MOVIE REVIEWS: DA NIGHTWATCH WEARS PRADA

3 Quick Movie Reviews...

1) NIGHT WATCH: Freaky, hype-stylized Russian fantasy film. Good vs Evil while wearing sunglasses and emulating late-90s/early-tweens Cool. Premise is cool: Two sets of supernatural beings (The Others), one light/one dark - each watch over each other in a tense truce. Throw in some prophecy, some vampires and over-zealous film school editing. Overall the movie was eh for me. But maybe I was just really tired. The best aspects were the lighting and cinematography. Plus, the english subtitles are awesome and are actually integrated into the visual storytelling; characters will wipe them on and off, the text will evaporate in a blood mist, etc. The subtitle design and motion is almost worth a viewing in itself. In the end, it felt like it was trying to hard to be hip and cool. Guy Ritchie does it well with his flicks (Lock Stock... and Snatch) but this goes too far in its crazy editing & quick cuts. Also there's the "weird-factor", in which many times it felt similar to a Jean-Juenet flick (Delicatesson) but coming across as copying unsuccessfully. All these critiques could very well be a cultural thing where me, the American, just isn't in synch with Today's current Russian hip. Regardless, that's how I felt. TRex really enjoyed the movie, more than I did in fact, which was surprising. If you like Juenet & Ritchie films, Vampires, Highlander, The Crow, Blade, etc - then give it a whirl. This is the first movie of the coming Trilogy and it sets the next 2 up in a way I really have no idea where they are going to take us - which is a good thing. I'll check out Night Watch 2 and 3.
Overall Rating = C+

2) THE DEVIL WEAR PRADA: I hate the Fashion World. Years ago TRex took me to see ("Ready to Wear") and to this day I fucking hate that film. Not that it was a poorly done film (which is wasn't), its just the whole Fashion World itself makes me sick to my stomach. Call me crazy for not liking petty, egotistical, vile behavior that is rewarded. Anyway, The Devil Wears Prada is about the Fashion World. And guess what? I actually really enjoyed this film! It stars "Princess Diaries'" Anne Hathaway and my my my how she has grown into a beautiful young woman. But really, she does a great job and is immediatley a likeable character, even when she gets sucked into the Fashion World. Of course, she plays opposite Merly Streep who is *ahem* absolutely fabulous in this!!! The film isn't groundbreaking, but I must commend the filmmakers for not taking the many easy, cliche turns (which there are many opportunities). Even when they DO go for the cliche, its cliche-light and completely bareable. Overall, its a fun movie. Catch a matinee with your significant other. Or, wait for dvd and have a movie night. Guys, you'll be able to sit through it, even enjoy it, and get points.
Oveall Rating = B

3) The DA VINCI CODE:
Wow, what a turd. I'm talking "The Core" turdiness, minus the cheezy fun charm. While the book is apparently really good (sorry, I never got around to reading it), this movie is so poorly written and directed it was comical. I haven't been spoon-fed like that since I was a baby in a high chair. The "code-breaking" and "mystery solving" was like watching Batman & Robin (60s TV show) figure out the Riddler's riddle but for 2 hours straight. "This code is impossible, but let me think for a second (*2 seconds pass*), Ok, I've broken the code." What was impossible, was counting the number of times Audrey Tautou's character dumbfoundedly said "Why?". Speaking of Tautou... I absolutely loved her in AMELIE and A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT - she's amazing. However, in this film she's Cindy-Crawford-acting-bad... not necessarily her fault, the writing was weak.... maybe it was her English *shrug*. And Tom Hanks, an actor I've always loved, was just bland and boring. In fact, I need a loooong Tom Hanks break after this one. In the end, the movie was just poorly put together, riddled with plot holes and spoon fed the audience as if they were complete morons who are unable to think for themselves and put 2-and-2 together. Insulting to one's intelligence.
Overall Rating = D-