First up: Bruno
I went into Bruno with my arms crossed, waiting to hate it. That's exactly the same way I went into Borat. I remember sitting through the first ten minutes of Borat getting irritated. He seemed to be mocking poor countries and foreign customs. Then something happened . . . I'll confess: I didn't know anything about Borat before going in. As the movie unfolds, I start wondering, "Are these actors or real people?" After just a few scenes, it became apparent I was watching a movie with real people getting ambushed, and it was hilarious. I normally can't deal with public humiliation, and I did watch the movie with my hand over my eyes quite a bit. But by the time the hotel scene unfolded, I was doubled over laughing.
I had nearly the exact same reaction to Bruno. After the first ten minutes, I got frustrated with the pot shots at gay stereotypes, but by the time Bruno was giving oral sex to a ghost in front of a psychic, my stomach hurt from laughing so much. Is it homophobic? Sure. Is it unfair to the people it ambushes? Absolutely. Is it pardonable? It's sheer audacity and shock tactics push it so far over the top that nothing ever offended me once the movie had me on its side. I've never seen Sacha Baron Cohen in anything else, but in these two films, he has created a uber character that brings hilarious chaos wherever he goes.
Next: Moon
Moon is a deliberately paced low-budget sci-fi film. Not much happens. For most of the film, we watch Sam Rockwell go about his business harvesting minerals on the moon while occasionally interacting with a computer voiced by Kevin Spacey. Most of the twists can be seen coming from a mile away. On one hand it reminded me of The Assassination of Jesse James in how it reveled in pondering the purpose of an essentially ephemeral existence. Besides the presence of Rockwell, the two movies are nothing alike. It also reminds me of the existential struggle of The Truman Show in how one must fight what role society has enforced on us to be our own force. But naturally, it borrows most from 2001. It's not as esoteric as the Kubrick film, but it borrows much of its imagery and energy from that movie. It's short, not too heavy, but a bit of a mindfuck-lite. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Lastly: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The sixth movie in the Harry Potter franchise is by far the most plotless and shapeless. Experiencing this movie is like watching someone mope and brood for two and a half hours. But it's made tolerable by the presence of werewolves, zombies and curses. A creeping feeling of dread saturates every scene. And Alan Rickman finally gets something to do in the series (the scene where Harry is discovered by the window is pure fucking gold). Of course I say "tolerable" as if I weren't into watching people brood for hours on end. I love this shit. This movie series is dense and atmospheric and dire. It just barely skirts dipping into full out horror, but the dark supernatural is slowly edging into every aspect of the character's lives. All that is to say, there is enough ominous foreboding for me to overlook the usual bits of awkwardness from the three leads. They're never quite as good as I want them to be.
I have to admit to being a full on Harry Potter fanboy. I love the books and how they present right and wrong / prejudice and justice / good and evil, but I am easily able to judge the movies as movies - not as adaptations. Still, I wonder how much would be lost if I wasn't familiar with the books, and knew about all the information that is left unsaid. This movie has been called The Empire Strikes Back of the Harry Potter movies. That's accurate. From its opening moments of chaos and dread to the final moments of mourning and fear. This is slow-moving dark stuff for kids, but it's compelling fodder for adults. It's not prestige, but it's definitely fancy pulp.
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