brick (2005)

take all the conventions of a traditional film noir detective story but set it in a modern day (dingy) high school. clever right? it might be overly clever. the styling of this film is excellent, the acting isn't too bad, and everyone takes their roles -- and the stylized dialogue -- very seriously. you still kind of wish more happened though. it's an interesting idea but not exactly a great movie.

children of men

i'd seen this movie touted as one of the best films of the year so i was psyched. originally, the preview didn't capture me but i was willing to take a chance on some gritty sci-fi. instead, what i got was an intriguing set-up of a premise that moved along at a good clip, but then about halfway through, i realized that this wasn't going anywhere. the ending scenes are completely laughable and there's no real lesson (or warning) to be learned here. waste of time.

the good shepard

matt damon seems too young to be playing a father; especially a middle-aged one. robert de niro did a good job directing, but some of the movie was a bit confusing and most of it was just okay. it's topically about the beginnings of the c.i.a. but devolves into how being an agent can ruin your personal life. no duh.

i'm not sure if this "human element in movies" is worth it anymore. for movies like this, i'd rather spend time with how the c.i.a. was actually formed, get some interesting stories, and learn some lurid details; instead they always insert some crappy story about an unloved wife (honestly, who would ignore angelina jolie for 30+ years) and a creepy kid.

one of the actresses in the film, tammy blanchard, looks JUST like judy garland. blanchard played the young garland in a 2001 tv movie. the resemblance is astonishing.

i.m. pei

this is how architecture docs should be done; heavy on the insight, heavy on the architecture, light on the personal fawning motivation. the gehry movie may be more widely known but i enjoyed pei's fascinating explanations far more.

this dvd is actually two documentaries, "first person singular" and "the museum on the mountain."