George Clooney

Fantastic Mr. FoxYear: 2009Rating: PGLength: 87 minutes / 1.45 hours There's a point in a famous director's filmography that may make you scratch your head and wonder why they pivoted into something so different. Hindsight is always an interesting way to see how the change in genre or form eventually brought on the full realization of the director's style. For Wes Anderson, his previous films had begun to develop into his distinctive style, but Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) seemed to cement its aesthetic for all future Anderson movies. Hearkening back to the original stop-motion effects from the early years of cinema, Fantastic Mr. Fox is full of frenetic energy—partly from the fur covered creatures voiced by plenty of famous actors. These aren't clay molded stop-motion models like something from Aardman or Laika. Instead, there's a sort of jointed stiffness that is played to great effect by Anderson's love of straight lines and centering on the frame. That Anderson would eventually return to...

Ocean's ElevenYear: 2001Rating: PG-13Length: 116 minutes / 1.93 hours While I usually agree with people who say that remakes are worse than the originals, Ocean's Eleven (2001) is an exception. Not only did it bring the same amount of star power that made the original stand out, but it had a heist that was much more entertaining and compelling than its predecessor. Having re-watched it recently, I found it still stands up over 20 years later, even if it's starting to show its early-2000 edges. I still think it's a classic that works because of its complexity and scale. It's impressive how there are so many big names in this movie, yet they all have their room to shine. There's a reason many of them are still making great movies today, and their talent is on full display here. And perhaps the collective charisma of this all-star cast makes the heist they pull off so thrilling. Sure, I already knew how they...

Tag: George Clooney

MOVIE: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

MOVIE: Ocean’s Eleven (2001)