I needed to lighten up after my long diet of downers, oh-so-quirky dramas, and documentaries, so I went looking for an anime or regular cartoon that would be fun. Came up with the anime series Noein.

It's fun so far, three half-hour episodes out of 25 in, and I like the characters well enough. Some really nice visuals, though there's a sort of schizoid alternation between high-tech images full of elaborately intertwined geometric shapes and a more earthly world of often very attractive hand-painted background scenery, and the transitions between them can seem odd. And all the more so because the basis for the intrustions of the quasi-scientific/magical into the ordinary world of the main characters is never explained or even really clarified. At least not in the first three episodes. That would make me more than willing to drop most shows, but so far this one has me on the string for a while longer because of the beauty of the artwork and the simple likeability of the junior high school level kids who are its main characters.

I've wondered how this movie would stand the test of time. When I saw it, I was in high school, and it seemed extremely gritty at the time. The tale also was kind of novel (at least to me).

Drag Me to Hell - great little horror movie, directed by Sam Raimi. Good to see his still got his horror sensibility. Even people who don't like horror will like this one.

Shrink: Not sure what I feel about this movie, going to have to watch it again. There was a lot going on, but I think the acting was good. Anyone else seen this and care to comment?

It's on Netflix IQ for those wondering

I was thinking of watching it yesterday, but it looked like it could be either a great choice or leave me pissed off I had wasted my time.

Children of Men

Excellent thriller set in a dystopian Britain of the future in which a mysterious event or illness has caused the entire human race to become infertile. It's the sort of science fiction I love because there is absolutely no focus on what caused this to happen; the focus is entirely on the consequences which are well stated and very believable. I especially like the fact that you only really get to see what's going on in Britain and only get to see glimpses of other countries very briefly through the media (and hence don't know how distorted the reports are). I don't want to reveal the plot so I won't say much about that.

Amongst the many good things in the film are the excellent cast and the performances: Clive Owen, who I don't like as a rule, acts the reluctant hero extremely well. Chiwetel Ejiofor, who I rate very highly, is as good as one would expect, and there is a genuinely likeable turn from Michael Caine as a hippy with a scatological sense of humour which is very pleasing. Julianne Moore is good too, as is Pam Ferris (who one can't help but like).

One of the film's biggest achievements is the cinematography, for which it was nominated for an Oscar. There are some incredibly long single-take shots which must have taken a mind-blowing amount of choreography (including a very long half-life 2-esque scene in some slums in which blood spatters the camera lens and remains there for quite some time). Aside from this, the film is so well filmed to present a gloomy, grey Britain that it is entirely believable to anyone who's ever spent a few autumn days in London.

Really couldn't recommend it highly enough. I know it's a few years old, but if anyone hasn't seen it yet you'll be able to pick it up for a less than the price of a magazine in a supermarket (which is where I got it) so it's definitely worth it.

Everything Is Illuminated

A bit of a disappointment after the book, because NONE of the back story is shown, and very little is even told.

Also, the hysterical idiomatic stuff from the book isn't front and center.

A nice little road movie, though.

Zombieland

omg

so funny

9/10.

very good movie

Spirited Away - old movie but imo the best animated movie ever. The story is so imaginative & creative.

This is a Brilliant film...4/4

This is easily in my Top 5 of the last decade.

It has basically everything I want from the movie-watching experience: entertaining, visually pleasing, doses of humor, nicely moving plot, solid characters (and, importantly, solid peripheral characters), tidy dialogue, originality, and it said something without smashing the viewer in the face with message.

when i first saw it, i didn't really enjoy it all that much. i think i'll need a reviewing though.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

This is a great kids' movie that adults will like too. It's packed, absolutely packed, with visual flair and a very intelligent script. Some of the best use of CGI to tranlate someone's vision in a very effective way that I recall ever seeing.

Some of the visuals are Lynch-like, some Burton-like (but better than Burton's managed so far imo). It's script is also sophisticated in places that adults will enjoy and kids won't mind (and I don't mean in a sexual innuendo type way).

Thoroughly recommended.

Glengarry Glen Ross

My only criticism is that it was too short. Jack Lemmon was on brilliant form (not to mention Pacino and Spacey).

Watched this flick called "Five Fingers" with Lawrence Fishbourne and Ryan Phillipe and was very impressed considering I'd never heard of it before. Not only was the film great I thought the message behind it was one I think most Americans need pounded into their heads a little bit more.

Yep, what a hoot. gotta dig the for whom the bell tolls open

Enigma

Starring Kate Winslet and Dougray Scott, set around the codebreakers of Bletchley Park in WWII, with the subplot of uncovering a traitor in the operation. I enjoyed the story which moved along at a good pace and while I don't normally rate Dougray Scott, he puts in a convincing turn as the on the edge codebreaker (I assume based loosely around Alan Turing).

Honestly, with that cast, and Mamet actually in great form (sometimes, I honestly don't know what the hell he is trying to do), I could watch a five-hour version of Glengarry Glen Ross.

For now, I am going to Mitch and Murray.

Maybe even Lemkin.

I'll keep you posted.

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas. Meh for me. Weak story/execution imo. Didn't have the intended impact on me. I think I blame the director for this.

Totally agree. I really expected more.

Grace

On its face, this is a horror movie about an infertile woman who somehow has a baby, and the baby is like a sort-of monster.

What it really is is a commentary on womens' issues and veganism. It is creepy in places (in a good way), but ultimately, it just seems like Repulsion (yes, Polanski's Repulsion) meets It's Alive....with an agenda!

4/10

12 Monkeys

Makes sense enough, unlike some time travel movies, and has some interesting moments, but overall seems to miss what I take are its two main emotional emphases -- the final confrontation and emotion of the main character realizing how everything works and will end. The first, because the final confrontation worked toward all film long



and also because the main pay off of the film is essentially an emotional one, and Bruce Willis can carry only a few emotions, and generally immediately. He is not up to the emotional resonance of the role. He is not one who can evoke a sort of deep breath in the heart; he is more of a mouth breather. To be fair, director Gilliam can be hit or miss as an emotional director, and he doesn't give Willis enough to work with here. He doesn't give female lead Madeleine Stowe, enough to work with either, though she does her best with what she's got.

Done really well, a movie like this would be rewatchable quite a number of times. I don't think there's any more to be pulled out of it than one might get from one or at the most two watchings. I'll skip the second.

I just watched Whit Stillman's movie Barcelona. Lots of dry wit and stylized dialogue. Think Wes Anderson, but not as outlandish. Two young Americans dance, and have sex, with many beautiful girls in 1980's Barcelona, amid a political scene that is very anti-American. It's a strange movie, but not quite as strange as Metropolitan. Stillman is a unique talent, and I wish he made more movies.

me neither. but when you really think about what it means for the human race to be infertile, it's pretty fascinating because it sheds light on our behavior now.

a column by David Brooks on this idea was really good imo. you can read it here http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/op...ooks.html?_r=1. a quote from it to capture its theme:

i'll have to re-rent the movie now. only saw it once.