200+ Word Reviews: Charlie Bartlett

Charlie Bartlett

Well this one I was pleasantly surprised about. When I first saw the trailer for “Charlie Bartlett” I first kind of ignorantly thought “Oh wow gee look it this generation’s version of "Ferris Buller’s Day Off”. Well I was pretty much wrong on that aspect but I still saw a little bit of Ferris Buller in Charlie Bartlett and later on I realized there’s a little bit of Max Fischer from “Rushmore” as well. What I got from the movie was a breath of fresh air from the teen movie genre. Also great acting from Anton Yelchin who played Charlie Bartlett, an actor I plan on keeping my eye out for in future movies. Robert Downey Jr. I enjoyed as the semi villainous principal (No I didn’t think of Ed Rooney from Ferris Buller’s Day Off) and father of Charlie Bartlett’s girlfriend (Great performance from Kat Dennings). In closing I have to say personally I could have used someone like Charlie Bartlett as a friend in high school. So if you’re dealing with the trials, troubles, and fucked up world of high school, or you want a fresh take on the teen/high school movie defiantly check out “Charlie Bartlett“. Because sometimes we just want someone to talk to and Charlie Bartlett is the one.

200+ Word Reviews: Synecdoche, New York

Synecdoche, New York

I suppose only truly great filmmakers don’t make bad movies. Which leads me to believe that Charlie Kaufman will never truly be considered a great filmmaker. His directorial debut "Synecdoche, New York" is far from great. To be totally honest I don’t think their was any real sort of plot to this movie. It all came off like a dream, to use a some what bad clichéd description. All I could really gather from it was that Philip Seymour Hoffman’s character was trying to run a play that takes place on a life size version of New York City (or maybe a block of New York City). Other then that I was literally wondering what the hell was going on and just who all these people in the film were. I mean there’s the death of Hoffman’s parents (in the film obviously) and I said out loud in the theater “Who the hell was he/she?” Don’t get me wrong I like to think about a movie (Hell I’m still trying to figure out most of David Lynch’s movies to this day). But sometimes I really wish that filmmakers (especially ones that I enjoy personally). Would do away with the bullshit metaphors/philosophy and just say what they really mean and/or have a fucking plot. I mean seriously what the fuck was that “living in a house that’s on fire” really about? That and about a hundred other things that left me wondering. So in closing unless you really like a totally art house style movie with no plot what so ever (and that’s just my opinion), don’t see “Synecdoche, New York” Stick with "Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind" or "Being John Malkovich", which are truly great Charlie Kaufman movies.