I've seen a number of 2004 films in the last week, both recent releases and one film from earlier in the year. Here's a rundown:
Anchorman
I grew up in the '70s and '80s, so I easily remember the days when channels 3, 4 and 5 were the dominating force in television. Amusingly, I now live in a city where some of the local news anchors are considered celebrities in a manner similar to that depicted in the Will Ferrell film. As a result, I really found the film to be quite funny, with lots of weird, quirky humor that struck me just the right way. Though Anchorman isn't quite so hilarious as Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, it's still well worth watching.
The Notebook
I generally avoid weepers, but this one had been praised by plenty of people I respect, so I gave it a shot. For personal reasons, it affected me pretty deeply. I won't spoil the end of the film, but it certainly mirrors (very) recent events in my own life and as such, it was more impacting than it might be to an everyday moviegoer. The film has solid performances all around, particularly from Rachel McAdams, who is emerging as quite an underrated young actress. I'm looking forward to seeing her alongside Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn in next year's The Wedding Crashers.
King Arthur
While I tried to maintain a positive mindset about this film in the months approaching its opening, as the actual time drew near I couldn't help having lots of misgivings. The film just looked deadly dull. Unfortunately, this is mostly the case, though there are some well-imagined battle scenes and decent interchanges between Clive Owen and Keira Knightley. Honestly, I think I prefer an empowered Guinevire to the simpering wuss generally highlighted in the mythology.
Touching the Void
I wanted to like this film a lot more than I actually did. I typically enjoy documentaries a great deal, and this one had a what appeared to be a captivating story. In the end, I suspect that the tale works better in book form. Touching the Void was interesting enough, but it lacked real emotional impact for me. I do highly recommend it for anyone interested in survival stories or mountain climbing, though.
Anchorman
I grew up in the '70s and '80s, so I easily remember the days when channels 3, 4 and 5 were the dominating force in television. Amusingly, I now live in a city where some of the local news anchors are considered celebrities in a manner similar to that depicted in the Will Ferrell film. As a result, I really found the film to be quite funny, with lots of weird, quirky humor that struck me just the right way. Though Anchorman isn't quite so hilarious as Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, it's still well worth watching.
The Notebook
I generally avoid weepers, but this one had been praised by plenty of people I respect, so I gave it a shot. For personal reasons, it affected me pretty deeply. I won't spoil the end of the film, but it certainly mirrors (very) recent events in my own life and as such, it was more impacting than it might be to an everyday moviegoer. The film has solid performances all around, particularly from Rachel McAdams, who is emerging as quite an underrated young actress. I'm looking forward to seeing her alongside Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn in next year's The Wedding Crashers.
King Arthur
While I tried to maintain a positive mindset about this film in the months approaching its opening, as the actual time drew near I couldn't help having lots of misgivings. The film just looked deadly dull. Unfortunately, this is mostly the case, though there are some well-imagined battle scenes and decent interchanges between Clive Owen and Keira Knightley. Honestly, I think I prefer an empowered Guinevire to the simpering wuss generally highlighted in the mythology.
Touching the Void
I wanted to like this film a lot more than I actually did. I typically enjoy documentaries a great deal, and this one had a what appeared to be a captivating story. In the end, I suspect that the tale works better in book form. Touching the Void was interesting enough, but it lacked real emotional impact for me. I do highly recommend it for anyone interested in survival stories or mountain climbing, though.
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