The Yes Men Fix the World

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Two concerned pranksters go around posing as high powered executive spokespeople from large multinational firms, and staging elaborate presentations to convince conference-goers that the corporations they represent are going to do something for the good of the people... Of course, that's not true.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: The Yes Men: Andy Bichlbaum & Mike Bonanno.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Any ideas you might get about changing the way we do things in our country for the better are alright with me.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The merry prankster style of our two heroes is not dissimilar to Michael Moore's, if he were two people, and those two people were a Vaudeville team.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No. But thankfully, it will make you angry.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: As a direct competitor to Capitalism: A Love Story, giving these guys an award would be a great slap in the face to Michael Moore-- for anyone out there who's interested in slapping Moore in the face.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: These guys have giantes cajones... Or maybe they have a secret fantasy to spend some time in jail.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The producing is really what's impressive here.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It can start to feel a bit repetitive, because while they vary the pranks at each conference and for each company they're pretending to represent, the ultimate outcome is usually the same each time. Someone figures out it's a hoax, and they're still proud that they got people talking about an important issue.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: The fact that in the last month I've seen three movies (this one, Capitalism: A Love Story, and Crude) about the pitfalls and deaths caused by Capitalism and American corporate greed is a sign that this tragedy is in the zeitgeist. And the fact that it's in the zeitgeist, is a sign that it's time to take action and change our system.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-yes-men-fix-the-world/36262/trailers

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Crude

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A documentary about the class action lawsuit against Chevron-Texaco by the inhabitants of the Amazon, who have received cancer, death and disease, in exchange for the destruction of their land and natural resources.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: A bunch of humanist lawyers, a bunch of lying deceitful lawyers, a bunch of plaintiffs, environmentalists, and a smattering of celebrities who care, including Sting and his wife, Trudy Styler-- which should come as no surprise to anyone who's seen Bruno, since he told us that Sting has the Rain Forests, and Bono has AIDS.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The topic is interesting, and the arguments on both sides are compelling and eye opening, but the movie quickly becomes redundant as we see the same oil-filled riverbeds and lakes, hear the same stories of children with cancer over and over, and are repeatedly told how this is a "David and Goliath story."

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is one funny scene about the difference between what it means to an American to come up with a plan, and what it means to an Ecuadorian to come up with a plan.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There are children dying of cancer all over this thing, and somehow, I didn't come close to crying. But I guess I'm pretty cold hearted.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: There is an indigenous woman who sings an indigenous song at the beginning and the end that literally made my ears feel like they were bleeding. On the bright side, I'm glad I finally have cause to relate to that expression. On the dark side, I'm giving it the Nails on a Chalkboard Award.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The American lawyer on the plaintiff's side, Steve Donzinger, is incredibly funny, charismatic, and animated. He holds the movie together. But where this movie really excels is in the antagonist department. Some of the most hateable people ever put on tape are in this film. And while it won't surprise you to know that they all work for Chevron, it might surprise you to learn that the worst of them is not a lawyer, but the company's staff environmentalist.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Joe Berlinger directed Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, which is one of the most insightful and well crafted documentaries I've ever seen. I'm gonna take this opportunity to recommend you rent it asap, partly because I don't get that many opportunities to recommend it, but also partly because if I were to tell you how he did on this one, I'd have to repeat myself to tell you it's redundant.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The way they describe the beauty of the Amazon as it was before the oil companies came in and killed and contaminated all the water and vegetation got me thinking about the story of Adam and Eve. What if it wasn't so much a story from the past, as it is a cautionary tale about the future? What if the story was trying to say that we already live in paradise? Currently, I mean. But if we are tempted by greed (the apple/evil) we will destroy our paradise, and cause it to become no longer liveable, at which point we will be banished from our Garden of Eden. Mostly because we will all die, but also because it will no longer be paradise, so even if we live, it will feel as if we have been banished.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: On a personal note of interest only to me and those of you who went to high school with me, there is a girl from our high school class in this film, who did not go to the reunion we recently had. Despite her absence from the reunion, I now know that she lives in New York and works for Vanity Fair. Ask me about her.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/crude/trailers

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District 9

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Aliens are forced to live in a militarized slum after their spaceship breaks down over South Africa; twenty years later, while being moved to a new detention area, things start to go terribly wrong.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Mandla Gaduka, Vanessa Haywood, William Allen Young

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! District 9 is the definitive science-fiction film of the new millennium. No cute ETs like Spielberg’s creation or ethereal space landings as in Close Encounters, the aliens of District 9 – better known as Prawns – are angry, weird, homesick, violent, caring, curious and maybe up to something. And it’s all presented as if watching a CNN Special Report with Anderson Cooper, once again out there in some foreign locale unveiling some sickening truth about who the real bad guys are.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Despite the relentless squalor, action and violence, District 9 has more laughs than you might expect, springing mostly from the antics of the Prawns and also the innate intelligence of the film.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you have any Prawn-DNA in your system you will not only cry, you might not make it through the movie. (This answer doubles as an inside-joke which you will get after you’ve seen the movie.)

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Let’s see, it is now more than midway through August and this is easily one of the best films of the year. So I won’t bet against it come awards time. (And no, I’m not talking about some made-up award like: Best Use of Cat Food In A Movie.)

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Even though District 9 oftentimes resembles a documentary (or docudrama) – and apparently almost all the dialogue was improvised – none of that takes away from the excellent performance of South African star Sharlto Copley. The emotional weight of the movie sits squarely on his shoulders (and it’s a lot of weight) and he really delivers in a believable performance that goes from weasely, nervous and unlikable at the start, to heart wrenching and heroic in the end.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Neill Blomkamp, welcome to the start of your massive Hollywood career. Everything works in District 9 thanks to the direction. The effects, humor, pathos, acting, story and design – everything is in such perfect harmony that it becomes seamless. Blomkamp makes this all look so easy you’ll wonder why every science fiction film can’t be this entertaining. Oh yeah, maybe it’s because not every filmmaker is as talented as Neill Blomkamp (and it can’t hurt to have Peter Jackson as a producer). Hey Neill, hurry up and get working on District 10.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There is nothing revolutionary about this story, but it doesn’t really need to be. On the surface it’s simple, yet deceptively smart and extremely well executed. Underneath however is a not-so-subtle allegory commenting on South Africa’s sad history with apartheid. But really, that sort of history can easily extend to many countries and therefore District 9 is like a mirror being held up to the human race, reflecting back its tragedies when it comes to racial discrimination. It’s ugly and sad and soul crushing and makes you wonder if we’ll ever be enlightened enough to be capable of better. District 9 deserves as much credit for that thought-provoking question as it does for being a kick-ass entertaining sci-fi action movie.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/district-9/31920/trailers

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There Will Be Blood

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A slice of Americana, this character study depicts the birth of an oil tycoon at the turn of last century.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O'Connor, Ciaran Hinds, Dillon Freasier

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. A lot of people will love this movie. What follows is a list of people who won't: 1) People who can't stomach criticisms of organized religion. 2) People who don't appreciate being blatantly manipulated by the music. And 3) People, like me, who can't understand why so many directors these days can't cut those extraneous 38 minutes to get their movie down to a manageable 2 hours.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Smarter people will laugh individually at a few meaningful references here and there, but no group laughter will be had.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If the Good Lord, Jesus, enters your soul and releases your demons, during one of the town evangelist's dramatic sermons, you might cry. Or at least that's how it works according to TV.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Daniel Day-Lewis is always good for a nomination (deservedly so), and Paul Dano gives the kind of break-out performance that often times, not only gets nominated for the Best Supporting Actor category, but also wins it.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The film feels like it doesn't have any stars in it, and yet it does. When you forget that you're watching famous people, who make a lot of money, you remember why they are making so much money. Because they're good at their jobs.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The visual style is reminiscent of the slow paced, wide-canvased films of the 1940s. So that's nice. What is less nice is the score, which is overbearing and often times incongruous with the visuals, drawing attention toward itself and away from the story. I'm sure that many people will mistake this for great work. But those people should consider that it might actually be a sign of a director who knows that he doesn't have enough tension naturally happening on the screen, and therefore, is forced to manfacture it, by adding dramatic music. Regularly throughout the film, there are scenes where nothing is really happening: maybe it's a shot of people sitting around smoking, maybe it's a still shot of a mountain... and while you're watching these shots about nothing, the music has got your heart-rate in a tizzy. Counting Punch Drunk Love and Boogie Nights, this is the third time Paul Thomas Anderson has used this technique of putting sounds and music loudly in the forefront of his movies in an effort to disturb his audience. Some might interpret this as "a cool technique that defines his style." But it can also be interpreted as a director who doesn't trust his story enough, and instead relies on drawing our attention to the filmmaking element which is guaranteed to instinctually create emotions in us.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Based on the book, "Oil!" by Upton Sinclair, the movie doesn't have a plot but is nonetheless compelling. The characters are rich and unpredictable, and the final scene is nothing short of masterful.

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