Sour Little Ditty

Day 9 gets ugly! The JGL train hit a coin yesterday with Uncertainty, and now it goes flying off the tracks, Fugitive style, with this latest film.

Let me get this out of the way right quick. I really did not like Sweet Jane! Like, I vehemently hated it! And, from the moment it ended, I knew I would derive no pleasure from writing the review in the style I usually do, so, if you'll indulge me, I'm going to mix things up a little bit. Instead of verbally abusing this small indie from 98 like a regular person, I'm going to do it in limerick form. This will probably suck!

Decisions! Decisions!

Day 8 of my Joseph Gordon-Levitt marathon finally hits a snag. Is it possible that he could be involved in a bad film that doesn't involve the phrase, "Yo Joe", where he is the lead? Believe it!

They say that a decision is everything. One small decision can shake the very fabric of the world, turn it on it's head, and change the lives of everyone involved. The film Uncertainty deals with the unpredictable nature of decisions, and the various outcomes that could come from the different ones presented to you. It's a lucrative topic that can provide a wonderful amount of content and substance that will make a great film. So, why does this suck? A clever gimmick can carry a film (see Brick). But, you also need a good script and story to help out, and Uncertainty has neither, instead relying specifically on the setup to keep the audience interested. It's a lazy attempt at the dual plot thing perfected by Memento. 

Motion Blur!

LAMBcast #32: Dream a Little Dream of Me

In which Dylan, Nick, Rachel, Tom, and I go in depth about that tricky little flick, Inception. We talk about the ending, for, I don't know, a good 20 minutes, among other things. This long as hell conversation is followed up by a few games of Last Lamb Standing, one which I handily won, and then some heated Trailer Talk. Enjoy!

Apologies

No JGL post today, I was too worn out from thoroughly embarrassing myself hosting LAMBcast #33, which recorded last night. Not to worry, we'll be back up tomorrow with another review. I'm almost at the end of my list, and I'm loving what people are sending me. Keep it coming.

According to the Movies #6

If the movies say it, it must be true!

In keeping with the whole, Joseph Gordon-Levitt thing going on here, this weeks lesson comes courtesy of, not one, but two of his movies. In the films Manic, and (500) Days of Summer, JGL acts opposite one, Zooey Deschanel. In both movies, they are romantically linked. Both romances are two of the most honest and sweet in all of cinema. In Manic, the find peace in each other's arms. In (500) Days of Summer, they engage in 500 day long relationship, the likes of which I could only dream of.





The Lesson: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel BELONG together!



Addendum: Bear in mind that this may just be me trying to live out some sort of fantasy of mine. I am madly in love with both JGL and ZD, so, I might not be thinking like a rational human being right now. Just something to think about.

The Dark Side

Day 7 of my serenading of JGL will grab you like a doll, throw you into the air, beat you into the ground, and leave you sobbing like a baby!

There's something to be said about indie movies. I'm not talking about the indie movies that have huge stars and warrant all kinds of Oscar buzz. Little Miss Sunshine and The Kids Are All Right are not the kind of indie films I'm talking about. I'm talking about the indie movies with little to no budget, stars no one even knew existed, that barely get noticed at all once they finish the festival circuit. Now, why do these films deserve your veneration? They are the films where the best talent is seen, where the truly ballsy things emerge. Small, unnoticed indie films are the places where storytelling boundaries are pushed, incredibly risky choices are made, and, surprise, they usually turn out all the better. If you want a good example of what I'm spewing, look no further then Mysterious Skin. This 2004 festival darling is one the most difficult movies to sit through. It is so unrelenting in its portrayal of teens coping with sexual abuse, among other things, that it makes you want to curl up into a little ball and wish the movie away. But, it's not going away, because, even though it deals with incredibly dark subject matter, Mysterious Skin is amazing, featuring pitch-perfect performances, seriously strong writing, and stylish direction. It is a difficult thing to stomach, but it is incredibly satisfying when you do. 

The Lost Boys

Nowhere To Be Found

Day 6 of my never ending tongue bathing of Joseph Gordon-Levitt is total cop out!

Before I get into what the point of this article is, I just want to lay down some law, if you don't mind. Hold on a sec.

Microphone on!

Volume cranked!

Ok!

YES! I KNOW THAT THERE IS THIS GUY IN THE FILM INDUSTRY NAMED SEBASTIAN GUTIERREZ, WHICH JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE MY NAME! NO! I AM NOT RELATED TO HIM AT ALL, BUT I AM AWARE OF HIS EXISTENCE! YES! I AWARE OF HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MULTIPLEX, CHIEFLY HIS PENNING OF THAT WEIRDLY ENGROSSING FILM ABOUT PYTHONS ON A 747! THERE! NOW YOU KNOW! STOP E-MAILING ME!


Although, I must say. It is kinda cool that he and I share the same name. This means that when I break into the business (fingers crossed), he and I will have to compete for who will be called Sebastian Gutierrez, and who will be called the other Sebastian Gutierrez! Place your bets.


Ok, on to the point of this article.

So, the movie Women in Trouble. Written and directed by me Sebastian Gutierrez, starring Carla Gugino, Sarah Clarke, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Josh Brolin, Simon Baker, and a few others. It concerns a bunch of women, all of the porn star, hooker, philandering wife, demographic, who are all interconnected over 24 hours in someway or other. It's like Crash or Babel, except only women.

Ok, so, why doesn't this get a review from me? Because, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who received some of the top billing on this film, is nowhere to be seen. I'm only doing films that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in, and he is not in this movie. Well, that's technically no true. He is in a six minute segment where he interviews two of the characters, but that is post credits. Doesn't count. Most people don't sit through credits.

So, in order to give this post some meaning, I give to you the six minute scene that Gordon-Levitt was in. He is flat out hysterical in it, only showing, yet again, how much he puts into his work, even when that character in question is small as hell.



Ok, I will review this movie, but after I've satisfied myself on JGL.