As you may know, I recently moved to Switzerland to become a exchange student. I would've guessed I wouldn't have time to watch as many movies at this busy time. However, I have had some boring days with nothing to do except watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia or DuckTales from my computer. Here's a selection of films I've seen recently.
First the Last film I saw in Finland:
Troll
Directed by: John Carl Buechler
Starring: Noah Hathaway, Michael Moriarty, Shelley Hack
This prequel of Troll 2 (of sorts) should deserve a cult status of its own. I think it has some sort of light-hearted attempts at a satire, but it comes out just plain weird. The scene where unspeakably silly troll dolls sing in the bushes is one for the records. It's still not Troll 2, but hey, what is? A must-see for bad movie lovers.
* or *****
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Directed by: Jake Kasdan
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, Raymond J. Barry
The only parody worth anything in recent memory. This pokes fun at Hollywood's musician biographies, while it doesn't shy away from spoofing also it's fair share of rock institutions. I laughed hard at many points, but overall, there really isn't anything justifying why a goofy comedy should be over 90 minutes long. The version I saw was two hours and it drags a lot at certain points. Still, well worth checking out.
***1/2
Semi-Pro
Directed by: Kent Alterman
Starring: Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin
Will Ferrell stepped over the line with one too many sports comedies with this one. It's a wonder why even a cast which features Will Arnett and Andy Richter can't bring any posture into it. Dodgeball this certainly ain't. It has a few amusing scenes, but as is the case with these kind of bad comedies, they can be seen on the movie's trailer. I dig the "Love Me Sexy Song", still.
**
The Man from London
Directed by: Bela Tarr
Starring: Miroslav Krobot, János Derszi, Tilda Swinton
The first movie I saw at the local arthouse cinema, Kino Xenix in Zurich. Tarr is notorious for being a slow moviemaker. This also moves at glacier-speed, which usually is not my cup of tea, but the plot is intriguing enough to keep even someone as ADD as me going. An athmosphere of peril and mystery is well-realized, but the family drama parts falters at parts. The end result doesn't feel as larger-than life as it should. A sad little arthouse film.
***1/2
RockNRolla
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Mark Strong, Tom Wilkinson, Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton
Nice of Guy Ritchie to finally complete his gangster trilogy. I just can't help but wonder where's Statham. This one keeps it simple, with a plot that's easier to follow than Snatch or LS&2SB. However, that itself does not make this on par with them (well, not with Snatch at least). There's little new ideas except the titular RockNRolla and it just doesn't seem as funny. Nice for a saturday night's film, however.
***
