Just came back from seeing Inside Man, which may have been the most fun I had at the movies this year. I don't think the plot holds up, but I didn't really care, because it was such a pleasure watching these awesome actors uttering sharp, witty lines and obviously having a ball. Denzel Washington's been in so many deadly earnest movies in the last decade, I'd forgotten how charming and charismatic he could be when he's at ease. Clive Owen and Jodie Foster are fabulous as well.

I think my favourite thing about the film was the local colours. Yeah, there are a bank heist and smart crooks and determined cops and secrets to keep, etc., but the city of New York--no, the people of New York all together are sort of like the fourth lead. The movie doesn't sentimentalize or white-wash the less savoury aspects of the city and its people, but it regards them in such vibrant afffection, it makes me kind of want to move there. Another great thing about it is that this is not one of those formulaic knuckle-biting crime capers with predictable tension. For a genre flick, and I suppose, a thriller, it's terribly relaxed. The story digresses delightfully lopsidedly at times--there is a great bit about a woman trading a certain service (I won't say what) for parking tickets--, which keeps the flick off-kilter in the best possible ways.

Really, the only complaint I have is that they had Clive Owen on the screen and had him cover his face up for most of the film.

I, on the other hand, just got back from seeing V for Vendetta. So much discussion of the movie focuses on its politics, so I'd just like to say that it's pretty fantastically directed. Lots of great visual/aural moments.

Interesting, Vonnie. Because that trailer is for the most BTDT movie ever. Glad it was wrong.

I'm glad that Inside Man is good, because I wanted to see it ever since the commercial showed Jodie Foster having fun and not trying to save her daughter while running around a house/ plane.

The Movie Timeline: "the history of everything, taken from one simple premise - that everything you see in the movies is true".

That's a great idea! My buddy Scott and I were just talking about writing a book with the same premise the other night.

The Movie Timeline: "the history of everything, taken from one simple premise - that everything you see in the movies is true".

Too bad "Alien Vs. Predator" makes it so irritatingly repetitive.

Well, only the first million years.

Even after that, it's not spot-checked that well, but there are some good bits.

Okay, someone on Whedonesque linked The Unified Field Crossover History of the Universe, which is much better done. It's basically a conglomerate of all sorts of sci-fi/fantasty lore, and, yes, that includes the Buffyverse.

I saw Inside Man and Thank You For Smoking this weekend. Like the always smart and insightful Vonnie, I really liked Inside Man. It's a great evening at the movies--entertaining AND smart.

Thank You underwhelmed me. It was not nearly as funny or incisive as I hoped, although it had some good moments. JK Simmons was excellent AS ALWAYS.