In the Screening Room - Alfonso Cuaron's Great Expectations

Session 014 - Great Expectations

Who saw it and what are your thoughts on it?

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Tim Burton, 2007)

Well, it only took a musical to do it. After the oddity that was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I was beginning to wonder whether the duo of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton had run its course. But Sweeney Todd finds the tandem back in good form; easily the best collaboration since they wrapped up Ed Wood back in the early 90’s.

The downright psychopathic storyline of a vengeful barber who returns to London to kill the judge that wrongly imprisoned him (and anyone else who gets in his way) is bloody insane, but never less than enthralling to watch. At times I felt like I was watching one of the best movies of the year… other times I felt like I was just watching Burton release his inner-Eli Roth (gory for gore’s sake). It’s hard to love a movie that’s so depraved and, well, disgusting but the director does a wonderful job building a London that’s uniquely Burton-esque (his films have always been better when he could be in charge of every set down to the littlest detail). It’s a beauty to watch, even when it’s drowning in blood.

But ultimately, for as refreshing as it is to see these guys working at a high level together again, the story unfolds in a rather obvious way (There’s only one way this movie could possibly end… and it does). Even knowing nothing about the source material outside of Kevin Smith’s Jersey Girl rendition, it’s fairly easy to predict almost down to the detail how this one is going to close out. So as the film winds down, we start going through the motions a little bit and the luster comes off of Sweeney’s blades.

Still, there’s something to be said about a movie that involves baking people into food and feeding them to others. Exactly what that is... I don’t know, except maybe to say it’s Shakespearean-esque (Titus, anyone)?

"MTTM" (#6) - Waitress

a film by Adrienne Shelly

ONE SENTENCE SYNOPSIS
Jenna, a small town woman with a penchant for making extrodinary pies, struggles to find happiness in spite of her undesireable circumstances.

HER TAKE
Waitress is the story of Jenna (Keri Russell), a small town woman who possesses an extraordinary talent for baking delicious and savory pies, inspired by her reactions to events in her life (“Pregnant Miserable Self Pitying Loser Pie... Lumpy oatmeal with fruitcake mashed in. Flambé of course.” for example.) She is unhappily married to Earl (Jeremy Sisto), a controlling and insecure man who, despite his love for her, unknowingly repulses her. Her two best friends support and commiserate with her while the same desire to be happy weighs upon them as well.

We follow Jenna as her life plods along until she discovers she is pregnant, which is where the story really takes off. From there it’s a series of very high highs and very low lows (and everything between) as she juggles her friends, husband, new doctor and her own hopes and dreams.

I can’t remember the last Keri Russell performance I was impressed with…it may have been back in her Mickey Mouse Club days, I don’t know, but I have to say “well done!” to her now. She has finally rid herself of any "Felicity" vestiges and has clearly stepped up to the plate. She makes Jenna human and flawed but loveable in spite of it all. And while I usually have no patience for women in situations such as Jenna’s, I found that here, I didn’t mind because I knew somehow I would be rewarded at some point by her changing her circumstances for the better. And rewarded I was—Jenna’s moment of clarity is heartwarming and inspiring.

As for the subplots and supporting characters, I found none to be too overbearing or lacking in any detail. The entire story flowed seamlessly without becoming boring or disjointed. Cheryl Hines, Adrienne Shelly and Nathan Fillion round out the cast nicely and add their own quirky traits to the pile.

I really enjoyed writer/director(/actress) Adrienne Shelly’s perspective work in this film. The direct shots of the pies being made in Jenna’s head, the zooming in on Jenna as she experiences her inspirations, really stick out in my mind. Also the use of vibrant pastel colors reinforced the 50s diner feel.

This film is one I will recommend but it clearly caters to feminine experiences, emotions and situations. But don’t let that fool you, guys. It’s not at all another How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Wedding Planner or 13 Going on 30. Rather it takes a deeper, more realistic and meaningful look at life and the pursuit of happiness. Despite the general unhappiness of its characters, this film is surprisingly uplifting. I’m sorry that we will not be able to see what Adrienne Shelly would have followed this up with. Shelly was murdered during the robbery of her apartment in New York City before the filming of Waitress had been completed.

HIS TAKE

Continuing the comedy trend of 2007… that pregnant woman are hilarious (Knocked Up, Juno) comes Waitress, the little indie that started it all way back in January at the Sundance Film Festival.

And hey, some trends get started for a reason because this Waitress is a pretty solid serving.

Still, I’m surprised it’s taken Keri Russell so long to secure a starring role in a feature film. Since graduating from her popular role as TV’s “Felicity” in 2002, Russell has popped up in films like The Upside of Anger and Mission: Impossible III without much fanfare (and without much of a role either).

It won’t take this long again.

Reminding the world why they fell in love with her in the first place, Russell is surprisingly glowing in Waitress. She plays Jenna, a downtrodden Southern waitress and pie fanatic who’s married to a needy, abusive man (Jeremy Sisto) that Jenna has been saving up money to leave. She’s been hiding money under furniture and in cabinets all over the house; her plans revolving around entering a pie-making contest in a nearby town and using the winnings to help fund her flee from Earl and the start of a new life.

Then starts a new life… inside of Jenna.

Yep, from a drunken, doubtlessly unsatisfying, lovemaking session with Earl (his sexual prowess is later revealed) months earlier, Jenna’s pregnant. She doesn’t want the baby. She’s gonna have the baby mind you, but just don’t congratulate her about it. From then on, Jenna deals with her pregnancy with the helps of her awkwardly uncommunicative gynecologist (Nathan Fillion) and her fellow Joe’s Pie Diner waitresses in a distinctive and unique fashion, she makes pies, she laments her luck and she starts a baby journal.

What results is a surprisingly filling and delightful comedy that relies mostly on the idiosyncrasies of its characters and good-natured laughs (Waitress never once stops to makes fun of its characters like Jared Hess’ lesser comedies Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre do). The best character of all is Old Joe, played as a lovable old curmudgeon by none other than Andy Griffith himself. His character is a familiar relic from past movies, guiding our heroine down the right path that he himself missed out on, but for some reason it plays as brand new coming from Griffith and is a beautiful send-up of his television personality. He’s got a sly smile that only materializes when he talks to Jenna and eats the pies she prepares each day.

The film is far from perfect, especially the somewhat predictable and formulaic ending and its faulty morals (wedding rings in this movie mean about as much as a Cracker Jack prize… everybody cheats) but the movie manages to overcome it, mostly because of just how sweet it is. It feels sincere, even in its faults. It’s a lovely film.

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Adrienne Shelley (who plays one of Jenna’s co-workers at the diner and also directed the picture) was murdered after the making of the film. It’s a sad tragedy that the world was deprived of Shelly and her obviously naturally cheerful self. Waitress as a film would not have the same charming spirit without her.

HER RESPONSE

Oh my goodness! We've finally matched up on a review! And how nice since it's our last one for a little while. Ummmm I don't really know what to say when we agree? Go see Waitress, the MTTM team gives it a solid 4 stars!

HIS RESPONSE

Being possibly the last incarnation of "Married to the Movies" (or at least the last for some time)... it's nice to go out on a high note. I'd place Waitress at the top of the films we've reviewed thus far (marginally ahead of both Rescue Dawn and Away From Her). I wish I could have spent more time praising the work of the supporting cast, so I'm glad that you got in some mention of Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Nathan Fillion (Serenity) and Shelly herself, because all do some great work here. But the real star is Russell, who honestly manages to come across as a find, a brand new star... nearly a decade after "Felicity" debuted.

written by Brian and Rebecca

Month of Movies: December 2007

Yeah, so I just totally forgot about this post, as well as the "Quotable Quotations" and the "Topic-Free" field in December so I'm doubling back to try to cram them all in before the new year. Plus, what could possibly be the last "Married to the Movies" review, Waitress, should be up tomorrow (we're putting the article on hiatus as Rebecca ventures off to become a rock star). AND, this should come as no surprise to anyone, but start creating your best Christmas films lists now and you're probably saving yourself some time down the road. Those are all on the agenda before the beginning of 2008. Even an "After the Credits" could show up as well, depending on when we can get around to seeing Juno, Atonement or There Will Be Blood. Hoping to catch all before January... because in January it'll probably be a Top 7 list of "Films of 2007" too. Lists, lists, lists. Just giving everybody a heads up. So anyway... the movies of December --

MUST SEE - THEATER

There Will Be Blood - A Paul Thomas Anderson film is reason enough to celebrate, but Daniel Day-Lewis's performance looks reminiscent of his revolutionary Gangs of New York role.

Juno - Looks like the most purely enjoyable film of the season, hands down.

Atonement - Director Joe Wright already did the unfathomable by making a Jane Austen adaptation that I could really enjoy... and this one is getting all sorts of Oscar buzz.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - The umpteenth Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaboration... but their first musical.

Charlie Wilson's War - The cast (Hanks, Hoffman, Roberts), the director (Nichols), the writer (Sorkin)... how can this fail?

I Am Legend - The one must see I've already seen. Saw it opening night, having to wait over an hour for the 9:30 showing because this Will Smith movie is the only film I've seen sell out a Fredericksburg theater thus far. Review coming...

POTENTIAL SEE - THEATER

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - Spoofs are hardly my favorite genre, but Superbad, Knocked Up and strong early word get the benefit of the doubt. Would be a must see if December wasn't so crowded with them.

The Great Debaters - After Antwone Fisher, I'm not sold on Denzel as a director just yet.

The Bucket List - Strikes me as kind of trivial for a Nicholson and Freeman film. Still... it is a Nicholson and Freeman film.

MUST SEE - DVD

Grace is Gone - I want to see John Cusack stretch out of his comfort zone (romantic comedies and thrillers). This looks like a step in the right direction.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets - The first National Treasure was built around reaping the rewards of a The Da Vinci Code-styled story... and it turned out better than The Da Vinci Code did. Still, I don't think anyone was clamoring for a sequel.

The Golden Compass - The trailer was a little too kid-centric for me, a Lord of the Rings for the preteen crowd. Still... could be something here.

The Kite Runner - More interested in the book than the movie, but it might eventually work its way into my DVD player.a

Youth Without Youth - Francis Ford Coppola's first film in a decade.

Persepolis - Popping up on "Best of the Year" lists here and there.

POTENTIAL SEE - DVD

The Orphanage - Some good buzz and comparisons to the very solid horror film The Others.

Honeydripper - John Sayles and Danny Glover. Even having heard next to nothing about it, that's enough.

The Amateurs - Jeff Bridges sells me on it, but that it's been sitting on the shelf for close to three years dissuades me.

P.S. I Love You - The obligatory romantic comedy of the season.

POTENTIALLY NEVER SEE - DVD

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Looks downright painful, I don't think I could even get through the trailer.

Alien vs. Predator: Requiem - They got me the first time. Not again.

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep - I know nothing about it and nothing about it intrigues me.

Golden Globe Nomination Reactions (2007)

MOVIES

MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

American Gangster

The Great Debaters

Eastern Promises

No Country for Old Men

There Will Be Blood

Michael Clayton

Atonement

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

Cate Blanchett - "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"

Julie Christie - "Away From Her"

Jodie Foster - "The Brave One"

Angelina Jolie - "A Mighty Heart"

Keira Knightley - "Atonement"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
George Clooney - "Michael Clayton"

Daniel Day-Lewis - "There Will Be Blood"

James McAvoy - "Atonement"

Viggo Mortensen - "Eastern Promises"

Denzel Washington - "American Gangster"

MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Across the Universe

Charlie Wilson's War

Hairspray

Juno

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Amy Adams - "Enchanted"

Nikki Blonsky - "Hairspray"

Helena Bonham Carter - "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Marion Cotillard - "La Vie en rose"

Ellen Page - "Juno"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Johnny Depp - "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Ryan Gosling - "Lars And The Real Girl"

Tom Hanks - "Charlie Wilson’s War"

Philip Seymour Hoffman - "The Savages"

John C. Reilly - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Cate Blanchett - "I’m Not There"

Julia Roberts - "Charlie Wilson’S War"

Saoirse Ronan - "Atonement"

Amy Ryan - "Gone Baby Gone"

Tilda Swinton - "Michael Clayton"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Casey Affleck - "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford"

Javier Bardem - "No Country For Old Men"

Philip Seymour Hoffman - "Charlie Wilson’s War"

John Travolta - "Hairspray"

Tom Wilkinson - "Michael Clayton"

DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE

Tim Burton - "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - "No Country For Old Men"

Julian Schnabel - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"

Ridley Scott - "American Gangster"

Joe Wright - "Atonement"

SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE

Diablo Cody - "Juno"

Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - "No Country For Old Men"

Christopher Hampton - "Atonement"

Ronald Harwood - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"

Aaron Sorkin - "Charlie Wilson’s War"

TV

TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

"Big Love"

"Damages"

"Grey’s Anatomy"

"Mad Men"

"The Tudors"

TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

"30 Rock"

"Californication"

"Entourage"

"Extras"

"Pushing Daisies"

I realize that most of us haven't seen most of these films/TV shows... but reactions anyway?

The complete list: http://www.goldenglobes.org/news/id/81

I'm Not There (Todd Haynes, 2007)

A fittingly disjointed, indecipherable enigma of a movie, there was scarcely a moment throughout I’m Not There‘s entire running time where I knew exactly what was going on or what was being said at any given moment… and I still sat there riveted at the mix of truth and fabrication, riddles and philosophy, and reality and fantasy that director Todd Haynes could cram onto the screen. And he does it all with a glorious soundtrack and some of the finest actors of their generation paying homage to the greatest songwriter of all time.

So in its own way, I’m Not There might be the closest to a perfect representation of Bob Dylan that you can capture on film. It’s an honorable, totally oddball attempt to trap a ghost or pin a shadow to the wall.

Obviously representing the many incarnations of Bob Dylan, six different actors (or actresses) portray the folksinger/rock star/political activist/prophet/born-again Christian/rebel. And it’s just as chaotic and jumbled as you can imagine. We bounce back and forth through the many faces of Dylan in no particular order except – maybe – that we start with the youngest (Marcus Carl Franklin) and end with the oldest (Richard Gere).

On top of that, Haynes has pulled from only a patchwork of Dylan’s life… incorporating real life events like Dylan’s tracking down of his idol Woody Guthrie on his deathbed and his run-in with reporters straight out of No Direction Home and Don’t Look Back while still allowing for the fantastic (Dylan pulling a machine gun on his fans, performing from inside a carnival cage, running wild with the Beatles). Heck, Heath Ledger’s acting character seems to have little resemblance to Dylan’s life at all… outside of his relationship with his wife. Then there’s Richard Gere’s Billy the Kid. Possibly the least effective segment of the film, while still remaining the most important, it captures the isolation of Dylan’s life while incorporating the fantastical elements of a make believe town called Riddle, Missouri (one of the many hometowns our phantom rock spirit called home).

And I haven’t even delved into the performances. Some fabulous work being done by Christian Bale, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger and, especially, Cate Blanchett who’s practically written her name on the Best Supporting Actress Oscar already. Each actor seems to capture a different aspect of Dylan, from his beginnings (Carl Marcus Franklin), through his love (Heath Ledger), his ambitions (Christian Bale), his isolation (Richard Gere), his status as a youthful ‘prophet’ at the mere age of 20 (Ben Whishaw) and his rebellion (Cate Blanchett).

It’s hard to get a grip on, routinely perplexing and borderline brilliant. I don’t know a single other person that I can guarantee would enjoy it… but I loved it.

Announcements: "After the Credits" and "The Acting Tournament"

In my never-ending quest to review absolutely every movie that comes my way... I'm announcing another new movie review column for the site. Whereas "In the Screening Room" has been my way of reviewing 'classics' missed from recent decades and "Married to the Movies" have been my way of keeping up with recent misses from the theaters... "After the Credits" will be my new article, along with my bridetobe Kelly, dealing with current releases that we do catch in theaters. As of yet, we're still working on ways to differentiate them from the other two columns, but the plan is to keep all three chugging along. The more posts, the more conversation, and the more conversation... the better. I'm looking forward to this. The first two reviews will either be Juno and There Will Be Blood... or Atonement might work it's way in there depending on when Juno shows up in Fredericksburg theaters. This will be a way of keeping me more up to date with my reviews and let me try to work in a fresh perspective into the site.

Also... I'm announcing the formation of two Round Robin Acting tournaments. I will need everyone who regularly contributes (me, Tyler, Kelly, Rebecca, Ted) to submit a Top 10 list of contemporary Actors and Actresses to my e-mail address at mulligan@temple.edu. From which, I will fashion a field of 8 acting representatives for the male and the female side who will battle it out for the Top Acting positions of 2007. I'm a list geek, so what? These are the actors and actresses that RIGHT NOW you most look forward to seeing in their films. They can be anyone. Old, young, whomever that you most want to see in a film. Keep in mind that more than likely people with no more than 1 nomination will only receive an honorable mention heading into the tournament. From there on, we will vote the field of 8 down to 1 and see who represents our collective favorite actor and actress of 2007.

Hey, I think it's cool. So shut it.

Haha.

Let the nominations begin...

MTTM (#5) - Rescue Dawn

a film by Werner Herzog

ONE SENTENCE SYNOPSIS

Dieter Dengler, a US naval pilot who's shot down and taken prisoner, must orchestrate an escape through the imposing jungle landscapes of Loas (bordering Vietnam) with the help of his fellow POWs

HER TAKE

I remember when the buzz began about this film. I heard rumblings that this might be Oscar worthy as Best Picture as well as perhaps Christian Bale for Best Actor. So naturally, when I sat down to watch it, my expectations were a bit higher than usual.

Surprisingly, I was unmoved. I think my reaction is definitely in the minority among people who have seen this film but really it just didn’t stack up to many other wonderfully done wartime movies. I believe the problem was not lack of talent on any level, rather lack of much meat to an incredible story. It was filet minion to be sure, but only a 4 oz instead of a 16 oz. What we are left with is a lot of mashed potatoes, pasta, bread—filler. (Excuse the food references, I haven’t eaten dinner yet.)

Apparently, this is director Werner Herzog’s second attempt to tell the story of Dieter Dengler, the first being a documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly. I have not seen the documentary but I feel that I might have enjoyed that more. I say this only because sometimes these types of stories are better as documentaries. When you put a real face to a real event and hear them describe it with their own true words and emotions, the impact can be much greater than when you put a well known actor in its place. I suppose I’d have to see the documentary to make an accurate assessment.

There were some truly beautiful and tragic moments throughout, both plot wise and cinematically. It was surreal and quite sad to see all the violence, fear and terror juxtaposed against the backdrop of the peaceful and enchanting Vietnamese landscape. I can only imagine how insane that world must have been at that time; for both sides. As far as Vietnam stories go, it was interesting to see a little bit of what was going on before the war even began and it also explains a lot about the attitudes and treatment inside the prison camp.

Most notably (and this was discussed in earlier reviews) was Steve Zahn’s performance. I have loved Zahn in everything I’ve seen him in to date and his record only improves with this one. I’m so proud of him for stepping out of comedy into drama (despite retaining sidekick status) and really diving in. I would love to see more of this from him and look forward to seeing what doors it opens for him.

Christian Bale of course is a wonderful actor. When you go see a Christian Bale movie, you know that his performance is never going to leave you feeling anything except that he was born for that role. Despite the fact that he clearly owned this role, I felt like it was almost too easy for him…that perhaps, in comparison with some of his other roles (The Machinist and American Psycho) he was slightly unchallenged. Regardless, it’s still a good performance.

Finally, I am most surprised by the fact that the epilogue script (if that’s what it’s called?) did not include any mention of the other prisoners we encountered during the film. They were just as integral to the story as Dieter Dengler so I was a little disappointed that absolutely nothing was included about them to, in some way, finalize their fates and bring some closure to the viewer. Even a “the others were never heard from again” sort of thing would have been better than nothing! Oscar worthy movies don’t leave loose ends like that.

HIS TAKE

It isn’t until the final moments of Rescue Dawn, after every frame of film has run and some scrolling text rolls by, when you finally realize exactly what the film was all about to begin with.

It’s a love story… about a man and his plane.

Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) is a cheery – if slightly dim – naval pilot for the United States who during his first combat mission in the Vietnam War era is shot down over Laos. He manages to briefly elude capture but is ultimately caught and thrown into an internment camp with other prisoners of war.

Looking back on the film, the theme should have been obvious. Dengler is shot down early on and spends the rest of the film’s running time trying, like a lover separated from his other half, to return to his baby. It just happens to be a five ton piece of flying steel that’s caught his eye (he goes so far as to recant a story about falling in love at first sight with flying at the youthful age of five).

So unsurprisingly, Dieter plans his escape with some of the other POWs. One such prisoner is the almost unrecognizable Steve Zahn as Duane. Zahn lost forty pounds for the role and shows some impressive dramatic chops that some of his more wretched comedic work could never have hinted at (Saving Silverman, Daddy Day Care). There’s a sick desperation in Zahn’s face that seems to beg for rescue. Alas, for as good as he is, even in dramas he seems to be playing the sidekick role to Bale’s Dengler.

As the escape plan comes together, the only sparsely guarded prison (it doesn’t even have a watchtower) isn’t the biggest problem. In keeping with director Werner Herzog’s previous themes, it’s man vs. nature, or as Duane points out “the jungle is the prison.” In other words, even if they escape the camp, they have to find a way out of the vast and seemingly endless jungle.

Throughout it all though, Dengler remains committed and oddly optimistic. When fed an apparently inedible bowl of maggots, he grins and chows down. When faced with the opportunity to sign a treaty condemning the United States and avoid torture, Dengler simply states “I love America. America gave me wings. I will not sign this.”

From the moment he’s captured, Dengler never loses his beliefs. His blind faith brings to mind a quote from the outwardly unconnected and completely pertinent Punch-Drunk Love, “I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine.”

Admittedly, the film doesn’t entirely work. The straightforward escape plans are not very intricate or cinematic and the movie moves along with an almost callous disinterest in everyone outside of Dieter, but when you look at this as a love story, as a man enduring torture and whatever else comes to him as a means for returning to what he loves, it works beautifully.

“No, I never wanted to go to war. I just wanted to fly,” says Dengler. Only a man so absolutely in love with flying would go back up in the air after this wreck… and Dieter managed to survive a further four more plane crashes.

HER RESPONSE
While our reviews differed pretty starkly I agree with everything you wrote. I never saw it as a love story between a man and his passion for flying but you're right, when you look at it like that, it's better. Also, I think that if I knew more about Werner Herzog's film making, I might have been able to spot his themes a bit better. So I suppose in this case, I played the role of the "average film goer" and if our ratings were only a half a star apart, I'd say it's a pretty solid film, despite its flaws.



HIS RESPONSE
Outside of possible acting nominations for Bale and Zahn, I'd agree that Rescue Dawn is not quite an Oscar-level film. If you're not looking at the film as a man fighting against both man and nature to return to his true passion (flying) then I'll admit at times it might feel rather straightforward and even simpleminded. But even in the vein of a 'prisoner of war escape' picture, I still found a lot to like, especially in the performances. Also, let me congratulate you... you have to be the first person to ever call acting in a movie directed by the notoriously tough-to-work-with Werner Herzog (or in a movie that required a weight loss of 55 pounds!) "unchallenging." Hahaha.

written by Brian and Rebecca

In the Screening Room - Luc Besson's La Femme Nikita

Session 013 - La Femme Nikita

Who saw it and what are your thoughts on it?

Recent Watches: December 2007

So it seems like every month I start the "Recent Watches" section behind 5 or 10 films... and why should December be any different? Here's just a few of my recent watches that I hope to elaborate on here soon...

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Paris Je T'aime, Eastern Promises, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Scrooged and Talk to Me. I'm sure there's others I'm forgetting about too. Hopefully I'll write something or other about all of them soon.

The forums open...