Let The Right One In (Swedish)

"Let the Right One In" (Swedish) is a movie about how hopeless you feel when you are twelve. Sad, slow and moving, it's moderately bloody but not violent. The American remake is out soon. I don't see any reason to see that one yet.

Recent stuff

When I saw “City Island” in the theater last Spring, I howled – sometimes in recognition, sometime at the slapstick. It is still one of the funniest movies of 2010, maybe for the past few years.

Classic “A Fistful of Dollars” is the original Spaghetti Western. A remake of “Yojimbo”, it gave us Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood as a movie star, and Ennio Morricone.

Speaking of Ennio Morricone, he scored “Four Flies on Grey Velvet” (Italian / English), an Italian slasher thriller from the 1970s. Not bad.

I love Lauren Cantet’s movies. “Heading South” (French / English) is different from his other movies, but it’s a well made and thoughtful reflection on class, sex and racial differences. In the 1970s some women over 40 would go to Haiti and other third world countries for a little r&r: pampering and easy sex with local young men.

“Memories of Murder” (Korean) was the first full-length movie by Bond Joon-ho who also directed “The Host” and “Mother”. It’s a police procedural, but broader and more poetic. Really good.

“Performance” is from 1972. James Fox from “The Servant” and “King Rat” plays an English gangster who hides out from the mob in Mick Jagger’s London mansion. Pretty good.

Program – Wit and Wisdom of Mia Wallace

Three tomatoes are walking down the street - a poppa tomato, a momma tomato, and a little baby tomato. Baby tomato lags behind. Poppa tomato gets angry, goes over to the baby tomato and smooshes him - and says, "Catch up."

So it's time to catch up -- maybe in chronological order.

It really is a beautiful movie. Made in occupied France, in black and white, Jean Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast" (French) isn't a children's movie. It is a fairy tale, and if you saw the animated musical, you'll get it.

Cocteau adapted his novel, "Les Enfants Terribles" (French) for the screen. Jean Pierre Melville produced and directed it. Melville made a variety of movies before he specialized in gangster and war movies. "Les Enfants Terribles" is stylized and poetic. Classic.

To keep the deal rolling, you'll find Melville featured in Godard's first full-length movie, the masterpiece, "Breathless" (French). It's been 50 years since this was released. Melville allegedly suggested to Godard the "jump cut" technique that is still fresh. "Breathless" is so cool. You don't like these people, but you want to hang out with them.

Arturo Ripstein's "La Perdicion de los Hombres" (Spanish) is the last movie he directed that is on American dvd. Ripstein who also directed "Deep Crimson" (Spanish) is a mainstream Mexican moviemaker. "La Perdicion de los Hombres" looks like an low budget eastern European movie. It moves a little slowly, a little strangely. By the third act, the movie opens up and moves you.

"Zombieland" is a nice road comedy zombie movie. Charming young people. Kind of reminded me of the 1980's movie, "Night of the Comet". It features Woody Harrelson. It has a fun cameo by Bill "Groundhog Day - Ghostbustin' ass" Murray.

"The Ghost Writer" is the latest from Roman Polanski. It's good Roman Polanski, not perfect Roman Polanski. If you choose to watch Roman Polanski movies, you can watch this. It won't change your life or anything, but it's well made.

Program - Armenia/Russia

The woman who cuts my hair is Armenian, and I asked her if she knew of any good Armenian films. She didn't, so googled it. I came up with Vodka Lemon. Bleak, funny. Lots of snow and a cemetery.

The other two in this program are Russian and feature young boys and their not-so-great father figures. Bleak in a different way, and yet compelling.

I've Loved You So Long

Understated. The plot slowly opens, but the pace never drags. Emotional. It was in my Instant Queue on Netflix, but I chose to watch it today because it won't be streaming next week. Maybe it's a chick flick, but maybe not.

Recommended.

Broken Embraces (Spanish)

Good movie. Worth watching. Rent it.

If you like Almodovar, this is his "Vertigo": in mood, in having a worthy male lead, even as the director uses his color palate.

Yeah yeah, Penelope Cruz, sexy, melodrama, lurid mystery, all the other stuff are there as well. This is a more mature movie for Almodovar.

Brand Upon the Brain!

This sat unwatched next to the tv for over three weeks. I didn't know if I wanted to see it or not. All that I read about Guy Maddin, the director, was off-putting.

I'm glad I finally saw it. It isn't for most people -- an hour and a half silent movie deliberately filmed with some scenes overexposed to look like an aged print. The style is melodramatic, and Isabella Rossellini tells the story we're watching. However, it's very compelling look at memory and repression.

I'm putting other Maddin movies on my queue.