a filmblog

Under discussion:

Nancy Drew  (2007)

Simple, clean lines with sporadic bursts of color. Like the vintage clothing she makes herself, Nancy Drew is a peculiar case just waiting to be solved. Seemingly existing in a world deeply hidden within our own in which teenagers barely able to drive are more than capable of scaling building, detail classic cars, willingly engage in intelligent conversion devoid of chatspeak and concern themselves with helping and understanding the world around them, Nancy Drew is for lack of a better word, refreshing. Albeit rather inhibited and droll in certain parts, the film is not unlike it's protagonist: abrasive to those not on the same wavelength and curiously appealing in its personable idiosycrasies.

Under discussion:

Swoon  (1991)

Savage Grace  (2007)

Almost two decades after the stunningly beautiful Swoon, Tom Kalin makes his triumphant return to full-length feature filmmaking with Savage Grace. The scintillatingly perverse story of the Baekelands: Barbara (Julianne Moore), Brooks (Stephen Dillane) and Tony (Eddie Redmayne) struggling with their life of nonchalance and socializing with the glitterati around the world. Julianne Moore drives this uncomfortable yet enthralling depiction of a world without limits and societal mores, where Greek tragedy occurs before brunch and gritty true crime during cocktail hour.

Under discussion:

Otis  (2008)

An amalgam of daytime soap opera and 80's horror, Otis accepts its B-movie heritage and goes completely gaga with it. Despite an all too familiar story, it works: a fat, lonely nerd goes crazy after being traumatized in high school and builds a dungeon in his decrepit home to torture buxom blonde nymphettes that he abducts while delivering pizzas. Once their daughter Riley has fallen prey to Otis, Will (Daniel Stern), Kate (Illeana Douglas) and their son Reed (Jared Kusnitz) decide to take some revenge on the psychopath and hilarity ensues. Drags in some parts but the soapy dialogue (particularly every word by Illeana Douglas) is more than reason enough to give it a chance.

Under discussion:

Jumper  (2008)

Owing in large part to being on the cusp of Generation X & Y and having that slacker mentality emblazoned on my soul, Jumper seemed to perfectly appeal to my flights of fancy and kept me excited from start to end. Simple story (undoubtedly too much so for some) and loaded with action and effects that keep you mesmerized, not skeptical, drive this film about a young man discovering that he has the ability to teleport anywhere in the world and using it to do whatever, whenever, he wants.

Under discussion:

The Lather Effect  (2006)

After marinating on The Lather Effect and the indifference it conjured upon viewing, I was going to write a rather glib review until the DVD clicked over to the Extras section and I am now forced to pontificate on its contents rather than the film. Umm, WHAT?!? Never has the bonus features included on a DVD made me instantly despise someone (in this instance the director/screenwriter and crew) for being so utterly imbecilic (I'm biting my tongue) and patronizing to the viewer. Literally can't find the words and am just going to say "Boo!" to this film for fear of the endless rant I sense myself approaching.

Under discussion:

Boarding Gate  (2007)

Continuing his exploration of the perversely intriguing depths of the black market and its smorgasbord of kinky sex, drugs and the occasional murder, Olivier Assayas' Boarding Gate follows the coyly alluring Sandra (Asia Argento) and the globe-spanning shenanigans she gets involved in on her quest to escape her past and begin anew as a Beijing nightclub owner. Captivating with its lavish locales and generous sprinkling of fetishistic sex, slightly hampered by its vague beginning and even more so ending.

Under discussion:

Sex and the City  (2008)

Without a prior investment in the lives of the characters that inhabit the spastic world of Sex and the City, attempting to view the feature film will undoubtedly be rather disappointing. Following the lives of four women maneuvering the pratfalls of single life in the big city, the Sex and the City series was smart, witty and laden with inappropriate behavior that influenced a wide array of people to let loose, have a drink and speak openly about sex. Gathering a cult following, the series culminated with a fantastical fairy tale inspired ending that pleased most and left others wanting more. In this paean to the series, the film follows the boisterous quartet of ladies for another year of their lives to see if the storybook endings were really in fact that. Equally cliched and heartfelt, perverted and romantic, Sex and the City is the perfect conclusion to such an iconic show.