I feel I should be updating more. I will work on that.

As a writer, it often comes up that I'm required to shrink my stories -- that is, to summarize a story I've written in a paragraph, a page, two pages, rarely more. But see, therein lies the problem. If I could put all the important stuff from my story down into one page, why wouldn't I just make the story itself one page?

Or maybe I'm just bad and I will always need someone else to do it for me.

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La Vie en Rose

Backstage, an old Edith Piaf stands, preparing for one of her final performances. Her torso is wrapped, and her doctor tells her that she is risking her life if she goes on with her performance. “So?” she responds. “You have to risk something.”

One would not think much of Marion Cotillard’s looks if they only saw her in the roles she takes. Outside of the movies she is gorgeous, but here, in ‘La Vie en Rose,’ she shaved her eyebrows and reduced her hairline to become Edith Piaf -- and that is only the beginning of the transformation.

The movie takes place around three stages in Edith’s life. The first is of her as a child, and this is one of the few movies, biopic or not, that has successfully managed to evoke sympathy for a character within the first twenty minutes. Practically orphaned, Edith suffers to the point where she may become blind. She goes to pray, blindfolded, to Saint Theresa and Jesus, so that she may have sight and be able to read like the rest of the children.

But this is a few of the only words Edith says during her childhood, until her father steals her from the brothel she was being raised in so he can use her in his circus act. Which is a better home, a whorehouse or a circus cart? One could have a tough time making that decision. Her father has her on the sidewalk holding out a hat, begging for change as he does cheap acrobatics, until the crowd wants Edith herself to do something. What does she do? Oh, she sings.

Time passes, and Marion Cotillard comes out as a teenager who sings on the streets for change, to which she has to give her father a cut as he wastes his life away in a pub. Edith’s luck comes and goes in a rollercoaster of successes and failures. One day she is drinking champagne at a New Years’ party, the next she is a step from having to whore herself out for food money. There is no doubt, in this stage of her life, that she lives for the moment -- whether good or bad.

A third chunk of the movie’s time line is the elder Edith Piaf, one who cannot pick up a glass without her hand shaking furiously. But her determination is possibly the strongest of any character in a movie I’ve seen in a long time. She is the lady who holds her friends close, but everything is second to her love of music. She became a national treasure for France, and she worked hard to uphold that image.

These three time lines are intertwined throughout the movie’s 140 minute run-time. The director, Olivier Dahan, manages to piece these events together in a way that nothing is spoiled and each chunk makes the next that much more important, regardless of how it happened chronologically. This is not a movie of stages of life, but of the events that shape a person.

The real achievement in this movie is Marion Cotillard herself. She plays Edith Paif with such vigor, yet in her face you can always see that behind her eyes she has worries and desperation, but that tiny smile she gives with her bright red lips is just enough so you also know she is full of love, whether she is singing, drinking, or praying. If this isn’t an Oscar-worthy performance, I don’t know what is.

And how can one ignore the music in a biopic about a singing legend? I think my reaction to this movie says enough: Starting the movie, I was familiar with La Vie en Rose as a song. As the movie played, and ended, the next thing I did was look for a soundtrack. It is a rare thing when the singing in a movie, even of a country’s national anthem, can take over one so completely. This is the movie that does it.

I’ve seen a number of biopics, a number of which have been about musical legends. ‘La Vie en Rose’ tops any I can think of at the moment, in acting, composition, art direction, and just plain, good old-fashioned storytelling.

Rating: 7/7

La Vie en Rose is now out on DVD.

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Yesterday I was fortunate enough to see two movies that are still both in limited release. Fortunately, both movies were great.

No Country for Old Men

The new movie from the Coen brothers (Fargo, Blood Simple) is taken out West this time -- West being Texas. Their source material is the novel of the same title by Cormac McCarthy. The film follows three primary stories revolving around about $2 million in cash.

First we have Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a retired 'nam Vet who, while out hunting one day, comes upon the remnants of a drug deal gone bad. Among the corpses he manages to come across the money, which he takes home to his wife in their trailer park. He's a smart character and knows whoever's money it is will come looking for it. He goes on the run while he tells his wife to hide elsewhere.

His pursuer is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), who may or may not be the primary character of this story. He is unsympathetic to human life and does what he wants, freely and without worry. To figure out his motives is not an easy task. There is no method to Chirugh's actions, other than it involves lots of killing and the pursuit of the money.

To complete the triangle is an old sheriff, Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones). He starts the movie with a voice-over that establishes a number of things, the most important may be his matter-of-fact way of dealing with the law. He also talks about how old-time sheriffs never used to carry guns. Tom Bell is on the trail of Chigurh's killings, not because he wants justice, but because he wants to save lives. He knows he'll never understand a person like Chigurh, but he does know he can save Llewlyn Moss if he catches up to them.

With those introductions going, let me say this -- the movie is hardly what you may expect, especially from a movie in this genre (crime/western). You may, and probably will be, frustrated. Some scenes are graphic enough to make you churn in your seat. At the very beginning, the first murder Chigurh commits on screen, you'll realize that this is not a movie of good against bad, right against wrong, but instead a movie about the actions of an incomprehensible killer in the face of his victims. Chigurh enjoys having small chats with the casualties before he murders them.

If there's one thing the Coen brothers have done well in their movies, it is a simultaneous pull where you do not want a scene to end, but at the same time can't wait to see what happens next. And each scene is like this in a different way. Moss and Chigurh encountering each other in hotels across the state is enough tension, but scenes where Tom Bell sits in a diner reading the paper strike equally, if not more-so. Through the movie Tom Bell has a younger sheriff, Wendell, tagging along. Wendell asks Tom Bell if he thinks Moss knows what he's into, and Tom Bell responds, "I don't know, he ought to. He's seen the same things I've seen, and it's certainly made an impression on me."

It is this sense of intelligence among the main characters that makes this movie a success. Moss knows how to saw off shotguns, Chigurh can pull shotgun shrapnel out of his own knee and completely sanitize it, and Tom Bell can tell how long it's been since pretty much anyone has been pretty much anywhere.

I know these paragraphs are vague, but more than anything I do not want to ruin the hints and surprises of the movie. It is a story of nuances and subtleties, but also the blood sometimes hits you right in the face. Be sure to see this movie.

Rating: 7/7


Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Director Sidney Lumet is back behind the camera, and what a great movie this is. I would say it's on par with 'Dog Day Afternoon,' but that may even be an understatement. This could be among his masterpieces, such as 'Network' and '12 Angry Men.'

With that said, I will give a small overview for those who have not seen the preview. I say this only because to reveal more than the preview shows would be disastrous to the experience. Two brothers, Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Hank (Ethan Hawke), both have their money problems. Hank has to pay $900 a month for child support to his ex-wife, and he's already three months behind. Andy has to scramble for cash to keep his wife Gina (a gorgeous Marisa Tomei) happy. Her self-esteem is so low around Andy all she can do to keep going is to tell herself they will go back to Brazil, where they took a vacation and everything was perfect.

With money in mind, Andy and Hank arrange a jewelry store robbery. The catch is that it's their mom (Rosemarry Harris) and dad's (Albert Finney) store. But that's good, because they know the schedule, they know where the alarms are, and the parents are covered in the insurance. But oh, how everything goes completely wrong.

There is much credit due to screenwriter Kelly Masterson, whose first movie this is. The non-linear storytelling of how each character's life goes a few days before, and a few days after the robbery is enough to make Quentin Tarantino jealous. And Lumet takes control of these scenes and gives them so much life that we almost feel like we're part of the Hanson family ourselves.

The family dynamic is played perfectly. In a scene where Andy asks Hank if he's "in" on the plan, he makes Hank raise his hands into plain view so there's no fingers-crossed, like when they were kids. Small things like these show us that even though Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman may not look alike at all, there is never any doubt of their kinship.

The great performance in this movie, though, is Albert Finney. There is a funny thing about this movie. The "law" seems to prove completely incapable of doing anything. Charles Hanson (Finney, the dad) finds this out and begins investigating the robbery himself. Andy and Hank do not know this, and their extreme paranoia drives them to a climax that is so epic it almost redefines the word.

The film also relies heavily on the music by Carter Burwell, who with his low chords and slow melodies sets a mood in every scene that feels like the movie would fail without it. A success regardless, the score just propels it the movie to greatness.

And there is the tip of the iceberg. Here Lumet proves that even in his old age he can still make movies much better than most, and because of that, this one should not be passed up.

Rating: 7/7

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Last night I was channel flipping, going down in numbers. I got to channel 12, which here is TBS, and it was the end of The Wizard of Oz. Great movie. A fine coincidence. I note the channel, and continue through the last few to see if anything better was on.

So I went down one more channel, which is TNT, and The Wizard of Oz was on that channel was well. At the same part (I think TBS' was about 40 seconds ahead). Freakin' weird.

What are the odds that on November 9th, a random Friday night, at the exact same time two cable channels which, as far as I know, don't have anything to do with each others programming, would be showing the same movie at the same time? And not a new movie, but a very old movie.

The odd thing though was that The Wizard of Oz was re-released on DVD maybe a year ago on a special edition, which I bought. I think it was newly restored or something. Anyway, TBS had a restored, more colorful version, where it looked like TNT had the original.

Man, I love that movie.

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So finally, after about a year, I have now seen every movie on AFI's list of the 100 greatest movies (view the completed checklist here). The reason I did this was to discover great movies I would never otherwise watch, and in that aspect this list was very helpful.

I sat here for a few minutes and thought, 'Why not rearrange these into a top 100 of MY picking?' I began doing so, and after about twenty movies I had to stop because there's so many fantastic movies on this list it's literally impossible to rank them against each other fairly. How do you compare 'Vertigo' to 'The Searchers?' They're two completely different movies. 'Singin' in the Rain' versus 'The Maltese Falcon.' Two very different genres, yet they're both probably the best of the best within those areas.

Which movie do you rank higher -- the innovative movie that set the bar for a whole movement, or the movie that perfected those elements a few years later? Each movie is unique and special by its own criteria.

For that reason, I will instead split the movies into three categories. The first category will be 'Perfect Movies.' These will be movies that should be on everyone's must-see list. They age like wine. Their importance to film cannot possibly be understated.

So, the Perfect Movies list (in alphabetical order):

12 Angry Men (1957)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
All About Eve (1950)
Annie Hall (1977)
The Apartment (1960)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Casablanca (1942)
Chinatown (1974)
Citizen Kane (1941)
City Lights (1931)
The Deer Hunter (1978)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
The General (1927)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Gone With the Wind (1939)
The Graduate (1967)
It Happened One Night (1934)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Jaws (1975)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
M*A*S*H (1970)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Network (1976)
On the Waterfront (1954)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Psycho (1960)
Raging Bull (1980)
Rear Window (1954)
Rocky (1976)
Schindler's List (1993)
The Searchers (1956)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Star Wars (1977)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Vertigo (1958)


Next, I guess would be 'Great Movies.' These are the movies that should also not be ignored. They probably rank around a 4.5/5 rating, and definitely not below a 4/5. There are two reasons a movie may fall here. The first is that while some of these movies are loved by a majority of movie historians/film critics, they just don't hit me like the best of them. I understand why some of these movies are great, and while I learned things from watching them, they just don't do it for me. The second reason may just be that the movie is very solid (i.e. 'King Kong'), but I mean it's still maybe only a 9/10. It doesn't have that little extra thing that separates goodness from greatness.

Here's the Great Movies list:

All the President's Men (1976)
The African Queen (1951)
Ben-Hur (1959)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Duck Soup (1933)
Easy Rider (1969)
E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
The French Connection (1971)
The Gold Rush (1925)
Goodfellas (1990)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
High Noon (1952)
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Intolerance (1916)
King Kong (1933)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Modern Times (1936)
Nashville (1975)
North by Northwest (1959)
Platoon (1986)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Shane (1953)
Sophie's Choice (1982)
The Sound of Music (1965)
Sunrise (1927)
Swing Time (1936)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Titanic (1997)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Tootsie (1982)
Toy Story (1995)
Unforgiven (1992)
West Side Story (1961)
The Wild Bunch (1969)

And last, I'll have the 'Other List.' This list will be movies that I either did not enjoy at all, I don't think were very culturally important (or, were done better in other ways in other movies), or I think should just be completely off the list. And if those three aren't enough, it may be that I am annoyed these movies are on the list, but great movies like 'Amadeus' and 'Fargo' were cut. So here's the Other List:

American Graffiti (1973)
Blade Runner (1982)
Cabaret (1972)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Forrest Gump (1994)
The Last Picture Show (1971)
A Night at the Opera (1935)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Spartacus (1960)
Sullivan's Travels (1941)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)


These lists are really hard, as I was saying. I know some people who would kill me for having 'High Noon' and 'Taxi Driver' and 'Lawrence of Arabia' not under perfection. But what's the point in making a list like this if I'm not completely honest? I can go around all day telling you why 'The Grapes of Wrath' was a great movie, but if I don't love it, why should I pretend to?

Yet on the other hand, I really enjoy watching 'All the President's Men' and 'Butch Cassidy' and 'Pulp Fiction,' but I would feel like I'm toying with my standards if I grouped them with 'Some Like It Hot.'

And it's hard to clump everything into three groups like this. Of course I love 'All About Eve' a lot more than '12 Angry Men,' and while 'Eve' is probably the better movie, they're both great and enjoyable. Hell, I liked 'Swing Time' more than 'The Searchers,' but I know 'Swing Time' isn't the better movie.

But with that said, I also can't help somewhat contradicting myself. If I had to pick only ten from this list to be a 'Top 10,' in alphabetical order, they would be...

All About Eve
Annie Hall
The Apartment
Casablanca
Citizen Kane
Dr. Strangelove
The Godfather
It's a Wonderful Life
Psycho
The Wizard of Oz

There. There it is. Be happy.

Honestly, I recommend everyone tries to see at least half the AFI list. You'll learn so much and be entertained. What can be better than that?

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Earlier I was at the bookstore on campus, and since I'd been drinking coffee I had to use the restroom. So I go to the hallway and pass the women's room, which has a sign on the door. It said something along the lines of "Please no merchandise beyond this point!" etc. etc.

Then I get to the men's room, which did not have any sign about merchandise or anything.

What does this mean? It shows that women are more likely to steal, and as such are not trusted to bring merchandise into a private area.

Don't try to argue this. It's scientific fact.

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So at Wal Mart they had Match Point on DVD, new, for $3.98. I didn't know anything was cheaper than the $5 bin. There were also a bunch of other DVDs, but I either had them already (Catch Me If You Can), didn't really need them (Mission: Impossible III), or were they were really bad (Yours, Mine, and Ours).

But then today at Blockbuster they had some 4-for-$20 on previously viewed DVDs. Why not, they work perfect? So I got Children of Men and Casino Royale while my friend got The Pursuit of Happyness and Hollywoodland. So all in all, a sweet DVD-buying splurge for me.

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I know I've been slacking. I'm a bit tired but here are a few mini-reviews because I want to.

Love Me If You Dare

A French movie that I recently watched off a recommendation. An interesting concept of kids obsessed with a game of dare, in which the other cannot refuse. They take turns, and the story begins with things such as cursing in class and peeing their pants as kids, but evolves into things such as saying 'No' at their wedding or avoiding each other for ten years.

Now, the two main characters love each other, we see this. They share an uncommon bond, this desire to live dangerously and have momentary power over each other completely. But the problem is that it stretches a little too far for believability, and not far enough to push surrealism. I can't imagine any real person wishing to put themselves through so much anguish, and while the movie was enjoyable, ultimately a bit of a letdown.

Rating: 4/7

2 Days in Paris

I love a good romantic comedy, even the most formulaic of them. But here we get a romantic comedy with a nice mix of quirky mannerisms and some vulgar humor. A great mix for me, personally.

Marion and Jack are in a long relationship, and after somewhat of a European tour, they decide to spend the last two days in Paris, where Marion grew up. They stay in a bedroom above Marion's parents, and throughout the story Jack meets a lot of Marion's friends, and ex-lovers. Naturally it irks him that she has so many old flames around this town, as it would most people.

Where the movie succeeds is in Marion (played by writer/director Julie Delpy), who while not being perfect, is perfectly lovable. At one point she has an emotional breakdown because she reads women use twice as much toilet paper as men since they wipe when they pee, and that means they kill more trees. Whereas Jack can't sleep so he stays up at nights watching 'M' on his laptop.

The movie ended a little too quick for me, but still has one great last line that I won't ruin by quoting.

Rating: 6/7

Eastern Promises

I love the end of the year because that's when all the 'artsy' movies come out. Eastern Promises is really the first of the season -- or at least that I've seen.

This is the story of the Russian mafia in London. The story of a nurse who finds a journal of a woman who died in childbirth. And how the child and journal bring her into contact with the Russians.

I'm not going to spoil because to reveal much more than I said above would ruin the threading of the movie, how it plays out so craftily that it seems like clockwork.

Again, a problem with this movie I have is the ending. There is an inconclusiveness that seemed a bit too open-ended for me. This movie could have been 150 hours instead of 100 minutes, but the team made a decision. Let's just say I would've liked 50 more minutes.

Either way though, still a great movie all around and this is one of my first recommendations of the season.

Rating: 6.5/7

The Game Plan

Okay, I saw this for free.

First, we've all seen this formula a thousand times and all know how it's going to end.

Secondly, 110 minutes? Seriously? Oh, and an agonizing 110 minutes it was. But I have to say, honestly, if the movie had been 90 minutes it could've been decent.

My last major gripe is that for an eight year-old the kid was way, way too smart. Even a gifted precocious kid couldn't have made some of those jokes.

I never thought I would say this, but... even Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock") couldn't save this movie. But he was easily the best part. I'm eagerly waiting for 'Southland Tales' where we can possibly see him outside of his stereotype. We'll see.

Rating: 2/7

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Since I haven't done a post in a while, here's something moderately big. I'll call it a '4th Quarter Preview,' though it will partially encompass the end of September. These are movies you should keep an eye on and why you should do so. This is partially geared toward Oscar-worthy movies, or generally 'artsy' movies. I love when the summer blockbuster season comes to an end.

September 14th

Eastern Promises - Trailer

A gangster flick with Viggo Mortenson and the beautiful Naomi Watts. Also, David Cronenberg has made some good movies, plus it's getting great early reviews.

In the Valley of Elah - Trailer

I have no real desire to see this one, but the last few years Paul Haggis has been a big name in the Oscar business (writer: Million Dollar Baby, Crash, Letters from Iwo Jima), so I can't ignore it. Also Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron. IMDb plot outline: "A career officer (Jones) and his wife (Sarandon) work with a police detective (Theron) to uncover the truth behind their son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq."

September 21st

Into the Wild - Trailer

Another one I'm not rushing to see, but Sean Penn directs and there was some great buzz from the film festivals.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Trailer

Maybe my favorite so far. Brad Pitt seems to be straying into some uncharted waters the last few years, taking serious roles in movies that look good. Could be good. As with almost all movies on this list, good early buzz.

Lust, Caution - Trailer

I posted about this before, but here it is. Ang Lee's next directorial effort, and it looks intense/seductive/coy enough to be worthwhile.

September 29th

The Darjeeling Limited

Owen/Luke Wilson. Wes Anderson. Can't go wrong. Though I haven't heard anything about this movie yet.

October 12th

Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Trailer

I really love Cate Blanchett, even if she's played Elizabeth in like 50 different movies. The other 'Elizabeth' movie was all right. This one looks a lot better.

November 2nd

American Gangster - Trailer

Also posted about this one before. I'm pretty excited and sad that it's so far away. Even though Russell Crowe is an enormous asshole, he's still a good actor. Denzel is always good. Plus Ridley Scott. Best line-up yet? I think so.

November 9th

No Country for Old Men - Trailer

The Coen brothers, even at their worst, still make good movies. I'm so excited for this one since it looks like Fargo goes out West. I want to give this a 10/10 without seeing it. Also great early reviews.

Lions for Lambs - Trailer

Robert Redford has done some decent directing before (obvious understatement), and this time we have Meryl Streep. Tom Cruise, well... maybe he's back in good form. Wait for reviews on this one.

November 16th

Beowulf - Trailer

Doubt it'll be too great, but the special effects should be pretty solid. I'm going to see it unless it bombs with early reviews.

I'm Not There - Trailer

Doubt I'll see this one, but obviously all Bob Dylan fans will. Plus I think it's hilarious/awesome that Cate Blanchett is one of the six actors portraying him.

Margot at the Wedding - Trailer

After some success on his own, Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) is out front again. This time he has Nicole Kidman, who can hopefully nullify the awfulness of Jack Black. We'll see.

Atonement - Trailer

Don't know how I feel about this one, but early reviews are all raves. James McAvoy praise, and Keira Knightly isn't bad either.

November 30th

Cassandra's Dream

New Woody Allen movie. Always worth seeing, cause even bad Woody Allen is still pretty good.

December 14th

Youth Without Youth

Coming out of what may have been a retirement, Francis Ford Coppola is making a new movie about a man who finds a way to restore his youth. I have no doubt that this will be at least somewhat of a hit, even if it's for the indie crowds. But I mean it's Coppola, so it can't be too indie.

December 21st

Sweeney Todd

I'm actually really excited for this one. Tim Burton doing a musical? That's live action? No way. Of course it has Johnny Depp and HBC, but whatever. Unless he butchers the original material I see good things.

December 25th

Charlie Wilson's War

Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Amy Adams, and Mike Nichols directing. I don't know too much about this one, but I'm sure it will be a flick to watch.

December 26th

There Will be Blood - Trailer

Oil and war seem to be the popular topics in today's film. Paul Thomas Anderson, of Magnolia and Boogie Nights fame, comes again with a new flick. The trailer didn't strike me too well (wow that pun was amazing), but we'll see.


I think I hit all the main movies for this Oscar season. I'll edit this later if I missed one, or let me know.

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