Currently browsing the "George Clooney" tag.

The Descendants

If you’re looking for an adult movie that can appeal to the mainstream, adventurous and arty crowd this holiday weekend, then I highly encourage you to seek out The Descendants. It’s got George Clooney. Need I say more? Actually, I do need to say more – because this is Clooney at his best. He delivers a powerfully low-key performance as a fairly regular guy named Matt King who is forced to step it up as a father when his wife suffers catastrophic injuries in a boating accident. As she lies comatose in a hospital bed, Matt is left to process her impending death, comfort and support his rebellious and rambunctious daughters, and oversee the difficult sale of a large piece of pristine land that his Hawaiian ancestors left in a family trust (thus the title, The Descendants). On top of that, he learns his wife had been having an affair.

The Ides of March

The Ides of March is a decent adult drama, but it’s also a depressing commentary on the state of our political system. It doesn’t really matter if you’re a republican, democrat, independent or ‘other’ – the movie is likely to leave you with the impression that we’re all pawns in a political game that’s essentially run by a select group of strategists who will do whatever is necessary to achieve victory for their candidate du jour.

The American

It’s no big secret that the Chickflix chicks all love George Clooney and not just for his, ahem, acting skills. But rather – perhaps even more so- for his genuine passion and compassion for global justice and humanity. For that reason alone, I urge everyone (over 18) to go see The American to support Clooney… even if this movie does feature a much darker George than we’ve generally come to expect.

2010 Fall Movies

We’re moving out of the summer blockbuster kids’ movies and into the fall when traditionally a more serious adult roster hits the screens. This year? Well, there are a few that seem Oscar worthy, several with our favorite men headlining, a couple that look like real chick flicks and what just might be some nice comedies. See for yourself.

And the Award goes to…

It has begun. The film awards season is upon us. The Academy Awards aren’t until March 7, but in the past couple of days, the film societies have begun releasing their picks for 2009. (The Oscar nominations don’t come out until Feb. 2.) Now, I really wish I’d seen The Hurt Locker when it was here, but I blinked and missed it. There seem to be a lot of nominees and/or winners that have not come out yet, or have only opened in limited release. I guess that is the way they always do it, so the voters remember the films.  But it makes it hard for those of us not in LA or NY to know if they are right when we haven’t been able to see the films yet. Then again, it makes the holiday film season all the more fun, trying to see all the nominees in theaters in the coming weeks.

Up In The Air

The more I think about it, the more I like this movie. And it’s not JUST because of George Clooney, though he does carry most of the movie on his broad shoulders. His female co-stars, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick do an admirable job playing off Clooney in very different and interesting ways. Whenever the movie starts to border on cliché, it tends to take a surprising turn. Here’s the basic plot: Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a guy who lives out of a suitcase and likes it that way. His job is to jet into a city, tell people they’ve been laid off, hand them a severance packet, and get out of town. He racks up the frequent flier, luxury hotel, and rental car points… enjoys the privileges of elite status… and shares a ‘no-strings’ bond with a road-warrior soulmate (Farmiga).

Fantastic Mr. Fox

It shouldn’t come as any big surprise to Chickflix fans that Fantastic Mr. Fox has made its way onto our friendly little blog. After all, it stars the voice of George Clooney. And sure enough, listening to George Clooney for an hour and a half is almost as entertaining as watching him. On second thought, watching him is still way better. But as an animated flick, Mr. Fox does deliver.

The Men Who Stare at Goats

Watching George Clooney do nearly anything for an hour and a half is worth the price of admission in my opinion (though I do wish he’d give us another romantic comedy once every so often.) And even though Ewan McGregor is the central character in The Men Who Stare at Goats, and he’s no chore to watch, George, with his scruffy beard and 80s hair in places, demands your attention. But despite loving George and enjoying Ewan, The Men Who Stare At Goats is not all that satisfying. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve pretty much seen the movie. There is not much substance to it.