Movie Review: Paper Moon

Paper Moon was a recommendation from a friend. I was able to watch it the last night that it was available on Netflix a few months ago.

Summary: 9-year-old Addie has just lost her mother when she meets Moze, a con artist and one of the many men her mother had had a relationship with. A woman at the funeral points out that the pair have "the same jaw" and are possibly related. In the end, Moze is roped into taking Addie to her new home with her aunt and uncle. Along the way, the pair become collaborative con artists', using their "similar jaws" (a recurring theme) to their advantage claiming to be a down-and-out Father/Daughter pair.

Review: 
I went in watching this movie not really knowing what to expect. It's a comedy that was made in the 1970's, filmed in black and white, and set in the 1930's during the Great Depression. Then I remembered that Grease was also a 1950's style movie filmed in the 70's, which somehow convinced me to give it a shot. (*hides from film nerds*) What could it hurt to try?

I was blown away. 

Ryan and Tatum O'Neal who play the lead characters of Moze and Addie are real life father/daughter, which plays into the charm of this film. Their on-screen dynamic is realistic and appealing. I had no idea that they were related until after I watched it, when I went perusing the internet for further information.
Addie is a feisty little tomboy who envies the women that Moze is often seen with throughout the movie. She wants to look more feminine, though Moze assures her she is just as pretty as her mother was.
Moze is a con artist with a soft spot for beautiful women, and eventually Addie. His conning skills are often overshadowed by Addie's ability to up the ante when it comes to value.

The overall story was appealing. They take you along on their adventures as father/daughter con artists', getting into drama along the way. It's one long road for Moze to take Addie to her new home with her aunt and uncle, leaving you hoping that they will get lost along the way and never end up to that fated destination.

The black and white filming was a huge factor in what made this film appealing, to me. When watching it, you really get a feel for the 1950's (as much as a girl born in 1991 can imagine, anyhow). The film is so clean, even for being filmed in the 70's.

CHARACTERS: 5 of 5

STORY: 4 of 5

GRAPHICS: 4 of 5 (taking into account it's such an old film)

OVERALL: 4 of 5. A must watch for fans of classic movies, quirky characters, and hilarious plots.

Movies in Review

This week was a week of recommendations from a friend. Two of his favorite things: David Cronenberg and Canadian films, which is clearly evident based on the suggestions he gave. Either he knows that I have a penchant for sexy angst-filled movies, or he has similar taste. I've yet to ask him. Either way, he's yet to fail me as far as recommendations go. He seems to know what I like.

First up was:

Videodrome (1983) - Directed by David Cronenberg

This film had all the elements of a psycho-thriller with a touch of sic-fi. A gorey look at how TV controls our brains. They probably showed this at PTA meetings in the 80s. Excellent watch. (4 of 5)

The Wrong Guy (1997) - Directed by David Steinberg

This one was quite different from his other recommendations. A comedy, reminiscent of David Spade movies. The Wrong Guys is about this quirky fella that happens upon his boss' dead body. Unbeknownst to him, there's a security camera in the room that shows the true killer. This mishap leads him on a journey to Mexico, thinking that he's a wanted man. I'm not usually a comedy fan, but this one has tons of hilarious little quotes that I'll be spewing off for the next few months, at least. (be prepared cam-regulars) (3.5 of 5)

Crash (1996) - Directed by David Cronenberg

Crash is the 3rd Cronenberg film that I have seen (Cosmopolis and Videodrome being the others). This movie follows a group of thrill seekers who take sexual interest in…car crashes? Sounds a bit ridiculous, right? Somehow, the man made it sexy and convincing (which may be dangerous if you're the easily convinced, impulsive type….or an idiot…but who am I to judge other people's kinks). Do NOT watch this movie with your parents. I repeat, no parents. In fact, it may best be used as a type of foreplay warmup. It's what I would call a "porno with a plot." Interested yet? It's one of my new favorite films, for sure. Leaves me vaguely wondering if these movies reflect on Cronenberg's IRL sex life, at all. Hmm… (4 of 5)

-A.C.

This Week's Movies in Review: October 19-25, 2014

This week I chose a tag to conquer on Netflix: Canadian. In the USA, this tag did not exist, so it caught my eye. Even more so when I noticed that there were less than a hundred movies under the tag! Strange. So began my journey into Canadian cinematography.

First Winter (1982): This short little docudrama follows an Irish Gaelic family through their first winter in Canada.
Short and to the point, it shows the hardships that were faced during that time period during the winter. Definitely worth a watch. (4 of 5)

Crowsnest (2012): This flick was directed by Brenton Spencer and written by John Sheppard. It follows a group of friends on what they thought would be a fun camping trip, until they encounter a group of cannibals. This movie is filmed in the "found film" style, as if recorded as a documentary. A fun watch from start to finish, with plenty of gore to quench the soul, if you can ignore the somewhat cheesy acting. (3 of 5)

NotBad (2013): Ok, so I clicked this one because it was super short (30 minutes) and it had neat artwork on the cover. I didn't even bother reading what it was about. Turns out, it's a little documentary following some bikers from Canada on their journey to New Zealand. It's directed by Anthill Films. I'm not much for this sport, but I dug the artwork that they cleverly included throughout the little film. I don't think I can accurately give this a rating….so I won't.

Universe (1960): Wow, this little documentary was so inspiring. It focuses on an observatory in Toronto in 1960, showing how they take pictures of the galaxy. They give a good little overview of all of the planets. More than anything though, the black and white pictures of the planets and galaxy is what reeled me in and kept me watch. Amazing. Absolutely stunning. Kinda hipster-y, if you're into that kinda thing. (4 of 5)

Meltdown (2013): Another documentary. This one gives an in depth look at what really happened in the Fukushima nuclear plant during the 2011 tsunami in Japan. Terrifying to see how easy it is to fuck up an entire city with one little mishap. An interesting watch, with cheesy reenactments. (3.5 of 5)

Skinwalkers (2006): Jesus Christ, man. They always say "don't say anything if you can't say anything nice", so I think I'll take that approach with this one. Just save yourself 2 hours and don't even click on this movie. Don't be fooled by the cool movie poster. (Although it is amusing to see the coach from Goon as a cheesy werewolf.) (0.5 of 5)

The Shrine (2010): A nicely directed little horror film, with decent acting, and an intriguing story. The ending seemed rushed, but otherwise, it was worth the watch! Creepy faces are my weakness, and there were plenty of them to spare in here. (3 of 5)