What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

"Nightcrawler" stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Louis Bloom, a brilliant but obsessive "weirdo", who worms his way up from a thief stealing manhole covers for scrap to becoming the leading professional independent news videographer in Los Angeles. Independent news gatherers are the guys who cruise around at night monitoring police scanners, then rushing to capturing video of car wrecks, fires, police chases, etc. All while most everyone else is asleep. They then sell their footage to the news stations for broadcast on the morning news. The business is competitive, as extra money is paid for being first, or getting exclusives.

While I thought the script was excellent as it explored negotiating and shifting positions of power in relationships, I think it got a little preachy regarding the ethics of buying and selling videotape of people injured or dying. However, I thought the portrayal of the broadcast news industry as more interested in spectacle than substance was right on. Of course, it is also a commentary on the current state of our society, and the public's hunger for certain news stories... like following a high speed pursuit for hours in hopes of seeing a huge pile-up or shoot-out.

Gyllenhaal's performance as the hyper-amoral Louis Bloom is powerful and memorable. If you enjoyed Robert De Niro in "Taxi Driver", Gyllenhaal's performance has the same edgy vibe. I highly recommend this film just for his performance. Renee Russo is also very good as the news director who negotiates and pays for the video. Strong language throughout, and several graphic scenes of violence. This movie is a solid "R".

I give it 9 news vans out of 10.

Quote: Ayecarumba

"Nightcrawler" stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Louis Bloom, a brilliant but obsessive "weirdo", who worms his way up from a thief stealing manhole covers for scrap to becoming the leading professional independent news videographer in Los Angeles. Independent news gatherers are the guys who cruise around at night monitoring police scanners, then rushing to capturing video of car wrecks, fires, police chases, etc. All while most everyone else is asleep. They then sell their footage to the news stations for broadcast on the morning news. The business is competitive, as extra money is paid for being first, or getting exclusives.

While I thought the script was excellent as it explored negotiating and shifting positions of power in relationships, I think it got a little preachy regarding the ethics of buying and selling videotape of people injured or dying. However, I thought the portrayal of the broadcast news industry as more interested in spectacle than substance was right on. Of course, it is also a commentary on the current state of our society, and the public's hunger for certain news stories... like following a high speed pursuit for hours in hopes of seeing a huge pile-up or shoot-out.

Gyllenhaal's performance as the hyper-amoral Louis Bloom is powerful and memorable. If you enjoyed Robert De Niro in "Taxi Driver", Gyllenhaal's performance has the same edgy vibe. I highly recommend this film just for his performance. Renee Russo is also very good as the news director who negotiates and pays for the video. Strong language throughout, and several graphic scenes of violence. This movie is a solid "R".

I give it 9 news vans out of 10.

I enjoyed Nightcrawler - I was surprised by it - I think it was an independent movie on the lower budget side of things but well worth a watcb

I ended up watching Molly's Game and I enjoyed it - I wish there were more courtroom scenes but, that's just my lawyer side

[Renee Russo is also very good]

I remember when she was hot. Now,
not so much..

OMG Bob! People get older! What would women say about you as you get older?

Quote: zippyboy

OMG Bob! People get older! What would women say about you as you get older?

That they knew me when I was hot
and now I'm older. Can they say
that about you?

Quote: Evenbob

That they knew me when I was hot
and now I'm older. Can they say
that about you?

Just like Rene Russo and Julia Roberts. You don't need to keep dwelling on their ages. They still look good.

"Downsizing" stars Matt Damon as a middle class American who, along with his wife, decide to take advantage of the opportunity to be shrunk to 1/2446th their original mass thanks to a recent technological breakthrough by some Norwegian scientists. The procedure turns a 6 foot man into a "small" person 5" tall. Advertised as a way to save the Earth's resources (small people consume less resources, and produce less waste), most folks are doing it because of the extreme savings and luxurious lifestyle available due to the sharply lower cost of living (e.g., a "mansion" only costs ten's of thousands of dollars, since it is basically the size of a large doll house.)

I thought the movie was clever and well thought out. The issues that getting small were addressed realistically, and the film avoided the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" cliches of what to do when a regular sized dog is after you, or getting chased by a relatively giant sized mosquito. Matt Damon is his usual dopey self, but a surprisingly memorable performance is turned in by Thai actress Hong Chau. She steals the show. Themes of marginalization, ethos, and the income gap between the wealthiest and the poorest run through the film, which is filled with a lot of heart.

I give it 8 bottles of vodka out of 10.

Ever see a movie called "THE WAY WAY BACK" - one of my favorite movies - starring Sam Rockwell, Steve Carell, Toni Collete, Allison Janney -- a great coming of age movie - well told story and excellent soundtrack

I didn't see it, but I guess "Robin Hood" is the biggest flop of the year. Cost 90milliion, and only made 20 million over 5 days opening.