The Weather Man

[clerkguy23]

(ignore the new topic 'yey'. im retarded.)

i saw the weatherman this past weekend and really loved it. i definitely need to see it again, but there were just so many wonderful moments throughout the movie that it was hard not to like it. it reminded me of a weak version of an alexander payne movie and i mean that as a compliment. either way, it was an interesting film and i enjoyed it a lot... maybe more than i should have. i'd like to know what other people think about it.

[pete]

it was good in a TV kinda way.  Good tragicomedy, good tone, too bad estranged family is pretty much done to death these days.  If it weren't for the 100 well-acted indie films that came out this month about family dynamics, this film might've been good.  but unlike most indie films out there about suburban estranged families (I'm actually only talking about squid and the whale and thumbsucker, but I assume there are a lot of them all the time out there) this one is from a dad's pov and it really really zeroes in on this one guy.  The dialogue's really funny and some of the slapstick material is handled real well, but the parts that are supposed to be moving turn out to be real ambiguous and puzzling.  Too bad.  I like Gore Verbinski though.  He's a smart guy and his films are always very very watchable.
WTF was up with Hans Zimmer's attempt at "electornica"?

[The Red Vine]

It didn't quite work for me. The only way to describe it is "dead in the water". It was too sad to be funny and the Cage character was a little too much of a loser for me to actually care about him. It was one of the more depressing movies I've seen in a while (and in a bad way).

[SHAFTR]

I just saw this, but unfortunately arrived at the show a few minutes late so I missed the first 5 minutes (if Someone can PM me a recap of those first 5 mins, I'd be happy, ie...what was his son rehabbing from?).  Overall, I was very impressed with The Weather Man.  I thought it was surprisingly original and clever.  From the trailers I thought it would be whimsical and goofy, but instead it felt very real, emotionally.  In the Cage filmography of great or bad, I'd put this in the great category.

[SiliasRuby]

From the trailers I thought it would be whimsical and goofy, but instead it felt very real, emotionally.  In the Cage filmography of great or bad, I'd put this in the great category.

I think so too, It had some faboulous moments of uncomfortable humor that had me squirm in my seat.

[modage]

if it were Alexander Payne's name attached instead of Gore Verbinski, this movie would be doing a lot better. 

[MacGuffin]

its almost sobering to see but its a film about accepting your life, but again, not in a hollywood way.  dave is not a bad guy, he's not the overworked absentee father stereotype, he's a real guy.  he wants to be a good dad, and kids are...kids.  very realistically portrayed, not 'characters' but characters.  i dont know.  i guess i was sucker punched because it was very different from the light comic touch i had expected to gloss over everything though there are many moments that were hilarious, you keep waiting for that 'its going to be alright' moment we've been conditioned to expect out of films about these issues.  and it never really comes.

I completely understand what mod's saying (although I didn't find it as "sad"); you do keep waiting for that third act revelation, and it never comes. But Cage's character does makes some baby-step changes that add up to a large turnaround. And I really liked that it was un-Hollywood in that sense. It felt like real life moments, where it's never too late to learn and get advice from your parents.

[modage]

yeah i rewatched this tonite and i think it is definitely one of the best films of last year.  its really too bad nobody saw it because i think its something xixax would appreciate.  i had started to doubt myself after my girlfriend didn't like it and nobody else seemed to but it really is good.  it was less sad this time around too, and maybe funnier.  so XIXAX i defy you to not like this movie.

[Weak2ndAct]

If I were to draw up some ten best list for last year, I would definitely have this and Lord of War sharing a spot: both are wonderful portraits of the American Dream gone awry, and of course, vastly underrrated/hardly seen.

The script for 'Weather' is really spectacular, I was in awe of Conrad's ability to go any place with a scene, be it serious drama or downright slapstick.  The sex scene with the German woman is just surreal.  There's some great imagery too (Spongebob floating past the window!).  Great performances all around, and I admit it-- the big scene w/ Caine and Cage totally got me misty.  My hat's off to Verbinski, the guy really elevated the material-- it could have played/looked very flat and stiff.

P.S. Cameltoe!