Category: Film

Interesting critique of Wes Anderson’s films, though I happen to love the Futura! (via Haughey)

This is cool: they’re auctioning off some of the props from the other must-see film of the season, Wes Anderson’s Royal Tenenbaums. These would make nice Christmas presents!

Leave it to the Globe and Mail (“Canada’s National Newspaper”) to print a cranky review of Fellowship of the Ring. Reviews elsewhere have been almost universally great. I probably won’t get to see it until at least the weekend, but if you’ve seen it, what are your thoughts?

Yesterday, I watched not one, but two sweeping historical biopics. In the afternoon, I watched Patton (1970), starring George C. Scott. In the evening, it was Gandhi (1982), with Ben Kingsley. Two men, both warriors of a sort, but completely different in their aims and methods. Patton was like a Roman general, and since he believed in reincarnation, might have thought he was one. Gandhi was a sort of Christ-like figure, absorbing suffering and injustice and turning it to good. Both were great performances, but I was disappointed that in neither film did I ever feel I got inside the subject’s head, to see their motivations, their struggles, their humanity. You’d think that three hours would be enough time to tell a story that had more than just events in it. I guess this is why we still have books!

The weekend was spent in front of the tube, watching old movies. This is probably a pre-emptive strike against the sort of frantic last-minute shopping I’ll have to do for the next couple of weekends. I’m also behind on several other projects, so my guilt has officially kicked in. Friday night we enjoyed The Lady Eve (1941), starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, directed and written by Preston Sturges. Saturday night was Charade (1963), starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, and directed by Stanley Donen. I’ve been in an old movie mood lately, and just today picked up On the Waterfront (1954), which joins other recent vintage DVD purchases The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) and Casablanca (1942). A few months ago, I mentioned that out of the AFI Top 100 Films list, I’d seen 33, and Brooke 50. Now I’m wondering how many I’ve seen (OK, I checked: 40). Or how many of the Best Picture Oscar™ winners I’ve seen (OK, I checked: 26). How about you? Are you as film-obsessed as me?