The MovieGoer

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Sunday, November 23, 2008 - 13:13:53

I've already given you the movies I'm most anxious to see this year (I'm not sure when we'll 90% of them here in Arkansas, however.) And while it's fun to talk about films, often overlooked are specific performances; the actors that do wonderful things in films that may or may not achieve what they set out to accomplish.  So here's what I'm looking forward to:

Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Synedoche, New York"
Merly Streep in "Doubt"
Viola Davis, Brad Pitt, Taraji P. Henson and Cate Blanchett in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Kristin Scott Thomas in "I've Loved You So Long"
James Franco in "Milk"
Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road"
Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon"
Kate Winslet in "The Reader"
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler"
Benicio Del Toro in "Che"
Michelle Williams in "Wendy and Lucy"
Dev Patel in "Slumdog Millionaire"
Will Smith in "Seven Pounds"
Vera Farmiga in "Nothing But the Truth"

Posted by BSR at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

One the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, Oscar bloggers have stepped into the Best Picture arena. If you're an Oscar enthusiast which movies should you make a point to see?  Sasha Stone at Awards Daily has this list:

Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Revolutionary Road
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Frost/Nixon
Doubt
Rachel Getting Married
Gran Torino
The Wrestler

Of these, I've seen "The Dark Knight" and "Rachel Getting Married."  In reverse: "Rachel Getting Married" was a moving and deeply difficult film to watch.  It was over-long, which was its only fault.  Anne Hathaway, Rosmarie Dewitt and Debra Winger give outstanding performances.  Jonathan Demme, of "The Silence of the Lambs" fame, made a very fine film.  But I cannot imagine it as a Best Picture contender. If it belongs on this list, so does "The Visitor."

As for "The Dark Knight," it's one of the best films of the year.  I can already tell you that it will be very high on my annual top 10, and when I saw it I thought it had it all.  Initially it was regarded for Heath Ledger's performance, but if you see the film again (and you'll probably have a chance in January) you'll notice how complete Chris Nolan's Batman-pic is.  If it's fair to compare it to "The Departed," the Best Picture winner a few years back, "The Dark Knight" is better in every respect.  Which is to say that I am pulling for it.  But because it's a comic book film, the strange Academy may ignore it for the big prize (although you can book Mr. Ledger's win.)

Guy Lodge over at InContention.com has this response.

Posted by BSR at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Monday, November 17, 2008 - 14:18:22

The things we find on the Internet.  I'm pulling for this one.

Posted by BSR at 02:18 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Is the Mickey Rourke comeback story for real?  Anne Thompson of Variety has something to say about it.  His latest film, "The Wrestler," has audiences buzzing. 

Posted by BSR at 02:16 PM | Permalink | Comments [1]

Posted by BSR at 02:15 PM | Permalink | Comments [1]

We'll get to see if all of the literary hype surrounding "Twilight" brings people into theaters this weekend.  The animated film "Bolt" is here along with "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas."  I'm told Vera Farmiga is great in it. 

Posted by BSR at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Friday, November 14, 2008 - 13:04:46

Is it me, or does it feel like this film year is moving along at a snail's pace.  I've done a quick review of the film's I'm most interested in seeing and hardly any of them have made it to theaters.  That's going to make for a very busy December.  Here was my original list:

1. Milk
2. The Road 
3. Che
4. Slumdog Millionaire
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6. Synedoche, New York
7. The Soloist
8. The Wrestler
9. Frost/Nixon
10. Australia / Revolutionary Road

The second fifteen:

11.  Changeling
12.  Happy-Go-Lucky
13.  Elegy
14.  Doubt
15.  Gomorrah
16.  Appaloosa
17.  Blindness
18.  Rachel Getting Married
19.  Body of Lies
20.  W
21.  Quantum of Solace
22.  Nothing But the Truth
23.  Gran Torino
24.  The Reader
25.  Defiance

I had a chance to see "Appaloosa" and "Blindness," but missed out.  My bad.  I'll catch "Quantum of Solace" tonight.  Still . . .

Posted by BSR at 01:04 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]