Dark Corners started out as a pretty interesting horror movie with Thora Birch ("Train") playing dual roles as a depressed, poor woman having beautiful dreams and a wealthy, happy woman having nightmares. They seemed to be dreaming each other's lives. And then it just descended into making zero sense and plausibility. I don't mind bending the rules of space and time. But there needs to be something I can hold onto as possible.
Gran Torino gives us Clint Eastwood ("Million Dollar Baby") at his grizzled best. Eastwood stars as a grumpy old racist man living in a changing neighborhood. He starts getting close to his Hmong neighbors who change his outlook as he tries to keep them out of trouble. Besides Eastwood, the acting of the unknowns in the film is atrocious. But the story is so good, that I mostly overlooked that. And I enjoy Eastwood as a director. He doesn't waste time. All the shots are important and further the story. If this is truly Eastwood's final acting performance, then this is a good one to end with. But I hope he keeps directing for many more years.
Another in the Filmspotting Angry Young Men Marathon, If... just confirms that I don't like this genre. A very young Malcolm McDowell ("Bolt") stars as a disgruntled, head-in-the-clouds, authority hating teen at a boarding school. As the term wears on, McDowell and his friends rebel against some older bullies and the teachers backing them. And a full-fledged war develops. There are some very surreal sequences as well. These supossedly emphasize the absurdness of the society and school. I just didn't enjoy it.
Persepolis is an animated coming-of-age story of an imaginative Iranian girl during and after the Islamic Revolution. I really enjoyed the black and white animation. Very dramatic. And the story. It was funny, informative and heart-breaking. I don't know much about the Islamic Revolution, but this story, based on the life of cowriter/codirector Marjane Satrapi, shows the long-lasting effects on one family. Very good.
And then I rewatched Silence of the Lambs. I don't know what to say about it that hasn't already been said. It still rocks. It's still tense even though I know exactly what's coming. Anthony Hopkins ("Beowolf") is perfect and not over the top. Jodie Foster ("Nim's Island") is all young and determined to prove herself. I love it!