Amy's Movie Reviews

so, summer's here, that means the big guns have been drawn and the movies are big and loud. There are art house films out there as well, but sometimes they get lost. Here are a few reviews of some of the movies I've seen lately.

Art School Confidential (dir. Terry Zwigoff)- They had me at "from the director of Bad Santa". If you haven't seen Bad Santa do yourself a favor and check this one out. It's a hateful little gem of black comedy. Zwigoff is a director that follows his own path. He has directed documentaries and also heartfelt drama, but with this film and Bad Santa, it's obvious that his heart is with black comedy. There isn't really a plot here, but Zwigoff and writer Daniel Clowes have a huge bone to pick with art school and the people who go there. The film makes it known that talent is there, but will be destroyed by the staff and other students. The teachers are seen as failures, with the exception of Angelica Huston's art history professor who it is made clear isn't a painter trying to cash a paycheck. There was a lot of humor, but it was aimed directly at the people who were watching the film. If you are not offended and want to laugh while choking down some bile then you should enjoy it.

Mission Impossible III (dir. JJ Abrams)- So, when I saw the trailer for this movie I wanted to see it, but I was conflicted. The conflict is in the fat that I love JJ Abrams' work on Felicity and Lost, but I hate Tom Cruise. So, I wasn't sure if I wanted to see it. However, my love of Abrams and many of the other actors won me over. And, what can I say. It was great. It was definitely the best of the bunch. That might be damning it with faint praise, but that's not what I mean. This film follows the TV much closer and has a lot of life and some great sequences. The acting is good, it is well directed, and the main bad guy is a Republican!!!! That's an Amy Patrick special. Don't let Tom Cruisazzy keep you from seeing this film. It is actually really good.