I'm sort of a sucker for movies that stun me visually, showing me
something I've never seen before in a way I've never seen before.
"Waking Life" comes immediately to mind as a success in this
category.
While "Sin City" doesn't really come close to that level of innovation,
it's sure as hell pretty fun to watch. I loved all of its pulp noir,
shadowy cinematography, fleeting flashes of color, and seamless
blend of CGI and live-action to mimic the pages of Frank Miller's
comic book.
I could've done without the incessant narration, but it felt right for
the material I guess. The performances were aces across the
board, especially Mickey Rourke. This is the type of role he used to
play often, and he does it to perfection.
My grade: B+
Screened: Sept 4
On a cold Kansas night, two men broke into the rural Cutter
residence in search of a hidden safe. They emerged basically
penniless, but had viciously murdered the four members of the
family. Halfway across the country, socialite writer Truman Capote
knew from the beginning of his quest for answers into the crime
that he was about to write one of the century's great novels.
Philip Seymour Hoffman jumps into the skin of the effete Capote
and never slips out. His mannerisms, his voice, his anxieties, his
vulnerabilities -- Truman is alive onscreen in a way that few
performances this year have been.
What becomes clear, gradually, is that Capote is using Perry Smith,
one of the Cutters' killers, for research material while perpetuating
a myth of friendship. This parasitic relationship takes its toll on the
writer's life, consuming him in drink and misery. But it's too late
too stop even when Capote is confronted by his lifelong friend,
author Harper Lee (an excellent, though underused, Catherine
keener): He needs an end to the story -- preferably Smith's
execution -- to get closure to his work and its all-encompassing
chapter of his life.
A chilling, uncompromising look at creative obsession and
subjectivism, "Capote" is a haunting triumph.
My grade: A-
Screened: Oct 13
Eh...
"North Country" tells the (probably molded) true story of a
down-on-her-luck woman in a Minnesota iron mine who successfully
sues the company for sexual harassment. It is a tale of
perseverance, sexism, independence, and personal morality. It
tugs at the heart strings in all the right places, and has a dramatic
conclusion that tidily closes up any loose ends. It's an out-and-out
crowdpleaser that doubles as an Oscar hopeful.
I really wanted to like this movie a lot. So much going for it:
Excellent against-type performances from Charlize Theron and
Woody Harrelson, a familiarly-voweled performance from Frances
McDormand, beautiful, sweeping cinematography by Chris Menges,
and a lived-in feel for the cold seasons of the Upper Midwest.
But heavy-handed it is, and unpredictable it ain't.
My grade: B-
Screened: Oct 17
