Monthly Archives: September 2007

by

Disturbia

Date: September 7
Location: Clifton Living Room

This was a highly enjoyable, if far-fetched, modern (and younger) take on Rear Window. It turns into a somewhat typical thriller in its final moments, but before that it very effectively establishes its characters. I did find myself wondering why these kids didn’t just call the police, especially later in the film, but suspension of disbelief makes things a lot more fun. Shia Lebouf is an excellent actor who can play funny, smart, dorky or cool — sometimes all at once — and he packs a real dramatic punch when he needs to. I have no doubt that he’ll be a major star for years to come.

by

Stardust

Date: September 1
Location: AMC Sunset Place

We had a free ticket thanks to Moviewatcher points and nothing new was worth seeing (King of Kong is playing only at Las Olas), so we gave this comic fairy tale a try. It’s a very sweet film — I get the Princess Bride comparisons, though of course it’s not in the same ballpark (or, to quote Pulp Fiction‘s Jules, not even the same bleepin’ sport). Some big laughs, a sweet love story, good villains… all in all, a fun night at the movies. One big misstep, though: Robert DeNiro’s pirate as a cross-dressing fop? I liked the sensitive soul masking as a tough guy, but they took it to cartoonish (and frankly, offensive) places.