Tuesday, June 21, 2011
HEARTS OF GOLD
Today's movie was
a George Clooney vehicle.
Which you would think would be more tuned to Clooney's style and wit.
This is a good movie about a bad guy who has a good heart and wants to do better. He meets a whore who is also good hearted.
Maybe somehow this combo will work and George can get out from under his history of obligation and bad feelings with an ambiguous entity that he works for. They steal? They do assassinations. Some of them are after George. Some are on the same side.
George goes to a small town in Italy where he takes on one last job. Making a weapon, tailor made for someone to do something.
I don't know. It all seemed to be coherent as I watched it but on reflection falls apart.
I could not let go of the impression that Clooney is aging and not well around the face. He, like Brad Pitt, is getting to look a bit thug like. Irish thug in Clooney's case. But the body is in as good shape as it has ever been. Lean, tight, hard. And then in the street scenes with his clothes on, he is walking old. Believe me, I know.
And, in this film, there is no romance until he falls in love with the hooker.
I am sorry. I am not making this sound good.
Here is what this is. A tightly directed tour de force of moral ambiguity filmed in a very nice location with good actors who serve the purpose of being Clooney's foil. While watching, it is suspenseful and menacing and he has the ability to make one want him to win when one knows he is really a bad guy.
I liked it enough to give it a 3 but I wouldn't want to see it again. Not even the shirts off stuff pushups, pullups and fucking.
Did I mention? It will be a 3 out of Netflix5.
Labels: films
