Multi-Movie Recap

I have watched a few movies I haven't had the chance to write about, and honestly, there was enough other stuff going on that I can't write a full and complete review of them anymore.  So I'll just give a brief statement about each one:

Beasts of the Southern Wild:

This movie got lots of press when it came out, mostly for the stellar performance of the young Quvenzhane Wallis, who I believe was six at the time of filming.

Her performance as Hushpuppy is good; it's honest.  Hushpuppy lives with her father in "The Bathtub," a slum outside New Orleans which is prone to flooding.

Can you see where this is going?  You're right, but with a twist: Hushpuppy's world is populated by mythical creatures who help her learn to be caring and brave.


 Anna Karenina:

Admittedly, I watched this one a long time ago.  Regardless, the fact that I can barely remember it I think says everything you probably need to know about it.

However, you should not leave my discussion of this movie without hearing my favorite line, spoken by Alexei to Anna when she was refusing to come to dinner because her marriage to Karenin was falling apart.  To convince her to join him: "Divorce is one thing.  Dinner is quite another."

Looper:
In case I haven't said it before (which I actually have), I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  Still.  Ever since I was 10.  Can't explain it, and frankly don't feel the need to.

Despite his totally one-sided acting, Bruce Willis can be entertaining too, mostly because he's just a super-crotchety old man all the time, who somehow still manages to kick people's asses.  It works.






Like Crazy:

I liked this movie like crazy.  (How many people do you think said that before me?)  I think this is why: (1) the two lead actors are both fresh and refreshing; (2) Jennifer Lawrence; (3) much of the script is improvised, but doesn't feel like improv.  It feels real.

This is the story of two young lovers.  There are parts that seem completely ridiculous, but I still loved every minute.  Really.

Before Sunrise:

This is the first of what is now a trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.  In this first film, the two lost souls find themselves with less than a day to spend together, and they decide to hop off the train in Vienna and spend it there.

It's a young love story on a smaller scale than Like Crazy, in that the whole thing takes place over the course of a few hours.  It's like one of those long, wandering conversations that you have at the beginning of a relationship when you're just getting to know one another, except that in this movie you're in the middle of someone else's conversation.