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

In Theaters Review: Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Synopsis (Rotten Tomatoes): British director Danny Boyle takes another intriguing career turn with this heartfelt underdog tale. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a street kid (or "slumdog") who has landed an appearance on India's version of the hit TV game show WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? Jamal exceeds expectations on the show, and the producers alert the police after they become suspicious of his methods. The young contestant is subsequently arrested and is interrogated at the hands of a nameless police inspector (played by Bollywood star Irfan Khan). As the interrogation proceeds, Boyle tells Jamal's story through harrowing flashbacks that both show the terrible poverty of Mumbai and help explain how he knew the answers to the MILLIONAIRE questions. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a tightly woven story that has been expertly edited into shape. The contrast between Jamal's upbringing and his chance of escaping it on the show are adeptly juxtaposed. Mumbai is portrayed as a place of terrifying poverty and unforgettable brutality, and Jamal and his brother get into a never-ending succession of challenging situations. But the way Boyle ties together Jamal's life experiences with his answers on the show is quite brilliant, and the film really does run the full gamut of emotions as we see him growing up, falling in love, coming close to death, and teetering on the brink of escaping from his terrible predicament. The film belongs to Boyle's cast, who are mostly unknown outside of India. Patel, in particular, gives a startlingly mature performance that audiences are likely to remember long after the credits role on this affecting feature

Impressions that I Get: Danny Boyle has really established himself as an absolutely top notch director after the gem that was Slumdog Millionaire. This film walked quite the balance between being intense and entertaining while still mantaining excellent filmsmanship and showing the horrific beauty of poverty in India. The shots of the slums of Mumbai and Bombay, the cross country trains, and the rich urban centers were simply stunning. This was masterfully shot and edited, each sequence seeming fresh and overflowing with details.

As for the acting, Devi Patel turns in a great performance as the humble young man who has overcome everything to achieve his "destiny." His true love, Lakita, is not extraordinary in her role, but is very beautiful and the motif clip of her smiling could melt a heart of stone. The children that are used to play the younger versions of the characters are great and unbelievably adorable. Also, while the plot of Slumdog may be somewhat predictable, it is presented in an unique way through the flashbacks and question answers. This might seem like it would be simplistic and contrived, but it actually captures the complexities and "little things" of Jamal's life quite well. The irony of the last question simply put a smile on my face and, although the film seemed to lose a bit of steam at the end, I was glued to the screen for every minute. Feeling the pains and joys of the "Three Musketeers" was simply a viewing treat. Slumdog Millionaire was rich with detail and will take you to a land that few will ever see. Here's to another fine film of 2008. -AT

Acting (8.5/10)- Excellent job by Patel, solid supporting cast

Plot (8.5/10)- Could be considered predictable, but still kept me riveted

Cinematography (10/10)- Gorgeous, simply rich. Best I've seen in awhile

Originality (9/10)- Loved the way this was presented, stand out indie movie of the year

My Grade: A-

Review from the Vault: Memento

Memento(2001)

Directed (and written) by: Christopher Nolan

Synopsis (Rotten Tomatoes): Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) wears expensive, European tailored suits, drives a late model Jaguar sedan, but lives in cheap, anonymous motels, paying his way with thick wads of cash. Although he looks like a successful businessman, his only work is the pursuit of vengeance: tracking and punishing the man who raped and murdered his wife. His suspicions dismissed by the police, Leonard's life has become an all-consuming quest for justice. The difficulty, however, of locating his wife's killer is compounded by the fact that Leonard suffers from a rare, untreatable form of memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his "accident", Leonard can't remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he is, where he's going or why. A former insurance investigator, Leonard is keenly aware of his handicap. Moreover, he's got the discipline to compensate as well as the motivation-the cruel memory of his beloved wife's last moments. Haunted by what he's lost, he's re-built his life out of index cards, photographs, file folders, charts, tattoos and obsessive habits that stand in for memory, fixing him in space and time and connecting him to his mission. Out of necessity, Leonard must rely on others despite being thoroughly ill-equipped to assess either their motives or basic decency. Leonard remembers his past-up to a point. But just who has Leonard become since losing the ability to hold together the fragments of himself? "Memento" mines this psychological terrain, using non-linear film narrative to mirror Leonard's own effort to interpret the random pieces of evidence he hoards. The murder, rewound in the opening frames, we discover, is logically the endpoint of Leonard's story. What we learn comes from a point earlier in time, a few moments and a few sentences prior to what we've already been shown. As Leonard's story unfolds, the meaning of events changes. Allies, enemies, victims, victimizers swap place almost kaleidoscopically.

Impressions that I get: So, I watched this movie for about the 6th time yesterday, proving to myself once again why it is the best film I've ever seen. Even though I feel like I have all the nooks and crannys of the film down, I still get more and more out out of it with each successive view. Not only is this movie structured in the most unique, yet bizzarely comprehendable, form imaginable, it also gets to some mind numbing philosophical questions with its excellent dialouge. What does it mean to have memory? Are we still human without memory? Does time exist if we don't have memory? This film isn't just an artsy, intellectual film, it is also clever and intriguing with its well engineered plot and film noir atmosphere and sound.

This film is not built solid from the ground up, with the basic characters and setting having the same meaning over time. It is just floating out there, and every time you think you have it figured out, you realize that there is just even more going on than you realized. That is one of my favorite aspects of the film, the film isn't simply entertaining you and doing all of the work, you have to keep thinking and reasoning yourself in order to try to comprehend the wide structure of Memtento. However, this is not just mind games for the sake of it. Nolan truly is trying to show people what the meaning of memory is while having a fun time with the murder mystery aspect of it as well. On all levels, this film is a home run becuase "the more you put in, the more you get out." I have spent a lot of time thinking about the importance of films like this and I can safely say that, when I saw Memento for the first time 4 years ago, it changed my expectations for movies. I began to realize that films were an art, not simply an entertainment. There was so much potential that could be utilized in a film that couldn't be done with a play, song, or painting. By choosing to create the complex chronology, surreal dynamics, and alternating storylines, Nolan was trying to reach the pinnacle of art in film. Now, I think that The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Prestige, and Insomnia are all great movies (In the Dark Knights case, VERY great), but nothing matches Memento. For me at least. To paraphrase Leonard, "watching this movie is alot like waking." I might be lost or confused, but that feeling of prominence creeps over me like the sun rising over the horizon..- AT (Sorry if this review seemed terribly scattershot, my thoughts sort of tumbled out)

Acting (8.5/10)- Guy Pierce was fantastic, why haven't I seen him in anything else?

Plot (9/10)- Goes beyond film noir, the plot changes meaning as more is revealed

Cinematography (9/10)- Excellent, black/white balance with color, captures the "little things"

Orginality (10/10)- This is extraordinary.

My Grade: A+

Quick Review: Eastern Promises

Eastern Promises (2007)

Directed by: David Cronenberg

Synopsis (Rotten Tomatoes): The new thriller reteaming acclaimed director David Cronenberg with his A History of Violence leading man Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises is written by Steve Knight (Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of Dirty Pretty Things). As in the earlier film, director and star together explore the psyche, physicality, and fortunes of a man whose true nature may never be wholly revealed. The mysterious and charismatic Russian-born Nikolai Luzhin (Mr. Mortensen) is a driver for one of London’s most notorious organized crime families of Eastern European origin. The family itself is part of the Vory V Zakone criminal brotherhood. Headed by Semyon (Academy Award nominee Armin Mueller-Stahl), whose courtly charm as the welcoming proprietor of the plush Trans-Siberian restaurant impeccably masks a cold and brutal core, the family’s fortunes are tested by Semyon’s volatile son and enforcer, Kirill (Vincent Cassel), who is more tightly bound to Nikolai than to his own father. But Nikolai’s carefully maintained existence is jarred once he crosses paths at Christmastime with Anna Khitrova (Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts), a midwife at a North London hospital. Anna is deeply affected by the desperate situation of a young teenager who dies while giving birth to a baby. Anna resolves to try to trace the baby’s lineage and relatives. The girl’s personal diary also survives her; it is written in Russian, and Anna seeks answers in it. Anna’s mother Helen (Sinéad Cusack) does not discourage her, but Anna’s irascible Russian-born uncle Stepan (Jerzy Skolimowski) urges caution. He is right to do so; by delving into the diary, Anna has accidentally unleashed the full fury of the Vory. With Semyon and Kirill closing ranks and Anna pressing her inquiries, Nikolai unexpectedly finds his loyalties divided. The family tightens its grip on him; who can, or should, he trust? Several lives – including his own – hang in the balance as a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution reverberates through the darkest corners of both the family and London itself.

Impressions that I get: Viggo Mortensen is really an excellent actor. And I'm not talking about Aragorn. His performance really drives Eastern Promises and also captures the complexity of a Russian hit man. From the authentic Russian speaking to the simple gestures in his eyes, Mortensen is absolutely commanding in his role. Not to take anything away from Naomi Watts (who plays an innocent nurse who is trying to help a dead woman) or Vincent Cassel (who plays the impulsive and confused son of the gang lord), both of whom did fine jobs, but I cannot help raving about Viggo Mortensen. He has proven himself to be a master of the serious character who is solemn on the outside, but divided within himself on the inside (Check out A History of Violence as well.)

As for the movie as a whole, it was very well shot and gives one a great sense of the trechary and bloodiness of being in a prominent gang. All from an outsiders perspective as well, as the details of the plot are found by characters reading journals written by a dead prostitute who came from Ukraine for a better life (The "eastern promise".) Somehow though, this movie doesn't seem to "stick". I just can't see myself wanting to watch this again and again. Overall though, if you're looking for some fine acting and snapshot of the Russian mafia, give this film a whirl. (Quick Warning however, this is GRUESOME at parts. Cronenberg hides nothing.)-AT

Acting (9.5/10)- Viggo is the man.

Plot (7/10)- Not terribly memorable

Cinematography(8.5/10)- Very good, gets the nitty gritty urban feel

Originality (7/10)- Interesting, but doesn't stand out on its own