kicking and screaming

NOT to be confused with will ferrell's soccer comedy of the same name, kicking and screaming is about a group of 20-somethings trying to figure out life after college. noah baumbach's (the squid and the whale) first film is (overly) clever and has some nice moments but it didn't capture my attention for some reason. the characters are witty, but in a sort of annoying witty way. which is, i guess, part of the point. the structure of the story isn't engaging either.

the only reason i know about this movie is because espn's bill simmons said that it captured the zeitgeist better than singles or reality bites. so i had to see it for a comparison point. it's no reality bites, put it that way.

clue

a true classic. while some may be turned off by its somewhat slapsticky humor (of a kind i usually hate), the movie goes through everything so quickly that there's hardly time to dwell on the "bad" scenes. to think that they made a successful movie out of a popular board game, how great is that? just a fun movie all around.

i guess, maybe, if you don't know or enjoy clue, the movie could be a bust since it seems a bit "pointless." but if you don't know or enjoy clue, we probably shouldn't be friends anyway.

the black dahlia

the black dahlia has been getting reamed in reviews, and rightly so. it's nowhere near as good as la confidential and the quick resolution scenes are incredibly confusing. i had to see this movie because i've always been intrigued by the actual black dahlia case (and like james ellroy) but it's really not very well done at all. hollywoodland might have been a better choice. as for me, i'll just read the book of this movie and satisfy my curiousity that way.

scarlett johannson's career is not ever going to achieve the heights of "lost in translation" again is it? her work in most of her recent movies is just terrible. i can't figure out if she's a bad actress, or if she's just taking bad roles that don't suit her. at least she still looks good right?

the last kiss

if zach braff were any less interesting as a lead actor he'd be...i dunno, there's no comparison really. he's just so limp. this about sums it up. i did find "the last kiss" to be more enjoyable than garden state because, for the most part, it captured my attention throughout. of course, it captured it because it made me deathly afraid of marriage and committment but hey, a good horror story is still a good horror story. if only i could re-enact my face for you while i watched this movie. sheer abject horror.

and yes, the main problem i have with zach braff movies is how these bubbly brunettes just throw themselves at him. inconceivable in every way.

amelie

what's the world for a mischievious, but kindly, sprite? apparently it's "amelie." i've seen this movie before and absolutely loved it. upon watching it again, i loved it some more. just a beautiful piece of work. audrey tatou (pre-da vinci code) is amazing. the direction and style of the movie is amazing. the story is cute without being cloying. how is it possible to watch normal romantic drivel after watching something as cool and as well done as this?

pride & prejudice (bbc)

i've already expressed how much i enjoyed the keira knightley version of this movie. now i had to see the full 5-hour epic. the first shocking thing is how "common" all the actresses look. the great beauty is jane; who, as you can see here, is not exactly breath taking. that aside, the spunky elisabeth grows on you and this version of mr darcy (played by the inimitable colin firth, the object of many an english woman's lust) is perfect.

the hollywood version glossed over some of the finer plot details and this version fleshes out some of the dialogue and missing plot points. i couldn't turn the movie off and watched the entire thing all at once.

malcolm x

the physical resemblance of denzel to malcolm is pretty remarkable isn't it? many people call this the movie that spike lee was born to make and it's hard to disagree. for most of the movie, spike stays right on task informing and entertaining the audience. the movie definitely makes you think, if nothing else; which is good right?

the documentary included along with the movie was very interesting as a post-movie snack. it showcases the real malcolm x and many of his speeches from the movie; which were apparently taken verbatim. both spike's movie and this documentary were based on "the autobiography of malcolm x."