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Get Breaking News on your cellThe Monday Morning Critic: The Addiction
12:04 PM Mon, Sep 17, 2007 | Permalink |
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Down in the Valley: Tommy Lee Jones searches for clues this Friday (Warner Independent Pictures) The timing of said addiction works out well, since the rush of post-Toronto releases requires some research. For instance, one of my favorite Toronto films, the Iraq-at-home drama In the Valley of Elah, opens this Friday. Many of the themes remind of the Vietnam war-at-home film Coming Home, which I hadn't seen in ages - until last night. (Verdict: still powerful, but thinner than it was in the context of its times). The best is when one film can help shed light on two others. Both I'm Not There, the much-discussed Bob Dylan exploration, and The Assassination of Jesse James, a most revisionist of Westerns, got me thinking about Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (which, I must admit, I had never seen - until last night). Verdict: Dylan isn't much of an actor - no surprise there - but James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson more than make up for it, the "end of the frontier" theme is powerfully expressed, and the Dylan songs on the soundtrack work well. (Richard Gere plays a Billy-like character in I'm Not There). So: Will I kick my addiction any time soon? I hope not. Seems to be good for business. |
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Comments
Posted by stephen becker @ 12:48 PM Mon, Sep 17, 2007
This is as good a time of year as any to feed the movie addiction. I only had time for one movie this weekend (dang Emmys!), but it was a pretty good one: The King of Kong. The documentary about a rivalry over who is the best Donkey Kong player in the world really feels like a feature film rather than a doc. And that's a good thing, as this is one of the rare docs with real characters in it instead of just a bunch of talking heads. It's still playing at the Inwood, and I suggest heading over there soon while it's still there.
Posted by Kip Mooney @ 2:18 PM Mon, Sep 17, 2007
Saw 'The Host' after Friday night's ACL concert. It's a Korean horror movie that's funny and frightening, but I think it would have resonated a bit more with subtitles instead of dubbing.
And a side note, I can't wait to see 'In the Valley of Elah' but I can't help but notice that all the critics who were so lukewarm to 'Crash' have gone crazy over this. Anyone care to speculate?
Posted by Chris Vognar @ 4:40 PM Mon, Sep 17, 2007
I can only speak for myself (though others might agree) - I thought Crash was an overly schematic (if well-acted) sermon that telegraphed every move and intention. It held no mystery for me. I never felt Elah straining the same way. It certainly has a point of view, but it doesn't try to wrap that point of view around your neck.
Posted by Pete @ 12:14 PM Tue, Sep 18, 2007
In "Crash," Hagis imposed his outcomes on the characters; in "Elah," the characters create their own outcomes.