Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland

Disney

May 22, 2015

Sci-Fi, Historical Comedy
DVD
D+

Annoying, although it did make me wonder what the inevitable "It's a Small World" movie will be like.  Brad Bird directed and co-wrote.

Syriana

Syriana

Participant Productions etc.

December 9, 2005

Action?
DVD
D

Of course boring.  This is loosely based on Robert Baer's See No Evil and directed by Stephen Gaghan, fifteen years before Dolittle.

Solaris (2002)

Solaris (2002)

20th Century Fox

November 27, 2002

Sci-Fi

DVD
D+

Another take, not quite as slow-moving but not as visually interesting as the '72 version, of the Stanislaw Lem novel, here adapted by director Soderbergh.

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Warner Bros. etc.

December 7, 2001

Crime Comedy
DVD
C-

I saw this movie at the time and kind of liked it, but I couldn't get into it this time.  I did, however, bump it up a notch for Elliott Gould.  Steven Soderbergh directed.

Money Monster

Money Monster

TriStar etc.

May 13, 2016

Crime Drama

DVD
D+

An obnoxious TV host (the title character, played by Clooney) is held hostage live on the air, and I'm not clear if we're supposed to care.  Still, the little gimmicks of the cable show were cute, so this is bumped up from a D.  Jodie Foster directed.

Ides of March

Ides of March

Sony Pictures Releasing

October 7, 2011

Drama

DVD
C-

A fictional presidential campaign that feels very flat and dated now.  Clooney not only stars but directed and co-wrote.

Hail, Caesar!

Hail, Caesar!

Universal

February 5, 2016

Historical Comedy
DVD
D+

Unfunny story about a '50s movie studio, with some nice design elements.  The Coen brothers co-wrote and co-directed.

Good Night, and Good Luck

Good Night, and Good Luck

Warner Bros.

November 4, 2005

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

I don't know if it's the influence of "reality TV" and documentaries or what, but modern historical dramas often have a flattening, distancing technique.  I saw it in The Front Runner (about Gary Hart) and I see it here in this story of Edward R. Murrow and Joseph McCarthy.  It's not just that this is in black & white, but some shots are through windows and from odd angles.  The acting, like in Chappaquiddick, is also distant, even in emotional scenes.  Anyway, I can see why this was so acclaimed, but it's not for me.  (The German Good Bye, Lenin, in contrast, makes us care about the characters while painlessly presenting then recent history.)  Clooney directed, co-wrote, and plays Fred Friendly.

From Dusk Till Dawn

From Dusk Till Dawn

Dimension Films

January 19, 1996

Crime Drama

DVD
C-

Apparently this turns into a horror movie at some point after I tuned out.  Anyway, I bumped the grade up a notch for the surreal liquor store exterior.  Tarantino co-wrote and plays Clooney's brother, but Robert Rodriguez directed, as he did Desperado the previous year.

The Descendants [2011]

The Descendants [2011]
Fox Searchlight
December 9, 2011
Drama
DVD
C-

Clooney and his cousins own a bunch of land in Hawaii, and his wife is in a coma.  Based on the Kaui Hart Hemmings novel and directed by Alexander Payne, who co-wrote the screenplay.