Margot at the Wedding **
Noah Baumbach, 2007
US
@ BAM

I thought Nicole Kidman's character was hilarious, except for the end when it becomes apparent that her kid is not smart enough to escape black hole-esque emotional pull. Also, even for her, it seemed pretty wacko to just leave your purse in a bus parking lot. Jack Black's pretty awesome throughout, particularly when he's trying to remember the name of Motley Crue's original bassist ("Mick Mars!").

See also: IMDb | Metacritic

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly ***
Julian Schnabel, 2007
France
@ IFC Center

This was the second member screening I've been to here, and they announced two more coming up next month, including There Will Be Blood, which apparently has an ambitious soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood*. I was confused when this won the director prize at Cannes. What could be interesting about a movie based on a guy who can only move his left eyelid?

I suppose there's really no middleground here. Shooting from an outside perspective would have been really dull and shooting from inside Bauby's head, as is the case most of the time, feels adventurous (and claustrophobic). The movie is essentially plotless, though that's not to say that nothing happens. There are memories, dreams, hospital visits, etc. Despite all the certifiably crushingly sad (though rarely sentimental) moments, it was actually that old hipster chestnut "Pale Blue Eyes," playing over a scene where Bauby's attendant reads to him from The Count of Monte Cristo while out sailing, that did me in. Weird.

On top of these elements is the sweeping, surging, constantly surprising score by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, which could be described as avant-garde symphonic. It develops over long, sustained periods, not always in precise emotional alignment with what's taking place onscreen, but generally deepening and making more mysterious the film's moods and meanings. It's a daring, adventurous, exploratory piece of work, one that on its own signals the picture's seriousness.

See also: IMDb | Metacritic | *Todd McCarthy review

Southland Tales ***
Richard Kelly, 2007
US
@ Angelika Film Center

I was hoping this would open more widely so I wouldn't have to see it at the dank little hole that is the Angelika. Their cafe upstairs is nice enough but I've yet to find a decent theater in the three movies I've seen there. But since I didn't have anything to do on Sunday and I'd been waiting a year and a half to see this, I went ahead and crammed in to peer up at the tiny screen.

I feel like this most closely resembles a particularly deranged MAD TV sketch, two hours long, played totally straight with really high production values. Perhaps this feels most effective as an attempt to rediscover media-centric irony & satire with actual social commentary from a culture that's been mired in self-reference and knowing winks for so long that it doesn't even remember what the point was in the first place.

There are actually some similarities here to the execrable Domino, written by Richard Kelly and directed by Tony Scott. The climactic, terrorism-flavored explosion high above the glittering greed-based metropolis is probably the most noticeable. Also the abduction of celebrities (Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green from 90210 go along for the ride in Domino) and frat boys as dei ex machina. [Max can feel free to comment on that pluralized latinization if he needs to.]

The artifice of the whole thing is foregrounded, particularly with the use of a lot of traditionally lowbrow stars in key roles. Even the titles are so garishly comix-futuristic that it's at once hard to take them seriously but also hard to dismiss them as a total joke, because they're kind of cool in a nerdy way. Too professional to be kitschy (is that even an option anymore with the democratization of professionalized tools of media production?), not flowery or "real" enough to be camp, it occupies a very strange (counter-)cultural space.

@ Village East Cinema, 12/17/07

On a second viewing, Southland Tales flows much better. I was able to pay more attention to the score, the various hidden jokes (eg the name of the arcade is "Fire," one of the hundreds of news headlines that comes up, dateline Kabul, is "Wannabe Terrorists Get Schooled in Destruction," there are posters featuring extremely Donnie Darko-esque rabbits in the neo-Marxist headquarters, etc. ad nauseam) though I failed to catch the Latin phrase on the side of the police car. It was also easier to fit relationships together. And although I appreciated it the first time through, this time I reacted more like I did when I read Slaughterhouse Five, like Kelly has possibly profound things to say or suggest about a deeply troubled world, but can only do so via seemingly ridiculous methods and genre.

I also wondered about the intended connection of the audience to the aura of the pop stars in the film. It seems to me that most of them got their starts or big moments in the late 90s. The Rock as a wrestler, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, Seann William Scott in American Pie, Cheri Oteri on Saturday Night Life (Amy Poehler a bit later, though), Will Sasso on Boy Meets World, and Moby (who did the score) released Play in that era. This group seems targeted pretty directly to the college kids (now graduated) who went crazy over Donnie Darko. It makes me wonder how I, a member of the target demographic, might experience the film differently from the critics currently championing it, all at least somewhat over the age of forty, such as Manohla Dargis, Amy Taubin, and J. Hoberman.

Steven Shaviro has posted a long and involved, extremely positive response at his blog. All have mentioned Inland Empire as one of the only movies working the same territory (Shaviro also mentions David Fincher, but I'm not sure I'd fully admit him to the club), so I'm pretty definitely going to have to get that from Netflix and commit to watching it two or three times. Everyone also makes a big point about Lynch's sound design, which is what I really loved about Eraserhead.

See also: IMDb | Southland Tales | Trailer | J. Hoberman review* | Manohla Dargis review | Steven Shaviro review

*Note that Metacritic, which gives the film a 43, rates Hoberman's glowing review a 70, and it's probably on his top ten list for the year. Then again, he's probably the toughest critic to summarize for a grade by a wide margin.

The TV Set *
Jake Kasdan
US
@ home on DVD

These felt like scenes from a pretty good movie, but where they left a lot of the good parts out of the final cut. It's just not quite cutting enough or brilliant enough or caring enough. Also, it's been a truism since the dawn of time that network television caters to the lowest common denominator, so how are we supposed to feel anything but annoyed at a guy who rants and raves about not being able to make important, personal art through that medium? It's like an artisanal cheesemaker who becomes disillusioned when his new job at the Kraft factory turns out to be manager of the American singles line.

See also: IMDb | Metacritic

No Country for Old Men ***
Joel & Ethan Coen, 2007
US
@ Clearview Chelsea

Given the overwhelming positive critical consensus here (consider me at least as enthusiastic about it as anyone), I'm waiting for the backlash, though I doubt Jonathan Rosenbaum's rant is one that many people will latch onto. I'm probably closer to sharing his views on violence/killers onscreen than 95% of the audience, and even I think he's quite a bit off.

Sometimes when I'm watching a movie like this, I fantasize about my ideal contemporary Western. It's written and directed by Richard Linklater, starring Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Ben & Casey Affleck, Billy Bob Thornton, Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones & Kris Kristofferson. Perhaps Philip Seymour Hoffman? Maybe Robert Rodriguez stops by to direct the more physical sequences. It could be like a Thin Red Line type of thing, except all dialogue would be voiced by a character placed within the setting of the film rather than voiceover. It'd be nice to do a kind of heavily symbolic thing about the state of the US or civilization, but it's also terribly important that it not move too fast or fiercely, so that might be tough. Jim James and/or M. Ward could do the score. It would be in color. I'm torn between the traditional post-Civil War period and something more like The Last Picture Show, particularly as it would impact the presence of something like a jukebox, or country/western songs on the soundtrack.

See also: IMDb | Metacritic | Todd McCarthy review | Scott Foundas review

Mississippi Chicken ***
John Fiege, 2007
US
@ MoMA (Best Films Not Playing at a Theater Near You)

While it was fascinating to listen to Fiege discuss the incomprehensible task of shooting an entire film on Super-8 (cameras breaking, frame rates undulating, audio out of sync) it's the content that holds your attention here. He follows Anita Grabowski, a grad student from Austin, Texas, as she helps start a center advocating for local poultry workers around Canton, Mississippi. Much of the action takes place in a trailer park, home to Guillermina and her daughter, Charo, recent Mexican immigrants. That's kind of the nexus for a lot poultry workers and other frequently illegal immigrants who experience quite a bit of mistreatment.

See also: Official website

August the First **
Lanre Olabisi, 2007
US
@ MoMA (Best Films Not Playing at a Theater Near You)

A Nigerian man causes a disturbance when he returns to the United States to visit his estranged American wife and kids for his youngest son's college graduation party, though ulterior motives are revealed. All handheld camerawork, mostly in close-up, the film feels claustrophobic as it seems the members of this family can't escape each other; it's all shot in and around the house where Olabisi grew up.

See also: Official website

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead **
Sidney Lumet, 2007
US
@ BAM

This screening was kind of a disaster. I finally figured out that "Movies Start On Time" actually means that the opening credits roll at the time listed on the menu above the box office. It always seemed like one of those laughably pointless warnings, like "No outside food allowed," but apparently that is not the case. So I arrived eight minutes late--rather than two to seven minutes early--to find a packed theater. To make matters worse, the rows in theater 4 are just ridiculously wide (>25 seats with no center aisle) so it's just about impossible to find a reachable destination. I wound up having to walk out, down the stairs through the lobby, and around to the other side to sit on the end near the back, which was kind of a problem given the small screen for such a wide space. Also, the sound was not nearly as loud as it ought to be, especially since there was a pretty loud ventilation duct directly above me.

At any rate, it's been too long since I really enjoyed a Philip Seymour Hoffman role. This was worth the wait. It was actually most reminiscent in my opinion of his self-destructive widower in the little-seen Love Liza, though he self-destructs in a very different manner here. I was kind of surprised at the gasps from the audience during what I'll call the pizza party scene, where Andy attempts to take charge of the situation, particularly since we'd just seen very similar behavior a few minutes before.

Some reviewer made a point that this may be too dark and unrelenting for some tastes, but I was much more distracted by the visual style than the emotional tone. The near-Expressionist lighting got to me after about half an hour since it's used in every indoor scene. Outside the sunlight is scorchingly bright; everything looks brutal and unforgiving. I enjoyed the effect every once in a while, such as when Andy and his dad are sitting outside near the grill, looking almost completely gray and shadowy before a pretty distant background of verdant leaves. The colors are mostly blue, really cold. Perhaps it should have just been in black & white.

It's interesting the way family dynamics subtly overtake other concerns, so much so that the importance of relationships shifts almost completely from what we assume at the outset. I'll probably try to see this again on DVD.

See also: IMDb | Metacritic | J. Hoberman review

Loren Cass **
Chris Fuller, 2007
US
@ MoMA (Best Films Not Playing at a Theater Near You)

This was pretty intense, but also funny here and there, maybe due to the emotional distance cultivated by all the static shots. It's a series of vignettes set among "at-risk youth" in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1997. Perhaps most memorable is the insertion of footage from R. Budd Dwyer's infamous last press conference before one of the less developed characters leaps from a bridge. Footage of civil rights protests, monologue readings over a black screen, and other techniques are used to set the mood and put the kids in context.

See also: Official website

Walk Hard **
Jake Kasdan, 2007
US
@ 64th & 2nd (Preview screening)

I got a pass for this preview screening just outside Fred Claus. It may have been the first digital projection I can remember attending, and it was really bright and clear. I'd like to see something a little less intentionally synthetic-looking done that way, since I felt the lack of flicker kind of enhanced the super-obvious aging makeup and CG crowds. I was actually looking forward to the scrolling end credits, since that's traditionally the one part of the film that's most difficult to read because of flickering and jittering, but they shut off the projector before the main end titles were complete.

The crowd was really ready to laugh, but there are definitely moments here and there where certain gags fall flat or wear out their welcome. Then again, the entire concept is built around a style of filmmaking that tries too hard, so it's difficult to separate the unintentionally less-than-hilarious from the intentionally less-than-hilarious. Frankie Muniz's Buddy Holly reminded that he might actually seem more like Casey Affleck's brother than Ben does.

There are, perhaps, too few non-referential jokes, since maybe a little periodic relief would liven up the rest of the parody.

Also, I was noticing that Jenna Fischer has noticeably thinner lips than most actresses, but that's neither here nor there since she still looks really good.

Possibly the best quote in the entire movie, from near the end where Tim Meadows' aging drummer is describing the priapic effects of his little blue pills to similarly elderly Dewey Cox: "If your boner lasts for more than four hours, call more ladies!"

See also: IMDb | Metacritic

Fred Claus *
David Dobkin, 2007
US
@ Kips Bay

I felt like there were seeds of a really good idea here. Except maybe for Kevin Spacey's character, who felt like an unnecessary addition to a pretty full dramatis personae--I count ten different relationships that are developed, not counting Ludacris' elf DJ. Willie the elf is well-written though minor, as are most of the characters.

There is one scene, however, that probably deserves some sort of recognition. Vince Vaughn's Fred Claus attends a meeting of the local chapter of Brothers Anonymous, where Frank Stallone (brother of Sylvester), Roger Clinton (brother of Bill), and Stephen Baldwin rant and rave about their brothers before Fred tries to complain about how awful it is being the brother of Santa Claus. I suspect there are probably a few other ridiculous celebrity brothers in the circle, but they aren't named directly.

See also: IMDb | Metacritic

Zodiac **
David Fincher, 2007
US
@ home on DVD

This is such a great male ensemble cast, and a surprising one for a cop/killer movie. Anthony Edwards was really great, and I'm surprised to see that he's almost never works these days, but then I suppose anybody would enjoy a break after eight years on ER. It's shocking how unassuming these guys are (Jake Gyllenhaal's drink of choice is an Aquavelva; Mark Ruffalo's detective has an unabashed affinity for animal crackers), when you generally expect a Russell Crowe or a Bruce Willis or someone like that to be hunting down a serial killer. Even the prime suspect just seems like a quiet, boring guy. The sound struck me in a similar way; it's not in your face or ear-bleedingly loud, but there are a lot of great, subtle touches, like the acoustics of the crime scene at the corner of Washington & Cherry, and the soundtrack blends in really nicely.

In fact, it's such a technically accomplished film all around that I can't help but be a little disappointed that the premise failed to grab me. Or perhaps it's not the premise, but that we seem to be circling around the center of something but never quite closing in on just what ought to be so fascinating about this story. Sort of like how Chloe Sevigny floats in and out but never really quite registers emotionally. Still, after the super-macho, aggressive nihilism/neo-fascism of Fight Club, I feel a lot better about Fincher as a director, or maybe as a person.

See also: IMDb | Metacritic | Nathan Lee review

The Darjeeling Limited **
Wes Anderson, 2007
US
@ BAM (w/ Amy)

It seems by now that everybody and their brother has discovered and pointed out the usual "flaws" in Wes Anderson's movies. They're too stylized, they're inwardly focused on camaraderie, or lack thereof, between white males, probably related. They're soundtracked largely, sometimes entirely, by British rock music from the '60's. If you can't deal with one or more of these things, it seems at this point like you might as well just give up.

However, it seems to me that this is still rich territory and that Anderson could probably continue to mine it for as long as he likes. What I'm more interested in are the differences or at least backgrounded by all the obvious repetition. Since Rushmore, the films have become more convoluted, expanding beyond or reaching for something besides cleverly plotted storylines and protagonists lunging after their goals. If you continue to assess Anderson's work simply by noting the absence of things he excelled at early in his career, you either are now or probably will in the future be missing out.

Certain scenes show that he hasn't lost his flair for sustaining our interest in a creative but traditional fashion, like the montage of distant people set in separate walled rooms on a train-like platform, or the sequence comparing the brothers' two different funeral experiences. As much as Anderson seems to mock the brothers on their ridiculous "spiritual quest," he may be slyly referring to his awkward exploration of spiritual themes, mood and beauty apart outside of the course of the narrative on its way from plot point to plot point. Not every spiritually meaningful filmmaker has been as strictly ascetic as Bresson or Bergman, and I hope Anderson won't discard his sense of fashion or visual flair just in an attempt to leap from one pigeonhole to another.

See also: IMDb | Metacritic

Orphans *
Ry Russo-Young, 2007
US
@ Barbes (Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series)

This seemed to be much more focused on the actors than form or visual style. I guess much the same has been said about other "mumblecore" films, though I would say a very definite director's touch comes through in stuff by Andrew Bujalski, Joe Swanberg, or Frank V. Ross. I also get the sense with those directors that a dramatic structure kind of takes shape during the filming and eventually asserts itself in the mind of the contemplative viewer. I didn't feel quite the same here. I like the ideas behind it--the director mentioned Winter Light during the Q&A--and the scenario presents some interesting possibilities.

The scenes didn't seem to flow, but rather congealed together in a sequence that's difficult to remember. This isn't a complaint that I would normally make, but I never got the feeling, like in Syndromes and a Century or the Bergman film mentioned above, that the action was taking place slightly outside conventional time, nor that the action was moving in a particular direction, just an uncomfortable in-between.

The dialogue in films like this is often uneven and incoherent, but tends to add a humorous realism, and generally seems to constitute a stylistic decision, but I'm not so sure here. Mostly, the dialogue here feels dramatic, but maybe suffers from too few shifts in tone. Almost every scene is either uncomfortable or sullen or humorous because/inspite of one of those two moods.

Maybe what I'm getting at here is that Orphans is, despite its small cast and limited setting, more ambitious than most of the films I love about slovenly, indecisive twentysomethings. That is, its themes are more traditional and the drama more high-pitched. That would be enticing to many or most other commentators on this stuff.

See also: Ry Russo-Young's website