first post in ages. just a random listing of movies i've seen

So I haven't done this in awhile, but I figured it would be nice to keep tabs on movies i've been seeing. It's rather hard to remember though for multiple months..

1 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days- romanian and brilliant. A
2 Rachel Getting Married- moving portrait and the dude from tv on the radio is in it! A-
3 The Wrestler- one of the best of the year. A
4 Up- very sweet, animated movies moving toward a new level. A-
5 The Hangover- I laughed my ass off, that's about all I can say
6 Punch Drunk Love- not my favorite PT Anderson, but was well acted. B+
7 I Heart Huckabees- very interesting, but felt lackluster in parts. B/B- (jon brion did music for this and punch drunk, among many films, but he is wonderful)

probably more, but i can't remember

Also, read a thought provoking non fiction recently by a Brown student about life at a Christian university in the age of the "culture wars". http://www.kevinroose.com/ called the "unlikely disicple"

Note to Self: Write about these movies

Other movies I've seen recently, but am too lazy to write/copy/paste about.

1. Milk-I was moved. A
2. High Fidelity. Liked the monolouges and music talks, relationship part seemed kind of dead to me. B
3. Run Lola Run. B (although one of the cooler movies, in a techie sort of way, I've seen)
4. Let the Right One In (Sweeden?). A. Wow, this vampire movie was visually stunning and really got me thinking about vampire rights...I mean they can feel love and have relationships, they just have this defect from birth that they have no control over and probably despise having. Human blood is just basic biological need for them, is that such a crime? In all reality, I can see the symbolism of vampires in a society that doesn't accept those for behaviors that were determined by genetics.
5. Pleasantville. Saw it on a bus, but was kind of cool. Symbolism was a little too blatant for my liking.

In other news, I recommened the novels of Tom Robbins, literary daredevil, and the actual book Revolutionary Road. Richard Yates is rather fulfilling when writing about the hopeless emptiness.

Review: Raising Arizona (Plus two quickies)

Raising Arizona (1987)

Directed by: The Coen Brothers

Synopsis (Rotten Tomatoes): A childless couple unable to adopt decide that a couple who just had quintuplets won't mind if they steal one of the babies. Thus begins the Coen brothers' madcap romp RAISING ARIZONA. Holly Hunter stars as Ed, a cop who is devastated when she learns that she cannot get pregnant. Nicolas Cage is her husband, H.I., an ex-con who wants nothing more than to make his wife the happiest woman in the world. So if she wants a baby, she's going to have a baby, one way or another. Heading up the supporting cast of bizarre characters are John Goodman and William Forsythe as crazy cousins who have just busted out of prison, Sam McMurray and Frances McDormand as Ed and H.I.'s swinging friends, and Randall "Tex" Cobb as a motorcycle madman hired to rescue the baby. RAISING ARIZONA is the Coen brothers' most consistently funny film. Carter Burwell's score, replete with infectious yodeling, is relentless, Barry Sonnenfeld's cinematography is beautifully wacky, and the manic dialogue is the brothers' most quotable. The film is a treat for the ears and the eyes, a one-of-a-kind sensation from a marvelous pair of filmmakers.

Impressions that I get: God, I love the Coens. Raising Arizona has just joined my top 3 Coens platform with Millers Crossing and No Country for Old Men. We had the gangster movie, the old western killer movie, and now the bizzare comedy complete with yodeling getaway scenes and "If you can find a lower price, my name ain't Nathan Arizona!" This film is loaded with original characters. You have the multiple ex-convict who will do anything to please his wife, but still can't let go of his past. You have the crime photographer who just wants to have a baby and live a "normal" live despite her infertitility. You have the charismatic, old salesman who turns out to not be such a jerk after all. You have the wise cracking, typical hick couple with their out of control kids and you have the escaped from prison via hidden tunnel cousins who are just looking to score it big. You have the demon unleashed from hell who blows up rabbits with grenades and is out to hunt them all down. And bringing all these wild and crazy people together, you have the baby, Nathan Jr. Which, despite all the abnormal circumstances, everybody can't help but love (And it is an absolutely adorable baby, mind you!) The dialouge is filled with classic Coen dry wisecracks and clever cinematography that highlights the hysterical absurbity of every scenario. Perhaps one of my favorite assets to the movie though, was the magnificent music of Mr. Carter Burwell, a regular Coen contributer. The bluegrass yodeling of the 10 minute long, roundabout chase scene blends so perfectly that you can't imagine anything else going in there. The beautiful theme for the baby really starts to provide some strong emotional backing over the last 15 minutes or so and it complements Nicholas Cage's monolouge about his final dream wonderfully. There even is some symbolism within the context of the dreams and the demon bike rider as H.I. (great name by the way) consience catches up to him. Overall, this was just a plain enjoyable experience that put together ridicioulous situations with a strong artistic edge and a witty script. Cheers to the Coen Brothers. -AT

Acting (8/10) Gotta love these characters, great to see Nicholas Cage not playing shitty roles

Plot (9/10) Only the Coens my friends. Kidnapping babies in deadneck Arizona with demon bikeriders chasing after them?

Cinematography (8.5/10) Really excellent, was able to compliment the arid enviroment with the hilarity of said situations

Originality (9.5/10) Oh man, stands out, not only on its own merits, but becuase it has nothing to truly compare it to

Grade: A

OKAY, Two other quick synopsies

The Squid and the Whale (2005)

Directed by:Noah Baumbach

Synopsis: Noah Baumbach's THE SQUID AND THE WHALE is an excruciatingly humane, often hilarious portrait of a disintegrating family in mid-1980s Brooklyn. Set in the stately yet off-kilter neighborhood of Park Slope, the film tells the story of the Berkmans, a quintessentially New York family struggling to keep things together. Family patriarch Bernard (Jeff Daniels) is a published author and writing teacher whose insecurity over his own lack of recognition continues to plague him. Meanwhile, his wife, Joan (Laura Linney), is grappling with her own sense of unsettlement. Their sons, who are caught in the crossfire, express their confusion in different ways: 16-year-old Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) tries to pass off Pink Floyd's "Hey You" as his own hit in the school talent show, while his 12-year-old brother Frank (Owen Kline) begins to explore his burgeoning sexuality and alcoholism. When Bernard and Joan finally decide to separate, the family must confront their unraveling situation head on. Rarely has family dysfunction been captured so frankly and honestly as in THE SQUID AND THE WHALE. Baumbach claims his film is only semi-autobiographical, but, from the pitch-perfect writing and nostalgic tone, it feels as if we're watching home videos of the writer-director's past. Featuring an outstanding pop-music soundtrack (Bert Jansch, the Feelies, Lou Reed), the film also boasts performances that seem certain to earn end-of-the-year accolades.

Acting (9/10) Really strong from each of the four family members (I happened to especially like the teenage boy, Jessie Eisenberg). Every person stands out on there own, yet their faint strings of family cohesiveness are felt even as everybody falls apart.

Plot (7/10) Not particuarly plot based, although does come full circle with the meaning of the title. On the short side too, more of a character study than anything else.

Cinematography (7/10) Good, but wasn't an over the top movie in any sense. Very subtle with the city of New York being used effectively to show the larger context of this small families dismay.

Originality (8.5/10) Lots of movies that involve divorce and dysfunctional are made, but the Squid and the Whale seems to ring so true. The arguemnts aren't loud and filled with grand oratory, but rather shown in the actions each character takes when no one else is looking. Makes own take note of their own life in seeing what went right and what went wrong. I have no doubt everybody can relate to someone in this family in one way or another.

Overall Grade: B+ (inching toward A- though, for the sake of its brutal, obscene honesty..)

Rushmore (1998)

Directed by: Wes Anderson

Synopsis (RT) : Director Wes Anderson's follow-up to the acclaimed BOTTLE ROCKET is a funny, warmhearted, and extremely sharp American response to the English "Angry Young Man" films of the 1960s, right down to... Director Wes Anderson's follow-up to the acclaimed BOTTLE ROCKET is a funny, warmhearted, and extremely sharp American response to the English "Angry Young Man" films of the 1960s, right down to its British Invasion soundtrack. Newcomer Jason Schwartzman creates a classic protagonist in Max Fischer, a sophomore at Rushmore Academy. He excels at every extracurricular activity in school, from theater to beekeeping. Gradewise, however, he's failing. He has few friends outside school save for wealthy but depressed industrialist Herman Blume (Bill Murray), father of obnoxious twin boys who also attend Rushmore. Enter Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams), a beautiful young widowed teacher at Rushmore Elementary. While Max is immediately smitten with Miss Cross, she finds comfort in the company of the emotionally frazzled Blume. But Max won't let Blume have Miss Cross without a fight. Anderson and cowriter Owen Wilson have created a script brimming with oddball humor at the surface, but at its core lies just enough realistic pain and disappointment to create an all-too-rare bittersweet edge, striking a subtle balance that few films ever achieve, and finally giving national treasure Bill Murray the chance to shine like never before. As director, Anderson displays his exceptional talents with careful choices in color palette, effective use of slow motion to comedic effect, and, most important, a brilliant selection of offbeat songs that are integral to the story. Easily one of the finest comedies since THE GRADUATE, RUSHMORE is a monument to brilliant filmmaking.

-Alright, this was an especially good synopsis that I happen to agree with, so I won't even bother writing anything down. I'll give Rushmore a B+ becuase I loved the ferocity yet pitifulness of Max Fisher and the magnificent script tailored by Owen Wilson and Mr.Anderson. Although I will admit to enjoying every bit of it at the time, it didn't move me the way I felt it had the potential to. Maybe I'll have to watch it a few more times and allow it to digest better. Either way, perfect movie for teenagers who recongize themselves or adults who remember what the wonderfully bizzare age was like. (Oh and Bill Murray was excellent also).

Note to Self: Stop seeing so many darn good movies! Or become a cricial snob more often. I keep giving high grades to everything. Well, then again, I still haven't checked out Saw 4 or Bride Wars yet...

Three very quick reviews

I am lacking in time to fully divulge on these films at the present, so I'll just lay out what I've seen recently.

1. Brick (2006) Directed by Rian Johnson

A detective story set around a contemporary California high school, BRICK dares to combine the teen and film noir genres. In mixing these two disparate worlds, Director Rian Johnson creates many comically jarring and ironic moments. When loner Brendan Frye (a barely recognizable Joseph Gordon-Levitt of THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN) gets a desperate-sounding call from his ex-love Emily (Emilie de Ravin), he feels compelled to help her, plunging himself into the seedy world of teenage crime that pulled her away from him in the first place. Throughout this journey, Brendan plays a hard-boiled type reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart's iconic Sam Spade character. Johnson's script invests heavily in the fiction of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, and is filled with other archetypical characters like the femme fatale (Nora Zehetner), the eccentric crime lord (a brilliant Lukas Haas), and the dame in distress (de Ravin). As teens trade in their cell phones for things as old-fashioned as pay phones and 1940s gangster vocabulary, occasional references to detention and first period provide a humorous contrast with the otherwise unbelievable complex, precocious, and largely parentless world that these teens inhabit. With its heavy reliance on references to old noir classics like THE MALTESE FALCON and THE BIG SLEEP, the film may risk alienating viewers not familiar with these older films. Seeing teenagers speaking in coded detective-movie-style lingo is entertaining, but mixed with the often overlapping, fast-paced but muttered dialogue, it also proves to be distracting at points. People eager to see a predictable teen drama may be confused by BRICK, as its goal is to turn the genre on its head, earning inevitable comparisons to films like 2001's surreal teen fantasy DONNIE DARKO. Because of the film's attention to detail and witty yet hard-to-follow dialogue, BRICK may be better appreciated on second viewing.

(Rotten Tomatoes)

Acting (7/10) The lead is quite good, as is his nerdy friend. Overall, the classy, rapid fire dialouge gives each character something more than the acting itself.

Plot (6.5/10) Very detail orientated and bound to leave some people lost, but does craft a cool film noir out of the california suburbs.

Cinematography (8.5/10) Lots of great angles and shots. Cool color scheme to the whole movie

Originality (8.5./10) Certainly not something you expect from a movie involving high schoolers. Very ambitious and many fine points to be discovered. The movie website has a great messageboard with ongoing converstation about Brick.

Overall: B

2. Insomnia (2002) Directed by Christopher Nolan

In a remote Alaskan town called Nightmute, the murder of a teenage girl has shocked the tight-knit community. The Los Angeles Police Department sends two of its cops--both under investigation by Internal Affairs--to try to solve the crime in Christopher Nolan's film based on Erik Skjoldbjærg's 1997 Norwegian film starring Stellan Skarsgård. The experienced, weathered Will Dormer (Al Pacino) has nothing in life except for the force. His younger partner, Hap (Martin Donovan), has a family to support and is willing to turn state's evidence to protect them. Local cop Ellie Burr is excited to work with her hero, Dormer--until she starts uncovering some questionable situations. It isn't long before Dormer finds the murderer--writer Walter Finch, played with subtle nuances by Robin Williams--but Finch knows a secret that could bring Dormer down. Director Nolan, who stunned audiences with 2001's inventive MEMENTO, here crafts an atmospheric psychological thriller that is bathed in whites and grays. The acting is uniformly excellent, especially Pacino's performance as a cop on the edge and Williams as a soft-spoken, low-rent crime novelist. Because it never gets dark in Alaska at this time of year, Dormer (a play off the Spanish word "dormir," which means "to sleep") is unable to fall asleep, light always streaming into his hotel room; watching him slowly unravel is a treat.

(Rotten Tomatoes)

Acting (7/10) Al Pacino is quite good in his role as a haggard cop, as is Robin Williams as the quietly disturbed writer. Hiliary Swank is good, doesn't stand out though.

Plot (8/10) Pretty cool story and setting for this thriller. Manages to avoid many of the bland pitfalls and predictible "twists" that litter many similar films. Much more of a character study embedded in a murder mystery.

Cinematography (8/10) Nolan is, as always, at the top of his game. Takes advantage of the fact that it's always sunny even in such a dark scenario. Fog scene is excellent as are the large Alaskan landscape shots.

Originality (8.5/10) Leave it to Christopher Nolan to take a seemingly basic thriller story and craft it into something both complex and tasteful. Exciting crime cinema at its best.

Overall Grade: B+

3. Magnolia (1999) Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

In a single day in Los Angeles, a number of interconnected lives are changed forever. A lonely police officer (John C. Reilly) falls in love with a disturbed cocaine addict (Melora Walters). Her father (Philip Baker Hall), the host of the game show "What Do Kids Know?" has terminal cancer and tries to make amends for his past mistakes. A former champion of the show (William H. Macy) struggles to find love while the current champion (Jeremy Blackman) suffocates under the pressures of being a boy genius. An elderly man (Jason Robards) lies on his deathbed, tended by nurse Phil Parma (Philip Seymour Hoffman), while his trophy wife (Julianne Moore) wrestles with grief and guilt, and his estranged son (Tom Cruise), an infomercial host, teaches workshops on how to trick women into having sex. Throughout all of this, past deeds are lamented and strange forces loom in the air. Director Paul Thomas Anderson's follow-up to BOOGIE NIGHTS is an extravagant, emotional epic inspired by such films as Robert Altman's NASHVILLE and SHORT CUTS, with a sprawling cast of characters searching for love and meaning in a chaotic world. The cast delivers uniformly excellent performances, most notably Tom Cruise's Oscar-nominated role as the sleazy Frank T.J. Mackey

Acting (9/10) Excellent, colorful cast of characteres all around. What else would you expect from a cast that includes such greats as PSH and William H. Macy. Tom Cruise, inconsistent in his performances, is perfect for his role in Magnolia.

Plot (9/10) The large combination of plots that connect on both literal and figurative levels makes Magnolia a true masterpiece. The themes of childhood and parenting are huge as are the truly good characters (nurse and policeman) trying to do something for the better in this world. The Exodus references/ wholly awesome ending add a great touch as well.

Cinematography (9/10) Some excellent single shot passages and great editing together of shots in which multiple characters are seen with Aimee Mann singing beautifully in the background. Overall the music is great.

Originality (9.5/10) An epic of a film that has the best first thiry minutes of any movie I've ever seen. Scene with all the characters singing from their lonely perches is stunning as well. Paul Thomas Anderson is a master who put three hours of pure, gut wrenching human bliss into a compilation of stories that all share one common thread. Not a "Crash" style movie where everything connects perfectly, the ending is highly ambigous, yet I was left greatly moved. Just Excellent all around.

My Grade: A (Add this one to my top ten favorites)

A Quick Note on the Oscars (ugh)

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

One overall thing about the year is that there was a large number of high quality movies. Many oh which came out in the end of the year rush. That's a good thing, however, the Oscars seemed to not "spread around the wealth" enough as Benjemam Button got 13 (?!) nominations and Slumdog Millionaire 10. The Golden Globes did a seemingly better job of getting it right. Anyways, on to some specific comments.

The Good (as in underdogs that were less obvious choices)

1. Richard Jenkins, The Visitor. (Best Actor)
2. Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road (Best Supporting Actor)
3.Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married (Best Actress)
4. Melissa Leo, Frozen River (Best Actress)
5. Viola Davis, Doubt. (Best Supporting Actress)

The Bad
1. No Wall-E for best picture
2. Not as many nominations for the Wrestler (including Bruce Springsteeen, best song)
3. No Kate Winslet or Leonardo DiCaprio for acting in Revoluionary Road
4. Slumdog Millionaire for 10. Now, I loved this movie and I think it deserves the best picture/best director, but some of those other nominations are a little bogus.

The Ugly
1. No Best Picture/ Best director for the Dark Knight. Come on! Easily the largest movie of the year, but also a deep and nuanced film that brought the art into large scale blockbusters. Christopher Nolan is still the man in my book.
2. The Reader for best picture/best director over Dark Knight and Wall-E? Where the hell did that come from. Now I have not seen it yet, but 60% of RT is rather condradictory.
3. 13 for TCCOBB. Please.
4. Poor Clint Eastwood. Couldn't sneak in this year with bad-ass old man Gran Torino.

Brief Thoughts on Best Picture:

1. TCCOBB- maybe deserved, but there is a few others I would put before it (4)
2. Frost/Nixon- deserved I would say from what've I heard/read about it. (3)
3. Milk- Sadly everyone in my family has seen this but me. I'm very glad this is here though, I've only heard rave reviews and it would be great to see this win. (1)
4. The Reader- ? (5)
5. Slumdog Millionaire- Has gotten a lot more love that I would've expected, seems to be "that" indie movie of the year. I think its well deserved, but has it been over-hyped? (2)

In Theaters Review: Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road (2008)

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Synopsis(Rotten Tomatoes): Those who were waiting for the romantic reunion of TITANIC's Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet may be surprised by what they find in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. The movie begins with a sweet scene where Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) meet at a party, but the rest of this drama based on Richard Yates's novel is devoted to watching the destruction of their marriage and their selves in 1950s suburbia. Frank works at a job he hates in New York City, then commutes home to two children and a wife who feels none of them belong in their cookie-cutter town. Their realtor (a fine Kathy Bates) recognizes their specialness and introduces them to her mentally unstable son (BUG's Michael Shannon, in another good, unhinged performance) in an effort to establish some normalcy for the man. However, Frank and April's marriage is not as perfect as it seems to the outside world, and the audience gets to witness their downfall. With its commentary on conformity and finding identity, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD bears more than a passing resemblance in both theme and tone to the TV series MAD MEN and director Sam Mendes's previous film AMERICAN BEAUTY. The characters here may live in a polite age where men wear ties and hats and women clean the house in skirts and heels, but the dialogue often enters brutal territory. Less capable actors wouldn't have been able to capture the volatile chemistry between Frank and April, but DiCaprio and Winslet are as wonderful at uttering sweet nothings as they are at tearing each other apart with verbal barbs. Mendes, directing his wife, Winslet, for the first time, is a perfect match for the source novel's lack of sentimentality and its wry commentary on life in the 1950s that still resonates half a century later

Impressions that I get: The suburbs + 1950's + outer comformity vs. inner longings + a legally insane man seeming sane + first rate acting. Revolutionary Road and Sam Mendes. This movie really cut to the core on a lot of issues and left a lifelong suburbanite like me asking some questions. What desires of mine are being squashed by the "rules of society"? Is it possible to escape what is expected or is freewill just a word? It's tough and exceedingly dystopian at times, sometimes to the point where it all just seems too contrived. However, the story is lifted up by the remarkable and passionate acting of almost everyone in the cast (especially Leo, Kate, and Michael Shannon). The dialouge seems so real and each character complex becuase they never have the answers to explain their firey actions. Mendes could easily pile on some high-brow monolouges to try to explain the philosophies of the characters, but he understands that these people were not like that. They were scared, they make myriad condradictions, they yell and scream and can't figure out why afterwards. One of my favorite exchanges is between Michael Shannon and Leonardo Dicaprio, when Leo refers to the suburbs as the "hopeless emptiness" and Shannon, a legally insane man, replies, "Ah, yes. Most people can see the hopelessness, but never the emptiness." Yet, on the surface, all of these people are so damned nice to each other (with the exception of Michael Shannon, who seems deranged simply becuase he speaks his mind without considerations for social rules). This is the highlight of Revolutionary Road, the gut-wrenching humanity of each person that is hidden underneath a fine layer of bullshit. Everytime I walk past someone on the street who is wearing a suit and has a lovely lady next to them, I could assume they are content with life, however, it could be people just like Frank and April. You see these people everywhere. At dinner parties. Downtown in the office. At the meet-your-teacher day. Maybe they once had, or still have, desires to go to Paris and start life anew. Maybe they still don't know what they love in life. Maybe, that couple over there, is sick and tired of each other, but still hold hands in public becuase the worth of their public image stands above their own melting self image. Or maybe those people are happy and are fullfilling their life desires. Who knows? Either way, Revolutionary Road is a film that examines life in the supposed perfection of the suburbs and leaves you wondering, have I ever seen a "real" soul in my life? Or are they just hidden, like Frank and April, beneath the wedding cake layers of wealth and marriage?

-AT

Acting (9.5/10) Just outstanding, an underappreciated part is Michael Shannon who plays the deranged son of the neighbors, yet is the one man who can see the disturbing truth behind the marital image of Kate and Leo.

Plot (8/10) The plot seems to be the unraveling of love between Frank and April, which is interesting, but the film does lean a little toward the long side.

Cinematography (9/10) Very well done, as always by Sam Mendes. Great shots of portarying comformity without having to say it.

Originality (7.5/10) Does have some strong parrallels to earlier Mendes movies (American Beauty and Road to Perdition), and is an adapted novel from Richard Yates. Still, nobody does it quite like Mendes.

Grade: B++

"These are a few of my favorite things" 2008

Favorite movies of the year (incomplete list)

5. Doubt- Absolute fantastic acting by Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Viola Davis, Amy Adams and company. Play transformed well to the big screen and the script is filled with bristling arguements that make a seemingly simple issue into a complexity of many levels. On the short side, but never slows up for a moment. Confrontation between Meryl Streep and Viola Davis could be best scene of the year. Unresolved and beautiful becuase of that.

4. The Dark Knight- Christopher Nolan is the man, plain and simple. The "superhero" movie has a new peak due to its breathtaking atmosphere and action sequences combined with a (gasp!) intelligent dialouge and top notch acting. The Joker will be the legacy of Heath Ledger and deservingly so. It brings more to the table than just a fun evening, philosophy and art arise in this film out of the darkest reaches of Gotham City.

3. Slumdog Millionaire- This is just a "wow" movie that tells a story in an unique format from a land most of us only know from National Geographic (if even that.) Read my earlier review for more thoughts on Danny Boyle and Devi Patel.

2. Wall E- More than just a childrens movie. More than just cute robots and slick animation. More than just another Pixar movie. More than just another movie to keep the kids entertained while mom and dad go away in the evening. In fact, mom and dad should bag the dinner dance to stay home and watch this absolute gem of a film. This is the start of a new age of animated movies, no longer can one assume that a film needs an R rating along with several highly qualified actors to be considered quality. Wall E sets a new bar due to its revolutionary sound(of lack there of), fantastic emotional appeal, and noteworthy observations on the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. This film was a joy ride on the surface, yet still mantained a strong message warning of the harms of consumerism. Maybe I look too much into it. But at least Wall-E opens itself up to be examined and that is what seperates it from any animated feature done before.

1. Synecdoche New York- Synechdoche means a part of something referring to the whole thing. The part here is the life of Caden Cotard and the whole thing is the human condition. Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, etc.) created every part of this epic "tragicomic", the script, the direction (first time director I might add), the theme song. This film watches like a novel with sophisticated dialouge, strong imagery, brilliant characters, and, most of all, the overwhelming sense of a structure that is wholy prevelant while just exceding our grasp. It goes from rabbit hole to rabbit hole, plays games with our minds, but still remains connected to the audience every step of the way. Kaufman may very well be considered a genious in my book simply for his ability to combine the utterly complex and incomprehendable thoughts of our minds within the framework of everyday human life. If you want a great opinion of this film, check out Roger Eberts review. See it, think about it, see it again (repeat)....-AT

To See: Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Revolutionary Road, The Wrestler, Rachel Getting Married, and more. Always more. (just in case you think I have weak opinions..)

Most Bizzare Film of the Year

Inland Empire (David Lynch)- Yes, this wasn't this year, but I felt it was worth mentioning. Woah. Step back. Adjust frame. Look again. Am I awake? No, couldn't be. Are those real bunnies or just suits? Is that Polish? Welcome to the land of zoom ins and white noise interrupted by feminine screams of angst. I feel dizzy. So, how many people is Laura Dern supposed to be? I feel like I'm on a sinking ship and I'm the only one who still thinks we're in the harbor. It's kinda like watching a Dali painting. Was there supposed to be a point or was that the point?

Watch it. Three hours later, you might get the idea. Really though, it's a fun time.

Worst Film of the Year

The Love Guru- Ugh. Double Ugh. Now I enjoy a good comedy and it doesn't have to be "politically correct" by any stretch of imagination. It just has to be funny. Watching this felt like all the peverted middle schoolers of the world got together when their hormones were racing and dumped their collection of filthy ideas and fantasties into a sack of human feces. How else could it be explained that (Sir) Ben Kingsley is throwing piss onto Buddhist monks? I will go no further down this road of defilement and bad taste. To paraphrase a far great comedy, "On what day did the Lord create the Love Guru and why not did he himself rest on that day as well?"

Man of the Year

Philip Seymour Hoffman- The Big Lebowski. Magnolia. Almost Famous. Punch Drunk Love. Capote, where we finally saw the magnitude of Mr. Hoffmans greatness. Last year he had an all star performance with Before the Devil Knows Your Dead, the Savages, and Charlie Wilsons War. This year he has hit a high with absolutely stellar, first rate, dauntingly beautiful roles in Doubt and Synecdoche New York. The slightly chubby blond philosopher who can shout and scream, quietly whisper, or do a carbon copy of a historical figure. He takes his roles as seriously as the movies he choses to be in. And he has picked some great ones. When I look at Philip Seymour Hoffman, I see the faces and lives of all the characters he has created over the years, each standing out in its own distinct way. Bravo, may you continute to craft men out of that magnificent soul of yours that has done so much in so little time.

Favorite Albums of the year (as I have listened to so far)

5. She and Him- Volume One

4. TV on the Radio- Dear Science

3. Girl Talk- Feed the Animals

2. Frightened Rabbit- The Midnight Organ Fight

1. Fleet Foxes-Fleet Foxes

As always, there is so much incoming music to digest, and I only have one mouth and the sands of time are against me..

Some Good Reads of my year (both old and new)

5. The Elephant Vanishes (Short stories)- Haruki Murakami

4. The Corrections- Jonathon Franzen

3. The Great Gatsby- F.Scott Fitzgerald

2. Steppenwolf- Herman Hesse

1. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay- Michael Chabon

There are so many more books to add and my stack to read is always growing. If only time could be stopped.

= Have a merry year filled with fine art, loving family, and steadfast friends=

-AT