Monday, April 30, 2012

Very brief thoughts on The Raven (2012) and Young Adult (2011)




The Raven (2012)
Director - James McTiegue
111 Min; R

Edgar Allan Poe: Action hereo!

Just wanted to stop by and let you know you can save your money and skip the Poe themed film because it is pretty lame and you will leave not really remembering anything about it at all. It is a poor mans Seven in a lot of ways with a script that doesn't do any real justice to what it is trying to convey. Cusack is over the top at times that don't call for it but really it is just the premise of the film and the execution that derails it. Pretty much a standard movie that wasn't horrible but isn't worth the time.


** and 1/2 out of 5




Young Adult (2011)
Director - Jason Reitman
94 Min; R

On the other hand I finally got around to seeing Young Adult and I thought it was really well done, right up to the lame cop out of an ending. Sigh. Could have been close to great if they had stuck to some conviction about what it means to be this woman at the end. Theron is excellent and everyone around her is solid.   This is a darker look at what happens to people who never take control of their lives, and it works very well.


**** out of 5