Movie update

Netflix instant reflex: Do Not Watch Hugo Pool. Worst Independent Movie Ever. I didn't just fall asleep once watching it. I fell asleep four different times. Magic Hat #9 might have helped that, though. I thought Robert Downey Jr. being in the movie would help, but I think it exhibited one of his lowest levels in film. He had a fake accent that I couldn't tell was put on to be a fake accent for his character, or if it was just really bad acting. Whichever it was, I couldn't understand what he was supposed to be saying. I did understand that he set his house on fire because he had too much vodka. But that's about it.
I watched Charlie Bartlett last week. That one was a lot better. It was about Charlie Bartlett, who is smart and naive, and is mischievous so that he can be liked by his classmates. I wasn't sure if Charlie Bartlett was supposed to be a hero, someone to feel sorry for, or just a teenager we were supposed to see as human with both flaws and good qualities. If that's what the movie was about, to see all the characters as multi-dimensional, then it worked well. It was a little bit funny, a little bit sad, and a little bit introspective and interesting. This time, the appearance of Robert Downey Jr. was nice, because he played a realistic and likeable character. The mansion, the fancy cars, and the slightly quirky fashion helped make the movie a little bit more compelling, which made me feel shamefully shallow.