I also saw The Last King of Scotland this weekend.
Also exhaustingly intense.
I'm now in the mood for something in a "My Pretty Pony" movie, but alas, 'tis Fall...the season of deep.
Last King was amazing. I was swept along by the direction, which could be the good news and the bad news being the same...as I noticed the direction.
But, wow, it was whoa.
I had no doubt that Forest Whitaker would play the hell out of Amin and was not disappointed. But, to be perfectly frank, hangs head in shame I went to see this movie, for James McAvoy. Since Children of Dune he's been my sooper sekrit sellebrity boyfriend. He did a fantastic job.
Nothing about the horror in the film suprised me. It was so well crafted, I was literally on the edge of my seat most of the time, even when I knew what was about to happen.
The one thing that DID surprise me came during the epilogue. I had no idea that
Amin lived so long in exhile
. Given everything that he had done, how is it that
nothing unfortunate happened to him
? And, who
paid for his exhile
? I can't imagine that he
got a job in at the car wash to pay his expenses for 20+ years
!
I was curious, too. Seems the Saudis kept him on a stipend to keep him quiet because he was "hurting Islam." Hmmm. [link]
Huh. I guess it worked, considering the dimness of my memory of any mention of him during that period, but still. There is conveniently quiet and then there is paid his debt quiet.
Not a movie, so forgive the momentary lapse, but Beej, MacAvoy was also wonderful in Shakespeare Retold's Macbeth on BBCA recently.
I'm sooo tracking THAT down, Beverly! I introduced Fela to Children of Dune over the last two nights and he was just as taken with McAvoy as I am. Such presence. (a bit too with the scrawn for my tastes, but oh, those eyes and that delivery...)
Saw The Prestige last night...I wanted it to be better than it was. I think Nolan was just so much in love with the cleverness of the structure that he lost track of the movie within it.
Oh nooooo. I skipped The Illlusionist in favor of patiently waiting for the Prestige. I just assumed it would be a better movie.
But... Bowie! As Tesla! Sigh.
I wanted it to be better than it was.
How good did you want it to be? Okay, what I actually mean is: is it reasonably entertaining but not amazing, or is it too busy being clever to even be entertaining?
Beej, Edward Norton. The man doesn't make that many movies these days. (Who knows? You might enjoy both movies anyway.)
