Buffalo Soldiers, On Golden Pond, The Cooler, & Stevie

Buffalo Soldiers had a non-annoying performance from Joaquin Phoenix. I didn't think those existed. A little too eh of a movie, and I can see why it was held off on being released for a while. Of course, that was because it was "too anti-American" rather than just being not particularly good. Not terrible, not great, just mediocre.

On Golden Pond probably would have been better if I were older. Maybe. Or maybe if it hadn't had such a cliche version of teenhood. I liked Henry and Katharine, but that kid was terrible. I don't really see why it was so lauded when it was released. Well, I do, but that is only a result of Fonda and Hepburn.

The Cooler was good. Shawn Hatosy, however, was terrible. His "line readings" never really went anywhere but spitting. Everyone else was pretty good. Macy and Bello are very strong. And Baldwin is suitably menacing. Ron Livingston was suitably assholish. Basically, it was a fun movie about the ultimate redemption of love. And how being in love makes everything seem better and lucky.

Stevie is the extremely depressing story of the director of Hoop Dreams, Steve James, who was a Big Brother to a troubled kid, Stevie, and how he goes back ten years later to see how he's doing. Stevie is really really messed up. Just the idea that these people are a screwed up at all because their parents just didn't care. Or even worse, that they screwed up their kids on purpose. If only there could be a test for parentage... Otherwise, it's just a bunch of people who are messed up messing up more people. Unfortunately, Steve James isn't innocent of using Stevie for a subject, ignoring him when it wasn't entirely convenient. But I cannot condemn him, as the people in his life should have been there for him long before Steve James ignored him. The guys who wanted him to join the Aryan Brotherhood, one of whom wore a Les Mis shirt, were evil. So disappointing. After I figured out just how depressing the movie was going to be, I just sat there hoping against hope that it wouldn't end up with a complete downer of an ending. That it wouldn't end up with all the worst happening to everyone. The ending is so heartwrenching...