Be Kind Rewind

Rating: 8

Michel Gondry's imagination is magic. The sweded version of the sweded trailer with the sweded ghostbusters was killer. Though the reviews I've read have tended to be less than kind, Be Kind Rewind shows a surreal, heartfelt appreciation for all underground filmmaking and its fans.

(and If you can get online and find the sweded version of The Big Lebowski, I guarantee it's worth your while.)

Love Letter to Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson. You have created a masterpiece with There Will Be Blood, and the Academy, as they are so inclined to do, has totally dissed you. I love the Coen Bros with all my heart, I want oscars for them, millions of oscars in every category for them, but I've watched your movie twice and their movie twice and, this time, you were simply more deserving - and yet, the academy drank your milkshake.

Your time will come, PT. You're one of the only directors I can hear in an interview and not want to vomit. You're young and silly and fun and never pretentious, even though you have every right to be. Your movies are getting better and better every time. I've been completely on board with you even since Sydney (Hard Eight,) and every movie since then has been more ambitious, intelligent, subversive and funny than the one before. On the one hand I'm disappointed that Oscar snubbed you this evening. On the other hand, you can kinda take it as a compliment if you think about the company you'd be in.

Crash?
Chicago?
Million Dollar Baby?
Titanic?
Forrest Gump?

The Killers

Rating: 9

Since I've already seen everything good in theaters right now, there's only Netflix. The Killers is a movie I hadn't heard of until Netflix recommended it to me. It features Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner, both very young and foxy. The director, Robert Siodmak, is German, so the look of the film has the feel of German expressionism - huge shadows, and people wandering in and out of pools of very bright light. The mystery in the story is unraveled by an insurance investigator rather than a Private Eye , like the film Double Indemnity. This is a fantastic film noir.

Cassandra's Dream

Rating: 7

This would be an excellent companion piece with Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, which is also centered around a pair of brothers who get in over their heads as criminals. It's a really enjoyable film and I was surprised by Colin Farrell's wonderful performance, playing against his usual tough-guy type. Of course, Ewan MacGregor is excellent as always. I haven't enjoyed Woody Allen's comedies in quite some time but he's got a flair for noir-ish suspense stories, and I hope it's a genre he'll continue exploring.

Sundance Update - from roving reporter, Cinde Ennis!

What a fun place for a group vacation.

I saw:

Love Comes Lately

Directorial debut of Michael Keaton: A Merry Gentleman I really liked it and the female lead, Kelly McDonald was FABULOUS. Michael was there for the Q and A. Cool guy.

Megane (Glasses): A Japanese film written and directed by a woman It was AWESOME

Patti Smith Documentary: It was in the making for 12 years. Loved it!

Incendiary: directed by Sharon McGuire who did Bridget Jones Diary. Stars Michelle Williams and Ewan MacGregor . Loved it! She is academy award level excellent.

Lot's of celebrity sightings: Collin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst, Bill Paxton, Glenn Close, Matthew Broderick and SJ Parker, Mos Def, Kevin Bacon (my friend Kira (his sister) was with us so we went to a cool fund raiser with him and skied.

Big Guy from The Office who was engaged to Pam" that works in the warehouse. He was in the category of "I recognize you but don't know your name"

Barry Levinson, Bob DeNiro (I heard the film sucked)

R.I.P. Heath

It's hard to say anything about this without sounding corny and trite I guess, but this is an unthinkable loss and it breaks my heart.

Atonement

Rating: 7

A little weepy & sappy, but the costumes were pretty and there's one cool long tracking shot. It would be a typical choice for best picture at the Oscars - I thought the Golden Globes tended to be a bit more edgy, what with being foreigners & all, but I guess not this year.