Letters From Iwo Jima (5/5)

My new favorite war film. Not the sort you watch a dozen times, but perfect nonetheless.

Filed under: 5 stars, review

The Reader (3/5)

A well cut, non-linear narrative and enough rarely-clothed Winslett to keep me around for the last reel, where your standard-issue Holocaust/Hollywood guilt is given a new take that feels like the familiar. Winslett was in ‘Extras’ a few years back playing herself, acting in a miserably pretentious Holocaust film for the sole purpose of nabbing an Oscar. How peculiar that exactly such came to pass with her win in this overrated film. Forever in my book as the one that bumped ‘The Dark Knight’ from Best Picture running (I’m not supposed to care about that crap anymore).

Filed under: 3 stars, review

Let The Right One In (4/5)

The subtle revelations of the vampire work perfectly. Creepy, Norsk, dark, bully-gets-it-in-the-end like you’ve never seen. I’d love to travel Europe with my vampire-girlfriend in a box–well, until I hit 28 and she’s still 14 or whatever age limit they permit there in the Caucasus.

Chad offered me up these thoughts:

Having watched Let the Right One In again I have to say it’s even sadder than I initially thought. It seems very obvious that the boy traveling with the girl at the end will end sadly. He will eventually outgrow puberty and outgrow her. Her vampireism is a metaphor for permanent adolescence, in permanent need of help by those who walk during the day. If a child eventually outgrows his bullies the vampire can never outgrow its station except by death. Also, having talked to someone who read the book the vampire girl is supposed to be a boy who was castrated, which is mentioned in the movie.

Filed under: 4 stars, review

Enemy At The Gates (3/5)

Fine actors and sets but nowhere to point the camera, nothing compelling to say. Not bad, not great, thanks for the dramatized historical information. This may end the WWII kick I’m on.

Filed under: 3 stars, review

Witness (3/5)

This film aged quite well.

Filed under: 3 stars, review

Downfall (5/5)

A surprisingly effective film that rarely leaves the bunker in its three hours.

Filed under: 5 stars, review

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through A Lens (2/5)

Undoubtedly a gifted photographer. A personal version of hell would be sycophantic catering to over-pampered dickhole celebrities for the sake of making them up like chic-odd-sexpottery, for the sake of moving issues of Vanity Fair. Celebrity is dumb.

Filed under: 2 stars, review

S1m0ne (0/5)

A train wreck of Pacinoan magnitude. I quite fancied Niccol’s ‘Gattaca’, but after this and the very scheize ‘Lord of War’ I may just have to hate the whole catalog.

Filed under: 0 stars, review

Hitler: The Rise Of Evil (3/5)

A relatively cheap and made-for-TV biopic; educational and well-paced. Who knew that Hitler chose his mustache to help differentiate himself from the average. My WWII inquisition continues.

Filed under: 3 stars, review

Ghost Town (3/5)

Surprisingly fun ‘Ghost’ rehash with Ricky Gervais. I do fancy Gervais: I do unfancy ‘Ghost’.

Filed under: 3 stars, review