Watch It Or Weep

What are you looking at?

2008-07-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

Rating 8.0

There are among us only few who give much thought to typefaces. Most of us are happy to know the difference between serif and sans-serif, let alone what a ligature is, or whether the spacing in our morning newspaper is proportional or monospaced. Surely, for most of us, pondering typefaces takes up about as much of our time as flossing our teeth, though we spend a great deal of our lives looking at a seemingly infinite variety of them.

The people we encounter in the documentary Helvetica, however, sound as though they spend every waking second thinking about typefaces before they go on dreaming about them at night. And of all the typefaces, Helvetica in particular receives an extraordinary amount of attention. Apparently, there has been an ongoing debate over the worthiness of Helvetica taking place just under our collective nose ever since it was developed in the late-1950s. This film places that debate center stage, in the surprisingly robust and spirited world of type design. Opinions of Helvetica range from those of pure admiration to outright disgust. One designer goes so far as to voice her moral opposition to it. Another is almost moved to tears by its simplicity.

Some of the most respected, innovative, and rebellious type designers of our time appear in the film, taking us on an engaging and often eccentric 80-minute tour of Helvetica’s history and how its use has evolved over the decades. We learn how integral its appearance is to the advertising industry and federal government, as they have increasingly relied on it for products and services ranging from AT&T to American Airlines and the IRS to iPods. We learn also of its stubbornness, how even the most coordinated attempts by designers to banish it to the past have been thwarted as new generations find it too irresistible to ignore. They are inspired by the challenge to make it new rather than bored by its conventional use. One could say Helvetica has transcended mere utility to serve as a sort of ambassador to the world. How? It just won’t go away.

Obviously a labor of love, Helvetica is the kind of film that is in danger of being overlooked as at first glance it may seem to be of interest to only a specialized audience, say, one with an advanced degree in graphic design. In fact, it should have broad appeal. Typefaces have an unusually strong influence on our everyday lives; their effects may be subtle but they are worth thinking about. To devote an entire documentary to only one typeface of course sells the whole industry short, but Helvetica does a fairly good job of framing the debate as one that enlightens the viewer to the many facets of type design, including the political, economical, and even personal ideas at work behind every letter of every word that we see – intended or not.

Have I seen this already?

2008-03-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah yeah yeah. You probably can't stand it when people browse the shelves, pick out titles and stare at them with that quizzical look on their face, wondering, "Have I seen/read this one before?"

We all have memory lapses from time to time. Especially today when we are so overloaded with sensory input.

Well. I honestly think that if the movie was that great, I would have a hard time forgetting it. So, on that note, here are the movies I remembered having watched for the first time and enjoyed in the past few years. Feel free to comment.

Dark City

Babel

Memento

City of Lost Children

Little Children

Once

Amelie

In The Belly of the Architect

I heart Huckabee

Shopgirl

That's it for now. More will come to me later.

From the streets of Dublin...

2008-03-13T06:38:00.001-07:00

ONCE

Rating: 9.0

Musicals these days are lavish and carefully orchestrated. They showcase the sometimes questionable singing talents of A-list Hollywood stars or they animate the vocal talent and leave the singing to professionals. They are big-budget productions championed by the huge marketing efforts of major film studios. Actually, if you leave out the singing, most films could be described that way.

Fortunately, the best films of any genre don’t need all the hype. Instead, they rely on a strong story, well-rounded characters, and in the case of Once, a uniquely passionate and fully integrated score that should resonate with any audience. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the two lead actors, won this year’s Oscar (and Grammy) for Best Original Song Written for a Motion Picture. Both of them are professional musicians and they co-wrote several of the songs in the film. They are not professional actors – this is their first film, and they’ve both said they’ll likely never act again – but what they lack in polish they make up for in authenticity as raw as it is true.

Guy (Hansard) could be any bloke with a guitar. By day he works in his dad’s vacuum repair shop; by night he stakes claim to a busy sidewalk in Dublin, opens his guitar case for tips, and sings with an intensity that betrays his lack of professional ambition. (They have a word for it: busking.) Why isn’t he performing in a concert venue somewhere? His music is captivating and his personality is charismatic (though not without a wee bit of the Irish gloom), but no one seems to be listening. No one except Girl (Irglova), a Czech immigrant who stops to listen everyday from a distance as she makes her rounds selling flowers. When she finally engages him, the relationship that develops is almost startling in its integrity, which graciously continues to the final scene.

As Guy and Girl write songs together and inch their way toward a recording studio, they develop an awareness of each other that awakens in them that rare moment of introspection when one realizes the necessity of an honest relationship not only with others but with oneself. Much of this film acknowledges how difficult this can be. In one particularly well-played scene, Guy hesitantly plays one of his songs for his father on a tape recorder as they sit silently at the kitchen table. I won’t spoil the scene by telling you how it turns out, but I will say that the film pivots beautifully during small moments such as these, in turn drawing us deeper into the characters’ circumstances and bringing us to respect rather than question their actions. As viewers we are in capable, if unseasoned, hands.

If for no other reason (though I have plenty), I recommend Once on the merits of the character-driven script, which is so loyal to Guy and Girl that it confounds the viewers’ expectations in surprising, often funny, and ultimately meaningful ways. It is smart without being clever and affective without being sentimental. There aren’t that many films out there willing to take the risk. Once is a love story, sure, but more than that it is a story about loss and sacrifice, about acceptance and doing what it takes to get to where you want to go. We all have dreams and we all have realities. We want to realize one without letting the other get us down. The problem is to determine which one deserves our efforts. Once does an admirable job of working it out, with a memorable soundtrack to boot.

We could all use a little Spice in our dreams....

2008-01-21T08:21:00.000-08:00

Paprika

I had to recommend this one for all of you anime fans out there. Actually, you don't have to be a fan of anime at all to enjoy this one.
The director Satoshi Kon continues in his wonderful style of blending science fiction and reality. This one is based on a science fiction novel by noted Japanese author Yasutaka Tsutui. When a program that allows individuals to explore their own dreams is pirated, the results are mind blowing.
If you liked the Matrix, you will appreciate this one. It is Rated R, however, for one particularly unsettling death scene, so don't watch it with the little ones..

Wouldn't it be Great to be a Career Criminal?

2008-01-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

Ocean's 13

Rating: 7.0

If you enjoyed Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12, you'll surely enjoy this one, although in my opinion, it is slightly less enjoyable than the first two. Maybe it's because the surprise of all the celebrity cameos has turned into more of an expectation. You know how that goes.

In this one, Al Pacino plays a casino owner who stiffs one of Ocean's men big-time, thus upsetting him into a heart attack. Ocean, of course, must get back at the guy, who considers himself untouchable. I guess everyone in the casino business has criminal ties, because Pacino used to be one, and so did Andy Garcia, who pops up as his rival. Ocean tries to use Garcia, as well as all of his contacts, to ruin the opening night of Pacino's biggest, most expensive casino for high rollers (or, "whales") only.

The best best best part of this movie is Ellen Barkin, who at 53 and change, looks as good as any cougar could. She plays Pacino's next in charge, and spends most of the movie following him around like a puppy dog in a tight dress and Victoria Beckham bob.

Clooney plays the same, slick, lovable Ocean, who, despite being extremely adept at ripping people off, still has a heart of gold. I do not understand why people find this man so sexy. But, to each their own.

This one does drag on a bit too long (122 mins), but, then, so did the other two. In my opinion, any movie that lasts past the 120 min. mark should be definitely worth the time it took to view it. This one didn't reach that high in my opinion.

-Victoria Vogel

Cuteness + Science Fiction = Great Movie

2007-07-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

The Last Mimzy Rating 8.0

Far into the future a scientist has made several attempts to save the world. This is his last try.

He sends Mimzy into the past to a couple of young 'uns, because only the innocence of children can save us. When a brother and sister find a strange paper weight type thingie on the beach, they break it open to find several objects, one of which is a stuffed rabbit named Mimzy.

The rabbit can speak only to the girl through beeps and chirps. SHe is able to understand Mimzy, and realizes why Mimzy is here. Mimzy is able to communicate to her and her brother, and soon they are freaking out their parents with the special abilities with which they have been endowed.

Rainn Wilson from the Office plays a science teacher at the boy's elementary school who is drawn into their world with his hippy wife. Soon the FBI catch on the Mimzy, and steal the rabbit to figure out exactly what makes it tick.

The movie is very entertaining. Children younger than 8, however, will most likely be bored. The story is somewhat complicated. But, this is a great movie for parents and their older pre-teen, and even teen children to watch together. The story is engrossing, and the rabbit is so very very CUTE!

Science fiction and mathematics buffs will also appreciate this movie greatly. The movie is based on a children's novel, and parrallels Alice in Wonderland somewhat.

The movie reminded me a lot of ET, because of it's cuteness factor, and because the boy looks freakishly simlar to Elliott from the popular 1981 movie.

If You Drink This Much, You Will Die

2007-03-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

Beerfest

Rating: 5.5

"If you drink this much, you will die." This is actually a disclaimer that appears at the opening of the movie. Now, is that a sign that this movie is not for younger audiences, or what?

Beerfest is the story of two brothers who decide to train to win the annual Beerfest in their dead grandfather's name. Beerfest is sort of a secret "fight club" competition that the brothers stumble across when they travel to Oktoberfest. Dear old grandpapa loved his beer, and took the recipe of some master brew to his grave. The boys discover the recipe, and use it to create their family's favorite beer in order to help them train. Training consists of, you guessed it, drinking. A lot. Very quickly. Which leads to all sorts of escapades.

The movie great for learning new drinking games, and for watching whilst drinking with your fraternity brothers. It isn't good for much else.

Babel

2007-03-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

Babel

Rating 9.0

This is an important movie that should be seen. Four stories from different cultures with common elements interweave throughout the film.

The first story revolves around two Moroccan boys who wind up shooting a wealthy American tourist while trying out his new rifle. The tourist is played by Cate Blanchett. Her husband is Brad Pitt. They are on a tour bus in the middle of nowhere when it happens. Blanchett is taken to the nearest village where she suffers while Pitt tries to get the US Embassy to help them out. The shooting is believed to be a terrorist attack, and the boys are hunted down.

Meanwhile, Pitt calls their Mexican immigrant housekeeper, who is watching their children at home. He informs her that she must stay with the children and miss her nephew's wedding. Torn, she agrees, and winds up shuttling the children across the Mexican border with disastrous consequences.

The rifle that was used to shoot Blanchett is connected to a Japanese businessman. His daughter Chieko is the subject of his story. She is deaf mute, and unable to voice the intense pain she suffers from her mother's death. Rinko Kikuchi plays Chieko. She does an amazing job, and it is obvious to see why she was nominated for an Academy Award. Her story is so moving, it is almost painful to watch.

Babel reminded me of Crash in the way it compared struggles across cultures and backgrounds. All of the characters are similar in their pain and misunderstanding of each other. For some it results in pain and anguish. For others, there is resolution and understanding.

I loved this film because of how well it portrayed the emotions of the characters. There is intense tragedy in each of their lives, and it is that element that connects them. There is no understanding that unites them. They do not even meet. But to the audience, it is as if they do.

It is a complex movie, but I found myself glued to the screen until the end. I highly recommend it.

The Blonde Ditzo and the Cute Funny Guy

2007-03-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

Employee of the Month
Rating: 4.5

All I have to say about this movie is...Jessica Simpson.

Do you think she's pretty and talented? Then you'll most likely find this movie mildy entertaining. Those of us who are like me, and are revolted about the amazing popularity she receives just for being blonde, pretty, and having big boobs, will find this movie incredibly annoying.

Andy Dick and Dane Cook are mildly funny. Personally, I think Andy Dick's potential is wasted on this film, but that's just me.

Basically, Dane Cook works at a Wal Mart sort of place. His job is unloading and loading merchandise. Dax Shepard is the cashier who wins employee of the month all the time, and acts like a jerk with everyone. Jessica Simpson is the new cashier who has a history of "getting with" the employee of the month. So, Dane Cook decides to do his darndest to win that honor, even if it means taking his job seriously.

That's it. Guess how it ends.

Beyond the Quik Stop...

2007-01-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

Clerks II
Rating: 6.0

In case you wondered what happened to the slackers in the first Clerks, wonder no more. In Clerks II the Quick Stop burns down, leaving Dante and Randall looking for employment. They wind up at Mooby's which is kind of like McDonalds, only with every detail turned into a joke. The door "moos" when opened. Dante is about to get married, if you can imagine that. Ironically, his fiance is Kevin Smith's wife in real life. It's hard to imagine her with either of them. She's tall, blonde, bitchy-looking, and anorexically skinny.

She would have been better suited playing the role of Dante's boss, and the manager of Mooby's, which is played by Rosario Dawson. Of course, Dante has a "thing" for his boss and vice versa. She has the same raunchy sense of humor and no nonsense way of behaving, so it's obvious they are meant to be together. But, she doesn't want to get married. Why Dante does is a mystery.

When Randall and friends decide to throw Dante a bachlor party to end all bachelor parties, everything you could possibly imagine happens, and, well, you can probably guess the ending.

The plot is formulaic. The jokes are the same. So, if you like that stuff, you won't be disappointed.

A Movie for the Cubicley Caged

2007-01-25T11:51:00.000-08:00

Office Space....Rating 8.0

If you like comedies and find the world of work sometimes sorta funny, then this is one for you.

Office Space is Mike Judge's sardonic view of those corporations where getting the right cover sheet for your TPS report is everything. It's a lot like the comic strip Dilbert, only in a movie. If you like that sort of thing, then this is the movie for you.

Peter Gibbons is an office worker who basically sleepwalks through life. He decides to go to a hypnotist to talk about his problems. When the hypnotist keels over from a heart attack before he can snap him out of his hypnosis, Peter is left in a perpetual state of not caring about work.

When he finally does show up at work a few days later, the place is in the midst of a huge downsizing. "The Bob's" are interviewing everyone and deciding on their fate. Peter comes in and the when asked what he does, he simply tells it like it is. He finds himself promoted and his snarky boss, hilariously played by Gary Cole is demoted.

The best performance is by Stephen Root who plays nerdy passive Milton who keeps finding himself getting stepped on and overlooked to the point where he just stops getting paid, but still shows up to work every day.

Anyone who does anything for a paycheck will appreciate this movie. The point of the whole thing is how the amazingly absurd the world of work can be, where an entire day can be spent on routines.

Jennifer Aniston plays Peter's girlfriend who he meets =when she is his server at Friday's like restaurant. The thing they have in common is she hates her job too, and winds up walking out when she is criticized for not wearing enough "flair".

Hisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

2007-01-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

Snakes on a Plane

Rating: 5.0

Ohhhhhhhh yeah.... hike up the cheese factor, it time for Snakes on a Plane. Apparently Samuel Jackson asked to be in this movie when he saw the title. When they were going to change it to something a little less obvious, he told the producers he would only do the movie if they kept the original title.

Did you guess the story? I bet you did. There are a bunch of poisonous snakes on a big 747 threatening to kill all the passengers and bring the plane down. They were put there by a very bad man who went to all that trouble to kill one little witness.

The movie is filled with CGI snakes hissing and biting. There's lots of action, some swearing, and some nudity, so don't let the kiddies watch this one.

The scenes that bothered me the most, however, were the scenes where the snakes basically devour a poor little innocent cat in the cargo area and a passenger's little dog. I mean, as if air travel isn't stressful enough for pets without having to worry about huge snakes. This movie, to say the least, is not animal friendly, so if you are an animal lover like me, you may want to pass on this one solely for that reason.

However, if you love action movies, hate snakes, and are looking for some mindless Saturday night entertainment, then go ahead and indulge.

All Jacked Up on Mountain Dew!

2007-01-07T10:14:00.000-08:00

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Rating: 8.3

I found this movie to be pretty darn funny. I am not a fan a "redneck humor", like Larry the Cable Guy and Jeff Foxworthy. However, the combination of characters in this film and the wonderful script just make this one a must-see. Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) grew up as the only son of a single Mom and a deadbeat father who believes "If you aren't first, you're last!" His only desire in life is to go fast, and he gets that opportunity becoming an award winning NASCAR driver. When a French Formula One driver (wonderfully played by Sascha Baron Cohen, otherwise known as Borat) starts becoming the new winner, Bobby's confidence is shaken and he soon finds himself fighting for the title of top driver.

There are a slew of humorous quotes from this movie that will just have you on the floor laughing. Here are some of the best, as taken from the Internet Movie Database. I am smiling just typing this.

Jean Girard: Hakuna Matata, bitches!

Susan: Ricky Bobby is not a thinker! Ricky Bobby is a driver!

Ricky Bobby: Dear Lord baby Jesus, we thank you so much for this bountiful harvest of Dominos, KFC, and the always delicious Taco Bell. I just want to take time to say thank you for my family. My two sons, Walker, and Texas Ranger, or TR as we call him. And of course my red hot smokin' wife Carley, who is a stone cold fox.

Cal Naughton, Jr.: mmm-mmm...

Ricky Bobby: Dear tiny infant Jesus...

Carley Bobby: Hey, um... you know sweetie, Jesus did grow up. You don't always have to call him baby. It's a bit odd and off puttin' to pray to a baby.

Ricky Bobby: Well look, I like the Christmas Jesus best, and I'm sayin grace. When you say grace, you can say it to grown up Jesus, or teenage Jesus, or bearded Jesus, or whatever you want.

Drunks

2007-01-04T07:50:00.000-08:00

Factotum

Rating: 6.8

Fans of poet and novelist Charles Bukowski might enjoy this one. This film version of Bukowski's short novel centers around his alter ago, Henry Chinaski. Chinaski (Matt Dillon) is an alcoholic drifter who floats from job to job, and bar to bar occasionally hooking up with women, and chronicling it all in his writing. Marisa Tomei plays one of these women, a hooker leaching off of her sugar daddy. Lily Taylor plays Jane, the woman who stays with Chinaski the longest. Taylor does an amazing job portraying Jane. She bares all in this role, and Jane comes off as somewhat comical in her pathetic devotion to Chinaski. Alcohol plays the strongest part in this tale. All of the characters are basically severe alcoholics. Bukowski set his novel during WWII, but the movie is set in present day. It's a story of disallusionment, numbness, apathy, a life wasted by alcohol. You may ask yourself "why would I want to watch such a depressing tale?" Well, some people might like that stuff.

Psychedelic dude

2006-12-20T08:18:00.000-08:00

A Scanner Darkly

Rating 7.4

Richard Linklater (director) is known for avant garde filiming. This one reminds me of Waking Life, not because of the subject matter, but because of the filming style. It's animated in a very realistic way that I found a tad annoying. The subject matter reminds me a bit of David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch.

A Scanner Darkly is the film version of Philip K. Dick's prophetic 60's novel of the same name. It is set in California eight years in the future. A new drug called Substance D has everyone addicted, and a group of undercover detectives are trying to seek out the distributors. Reeves plays both one of those agents, and one of the addicts. He can be both without being found out, because the detectives' identity is concealed by these suits they walk around in called "scramble suits". The suits allow them to blend in with society. Reeves is torn between the two sides he is on, wondering if it's the drug that's making him think this way or society. Linklater does a wonderful job of illustrating the trippy side effects of the drug through the miracle of animation.

My favorite character was Charles Freck played by Rory Chochrane. A pitiful, paranoid addict, his thoughts are narrated and animated wonderfully. Robert Downey Jr. plays a hilarious crazy dealer who talks a mile a minute. He seems to always play similar characters.

The cast is full of other edgy risk takers, including Winona Ryder (where has she been?), Keanu Reeves, and Woody Harrelson.

If you are into freaky animation and futuristic weirdo films, you'll love this one.

Wowwee wow

2006-12-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

Borat:Cultural Learnings of America Make Benefit for Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Rating: 8.5

I admit I am biased when it comes to this movie review. I love British comedian Sascha Baron Cohen. I admire the unabashed brazenness of his parodies. He will do anything, and I mean anything to bring his point home and get the laugh. Borat Sagdijev is one of the five characters he does pretty regularly. (You may have heard of his other famous character Ali G.)

In the movie, Cohen portrays Borat as a Kazakhstani journalist who has been commissioned by the government of his country to travel to America and learn as much as he can to benefit his beloved impoverished backward nation. In doing so, he becomes sidetracked when he encounters a photo of Baywatch star Pamela Anderson. He decides from then on to abandon his mission, and travel to California with his portly producer Azamat (Ken Davitian) in order to meet her and force her to marry him.

Along his journey, he encounters people from all walks of American citizenry. He meets with a comic coach. He has dinner with a group of Southern socialites. He encounters a trailer of drunken frat boys and decides to join in on their intoxication. We know now from the various lawsuits, that some of these people weren't entirely aware of what they were getting into when they signed on to be featured in the film. I'll leave that up to the judge to decide.

The second most outrageous scene (the most outrageous is too outrageous to describe) involves Borat singing his version of the national anthem in front of a rodeo audience in Texas. His version is more of a made up Kazhakstani national anthem to the tune of the American one. As a result, he is made to leave the state.

The whole movie is outrageous, mostly because it points out the egocentricity of many Americans. Despite the complete idiocy of Borat, nearly everyone he comes in contact with seems to attribute his behavior to him not being from America. He is treated with kindness is just about every situation until he pushes things just a little too far and they start to get wise that he may not be all there.

The movie is controversial to say the least. But, despite the controversy, Borat seems to have garnered the critics' attention. Cohen has been nominated for a Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or musical and there is even Oscar buzz.

The DVD will surely be in high demand amongst the teenage male audience, which probably makes this the first movie in that category to be nominated for an award based on its merit. One thing is for sure. This is not the last you'll hear of Borat.

Lucky Number Snorefest

2006-12-11T13:56:00.000-08:00

Lucky Number Sleven: I watched it; I wept.

Unreliable narrators. Nattering, un-clever dialogue -- it worked for Pulp Fiction but not here. Quirky-just-to-be-quirky sets. A plot "twist" unworthy of being Keyser Soze's hillybilly step-cousin.

There is nothing lucky about this film apart from the fact that you can borrow it from the library for free. Be forewarned that this may be a case where time is more precious than money. You will not get those two hours back again.

Tom Cruise is back again....

2006-12-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

Mission Impossible III

Rating: 6.0

Tom Cruise is back again as undercover agent Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible III. This time, he is attempting to lead a normal life, and is engaged to Michelle Monaghan who plays Julia,who bears a striking resemblance to Katie Holmes.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is the bad guy. He plays a good bad guy, I have to say. He has this calm way about him that suggests his ability to tear you to pieces. Cruise is trying to get a hold of "The Rabbit's Foot" which is something bad that might end the world. Hoffman will do anything to prevent him from getting it. Of course Julia gets captured when things go awry, and Hunt has to try to rescue her and foil Hoffman's plans of world domination.

There are lots of explosions, and attemts to kill Hunt. Of course, he is able to survive just about anything, including an explosive charge being implanted in his skull. I am not an action flick fan, and I really don't like Cruise ever since his arrogant public rants against psychiatry. However, I must say he does play a good secret agent.

A Robert Altman classic

2006-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Short Cuts

Rating: 9.0

Remember when this first came out? I just rewatched it, and was reminded how good it is. Altman had a flair for creating seamless masterpieces. Short Cuts tells the stories of several different characters who lead separate lives, but cross paths at some point in the movie. There is pain. There is comedy. There is betrayal, disgust, amusement, revenge, a whole range of emotions are displayed in these characters lives. Some have more redeeming qualities then others. Some are not completely revealed until the end. Death is never far away. It hangs over the entire town. It all unfolds beautifully wrapped in a meandering jazz soundtrack. It's a lovely long cinematic wonder.

Speed, seduction and cerulean blues.

2006-12-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

If you watch Casino Royale expecting your daddy’s James Bond, you’re in for a kick in the…well, let’s just leave that forceful cinematic moment unspoiled.

Casino Royale opens with a noir-themed peek into how Mr. Bond received his “00” status. After several jaw-dropping moments of hand to hand combat – no explosions, tired jokes or gratuitous CGI – you realize you are in for the real deal. An unctuous villain reminiscent of Arnold Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark, a footrace of feverish, balletic proportions and glimpses into Bond’s relationship with the chilly and impeccable “M” all contribute to the far-reaching appeal of the story.

The women and locations in this film are still hauntingly gorgeous although they are mere afterthoughts and distractions on the way to the real beauty: the action. Gritty and immediate, this vision of James Bond offers less gadgetry to get the job done (apart from a series of increasingly drool-worthy cars as the movie progresses), relying instead on moments of quick thinking and simple brute force to power the character through various obstacles.

The royal flush in this game, however, is Daniel Craig himself. The so-called “blonde Bond,” Craig powers this newest offering from the 007 franchise with a unique approach. Though no less charming than Bonds past, Craig offers a modern take on the secret agent man. If Sean Connery was a sly wink and Pierce Brosnan an enigmatic smile, Daniel Craig is an unwavering, steely gaze, perhaps the most powerful technique thus far from the Bond bag of tricks.

While some unnecessary exposition during the titular poker game and some groan-worthy dialogue end of the film briefly interrupts the flow of the narrative, the overall effect of Casino Royale is breathtaking and solid. Highly recommended.

A Must-See

2006-12-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

Party Girl (1995)

Rating: 8.8

RRPL only owns this one in VHS, but it must be seen. Parker Posey plays Mary, a raver in NYC who is directionless in life. She has her own loft (She has no job, lives in Manhattan, but has her own amazing place......only in the movies), a wonderful collection of quirky vintage clothing (again, only in movies), and spends her time attending and planning raves. One fateful night of partying she winds up in the slammer and calls her godmother Judy, to bail her out. Her godmother works as head librarian for the New York Public Library, or what I'm guessing is one of their branches. When Mary stops by the library to thank her, she is chastised for being irresponsible and immature. Mary decides to prove herself to her godmother by taking a job as a clerk at her library, and, lo and behold, she takes to it. Meanwhile she falls in love with a felafel vendor after helping him find information on something. They break into the library and have sex in the stacks after hours, and she gets in trouble for it. This kind of throws a wrench in her godmother's belief in her. She is left trying to figure out if she should pursue her dream of becoming a librarian.

Of course the movie library still has a card catalog, and the workers look bored out of their minds, but whatever. This movie is special, and definitely a must see for all librarians who are young at heart. The soundtrack is pretty good too.

You Me and Dupree..a little better than "eh"

2006-12-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

You, Me and Dupree

Rating: 5.4

Another Kate Hudson date movie. This one isn't as much of a snoozefest as the other one (How to Lose a Guy....) Mostly it's due to the enjoyable presence of Owen Wilson. Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon are newlyweds who decide to allow their best man Dupree (Wilson) to live with them until he gets on his feet. Wilson plays the same character he always plays, the laissez-faire freeloader with a good heart. Of course, he winds up staying way too long and causing all sorts of problems for the well meaning couple. What makes this movie so enjoyable are the situational laugh fests. Like when Dupree hooks up with a Mormon school librarian who turns out to be more permiscuous than a hooker. (Try to overlook the overused librarian profiling there.) Or when Dupree decides to distinguish himself as best man from the other groomsmen at the wedding by wearing a button with "BM" on it. Comedic gems like these make the movie pretty darn funny. The plot, however, is as thin a piece of book tape.

Inside Man...a Spike Lee Joint

2006-12-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

Inside Man

Rating: 7.3

In the latest of Spike Lee's creations we find Denzel Washington playing a NYC police detective with a checkered past. (Are there any NYC police detectives who don't have a checkered past?)He is being investigated for check fraud. Despite this, his boss decides to send him to negotiate an extremely dangerous hostage situation. Several Manhattanites are being held hostage in a bank robbery. The robbers (one of them is the dreamy Clive Owen from Closer) have decided to blur the boundaries of physical identification by forcing the hostages to dress like them in painters overalls and masks. Smart. You don't find out exactly what they are after until a little into the film. Not the money. Turns out the bank president has something very valuable and potentially damning stashed in the bank's vault. Jodie Foster plays this super gutsy power broker he hires to somehow fix things. But, the robbers know about it too. When a glitch in the operation causes the robbers to bail, they escape by releasing the hostages, and walking out along with them in a smoke screen. With everyone in costume, the police are left figuring out who the bad guys are by interviewing each and every one. Now it's clear why this is a Spike Lee film. When good and bad mix together it's pretty interesting who seems suspicious and who doesn't. The whole story is told by one of the robber's from his cell, so you know they figured it out. But how? Why is he calling it the perfect crime? There are a lot of unanswered mysteries that slowly reveal themselves. It's a little too long for me (189 minutes, which is probably not that long for most.), but it makes you think. I like that.

Daniel Clowes is a genius

2006-11-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

Ghost World

Rating: 9.98

Daniel Clowes is a genius. How's that for a compliment? He really really is. Ghost World is basically the story of two female friends, played by Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansen (right at the start of her popularity) who are trying to figure out what to do with themselves after high school. They are anything but mainstream, but even that description seems too cliche. They are also growing apart as friends, as Enid (Thora) is the more, um, weird and detached of the two. She hooks up with Steve Buscemi, who is more than twice her age, and even weirder and more detached. The results leave her questioning where she is going and what she is doing. Don't we all. The best part of this film are the side characters. Like the guy who likes to hang out at the local Kwiki Mart drinking a 40 and practicing his nun chucks. Hilarious. The book is not an exact adaptation of the wonderful graphic novel it's based on, but, regardless, it's a must see for anyone who finds humor in the minutiae of everyday life.

Art School Confidential

Rating: 7.0

This one's not as good as Ghost World, but worth seeing. Anyone who's attended art school, dated someone who has attended art school, or even hung around an art school knows that there is humor in the whole "I care not for society therefore I rebel." attitude. Turns out people are the same, no matter what school you attend.

Jerome is a freshman at some nameless art school. He encounters drawing class model Audrey and becomes obsessed with her pretty early in the film. He feels she is his muse, and uses her to create what he believes is beauty. However, no one else seems to notice, and instead the school fixates on the popular guy's lame creations of pop art knockoffs. Meanwhile there's some guy on the loose who is strangling young female students. Soon Jerome decides to use this backdrop to play into the absurdity of what is recognized as art, with some predictable consequences. Like Ghost World, the side characters make the movie interesting. For example, John Malkovich is Jerome's self absorbed art teacher. And My Name is Earl's Ethan Suplee plays Jerome's flim student roommate who is obsessed with making a documentary of the serial killer. It's especially worth watching if you enjoyed the graphic novel.

Warning: There is nudity. Not that it matters, right?

Be afraid! Be very afraid!......of global warming

2006-11-30T11:08:00.000-08:00

An Inconvenient Truth

Rating: 6.0

OK, this isn't one to choose for your Friday night date movie, unless you and your date are both AL Gore fans. An Inconvenient Truth is basically a documentary about the threat of global warming...as told by Al Gore. The film is mostly Gore speaking to an audience about why they need to act NOW about this crisis. Now, you may or may not be an Al Gore fan. But the evidence he presents sure does make it hard not to be scared for the future of our planet. The one thing he neglects to speak in length about is what exactly we can do about it. He spends a lot more time explaining the new temperature graph or chart he has on the screen. For that reason, I didn't find his movie that satisfying. However, it's hard not to rate it over 5, since it is such an important topic.