Movie Review: Rachel Getting Married

Last night, when I should have been cleaning my apartment or packing for my NYC weekend, I watched Rachel Getting Married. And although it made for a late Thursday night (post 10:30!), I’m glad that I did. The story of a 20-something’s homecoming trip, it’s one of the more captivating and authentic movies that I have seen in a while. So authentic that it’s actually pretty hard to watch at some points. But the unexpected moments of happiness, coupled with an investment that you make in the characters pretty early on in the movie, make you keep going.

I read somewhere that director Jonathan Demme wanted to get all of his favorite people (who didn’t know each other at all) together for this movie. His careful, wise choice of actors comes across on screen. It seems like almost every scene has more than 2 people acting at the same time, but the movie manages to avoid the typical choreography that you see with other movies (e.g. The Family Stone) that feature large groups of people. Somehow, the actors successfully pull off the awkward, angry, emotional, tense, fun moments that we have all faced as we revisit home.

I believe the tagline was “This isn’t your family. But this is your family.” That just sums it up beautifully. Award: Golden Globe

::also, kudos for featuring the lead singer of TV on the Radio, America’s best underground band (according to Howard Wolfson)::

Balloons over Paris

For years (about 15 of them, in fact), I was convinced that I had invented two movies that I could have sworn I’d seen as a child. I vaguely remembered certain scenes, but they were weird and didn't seem to fit in with the Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers shows that I endlessly watched. Were they actually dreams that I had? Did I make up the movies entirely? One, which I thought I’d seen in elementary school, involved a French boy chasing a red balloon around a city; the other was a movie in which Fred Savage travelled around the country to play in a Nintendo tournament. I am, of course, talking about The Red Balloon and The Wizard…two movies that actually do exist. And while I don’t think I will be revisiting The Wizard anytime soon, I did re-watch The Red Balloon this weekend. I can honestly say that I loved every second. It’s simple and almost entirely silent, but it is captivating, cute and inspiring. If you have thirty minutes, you can watch a version (albeit in low resolution) here. Award: Oscar.

Fifty People, One Question

From a production company called Crush and Lovely comes “Fifty People, One Question.” These short films are brilliant in their simplicity. The mission is to ask 50 “regular” people, who are randomly walking down the street, the same question. The key is that the films are done with great elements of style: touching music, an overwhelming sense of genuineness, and a good cross section of interviewees. Take five and a half minutes and check it out.

Before Sunrise/Sunset

If you are looking to get your groove back, may I suggest that you curl up on your warm couch this weekend and watch Before Sunrise and Before Sunset . These movies (the first made in 1995 and the sequel made in 2004) are jam packed with romance, and not just the flowery, sunshine/puppies variety. This is the romance of falling in love with a stranger, but only having 12 hours to spend with him/her. The romance of European trains. The romance of good conversation. The romance of exploring an unknown city with an unknown person. They are simple movies, but they resonate with those of us who like our love stories a little more on the intellectual side. Ethan Hawke looks pretty good, too.
Awards: Oscar

Bad egg, good egg

Synecdoche, New York: I adore Charlie Kaufman’s quirkiness and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s overall awesomeness, so it make sense I would like this movie. Wrong. I totally get the whole “play within a play” thing, but this “plot” was so dark and confusing that it was actually painful to watch. I hate to say this, but this movie had me thinking that Kaufman should stick to just writing and leave the directing up to someone else. Award: MTV Movie Award.

Barefoot in the Park: Sometimes, you just have to go back and watch one of your favorites. Such was the case on Saturday when I revisited Barefoot in the Park. The story is of two newlyweds (played perfectly by Robert Redford and Jane Fonda) in Manhattan and I really cannot say enough good things about this movie. It’s witty, romantic, charming, neurotic and stylish; just look at the poster to the right. What other reason do you need to see it? Award: Oscar

Movie Review: The Visitor

I think that The Visitor is the best movie that I have seen so far in 2008. It’s quiet, thought-provoking and has moments that gives you real, intense feelings for the characters. AND it is directed by a guy who was on The Wire. This Times article does a better job at summing it up than I could. Check out the video in the Times article too. Award: Oscar

More Movies!

JFK: In anticipation for Oliver Stone’s W (due out Oct 17th), I decided to Netflix JFK. If you are interested in seeing it but don’t think you can sit through three and half hours of Oliver Stone in all of his glory, the best way to approach the movie is as a mini-series. Divided between two or three sittings, the intensity, paranoia, and over-the-topness of JFK becomes tolerable. While based primarily on Jim Garrison’s book, I kept trying to wrap my head around how the filmmakers sifted through so many government reports, hours of film footage, books and interviews to incorporate archival material into the movie AND were able to recreate locations in Dallas, New Orleans and Washington down to the last detail. JFK is the type of movie that you can tell took a lot of effort to make; it’s best just to appreciate it for that. Award: Golden Globe.

Sense and Sensibility: There are about a million versions of Sense and Sensibility out there, but this one is probably the most accessible. Emma Thompson (who also wrote the screenplay for this version), Kate Winslet and, of course, Hugh Grant look and act their best in Victorian costumes with rolling English countryside backdrops. But for some reason, whenever I watch any Jane Austen movies, I inevitably want to sit down and just watch the ridiculously long BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Regardless, I can’t believe the scope of director Ang Lee’s films—society of Jane Austen, gay cowboys in Brokeback Mountain and whatever the hell Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was about. And he seems to do a good job with them all. When the mood for a Jane Austen movie hits you, this will do a good job satisfying your craving. Award: Golden Globe.

A Very Long Engagement: As a general rule of thumb, I don't do war movies. So it is a good thing that I didn't know that A Very Long Engagement is a war movie because I probably wouldn't have given it the attention that it deserves. While WWI plays a central role in the film, the real story is about a girl trying to reconnect with the love of her life (a French soldier). Because the movie was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and stars Audrey Tautou, there are the inevitable Amelie comparisons. And while it does have the stylized camera work and special effects that gives it the fanciful vibe of Amelie, I think it can stand on its own as a gut-wrenching love story to be enjoyed by those who like a little bit of epic in their movies. Award: Golden Globe.

Weekend of Rockumentaries

I am Trying to Break Your Heart: a black and white film that documents the drama of making of Wilco’s landmark album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Band members get fired, pretention abounds, record labels make stupid decisions, cigarettes are smoked and suddenly you have an even greater appreciation for an album that you already thought was pretty decent. The highlight is watching Jeff Tweedy and his son play imaginary drums on the Wilco tour bus. Award: Golden Globe

The Devil and Daniel Johnston: the story of one of the craziest and most interesting figures in modern music. Daniel Johnston rose to fame by playing eccentric songs in Austin; his tape “Hi, How are You” is a self-recording of quirky songs that still resonates with a cult following. The film is not just a fascinating story but it is really a tribute to Johnston’s parents, who have supported their son through various mental institutions, artistic ventures both successful and not, and bouts of mania and depression. Johnston is an artist in the truest sense of the word and you get sense that he really can’t function in any other capacity (even if it means living in his parents basement well into middle-age). And you gotta respect that. Award: Oscar.

Rundown of Recent Movies

Tell No One: A French thriller about a guy trying to figure out who killed his wife eight years ago. Totally captivating, with well developed characters that you actually care about and a good plot with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Award: Oscar.



Vicky Cristina Barcelona: A story of two girls who live abroad in Spain for a summer. Everything that I like in Woody Allen movies without most of the stuff that I hate about Woody Allen movies. Warm, fun and total escapism--and how cute is Javier Bardem?! Award: Golden Globe.



The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Based on the story of a Elle editor who wakes from an accident to find that his entire body is paralyzed. Beautifully shot in French and one of those movies that makes you ask yourself: “Who/What do I really need/want/love in life?” Award: Oscar.


Man on Wire: Documentary about Philippe Petit, a French guy who walked on a tightrope between the World Trade Center Towers in the 1970s. Fascinating story that is artfully told, but somehow I was disappointed. Award: People’s Choice.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Robert Redford AND Paul Newman? Of course it’s good. Very fun and perfect for a Saturday afternoon. Award: Golden Globe.

Our Life is Not a Movie, or Maybe

Cinema Paradiso

I see quite a few movies. Sometimes I go with my friends, sometimes I take dyslexic boys to subtitled foreign films, sometimes I curl up on my couch with pretzels and Nutella and lately I have gotten really into going to the independent E St. Theatre by myself. At the risk of sounding like a pretentious asshole, I am going to try to write short reviews using the following rating system:

Oscar: This is the type of movie that you definitely want to see again. When you walk around the city in the days following your trip to the theatre, moments/things/people remind you of this movie. You find yourself telling your friends “Dude, you have to see this movie. It’s soooooooooo good. Seriously, check it out.” Examples: Amelie, The Graduate, Cool Hand Luke.

Golden Globe: A Golden Globe Award winning movie is a solid movie that you had a good time watching. Maybe something is a little off—the plot doesn’t hold your attention the whole time or Scarlett Johansson is the main actress or you can tell there is a lack of direction—but you remember it well and you watch it again when you stumble across it on TV. Examples: Notting Hill, Ocean’s Eleven, Shopgirl

People’s Choice: This is a movie that you wish you had rented instead of paying money to see it in the theatre. And if you did rent it, it’s the kind of movie that fell asleep while it was supposedly at the climax. It’s an okay movie—the past 2 hours of your life weren’t a complete waste—but it’s pretty forgettable. Examples: Garden State, Sex and the City, Once

MTV Movie Awards: When you come out of the theatre from an MTV Movie Award winning movie, you are more focused on what was wrong with the movie instead of what you enjoyed. You tell your friends they should avoid it and hope that it isn’t on the “Top Ten” list of the boy you just started dating. Examples: The Savages, Stop Loss, anything with Cameron Diaz.

Every once in a while a movie may exceed the system (Dr. Zhivago) or fall below the system (Transformers), but we’ll keep it simple for now.

The Dude Abides

After rediscovering The Big Lebowski’s brilliance last night (compliments of the oh-so-tasteful Adam Goldstein), I came across this Slate piece from a couple of weeks ago. Even if you don’t care whether or not Walter is a neo-con, the article is worth checking out solely for the video clips.

"Say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude. At least it's an ethos."