2009 George Clooney movieRating: Clooney/20 (Jen: 15/20)
Plot: George Clooney has George Clooneyed for a long time now. He's graying around the edges of his George Clooneyness, still managing to be George Clooney when situations call for a little George Clooney or, in some cases, George Clooney in George Clooneyesque proportions. But changes are sneaking up on George Clooney, threatening to send his George Clooney out of orbit and ultimately out-George-Clooneying any George Clooneytude that George Clooney can deliver. George Clooney.
George Clooney, the star of Up in the Air, plays a character I really shouldn't like or root for. He does a terrific job making that character somebody infectiously human and ultimately likable. There's great character development here, and there's some great chemistry with the performers to go along with it. I liked this movie better than Juno and maybe Thank You for Smoking, probably because neither of those has enough George Clooney. This has charm but seems a little formulaic to me even though the ending took me by surprise a little bit. I'm not sure why it did though, but it probably has something to do with George Clooney's involvement. I like how a lot of varying pieces in this all contribute to an overall something even though they never really come together completely.
I liked this movie a lot. More so than you, Shane. To me it was the best movie of 2009. (Which is faint praise, since I think 2009 might have been the worst year for movies in my lifetime.)
ReplyDeleteIt was a grown up movie with real characters that you became involved with, and actual points in the movie where the plot advanced. It was funny, interesting and intelligent. And it wasnt a freaking cartoon. It was certainly more complete and had a much stronger script than the Coen Brothers movie (Which I refuse to even call by name anymore) or The Hurt Locker.
I give it an 18.
How is an 18/20 better than a Clooney/20?
ReplyDeleteThis is the type of movie that might grow on me if I see it multiple times.
Speaking of that Coen Bro. movie...aren't the endings for these two similarily ambiguous and/or "lazy"?
Ha..nope...because there is an ending for this movie. Cloony finds out that his supposed lifeline love of his life is a cheating wife. Thats the romantic plot resolved. The other chick, the younger one, finds out that she is not cut out for this work, and she quits, so her sub plot is resolved. The job for Clooney continues, as the "new way" is proven to be not as good as Clooneys way. Sheesh, Clooney even makes efforts to make his relatives lives better, as with the giving frequent flyer miles away says. Now he is back where he started from, thats true, but he at least had things happen to him that changed who he was, and he grew onscreen as a character.
ReplyDeleteThere is no tornado out of nowhere or implied cancer diagnosis with absolutely no explanation or resolution to be seen. In fact none of the plots or sub plots in the Coen Brothers film are ever resolved, and none of the characters changed or grew at all. Every plot and sub plot is left open ended, and no one in the film is shown as anything more than a cardboard cutout of very simple actions and reactions.
OH A CLOONEY 20!!! I did not see that, and only noticed Jens review.
ReplyDeleteI agree a Clooney 20 is about as good as it gets.
There are very few men who I am jealous of who they are. Michael Jordan in the 90's comes to mind. I would kill you, Cory, my mother, my dog, and everyone else on the planet to get to be George Clooney for a week or two.
Sorry about that if you got in the way of my Clooney dream.
Don't take it out on the dog and me...we'll have nothing to do with standing in your way to be Clooney.
ReplyDeleteCory, on the other hand...
I like that Clooney's character in this is dynamic, but I like even more that it's more of a sneaky development. There's no one moment where BAM! Clooney changes. It's gradual and more realistic.
Barry has somehow hijacked my views and stolen every word I would have said, except the part about sacrificing me to become someone likeable. Good luck with that, Barry (*_*). I actually think I would be expendable in exchange for being any NBA backup or golf pro, as well, from Barry's point of view.
ReplyDeleteI may have enjoyed "Star Trek" a tiny bit more, but I also think this was the "best" film from last year. It works perfectly on many levels, although the young girl and Sam Elliott's presence both annoyed me a little. An 18, as well. Nothing more can be added to your very funny Clooneygraph. He really is our generation's Cary Grant, only with a little less range. To top it all off, nobody has a bad thing to say about the guy... a Hollywood actor!
I like a couple 2009 movies better than this one. A couple three, I guess. I refuse to say what they are. 'Star Trek' sure as hell ain't one of them. This is the best American, non-animated movie that I've seen from 2009 though.
ReplyDeleteI do like George Clooney though. He's the man!