THE HELP - was ready to hate it, especially after reading this Slate piece - "A Feel Good Movie that feels kind of Icky." However, it's well-acted, well-written, and not as insulting to the African-American characters as I assumed it would be (though I'm a white guy, so how can I really judge? Your mileage may vary.) I would have appreciated a scene or two that zinged the well-intentioned liberals (as on "Mad Men" - also set in the 1960s). And there were slapstick scenes that were a little too silly. But I respected how the film ends on a relatively "low" point (the maid getting fired) rather than a fake, impossibly-idealistic "high" point.
SOMEWHERE - once I took an online survey - "Which director would film your life story?" - and my results came back Sofia. "Somewhere" follows a movie star who is between movies, living at the Chateau Marmont, and sitting around shell-shocked, like the lead character in a Joan Didion novel (Sofia, like Joan D., tends to set her stories in hotels). The movie star's ex-wife appears, dropping off their 11-year-old daughter for an extended stay, and our hero surprises us by acting like a doting father, sort of. Nothing too dramatic happens. "Somewhere" is not for everyone, but I loved it. I cautioned a friend that "Somewhere" makes "Lost in Translation" look like "Die Hard". And, Sofia? I'm ready for my close-up when you are.
BLUE VALENTINE - most depressing movie ever, or at least placing in the top-10*. I'm the filmgoer with a history of appreciating less-than-uplifting movies, but this one tested my limits. Nothing really awful happens, other than a couple realizing that they need to separate. But it's so hard and awful to watch. The great performances and spot-on writing/directing make it even worse. If the movie had flaws, I could focus on those flaws, rather than focus on humanity's flaws, which is what "Blue" forces the viewer to do. Oy!
SCHOOL OF ROCK - I loved this movie before I was a Dad, and I love watching it now with Emily. Brilliant how they use no profanity, so that film can appeal to both kids and their parents.
SPY KIDS - More of the same. In the interest of Family Friendly entertainment, we've watched 3 of the 4 Spy Kids movies over the last couple of weeks. The latest movie's villain may be the perfect role for Jeremy Piven (aka Ari Gold, the agent on "Entourage"). Also, great to see Jessica Alba as the Super Spy, fighting bad guys while very pregnant.
* - Here's my list of the most depressing movies ever:
Christiane F. (1981, Uli Edel)
Clean, Shaven (1993, Lodge Kerrigan)
Thirteen (2003, Catherine Hardwicke)
Breaking the Waves (1996, Lars von Trier)
Dancer in the Dark (2000, Lars von Trier)
Frances (1982, Graeme Clifford)
Sophie's Choice (1982, Alan J. Paluka)
Star 80 (1983, Bob Fosse)
The War Zone (1999, Tim Roth)**
Nils By Mouth (1997, Gary Oldman)**
Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (1998, Joan Chen)**
Sonny (2002, Nicolas Cage)**
Naked (1993, Mike Leigh)
Happiness (1998, Todd Solondz)
Auto Focus (2002, Paul Schrader)
Wonderland (2003, James Cox)
** - what's up with actors directing such depressing movies?
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