Since I last posted . . .

I saw The Kids Are All Right, Inception and The Young Victoria. I loved Kids the most; Maree and I sat in the theater for a good ten minutes after the credits rolled, hugging each other and happy crying. Annette Bening's performance blew me away.

I can explain.

I have a confession to make: I really want to see Eat, Pray, Love. I read five pages of the book before putting it down; it wasn't my thing. The movie's trailer, however, has piqued my curiosity. Watch, as Julia Roberts has a relationship with pizza, pets elephants, seeks advice from numerous spiritual gurus, and tries not to want to have sex with Javier Bardem.

The best movie I've seen this year.

Toy Story 3

"So long, partner."

How I spent my Memorial Day.

Love in Infant Monkeys: Strange, affecting short stories that examine the neurosis of celebrity, coupled with mankind's often ill-advised efforts to connect with the natural world (A).

Inglourious Basterds: Nazis, Nazi hunters, and a German actress turned double agent collide for a bloody massacre in Paris (plus, a lot of meta movie discussion [and scalping]) (B+).

To Max Records.

I know you are just a kid, but I kind of wanted to slap you for the last third of Where the Wild Things Are. You kept making that same "I Don't Understand These Unintended Negative Consequences of My Actions" Face, and it seriously bugged. I still liked the movie, though (Becca explains why, here). I especially loved Lauren Ambrose's line reading of "They're these really good friends of mine." KW's on-again off-again teen snobbery matched Max's little kid left behind frustration perfectly.

Entertainment weekly.

The Hurt Locker: Easily the best movie I've seen since starting this blog. Kathryn Bigelow refuses to direct to the cheap seats, vigilantly patrolling the borders of the story lest it trend toward the melodramatic. Her direction strips away any and all distraction, focusing your attention solely on the work these soldiers do. She has no sweeping political statement with which to slap you across the face, merely the reality of these men and this war. It's a spare film, yet Bigelow employs her tools with expertise; you don't need to know the back-story (the film's one weakness - Evangeline Lilly), or see a stream of tears, to know these characters daily walk a knife's edge. I love this movie the way I love Children of Men, which is to say, a lot.

I can't explain.

You guys, I really want to see this movie. I can't articulate my reasons beyond "Amanda Seyfried looks gorgeous," and "I like that Snow Patrol song in the trailer." I swear this has nothing to do with Channing Tatum (who is permanently cross-eyed). It just looks so perfectly star-crossed and angst-filled. Maybe my subconscious is telling me I need a good cry? Am I that overtired? Did I eat something weird for dinner last night?

What is happening to me?

Short cuts.

Avatar: Beautiful pictures (Pandora at night in 3D? Yes, please). Cheesy dialogue ("I see you"). Unoriginal script occasionally bordering on the ridiculous (your Home-Tree is sitting on my Unobtainium!). About forty-five minutes too long (let's bond with another jungle creature). Glad I saw it, but I never need to see it again.

Dollhouse: That last episode sucked. I mean, magic spinal fluid? That was the whole point of Caroline? Not to mention, they successfully assassinated Boyd's character ("you're my family") faster than the Battlestar writers killed Tory's, which I didn't think possible. If you're going to make him the Surprise Villian, he needs to have an actual motivation. A big, unfortunate mess. That said, I'm still optimistic they can salvage what's left for the finale.

To Julianne Moore.

Thanks for being the best thing about A Single Man (a movie I quite liked; Tom Ford's elegant colors, paired with the classical score, resulted in a delicious gourmet meal for two of the five senses). Colin Firth's performance proved a lovely, aching depiction of composed desperation, but you gave us a life story in fifteen minutes, from Charlotte's staggered steps to her forced, hearty laugh (if only you had brushed the hair out of your eyes). How do you feel about the the ending? I'm caught between romantic and contrived.

Let's discuss; I'll bring the gin.

Fine in 09: Movies

No new releases made my Top 5 in 09. That's because I finally took American Film last semester, and got a chance to see movies made before 1990 (besides The Godfather, The Deer Hunter, and the other classics my dad calls me into the living room to watch, no matter the time of day he discovers them on cable).

The Long Goodbye: An unconventional approach to the film noir, set against the neon hues of 1970's Los Angeles. A gorgeous movie complete with femme fatale, gangsters, topless hippies, beach parties, loads of drugs, and random acts of violence. It's also the tale of an honorable man struggling to live by a seemingly outdated code in a world that's spiraled down into free-wheeling hedonism.

McCabe and Mrs. Miller: An unconventional Western, and the second Robert Altman entry on my list; his work blew me away. A cold, wet, dirty Northwestern town gets a little action when McCabe and Mrs. Miller set up the most pleasant whorehouse in film history. Altman refuses to judge his characters, and demands you do the same. A tragic love story, as well as an artful, unpretentious examination of community living.

To Emily Blunt.

Thanks for being the best thing about Sunshine Cleaning (a movie I wanted to like a lot more than I did). I believed in Norah more than I anyone else; you managed to make a complete person out of a character sketch. I wish they had given you a better ending (road trip of self-discovery = lame). Was Norah a lesbian? I get that no one wanted to SPELL IT OUT, but you can't let a girl eat sexy candy off your neck and then not talk about it. You did good work, but you deserve better material.

That's all.

September issues.

I had the pleasure of seeing The September Issue last night, and it was fantastic. Respectful, fair, it was a truly balanced portrayal of these women and the work they do. It wasn't a portrait of Mean Girl bitchiness, or a snicker at the seriousness with which these people take their jobs. For Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, and all the rest, fashion is about art, it's about turning fantasy into reality. That's what they do, and they're damn good at it.

A lot of reviewers have hailed Coddington as the film's true star, and she definitely opens herself more to the cameras than some of her co-workers, but I think there's a reason the film begins and ends with Anna Wintour. She keeps us at arms length, but with a twinkle in her eye and a knowing mystique to her aura. We don't really want to know what she's thinking because then the mystery would be gone. I found her charming, in an utterly terrifying way.

Some housecleaning:

• I'm getting cable/Internet on Tuesday (!) so expect more talk about television. I'm going to catch up on Glee and The Office next week, since I don't feel like buying them on iTunes. I might check out Community too. Plus, The Hills returns in ten days, and I'm interested to see what the show looks like post-Lauren (my prediction: Kristin talks shit about/starts fights with everyone, while looking totally bored/completely amused).


• Last week's Mad Men ("The Fog") was good, but not one of my favorites. I like January Jones a lot, but Betty is far from my favorite character, and I really dislike when the script uses the episode title in such a pointed, obvious way ("It was all a fog"). The Peggy/Don scene was terrific though, thanks to the never ending brilliance of Elizabeth Moss and Jon Hamm. I can't say enough about those two.