
Dir: Ruba Nadda | With: Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddiq
Delicately observed but limited. Gorgeous finale / Patty. B

Get Low
Dir: Aaron Schneider | With: Robert Duvall and Bill Murray
Grumpy hermit is legendary... but why? Unconvincing. C [more than 7 words]

More on Animal Kingdom and Cairo Time coming after they open. Stay tuned.
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13 comments:

vg21 said...

It's so devastating that Patricia Clarkson can be seen mostly in low-budget independent films since this means I will never see her movies here at the cinema, if not a year later than its original release or on DVD, at best.

I have loved her since I saw The Pledge, then she convinced me again in Good Night and Good Luck and I have been purposefully looking for her projects ever since, but with little luck. I would love to see her in roles other than the quirky supporting ones in famous director's famous films (e.g.: Vicky, Christina, Barcelona). One can always hope :).

vg21 said...

By "devastating" I mean for me, it's certainly good for Ms. Clarkson :)).

NATHANIEL R said...

well she doesn't get leads very often. So it was cool to see her front and center for a change. And that dress she's wearing on the poster is so gorgeous onscreen. She just looks ethereal in it. Yum.

Kyle said...

I just hate the movie title: "Get Low"...awful.

vg21 said...

Nathaniel, yes! That dress caught my attention, very beautiful, even in the picture. It's unbelievable how gorgeous she still looks!

jbaker475 said...

I remember that I had no interest in "Animal Kingdom" whatsoever from the descriptions, but I watched the trailer when I was bored and it shot up to the top of my must see list. Glad to see that you really liked it.

Anonymous said...

Nathaniel,

Just wanted to thank you for being the only place on the internet not talking about the Clinton wedding. The coverage it's getting is driving me insane, and I'm a die-hard Democrat/Clinton supporter.

Speaking of weddings and wonderful romances (i.e. Cairo Time), what are your favorite on and off-screen romances?

NATHANIEL R said...

jbaker -- yeah. i had no desire to see it. skipped it at sundance and even when people said it was good i was like "another crime drama?" but it's really good. i'm glad i went.

Andrew David said...

re: "weirdly frightening performances"... Ben Mendelsohn's performance gives me nightmares. The character is so original but so, so accurate.

Mickche said...

I just saw Animal Kingdom for the second time in cinemas, and i'd give it a solid 8/10. Its an intersting film the way it unfolds with only flashes of violence, which keeps the characters at its core, and not an event.

Glenn said...

JACKI WEAVER!!!

Danielhardy23@gmail.com said...

saw both `animal kingdom' and `cairo time' in sydney. `animal kingdom' is an awesome debut - it doesn't succumb to any flashy crime cliches, and manages to be incredibly cinematic and exciting while also completely de-glamorising the criminal lifestyle it depicts. Cast is amazing all round, and it's refreshing to be in teh hands of a new, natural born film-maker.

`cairo time' on the other hand... ugh. A complete waste of two great leads and Egypt itself. It's like reading an article about luxury hotels in Marie Claire, along with great outfits to wear while exploring the local markets. Never commits to anything more than being a travelogue with vague hints of more interesting things ALMOST happening. I'm all for subtlety and thwarted romance, but this doesn't even deserve to be mentioned in the same universe as Brief Encounter.

No Bad Movies said...

I saw Animal Kingdom at Sundance. I thought it was the best film of the whole fest. At least what I could see. I popped up a small review on my blog just a couple of days ago since it's coming out where I am August 13th. I want my friends to check it out. Jacki Weaver, Guy Pearce and James Frenchville are very good. Be nice to see it get some Indie spirit love.
I actually liked Animal Kingom better than Winter's Bone.