Quick Hits

Memories of Murder

Score: 82%

Good Hair

Score: 69%

Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass is pure mindless fun. Sure, it attempts to say something and mucks that all up, but who is looking for deep pools of meaning in such a movie? I don't have a problem enjoying a movie that totally lacks substance. After all, isn't superficial entertainment pretty much the Hollywood paradigm? Of course, most of those films are complete failures in terms of having any value. Kick-Ass at least entertains. And sometimes all we want as moviegoers is good, stupid fun.

Kick-Ass

Score: 66%

Greenberg

Greenberg, the character, is a narcissistic misanthrope; or to put it crassly, he's an asshole. And yet we come to empathize with this character, a tribute to Baumbach's script and Stiller's performance. The acting all around is very good, especially Gerwig and Ifans. The script and mis en scene are wonderfully detailed, drawing the viewer into a world that seems lived-in and not merely a set piece. Baumbach's films are not mainstream, Hollywood-friendly fare; they are cynical and dark, character-driven comedy of manners films with influences from some of the great directors of the 60's and 70's. And in Greenberg, Baumbach goes one step further with his influences by paying a direct homage to Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, gathering his vapid party-goers around the pool to gaze at a dead, unidentifiable animal floating in the water.

Greenberg
Score: 74%

Ramin Bahrani

Goodbye Solo

Score: 79%

 

Chop Shop 

Score: 81% 

  

Man Push Cart

Score: 70%