St. Vincent (2014)

I love Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts so passing St. Vincent was not an option for me, even more so if you consider the film got a Globe nomination for Best Comedy/Musical. Unfortunately, my cinema didn't show it, I missed it and it took me more than four years to catch up.

The story follows Vincent (Bill Murray), an old, grumpy and alcoholic Vietnam veteran who lives alone and gambles regularly and whose only friend is a Russian sex worker named Daka (Naomi Watts). When Maggie Bronstein (Melissa McCarty), a med-tech divorcée, moves to the next-door house with her eleven-year-old son, Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), Vicent offers to babysit him for money and he soon turns out to be exactly the mentor Oliver needs as the kid has to deal with his parents' divorce and the new school.

St. Vincent's story is far from being original and follows every single cliché of the genre where you have a grumpy man being softened by a kid in need of a father figure. It's predictable and doesn't have a surprising twist at the end. However, despite these flaws, the story is engaging and interesting to follow, but most of all, it's one of those feel-good stories with a happy ending you are longing for and that successfully manage to put a huge smile on your face as the final credits roll in.

The characters too are stereotypes, from the alcoholic, rude old man who gambles with money that is not his and with no apparent redeeming quality, to the kid who is the walking stereotype of Catholic School life, to the single mother is going through a divorce because her husband cheated on her. But just like with the story, you are willing to overlook these flaws because they also are likeable, sympathetic and they feel real.

The Weinstein Company

And the credits for it entirely go to the cast. Bill Murray is a delight to watch and gives a funny and charming performance in the role of Vincent as he does great with his character's eccentricities while also showing his humanity and big heart. Naomi Watts is quite a show stealer in the role of Daka, the lady of the night, as Vincent calls her; she really fleshes out the character and her Russian accent is pretty good. Melissa McCarty showcases her dramatic talents in the role of the single mother. Chris O'Dowd shines as Brother Geraghty, a teacher in Catholic school, and brings some enjoyable Catholic humour in the film. It's Jaeden Lieberher, however, that completely steals the scene. The young actor is so likeable and sweet it's a joy to watch, and his chemistry with Murray is incredible.

Ultimately, St. Vincent isn't anything new but it's still a touching, funny, sweet and heartwarming feel-good movie with a charming cast.

Zombieland (2009)

Shaun of the Dead has always been my go-to zombie comedy so I never really cared about watching other movies of the genre. Then eight/nine years ago I fell in love with Emma Stone which translated in me watching every single film she made. Zombieland was one of them, and, despite Jesse Eisenberg, it was love at first sight and now it's kinda replaced Edgar Wright's film.

The story follows Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a geeky young man trying to survive the zombie apocalypse by following a long list of rules he has created. On his way to Ohio to see if his parents are still alive, he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a man who hates zombies and enjoys killing them like nobody else on a quest to find the last Twinkie, and they decide to travel together. While on their journey, they meet Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), two sisters who are heading to an amusement park nearby Los Angeles which is believed to be zombie-free.

Plot-wise, there's not a lot going on in Zombieland as the plot is extremely simple and uncomplicated, it doesn't have any surprising twist nor turn, and, to be completely honest, there are a lot of conveniences and it doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense. It's its simplicity and its silliness though that makes it work. 

The characters don't have a lot of depth nor complexity either as they all are one-dimensional, cardboard-like characters. Yet, there's something memorable and likeable about each one of them, whether it's the neurotic geek who is probably afraid of his own shadow, the kinda psychotic cowboy obsessed with Twinkies, or the girl with the perfect hair, perfect makeup and well-thought outfit during the zombie apocalypse or her tremendously ignorant teen sister.

Columbia Pictures

The actors don't do anything new as they all play characters they've played before —Jesse Eisenberg is the only exception because he plays Jesse Eisenberg— but they share a nice chemistry and they are fun to watch, especially Woody Harrelson who gives a humorous performance as the tough guy who just wants a Twinkie and seems to be born to play this kind of role.

Ultimately, Zombieland is not a smart movie, one of those films that keep you hanging with its twists and turns. On the contrary, it's pretty simple dumb, but the cast, Bill Murray's funny cameo and the often black humour make for a pretty entertaining flick.

Rushmore (1998)

I've heard a lot of good things about Wes Anderson's Rushmore over the years but, for some reason or another (I can't recall any of those at the moment), I never checked it out. 

The film follows Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a nerdy, precocious 15-year-old kid who earned a scholarship to the exclusive prep school Rushmore, where he is not doing very well in any of his classes as he doesn't bother to study and spends all of his time enjoying (too) many extracurricular activities. His life takes an unexpected turn as he befriends a depressed middle-aged local industrialist, Herman Blume (Bill Murray), and falls for a recently widowed teacher, Ms. Cross (Olivia Williams). 

If you like your films with a plot, you should probably stay away from Rushmore as its plot is almost non-existent. There are just a lot of events happening kind at random and it's kind of hard to understand why they are happening, but just like any other Wes Anderson movie I've seen (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Hotel Chevalier, which is a short film, are the only I haven't seen yet), a plot doesn't have to be that complex nor doesn't have to make a lot of sense to be compelling and captivating, and Rushmore is both. 

One of the many reasons for that is the characters. Once again, Anderson, with the help of his co-screenwriter Owen Wilson (fun fact, they wrote the screenplay to Rushmore way before they made their debut with Bottle Rocket, did you know that?), brought to the screen quirky, intriguing and developed characters that may not be realistic and may not be instantly likable, but you'll end up loving anyway despite their many flaws.

Buena Vista Pictures

Max, who is introduced in a very nice way with clips of him in all the many clubs he has either joined or founded at Rushmore, is beautifully delivered by Jason Schwartzman who, in his debut, brings to the character some kind of arrogant, lazy and yet charming presence that fits Max like a glove. His performance may not be Oscar worthy but it's definitely believable. Bill Murray is great as always as Max's adult friend, Herman, a disillusioned man in search of a home, doing a good job both as the good guy and the villain. Olivia Williams too does a really nice job as she probably is the only one who brings to the film a very appreciated human presence.

The humour is great as always. It's dark, witty, subtle and offbeat and Anderson finds a great balance between that and the drama, making of Rushmore a film that is both funny and touching. 

Charlie's Angels (2000)

I never watched the popular TV series and if it wasn't for Sam Rockwell, I would have never watched Charlie's Angels either. I don't know what it is, but there's something about it that seems to be screaming, shitty movie alert. Well, my gut was right. This is a shitty movie.

After stopping a man from blowing up an aeroplane, Natalie (Cameron Diaz), Dylan (Drew Barrymore) and Alex (Lucy Liu), also known as Charlie's Angels --Charlie is a mysterious dude we, the Angels and the audience, are not allowed to see-- are hired by programmer Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell) to retrieve his voice-recognition software that has been stolen. The suspicion falls on Roger Corwin (Tim Curry), Knox's rival. 

That's the storyline. The development is a whole different thing. Actually, there's no development, and the film drags on for way too long with so many subplots it's hard to keep count. It seems like the filmmakers were trying to make the film more complex, but they only made it more laughable. There are some twists but they are predictable *SPOILER*I saw the one about Rockwell coming as soon as he showed up at the beginning of the film*SPOILER* and so many plotholes you need to shut your brain and keep logic away if you don't want to get frustrated. Because of that, the plot is not engaging nor interesting. 

The awful characters and the equally awful performances sure don't help. If you are a woman, like me, who is interested in seeing strong female characters and girl power, like me, then stay the hell away from Charlie's Angels. The Angels are one-dimensional and quite offensive, to be honest. They are supposed to be female James Bond but they are more like Bond girls trying to fight crime. Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu can't act. Period. Drew Barrymore is usually a better actress but the poor script doesn't allow her to do much. She is still able though to be funny and kind of sexy at the same time.

Columbia Pictures

The supporting characters are just as bad. The good guys deserve a special mention for being as interesting as watching paint dry. There's even a ridiculous and quite frankly embarrassing performance from Bill Murray. The bad guys, that's a different story. And the actors playing them deserve full credits. Both Sam Rockwell and Tim Curry give pretty awesome performances. They are not phenomenal but they easily steal the show. 

Next up is the action, just as terrible as everything else. The action sequences are cheesy and beyond laughable. How do they even dare to call this action? 

If you want to see Cameron Diaz's ass though and Lucy Liu acting like a dominatrix, Charlie's Angels is perfect for you. 

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

There's still plenty of time since Isle of Dogs hits theatres here (May 17 unless they decide to postpone it for some dumb reason) so I decided to take advantage of this time to watch the Wes Anderson movies I haven't seen yet. The Darjeeling Limited was one of them and it was also the one that had been on my watchlist for at least 10 years (I added to my list because of Natalie Portman but I'm so glad that at the end I didn't watch the movie for her because it would have been a major disappointment since she's barely in the movie). 

A year after the accidental death of their father, three brothers, Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman), meet on a train, the Darjeeling Limited, and embark on a journey across India in an attempt to bond with each other. But Francis has something else in mind, visiting their mother (Anjelica Huston) who didn't even show up at their father's funeral. 

It's the typical Wes Anderson story about a dysfunctional family. There's the estranged brothers, the daddy issues, and the shitty parents, basically, who fucked them up. And there isn't much of a plot either, just a lot of things happening that don't really make a story. Also, it unfolds slowly (I totally see why someone may not like this).

And yet, the journey both physical but mostly spiritual of these three brothers is so fascinating, it kept me glued to the screen as if I was watching a thriller. The Darjeeling Limited is about letting things go, leaving the baggage behind --and these three have a lot of them, both literal and figurative ones. 

And it's also very fun to watch. Their journey does not go as planned, of course, and the brothers are forced to cope with many difficult situations --like a poisonous cobra on the loose on the train-- and things get pretty hilarious. The humour is dry and quick, and most jokes rely on characters' traits, but they work. 

Fox Searchlight Pictures

The characters are just as fascinating as the journey. Though Peter and Jack don't have a reason to join the journey in the first place --they complain as if they were forced to do this-- they are quirky and interesting, very flawed and yet likeable, but most important they feel real. And the relationship between them --or siblings in general-- is depicted very well. 

Of course, the actors playing them are important as well. Adrien Brody was the standout for me. His character, Peter, is the one with a wider emotional range, and Brody does a great job delivering that, and some good slapstick too. He also has a beautiful chemistry with Owen Wilson which makes their scenes very enjoyable. Jason Schwartzman is a bit weak though. He just doesn't seem to be able to come out of the shadow of the other two. Anjelica Huston does good as the runaway mother and there's a nice Bill Murray cameo too at the beginning. 

At last, The Darjeeling Limited has some pretty striking visuals --fantastic cinematography, surrealistic colours, beautiful composition, gorgeous and interesting locations-- and a great soundtrack that fits the story very well.