Surveillance
It's not quite a surprise that Lynch's latest Production enterprise is one of the more tense movies that I have seen in a long, long time. Written and directed by his daughter, Jennifer Lynch,
Surveillance has all the makes of an intense murder mystery/thriller as you, the audience member, are walked through the events that eventually lead up to the crimes that are being solved. But, of course, it's not your everyday murder mystery.
Definitely more linear and less absurd than Lynch's usual fare,
Surveillance is a brilliant character piece that definitely had me on the edge of my seat at times... No, not in a
scared way, but in a cringing sort of way... A
good cringing sort of way. The reveal is a little hokey, but the end is so well constructed that you forgive it almost immediately.
I would say that this is a must-see for genre fans.
4.5/5.
...
Up
First off, I have a few grievances to air:
Why, Pixar, WHY do you orchestrate your advertising in such a way as to REPEL me from your feature films?
Cars had me believe that it was nothing but redneck drag-racing fare and here with
Up I couldn't understand WHY a grumpy old man and a cherubic rube would cause me to run out to the theater... This is the
second time that I have had no desire to see a Pixar film at the movies that I honestly wished I had!
Up was amazing! It was funny without being pandering. It was tear-jerking without being manipulative. And it was absolutely STUNNING without a flaw. Easily one of my Top 3 Films of 2009,
Up has a little for everyone... From cartoonish antics that made me giggle to whimsical fantasies that made me smile and sigh, to genuine characters who made me cry... It's been a while since I've felt so sad/happy/inspired by a single film, and
Up did just that. It's fun, adventurous, and absolutely charming. HIGHLY recommend it.
5/5.