Last movie you watched......

Really, really hate to say this about one of my journalistic idols, but some of Roger Ebert's reviews of late have missed some important details. As you know if you read Ebert, he likes to recount much of the plot in his reviews (a major reason I stay away, usually, before seeing a film). Whatever. Anyway, as of late, he seems to forget and/or jumble aspects of plot and character in ways he never has before. It's usually very small things, but sometimes its jarring.

Am I alone in this observation?

 

Is it more lately than previously? It seems like critics do this a lot, in my experience. They tend to get quite bored by heavily plotted films, I think.

 

I liked the new Sherlock Holmes movie. Very entertaining, often funny. Jared Harris was an unusual but inspired casting choice. Stephen Fry was funny as always.

And Brick was one of the first movies I got from Netflix and thought it was decent. Light years ahead of his next effort, the Brothers Bloom.

 

Win Win is now my favorite movie of 2011.

Just eclipsed The Muppet Movie and Hugo.

All three are fantastic -- well done, sweet, and highly enjoyable.

 

Sherlock Holmes on Christmas Day and Mission Impossible on New Year's Eve. RD Jr > TC.

Both were fun movies and worth seeing, Sherlock was better.

 

Watched Super 8 yesterday afternoon. It was a Spielberg flick that reminded me of E.T. in certain ways, but wasn't as good as E.T. I thought some of the plot explanation fell short and reduced the excitement of the movie in a way. It was entertaining though and the lead child actor did a nice job.

 

Saw Mission Impossible in IMax on NYE. It was awesome, just a really fun movie going experience. And Paula Patton, um, yeah...

 

"The Usual Suspects."

Believe it or not, I had never seen it. It came out during the black hole in my pop culture and (pro) sports knowledge known as college.

 

Interesting sidenote to "The Usual Suspects," related to a recent discussion on this thread.

Someone mentioned that Ebert seems lately to have botched some plot points of films at an alarming rate. I questioned whether he ever really cared about plot that much - along with a lot of critics.

Here is the beginning of his review of "The Usual Suspects," from 1995:

The first time I saw "The Usual Suspects" was in January, at the Sundance Film Festival, and when I began to lose track of the plot, I thought it was maybe because I'd seen too many movies that day. Some of the other members of the audience liked it, and so when I went to see it again in July, I came armed with a notepad and a determination not to let crucial plot points slip by me. Once again, my comprehension began to slip, and finally I wrote down: "To the degree that I do understand, I don't care."

 

A Clockwork Orange

First time I had ever viewed it.

Malcolm McDowell was a pure beast in that film.

 

2012.

I don't know why, but I really like that movie.

 

it's because you're a religious nut who actually believes that'll happen this year