Movie reviews! Featuring Fright Night (original), Choke, Wicker Park, The Sweet Hereafter, Bullets over Broadway, When Harry Met Sally..., The Adjustment Bureau, [REC] 2, Insidious, Hamlet 2, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Limitless, Sleepy Hollow, and Chinatown.

M, Blue Angel, All Quiet on the Western Front are all brilliant. Western Front gets a little talky at times, but some great scenes there (and not just the last one).

Saw an interesting oldie over the holiday weekend -- The Murder Man. One of the two principals in a possibly crooked investment firm is murdered. A newspaper reporter known as "The Murder Man" for his brilliant coverage of crimes (played by a young Spencer Tracy) unravels the mystery. Then the plot twists start, and it'd be really unfair to say anything more.

The story carries this one, and it zips along in not much more than an hour. And, yes, that is James Stewart playing the ironically named Shorty.

Also an interesting if flawed Hitchcock -- I Confess. A man confesses a murder to a priest (played by Montgomery Clift). The police officer investigating the murder (Karl Malden) begins to suspect the priest for reasons relating to a pre-ordination love (Anne Baxter), who's now married to a prominent politician. And the priest, of course, can't tell what he learned in confession.

It could be a very good movie because of the priest's dilemma. But the movie emphasizes the woman's position and barely does anything with the priest's situation. Clift may be the greatest combination of physical appeal and acting skill ever -- but he isn't allowed to do anything with what could have been a great movie dilemma.

And anyone who isn't familiar with the Catholic confession (and to be fair, my upbringing was thoroughly Protestant, and I was familiar enough) is going to scream, "Just tell the police already!" without knowing the full story.

I still think you should be able to talk.

Contagion
Sept 9

So we saw Contagion tonight. It wasn't what I expected at all. I think I liked it but I'm unsure. I guess my main take-away is that my ex-boss is going to be so sad that all the scenes they shot in the Atlanta office got cut, the company was nowhere to be seen in the movie (oh and I probably shouldn't be happy about that, but I sorta am.) Man, they gave Jude Law some bad teeth too. It was sort of distracting.

Dawn,

I kind of share your reaction. I am not sure what I was expecting, but I wasn't really expecting that kind of film. I found the movie entertaining, but it isn't GREAT. Upon reflection, it probably isn't that far from a good tv movie.

I was disappointed that they didn't convey more science. For example, if this was a flu-like virus, the weather warming up would likely reduce its communicability, so the main crisis period would be winter. Around April, its spread would reduced. Or, what percent of the population is immune? Couldn't they test for that more quickly than trying to develop a vaccine? Beau thought it was ridiculous that the scientist tried the vaccine on herself. I'm not sure I would go that far, but vaccines not properly tested can harm people. Was there no discussion of that?

How did you read Jude Law's character?

did he have the virus and was lied to by the government, or he didn't have the virus and he wasn't sick at all when he was filming his videos.

le n, I think what I was expecting was more of a thriller I guess. I agree about the TV movie.

I agree about the science, I was disappointed that they didn't explore why Matt Damon's character was immune, why it was so virulent, why the chef at ground zero didn't die, and what the hell was up with Marion Cotillard's character? I love her as an actress, but her story line was just stupid.

RE: Jude Law's character I think he lied, because if he was really immune, then why bother with the makeshift haz mat suit after he got better? I think he lied for the fame and money - $4 million isn't chump change.

Dawn,

hazmat: you have a point about him wearing the suit afterward. I didn't think about that. I guess I just assumed that there were 3 categories of people: 1) those who get the disease and die; 2) those who get the disease and live; 3) those who don't get the disease at all.

I thought Jude Law was in the 2nd category (note: I don't think we ever saw anyone in the second category), but Damon was clearly in the 3rd category.

le n,

That was one of the things that bugged, I mean they went out of their way to explain the R-naught/R-2 factors, etc. why not the virology of the virus too. If it's a normal virus, then once you have it you should be immune until it mutates.

The DH and I had a long conversation about Jude Law's character on the way home from the movie, he thought the way you did, but then I pointed out the homemade haz mat suit after he got better, we both sorta agreed that he'd lied about being sick. Because he should have been behaving more like Matt Damon's character.

no, you make excellent points. You have me totally convinced. I told Beau and you convinced him too.

you need to go into politics. You have two voters on your side.

Here is a piece on the casting of Cloud Atlas.