We Bought A Zoo (Cameron Crowe)

Mickeroo

Here's the trailer for Cameron Crowes new one, supposedly based on a true story Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson(who I've seen naked) are the leads:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgnhnwOsNVM

I'm a fan of pretty much all of Crowe's movies apart from Elisabethtown(still thought it was ok though). Almost Famous is one of my all time favourites, Say Anything, Singles(I was into grunge), Vanilla Sky(flawed but underrated imo) are all films I really love too. Let's not forget he wrote Fast Times at Ridgemont High too

This one looks like more of a family movie than his other work, although family is often a theme of his movies. It's got a really good cast by the looks of it and I'm hoping it will turn out to be a decent, heartfelt feel good movie. Seems to be a different kind of role for Matt Damon too, playing the father figure. If nothing else I'm sure it will have a kick ass soundtrack as is nearly a given with a Crowe film.

johnny_ultimate

Trailer doesn't give me much hope, nor does Elisabethtown (like a stupider Garden State). But Crowe does sentimentality well when on form, and one of the few who can make shameful cheese endearing. Will see.

Lulz at Leon from Curb Your Enthusiasm with glasses (a plot point in a recent episode ). Must be hard for him to say a sentence without the word mother****er in. Won't be the same if he ain't swearing like a boss.

Miguel_Sanchez

Someone should tell Crowe to stop with the Sigur Ros already.

Cork boy 55

I thought that this was going to be a thread about Mr crowe buying a Zoo

:mad:

Mickeroo

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

Someone should tell Crowe to stop with the Sigur Ros already.

He's pretty fond of the aul Tom Petty too.

For some reason I thought this was going to be directed by John Cameron and starring Russel Crowe.

Sad Professor

I'd love to see Crowe do something personal again along the lines of Almost Famous. But I'm not sure he's ever going to have the freedom to do something like that again. The critics kinda have him pegged and the perception following Elizabethtown is that he can't be trusted in the editing room. I found it bizarre that critics gave him a pass for Vanilla Sky but savaged him for Elizabethtown. While the film was far from perfect, it didn't deserve the lashing that it got.

Oafley Jones

A poster on badassdigest stated that he felt that the trailer was like a parody of a Crowe movie. I agree. I find his movies to be saccharine and manipulative to a degree that just turns me off.

JP Liz V1

No Eric Stoltz

javagal

Just seen this and it was so sweet and lovely!

Saw this tonight it's sentimental as hell, the metaphors are forced and heavy handed, the dialogue is cliched as it comes and some of the acting is poor. Yet it's also one of the most enjoyable 2 hours I've spent with a film in a long time. There's an underlying sweetness to it all that's hard to resist and the soundtrack by Jónsi is beautiful. No one is ever going to mistake the film for high art and it's a long way from Crowe's best work but it left me with a smile on my face which is something not many films have done lately.

candy-gal1

went to see this with the dad yesterday, have to say i really enjoyed it!
wasnt entirely sure what to expect, but tis such a simple sweet movie, very summery, non pretentious but not too arty/clever etc and just makes you smile afterwards
didnt really like Elizabethtown tbh, felt it trying way to hard to do what this movie does, but being too clever/indie style imho

kc66

Great soundtrack. First time in ages the wife enjoyed a movie I picked.

Sad Professor

Great cast, great soundtrack, great cinematography, but contrived and mawkish source material. I love Crowe, but this didn't work for me. Which is a shame because Damon is superb and Johansson has never been more natural and likeable. However, what made Crowe's earlier films so great was the heartbreaking honesty. While the old Crowe briefly shines at moments, especially in the third act, for the most part he is trying too hard to be cute and endearing and does it in such a heavy-handed way, with Jonsi/Sigur Ros soaring on the soundtrack, that it never rings true. I wouldn't go so far as to say Crowe has lost it, but he definitely seems out of touch.

Mickeroo

I caught this last week. I enjoyed it, its not up there with Crowes best work but its a good movie, if not a great one. The flaws Sad Professor mentioned are undeniabley present, but regardless it still worked for me. The whole cast are great, its the script that lets it down more than anything, but Damon & Scarlett Johanson made it for me, both of them are just so likeable & genuine in this.

The cinematography was outstanding too and the soundtrack was great as is to be expected when Jonsi is involved. I can see how the sentimentality could be grating, but I just found it such a very sweet and touching film that I couldn't help but be won over by it.