Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles (2011)

IMDb plot summary: An urban mystery unfurls as one man pieces together the surreal meaning of hundreds of cryptic tiled messages that have been appearing in city streets across the U.S. and South America.
Directed by Jon Foy.

(Spoilers.)

As this movie got going, I was prepared to be disappointed by the ending. A documentary that sets out to solve an unsolved mystery could rarely be as satisfying as a fictional mystery, because life just isn't that tidy. To my surprise, the film's resolution is not only satisfying but also fairly moving. When the almost-definite tiler is discovered and is clearly not interested in revealing himself, the filmmakers and the amateur detective back away and let go, instead of pushing for an interview. That, in my opinion, was not only the kind and decent thing to do, but also the most interesting in terms of storytelling. The main question may have been mostly cleared up, but leaving a little mystery intact works out really well.

There are a few moments in here that don't really work for me, such as the two times when the film suddenly decides to delve into the protagonist's life. These sections feel extremely out of place, especially when the rest of the movie is pretty tightly focused, and they're never referred to again. That being said, overall, I was definitely intrigued by this and enjoyed watching it. The mystery is fascinating to watch unfold, and I was delighted that there was a plausible answer to it all.

4 stars.

Flickchart: #699 out of 2301, below Godzilla and above The Intouchables.

Like Crazy (2011)

IMDb plot summary: A British college student falls for an American student, only to be separated from him when she's banned from the U.S. after overstaying her visa.
Directed by Drake Doremus. Starring Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, and Charlie Bewley.

(Spoilers about the movie's resolution.)

I'm... so torn on this. On one hand, I didn't find either of the main characters particularly likable, but maybe that's because I saw the impossibility of their relationship early on and found myself distressed at how they kept, as one of them said, "stopping and starting." Their indecision and inability to move forward with their lives was... frustrating for me.

On the other hand, though, I was so satisfied with how the film portrayed the final scenes. The silent, non-ecstatic ending reminded me so much of an extended version of The Graduate's final few seconds -- after the ecstasy of getting what you thought you wanted, you realize that maybe all that effort wasn't actually what you really wanted. I was so worried that it was going to end with some sort of fairy tale happy ending, when it seemed clear to me that moving on would be the healthiest thing for them both.

I think it is a good movie, but not necessarily an enjoyable one for me. So we'll see where it gets ranked.

3 stars.

Flickchart: #960 out of 2300, below Must Love Dogs and above The Avengers.

Billy Elliot the Musical Live (2014)

IMDb plot summary: A talented young dancer has to learn to fight for his dream despite social and parental disapproval.

Directed by Brett Sullivan. Starring Elliott Hanna, Ruthie Henshall, Deka Walmsley, and Ann Emery.

(Mild spoilers.)

The original movie is one of my favorites, and though this ends up having a very different focus than the movie did, I liked this quite a lot as well.

While the film version focuses most heavily on Billy himself and on his journey out of his town to pursue his dreams, the musical spends a LOT more time with the residents of the town. This does a nice job fleshing out the atmosphere and the story, but the end result is... very sad. As Billy leaves, the show's final image is his best friend Michael, staring after him as he walks off. This makes the show seem almost like it wasn't about Billy at all, but instead about this town where very few are able to escape the poverty and the slow death of their village. Billy's the lucky one, the one who's just talented enough to be able to make something of himself elsewhere... but in this version, he is not celebrated so much as his family and friends are mourned. It becomes a big, sad group story. And although this shift was unexpected... I like it. Not maybe as much as the original, but there's something very moving here. I can see why this won all the awards it did.

Interestingly enough, in this musical review, I don't have much to say about the music. The songs are fine. Some are more interesting than others. I've been a fan of "Electricity" ever since I heard the original cast recording, and it is definitely a standout moment here. Also notable are "Shine" and "Grandma's Song." The dancing is great to watch as well. But it's the script and the overall story that wins here.

4 stars.

Flickchart: #509 out of 2302, below Bicentennial Man and above Heavenly Creatures.

Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005)

IMDb plot summary: Soldiers from both sides of the Korean divide live among villagers who know nothing of the war.
Directed by Kwang-Hyun Park. Starring Jae-yeong Jeong, Ha-kyun Shin, Hye-jeong Kang, and Ha-ryong Lim.

(Spoilers about the tone of the ending.)

Oh, this is beautiful. This is another example of a genre that tends to get very distant with its characters, but here, it's so easy to get pulled into the drama, and the characters are vivid and fascinating and delightful. The visuals are absolutely gorgeous as well -- some of the most beautiful are actually in the final dark, violent scene. It's one of those movies that builds slowly but is captivating every moment. I'm really glad this was assigned to me for my movie challenge, because I'm not sure I would have watched it otherwise, and I would be missing out.

4.5 stars.

Flickchart: #246 out of 2299, below Reefer Madness (2005) and above Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

True Romance (1993)

IMDb plot summary: Clarence marries hooker Alabama, steals cocaine from her pimp, and tries to sell it in Hollywood, while the owners of the coke try to reclaim it.
Directed by Tony Scott. Starring Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, and Val Kilmer.

(Very very mild spoilers that would be spoiled by reading the summary anyway.)

The Bonnie-and-Clyde-style relationship between Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette is the most interesting thing for me in this film, and it's what keeps it from becoming a boring drug crime action movie (a genre that never intrigues me much). Instead, the action really does revolve around their relationship, which is insanely optimistic, so even in the midst of torture scenes and deadly shoot-outs, there's an unusually lighthearted tone.

Of course, the score has a lot to do with this. I couldn't decide at first whether I loved or hated the score, which had a cheerful little tune playing in the background of some scenes I thought would be treated more dramatically. In the end, I think it managed to sustain an enjoyable mood on through some very dark sequences, so I think it worked.

I wouldn't say I loved this, but I liked it enough.

3 stars.

Flickchart: #1102 out of 2298, below A Little Night Music and above The Slipper and the Rose.

Nashville (1975)

IMDb plot summary: Over the course of a few hectic days, numerous interrelated people prepare for a political convention as secrets and lies are surfaced and revealed.
Directed by Robert Altman. Starring Ronee Blakley, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Henry Gibson, Michael Murphy, Lily Tomlin, and a lot of other people.

Robert Altman and I have had a bit of a tricky relationship. I've seen five of his -- I really liked two and really disliked the other three. This one falls somewhere in the middle. It's unfair to complain about the abundance of country music in this one, that'd be like those people who complain about the amount of singing in Into the Woods, but as I'm not even a little bit interested in country music, I did find myself really uninterested in large parts of the movie. Altman clearly enjoys showcasing the music, and I'm sure I'd love that if it wasn't a genre I already feel very distanced from.

The second problem is the bigger one. With so many characters and so much music, I don't feel like we really got a chance to learn who any of them are. In a movie that's nearly three hours long, I'd expect to get some pretty solid character development, but all that we get are tiny snapshots spread out so far apart that I forget what's been going on with that character previously by the time we get back around to them. The few characters that are intriguing enough to follow, I got frustrated that they only got like 10 minutes of plot over the course of two hours and 40 minutes. I know this is Altman's thing, big ensemble casts, and I really liked it in Short Cuts... but it didn't work for me at all here.

2.5 stars.

Flickchart: #1217 out of 2297, below Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and above Wedding Crashers.

Happy Christmas (2014)

IMDb plot summary: After a break up, Jenny moves in with writer Kelly, her filmmaker husband, and their child. Despite a rocky start, Jenny's influence helps Kelly realize that an evolution in her life, career and relationship is necessary for her happiness.
Directed by Joe Swanberg. Starring Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, and Lena Dunham.

(Mild spoilers about the ending.)

This movie wants to be much deeper and more meaningful than it is. That doesn't mean it's bad, though -- it's a good film looking at a week or two in the lives of some likable and interesting characters. Anna Kendrick and Melanie Lynskey really shine here, but then this is no surprise, since they're always good. What doesn't work is the ending, where the "resolution" feels like the director simply ran out of story. It doesn't feel deliberately open-ended or ambiguous, just... unfinished. It's worth watching for the lead actresses, but it's not that great in and of itself.

3 stars.

Flickchart: #956 out of 2296, below Hitch and above True Grit (1969).