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Under discussion:

Colossus: The Forbin Project  (1970)

This may be the perfect Cold War / technology-paranoid film. There's nothing extra, and no relief offered. I was pretty sure I knew the outcome by the time the President explained what "Colossus" was supposed to do. But that didn't make the relatively short trip to doom uninteresting. The acting is pretty good, though not spectacular, but what really makes the film is the brilliant twist on science out of control, with two computers working togeyher, like two people who meet by accident, and find themselves to be kindred spirits. The film can also be read as a backhanded argument for cooperation between the Cold War rivals, and also as an endictment of anyone's ambitions to do good in the world. The final speech by Colossus could have been written by a staunch libertarian about any modern welfare state. I disagree with the implications, but the film is good enough to make the point worth considering.

Under discussion:

Film Name  Production Year

Frozen River  (2008)

I wrote this email to a friend, about Frozen River, filmed in my backyard ...

"I finally watched it. Wow. This is a really great film!

I can understand why some local Native Americans don't like it. The depiction of reservation life is not flattering. This is especially true, I think, if the Native Americans who were at the screening really buy into or want to believe that reservation society is really quite noble. The movie depicts aspects of official reservation power structure as being fairly corrupt ... the bingo parlors, and the fact that they condone families stealing babies from disfavored family members. The smugglers are the closest things to good guys, yet they are the bad guys of the reservation ... or at least they are looked down upon.

Then there's the fact that the white woman who upped the ante on the smuggling ... arguably getting the native woman in worse trouble ... ended up a selfless hero. That's gotta be a bit irritating to Native sensibilities.

On the ot her side ...

The movie beautifully depicts that poor is poor. The white woman's troubles weren't all that different from the natives' troubles. Family problems and money pretty much accounts for all of it. That's what made these two women such good partners and friends, even though they started out as adversaries.

Other observations:

- I'm not sure, but I think the actor who played Lila was fantastic. Its hard to tell, since the character is so low-key, but I think she did a great job.

- Ray's older son was great, too.

- I really wanted to know more about why Lila's mother-in-law took her child. But I'm glad they left that vague.

- One thing they didn't do very well was sell the idea that Lila was anti-white. Though, I do think it was very significant when she said several times that they wouldn't be stopped ... and if stopped, it would be alright ... because Ray was white. "Remember, you're white!" I wanted to say, "Yeah, but you aren't!"

- Another group that could be offended by this movie ... French Canadians! I mean, their contacts on the other side were pretty sleazy, no?

- I love the local authenticity ... Route 37, "the Moira Road", Tom Messner doing the weather on Channel 5.

Anyway, the whole thing was pretty damned awesome!"

Under discussion:

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian  (2008)

The fatal flaw in this second installment in the Chronicles of Narnia series is the completely unnecessary addition of a sort of love story between Caspian and Susan. It's not at all even hinted at in the book, and adds nothing to the movie. In fact, it overshadows and ruins what would otherwise have been a fairly decent depiction of one of my favorite of the Narnia books. "Dawn Treader" could be outstanding, or horrible.

Under discussion:

Some Girls  (1988)

Some Girls is light but tasty entertainment covering a rich center. It's fun to spot Patrick Dempsey, Jennifer Connelly, and Sheila Kelley early in their careers, and Michael is one lucky guy to be pursued by such beautiful, if perplexing, young women. But the real core of the story involves granny, who in her dementia connects with Michael, and affects him in ways as surprising to us as to him.

Under discussion:

Film Name  Production Year

Let the Right One In  (2008)

I waited for over a week after I received Let The Right One In through Netflix before actually watching it. I liked what I'd heard about the premise ... a boy on the cusp of adolescence befriends a new neighbor girl on the verge of maturity ... who turns out to be a vampire. Oh, and it takes place in Sweden. That last bit really intrigued me, but then intimidated me. Well, I needn't have worried, because the dialog is almost unnecessary, and spare enough to make the subtitles easy to follow. And by all means, don't watch the dubbed version; it sounds silly. All you really need to know is the setup. Still, you might want to be prepared for some grisly violence. Probably more disturbing is the fact that the story is really about bullying and revenge.

Under discussion:

Film Name  Production Year

Rachel Getting Married  (2008)

I know this is supposed to be a family that loves one another despite a devastating interpersonal history, but I fell just short of buying that they could pull it together over and over again after such cataclysmic arguments. Still, I loved every minute, and the background pastiche of cultures was stunning and refreshing.

Under discussion:

Film Name  Production Year

Happy-Go-Lucky  (2008)

I'd like to know a Poppy. As Director Mike Leigh says in the DVD commentary, "I wish that I'd been taught in elementary school by teachers like Poppy. I think I'd be a better person for it if I had been. And I'm sure you feel the same."

Under discussion:

Sunshine  (2007)

28 Weeks Later  (2007)

Sunshine is a great film from nearly every angle, but for me, it's all about a handful of shots of Rose Byrne's character dealing with ... the stuff they're all dealing with on that spacecraft.

For the record, pretty much the same is true of Rose Byrne in 28 Weeks Later.

Under discussion:

Role Models  (2008)

I work in the non-profit, human services field. While the movie Role Models is far from brilliant overall, I loved the funny, unnervingly specific depiction of a particular kind of non-profit "guru" ... pulled off with obvious relish by Jane Lynch's "Gayle Sweeney", director of the "Sturdy Wings" mentoring program. First of all, this is a dead-on depiction of the kind of person who constantly drops what they think are clever, meaning-filled aphorisms which are, in fact, quite lame and sometimes utterly devoid of actual meaning. Second, I love the subtle implication that the entire "Sturdy Wings" agency is in part simply a racket to give this loser some kind of living and position in the community. Third, she's not a villain, she means well. And we see no evidence that she does any real harm, whatever her motives and capabilities might be.

This is a stunningly true portrayal of a type of person we rarely see depicted in cinema.