My 2008 Movie Odyssey - Part II

The Fantastic Planet (1973)
This film kept popping up on lists of great animated films targeted towards adults, so I figured I would check it out. The visuals are creative and interesting to look at, though the animation is very simple, feeling more like an anime than a Disney film. The world it creates is interesting and wonderfully realized, and the story is a lot like The Secret of Nimh (only this time, instead of rats we have humans trying to preserve their society against giant aliens). I suppose I should put in a warning about the very high animated breast count, but what would you expect from a French film?

Juno (2007)
Well this kind of finishes off the pregnancy trilogy of 2007 (after Knocked Up and Waitress), and I must say I liked Juno the best. I always find it refreshing to watch movies in which the characters are verbally eloquent, it is a nice change from the profanity laced dialog that tries to be realistic but only serves to make the characters come across as unintelligent and dull. But with Juno, listening to her speak, I get the feeling that I would actually like to meet her in real life.

Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
It is an interesting look at global politics, and generally manages to show an important issue without broadcasting its Importance in every scene. Of course Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman are excellent, and the movie is further proof that Amy Adams should be in every other movie. On the other hand, the film wasn’t terribly funny, and I doubt it will stick with me two months from now.

Sky High (2005)
I think I would have liked this film a whole lot more if The Incredibles did not exist. It covers much of the same ground as The Incredibles, but in a simpler, shallower way. It is still fun to watch, but definitely has more of a kids’ aesthetic.

The Conversation (1974)
It is an interesting look into the world of bugging and surveillance, and it was fun following the twists and turns of the plot as Gene Hackman’s character tries to piece together the contents of a bugged conversation between two people, but I just could not get over the fact that the film is about lots of unhappy people either unwilling or unable to find joy in the people around them. Of course that probably says more about my personality and outlook on life than the movie itself.

Coming up next: two of this year's best picture nominees, and two science fiction films.