Weird sidebar, but oddly enough we also rented Renoir's The Rules of the Game this week and Bob Bob had a hard time with it because he thought the characters were reprehensible.

Really? That's one of my all-time favorite movies, and I think the exact opposite of the characters. They do act reprehensibly sometimes, but they are fundamentally forgiveable and human.

I liked them too. And I think Bob's work on evil makes him oversensitive to everyday evil. But I see where he's coming from-- casual infedelity (accompanied with social acceptance of hiding it from the wife), the hunting scene, the murder, chasing someone around a party with a gun that no one seems to mind, and the General, who at one point laughingly recounts a story where someone dies of a gunshot wound and later dismisses the murder of Jarieu-- all of those things made him hate these people. Not only that, I am sure Renoir wants us to judge those characters for their casualness about the consequences of their lifestyle, even though they are portrayed charmingly.

I was bored to tears by The Prestige. i've had The Illusionist to watch for a while, but haven't gotten around to it. i suspect i'll like it more because of my affection for Edward Norton.

Am now convinced that all magicians are absolutely amoral jackholes and need to be shot.

Heh. A friend of mine was cuckolded by one of the big names in the biz (Lance Burton, I think), so I can't really argue against that interpretation.

Not only that, I am sure Renoir wants us to judge those characters for their casualness about the consequences of their lifestyle, even though they are portrayed charmingly.

I'm split on how Renoir feels about them. There's so much wrong with their lives (and you've nailed exactly how Renoir shows it, especially the hunting scene), but I think the warmth with which he exposes their inner lives means that he isn't sure himself whether to judge them for playing the games of their social class. That ambiguity is one of the best things about the movie. I think Rules shares a certain affinity to Altman's best movies: where Altman thinks of people as petty and self-destructive, but loves them anyway, Renoir is more inclined to love people, but think of some of them as petty and self-destructive, anyway.

: crushing on Corwood and his big brain :

Color me blushing!

Wow--the Flick Filosopher really hated Knocked Up! She wasn't a fan of 40 Year Old Virgin either, but this one she found truly offensive.

I was already embarrassingly eager to see Knocked Up just because of the cast, but the Sturges comparison and Corwood's big literate love seal the deal.

Also, Seth Rogen was on our local radio morning show this morning. Highlights:

Host: So, this is kind of a surprising role for you, being the romantic lead --

Seth (mock huffy): I take offense at that! I mean, yeah. I mean, how do you mean?

Host: You don't look like a romantic lead. You look like the friend, the buddy, the stoner.

Seth: Well, I've noticed that in real life most people are the friend, the buddy, the stoner.

Host: This feels like a new direction Hollywood is going in, though.

Seth: Oh, I think weird Jewish guy gets hot blonde chick is a well-established Hollywood genre. I just happen to be the next guy in line.

eta: Wow, Kathy! Most unfortuitous cross-post ever! I usually like the FF, but I think I'm going to look forward to this anyway, just a little.

Wow--the Flick Filosopher really hated Knocked Up! She wasn't a fan of 40 Year Old Virgin either, but this one she found truly offensive.

Heh. I'm tempted to see it now, just to see if it would ping me that way, because the ads ping me that way, even though I have a love/hate relationship with the accidental baby trope.