Fish and Cherries Productions

Midnight in Paris was a wistful and thoughtful trip through French history and faces. Throughout the film, the idea of nostalgia for times long gone that a person wasn’t even a part of is destructed by showing its progression throughout the passing eras, a point which is admittedly spelled out in the end, but sometimes it’s best to abandon subtlety. There are other themes too, like the interactions of different creative minds, but the former is certainly the main focus. I’ll freely admit that I don’t think Owen Wilson is the greatest actor, but he fits perfectly here as a wide-eyed Francophile writer surrounded by strangeness, often embodying some of the traits of Woody Allen’s younger roles. Speaking of, one cannot ignore the all star cast that makes up the famous faces of Paris’ past, my personal favorite being Adrien Brody as Salvador Dali. Some people may be thrown off by the daytime scenes in the present day feeling a lot more mundane than the night scenes of the past, but rest assured that that was the whole idea and not a filmmaking fault. Overall, I feel like this movie was made specifically for me and encourage the rest of you to enjoy it like a rich eclair. Unless you’re vegan, in which case you should enjoy it like a dark chocolate-dipped strawberry.

Muppets Most Wanted is by no means a bad film, but it has its share of serious flaws. Apart from parts of the plot feeling very contrived and the Muppets feeling out of focus for the first half of their own movie, the tone is really dark for a Muppet movies, the parts where they move via strings or special effects dip into the uncanny valley, and quite a few of the jokes towards the Interpol officer feel very mean-spirited. However, quite a few of the positive notes are really good. The songs stand out, especially the Interrogation Song, the fourth wall jokes are spot on, there were some really clever moments in the humor and the writing, and the stuff where the Muppets play an important role is pretty engaging. On the whole, though, I feel a little let down, especially since the previous movie was so good and uplifting. It’s worth a watch, but I’d give it a matinee or a rental.

Okay, so after sitting on this piece for a little bit, my opinion on the movie has softened quite a bit. This is mainly because the good parts of the movie have stayed with me and stand out in my memory really vividly. I still think it’s a bit dark for a Muppet movie, but the good stuff was still good fun.

Thor: The Dark World is an immensely funny, action-packed, and very strong entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The fight scenes were amazing, the dialogue was sharp and punchy, and Loki once again, stole the show right from under Thor’s feet. Admittedly, there are some awkward elements, like the Darcie and Ian scenes which feel like they belong in a different movie altogether and a few of the jokes did leave me less than amused. However, this barely detracts from a very intense story that culminates in an incredibly creative and epic final battle. This is my second favorite Marvel movie, right under The Avengers, possibly under the first Iron Man as well.

EDIT: Admittedly, after a little while has passed, some of the flaws because more apparent, but that still doesn’t make this a bad movie by any means.