Friday, February 19, 2010
Watched: Born Yesterday
Calculation. Innocence. Wackiness. Politics as usual. Most importantly, a FABULOUS wardrobe.
Watched: Cape Fear (1991)
Brutality. Paranoia. Obsession. Sex. Pain. Resolve. That unnerving junction in life where these and other similarly discomfiting element approach, collide, and destroy.
Watched: The Swimmer
Hypocrisy. Suburbia. Bathing suits. Self-denial. Disgrace. Twist ending, except not really.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Watched: Brief Interviews With Hideous Men
Monologues. Dialogues. Simultaneous monologues, theatre-style. Narrative. Subtext. Meta-narrative. Feminism. Mysogyny. Rape. Empowerment. Love. Abandonment.
P.S. I liked this film more than I thought I would, although in all fairness I should say that I never read the stories it's centered on. I think it deals really interestingly both with the nature of storytelling and what it means to love, in a myriad of different ways. Even though I don't think I really captured them, there are quite a few interesting shots. Finally, the acting is great; although my one complaint would be that there are, in fact, so many brief interviews (and though not all the men are physically or emotionally hideous, many of them are) that it's hard to entirely sink into any one story or character. That's probably the point, but I felt as though it did keep me at a distance from the film. I think my favorite "interviews", so to speak, were John Krasinki's and the man who talked about his father spending his life working in a bathroom (2nd and 3rd pictures). They were both powerful for really different reasons.
This one felt very play-like. In a good way, though. 
The guy in the hat is adorable. These two were some sort of Greek chorus whose discussion seemed to be mostly about the post-feminist's role in the world and where/how men fit in. It was kind of cool and, as I said, meta.
Ben Gibbard?
Law & Order guy!
GOB!
That dude from The Station Agent!
The Julie & Julia guy!
P.P.S. Could there BE any more dudes in this movie?
P.S. I liked this film more than I thought I would, although in all fairness I should say that I never read the stories it's centered on. I think it deals really interestingly both with the nature of storytelling and what it means to love, in a myriad of different ways. Even though I don't think I really captured them, there are quite a few interesting shots. Finally, the acting is great; although my one complaint would be that there are, in fact, so many brief interviews (and though not all the men are physically or emotionally hideous, many of them are) that it's hard to entirely sink into any one story or character. That's probably the point, but I felt as though it did keep me at a distance from the film. I think my favorite "interviews", so to speak, were John Krasinki's and the man who talked about his father spending his life working in a bathroom (2nd and 3rd pictures). They were both powerful for really different reasons.
This one felt very play-like. In a good way, though. The guy in the hat is adorable. These two were some sort of Greek chorus whose discussion seemed to be mostly about the post-feminist's role in the world and where/how men fit in. It was kind of cool and, as I said, meta.Ben Gibbard?
Law & Order guy!
GOB!
That dude from The Station Agent!
The Julie & Julia guy!
P.P.S. Could there BE any more dudes in this movie?Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Watched: The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Barbara Stanwyck. A seriously young Kirk Douglas. Some other guy (Van Heflin) that everyone keeps referring to as young/handsome despite his being neither. Double meanings. Double crosses. Double identities.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Happiness is
Jon Hamm impersonating a Jamaican woman. If you are not watching 30 Rock... WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?
Watched: The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstal
After watching all three-ish hours of this documentary about the director of The Triumph of the Will and Olympiad, all I can say is: I don't believe you Leni Riefenstahl. I believe that you believe you. But I don't. (Which is not saying much, since why would what I think matter? But that's what I took away from this. So yeah. Not buying it. You're too fucking smart to be so goddamned stupid.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)