Today, we're celebrating the birthday of Matt Damon, who turns 41 today. Damon nabbed his feature film in 1988's Mystic Pizza, but his star-making turn didn't come until 1997 in Good Will Hunting, in which he starred and wrote. He even won an Academy Award (with Ben Affleck) for writing the film's screenplay. Since then, Damon has become one of the premiere actors on the Hollywood, scoring roles in a number of big-time films and film franchises, like the Ocean's and Bourne franchises. So for his birthday, I've counted down my five favorite Damon films. I hope you enjoy the list! Once again, I'd like to wish Matt Damon a happy 41st birthday!
It's been a little while since I've seen this former Best Picture winner, but it was high time that I sat down and gave The Departed another viewing. I'll never forget the first time I saw the film: I was living in Santa Cruz at the time, and my mother and some friends had driven up the coast to see me. They thought the best way to enjoy the company would be to take in a movie, so we opted to go with this Scorsese venture. And while I don't personally think it's the best of Scorsese's films - for me, that would have to be 1976's Taxi Driver - but it was the one that finally garnered him an Academy Award win for Best Director. If you ask me, that has to say quite a bit.
What most people don't know is that The Departed is actually a bit of a remake, fashioned as an Americanized version of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. I personally haven't seen that particular film, so I can't really compare and tell you which is better, but with an all-star cast like the one we're given in this version, I think the original fare would be hard-pressed to be considered the better of the two. Let me break this down for you a little bit: just between the actors listed above, they have a whopping twenty Academy Award nominations and three wins (although, twelve nominations and all three wins belong to Nicholson). Still, that's quite an impressive roster that we're dealt. Wahlberg scored an acting nomination for his role in the film, but I personally believe that Nicholson was snubbed a bit as he delivers easily the best and most entertaining performance in the film. I could probably go on for days about how good each particular member of the cast proves to be, but that would take me literally days. Just know that you're given an all-star cast that delivers on all cylinders.
Now, I know there have been some individuals who had issue with the film's screenplay. Namely, they were a tad confused by the speed with which the film ends. To be fair, the final ten minutes of the film pass at blinding speed, almost giving the audience no time to absorb everything they're seeing. Yes, it's frantic, but I personally think it offers just the right amount of catharsis needed for a film of this nature. The overall plot is so elaborate that the audience finds itself getting so worked into the story that we need some sort of drastic release at the end. This is where The Departed truly delivers. Sure, the journey towards the end is fantastic, but the ultimate payoff is the reason that this film has reached into the annals of film history and cemented itself as an instant classic.
We also get an utterly fantastic and innovative musical score from the likes of Howard Shore, who has also scored films like Se7en, The Aviator and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, he may have presented my favorite of his compositions with this film. Here's a little taste of what he brings to the table - I'd bet you that you'll enjoy it:
Overall, Scorsese definitely brought a winning combination of screenplay and acting to the screen for this Best Picture winner. It's a movie that definitely doesn't get old with multiple viewings, and in fact, I'm sure I've started to appreciate it all the more each time I watch it. If you haven't seen this film, you should drop what you do and give it a gander. I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy it.
Good Will Hunting is a 1997 drama directed by Gus Van Sant that tells the story of an exceptionally intelligent young man who's not quite striving for his potential. When an MIT math professor writes a nearly unsolvable theorem on a hallway blackboard, young janitor Will Hunting (Matt Damon) takes a crack at it and solves the theorem with relative ease. Flabbergasted, Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård) seeks out the mastermind and finds him facing jail-time after a blacktop brawl. Lambeau cuts a deal with the judge, bringing Will under his supervision. He gives him two stipulations: first, he must work on mathematical formulas with him; second, he must see a therapist in order to rid himself of any demons from his past. Will isn't too fond of the idea but figures it's better than spending time in jail. After going through a number of psychologists, he lands on a community college professor named Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) who seems to be the perfect fit. The two work together - often times butting heads - to try to understand how Will's past has affected his current character of non-attachment.
What I've given you above is essentially the basic storyline offered by Good Will Hunting. There are a couple of sub-plots at hand that include Will's best friend Chuckie (Ben Affleck) and his love interest Skylar (Minnie Driver), but to go into detail about the sub-plots would take a lot more time than I'd like to spend on the synopsis. Just know that they're there, and they definitely add important pieces to the puzzle.
Now, I know the first thing you're all thinking is, "How has This Movie Guy never seen Good Will Hunting?" I know, it's probably a little blasphemous considering, but now I can say that I've seen it so we can all stop worrying about my future livelihood! I am a tad bit disappointed in myself for waiting this long to watch this film considering how much I ended up enjoying it. For a long time, I wasn't much of a fan of either Damon or Affleck, so that probably kept me from giving it a chance before today. That being said, let's get into the review.
I thought that the screenplay worked rather effectively. I've always had a bit of beef with any relation to this screenplay. Because Damon and Affleck wrote it and ultimately won an Oscar for it, they are always referred to as "Academy Award winner" so and so. It's not a bad thing, but because the driving force behind their careers has been acting, it just makes it seem like they might have won their Oscar for acting which isn't the case at all. Did they deserve the award for this film? Probably, although I haven't seen all the films it was nominated against. But I digress. The screenplay works well to craft a real and believable character in Will Hunting. It gives him an ambiguous back-story that slowly bubbles to the surface with the help and guidance of Sean Maguire, who's character is equally damaged. In a way, Good Will Hunting works more as a character study than a plot-driven vehicle. We have two major character arcs from our main two men, and they're so complete that I almost want to give Damon and Affleck a standing ovation for their writing effort. They also have a great feel for the setting, crafting dialogue that fits almost perfectly. Kudos, boys. You guys did well in my book.
Fortunately, the acting backs up everything that's so great about the screenplay. Damon is definitely fantastic as our lead, whether he's spouting his random bouts of knowledge or breaking down to his lowest point. Williams is a revelation in his Academy Award-winning role that's a drastic change from anything I've seen him do prior to this point. He's most well-known for his comedy, but he's dabbled in drama now and again, but this might be his most complete dramatic role. Simply brilliant, if I do say so myself. We also get some fantastic performances from our supporting cast, including Skarsgård and Affleck. Minnie Driver is great in her limited amount of screen-time, bringing the only real female presence in the film to the screen and knocking it out of the park. Even a young Casey Affleck brings some much-needed laughter to his small role. All in all, we have a fantastic cast to support the equally fantastic screenplay.
The psychology of the film was really the selling point for me. Having earned my Bachelor's degree in psychology, it's always a fascinating watch when a movie can realistically delve into the psyche of its characters. I was a little blind-sided by this particular film because I see myself as a bit of a combination of Will Hunting and Sean Maguire. In a way, each of them reflects a piece of me, so this film might have been a little more resonant for me than I had originally intended. Was it earth-shattering for me? Not quite, but it definitely opened my eyes a little bit to some of the stuff I've had to endure in my own lifetime. But enough about me - I won't get into my psyche right now; I wouldn't want to bore you.
Overall, I think Good Will Hunting is a fantastic film that definitely deserves a watch. I'm glad I finally had the opportunity to give it a gander as it's easily made it's way onto my list of "greatest films of all time." Oh, and for those of you who've seen this movie, you might enjoy this little clip from the 2001 film, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, where the boys come back to film a (fictional) Good Will Hunting 2:
The Adjustment Bureau is a 2011 dramatic film directed by George Nolfi. It follows David Norris (Matt Damon), a junior congressman who's attempting to win one of the Senate seats in New York. After building a large lead in the polls, a publicity nightmare causes him to lose the election in a landslide. Distraught, he stumbles into a restroom to practice his concession speech, but he is caught by a woman (Emily Blunt) hiding inside. The two share an immediate connection and kiss just as Norris's campaign manager (Michael Kelly) walks in. The woman dashes off, and Norris is left to wonder if he'll ever see her again. He proceeds to stray from his scripted speech, instead choosing to berate the system that put him where he now stood. A month later, David happens upon the woman on a bus and learns her name is Elise. She gives him her phone number, and everything seems like it's all falling into place for David. When he gets off the bus and goes into work, however, he finds all of the staff frozen in place and being worked upon by a group of men in suits. After a short chase, David is captured and told by the leader of the men (John Slattery) that they are the people who make sure that things "go according to plan." They claim to work for someone called the "Chairman" who creates the plan for everyone in the world. They tell David that his plan does not allow him to be with Elise, but David cannot accept this. He spends the rest of the film fighting to win her love and keep both their "plans" on as good a course as is humanly possible.
Honestly, that's probably one of the worst plot summarizations I've ever given; however, I don't want to give too much of this story away before you have a chance to see it. The plot is actually rather intricate, and it would take me an entire blog post to go into all the detail surrounding everything that's going on. Because I don't want to spend that much time, I'll leave it to you to actually see the movie, which hopefully by the end of this post, I'll have given you enough reason to do so.
Like I said, the plot is rather intricate, but it never gets too over-the-top that it becomes confusing. You immediately get sucked into the story, and that's a huge plus considering that's it's a little off-the-wall. You have to pay attention to everything that's happening, for two reasons: first, if you miss part of the plot, you may have questions later in the story, and second, there's never really a dull moment in the film. This is also a huge plus in terms of making The Adjustment Bureau a successful venture. Yes, it should technically be classified as a drama, but you can easily call it a sci-fi thriller as well (in fact, IMDb lists it as such).
We also get some great performances from the actors in the film. Although nobody's really going to blow you away, everyone plays their part very well, giving us a very strong ensemble cast. Damon and Blunt are very good as our leads (although you could probably call Blunt's character supporting); however, some of the more memorable performances come from our supporting cast. Anthony Mackie does a fine job as a member of the bureau who's questioning the ethics behind what they do. And the always-great Terrence Stamp makes himself known in his limited amount of screen-time. We even get a couple of brief glimpses of Daily Show anchor Jon Stewart (as himself, interviewing David Norris) that prove to be rather humorous. Fine acting all around really helps The Adjustment Bureau fly.
For most of the film, I was completely drawn into the story, and for that, the cast and crew should be commended. As you'll notice below the picture, however, I could only give the film one-and-a-half thumbs up. I did so because I wasn't entirely impressed with the ending. Well, I shouldn't say that because it works well with the rest of the story, but I suppose I was expecting a little bit more of an emotional punch. The ending they give us is a little bit hectic, and the final payoff seemed a little too neat and gift-wrapped. However, I could very well be the only person who thinks this way - my friend Dréa happened to love the ending (and the whole movie, for that matter), so there's a good chance I'm in the minority with my opinion. Despite that, The Adjustment Bureau is still a very good film that's worth a watch, especially this early in 2011. It easily jumped to the number two spot for this year's films, only falling (well) behind Rango. Will that hold up? Probably not, but you should still give this one a gander if you have the chance.
When you hear the name Clint Eastwood, you immediately think of quality cinema. Whether you're pondering his roles in countless Westerns or as the iconic Harry Callahan, or you're thinking about his numerous directorial features, you can easily come up with some of the greatest movies ever made. He has proven himself on both sides of the camera, and every ounce of respect he receives he has dutifully earned. That's why it is, with a heavy heart, that I must write this review for his newest film, Hereafter.
I should have seen it coming - his last two films (2008's Gran Torino and 2009's Invictus) left me with quite a bit of want. I had issues with the acting decisions in Gran Torino, and while Invictus was very good, it just left something to be desired, and I couldn't quite put my finger on just what that was. Still, I held out some hope that Hereafter could be good, despite the mixed critical response it has thus far received.
Let's go with the storyline. We're following three characters: a French television journalist and tsunami survivor (Cécile De France); a no-longer-practicing psychic with true ability (Matt Damon); and a young boy who loses his twin brother (dually played by FrankieandGeorge McLaren). Each character has been touched in some way by death, and each is trying to deal with that in their own way. Eventually, their paths intertwine, and the rest, as they say, is history.
On paper, this very well could have been a fantastic success. However, not every idea can be transferred well into a movie. It took me a little bit of thought to figure out where the problem lied here, but I think I got it: it tried way too hard to pack as much emotion into everything in the film. Obviously, with the subject matter, we can assume that things are going to get a little bit emotional, but it seemed as though Eastwood was trying to force the emotions onto the audience. It was heavy-handed and slow, and I just didn't feel a thing for any of the characters. I understand that they were going through some terrible situations, but I felt absolutely nothing, and I'm a pretty emotional guy when it comes to the movies.
In terms of acting, I can't really complain. The performances are good, especially from Damon and De France, but it's definitely nothing spectacular or Oscar-worthy. However, Bryce Dallas Howard did surprise me in a very limited role, and I was left hoping to see her again in the film. Sadly, her character departed abruptly, and I lost all connection to the movie whatsoever.
Were Eastwood not as successful as he is, I don't think he could have made this movie. It's one of those films that you can only make after you've established yourself as a directing force (See: Christopher Nolan's Inception or the Coen brothers' Burn After Reading). Unfortunately, Hereafter did not play out to what Eastwood probably assumed it could be.
Today, we're celebrating the birthday of Matt Damon, who turns 41 today. Damon nabbed his feature film in 1988's Mystic Pizza, but his star-making turn didn't come until 1997 in Good Will Hunting, in which he starred and wrote. He even won an Academy Award (with Ben Affleck) for writing the film's screenplay. Since then, Damon has become one of the premiere actors on the Hollywood, scoring roles in a number of big-time films and film franchises, like the Ocean's and Bourne franchises. So for his birthday, I've counted down my five favorite Damon films. I hope you enjoy the list! Once again, I'd like to wish Matt Damon a happy 41st birthday!
