Movie Commentaries

Hello all.

My sincerest apologies for not keeping up with my commentaries as diligently as I want to, but these past few months have been quite powerful. I've just not taken the time to write about the films as much as I've been watching them. As you can see from my Recent Movies of Note column, I've not been slacking in watching films. Here is a brief catch-up blog so at least you'll have a little idea of what I think of these films.

• Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - Please see this blog entry posted earlier today. Yes, it was that good.
• Rear Window - I see why this is a classic. Hitchcock was/is a master. Script, production design, cinematography, pacing, soundtrack - everything is top-notch. If you want to see a master at work, see this film.
• Ocean's Eleven - My current obsession. Stephen Soderberg made more than a box-office hit. This film will no doubt stand the test of time as being a classic Hollywood film. It is wall-to-wall entertainment, from the first frame to the last. If you enjoy heist movies, this film is for you. If you like romance, this film is for you. If you like comedies, this film is for you. If you like summer blockbusters, this film is for you. If you like suspense, this film is for you, too. Perhaps this is the best way to describe my feelings about this film: I've watched it nearly every night for the past few weeks & I can't wait to watch it again. (For those of you who know, consider this my new Midnight Run.)
• Ocean's Twelve - Stunningly good for a sequel. A must-see if you enjoyed Ocean's Eleven.
• The Big Lebowski - The Dude. I'm not a big Cohn Brothers fan, but I did enjoy it. A lot of tongue-in-cheek stuff, and I was particularly thrilled by their attempt at satirizing Tarantino. I don't know if anyone else caught that, but it's there. I'm happy to cite my examples to prove my case.
• Dead Man Walking - Thank God again for DVDs and NetFlix. The first time I watched this film, I fell asleep & it was lost on me. Seeing it again as research for marketing Love Lived on Death Row, it is one of my favorites that I've seen this year. Tim Robbins' direction of a difficult subject ably tells the humanity of the story, rather than the gratuitous details or heavy-hitting political agenda. Susan Sarandon steps up to the plate and hits it out of the park. It is probably my favorite of her performances. And, Sean Penn is perfection. That man's performances will never cease to amaze me. Bottom line: if you don't mind the subject matter (death row inmate fighting for his life, a Catholic nun befriending him in his last days), I strongly recommend it.
• Pride and Prejudice (2005) - I enjoyed this film much more than I would've expected. I'm not a big Jane Austen fan, even though I enjoyed Ang Lee's/Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensability. The subject matter - getting a man - isn't one of my favorites so I can't say I would've seen this film if it weren't for a friend of mine insisting I see it. While he still loves it more than I ever will, I did appreciate the performances, the script, and the production value. My favorite moment of the film was seeing Keira Knightly match the talents of Dame Judi Dench and Donald Sutherland. If you like historical epics, this is an excellent production.

Until next year...