Once

Date: September 16
Location: Regal Tara (Atlanta, GA)

I crept away to see this in the dead of night at a beautiful art theater outside of downtown Atlanta. This place was great. In the mold of the old 167th Street theater — four huge auditoriums — but strictly foreign and indie fare. It's a wonderful movie, with three or four scenes that will definitely make my highlight list for the year. It's sort of a long, emotional music video... I don't know that I've seen anything quite like it before. Given that, I suppose it can only be as good as the music, and there is some truly great music here. I'll definitely be buying the soundtrack, though I doubt "If You Want Me" will be as special without the exquisite image of Marketa Irglova walking down the street after buying batteries.

The Kingdom

Date: September 15
Location: AMC Sunset Place

We saw a sneak preview of this Peter Berg political thriller a couple weeks before its official release, and I'm predicting this thing will be huge. It's smart, funny, exciting and thought-provoking. With this film and Friday Night Lights, Berg has established a style I'm liking a lot — gritty realism rooted in a strong sense of place combined with a sure-handed Hollywood sheen. He delivers that "this is why I go to the movies" feeling even if you leave the theater in tears. This film is very well cast — the mix of procedural, culture clash and action movie doesn't leave a lot of time for character development, but these actors are instantly likable. The strongest impression is left by Jamie Foxx's Saudi counterpart, and the treatment of the Saudis in general is impressive. Look for a powerful cameo by a barely recognizable Tim McGraw, who definitely appears to have a future in film.

Smokin' Aces

Date: September 14
Location: Clifton Living Room

A wildly stylish and often hilarious crime romp that would be much better if it was the 5th post-Tarantino exercise and not the 95th. It has some memorable action and dialogue, and a dozen or so excellent performances from a very impressive cast, but the "serious" moments fall flat and the plot turns ridiculous at the climax. Jason Bateman, though, practically steals the whole movie in a scene that can't last more than 5 minutes. He should be in everything.

Disturbia

Date: September 7
Location: Clifton Living Room

This was a highly enjoyable, if far-fetched, modern (and younger) take on Rear Window. It turns into a somewhat typical thriller in its final moments, but before that it very effectively establishes its characters. I did find myself wondering why these kids didn't just call the police, especially later in the film, but suspension of disbelief makes things a lot more fun. Shia Lebouf is an excellent actor who can play funny, smart, dorky or cool — sometimes all at once — and he packs a real dramatic punch when he needs to. I have no doubt that he'll be a major star for years to come.

Stardust

Date: September 1
Location: AMC Sunset Place

We had a free ticket thanks to Moviewatcher points and nothing new was worth seeing (King of Kong is playing only at Las Olas), so we gave this comic fairy tale a try. It's a very sweet film — I get the Princess Bride comparisons, though of course it's not in the same ballpark (or, to quote Pulp Fiction's Jules, not even the same bleepin' sport). Some big laughs, a sweet love story, good villains... all in all, a fun night at the movies. One big misstep, though: Robert DeNiro's pirate as a cross-dressing fop? I liked the sensitive soul masking as a tough guy, but they took it to cartoonish (and frankly, offensive) places.

Large and in charge

I'm straying a bit from the topic of this blog to examine the latest album release of a certain Mr. Lyle Lovett. Perhaps I'm not too far afield, as Mr. Lovett has acted in several films and provided music for many more. Regardless, such a talent deserves to be reflected upon, and this is as good a place as any.

This is an important release for Lovett, arriving 11 years after what I consider his best work, The Road to Ensenada. His output since then has been spotty — a live album, a collection of covers, a soundtrack and, in 2003, the album I consider his worst... My Baby Don't Tolerate. That work had the sheen and musicianship he's known for, but the songs were standard country rock numbers that felt like they could have been written by anyone.

So would this be a return to form, or another disappointment?

The short answer: It's a return to fom. But I've never been one for short answers. So here's a track-by-track breakdown of Lovett's latest opus.

1. Tickle Toe
In general, the songs on this album feel like songs on Lovett's previous albums, particularly his back-to-back classics Lyle Lovett and His Large Band and Joshua Judges Ruth. This track, a bouncy jazz number, is reminiscent of 'The Blues Walk,' which opened Large Band. It's a great way to kick off an album that harkens back to that earlier sound.

2. I Will Rise Up/Ain't No More Cain
In a way, I think it was a mistake to put this song right up front, because it's one of the most powerful and involving tracks Lovett has ever recorded. It starts slow, with an acoustic guitar and haunting vocals, before exploding into a gospel chorus as memorable as anything he's written. The band is in full swing here, but oddly it's one of the only tracks on the album that really uses them like this.

3. All Downhill
A splendid, fun country rocker with funny lyrics and Lovett's usual wry delivery. "I've been good and I've been bad / Mostly I've been bad"

4. Don't Cry a Tear
This feels a lot like 'She's Already Made Up Her Mind' on Joshua... the same atmospheric background and ominous vocals. Stunning acoustic guitar work, and another album highlight.

5. South Texas Girl
Along with 'I Will Rise Up,' this song ranks right up there with Lovett's best work. It's bookended with an old-timey performance of the chorus which drives home what an instant classic this is. My favorite line: "Now these days with car seats and open container laws / Social correctness leaves no room for Santa Claus." Unfortunately the album peaks here after only five songs, which is not to say in any way that the rest is disappointing — just that the standout tracks come early.

6. This Traveling Around
A lovely melody, though the lyric is quite simple. It's a mood setter. Some quick Googling confirmed something I suspected, which is that Lovett is a fan of and sometime collaborator with Lucinda Williams. Some of the songs on this album remind me of her recent work.

7. Up In Indiana
This one hasn't left a very strong impression on me after a few listens. It's more country than most songs on the album and it's certainly a fun listen, but it doesn't resonate like the tunes surrounding it. Which makes it a strange choice for a reprise — the final track is an "acoustic" version of the song that doesn't seem a whole lot different from this one to my ear.

8. The Alley Song
Lovely little tune that reminds me of 'Nobody Knows Me' from Large Band. I was surprised to learn from the liner notes that this song was written way back in 1980.

9. No Big Deal
My fourth favorite track on the album (for now). Very reminiscent of 'Good Intentions,' again from Large Band, though it was apparently written before that classic tune. The band is in fine form here, with fiddle and piano interplay I could listen to for hours.

10. Make It Happy
It sure sounds great, but I don't have a lot of patience for this song in general. It's sort of a cross between 'Penguins' and 'She's Hot to Go' but not as fun as either of those tracks. It is the track that best uses the full band, though, after 'I Will Rise Up.' So for that it earns some points.

11. Ain't No More Cane
A haunting and majestic performance of an old gospel classic. My fifth favorite performance here, and a stunning finale (I don't count the reprise of 'Up In Indiana' as part of the album proper). I love how all the singers get a turn at a verse — Lovett has always been a generous bandleader, and his music is so much the better for it.

Conclusion:
So, after just a few listens, I feel It's Not Big It's Large has already earned a spot alongside the dynamic duo — Lyle Lovett and His Large Band and Joshua Judges Ruth. It doesn't reach the heights of The Road to Ensenada (few albums do) but it's a work of art and a return to the Lyle Lovett I adore. Let's hear it for the long tall Texan!

The Lookout

Date: August 22
Location: Clifton Living Room

Along with Zodiac and Breach, this makes three smart, adult character-driven winners released in the first three months of the year (traditional dumping ground for low-expectation crap). Unfortunately, the timing probably means none of these films will be recognized come Oscar season. Writer and first-time director Scott Frank (who penned such classics as Get Shorty and Out of Sight) has delivered an award-worthy script and crafted a film that works as both a low-key heist thriller and a poignant character piece. The acting is wonderful across the board, including a haunting turn by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and scene-stealing work by Jeff Daniels (who really should be in every movie). Kudos to Mom for recalling British actor Matthew Goode from his work in Match Point — he's unrecognizable here as the sympathetically sinister antagonist. I had minor problems with some convenient turns at the climax, but nothing that would keep me from recommending this as one of the year's best films so far.

Fall 2007 Preview

So we're more than seven months into the year, and I've seen 21 films. That's a little less than three per month — not a bad average, but off the pace of one-per-week that I like as a yearly average. But it is the fall and winter that generally deliver the must-see films, and lots of them, so I should be able to hit my target by Oscar time.

Before looking at the films to come, I'll mention some films from earlier this year that I have in my NetFlix queue and hope to see soon on DVD (in order of preference): Once, Away From Her, Talk to Me, Grindhouse, Black Book, Waitress, La Vie en Rose, The Ten, The Hoax, Diggers, 2 Days in Paris, Disturbia, Curse of the Golden Flower, Bug, Smokin' Aces. So many movies, so little time.

Now, on to the fall. I'm basing this write-up on the films profiled in the Entertainment Weekly Fall Preview issue (#949/950). It's possible some of these titles might move to next year or titles not listed here might emerge.

SEPTEMBER

Movie I most want to see: The Kingdom. I've been hearing great things about this for awhile now. I love the cast (Chris Cooper, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman) and I was really impressed with Peter Berg's work on Friday Night Lights.

Most intriguing: Eastern Promises. David Cronenberg back in A History of Violence territory with Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts starring. Yeah, I think I'm interested.

Also of interest: 3:10 to Yuma (Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in a brooding hunk-off); The Brave One (didn't realize Neil Jordan helmed this Jodie Foster revenge flick); Lust, Caution (hard to go wrong with Ang Lee); Shoot 'Em Up (Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti slumming in a stylish, well, shoot 'em up).

Movies I'm wary of: Across the Universe (Julie Taymor certainly has a talent for visuals, but I get the feeling her Beatles-cover-album-on-film will be a big mess. On the other hand, it could be brilliant.); In the Valley of Elah (Looks like Oscar bait, but I ain't taking it... once bitten by Paul Haggis, twice shy).

OCTOBER

Movie I most want to see: The Darjeeling Limited. The latest from Wes Anderson... need I say more? OK, I'll say a little more. I'm thrilled to see Jason Schwartzman back in a Wes movie — he was so good in Rushmore. Bill Murray deserved his Oscar buzz for that film but Schwartzman should have been right there with him. I was very annoyed by the critical reaction to The Life Aquatic, a beautiful, bizarre, touching film that was roundly trashed for being too "quirky" for its own good. I love Owen Wilson's quote about Darjeeling: "Sometimes people focus on the eccentric stuff in Wes' films and the other stuff gets lost, that there's real emotion in his work. It's definitely there in this one." Well, I'm definitely there, too.

Most intriguing: Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Talk about the most unlikely sequel. But it makes a lot of sense, considering how rich a character this is. Love the trailer, and I'm happy to watch Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Clive Owen chew up the scenery.

Also of interest: The Heartbreak Kid (two words... Michelle Monaghan); Gone Baby Gone (two words... Michelle Monaghan; plus, I like Ben Affleck and it would be nice to see his directorial debut work); Michael Clayton (I love me some George Clooney, and I like the description of this as a throwback to the adult dramas of the 70s); Grace is Gone (I'd like to see John Cusack get some credit for his underrated acting); Things We Lost in the Fire (Halle Berry back in Oscar form with Benicio del Toro in tow).

Movies I'm wary of: Dan in Real Life (I love Carrell, but this looks like a bit of a Little Miss Sunshine wannabe); Lars and the Real Girl (Ryan Gosling in a comedy? About a man in love with a mannequin? Could be a disaster, or a classic); Reservation Road (looks a lot like a rewrite of 21 Grams, but I do love Mark Ruffalo and Joaquin Phoenix).

NOVEMBER

Movie I most want to see: No Country For Old Men. Another film by one (two) of my "hotties," as Dana calls them. The Coen Brothers got rave reviews at Cannes for this dark adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel. Along with Darjeeling, the movie I'm most looking forward to this year.

Most intriguing: American Gangster. I'm so there. Denzel Washington playing another charismatic bad guy, with Russell Crowe in pursuit. This looks really, really good.

Also of interest: Bee Movie (Seinfeld humor from the mouth of an insect... should be lots of fun); Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn doing his Vince Vaughn thing... talk about hotties!); Love in the Time of Cholera (wonderful book finally being adapted for the screen); Lions For Lambs (Cruise and Streep going toe-to-toe); Margot at the Wedding (Noah Baumbach's follow-up to the great Squid and the Whale, which seems to mine similar territory); The Kite Runner (everyone loves the book... maybe another Namesake?); Enchanted (looks like a ton of fun, and I think I'm on the verge of a major crush on Amy Adams).

Movies I'm wary of: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (I like the cast, but is it anything more than a Willy Wonka ripoff?); I'm Not There (bunch of different people — including Cate Blanchett — playing Bob Dylan at various points in his life and career... just weird enough to work?).

DECEMBER

Movie I most want to see: There Will Be Blood. Another hottie, Paul Thomas Anderson, delivering his first film in 5 years, and teaming up with Daniel Day Lewis, who is always so frighteningly good. I don't know much at all about this, but Anderson is a marvelous talent.

Most intriguing: The Golden Compass. I absolutely adore these books, and the cast they've assembled is dead-on. I'm a little worried by Nicole Kidman's comment that the film isn't at all anti-Catholic, because the blasting of organized religion is one of the series' strongest themes. But I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

Also of interest: Atonement (Joe Wright and Keira Knightley hit one out of the park with Pride and Prejudice — can they do it again with this great Ian McEwan book?); Leatherheads (George Clooney and Jim Krazinski — say no more); I Am Legend (Will Smith is always worth watching, and I'm intrigued by his comments about the dramatic elements of this movie); National Treasure: Book of Secrets (fun); Walk Hard (I laughed my ass off at the trailer... but probably a rental); Charlie Wilson's War (tempted to put this in the 'wary' category because Sorkin and politics can be an icky mix, but I trust Mike Nichols — not to mention Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman — to keep it real); The Great Debaters (could be the next Akeelah and the Bee); The Savages (trailer looked promising way back when) .

Movies I'm wary of: Sweeney Todd (Tim Burton might make a better art director than film director, but I'm curious to see Johnny Depp in a musical); The Bucket List (if Rob Reiner can return to the form of his first 7-8 films, this could be wonderful; if he stays in the rut he's been in since, it could be horrible).

Summer 2007: A retrospective

Update: As Amy points out in the comments section, I forgot to mention Hairspray in this write-up. So I actually saw 10 films this summer. And I would include Hairspray among the best of them. John Travolta and Nikki Blonsky deserve particular praise for their exuberant and touching performances as the Turnblad mother and daughter.

On May 8, I posted this entry listing the films I planned to see over the summer. I wound up seeing 9 of the 11 films mentioned (plus Spider-Man 3, which I saw right before making the list), eschewing Rush Hour 3 because it just looked bad and deciding Stardust could wait for video.

Five of the ten films were the third in a series. One was the fourth. One was the fifth. Not surprisingly, my favorite summer films were the others — the original screenplays. And while all of those sequels made a lot of money, most of them weren't very well-received by critics. I'd love to think Hollywood will learn a lesson and bankroll more original ideas, but alas, I'm sure we'll be looking at Shrek Comes Fourth or some such nonsense a year from now.

The big winner of the summer, and the year so far, is Ratatouille. This film clicks on every level — extraordinary visuals, a score that better win the Oscar, winning performances and an elegant screenplay. It's one of the best things Pixar has ever done, and that's saying a lot.

When I compile my favorite scenes of the year, no fewer than three from this film will make the list — Remy's ascent from the sewers to the roof of a building overlooking Paris, his first time in Gusteau's kitchen where he is nearly discovered a half-dozen times but can't bring himself to leave without perfecting the soup and Anton Ego's flashback upon tasting the title dish plus his subsequent review.

The other star of summer was Knocked Up — as consistently funny a movie as I've seen in a decade. This movie is so chock full of hilarious performances it almost seems unfair to the rest of Hollywood. The work of Ryan Seacrest, Kristen Wiig, Alan Tudyk, Ken Jeong and Craig Robinson alone could make for a decent comedy, and that leaves out the two leads and six main supporting characters, every one of whom is priceless.

Those are the two films I know will make my year-end top ten list, probably even top five depending on what fall brings.

Of the rest, I most enjoyed The Bourne Ultimatum, which sewed up that excellent franchise with another brainy, balls-to-the-wall adrenaline-feuled installment. And Superbad, younger brother of Knocked Up, capped the summer off with some big laughs and a real sweet streak.

If they gave out Oscars by season, my Summer Awards would look like this:

Best Picture: Ratatouille
Best Director: Brad Bird - Ratatouille
Best Actress: Katherine Heigl - Knocked Up
Best Actor: Matt Damon - The Bourne Ultimatum
Best Supporting Actor: Paul Rudd - Knocked Up
Best Supporting Actress: Leslie Mann - Knocked Up
Best Original Screenplay: Ratatouille
Best Adapted Screenplay: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Next up... the Fall Preview.

Superbad

Date: August 18
Location: AMC Sunset Place

This is a tough one for me to review and rank. I came out mildly disappointed based on the absolute raves I'd been reading, but at the same time I really loved many parts of the film and I laughed my ass off throughout. Michael Cera is absolute gold, and I'm planning to dive into the Arrested Development DVDs ASAP just to enjoy more of his brilliant comic timing. Jonah Hill plays the more obnoxious character, but he has moments of weakness that resonate. The subplot with McLovin and the crazed cops distracts from what is so hilarious and real between the main characters, but it works most of the time as pure comedy. Overall, I think the film suffers in comparison to Knocked Up, which was consistently funnier and didn't have some of the over-the-top elements that feel forced here. And it is not in the same realm as Dazed and Confused, a true classic that is only now gaining the reputation it deserves. I've seen Superbad compared to Dazed, as well as Fast Times at Ridgemont High and the best of John Hughes. I think that last comparison is the most apt -- Superbad reminds me of a blend of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Sixteen Candles. And that's nothing to sneeze at. There's an underlying sweet sadness in this film (not to mention a fair bit of homoeroticism) in how it deals with the special friendships between young men, especially young men who are high school outsiders. That's where it succeeds the most, and it's that theme as well as some great belly-laughs, that push it up my list despite the dampening effect of too-high expectations.