I just got home from watching The Graduate at the Lincoln Film Center. They are having a few Anne Bancroft days and Mike Nichols (the director) was there afterwards for a Q&A. I love New York.

The film is obviously pure genius and it was nice to see it on the big screen for once. The Q&A was absolutely hilarious. Mike Nichols is a very funny and quite humble guy. He was full of stories about the casting and shooting of The Graduate. He basically said that they had absolutely no idea about anything at the time. It was only his second movie and he had just gotten to L.A. and was awestruck by everything and everyone. So cute! He said that Ava Gardner (who he loved) was really interested in the role and called him so that she could play the part but insisted that he would say that he called her. But she just wasn’t right for the role.

Of course there were questions about the music. As far as I know, this was the first movie to use popular music instead of a classical score (at least that’s what I remember learning at film school, I could be wrong). Nichols said that his brother had given him a Simon & Garfunkel CD as a present and that he was listening to it everyday while shooting the film. At one point he just thought “this is perfect!” Apparently they needed one last song for the scene where Ben (Dustin Hoffmann) breaks into the Robinson’s house and Nichols didn’t like the stuff that S&G came up with. He asked if they had anything else and after a little bit they came back with the famous song “Mrs. Robinson” which they had originally written as “Mrs. Roosevelt.”

There was one question from the audience about if it was intentional that Dustin Hoffmann is jewish and Anne Bancroft isn’t but Nichols said it wasn’t. The only thing that was intentional about it was that he had to be different from the normal Beverly Hills boys.

Well that was my evening and I thought, I’d share it with you guys.

It happens very rarely that I absolutely fall in love with a movie but tonight was one of these scarce occasions. I have literally just come home from the cinema so I am still completely “in” the film and haven’t really processed it. But I thought just this once I want to write a review that is completely subjective.

Normally I only feel that connected to films if they somehow remind me of my life or myself which really isn’t the case with A Single Man. In fact it couldn’t be further away from me. I am obviously not a gay middle-aged man who has lost the love of his life and is about to commit suicide and has some sort of sexual interest in my student. But there was something deeper then the visible story that I connected with. It had a lot to do with Colin Firth’s excellent performance as George. I thought it was an extraordinary moment when he picked up the phone and gets the news of his lovers death. The camera stayed so close (too close, really) on Firth that there was no way to fake the emotion. I am very aware of the fact that for some people it is very easy to cry on command but that is not what Firth was doing. He wasn’t just crying, he was truly but quietly suffering. One of my teachers (George Loros (The Sopranos)) always says that we shouldn’t show all of the emotion that we are feeling and that holding back tears can be more powerful then completely braking down (which he calls emotional masturbation). And for this movie that is absolutely true. This moment (others as well but this in particular) made the character so real to me and I think that is what I could connect with.

A big part of A Single Man is its beauty. It is just unbelievably gorgeous. Like one photograph next to another. Or maybe it is a bit like looking at Vogue Magazine (which I thoroughly enjoy doing, they have stunning photos). But it wasn’t just beautifully framed, the really interesting aspect of it was the saturation of the color. The more pain George feels, the less saturation the picture has and the happier he is, the fuller the color gets. It is done in a very subtle way, not “in your face,” some people might not even notice it and that makes it perfect. Obviously the fashion in this movie is perfect. Firth is wearing gorgeous suits all through the film, Moore gets to wear a truly fabulous dress and even though Hoult is wearing a slightly outrageous outfit, it still looks great. It was always obvious in his Fashion that Tom Ford (who directed this movie) has a real eye for beauty but it is still very surprising that his first film is that stunning. I hope he will continue making films.

The title really does explain the movie. It can not only be read as a single man (instead of being in a couple) but the film is actually about one single man. Everyone else is a side character. I am not even sure what Julianne Moore is doing on the film poster. She doesn’t have a bigger role then anybody else. She is just more famous than Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult. (Hoult is really making it by the way. I just remember him as the boy in About a Boy but we just finished watching the British TV-series Skins and he has a major role in it. I am sure we will see more of him soon!)

I could easily go back to the cinema now and watch the movie again. Or maybe just dress up to the nines with lots of make-up, light up a cigarette and have some gin or whiskey (even though I don’t smoke and don’t really drink gin or whiskey and come to think of it, I don’t even normally wear make-up or fancy clothes) and just listen to a record and enjoy the rest of the evening. Because even though the film is ultimately very sad I went away with a happy feeling. The feeling of having fallen in love with a movie. It happens…once in a while.

Sherlock Holmes

The much anticipated Sherlock Holmes has been criticized a lot on other blogs. I wanted to see it for myself though because the trailer looked very promising. But I have to agree, it is not a brilliant film.

Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes) is very well casted. He always seems quick witted and he is a bit of a bad boy. Perfect. Jude Law (Dr. Watson) would not have been who I would have casted but he is really good in the role. The slightly homosexual chemistry between the two works very well. The way it is filmed is quite nice. It has a dark and mysterious feel to it. What I didn’t like was that the fighting scenes with Holmes were always shown twice. Once in slow motion where Holmes is planning what he will do and knows exactly what impact it will have on the other person and then its shown again when he executes his plan. This would have been fine if he had failed once or something unexpected would have happened once. This way it was just a waste of time.

What really killed the film was the plot. It was boring, long and everything was foreseeable. Holmes also never had a moment where he actually figures something out in front of the camera. He always already knows everything. In my view, this film had everything going for it, it just wasn’t well told. This seems to be the problem with a lot of the recent films. Or maybe we, as a society, have seen too many films already and nothing can really surprise us anymore. I surely hope not though!

It’s Complicated

You might think that this is a strange mixture for a double feature but I can explain it: We planned to watch The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnussus as a second film but it was screened on another floor and we couldn’t sneak into it. It’s Complicated was the only other film starting at that time. Obviously I am not the target audience for this film at all and from the first time I saw the preview for it I thought it would be a horrible film. So why did we go into the screening anyway? I am a movie geek, what can I say.

To my complete surprise it turned out to be a really sweet and funny film. Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Aec Baldwin) have been divorced for ten years and Jake is remarried to a much younger woman. Jane has come to terms with her life as a single woman and has no real interest in meeting men anymore. At their son’s graduation Jane and Jake somehow end up sleeping together which then turns into a full blown affair. At the same time Jane’s architect Adam (Steve Martin) start courting her.

Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin are really fun in this movie. Baldwin surprised me a lot. He does comedy really well and is perfectly casted. Even though he is playing an unsympathetic guy, he is still likable. Steve Martin is a very strange choice for this role. He is very serious and straight. Not his normal goofy self. I had no idea he could be serious. Although he looks like he has been lifted which is a bit strange. The trio works well together. John Krasinski as Meryl Streeps son in law is also hilarious. Although he has been in a lot of movies that I have seen, I didn’t really notice him until I saw Away We Go. He is great though and  I am hoping to see him in more films as a leading character soon.

The plot itself is rather uninteresting. I have seen this exact story in plenty of other films. But It’s Complicated gets some points for being entirely about people in their 50’s and 60’s. I am sure that there are films about that age group but I really can’t remember one right now.  Even though its not a perfectly made film, it is fun to watch and I know plenty of people (who are more the target audience then I am) who would enjoy watching it.

There are a lot movies that I have watched in the past few weeks that I haven’t reviewed yet. Mainly out of time reasons. I do try to write about all the films that I watch at the cinema but I can’t always keep up with my Netflix movies. So here are a few very short reviews.

What a great reason to test out my new rating system:

Love Actually This is a movie I have to watch at least every Christmas. I love pretty much everything about it. British cinema at its best! I don’t think I have to say anything else about it because you have all seen it. If you haven’t then what are you waiting for?

Paper Heart Recommended by David from Hoping for Something to Hope for, I really enjoyed watching this indie mocumentary. The main characters Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera (both playing themselves) make a very cute couple and their fictional love story goes well with the real interviews. It is a very cute film but won’t become one of my favorites.

The History Boys This is a fun film about a British all boys school. A few boys are preparing for their interviews at Oxford University with much help from their teachers. It is a sweet film but there are better films about all boys (or all girls) schools.

The Girl on the Bridge A beautiful and odd French film about a young women trying to commit suicide and being rescued by a man who turns out to be a Knife Thrower. Together they go on a journey to discover themselves and each other. It is a very unusual and wonderfully made movie.

The Way We Were A classic that I have only just watched for the first time. I think it is different to grow up with it but I really liked the story and the characters. I would have wished for a different ending though.

La Moustache This is a truly strange movie about a man who shaves off his mustache and to his surprise no one notices. People around him even deny the fact that he ever had a mustache. Honestly, that is the plot! I really liked it until the man goes off to Hong Kong and completely loses his mind (Or did I lose my mind watching it?).

Hideous Kinky Since Kate Winslet is in this movie, I have seen it a couple of times before. But a long time ago. I love the feel of the movie. I have never been to Morocco but I can almost taste the air when watching this film.

Postcards from the Edge Even though Meryl Streep plays the main character in this, the movie is completely forgettable. It’s not a bad film, it’s just not special in any way and the editing is awful and in my eyes ruins a movie that could otherwise be kinda fun.

My Cousin Vinny This is a surprisingly humorous film about two boys who through some misunderstanding face the death sentence for murder. One of the boys cousins, Vinny, just passed the bar and tries his best to defend them. It is simple but laugh out loud funny.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Tim Burton Rocks!

This is him at his finest.

Eyes of Laura Mars A dark murder mystery about a woman who takes fashion photos of murder scenes that haven’t happened yet. She starts getting visions while the murders happen. It’s well made, well acted and mysterious enough to have kept my attention. It reminded me a lot of Peeping Tom though.

mce_markerA new year, a new MovieNess feature. I have decided to introduce a rating system. It is based on the Netflix rating system: 1-5 Stars, including half stars. Obviously, I wanted to make it a bit more fun than that, so here it goes:

A film strip with movie stars! This would be 5 stars (loved it!):

Two and a half stars (it was ok):

Zero stars (hated it!):

Should be easy enough to understand Let me know what you think about it!

Happy New Year Everybody!

For next year I hope, for all of us, that it will be a better Movie Year!

Top 5

Number 5. Julie and Julia

Number 4. Fantastic Mr. Fox

Number 3. Whatever Works

Number 2. District 9

And Number 1. goes to Up in 3D

To read my posts about the movies, please click on their titles…

I am sorry, I’m so behind in writing posts. I have 21 unfinished posts in my waiting list and dozens that I haven’t even started writing…

I kept seeing posters of District 9 around without knowing what they were promoting but I was so fascinated by them that I even took a picture. What a great marketing idea!

The film itself really impressed me as well. It is really criticism of society today and how people deal with each other, disguised as a fun and action loaded alien film. The premise is: In 1990 a UFO stopped right above Johannesburg, South Africa (not USA, for once!) and hasn’t moved since. The aliens on the ship are rather rough, not very intelligent and nicknamed “Prawns”. They are kept away from the humans, in District 9, which quickly turns into slums. Gangs from around the area start dealing and trading with the Prawns (cat food, mostly) and it is a bad situation for everyone involved. The organization Multi-National United decides that the Prawns need to be moved outside of Johannesburg and put Wikus van der Merwe in charge.

Of course, the movie goes on to another story but you should watch it to find out what happens.

Even though I am not usually one for watching action films, I thought District 9 was pure genius! It is filmed in a documentary style which gives it a certain realism and the audience feels like this is all really happening. What also adds to this sensation is that the actors are unknown, which I obviously always support…

District 9 definitely deserves a MovieCat award for being extremely original and humorous.

While spending a wonderful weekend in Chicago and the countryside of Illinois, we just had to go to a Drive-In cinema. And what luck: They were showing a double feature of Hitchcock’s The Birds and Psycho. I have never been to a Drive-In before and I enjoyed myself immensely. There were many people that came really prepared with chairs and blankets and food and drinks. Lots of people parked their cars the wrong way around and sat in their big booths. Quite a few people sat on top of their cars. There was even a diner where you could get burgers, sweets and sodas. What a fun night!

The Birds and Psycho were, of course, great. I had seen both of them before but it was fun to watch them with this kind of crowd. Everyone kept yelling things at the screen which was funny. I was surprised at the end of the birds (I couldn’t really remember it). It just ends so suddenly with all of them driving away. At first we thought the projectionist had screwed up and ended it too soon.

It started raining through Psycho which was spooky since it was during the scene where the girl is driving in a panic through the rain. Very fitting…

Sorry that I am not writing very much lately. It is a very busy time and I haven’t really been watching many films (am re-watching Lost in the evenings to calm down…). Hopefully I will have more time to watch and write again soon!

The new Sam Mendes film Away We Go is unlike any of his other films. It is (or seems) very low budget and also low key. It actually feels a bit like a side project that he wanted to do for himself rather than to make money.

Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) are counting on Burt’s parents help when Verona unexpectedly gets pregnant. Unfortunately, the parents decide that this would be the best time to realize their dreams and move to Belgium. With them gone, Burt and Verona have no reason to stay at their old house and now have the freedom to chose a new place to live and to raise the child. The take a trip to a few different places where they have family or friends to find their new home.

It is an unusual road trip with beautiful characters and funny and heartwarming dialogues. Away We Go really is a wonderful movie. I have never seen either of the main actors before (or at least I am not aware of it) and thought they were both great. Both of them have a certain “normal” and slightly “jaded” but nicely quirky quality to them that makes them very accessible to the audience. Most of the supporting roles are well known, such as, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeff Daniels, Melanie Lynskey and Paul Schneider. I love the mix of famous and new actors this way. Normally the lead actors are well known and the side charters are played by new actors, so this is fun.

Away We Go deserves a MovieCat award for being a truly beautiful love story.

Brilliant. An instant classic. Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David) is what you would normally call a grumpy old man but what he himself calls a genius who sees the bigger picture. He is divorced, living alone wanting to be isolated from all the imbeciles in the world when the young woman Melodie (Evan Rachel Wood) shows up at his doorstep, begging him to let her stay for a few nights. She has run away  from her family in Mississippi to start a new life in New York. Despite Boris treating her like she is an idiot, and despite the age and IQ difference, Melodie falls in love with Boris and they end up getting married. Everything is going well until Melodie’s mother unexpectedly pays them a visit…

Woody Allen has done it again: a theatrical masterpiece that is so wonderfully amusing through its intelligent dialogue and Boris’ never-ending ranting about society and religion. Melodie brings an unexpected innocence into the equation which disrupts Boris’ life completely. It seems like Woody Allen has moved away from his European way of filmmaking right back into his New York comedies.

Whatever Works definitely deserves a MovieCat award!