Despicable Me (2010)

There's really no word to describe this movie except 'sweet'. Pleasant, lightly sentimental, surprisingly non-ambitious, with a great voice cast who are actually doing voices not just themselves. Good.

Red Ensign (1934)

Micheal Powell directed "quota quickie" from before he was famous. There's trouble afoot in the British shipping industry, and I kinda care. Weird mix of Frank Capra and Soviet montage. Film has rather unique moral that its okay to commit forgery if its for a good cause. Kind of dry for a thriller. Fair to good.

A Christmas Tale (2008)

A family dysfunction at Christmas-time movie, in French. Nothing new really, but I found the family interesting and surprisingly intricate in its development. It sustains its two and half hour running time, and you can't ask for much more then that. B-

Fantasia 2000 (1999)

Kind of an update or extension of the original Fantasia released roughly 60 years later. I'd been wanting to see it since before it came out, it was okay, nothing earth shattering. Stand out sequences being 'the flamingos' and Rhapsody in Blue. The flying humpbacks, very Star Trek IV. Fair.

Grey Gardens (2009)

Recent HBO film inspired by the cult favorite 1975 documentary of the same name. Story concerns Edith Ewing Bouiver Beale and her daughter Edith Bovier Beale, aunt and cousin respectively to Jacqueline Bouiver Kennedy Onasis. The Edies became celebrates when the state of there dilapidated East Hampton, New York mansion (Grey Gardens) became widely known and the documentarians the Maysles brothers made their famous film about them. I refer you to my earlier blog post on the doc for more information. This film has the virtue of filling us in on more of the back story, and attempting to explain why these two once vibrant individuals just kind of stoped and let things fall in around them. We learn more about Big Edies prolonged and rather open affair with musician George 'Gould' Strong, and that Little Edie had a short lived affair with a former Secretary of the Interior. I'd recommend seeing the original documentary first, I think you'll get more out this film if you do. I thought that while this film is solid and a more well rounded telling of the story, it just can't compete with the overpowering weirdness of the original film.

Dark City (1998)

I don't think I've ever seen a movie so influenced by German expressionism made outside of the Weimar Republic. There's Nosferatu here, M, Metropolis, and even some of Fritz Lang's later American Noir's. The films one of those, I suppose you'd call them allegories, where man is manipulated by outside forces and his world is an illusion, like in The Matrix or the 13th Floor. Those kind of films have never fully worked for me, and even with Roger Ebert explaining things to me in his (surprisingly present) audio commentary, like why so many of the characters acting seems wooden at first, I'm still left distant by this film. I'm glade I finally saw it just to get a sense of what its about, and I appreciate the visual sense, but I really didn't much care for it. Let's say 2 out of 5. Maybe it will grow on me as time goes by, a lot of the DVD's special features seem insistent on treating the film as a classic not yet fully understood or appreciated.

The King of Comedy (1982)

Scorsese/De Niro collaboration a kind of odd companion piece to the better known Taxi Driver. It covers somewhat similar territory to the earlier film, its about obsession, the mentally unbalanced, and a need to be loved/famous, however this is more of a traditional black comedy and exercise in the awkward then its even darker predecessor. De Niro is Rupert Pupkin, a thirty-four year old New Jersey born nobody who lives in his mothers basement and is obsessed with becoming a comic superstar star like his idol late-night television host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis in his most understated performance, essentially playing a self loathing version of himself). Pupkin who seems to be largely trying to compensate for a feeling that others view him as worthless, at first tries to forcefully ingratiate himself with Langford, even inviting himself for a weekend at Langford's country home. It takes a long time for Pupkin to get Langfords less that subtle hints that he wants nothing to do with him, before the would be 'King of Comedy' kidnaps the talk show host with the help of another obsessed fan (the appropratly odd Sandra Bernhard). Pupkin gets into contact with Langford's people, and after the host gives his agent some code words to let him know that this is not a joke, issues his demand that he be given 10 minutes of time to do his routine on Langford's show and be allowed to see it air before releasing Jerry. The film has large portions of improvised dialogue that help it retain a spontaneity and tension, and in my (as well as others) estimation is the last movie to really retain that 1970's feeling of a dirty, odd ball, and gritty New York that was emblematic of that city in film from Midnight Cowboy (1969) to this cinematic offering. Best of all it allows Scorsese, De Niro, and even Lewis to show a greater range then we usually associate with them. 4 out of 5.

Malena (2000)

Italian film is basically the story of an adolescent boy (Giuseppo Sulfaro) who lusts after a beautiful older woman (Monica Bellucci), set amidst the backdrop of World War II era Sicily. Fairly good, but not on the scale of the two other Giuseppe Tornatore directed films I've seen, Cinema Paradiso (1988) and The Legend of 1900 (1998), which were just amazing.

Saturday Night Live: Season 1 (1975-1976)

I watched this spread out over the last year +, it was interesting to be able to contrast the show from its beginnings to what it is now, and there were certainly a lot of changes, even in that first year, but the core of the show (sometimes topical sketch comedy and music) remains the same. John Belushi's Henry Kissinger is funnier then Chevy Chase's Gerald Ford. Fun, though sometimes uneven, nostalgic diversion.

The Box (2009)

What to say about this one? I am in the habit of writing these reviews, whenever possible, immediately after seeing the film in question, but some films do require more time to digest. Be that as it may this encapsulation, like many I write, constitutes a summation of basic first impressions. The Box is a film written and directed by Donnie Darko creator Richard Kelly, and based on a television episode from the 1980's version of The Twilight Zone, which in turn was based on the short story Button, Button by the metaphysical since fiction writer Richard Matheson. The basic story is about a married couple given a box with a button on it and informed that if they press said button they will get a million dollars, but that somebody somewhere on the face of the planet (who they do not know) will die as a result. As a moral conundrum I think this should be a simple one to solve, don't push the button, but Kelly takes what on the surface would seem a simple (if odd) scenario and complicates it, adding a lot of extra layers to the proceedings and treating us to a vaguely moody, but mostly impressively odd outing.

This film has me thinking about Kelly's (albeit limited) directorial work as a whole and got me asking if the man has a unique style, is just repeating himself, or both? Let me get this straight I liked this film, and while I'm not entirely sure where Kelly is trying to take us with his work, I think that's part of the reason I like it. It seems in all of his films, to varying degrees of success, Kelly is trying to tell us something, I think its largely the same something, but I'm not entirely sure what that is. He leaves a general sense, or impression, you get the gist and most of the pieces of the puzzle but you never get the whole thing, and I'm sure that's what he intends. This worked quite well in Donnie Darko, considerably less well in Southland Tales, and back to near Darko levels of ambiguity and quality in this film. The term 'metaphysical nostalgia' is what I've been able to come up with for his style so far, and it feels firmly rooted in Joseph Campbell and Rod Sterling. I leave impressed, thinking, and satisfied, though from what I've read on the net (and that's just the critics, the user reviews on netflix are even worse) that sounds like a minority opinion.

Homicide (1991)

No not the greatest television series of the 1990's (this pre-dates that by about two years) but rather a typically well done David Mamet movie. Joe Mantegna is a Baltimore homicide detective torn between two cases, one involving a high profile multiple cop killer, and the other the death of an elderly Jewish women. Like the television series, whose relationship to this film I can't really establish but there surprisingly similar, this film is gritty, insightful, and boasts some powerful acting and writing. I won't say much save that this is really good yet under seen, worth your time. 4 1/2 out of 5.

The Prisoner (1955)

In an unspecified eastern European state a Roman Catholic Cardinal (Alec Guinness) is interrogated by a former associate in the anti-Nazi resistance (Jack Hawkins) in an effort to break him, and gain a confession to false charges for the benefit of the Communist government. I really like the idea of this film, it could be wonderful as a play, or even better as a PBS style telea-play along the lines of God On Trial, towards this move however I feel a trifle mixed. It's honestly only been a few minutes since I finished the thing, and maybe that's soon to be writing a review because I already feel myself re-assessing the piece. I came away thinking it was good, but not in either of the two camps I'd initially have preferred to see it in, either something on a more epic scale like Preminger's The Cardinal, or as a series of dialogues between Guinness and Hawkins centering on ideas of faith, the state, and the like, this was something in between. Upon further reflection it really does work as a movie, well constructed, good acting and writing, it started with you kind of thinking you knew where it was going and that it wouldn't stray to far from the conventional, but it really went further, surprisingly good in fact. Sub-plot about the guard and his girlfriend never really seemed to go anywhere, and Wilfrid Lawson's jailer character I feel mixed about, but the central narrative is solid and has a more then sufficient deviation from expected course. I started writing this review too soon, I liked this film, it's better then I thought just not what I expected it to be. If anything it's flaw was that it could have been longer, I'd have liked to see it take a little more time getting where it was going. I'm gonna give it a 4 out of 5 because I was so unexpectedly impressed.

Somewhere in Time (1980)

I finally saw it. The very definition of a Romantic film, its saved from being saccharine only by it exquisite handling. A strange combination of near science fiction, and 19th century style Romanticism. The cast works, the locations work, the writing (mostly) works, the direction works, and the music's just beautiful. It seems a lot of critics felt almost embarrassed by it at the time of its release and it did poorly in theaters, but the film gained quite the cult following through cable and video re-showing. I didn't entirely anticipate liking it, in some ways I think the kind of love presented in the film while very appealing in the abstract is perhaps misguided, even dangerous, but its presentation hear is so sincere and warm you can't help but be swept along by it. Did I mention I love the music? An ironic alternate title for this film might be: Add a Penny, Leave a Penny (joke only works if you've seen it) .

That's Entertainment 2 (1976)

Compilation of musical and other scenes from classic MGM films. Sequel to the hugely successful 1974 compilation film That's Entertainment. Entertaining.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)

No not that Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I doubt I ever bother to see that one. This Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a screwball comedy directed by Alfred Hitchcock (I know, weird right)! Anyway Hitch isn't bad at the genera, starts out a little weak then gets increasingly amusing, mostly dry funny, but also quite well constructed. Stars Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard make the picture (though Gene Raymond's excellent as the third wheel), they play a couple married three years who discover that do to a legal oversight they were never legally wed (married in Nevada with an Idaho marriage license by mistake). Anyway this whole 'the marriage wasn't really legal shtick' was considered comedy gold in the mid 20th century, they even made a whole 1950's multiple-vignette feature about it! Definitely an oddity from 'the master of suspense', reminiscent of the kind of comedy George Stevens once made. Good, though it took a bit of effort to overcome this mental block that Hitchcock pictures just shouldn't be light comedies in order for me to more fully appreciate the film. 3 out of 5.

Crazy Heart (2009)

This is perhaps the last movie my brother really praised too me. Jeff Bridges finally won his Oscar for this character study of a drunken, has-been country-western singer and his long road to redemption. The movie doesn't take you any place you haven't already been, its really just a slight variation on the arc story of most musical bio-pics, but it takes you there gracefully. I know not everybody thinks she's beautiful, but Maggie Gyllenhaal is really attractive in this.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

Massachusetts based crime drama that gets increasingly impressive the longer it goes, you can see in it a lot of inspiration for later films of a similar type. Robert Mitchum plays Eddie Coyle, a middle-aged husband and father of three who is simultaneously playing arms dealer for the mob, and reluctant informant for Uncle Sam. The movie has a number of solid caper scenes, a fair amount of brooding, and a lot of intriguing characters, with Eddie Coyle serving largely as a hub for there interrelated stories. It's engaging and exudes a refreshingly understated sense moral ambiguity, loved the ending. 4.5 out of 5.

Androcles and the Lion (1952)

In his autobiography actor Alan Young laments that this work of his is not more widely seen. Young plays Androcles, a tailor, Christian, and animal lover living in the Roman Empire 2nd century AD. Androcles is taken to be scarified in the games or too the Lions and is even mistaken as a sorcerer. This is an adaptation of the George Bernard Shaw play, it has more of a sense of humor and is more honest about the human weakness of the faithful then most of the pious works of the 'Christan's and Romans' sub-genera. However ones not entirely sure how to take the proceedings, on some level its seems mocking and satirical, on another a somewhat comic though almost erudite ode to simple faith. Young's performance grows on you, though it remains very childlike. Jean Simmons wears form fitting robes, and Victor Mature plays yet another Roman receptive to Christains (see The Robe). The rest of the cast sprinkled with surprisingly big (but now largely forgotten) names. More or less satisfying.

Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story (2008)

Before there was Karl Rove (or even James Carville) there was Lee Atwater. The South Carolina reared Atwater was a force in the national organization of College Republicans in the 1970's, and even ran Vietnam War General William Westmoreland's campaign for governor of that state at the age of 23. He worked his way up in the Reagen White house and ran George H. W. Bush's 1988 presidential campaign, and is widely considered responsible for the infamous Willie Horton ad. After that election and not yet 40 Atwater was named chairman of the RNC, he used that position to continue his strong arm political tactics, hob nob with celebrities, and even record a Grammy nominated blues album with B.B. King. A brain tumor took Atwater's life in 1991 and perhaps most fascinating of all was the mans reported change of heart and regret for his actions late in life, though whether he really meant any of his apologies or was just hedging his beats for the afterlife is left an open question. A sad, strange life, but not quite as fascinating of a documentary as I had hopped. Three out of Five. Film was released in Sweden under the title America's Evilest Man.

8: The Mormon Proposition (2010)

Documentary centering around the role of the LDS Church in the passage of Proposition 8, a 2008 referendum amending the California state constitution so as to bar the legal recognition of same sex marriages in that state. Some may dispute the use of the term documentary in describing this production, as it is in fact an expose on Mormon involvement in Prop 8, as well as of a general and continuing history of anti homosexual teaching, feeling and action in said religious body. The film references the Church's involvement in efforts to prevent the legal recognition of same sex marriage in Hawaii in the 1990's as a sort of template upon which subsequent anti-homosexual marriage rights campaigns (such as Prop 8) were based, surprisingly Mormon involvement in defeating the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970's and 80's is never mentioned. The film does make the point that Mormon opposition to same sex marriage has certain distinctive theological implications lacking in say Catholic or Evangelical religious objections to the practice. The film dose a good job of using the words of church leaders, both public and in a vast collection of internal memos, emails, ect. obtained by an investigative reporter featured in the film. It is pointed out that the Church intentionally sought to emphasis its self as only part of a wider organized coalition opposed to same sex marriage, despite its members shouldering most of the leadership and financial commitment to the efforts in California. The end of the film loses some of its primary focus and ventures into related side issues of homeless gay Mormon teens in Utah, electro-shock aversion therapy practiced on gay BYU students in the 1970's, and some rather 'indelicately phrased' rhetoric from a Mormon anti-gay activist, a Utah state senator, and of course the late Bruce R. McConkie. Film is one sided, but informative, and a good compact presentation given the breadth of material it covers in 80 minutes. Film could spawn many an interesting conversation, so recommended.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Finale entire in the 'Toy Story Trilogy' does a rare thing, it's better then its predecessors. Film chronicles what happens to a core group of 'Andy's Toys' as the now 17 year old prepares to go to college. The film took some unexpected twists and turns, was darker then you might expect, but also very poignant, creative, and the best adventure film of the year. Ned Beatty hasn't been this Machiavellian since Network (1976), film also contains a nice (I suppose you'd call it a cameo) for Miyazaki fans. I was really impressed, and honestly moved in places. My triumphant return to movies in theaters.

She's Out of My League (2010)

One of the major reasons I watched this is that it was one of the last films that my brother and I ever talked about (he was worried that I was a moodle). I thoroughly enjoy this film as I suspect my brother would have. Compared to a lot of the films I watch it wasn't that deep, but that's really beside the point, it was satisfying, it made me feel good, even better about myself. If I were to cast a film alter ego at this point in my life it would probably be Jay Baruchel. Alice Eve, wow. The supporting players, especially those cast as Baruchel's friends are quite good (T.J. Miller being the stand out, but good work by Nate Torrence), I'd watch a series staring those guys (the closest you'll get to this is the sadly short lived Undeclared). Anyway a great end to my day.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Well that was a trip. I was thinking about the films of David Lynch the other day and how they all had decay as something lurking beneath a seemingly benign surface, well this film has no such surface, everything is decay. While watching I was struck by what an important ancestor of modern, especially independent film making it is. The montage, the fractured narrative, the character study, the sexuality and psychology of it. I've seen other counter-culture type films of the sixty's before like Blow-up and Easy Rider, but this had a grit, and strung-outness, and a sensitivity to it that, wow. It reminds me of a film like Into the Wild, the sense of being on the edge of society, of being marginal, of all those folks that somehow live amidst the nothingness, were the pointless meets the profound. I can't do this film justice, and I haven't even mentioned the soundtrack. It's very much a piece of cinema, experimental cinema even, but its also very literary, dense, nuanced, it doesn't force feed you much. The price of decency in a heartless world maybe, that's one take. Anyway at the time cinema was doing all kinds of experimenting, and here's a movie that was then rated X that still managed to win a best picture Oscar and be a standout amid the long and varied careers of stars Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, that should tell you something. Obviously not for all tastes but I think profound, and all the more surprisingly so for all the build up its had for decades, usually that can deflate a film for me some when I finally get around to seeing it, that was not the case with this however. A great movie.

Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police (1939)

Evidence suffices that points to a lost treasure buried beneath Drummund's family estate, could this possibly complicate The Bulldog and Phyllis's impending nuptials? Of course it will. Fair to poor the true highlights of this entree are the use of clips from previous films in Bulldogs wedding eve nightmare, and a pretty cool looking dungeon set. We've been here before, we'll be here again.

Bye Bye Birdie (1963)

Film adaptation of the musical Broadway hit about a farewell publicity stunt for an Elvis-like singer going into the army. I chose to see this movie for three reasons: 1) a vague memory of being at a friends house when I was in elementary school, and his roughly 13 year old brother seemed to be a little too excited about watching Ann-Margret. 2) The Bye Bye Birdie related storyline in the 3rd season of Mad Men, and 3) its a guilty pleasure film for a good friend of mine. The movies corny and dated, but likable and surprisingly racy for a family film of the time. There's also some good satire here, loved the stuff with the Russians. Good cast, film rendered more complex if you interpret Paul Lynd's father character as closeted (which how can you not read every Paul Lynd role as closeted). Grade: C

Opening Night (1977)

John Cassavetes films has his real life wife Gena Rowlands experiencing a breakdown in the days leading up to the Broadway premier of a new play. I've not seen a John Cassavetes film before, though I've heard he's suppose to be good, so all I can really say is i'm just not sure how to process this film. I have the sense that it was good, but I don't think I particularly cared for it. I think I'm satisfied, maybe impressed, but mostly puzzled. I think Cassavetes intended this piece to seem disjointed, to in a sense have no clear point, I mean characters throughout the film comment how they can't quite figure out what the play (in the film) is about, so maybe its all about how stressful it is to make a play/movie or any piece of art? I don't know, I'll have to think about it, if I can bring myself too. The film does have an elderly Joan Blondell in it, so that's inherently cool. Still flummoxed, but not frustrated if that makes any sense?

A History of Violence (2005)

I took a screen writing course in college a number of years ago and there was a sizable fraction of the class that was obsessed with this movie, but I only now got around to seeing it. Basically small town diner owner Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) attracts the attention of some east coast mobsters after he kills some robbers in his Indiana restaurant thus garnering laudatory national news attention. Is Stall actually the man he claims to be, or is he the one time hood 'Joey' that the mobsters seem convinced that he is? Okay I'm gonna spoil it, here's your pause....


Yes he's really Joey, he changed his identity after disfiguring a 'made' man and killing a bunch of his guys. Anyway now we've got a movie that asks questions about if one can truly change who he is, the heredity of violence, what would you do to protect your family, ect. ect. It's pretty good, not amazing in may book, but pretty good, entertaining, thought provoking. I liked it, well constructed, good performances, some Cronenberg style violence and gore. 4 out of 5.

Days of Heaven (1978)

This is a beautiful looking film, but what else do you expect from Terrence Malick? The man has a visual sense that is brilliant, I mean who else makes movies that look like Terrence Malick movies, no one I can think of. What makes this film even more impressive is that such a visual work should feel so much like a novel, have those subtleties and ambiguities, have that sense of scope that's not limited to what you can put on camera. The story concerns a couple (Richard Gere and Brooke Adams) posing as brother and sister, who get work on the wheat harvest of a wealthy farmer said to be dying of an unspecified disease. They don't start out intending to do this but when the wealthy farmer (Sam Shepard, who looks a lot like Denis Leary at that point in his life) takes a shine to Brooke Adams, Gere agrees to let them marry thinking Shepard will be dead soon. Well Shepard doesn't die soon, and that's only part of why you should see this movie. I was frankly board during the first half hour, and the movie was never quite what I wanted and hoped for it to be, but its still an impressive and distinct style of film making worth considering. Also back to the visuals, it's worth seeing for them alone (especially the locust sequences). So I give it my recommendation, not great but worthy.

Waterloo Bridge (1931)

Melodrama concerns a young American woman (Mae Clark) forced by circumstance into being a prostitute in London during The Great War. Doulgass Montogmery is the earnest young Canadian solder from a wealthy family who falls for Clark when they meet during an air raid. Douglas's Roy Cronin is of course too naive to understand what this women does for a living, and Clark too instantly in love to tell him. Film very much reflects that it came from a stage play, but the direction by James Whale (of Frankenstein fame) is good, and most of the acting surprisingly strong, even nuanced (I'm think here particularly of Clark and Doris Lloyd as Roy's mom). I really enjoyed this, its pre-code but its not showy about its subject matter, its just the subject matter its self that likely meet with prudish disapproval. Anyway I know this was remade with Vivian Leigh and Robert Taylor nine years later, I don't image as well, though I do wonder how they worked it and thus may have to give that version a look some time. Anyway this version of Waterloo Bridge earns my recommendation. Also look for a pre-star Bette Davis in a small supporting part as Roy's sister.

Right America: Feeling Wronged (2009)

Another road trip with documentarian Alexandra Pelosi focuses on people in and around McCain/Palin rallies during the 2008 presidential election. As Pelosi even informs us in a title card near the beginning of this documentary, the people here presented are not necessarily representative of the majority of McCain/Palin supports, though most of them are McCain/Palin supporters. This of course raises the obvious question about a documentary on this subjected, released by HBO, and helmed by the daughter of the Democratic Speaker of the House, is it a hit job? Honestly, I'm not sure. Considered pragmatically these people are among the base of GOP supporters in the 2008 election and thus a legitimate subject of investigation and documentation for a documentary about (some) voters in a presidential election. Or considered another way, why shouldn't they be covered? I can see no reason other then it may make some people feel embarrassed and uncomfortable, but that's not really a good reason. I guess you could say the doc might skew the perception of McCain/Palin supporters, but Pelosi admits as much. These are real Americans, and most of them here presented are not so much pro-McCain as they are anti-Obama. You get largely what you might expect from this film, unusually forward racists, people very religiously motivated, conspiracy theorists, and a few mainstreamy types thrown in so as not to seem too mean spirited. Look I have no doubt Pelosi sought out, and decided to include a lot of the people in this film because they come off kind of extreme, and thus are interesting to watch, but do I think this fringe represents the average McCain/Palin voter, probably not, though they were there all the same. A similar film could no doubt have been made about the other end of the socio-political spectrum and Obama/Biden supporters. So in the end I don't know what to make of this film as a representative sample of McCain/Palin voters (though I do love the way John McCain looks more then vaguely uncomfortable around some of his more colorful supporters), but its certainly a slice of life from the campaign and thus constitutes a legitimate insight into a not unsizeable group of Americans. Verdict: Somewhat intersting but just kind of okay as a work of documentary film.

Red-Headed Woman (1932)

The famous 'platinum blond' goes 'red' in this pre-code film about a social climbing gold digger who destroys the marriage of the essentially decent Chester Morris, only to cheat on him with a coal Barron and a French chauffeur. The movies a good vehicle for star Jean Harlow, Morris is adequate and a smattering of others (like Una Merkel) have workable supporting parts. Theme of the conniving, social climbing female a common one in these pre-code films. Harlow appears to speak decent French at the end. A good number of the performers in this film have connections to early or tragic deaths. Title song kind of fun.

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

Surrealist film from director Luis Bunuel's second French period concerns a series of unsuccessful dinner parties, drug smuggling, dreams, ghosts, and a very corrupt Latin American country named Miranda. I won't pretend to be an expert on Bunuel but I was very much impressed with The Exterminating Angel, it was one of those definitive movie watching experiences, this on the other hand I feel Luke warm about. The characters are mostly unpleasant, unpleasant things happen, and the narrative and structure of the piece is very lose and abstract. There where a few moments and characters I liked, the sexy terrorist, the Catholic Bishop who wishes to be a gardener, and the deceptively young looking maid, however I can't say I really enjoyed the experience of watching this film. Maybe I just need to sit on it awhile, it is generally considered Bunuel's masterpiece and won a best foreign language film Oscar. I remain uncertain about what happened, which I think the film intended.

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

I was totally taken by surprise by this film of Mike Leigh's. I was expected something lite, vaguely Amelie like, and I suppose in some measure I got that, but I got something more too. I should have expected given the only other Leigh film I've seen to date (the 2004 British abortion drama Vera Drake) that there might be some serious substance here regardless of the packaging. Happy-Go-Lucky is the story of Poppy (an infectiously adorably Sally Hawkins), a peppy, single, thirty year old primary school teacher, and her relationships with those around her, especially a tightly wound driving instructor played by Eddie Marsan. Poppy is so wonderful, so at ease with her self, so genuinely happy yet empathetic. Her interactions with others are so fascinating to watch, the relationships can be simple but here rendered with such an overpowering sense of the subtle, and of being in the moment. Despite being a character that could have been rendered in such a surfacy manner, Poppy remains one of the most real seeming performances I've witnessed in some time. I hesitate to give much away, there is so much to be got by just seeing this unawares, suffice it to say however that a lot of what was in this film resonated, being thirty and not really established in life, the intricacy's of relationships with family and friends, and something about unrealized hopes and dreams, dashed expectations and repression that could have been so heavy, but here is so... caring. Poppy is defiantly the type of person I'd want to teach my kids (if I had any) and to paraphrase a line from the movie, I wouldn't mind seeing her face again myself. 5 stars.

The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk (2007)

Documentary on the rise of sound in Hollywood films. Chronicles the various competing methods of syncing sound with films, careers made and destroyed by 'the talkies' ect. A really good survey of the subject matter, entertainingly and informatively done.

The Professionals (1966)

Rich man Ralph Bellamy hires weapons specialist Lee Marvin to lead Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, and Woody Strode to rescue his wife Claudia Cardinale from Mexican revolutionary Jack Palance. A just okay all-star actioner, think of it as a milder version of The Wild Bunch, but with a happier ending and just not as good. Must say I was disappointed, had higher hopes, Marvin's good, Lancaster fine, Ryan and Storde just kind of there. Always nice to see Cardinale however (my favorite Italian beauty of the 1960's, though here playing a Mexican) and Jack Palance surprisingly good in his part, he's actually acting here, not just hamming. Still turns out this movie is lesser known for a reason. Not recommended.

See instead: The Wild Bunch (1969), The Leopard (1963) and The Scalphunters (1968).

The Jazz Singer (1927)

Some of you may be surprised that I had never seen this movie. Billed as the first 'talkie' film, its actually a silent with musical interludes, and based on a play by Samson Raphaelson who later worked on the scripts for such films as The Shop Around the Corner (1939), Heaven Can Wait (1943) and Hitchcock's Suspicion (1941). Film tackles the timeless theme of disappointing your parents religiously with the jazz music. There are a number of racial ect. stereotypes in this film, like the entire Otto Lederer character, Al Jolson in black face, and an odd comment about how 'queering' yourself means you can never work on Broadway again, I think a definition here must have changed over time. A milestone film in cinema history, and okay as a movie despite an overlong denouement, worth seeing once.

See also (or don't) the 1980 re-make with Neil Diamond.

The Science of Sleep (2006)

Pretentious French crap.

Goodfellas (1990)

A friend recommended I see this movie over three years ago, I finally got around to it. In short Goodfellas is a crime epic based on a true story centering around three (arguably four) people and their involvement in organized crime from 1955 to the early 1980's. An epic story of personal corruption and moral destruction, the scenes involving the family life of gangster Henry Hill and its gradual disintegration are simultaneously among the most compelling and most uncomfortable of the film, ultimately there are no heroes here. The film is of the genera for which director Scorsese is perhaps best known, but considering all I've really scene of 'Marty's' work is Taxi Driver and his DiCaprio cycle, for me this was something of a new experience (I'd have to describe it as seaming proto-Tarantino, but more accurately Quintin is post-Scorsese). Anyway quite the film, but I'm still not sure just what I think about it other then that it was well made.

Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains (2007)

Jonathan Demme directs this documentary account of former president Jimmy Carter's 2006-2007 book tour for his controversial work Palestine Peace Not Apartheid. Lets start with a look at this picture as a work of film, I liked it. I liked the way it was constructed as a sort of travel log, complete with semi-lengthy interview extracts from various television and radio programs that help Carter explain his views on the situation in Gaza and The West Bank. You know Jimmy Carter really can be quite good in an interview setting (you know it makes sense he was president). He's quite charming, especially with 'regular folk's' both in his home town of Plains Georgia, and the people that just come up to him in airports, hotels, and bookstores across the nation and the world. The music, pacing, and visual style of the film are all also quite endearing. As a polemic the work is very much sympathetic to Carter, an example of the tremendous amount of historical reinterpretation, and indeed veneration, that has come to this man whose presidency was almost universally viewed as a failure at the time he left office. I think a year and a half into the Obama presidency some of the Rosy glow of again having a 'progressive' in the oval office has faded, parallels between Jimmy Carter and the current chief executive still stand, only now take on more of an ominous, quasi-defeated tone. This being said I still like Jimmy Carter (as well as the current president), he's a very decent, good man whose doubtlessly been a greater force for good then any ex-president in our nations history. As for the book Carter promots throughout the film, I haven't read it and debate on it seems fairly loaded so I'll avoid comment. The film however was surprisingly compelling, and you might be surprised how much you may enjoy spending some time with number 39. Recommended.

Bad Bascomb (1946)

Notorious outlaw Bad Bascomb (Wallace Beery) and some members of his gang take refuge from the law inside of a Mormon wagon train. Similar basic concept was done later in John Ford's Wagon Master (1950), but that wasn't anywhere near as funny or endearing. Teaming of gruff old Beery and sweet young Margaret O'Brien is an inspired one, while Marjorie Main, J. Carol Naish and Marshall Thompson round out a good cast. Pin-up girl/actress Frances Rafferty serves as our Linda Darnell substitute. Seriously this was just a plan old enjoyable film. Recommended.

See also: They Call Me Trinity (1970)

M. Hulot's Holiday (1953)

Jacques Tati comedy introduced his good natured yet clumsy, pipe smoking character Mr. Hulot. Film is a warm, good hearted, genuinely funny farce on french sea-side vacations in the summer. Hulot is a kind of precursor to the later Mr. Bean, but also emblematic of silent comedy's in the style of Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin. Pleasant romp has a leisurely pace, not quite as funny as I'd hoped, but wins you over. Love the lite jazz score. Approved.

The Gospel Road (1973)

Johnny Cash literally talks and sings the stories of Jesus in this vaguely docu-drama adaptation of the life of Christ taken from Cash's double album of the same name. In effect this is one of the more unusual 'concert' films ever made. Songs are by Cash and others like John Denver and Kris Kristofferson, June Carter Cash appears as Mary Magdalene, and Robert Elfstrom is a blondish Jesus. Filmed in Israel and very emblematic of the 1970's in its look and style, I kept thinking of Johnathan Livingston Seagull while I watched it. Odd, but the musics good and the productions pleasant enough, even low key. A Curio. Skim it.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

Harry Potter rip-off about the modern day offspring of Greek gods and how there childhoods tend to be tough. Conventional, often bad, but containing just enough good action sequences to make it watchable (would have been nice if one of those had shown up in the dreadful first half hour). Verdict: Neehhh.

The Invention of Lying (2009)

Rickey Gervais comedy about an alternate reality where everyone has always told the truth, and the fat, pug-noised writer (Gervais) who discovers fibbing. A brilliant idea for a comedy, and while some have written how the film seems to sell out to romantic comedy conventionality at the end, that's still well enough handled and at least the writing seems to be somewhat ambivalent towards said concessions. The blunt humor of the piece is very well received, and especially strong towards the beginning. One of the most inventive parts of the film is when Gervais accidentally invents religion, its got to be one of the best satires of theism I'm familiar with. I love the way people obsess over different aspects of the newly reveled 'Man in the Sky', and the theological questions asked and debated here have a raw honesty and humor about them that I appreciated. In fact that relates to one of the big, ambiguous themes of the film, that religion simultaneously makes all the difference, as well as no difference in the lives of the people of the world. There are some deep, spiritual, human themes here, but there's also some pretty funny and borderline awkward stuff to appreciate. I sure appreciated it. ^

Mad Men: Season 3 (2009)

Every season is better then the last and I'm glade to say that I was able to get season 3 finished in time for the premier of season 4, as I have the opportunity to at least start the run of this season on TV as opposed to DVD. This show is really one of the all time greats, in the pantheon of astoundingly good and deep shows of my lifetime that includes Homicide: Life on the Street and Six Feet Under. The Third Season spans the Spring of 1963 to just before Christmas of the same year. The historical events covered are obvious, the March on Washington, early Vietnam, and the Kennedy Assassination, the last of which is astoundingly well handled in an episode that for our generation can evoke nothing save 9/11. But the emotional events, in both the home and work lives of our characters are equally, if not more astounding. This is the year that Don and Betty's marriage finally crumbles, that Dick Whitman's secret past gets reveled to his wife, that Pete and Trudy's marriage takes on a remarkable health and shine, Salvatore is in effect outed, and that little girl who plays Sally proves she is a really remarkable young actress. This is a great show, its so literary, I love the way it builds, those last three episodes are consecutive knock-outs of a level seldom seen on even good television. If you haven't you should watch this show, the most satisfying hour of programing currently on television. Thumbs way up, Five stars.

Bulldog Drummond in Africa (1938)

John Howard is again The Bulldog, as right he should be that experiment with Ray Malland was not what it might have been. This time Hugh and Phyllis's wedding is disturbed by the kidnapping of Col. Nielson (this time H.B. Warner) by seller of state secrets J. Carrol Nash. Bulldog and company must fly to Morocco to rescue the Colonel and there are lions, a bomb on a plane, and a young Anthony Quinn as an evil henchmen. Probably the best Drummond film I've seen as far as being a coherent movie goes. Fun.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

From the Tennessee Williams play of the same name. This has everything you want and expect from Williams, decay among the Southern ruling classes, strained relationships, smouldering desires, alcoholism, unrealized dreams, along with Elizabeth Taylor in body hugging white. Film centers around the 65th birthday of Pollitt family patriarch "Big Daddy" (Burl Ives) in which he learns that he is fatally ill. Long impassioned arguments and various family skeletons surface on three different floors of the old estate though Brick's (Paul Newman) homosexuality is extremely toned down. Jack Carson does an admirable job as the older brother, fitting perfectly the needs of a kind of small and understated role, easy to overlook amongst the more well known and expressive members of the cast but beautifully rendered, probably his best work. Williams knows how to use a small space for tension and though not exactly a drawing room drama in the truest sense, it contains some of the finner elements of that kind of production. Essentially a big existential therapy session on film. Thumbs up.

Francis of Assisi (1961)

Very boring film about the father of the Franciscan Order, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant who renounced all his worldly possessions for a life of austere devotion to God, and became the patorn saint of animals, the environment, and Italy (along with Catherine of Siena). The usually capable director Micheal Curtiz manages to drain this story of anything that would make it interesting and gives us a dry, earnest, very Catholic non-spectacle populated by a no-name cast with Bradford Dillman particularly dull in the lead. Curtiz does attempt to inject some story life into the film through use of a contrived seeming quasi-romantic subplot between Dillman and the generically pretty Dolores Hart as an acolyte. Obviously Saint Francis has some appeal or he wouldn't be such a significant figure in Catholic tradition, but this film simply doesn't capture that. This movie is bad, it felt pointless, and particularly towards the end it loses all semblance of coherent structure and character motivations. Ugh, what a waste of time, this movie is crap.

Harlan County, USA (1976)

Winner of an Oscar for best documentary feature, Harlan County, USA tells the story of a protracted strike between UMWA workers and the Duke Power Company centering on the titular east Kentucky county. Excellent documentary, riveting story, first class engaging work. Critical of Duke Power, and to a lesser extent the UMWA leadership, the movie is very much in sync with the miners in its sympathies,the film makers spent a lot of time on the ground with them. My brother served in Harlan on his mission and I served in neighbouring counties so I've heard about this documentary and the story it chronicles for years, good to finally see it. A dramatic movie version of the same story was done by Showtime in 2000.

That Hamilton Woman (1941)

Reputedly Winston Churchill's favorite film, he had it commissioned as a propaganda piece toward the start of World War II. Film tells of the romance between Britain's best Admiral, Horatio Nelson and Emma Lady Hamilton wife of the British ambassador to Naples. Patriotic and a little risky, Churchill was said to admire Nelson of course for his military proles and Lady Hamilton for her uniqueness. Story is handled well by director/producer (and Churchill personal friend) Alexander Korda, it is after all the type of historical romance he specialized in, and aided greatly by the presence of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in the two lead roles (they too had been having a tempestuous affair and married around the time this film was made). In my opinion good but not great, it helped that it was a story I hadn't heard before and you could tell the production code was being skirted a bit, but its also perhaps excessively formal and you don't particularly bond with either lead character despite good performances. Kind of average.

G-Force (2009)

Jerry Bruckheimer produced Disney actioner about talking spy guinea pigs and other rodents and critters. Zach Galifianakis and Sam Rockwell seem to being playing it sincerely straight, while Tracy Morgan proves he can't act even in just voice form (something that actually works for him on 30 Rock though). Nobody strained any brain muscle on this script it just sort of carelessly glides, but its warm hearted and perfect for its young target audience. Watching this after all that's been happening recently made me feel almost normal.

Colin Wray Dredge: 1983-2010.

Invisible Empire: A New World Order Defined (2009)

From Jason Bermas (one of the Loose Change guys) comes this examination of 'the New World Order'. Culled from various conspiracy theories and seemingly calibrated to our times, there's a mixture of Bercher stuff here, anti-corporatism, anti-globalism, allegations of an occultic elite ect. Movie spends a lot of time at the beginning citing various political figures and the like who have used the term 'New World Order' from the progressive era on. Really 'New World Order' while a very loaded phrase to some, can also be seen as one that really means nothing, other then that the geopolitical situation changes from time to time and hence the phrase tends to get trotted out after major power shifts like the end of World War I, or the collapse of the Soviet Union. George Bush Sr. seemed to like to use the phrase, but it didn't really seem to mean anything more then Bill Clinton's 'Bridge to the 21st Century' did, just rhetorical boiler plat stuff. The implication, yea the main contention of the film is that there is a surprisingly gradualist, even meandering plot to enslave the worlds citizens, perpetrated over time by an elite through various overlapping think tanks and policy groups like the Trilateral Commission, The Council on Foreign Relations, The Bilderberg Group ect. I admit I actually spent some time thinking about this film, its implications could be scary, and some of the things it says about the general direction the world is taking is probably accurate, but I just have a hard time with the idea of a vast world governing conspiracy, especially one so esoterically showy and slow moving as here alleged. It's interesting though, I'll give it that. Thumbs: sideways.

The Deal (2003)

IMDb

The initial installment in writer Peter Morgans 'Tony Blair trilogy'. This film focuses on how the upstart centrist Tony Blair, not the old-school party stalwart Gordon Brown, rose to become leader of the Labour party after the unexpected 1994 death of (the apparently much respected) John Smith. What makes the film so fascinating is the dynamic between Blair and Brown, the two where good friends, they shared an office together after having both been first elected to Parliament in 1983. For a long time Brown was seen as destined for greatness in Labour circles, very smart, brilliant even, quite capable and hardworking, but possessing a prickly Scottish personality. Upon first coming to Parliament Blair was considered something of an oddball, even an anomaly, Labour was very left wing at the time containing socialists (and as the film implies) even communists in its ranks, while Tony was a Third Way centrist. Four consecutive defeats for Labour lead to an understandable appetite within the party for someone with wider appeal to take the rains of leadership, and Tony Blair fitted the needs of that time and place perfectly. However Brown and his faction would need to be placated, thus the titular 'Deal'. What's interesting about this deal is that Blair gave Brown such unprecedented domestic power as Chancellor the Exchequer that he essentially had nothing to do, thusly he turned his attention to world affairs and was able to establish himself as quite the statesman. I find this kind of 'inside baseball' political story quite fascinating but I think the personal element is what drivers the film. It's the whole Kennedy/Nixon thing, the charmed charismatic one so good at the politics and the socially awkward, kind of angry one so brilliant at policy but horrible with people. The movies very specific to a certain nation and era, but also timeless in a vaguely Joseph Campbell archetype kind of way. I recommend, but if you don't like movies that are basically all talking and political maneuvering, you'd better pass.

Keepers of the Frame (1999)

Documentery on film preservation and its importance, a cause I hold dear. Very informative. You can watch it here.

Bulldog Drummonds Escapes (1937)

This time a young Ray Malland plays the Bulldog. Malland's portal, and indeed the whole film, exudes the air of characters knowing they are in a sitting room mystery drama, one of the characters even has a line to the effect of 'your here Mr. Drummond, so we know inevitably there will be some kind of crime for you to solve'. This air of nonchalance and fun is perhaps not surprising given that the film is based on a play called 'Bulldog Drummand Again' (no seriously, that was the plays title). The mystery here involves the counterfeiters of fake war bonds, an inheritance, and the lovely Heather Angel being held captive. Ideocentric fun.

Bulldog Drummond's Revenge (1937)

IMDb

While preparing for his wedding pulp hero Bulldog Drummond (John Howard) becomes involved in plot to steal an experimental super explosive. Programmer offers lots of dry humor, John Barrymore as a Scotland Yard Colonel, and Frank Puglia cross dressing about as successfully as Corporal Klinger. Interestingly Drummond doesn't actually get revenge on anyone in this movie, I don't think he's the type to hold grudges. Lite fun.

Dodsworth (1936)

IMDb


This 1936 best picture Oscar nominee was based on Sinclair Lewis's 1929 novel of the same name. Midwestern automobile manufacturer Sam Dodsworth (Walter Huston) retires, sells his company, and takes his wife Fran (Ruth Chatterton) on a long European vacation at her insistence. While on this trip Fran succumbs to European 'charms' and worldly ways (she cheats on him), while Sam remains his earnest, though kind of boring mid-western self. The movies popularity I think came from its frankness (Sinclair Lewis had a sharp literary knife for American foibles), and that it felt remarkable like a pre-code film in its sensibilities, but passed The National Board of Review apparently unchanged. This is a case where I must say I liked a film despite its often unpleasantness, these characters are in what's a pretty nasty, often petty situation which they are not all that adult about. Chatterton's Fran at first seems likable enough if a little naive and pretentious, even at first a little hesitant about becoming involved in situations she knows will tempt her, she practically begs her husband to do something before she succumbs, but fights him whenever he does. Sam Dodsworth is a much more moral person, but boring, thoroughly middle-American, and prone to sometimes misplaced anger and passive self-loathing when things don't go his way. Certainly the portrayals of these complicated, even modern seeming characters elevate the film beyond its time, its also one of a still minority of films in which after a point, you actually root for the main characters to get divorced. Elegant support proffered by Mary Astor and David Niven, William Wyler's direction shows his immense skills at the serious family drama just beginning to unfold. Grade: A.

Day of the Dead (2008)

"Quasi-remake" of director George Romero's 1985 film of the same name. Government experiment gone wrong turns most of the residents of a small Colorado town into zombies. I'd rank this film pretty close to the middle of the zombie flicks I've seen. Nice to see Mena Suvari not playing a slutty character. 2 1/2 out of 5.

Black Sheep (2006)

IMDb

Genetic engineering allowes herds of carnivorous sheep to wreak havoc on a New Zealand farm. This turned out a lot like a zombie movie. Bad.

The Special Relationship (2010)

IMDb

Made for television film is the third entry in writer Peter Morgan's 'Tony Blair Trilogy', the others being 2003's The Deal (about how Blair not eventual successor Gordon Brown became the Labour Party standard barrier in the mid 90's) and of course The Queen (2006). Morgan knows exactly what he's doing here, as dose Michael Sheen whose made something of a career out of the part. This is the type of behind the scenes, inside baseball, talkie political film that really fascinates me, probably because it largely consists of interesting people having interesting conversations. We know that the two performers who play the Blair's really know their parts, but its the The Clinton's that kind of steal the film, Dennis Quaid surprisingly good as Bill (he also played a kind of spoof version of George W. Bush in American Dreamz (2006)), and Hope Davis gives us perhaps the first really sympathetic portrait of Hillary Clinton maybe ever (Hillary Clinton herself is not actually that great at giving a sympathetic portrait of Hillary Clinton), I think she might well get an Emmy (Davis not Clinton). All and all engaging look back at the global political situation in the prosperous 1990's, film reveals a surprisingly complicated relationship between that decades two most charismatic and successful politicians. Recommended. 4 out of 5.

Fury (1936)

Direct Fritz Lang's first American film is an indictment of mob violence. Joe Wilson (Spencer Tracy) is the target of mob 'justice' when circumstantial evidence built up by rumor and exaggeration lead most of the residents of a small town to believe him responsible for the kidnapping of a young girl. A mob forms with the intent to lynch Wilson, and they burn down the jail were he was being held. Wilson is presumed dead, but miraculously he escapes alive to secretly plot with his two brothers to put a number of local residents on trial for his murder (newsreel footage helps identify the would be killers). Wilson does not however inform his fiance (Sylvia Sydney) of his survival, as her testimony will be vital to the case. Will a sense of guilt over trying to legally lynch the hysterical townsfolk who tried to lynch him prompt Joe to reveal to the world his survival? I recommend you watch as this is the type of movie Fritz Lang did better then any director of his time (sort of the anti-Frank Capra).

See Also: M (1931) and The Big Heat (1953)

The Day of the Triffids (1981)

The original BBC mini-series adaptation (later redone in 2009) from the 1951 post-apocalyptic novel by John Wyndham. Triffids are roughly man sized, mobile, carnivorous plants from outer space, for years after they first starting appearing on Earth in roughly the 1960's, humans kept them around in cages to harvest for there clean burning oil. As the series begins gamma radiation from a passing comet renders all humans who look at it directly blind, the triffids get out of there cages and start eating, and a mysterious new disease appears wiping out many of the surviving people. The story follows Bill Mason (the great John Duttine of To Serve Them All My Days) who had worked as a biologist at a triffid farm and Josella Payton (Emma Relph) a young female 'sighted' survivor as they struggle to survive and stay together amidst a world plunged into chaos. The story actually raises some interesting issues concerning various approaches to reorganizing a society after a catastrophe, the good and bad in human nature, the limits of technology ect. While the triffids are kind of corny looking (remember there carnivorous plants on a 1980's British television budget) the story, its themes and characters are compelling, and somewhat reminiscent of Stephen King. If you can get past the production limitations (which aren't as bad as they could be) you'll probably enjoy it, I did. Recommended.

The Case for Faith (2008)

Documentary (or rather filmed essay) by former atheist turned Christian apologist Lee Strobel, attempts to answer common arguments against the existence of God. The film chooses to focus on two major objections to belief in the Christian God, namely the exclusivity of Christian salvation claims through Jesus, and the argument that there is too much evil in the world for there to be a God. The answers presented are theological/philosophical in nature, nothing all that objective can be sighted in there support, and I felt the arguments presented contained many assumptions and logical leaps which rendered the answers given rather weak. For example the film stresses that the Resurrection of Christ can be substantiated by over 500 witnesses. This is not actually true, the Bible claims it can be but only offers four actual accounts, which were written many years after the claimed events, and belief in them resets on the assumption that that the writers were credible, even that the writers were even who they claimed to be, and if you study the history of the compilation of the Bible there is room to doubt on that front. I could go on, but ultimately all Christian answers to such questions require a leap of faith, which leaves them empirically wanting. The films okay as a starting point for discussion, but beyond that not recommended.

84 Charing Cross Road (1986)

Sweat, charming, often slow, but filled with great period atmosphere, 84 Charing Cross Road is the story of a New York City based writer (Anne Bancroft) and her decades long correspondence/friendship with a London book seller (Anthony Hopkins) who she hasn't even meet. Needless to say not a lot of action, but a nice character study, recommended for anglophiles and book worshipers, of which I am both.

Doc Martin: Series 1 (2004)

British dramady stars the odd looking Martin Clunes as Doctor Martin Ellingham, a once successful surgeon who do to a late onset fear of blood brought on by his high pressure job accepts the post of general practitioner to the small sea side village of Portwenn, so think of it as House meets Northern Exposer. Likable, quirky show, filled with requisite cast of small town eccentrics, and the village they use for filming is really quite beautiful. Supporting cast includes the cute Caroline Catz as well as Stephanie Cole, who at this point in her life looks a lot like my late maternal grandmother. Recommended.

Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed (2004)

Documentary on the groundbreaking yet quixotic quest for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination by Shirley Chisholm, the first black women ever elected to congress. Film gives brief biographical data on Shirley, but mostly follows her through the '72 election from her announcement in January, to defeat at the national convention in Miami Beach that July. Shirley Chisholm was well aware of the obstacles against her but wanted to take the campaign seriously, not just be symbol, but actually try to get enough delegates to have some influence in the drafting of the party platform (in order to push the party to take stronger stands on issues important to women and minorities). This she unfortunately was unable to do, but it seemed a noble effort, and watching this documentary I don't know how you could not respect the lady, she was sincere and wanted to change things for the better. An enlightening documentary on a women I knew hardly anything about. The film also sheds a lot of light on the notoriously crowded and ill fated Democratic quest for the presidency in 72', plus I enjoyed the waka-waka soundtrack and use of all the period news clips and campaign commercials. Recommended.

The Man in the Moon (1991)

From the 'movies my sister wanted me to see while I'm stuck here recovering file' comes The Man in the Moon, a drama set in the rural Louisiana of the 1950's and featuring Sam Waterston and a young Reese Witherspoon. The movie is produced by Mark Rydell but directed by Robert Mulligan, the talented director of To Kill a Mockingbird among others, but here it seems like Mulligan's trying to make a Mark Rydell movie. The pacing, the lighting, the music, the emphasis on the land, all classic Rydell, though the period setting is arguably more consistent with Mulligan. A coming of age story centred around a 14 year old girl I did not anticipate liking this movie (no hook), and the slow Rydellian pacing means there's not a lot that jumps out at you. However the acting, writing, direction, and cinematography are all good if not always exceptional, and there's a twist late in the film that I did not see coming, and which deviated enough from expected form to make this movie worth considering. A somewhat surprised recommendation.

New in Town (2009)

Romantic comedy has Miami-based business executive Renee Zellweger move to a small Minnesota town to conduct a downsizing, only to fall for local union rep Harry Connick Jr. Ha, she's from Miami where its hot and going to Minnesota where its cold, and she's all cooperate and he's all blue collar, that alone should make you laugh this movie seemed to say. But as I watched it, I reluctantly grew to kind of like it. It's not a great film by any means, but the likable leads, and unambitious plot propel the film forward. After a while I started to think of it like an old b-picture romance, or a George Stevens comedy, only he would have cast Jean Arthur and Cary Grant in the lead parts. I also think a reason I liked this movie is that I see so few films like this, thinking that I'll hate them, which I suspect in most cases I would (no desire to see The Proposal). If I had to see all of these films like most movie critics I don't know if I'd have liked this one, but I don't so I did. A mild recommendation.

Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust (2004)

Gene Hackman narrates this documentary on Hollywood depictions of the Holocaust and Nazism from the 1930's to the 21st Century. Thorough, interesting, you see how depictions changed over time owing to the political situation, national mood, and the 20-30 years it took for what happened to sink into the national consciousness. Particularly interesting was the role that the network mini-series such as Holocaust and War and Remembrance played in preparing a mass audience for the actual tales of Holocaust survivors and even the statute of limitations for war crimes in West Germany. Also this movie makes me really want to see The Pawnbroker. Recommended.

God's Cartoonist (2008)

Documentary on the life and work of fundamentalist evangelizing tract cartoonist Jack T. Chick. I used to encounter his work all the time while on my LDS mission to Tennessee. Chick's work is generally short comic style works in which a character either gets saved in time for his untimely death and goes to heaven, or goes to hell for eternity because he did not get saved, though such characters are often more decent folks in Chick's work then the ones who get saved. The reason for this is the theology that Chick embraces, we're all sinners of varying degrees, none of us really deserves to go to heaven, but if we meet Gods seemingly arbitrary requirement of just receiving Jesus as our Savior, (not really doing anything, just existentially agreeing that Jesus is our savior) then we get go to heaven. Chick's tracts are understandably controversial, their absolutist, often seem mean spirited, veraciously anti-Catholic (or anyone whose not a fundamentalist Christian for that matter), conspiracy theory oriented, and designed to scare the reader into salvation. Chick even once did a tract where the target audience he was trying to save was pedophiles. Non the less I believe Chick an uncommonly sincere man, despite how offensive some of his beliefs may be, and found it interesting to learn more about his life in that he is a notoriously private person who does not give interviews (not even in this documentary). Learn more about Jack T. Chick through his wiki entry. A really interesting subject matter for a documentary. Recommended. Jack's own website.

This American Life: Season 1 (2007)

Television verison of the public radio series hosted by Ira Glass. The show basically consists of short documentary segments that wouldn't be interesting as feature length documentaries, but work because there short. Likable series, I watched this while in the hospital, I'd seen a couple of the episodes before but it was good to see the whole thing. Notable subject matters include a man who has his late beloved pet bull cloned, only to find him kind of bad tempered, A Mormon who hires homeless people to play apostles in pictures he takes re-creating the life of Christ, and a collage student who tries to make a documentary on how his former pop star step father ruined his mothers life, only to find that she was largely responsible for her failings. Recommended.

Wild Strawberries (1957)

Basically at this point I love everything Ingmar Bergman has done. Now it wasn't always this way, I admit his many films set in medieval Sweden can be hard to take for the novice, and I much prefer his work with a more contemporary setting, such is Wild Strawberries (named for a delicacy of a many a Swedish childhood summer). This is of course a contemplative film, set around the trip of a septuagenarian retired medical professor to accept an honorary degree at his alma mater. On that trip the professor played wonderfully by one time silent film actor Victor Sjostrom, stops at various places important to his past, and has flash backs about the childhood love who got away (and married his older brother), his late wife who cheated on him, various dream sequences where he's put on on trial for incompetence and pops a balloon version of himself. It' just wonderfully well put together, excellent acting, the tones right, in short it just works for me. Excellent stuff, recommended, the only Bergman film I think I like more is Winter Light.

Shutter Island (2010)

This is not so much a bad movie as it is a bad Martin Scorsese movie. Your ability to enjoy this film depends largely on your ability to buy its central conceits, which for me was not great. I might have been willing to take a lot of this from a lesser director, but not Scorsese, he should know better,not to meniton that the presence of
DiCaprio only severs to remind one of the directores three most recent , all
much better films, and how you'd much rather be watching any of them right now. There were some things I liked about the film, and given that the source material is Dennis Lehane, I'm sure that wasn't the problem. Sometimes a movie just dosen't work and you can't quite say
why. A rare misfire from Martin Scorsese.

A recent car accident I was in may mark this as the begining of the end for my almost religious devotion to reviewing every movie I see for the first time. For now however I'll try to keep the reviews up, assuming I can remeber everything I've seen recently, and do to the fact that I'll probably have a lot more time to watch movies in the near future anyway.

The Fallen Idol (1948)

Carol Reed/ Graham Greene collaboration tells the story of the young son of the French ambassador to England, his near worship of the household butler, and a death under suspicious circumstances. From its embassy setting, to the anchoring performances of both Ralph Richardson as butler Bains, and young Bobby Henrey as Philip, to its various subtleties and insights into lying and childhood, the film's a real treat. Though its sixty years old I felt as if I was seeing something new. Bobby Henrey's performance is so naturalistic, so true to childhood, its barely even a performance (apparently director Reed did all sorts of things from games, and tricks, to repeating takes until all artifice was drained out of the young lad, to get what he wanted on screen, and it was very worth it (interestingly Henry went on to be a chaplin). The ending doesn't completely work, but here the mystery is secondary to the performances and the well executed awkwardness and tension of the films final half hour. Recommended.

Brotherhood: Season3 (2008)

Not much I can say about this really without spoiling, other then that I was really quite satisfied with the conclusion, they ended this series right. Quite the intensity for the last three episodes, you didn't know exactly where everything was going to wind up. The episode immediately before the penultimate was surprisingly funny. Not for all tastes, but if you can take that grit and appreciate some good character studies, recommended.

Extract (2009)

Mike Judge’s film about the owner of a flavor-extract company (Jason Bateman) who contemplates having and affair with an attractive employee (Mila Kunis) as release from his largely sexless marriage to Kristen Wiig. Perhaps Judge’s subtlest comedy, its very lite and dry, but not all that funny. We’ve seen everything here before, Bateman as the boss can’t help but remind us of the superior Arrested Development, and Kunis has little to do as a maybe 2 note character. I was impressed with a couple of Wiig’s scenes towards the end of the picture however. Kristen Wiig is very talented at over the top character bits, in fact I’d say that she’s the most talented women to come out of Saturday Night Live since Tina Fay. Here though Wiig is both funny and acting, not just hamming, she plays her character very straight and it’s a treat to watch, she and Bateman have a workable chemistry but its not explored in much depth. In short this film makes me want to see Kristin Wiig in a drama, that however is a different, yet to be produced movie, while Extract remains mostly weak, and not something I’d want to see again. Not Recommended.

The Hurt Locker (2009)

While watching this film (which I just saw on Friday) I kept thinking about how fresh it felt. Now war movies have been done in 1001 ways but this felt new to me. Not a political statement like most of the movies linked to Iraq and the broader war on terrorism, this movie is about the profession of war, and its effects on the psyche of those who work in it. The movie works on many levels, its genuinely exciting and can be appreciated as an action movie, it’s a great ensemble piece, with some reasonably big named actors used effectively in small supporting parts, it’s also a genuinely good character study and psychological examination of war. Jeremy Renner’s performance really ties this film together, it’s a great one, but not showy. Obsession, adrenaline rush, ego trip, alienation, competitiveness, earnestness, they all flow seamlessly together in a fully realized portrait of a human being whose been emotionally rewired by his military experience. The film doesn’t judge him however, it doesn’t really judge anyone, it just shows you how things are and lets you make the call, all the more impressive given how politicized the subject matter could easily have been rendered. A real triumph, rightly recognized, and at this point just a few hours away from the Oscar’s, I find it perfectly possibly that it may have garnered the necessary momentum to put it over the top for the best picture award. We’ll know shortly. Recommended.

Wings (1927)

To inaugurate its newly restored organ, Boise’s historic Egyptian Theater hosted a showing of William Wellman’s 1927 bi-plain spectacle Wings, which is recognized as the first Oscar best picture winner (actually that first year there where too, one for a popular favorite (Wings), and one for greatest artistic achievement which went to F. W. Murnau’s Sunrise). I’ve seen a fair number of silent films and I’m afraid I’d have to rank Wings in the bottom half. No doubt quite a site in its day I didn’t get much out of it, Sunrise has a better love triangle and night on the town scene, Hell’s Angles (while not really a silent, is better with a not dissimilar plot (and better air fights)), and anything Chaplin or Keation did had more heart and humor. Wings was just too much like Pearl Harbor, had a couple good moments, but ultimately I didn’t much care. It was a fun experience to see it with a packed house in a period theater however. Not Recommended.

Suspicision (1941)

I shutter a bit to put the words ‘Hitchcock’ and ‘misfire’ in the same sentence, but I’m afraid this is how I feel about Suspicion. Adapted, ultimately loosely from Francis Lles’ 1932 novel ‘Before the Fact‘, the film concerns Lina McLaidlaw (Joan Fontaine) an English women from established stock who, partly out of fear of becoming a spinster, marries dashing cad Johnnie Aysgarth (appropriately played by Cary Grant). Throughout the film Johnnie, though sometimes a doting husband, proceeds to act irresponsibly and endangers both the families economic situation and good name. Lina begins to suspect him of plotting, and later carrying out a murder, and then comes to suspect he intends to have her bumped off as well. Now the acting’s good in this movie (though I don’t know if Fontaine deserved an Oscar for this, she really got it as a kind of apology for not winning the previous year for the far superior Rebecca), but I was kind of board by the central dynamic of the film, in fact the whole awkward/respectable girl and the handsome cad that may just be after her for her money thing is done much better in Joan’s sister Olivia de Havilland’s later Oscar winning portrayal of The Heiress. The thing that really upset me about the film however was the ending, a total cop-out that seemingly contradicts all that came before it. While I realize this neuterd or ‘safe’ ending was mandated by the production code of the time, it just seemed such a blatant and unsatisfying cheat that I could not forgive this film. In short, a mediocrity, but a rare one from a man who usually earns his title of ‘master of suspense’. Not Recommended.

An Education (2009)

Weighty is the word I keep coming back to when I think of this movie, it has substance and heft, and reminds me of all those really solid dramas that were part of the 2008 awards season (the story here even has a number of thematic parallels to my favorite film of last year The Reader). An Education is about just that, in 1961 a young London girl named Jenny (Carey Mulligan in what so far is my favorite female performance of ‘09) who embarks on a love affair with an older, more then just a little suspicious seeming man (Peter Sarsgaard, in an excellently realized, subtle performance). The film does an excellent job of conveying how Jenny’s experience with this older man provides ‘an education’ into a new supposedly high class world she has aspired to, but never before experienced. This ‘education’ runs the spectrum from the wide-eyed innocence of the young girl visiting her first fancy restaurant (with live jazz singer) to heartbreaking disillusionment, and even betrayal. I like how the movie starts with such a jaunty, catchy, innocent jazz number, complete with images of teenage school girls and drawings of paper airplanes, and takes that innocence on a journey that (as I said) just gets weightier and weightier as it progresses. I think it’s the best character journey of its year, and a refreshingly serious entry from a movie year that frankly wasn’t. Recommended.

My predictions for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards

As Roger Ebert said (by way of voice simulator) “I can’t remember a year when it seemed easer to predict the Oscars”, which is just that much more incentive to do so. My Pic’s in Red.


Performance by an actor in a leading role
Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)
George Clooney in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Colin Firth in "A Single Man" (The Weinstein Company)
Morgan Freeman in "Invictus" (Warner Bros.)
Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Matt Damon in "Invictus" (Warner Bros.)
Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger" (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones" (DreamWorks in association with Film4, Distributed by Paramount)
Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.)
Helen Mirren in "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Carey Mulligan in "An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
(One of the few competative catagories this year, Ideally I'd like to see Carey Mulligan win this)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Penélope Cruz in "Nine" (The Weinstein Company)
Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)
Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)

Best animated feature film of the year
"Coraline" (Focus Features)
Henry Selick
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" (20th Century Fox)
Wes Anderson
"The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney)
John Musker and Ron Clements
"The Secret of Kells" (GKIDS)
Tomm Moore
"Up" (Walt Disney)
Pete Docter

Achievement in art direction
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert StrombergSet Decoration: Kim Sinclair
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia MasaroSet Decoration: Caroline Smith
"Nine" (The Weinstein Company)
Art Direction: John MyhreSet Decoration: Gordon Sim
"Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.)
Art Direction: Sarah GreenwoodSet Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Young Victoria" (Apparition)
Art Direction: Patrice VermetteSet Decoration: Maggie Gray

Achievement in cinematography
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
Mauro Fiore
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (Warner Bros.)
Bruno Delbonnel
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
Barry Ackroyd
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
Robert Richardson
"The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Christian Berger

Achievement in costume design
"Bright Star" (Apparition)
Janet Patterson
"Coco before Chanel" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Catherine Leterrier
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Monique Prudhomme
"Nine" (The Weinstein Company)
Colleen Atwood
"The Young Victoria" (Apparition)
Sandy Powell

Achievement in directing
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
James Cameron
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
Kathryn Bigelow
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
Quentin Tarantino
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
Lee Daniels
"Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Jason Reitman

Best documentary feature
"Burma VJ" (Oscilloscope Laboratories)A Magic Hour Films Production
Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
"The Cove" (Roadside Attractions)An Oceanic Preservation Society Production
Nominees to be determined
"Food, Inc." (Magnolia Pictures)A Robert Kenner Films Production
Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers"A Kovno Communications Production
Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
"Which Way Home"A Mr. Mudd Production
Rebecca Cammisa


Best documentary short subject
"China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province"A Downtown Community Television Center Production
Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill
"The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner"A Just Media Production
Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
"The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant"A Community Media Production
Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
"Music by Prudence"An iThemba Production
Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
"Rabbit à la Berlin" (Deckert Distribution)An MS Films Production
Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra


Achievement in film editing
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Julian Clarke
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
Sally Menke
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
Joe Klotz

Best foreign language film of the year
"Ajami"(Kino International)An Inosan Production
Israel
"El Secreto de Sus Ojos" (Sony Pictures Classics)A Haddock Films Production
Argentina
"The Milk of Sorrow"A Wanda Visión/Oberon Cinematogràfica/Vela Production
Peru
"Un Prophète" (Sony Pictures Classics)A Why Not/Page 114/Chic Films Production
France
"The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures Classics)An X Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film/Les Films du Losange/Lucky Red Production
Germany

Achievement in makeup
"Il Divo" (MPI Media Group through Music Box)
Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)
Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
"The Young Victoria" (Apparition)
Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
James Horner
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" (20th Century Fox)
Alexandre Desplat
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
"Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.)
Hans Zimmer
"Up" (Walt Disney)
Michael Giacchino

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney)
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney)
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Music by Reinhardt WagnerLyric by Frank Thomas
"Take It All" from "Nine" (The Weinstein Company)
Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)
Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best motion picture of the year
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)A Lightstorm Entertainment Production
James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
"The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.)An Alcon Entertainment Production
Nominees to be determined
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)A Block/Hanson Production
Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
"An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)A Finola Dwyer/Wildgaze Films Production
Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)A Voltage Pictures Production
Nominees to be determined
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)A Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures/A Band Apart/Zehnte Babelsberg Production Still my favorite
Lawrence Bender, Producer
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)A Lee Daniels Entertainment/Smokewood Entertainment Production
Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
"A Serious Man" (Focus Features)A Working Title Films Production
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
"Up" (Walt Disney)A Pixar Production
Jonas Rivera, Producer
"Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)A Montecito Picture Company Production
Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Best animated short film
"French Roast"A Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films Production
Fabrice O. Joubert
"Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" (Brown Bag Films)A Brown Bag Films Production
Nicky Phelan and Darragh O'Connell
"The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)"A Kandor Graphics and Green Moon Production
Javier Recio Gracia
"Logorama" (Autour de Minuit)An Autour de Minuit Production
Nicolas Schmerkin
"A Matter of Loaf and Death" (Aardman Animations)An Aardman Animations Production
Nick Park

Best live action short film
"The Door" (Network Ireland Television)An Octagon Films Production
Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
"Instead of Abracadabra" (The Swedish Film Institute)A Directörn & Fabrikörn Production
Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
"Kavi"A Gregg Helvey Production
Gregg Helvey
"Miracle Fish" (Premium Films)A Druid Films Production
Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
"The New Tenants"A Park Pictures and M & M Production
Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Achievement in sound editing
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
Paul N.J. Ottosson
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
Wylie Stateman
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)
Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
"Up" (Walt Disney)
Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Achievement in sound mixing
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)
Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro, Distributed by Paramount)
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Achievement in visual effects
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)
Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Adapted screenplay
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
"An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Screenplay by Nick Hornby
"In the Loop" (IFC Films)
Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
"Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Original screenplay
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
Written by Mark Boal
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
Written by Quentin Tarantino
"The Messenger" (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
"A Serious Man" (Focus Features)
Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"Up" (Walt Disney)
Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete DocterStory by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

The Most Dangerous Game (1932)

Adaptation of the Richard Connell story about a big game hunter who captures and hunts fellow humans on an island off the cost of Brazil. Film is kind of exposition heavy, so the actual hunt of Joel McCrea and Fay Wray takes up a disappointingly small percentage of screen time.. The whole movie is made however by Leslie Banks sinister, slightly over the top Russian Count (he does crazy eyes quite well). Satisfying at a mere 63 minutes, I recommend the colorized version which I think makes Fay Wray seem strangely more attractive then she usually does. A couple of good chase moments towards the end, especially the camera work during the charge through the swamp. Thumbs Up.

Up in the Air (2009)

Jason Reitman had originally intended an adaptation of author Walter Kirn’s 2001 novel about a flight-hopping “career transition counselor” to be his directorial debut, but other movies came to the four and only recently has he been able to complete his pet project. The production delay has provided fortuities for the young Reitman (son of Ghostbuster’s director Ivan) in two major ways: Firstly it allowed him to hone his directing techniques in other quirky films like Juno and Thank You For Smoking. Second it allowed his film to come out in a time when perpetual layoffs have come to take a real affect on the American psyche (in fact Reitman liters his film with actual laid off workers playing the men and women our lead characters fire in the course of the story).

George Clooney is our central character Ryan Bingham, a man who fires people for a living and luxuriates in an existence free from emotional attachment (he even works periodically on a self help book about how to avoid commitments in life). This character is a little reminiscent of the one Clooney plays in Micheal Clayton, somewhat estranged from his family, and highly skilled in an unpleasant job. Tonally of course the film is lighter then Clayton, yet melancholy. There are a number of themes in the film but those having to do with Bingham’s realizations about his loneliness in life, and how he’s failed to ’man-up’ are the ones I felt drawn to. I’d even place this film in that somewhat hard to defined quasi-genera of men-reluctantly-learning-to-face-up-and-try-to-be-men films, which runs the spectrum from the fatherhood subtext of Matchstick Men, to Judd Apatow’s various man-boy comedies. I Should point out that all the women are really good in this film too, Vera Farmiga as Clooney’s love interest, the always intriguing Melanie Lynskey, Amy Morton who does a lot with a small part as Clooney’s older sister, and of course Anna Kendrick, who I’ve developed a crush on. Solid film, creative, sufficiently subtle, of course timely, and by far my favorite of Jason Reitman’s films to date. Thumbs Up.

Outrage (2009)

Simply put this is a documentary on closeted American politicians who vote anti-gay. Documentary film maker Kirby Dick has made the subject of hypocrisy and the need to expose hypocrisy the paramount concern of his work, and feeling that a gay politician who votes against his own people (as it were) should know better, he proceeds to name names. Now this is a very sensitive subject outing, both in the gay and straight communities, and to do so in a film presents many issues, not least of which that you might be wrong. All the recent big names (both alleged and confirmed) are here, including former Idaho Senator Larry Craig (a recording of whose interview with a Minnesota police officer post men’s room bust begins the film), Florida’s current governor, U.S. senate candidate and possible presidential aspirant Charlie Crist, Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, and of course New Jersey’s former chief of state Jim McGreevey.

The film has been criticized for making claims that are hard to substantiate, though it seems that Dick has been very vigilant about trying to source his claims, though the credence you’ll give a charge often boils down to whether or not you believe a handful of alleged ex-boyfriends and one night stands. The films also been criticized for focusing almost exclusively on men (the only Lesbian politician in the film is openly one, Wisconsin Congresswomen Tammy Baldwin), and Republicans. However when acknowledge the crux of the film, which is hypocrisy, this all makes since. The Republican party has taken up the anti-gay cause in a way the Democratic party has not, and since the film doesn’t concern itself with alleged closet cases who have not been public about, and insistent on voting against an expansion of gay rights, then the scope of the film is going to fall squarely on a handful of largely older, Republican men. I don’t really know how I feel about everything presented in the film, but certainly its interesting in a tablody sense, and dose open up a relevant, if inherently awkward piece of public dialogue. Thumbs Up.

Moonstruck (1987)

Deservingly well thought of romantic comedy from 1987 is expertly done, not often laugh out loud funny, but consistently amused smile funny. The acting, the script, the direction, the tone, all of it just works. It’s a straight forward film, though its charms are subtle and just have to be seen to be appreciated. Sometimes you just really like something but you can’t fully explain why (a theme of the movie no less), so I shant waste words save to recommend this, surely one of the best, most satisfying romantic comedies every made. Thumbs Up.