Thursday, February 15, 2007

Valentine 07

Bouquet
Mix It Up
Crab Cake Fry
Crab Served
Skimpi Scampi
Traditional Cheese Cake

Friday, February 09, 2007

The Science of Sleep


How did I miss this in the theatre? Oh wait--I live in "the Little Apple" of Manhappiness Kansas. The multiplexers guessed again that we would prefer "the Marine" to this mixed language film. Apparently the red isn't as thick as the map shows..look at the success of the all Spanish film "Pan's Labyrinth". End rant about silly distribution ideas.
No, I am not going to talk about simultaneous DVD/Theatre releases, but I am thankful I didn't have to wait long to see this!
First viewing by the small party of Steve and I saw us laughing and talking and watching all the extras..and planning the next viewing with the commentary track on. You are right..that is not unusual for me, but extraordinary for the group. This movie is that good.
The director Michel Gondry is also responsible for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", which explores similar themes in one of the best 'couples" films out there. Yes, "couples film" is not a demarcation solely for the back room vids.
One point that the director makes that underlines the sensitivity on display here is his mentioning that he has no idea what the female characters thoughts and motivations are. This is fearless filming, straight from the heart. It is also in 3 languages and that is not a distraction but part of its charm--and, make no mistake, this is a charming movie.
Nice to see a film about a relationship with a solid core of truth that didn't leave me a weepy mess or embarrassed about my behavior reflected in the film.
Recommended

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

In the Realms of the Unreal


A documentary gem!
This is the story of the work of Henry Darger, an "outsider" artist whose work was discovered posthumously. The picture above was done in watercolor, and is just one example of the illustrations from his 15,000 page novel.
The movie has Dakota Fanning narrating..which may seem a curious choice as she was probably 10 when this was released, but will make absolute sense within minutes of starting this film. She is accompanied of course by other narrators and interview subjects of course, as there is definitely a dark side to his work.
Much of the "novel" is brought to life Terry Gilliam style..the still paintings are animated as the narrator describes what we are seeing. The novel is juxtaposed with people talking about this largely unseen recluse and pans across his tiny apartment crammed with various collections and of course the manuscript..
Recommended