Presenting! The least surprising GOT ME/LOST ME of 2011 (followed by some unfortunately scheduled releases for a few other promising flicks)!
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Ralph Fiennes. Directed by David Yates. Rated PG-13.
I’ve never read the books. Up to a year and a half ago, I had not seen any of the movies. There was even a point when I toyed with the idea of letting the movies finish their run, allowing the buzz to die down, and only then starting the books and movies (This approach was inspired by how some of my friends have lately started investigating the hit TV show “Lost“). I’m very happy I decided against this idea and dove head first into the first six films before the grand two-part finale. This whole week would have been absolutely intolerable if I had wasted my energy trying to avoid the excitement. Now I realize J.K. Rowling’s skilled creation of Harry Potter and the stories that follow the wizard-boy’s teenage years contain far more depth, more philosophy, more grief, more responsibility, and – most of all – more fun than the mere judgment of the covers of the books suggests. Here’s hoping more stories and entertainment of this caliber are to follow.
Oh, and I hope the 3D doesn’t muck anything up too badly.
GOT ME
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starring the voices of Jim Cummings, Craig Ferguson, Bud Lackey, and John Cleese. Directed by Stephen J. Anderson and Don Hall. Rated G.
I’m reminded by the trailer why I could never get enough viewings of the original Pooh shorts (Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, and – the best one – Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree) when I was a small child. The late Sterling Holloway – the original voice of Pooh – was my first ever Kevin Bacon-like actor-connection discovery (I recognized his voice as the same as Mr. Stork from Dumbo). Plus: How cool was it that these cartoons lived inside a book even on a screen? This brief timed update seems thankfully humble about its updating and incredibly full of Zen (especially after some less inspired offerings like 2003’s wholly forgettable Piglet’s Big Movie). Let 2011 officially be known as the first year in a long time (ever?) that the 2D Disney animated feature trumped the 3D Disney•Pixar animated feature in terms of quality control.
… Too bad it’s going to be spanked at the box office.
GOT ME
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starring Mark Lipson, Julie Bilson Ahlberg, and Joyce McKinney. Directed by Errol Morris. Rated R.
A documentary covering the bizarre true story of a woman who allegedly kidnapped a man she fell for from the Church of Latter Day Saints and was arrested and accused of rape. Morris (The Thin Blue Line) looks to have crafted a visually arresting film from the interviews and media coverage.
At least it’s after a different audience than the big fictional movie of the week. Awesome poster too.
GOT ME
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Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
starring Bingbing Li, Gianna Jun, Vivian Wu, and Russell Wong. Directed by Wayne Wang. Rated PG-13.
This tale of a strong friendship between two women who devise a way to cope with imposed customs in 19th century China in all honesty wouldn’t normally be a draw for me. However, in the care of Wang (The Joy Luck Club) this adaptation of Lisa See’s book appears to only be guilty of slightly too much modernization. If my wife wanted to rent it one night, I probably wouldn’t object.
It doesn’t stand a chance against Potter, but I don’t think that’s any concern of its filmmakers.
GOT ME
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starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, Morgana Davies, Marton Csokas, and Christian Byers. Directed by Julie Bertuccelli. Rated PG.
By the time I started this trailer, I thought I was on my way to a first ever completely “GOT ME” GOT ME/LOST ME. Too bad things took a turn for the sappy when the little girl started talking to the gigantic tree by her house – convinced the spirit of her deceased father inhabited it. Oh yes – this Aussie import is going to be one of those movies. Anyone who doesn’t find the final line of the trailer painfully groan-inducing should either come pay me a visit or shoot me an e-mail so I can begin the healing and introduce films with, ya know, GOOD dialogue in them.
Smoke this one, Harry.
LOST ME
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Return next Monday or Tuesday (I always shoot for Monday) for the GM/LM for July 22nd, 2011 which will include Captain America: The First Avenger with Chris Evans and Friends with Benefits with Mila Kunis. If you regularly visit Twitter, feel free to follow @MEIER_in_a_CT and @gttmovies for more non-depressing reads of widescreen OCD.