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.