Film Diary Update

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE A
- This was the funniest and smartest movie I’ve seen this year. I do love dark comedies. They make me glad that my problems are not as bad as I thought, and they sure aren’t this funny. Wonderful performances and I have to admit I had yet to be won over by Steve Carell, but I guess I could be persuaded now. I don’t like “The Office”, it reminds me to much of my own work, and I have yet to see “The 40 year old Virgin.” What can I say it was just one of those things that we missed. Sometimes we avoid seeing the ‘popular’ movie, just because it’s ‘popular. Yes, we can be the biggest film snobs. This was a film that I will gladly see again.

OMKARA A-
- Yet again here is another excellent example of how wonderfully adaptable Shakespeare can be. I understand that this director also did Macbeth a few years ago, I would like to see that. Omkara is set among those involved in political warfare in the interior of Uttar Pradesh, Omkara “Omi” is a general or ‘strong arm’ for the local political faction taking control of the province. I like the violent and rural setting, too often I have seen Othello set at court. I like this better. I get the feeling that this is very similar to what life in India is really like, that it is this corrupt and dangerous. This is one of the best films I have seen this year. I have only one complaint with this film and that is the use of an everyday devise in this case modern technology, a cell phone is used to expose Dolly’s supposed infelditiy. Oh, all of a sudden this guy convientally looses his cell phone? I don’t think so. For me, in Othello the most anticipated part is when Iago reveals to Othello Desdemona’s supposed betrayal. I felt that the use of a cell phone was contrived and the writer found he was without a plausible way to move this along, it would have worked had he set it up before hand that Kesu was known to loose his phone often, then I would have believed that Langda took advantage of the of this flaw and some dumb luck opportunity.

THE ILLUSIONIST A-
- I liked this film for the performances and the mystery and the romance, but mostly for the magic. Ed Norton was excellent and Paul Giamatti was also, of course he almost stole the film from Ed Norton but then so did Rufus Sewell, I loved it when he was enraged, his accent would get thicker. This was a film that looked intriguing, I felt that we had stepped into an old photograph from the late 19th century. I loved the feel of being in an old world setting, that era seemed so simple and refined, yet full of wonderment. I like the illusionist says “…nothing is what is seems.” I will like to see how this film compares to “The Prestige.” I can’t wait.

THE PROTECTOR C
- I was very disappointed with this film, I had heard good things about, but I have since learned that about eight minutes was cut from the original and reedited. Believe me it shows. I loved Tony Ja’s first film, his martial arts ability blew me away, he did stuff I’ve never seen before, it was just amazing. This film lacked that quality and uniqueness. This was a bad martial arts action film all the way around. I could on and on but I really don’t want to relive it.

HOLLYWOODLAND B-
- I found this not to be much of a film mainly because of the script. The film itself is fine, I found the acting to be sincere and eye opening, everyone did very well, and I love the costumes, they were more than vintage, I can’t remember when period hair was done better for this era. The actors and costume and makeup people are to be commended, but, as for the meat of the film, the story, that left something to be desired, but this was a difficult story to tell and I think that it could have been done better. I found to the flaws to be in the Adrian Brody character, I did not believe that this bum of a detective and father could or would find the answers or the notoriety he was looking for. And that is the problem, how to present an unsolved mystery? You either solve it or supply more mystery. This still leaves the feeling of un-satisfaction and sadness. Although maybe that is what the director wants us to feel, I felt almost as bad as the kids did when Superman died, oops, I mean George Reeves.