Redacted

Redacted is a film by Brian DePalma that uses an incident where soldier committed a rape as its point of departure. What was interesting about the film, even though it was scripted and acted, was that it presented points of view of different mediated media. the soldiers own videos, surveillance footage, documentary footage as well as web testimonials. Moral consciousness and motivations about what is right and what is wrong, even in times of war, was at the heart of the film.

I'm Not There

A lover of Todd Haynes films, I was not as taken by I'm Not There as I thought I would be. The idea of representing Dylan as different individuals worked for me and I was engaged in most of the stories. I guess it just dint come together. The filing especially the black and white was beautiful.

What Would Jesus Buy

What Would Jesus Buy is a film about Reverend Billy aka Billy Talen. The films follows him and his choir on a roadtrip they took across the United States preaching the idea of less consumerism. The documentary tells a story, but not one that gives enough insight into the character that reverend Billy is. I wanted to learn more about his politics, his antics and his motivation as well as more about the make up of his interesting choir.

Margot at the Wedding

Margot at the Wedding is a films with great actors who act out, but do not do much else. It is about disfunctional relationships and coming back together to try to bridge the past with the present.

The Savages

The Savages is an honest look at a disfunctional family and what happens when someone grows old and is alone. The estranged brother and sister must visit their father who they have not seen in years and put him in a nursing home. They three dont get along and each has their own issues. Its a tough film to watch yet the acting is good and it resonates long after.

Starting Out in the Evening

Starting Out in the Evening is a film about an aging writer who has not published in years and a young Grad Student who wants to write a thesis about his work. Their relationship is complex and the both use each other. There is a daughter who has her own issues and a past that does not want to be talked about. Its a beautiful portrait of some aspects of NYC but not the movie I thought it would be.

American Gangster

American Gangster starring Russell Crow and Denzel Washington is a fast moving story about those on both sides of the law.

No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men is a violent film. A slow moving western of sorts about revenge and power.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a period drama starring Cate Blanchett at the Queen. Its the first film I saw in a while about a woman's rather than a man's struggle.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Julian Schnabel has directed a few films and each one is a masterful work of art. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is an unsettling movie as much of it is told from the poit of view of a man who is "locked in" someone who has 100% comprehension and zero movement. Based on a true story about the former editor for French Elle Magazine, this films depicts an ambitious man's struggle with not being able to be who he is and his doscovery of something else within himself. Its a beautifully shot and very powerful film.

We Own The Night

We Own The Night is a police drama about a family caught on both sides of the law.

Reservation Road

Reservation Road is also a film about moral questions, what is right and what is wrong and how one lives with the decisions one makes.

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead a film by Sydney Lumet about a robbery gone wrong and how it affects all involved. It keeps with the theme of movies dealing with moral questions.

Gone Baby Gone

Gone Baby Gone begins as a detective/cop movie about the search for a missing 4 year old girl. The single parent is not a very attentive mother and those who attempt to locate the child seem to be more caring and concerned than the girl's birth parent. The acting and the portrayals of the characters hold one's interest. The film stars Ed Harris, Casey Affleck and Morgan Freeman. And at the end we are left with a moral dilemma. That there is something to talk about at the films ends say a lot as most films I see I tend to forget as soon as the lights go on.

Klimt

Klimt a film by Raul Ruiz is surreal fantasy that does not make a whole lot of sense. People like Egon Schiele as well as people who are figments of Klimt's imagination drift through the film. John Malkovich plays the artist. He flits through the film sometimes painting, sometimes drinking. The chronology never really comes together nor Klimt's motivations in painting nor in life.

Rendition

Rendition had great cast and from that it seemed like a movie worth seeing. A political thriller about torture and terrorism, I guess that theme is old hat. It could have been better. It held my interest but I was expecting more.

Lars and the Real Girl

Lars and the Real Girl is a film about a man who buys an inflatable woman. Its the story of his relationship with her and how those around him treat him, and her and why. Although the premise is convoluted it is much better than I would have imagined.

Control

Control is a film about the band Joy Division and its lead singer. It is beautifully shot in black and white. It tells the story of his struggles and eventual suicide in 1980 at the age of 23.

Michael Clayton

Michael Clayton was good. George Clooney can hold his own. Tom Wilkinson is fantastic. They story, as always is about suits and their cover-ups, but enjoyable none the less.

Feast of Love

I cant say Feast of Love was the best movie i ever saw. It filled in time, but the ideas about a belief in god turned me off. It was about relationships that last and relationships that fail, and fate and destiny.