Fictional
Becket: A great story, great acting, epic movie making. The only issue I had was its overall Hollywood-ness: Obnoxious score, overdone costumes, and generally way more “grand-ness” than called for. But a great script and two of the best actors of their generation make this a must-see. 4/5. *
Shadow of a Doubt: One of the few Hitchcock films I had never seen, and, in spite of the fact that it was supposedly one of Hitch’s favorites, I found it pretty thin. Pretty major holes in the plot, generally wooden performances. Still, it’s Hitchcock, and in some ways it’s a good one to watch. 3/5.
The Man Who Wasn’t There: I love noir movies. Love them. This, in spite of its dramatic cinematography, in spite of its Coen brothers credentials, is just kinda lifeless. Billy Bob Thornton does whatever he can to turn out the Billy Bob noir anti-hero shtick, but the whole film just feels soul-less and empty. 3/5.
Conversations With Other Women: A clever little exercise in clever little filmmaking, centered around clever little characters that you don’t give a shit about. 2/5.
Stranger Than Fiction: I may already be dead, just not typed. This film is pretty much everything a movie is supposed to be (and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s smile is as drop-everything-awe-inspiring as any ever invented). Smart, clever, nuanced, complex, tender. I wept like a baby. 5/5. *
The Hudsucker Proxy: Cute, clever, a nice story. But somehow… not… all… that… memorable…? Like a lot of Coen films, it’s cleverness for the sake of cleverness. 3/5.
Two Weeks: Though it takes a while to disassociate yourself from thinking of Sally Field selling adult diapers or whatever she’s hawking these days, this is a well-acted, thoughtful little film. Never overdone, often funny, always true. 4/5.
* Highly recommended.
2. Ivy.
for the record, anyone who gives a sally-field-dies movie a 4/5 cannot mock those who like _dirty dancing_.
Comment by mara — Friday, 14 December, 2007 @ 3:42 pm
Andrew,
So much to comment on… I don’t know where to begin. I’m loving your new work. I can’t figure out if you are actually painting/stamping the words onto the objects/people, or if it is PS’ed in. Either way, it’s brilliant. You have truely grown as an artist and a photographer even since when I first met you (6 or 7 years ago?). I think it’s awesome how you always seem to stumble across the coolest scenes (ie: the recent dead rat, or the wall above, etc.) and capture it so perfectly. Now that I have a new camera and a deeper, more evolved appreciation for art, I’d love to get together again and take some photos together. I know I’ve said it a dozen times, but I mean it! I can learn a lot from you.
Also, “Stranger Than Fiction” is one of my most favorite movies. I wholeheartedly agree that it is a 5/5.
Comment by Anna — Monday, 31 December, 2007 @ 1:18 am