Millions (2/5)
Cute and creative story with a touch of distracting fantasy bits. No detailed opinion or desire to form one.
Solaris (4/5)
Psycho-weird indeed; a good portion of eye-candy to keep me curious. I could have used a bigger bang in the last reel or perhaps an expensive score like the similarly neurotic Sunshine.
The Squid and the Whale (3/5)
New York is a right shit place to raise a family. Psych students probably have a field day with this mess. One of those films where you aren't rooting for anyone and there isn't much beauty or fun to indulge in along the way. I felt the same watching The Royal Tenenbaums (matching red sweats and wigs do not constitute "beauty" or "fun").
Donnie Darko (5/5)
I've reached the point of diminishing returns on this film. I don't recommend the Director's Cut or the commentary, both tragically demystify the film and any deep or nuanced ideologies you may have secretly fathomed. An example of how over-explaining your creation can ruin the experience of your audience. My shorthand: If Lynch and Hughes rewrote Back To The Future into an episode of The Bloodhound Gang.
Four Weddings And A Funeral (1/5)
A most dreadful romantic comedy that accomplished the exact opposite of the filmmaker's intention: I wanted to see the couple die fiery deaths, and do so very alone. Credit for putting the camera on a tripod and lighting cathedrals competently--and for one delicious Hugh Grant crack that must be the biggest foot-in-mouth ever.
Aliens (Special Edition) (5/5)
I do enjoy the expanded combat scenes in the Special Edition, but I find the colony scenes at the beginning detract from the mystery and discovery we experience with Ripley's rescue squad later on. Paxon is a favorite character--going from blowhard marine to needing a warm bath in under a minute. He's been Cameron's go-to patsy ever since.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2/5)
Absurd comedies such as this face the difficult task of balancing a half disposable plot with endearing characters and sketches.
Image is everything.
I caught a W exit interview on Reuters yesterday. My favorite bit is always when the interviewer prudently asks him to name his failures. So with a hem and haw our lame duck, Commander-in-Halfwit admitted that the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was tragic and sent "the wrong message to the Arab nations." Ugh. Is that it!? How long is this interview anyway? Never mind that most anyone could draw up a few billion other regretful political escapades ...
No direction from pluralism.
I caught a glimpse of a fellow busrider reading the Bible and instead of feeling the usual kinship, I felt distant and even suspect of him: Is he an ill-mannered fundamentalist? Is he devout? Does he swear or drink? Does he fancy Palin? Does he hate the ACLU? Is he suspicious of mainstream media? Is he trying to get attention? Such a change in perspective is no small thing for me. It is a thunderclap that hit years ago and has finally made it ...
God is not Republican… or Democrat.
Is big government counter to the Gospel? Should the government be involved in works of mercy or just stick to justice? A dear Christian/missionary/Republican friend sent me a well-thought argument on the matter (here) and I penned the following response. --- I guess I don't see the role of government, market, church, individuals, NGOs in such black and white categories anymore. Each of them have budgets to steward and account for; they must ...