The Invention of Lying (Brodie)

No good. When it started and explained it was about a place where no one lied (save one), I was excited and got ready for a movie similar to Stranger Than Fiction that required an initial suspension of disbelief and went on to tell a beautiful story. This, however, was not such a treat.

There were some cute jokes based on the concept that people couldn't lie--my favorite was the Coke commercial--but the rest of the movie didn't have much else. I was ready to be exposed to a unique culture and individuals of a society where no one ever lied. Instead it was just like the world we live in now but everyone spoke their thoughts--and they're mean. It equated honesty with indiscretion, apathy, and shallowness. The love story was cliched and the characters were unlikeable--except maybe Mark, and he was (literally) lying to the entire world.

With such an all-star comedic cast--Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Jim Gaffigan, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, Jason Bateman, Christopher Guest, and a great cameo by Edward Norton--how could a movie with a clever premise give so little? Don't know, but it struck me as little more than a fantasy of a scorned man with a morbid view of the world. Darn. It was good for a few chuckles. Worth $10? Probably not.

9 (Brodie)

Disappointing. Was expecting originality and instead was given cliches and cheesiness. Darn. It was visually interesting and the characters were fun. However, the movie left me flat. Wasn't horrible--just not great.

Taking Woodstock (Brodie)

I really liked it.

A story about a family's personal and financial hardships and how the Woodstock music festival changed them. It really wasn't a movie about Woodstock, the concert just acted as a plot device to advance the characters' stories, which is why I liked this movie even more. It was a unique perspective about a such a defining event.

Characters were dynamic and interesting. Atmosphere was inspiring.