Less Than Zero, and Role Models

Less Than Zero

I recall thinking the book was a bit hyperbolic, even in the 80's, but I should have waited even longer (like forever) before seeing the movie.

Role Models

A few great South-Park-esque laughs, otherwise marred by a cookie-cutter plot. Props to the creative anachronism nod.

Synecdoche, New York

Mostly unlike anything else, in mostly a good way.

Many many many moments of brilliance (example: the deft handling of the difference between clock time -- years -- and emotional time -- feels like weeks -- when processing certain life-events) marred by Kaufman's adolescent, wallowing navel-gazing. Far more interesting than almost any other recent treatment of consciousness in cinema -- but that's setting a pretty low bar.

Note to Charlie: Not only does it not have to be dire to posses gravitas, but it would actually say more (and be deeper) if it wasn't.

Religulous

Maher doesn't appear to seek out the most articulate advocates of religious traditions -- since the most poised interviewee is actually an actor who portrays Jesus at a "born again" theme park in Orlando, Florida.

So at times it feels like he's "shooting fish in a barrel".

But it's still the funniest scary movie of 2008.

Bottle Shock

Alas the characters are empty caricatures of what were surely real people, and some of the filmmaking doesn't quite reach the level of sophistication it seeks, but I thoroughly enjoyed this underdog fairytale. Give me a "true story" set in the Bay Area in the 70's and you've already got my affections. Who needs characters? If we wanted a story about wine with characters we'd watch sideways again.

MirrorMask, Owl and the Sparrow, The Wrestler, and other quicktakes

MirrorMask: Far more successful than "The Fall" both in terms of the story and the visual splendor. Okay, there isn't too much depth to it, but it's pretty!

Owl and the Sparrow:  For those that liked Slumdog Millionaire, here is a similarly touching / slightly harrowing / slice of life that turns out to be a fairy-tale kind of movie.... set in Vietnam, instead of India.

The Wrestler isn't just the rehabilitation of beloved 80s icon Rourke but also of director Aronofsky.  The only film in the last year-plus that made my eyes moist.

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Movies that were mostly a waste of time:  Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, Pineapple Express, and, sadly, most of Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

The Tunnel

As a child, I remember seeing old LIFE magazines from the 1960s with pictoral exposes of tunnels in Berlin connecting the east and west, providing an avenue of escape for east Berliners wanting to go to the west.  Although a bit sanitized for Hollywood, "The Tunnel" vividly recreates that world.  It still smacks a little of propaganda, and one does wonder whether the lessons of that border contains wisdom we haven't applied to other borders (Gaza, or Mexico).  But it is a compelling narrative, and excepting the poor quality of the DVD transfer, a worthy way to spend a couple of hours.