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Lucky (2011)
Lucky - Stumbling but definitely watchable
For the ones that don't know what Lucky is about, here is a brief description: Ben (Collin Hanks) is a nobody who has been in love with Lucy (Ari Graynor) since they were kids, though these feelings haven't been reciprocated in the slightest by the latter, when Ben suddenly wins the lottery, Lucy, previously annoyed by Ben now decides she wants Ben in her life but Ben is also (plottwist) a serial killer and in turn hilarity ensues.
The plot lends itself terrifically for all the bizarre things that happen in the film, however, I felt that the way that Gil Cates Jr. and Kent Sublette went with it was a bit lacking. For a movie about love, serial killing and all the money in the world, the movie stays a bit too grounded.
Colin Hanks is definitely the strong point in the film as everything more or less depends on the way he reacts to everything. How he doesn't change over the course of the film though the things that happen around him continue to escalate is something worth noting.
I wasn't familiar with Ari Graynor before this film but while she doesn't hold the (overrated) Hollywood look she maintains this magnetic aura that makes her likable. Along with that she has stellar comedic timing even with the lackluster script.
The pacing does seem to be a bit off at some points in the film but the ending, which I won't ruin because I do recommend this film, makes up for it.
Overall, there isn't anything to hate in the film, but for me, there wasn't anything to love either. I do want people to see it though, because it's different and a wobbly step into the right direction. We've all been raised with the idea that different isn't necessarily good, so I encourage you to watch it and make up your own mind.
Lost in Translation (2003)
Everybody wants to be found.
Last night I watched Lost in Translation for the first time. It was very late and I couldn't sleep, so I went past all the movies that were on the shelf and noticed Lost in Translation, which I wanted to watch for a long time - and I don't know if this is something that I share with other people - but I never really was in the mood for it, last night I was and so I did.
The funny thing is this is the first movie that inspired me to review a movie, and give advice to other people to watch it. The movie's been around for ten years now, but hey who knows, if someone hasn't watched it yet, I strongly recommend you should, because you are - like me a day ago - missing out.
This is a great film which resonated with me, and I'll explain why without giving away the plot. It wasn't until a couple hours after I watched it that I came to the conclusion that it's a romantic comedy. The reason for this delayed conclusion is that it's not in the way you would expect a romantic comedy to be. All the elements are there though: you have the guy, you have the girl and you have the glances. But something happens within the film that contributes such an amazing almost depressing atmosphere that words like genre almost fade away.
Using Tokyo as the backdrop for the story was a great choice, for me it felt like it was a character in itself, and added this feeling that at any moment the main characters would wake up and just resume their normal lives. Also have to mention the side characters in the world, they really embody the strange bizarre parts of the world and help make my theory of the fugue state in which the characters live in all the more convincing.
I think another element that was brilliant is putting in feelings that basically everyone has felt at one point. Especially the feeling of being lost or helpless on this particular level is very strong and very well depicted in the movie. So my hat's off to Ms. Coppola.
Finally, stellar performances of Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson really transcend the film into being able to shift from on the surface to very deep, or from funny to serious without noticing when the changes appear. I personally feel very lucky to have watched this film and would wish that with the multiple viewings that are going to happen in the future, to have that same mixed feeling of happiness and melancholy every time the film ends.