There was a lot of “good” films this year that somehow got mixed up by the general critic populous for being “great” films. This list describes some of those movies and what exactly makes them not as special as some think them to be.
- Juno (Jason Reitman) - This Ellen Page led comedy is nothing shy of an enjoyable cinematic experience but is it really the best film of 2007, like Roger Ebert claims? Definitely not. Page plays Juno, a 16 year-old pregnant high school student, as extremely knowledgeable and intelligent girl who is way beyond her years. Let’s face it, girls like this were a figment of our young imaginations. They simply didn’t exist when we were in high school, nor do they now.
- Atonement (Joe Wright) - This Kiera Knightley romance epic sweeps you off your feet and into a coma. Why do we care about super rich white British girls? Because one of them is an evil juvenile and the other is just annoying. No doubt the old whiteys will vote this into nomination glory.
- The Simpsons Movie (David Silverman) - The Simpsons finally made it to the big screen this year but failed to give us something we haven’t seen before. At best, it was a 90-minute episode containing all that you love about them without any new surprises.
- Sweeney Todd (Tim Burton) - Critics and audiences drooled over this typical revenge flick set to musical numbers and starring Johnny Depp doing, well, Johnny Depp again. Nothing new to see here, yet it somehow earned 4 Golden Globe nominations. The songs are tedious and serve only to stretch the rather thin plot line into a feature-length musical for those who never saw the stage act.
- The Lookout (Scott Frank) - Probably the least heard about film on this list, screenwriter Scott Frank (Minority Report, Out of Sight) made his directorial debut with this watchable thriller about a bank heist and the people involved. It’s no doubt a good movie, but based on Frank’s resume, you’d expect so much better. The Lookout managed to earn a 87% positive on Rotten Tomatoes for being, “A genuinely suspenseful and affecting noir.” They forgot typical.
January 3rd, 2008 at 11:46 am
I so disagree with what you have to say about the Juno character. Girls like that do exist, just no one gives them the time of day because they’re never the head cheerleader. Why do you think she ended up with Bleeker? She had no other options.
There’s some 16 year old girl thinking that this movie is going to make her popular, someone will find her wit amusing. She’s wrong, 16 year old guys just aren’t that deep.
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I never rolled with the cheerleading crowd, so I would have given those Juno types the time of day in a heartbeat. But in my high school career, 16 year-old white chicks just weren’t smart enough to know the shit she knows.
But maybe you’re right. Some guys that age aren’t deep. Some of us were though… I guess we ended up being fucked.
January 5th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
I got to fuck the head cheerleader. just sayin’.
oh, and my prom date, Karen, was like this kind of girl.