The
filmspotting noir marathon started out very strong. I was loving every movie. But the last two films left me a bit cold. The
Asphalt Jungle is very famous, directed by John Huston ("Prizzi's Honor"), nominated for four Oscars, but I couldn't get into it. It's very well done. The cinematography is gorgeous, but I just didn't care about any of the characters, or even the story really. Maybe because this is a heist film instead of a detective story. And I don't always enjoy a heist. But at least all of the women weren't evil. So that's a plus. But at the same time, there wasn't a femme fatale.
I enjoyed
Kiss Me Deadly a bit more. Possibly because it was so strange. Detective Mike Hammer picks up a scantily clad female hitchhiker. She asks him to remember her if she doesn't make it. So when their car is overtaken, leaving her dead and him unconscious, he sets out to unravel the mystery. Though I can't say I really liked any of the characters in this film, either, I was at least intrigued by their stories. And the ending is very bizarre.
Akeelah and the Bee is a pretty much by-the-numbers drama about a girl from a poor urban neighborhood who tries to win the National Spelling Bee. And though I could see every plot point coming from a mile off, I still enjoyed it. Keke Palmer ("Medea's Family Reunion") is super precious as Akeelah and Lawrence Fishburne ("Bobby") keeps the teacher role from becoming terribly cliched. This would be excellent family viewing.
Though Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream")'s
The Fountain totally tanked at the box office, I was immediately drawn into it visually. Then I found myself emotionally invested in the story as well. Though I'm not sure exactly which parts were meant to be story and which parts were real life, it didn't matter. Hugh Jackman ("Happy Feet") totally sells every minute of each story. And did I mention the stunning visuals?