Amazing! One of the best movies I have seen in a while. A story of passion/obsession expressed through two story lines of an unsolved crime and an unrequited romance. This film was a foreign film (Argentina); but, despite the subtitles, the action was fast-paced and unpredictable with beautiful cinematography and characters that were authentic and believable.
Maybe if you don’t recognize Bob Dylan as a singularly important musician and artist, then maybe you wouldn’t get much out of this film. But I sat down and thought about it and I don’t really take anyone’s opinion too seriously who falls in that category.
So, for the rest of you…Get this movie and watch it. It is so smart that you will ask yourself, what the heck have I been watching the whole rest of the time? The film asks a question and then proceeds to challenge you to answer it. Who was Dylan? Well, who do YOU think he was? The impact of your answer and everyone else’s answers makes up the meat of the film. Of course, the music is great and the acting is awesome. Cate Blanchett is incredible and the movie is worth seeing just for her performance. Mostly, I think people should see movies, every once in a while, that mess a bit with your head and stick with you. I’m Not There is one of the rare films that fits the bill.
As a huge fan of Coppolla’s Lost in Translation, I had high hopes for this movie. And I liked it. As many have commented, it was highly visual and stylized and that didn’t bother me a bit. What was strange, was that the whole time I was watching this film I was wondering if Coppolla was making a movie about high school.
The similarities are there. The need to please parents (albeit in the form of a strategic alliance), the desire to fit in, the experience of being forced to do things, and the subsequent rebellion. The centerpiece of the film, for me, centered around this birthday party scene where M. Antoinette (played by Kirsten Dunst) stays up all night to watch the sun rise after a night of celebration. Flash back to those nights breaking curfew…
No, this film isn’t as great at Lost in Translation, but it has a different character. Perhaps this is a nostalgic meditation (that I relate to adolescence); Coppolla's fantastically costumed reverie, commenting on frivolity, youth, excess, and tragic self-absorption. A time period common in early adulthood, but one which, we (hopefully) overcome as we grow older and find balance and contentment.
Is it just me or is Elton John the single most over-used artist when it comes to soundtrack music? I swear the last three movies and at least two or three TV programs have featured various tunes by the guy. What exactly does "Bennie and the Jets" trigger in our collective unconscious?
BTW...I just finished watching the movie adaptation of Augusten Burrough's memoir Running With Scissors, which I highly recommend if you don't mind your comedy a bit dark.Here's the synopsis from the library (it's a bit hard to describe):
Running with scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy and if things got dull an electroshock-therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing and bestselling account of an ordinary boy's survival under the most extraordinary circumstances.
I must admit that I am naturally inclined towards quirky movies that are character-driven, sometimes boring and usually featuring well written dialogue on depressing subjects. My Netflix queue is full of movies that I thought looked weird or interesting, or those that have been recommended somewhere along the way. I usually feel there are a certain number of films that I just need to see to keep up with pop culture. Every once in a while one comes along that takes me off guard because I never saw it coming. Little Miss Sunchine is brilliant in a way that changed my life, per se, but I can honestly say that I haven’t laughed as hard in a long, long time.
This story of a dysfunctional family (one’s bankrupt, one’s a junkie, one doesn’t talk, and one’s suicidal)more accurately reflects our culture than even the “top 10 Google Searches of the year” (Paris Hilton? Myspace?). The movie has elements of a road trip film, a family vacation comedy, and that Blind Melon video with the bee girl. But the ending is spectacularly funny. Are you a winner or a loser? Well, in Little Miss Sunshine the message seems to be that sometimes the best choice of all is deciding not to even play the game. If only we all could have family bonding to “Superfreak” every once in a while! Despite all the strangeness, as the broken-down bus heads for home we somehow know that this family is going to be just fine.
This is a worthwhile documentary about the contraversial Micheal Moore speaking engagement at Utah Valley State College in Orem, UT. I feel it is my job as a librarian and my pleasure as a citizen to point out cool movies like this that highlight our first amendment free speech rights. Enjoy!
This movie will probably really resonate with you. I wasn’t expecting much, but I ended up loving it. In fact I really want to get my sister a copy. The movie really captures the sister relationship dynamics and Toni Colette and Cameron Diaz are great. Highly recommended!
This movie is fabulous. The acting is great, the story is really moving and the speed scenes are really exciting. Anthony Hopkins does a great job in this film and the supporting cast really shines. I highly recommend this movie!
