Monday, March 21, 2011

Limitless

Limitless
88 of 100.
Pros: Top notch cinematography. Good story concept. DeNiro.
Cons: Loosely ended.

Take a pill to achieve 100% brain utilization. By the way, the pill is addictive, expensive, and dangerous. Also, those who have taken it have not had good overall outcomes. Bradley Cooper plays a loser who also happens to be writing a book. Some would call him a writer. Same thing. He is down on his luck and an old acquaintance steps in and offers him clarity in the form of a pill. After that, the story quickly examines how deep the rabbit hole goes.

I should note, the cinematography is really great from the first opening sequence, and is really shot well throughout the film. It varies just enough every now and then to give the viewer something new and exciting to look at.

The only factor that kept this movie from soaring into the 90 of 100's was the fact that it was ended rather abruptly. I left the theatre with several questions that were not answered, and it wasn't the kind of movie that they would line up a sequel to answer. All in all, I would rent this again. It was a thrilling film, and there should be more creativity like this.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

The Adjustment Bureau


The Adjustment Bureau
73 of 100.
Pros: Suspenseful. Well thought-through. Emily Blunt.
Cons: Allegorical. Predictable.

In a world that is controlled by a master plan by 'adjusters', your free will is stripped from you and you unknowingly give control of your destiny to men who where hats. Kinda weird. The film had a great presentation and overall linear movement of the central idea.

Emily Blunt stole the show. I honestly can't remember who was the main guy star right now, cause I was so drawn to her character. The style of filming was really well planned when traveling through doorways into a 'substrate' where the adjusters traveled throughout the city in a magic portal type way.

The adjusters were not viewed as a government agency, but as a vague, higher power entity. That was a bit strange, but it was a different take on the whole conspiracy thing. The ending was unfortunately predictable.