The Kingdom, Hotel Chevalier, The Condemned

The Kingdom - I was hooked from the opening - a watered down time table of terrorism since the 1930's all told in about 4 minutes. Excellent opening. I wish I could say the same about the entire movie. The Kingdom definitely has its moments of solid, good story telling and filmmaking. Unfortunately, it has its bad moments as well, including a horrible ending. The cast is pretty solid and led by Jamie Foxx who is usually hit or miss for me. This time he's a hit. His character is charming and cocky... two things I'm pretty sure Foxx are as well. So he plays it easily. He's joined by the always wonderful Chris Cooper and the adorable Jennifer Garner. Also starring one of my movie star boyfriends Jason Bateman (let's not even talk about his few final scenes on film... my heart almost couldn't stand it!). Anyway, they go to Saudi Arabia to avenge and investigate the death of a friend even though the government tells them not to go. They aren't met with wide open arms and at first they can do nothing but look at the crime scene - no investigation, no touching of evidence, nothing. Director Peter Berg goes way overboard with the hand-held cameras and quick edits to simulate hyper action. There were way too many close ups where eyeballs took up half the screen. It wants to be Syriana but it's too watered down to be Syriana. Plus, near the end it turns more into a video game than anything else. Even though I was totally invested in the movie from the start, it lost me at the end and left me with a sour feeling. It absolutely feels like an anti-terrorist video game where the government is sent in to kill as many terrorists as possible. Dodging bullets, avoiding rockets, shooting terrorists in the head, frantic gun shots in a hallway. It was a bit much. As a filmmaker Berg could have redeemed himself and his message but instead he took the low road. The movie ends with a nugget of advice being passed down from both the Americans and the Saudis: "Kill all of them." Wonderful message. Still, it wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen. Still, the first half was solid. Still, I love Jason Bateman who is always funny and reliable, no matter how much the material around him sucks.

Grade: C

Hotel Chevalier - There's really not much you can say about a 13 minute short film. You may or may not know that it is the prelude to The Darjeeling Limited. It was written and directed by Wes Anderson and it stars Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman. It's a really wonderful little short that serves to introduce us to one of the main characters of Darjeeling, Jack (Schwartzman), a rich broken hearted man living in a Paris hotel. He's soon joined in his room by his ex-girlfriend (Portman) and they come face to face with their pain and feelings for each other. Anderson says its necessary to see this to understand Darjeeling... I don't really understand why but you should still see it anyway. It's short and sweet and shot beautifully. It's got a great tone, a great soundtrack and great dialogue. There's little actually said but there are a lot of hints at what the story might actually be. It captures a particular feel the way any good short story/film does. It's all pure Anderson - dead pan, melancholy, hurtful. It's like a perfect snapshot of a relationship. Schwartzman's performance is stronger than Portman's but she's still great as well. Plus, she gets mostly nude. I'm sure, if nothing else, that will entice some people to see this short.

Grade: B+

The Condemned - Again, I've seen worse movies. The story follows a rich television producer who decides to branch out and use the internet to show his new endeavor: 10 death row inmates and killers put together on an island. They all must try to kill each other because only one can win... and that person will be set free. It's not a terribly bad idea for a movie actually. Or a reality show. I sort of, kind of feel like I would probably watch it. Anyway, the idea isn't terrible but the execution mostly is. If you are a fan of wrestling or action movies then you'll probably like this movie. It's got a lot of Steve Austin and a lot of fights and action sequences. The movie isn't trying to be Shakespeare or intellectual. The fight scenes are sometimes choppy and hard to see. The plot is predictable. Oh, plus Vinnie Jones is in it and I love him! He's really wonderful even in a movie like this which is mostly crap. It's mostly a waste of time and money. Now, on to the acting. What acting?! Steve Austin should stick to wrestling. Again, Vinnie Jones is the only really doing anything remotely resembling acting. The cinematography is lacking. The violence is extreme and repetitive. Plus the movie is two hours long and it feels like 4, at least.

Grade: D-

Good Luck Chuck, Eastern Promises

Good Luck Chuck - When you say to yourself, "Wow. This movie is a waste of Jessica Alba's talent," you know there is something wrong in the world. Why, you ask? Well, Jessica Alba really has no talent unless looking hot is a talent. And it's very, very sad when even the tiny, little, itty bit of talent that she possesses is wasted in a movie that's so bad I can't even believe it was made. Some ideas are good and the execution is so bad that the movie becomes bad as well. This movie is just a bad idea. It's got bad execution, bad script, bad performances, bad EVERYTHING. The movie follows Charlie (Dane Cook - his character is only really called Chuck, like, twice during the whole movie) who gets hexed at a Spin the Bottle / Seven Minutes in Heaven party because he won't show his penis to the goth girl. The hex? Well, every girl that sleeps with him will find the man of her dreams right after dumping him. While Charlie's annoying best friend Stu (Dan Fogler - who may be the single most annoying / unfunny person in the history of cinema) thinks this hex is really a blessing, Charlie disagrees. Especially after he meets clumsy but cute Cam (Alba) at a wedding and falls for her instantly. Blah, blah, blah, stupid jokes, bad plot points and cliche writing ensue. I don't really think I laughed once during the entire movie. I think I would find a root canal funnier and more entertaining than this movie. It's almost torturous it's so bad (although not quite as bad as Captivity... because, really, that's just hard). This movie is literally one of the worst romantic comedies I have ever seen. It is neither romantic nor funny in any remote way. Jessica Alba plays a clumsy girl and it seems like every scene she is in is set up so that she can walk into something or trip over something or do something else stupid. And her acting? My lord. The only thing worse than her acting is Dane Cook's acting. Is his "acting career" over yet? News flash - Dane Cook is NOT funny. I don't hate the guy because he's a Boston Red Sox fan and I like anyone who likes the Sox but seriously - he's not funny. AND he's not a good actor either. The movie is very misogynistic but I won't even talk about that because even if I wasn't a feminist, I would still hate this movie. Do yourself a favor and see any movie other than this. Even if the movie is not a comedy, it will still surely be funnier than Good Luck Chuck.

Grade: F

Eastern Promises - Here's the thing about David Cronenberg: He's violent to the point of being too violent. There's a line where violence stops being realistic. Cronenberg is about thirteen steps past that line. And guess what? I love it! Here's the thing about Viggo Mortensen: He's the only man that I find uncontrollably sexy who I think is capable of mass murder. One minute you want to sleep with him and the next you think he might slit your throat. And guess what? I love it! And here's the thing about a Cronenberg / Mortensen collaboration: It's dangerous, unpredictable, violent, terrifying, witty, intelligent and just plain entertaining. A History of Violence made my Top 10 list last year and while I don't think Eastern Promises is quite that good, its still solid. The film follows Mortensen as Nikolai, a Russian driver to the Russian mafia living in London. He has a close relationship with Kirill (Vincent Cassel), the son of the head fo the Russian mafia. This leads him on an inside track to the mob. Meanwhile there's sweet mid-wife Anna (Naomi Watts) who is investigating the case of a dead fourteen year old girl who died giving birth and who has ties to the Russian mafia. There's a lot of unexpected heart and soul here which culminates with a lovely scene between Mortensen and Watts. There's a lot of humor and a lot of subtle acting which juxtaposes nicely with the slightly over the top violence. Viggo's performance is perfect and Oscar worthy (Will he get nominated? Probably not. The nude knife fight might be a bit much for some people... not for me though). The movie drags a bit at times but over all it's a good, solid film. And guess what? It's a million times funnier than Good Luck Chuck!

Grade: B-

Away From Her, The Brave One

Away From Her - There's quite a few female performances that I've loved this year so far: Christina Ricci's fearless work in Black Snake Moan, Keri Russell's adorable/hilarious acting in Waitress, and Ashley Judd's perfection of a performance in Bug. But, I think the one performance that might actually get nominated for an Oscar is Julie Christie in Away From Her. She plays an Alzheimer's patient with such ravishing beauty and emotion. The fim follows her and husband Grant (Gordon Pinsent - more about him in a minute) of 44 years as they struggle with this sudden disease and how it affects their life together. This movie was written and directed by actress Sarah Polley and all I can say is, wow, what an emotional impact of a film coming from someone so young and so inexperienced as a director. This movie is actually quite surprising. The direction is simple and confident. The pace is slow and purposeful. We get to know and love these characters. At the core of the film is the tragic and powerful love story between Grant and Christie's Fiona. They've dealt with Grant's infidelity 20 years earlier and now are dealing with Fiona's dimentia. We watch Grant become the man he always wanted to be as Fiona slips farther and farther away from him. We also watch the fine line he walks as he realizes there are certain things that he must do to make her feel better that will just rip his heart into a million pieces. It's actually sort of a shame that Christie will probably be the one to the get the Oscar nomination come January. Not really a shame I guess, because Christie is just breathtaking to watch. But, really, Pinsent' portrayal of Grant is sterling as well. Pinsent is loving and adoring but also bewildered, stubborn and hopeful. Despite his frustration, he is constantly searching for understanding and resolve for the memories he has difficulty letting go of. It's all in his eyes. He's simply marvelous. And then there is Olympia Dukakis who has a small but crucial role as Marian. She's tough and smart, the wife of a man suffering from Alzheimers, who has accepted the fact that she really needs to just be happy. She should get nominated as well! Really, the film is just wonderful and one that will not easily be forgotten. Sarah Polley shows wonderful restraint and promise as a director. This film is a little bit tragic, a lot heartbreaking, but ultimately beautiful.

Grade: B+

The Brave One - Away From Her and The Brave One have only one thing in common: come February, the stars of these movies will probably be frontrunners for Best Actress at the Oscars. While Julie Christie and Jodie Foster might be battling it out then, the movies couldn't be more different. And choosing a better movie between these two is simple. Away From Her has more soul, emotion, heartache and beauty in 5 minutes than The Brave One has in the whole two hours. The Brave One doesn't exactly start out badly. In fact, the beginning is pretty damn good. But it progressively gets worse and worse until, at the end, it just completely falls apart into a pile of crap. As I said, The Brave One stars Jodie Foster as Erica Bane, a New York City DJ who, at the beginning, is happy and in love with her fiancee David, played by Lost star Naveen Andrews. But a random act of violence cuts their happy life together far too short when the lovers are beaten by some punks in Central Park. David dies. Erica lives... but her life is changed forever. Her life is overtaken by a fear of absolutley everything. She's afraid to leave the house. She's afraid of the footsteps she hears behind her. She's afraid of shadows and noises and just everything. So what does she do? Buys a gun. But she doesn't immediately seek revenge on the men who beat her fiancee to death. Instead, she turns vigalante and starts shooting people who are doing bad things in the city: murdering and robbing and raping. Some people think the Vigalante Killer is a blessing in disguise. Cops Terrence Howard and Nicky Katt disagree. Erica herself is torn up inside. After she kills for the first time, she walks with a new kind of swagger, cockiness and confidence. But, soon after she kills again she is throwing up in a bar bathroom and crying and wanting to turn herself in. It's Foster's relentless and fearless performance that keeps this movie alive. She's amazing to watch. She always has been and she always will be. She's got those beautiful blue eyes that just turn to steel when she needs them to. She's tough and she's icy, but completely vulnerable all at the same time. And she makes it look easy. She makes it look easier than easy. Her performance here will be nominated for an Oscar, for sure. There is no doubt in my mind. And she deserves it. It's just a shame that the movie around here couldn't be as good as she is. It's almost as if the screenwriter knew he had a solid first act and decided to sleepwalk his way through the rest of the script. The dialogue just becomes laughable. Howard holds his own with Foster and Katt breathes some much needed comedy into the whole thing but all of the other supporting actors just aren't up to par. By the time the ending comes around, you're tired and you're bored and you know what's going to happen. It's no surprise. And worst of all, the ending isn't even done well! It's a shame because Jodie really does deserve a better movie around her.

Grade: D+

3:10 to Yuma, Shoot Em Up

3:10 to Yuma - The truth is, I'm not a fan of the Western in general. I find them too busy, too distracting, too difficult to follow at times. The truth also is that I'm just not that well versed in the Western as a genre. I've seen two that I like: The Quick and the Dead and Tombstone. Other than that, I tend to avoid them at all costs. Perhaps I should rethink that. The remake of 3:10 to Yuma has an intoxicating swagger about it. It's got charm, it's got wit, it's got action, it's got character development and great performances! There's not much more you can really ask, especially at this point in the season. Summer's over. All the blockbuster's are done. The disappointing movies are over. It's time to get into Oscar season. 3:10 to Yuma is the perfect crossover. For me, it wasn't an amazing film but it's a million times better than most of the stuff that came out in the last three and a half months. I'll admit it took me a while to get into the movie which is why I can't ultimately give it a higher grade. At first it was a little on the boring side but about halfway through it really, really picks up and becomes exhilirating. The movie follows Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), a legendary outlaw who is the epitome of badness and coolness. He has a crew of guys who are downright evil (one of which is the wonderful Ben Foster who has really played some of the most interesting characters this year). He gets arrested and a group of men have to transfer him to Contention to make sure he gets on the 3:10 train to Yuma where he'll be imprisoned. One of the men is farmer in debt Dan played by Christian Bale, who perfectly captures the desperation of a man who is continually done wrong by his country, politicians and even God. The film also features Peter Fonda as a bounty hunter and Gretchen Mol as Dan's long-suffering wife. There are horses and gunfights and Luke Wilson makes a surprise appearance. James Mangold (director of Walk the Line) has a gritty approach to the film and it's fantastic. (And Kudos for not giving us a ton of agonizing close ups of clocks). He really builds tension perfectly in the last few minutes. By the way, that ending is fantastic. I don't think I've loved an ending so much all year. I won't ruin it, but, WOW! That's all I have to say. The action is fast paced but also not overbearing. There are breaks to build character and develop plot. But when the action starts, it really starts. The performances are absolutely wonderful. Foster as Charlie Prince, Crowe's right-hand man, is scary and hilarious at the same time - something Foster does so well. Fonda's role is too brief but wonderful. Mol doesn't have much to do but I always wonder why she doesn't make more movies. She's excellent in everything she does, people just need to give her more to work with. But, really, it comes down to an actor showdown between Bale and Crowe. Crowe is having the time of his life playing the bad ass. He's wicked and intense. He's provocative, smug, and, later, shows true compassion and tenderness. Bale is gritty and sympathetic. In a film about atonement, he tries to prove to his family (especially tag along 14 year old son) that he's not a bad father and husband. His performance is subtle and moving. So, who wins the showdown? While I'm more of a Bale person usually, I'd have to say Crowe is a bit better by a hair. With a simple message of friendship, redemption and morality, this movie really is entertaining and well done.

Grade: B

Shoot Em Up - When people say a movie has 'non-stop action,' they usually don't mean it literally. But, seriously kids, Shoot Em Up has non-stop action. This movie has absolutley no regard for logic, plot or development. It leaves all that, you know, the boring stuff, completely out of the picture. And the result is something that is halfway fun and halfway eye-rolling ridiculous. Half the time I didn't know if I should laugh or be offended. The movie starts with the mysterious Mr. Smith (Clive Owen) coming to the rescue of a pregnant woman and, after cutting the umbilical cord via bullets, and, after the woman is shot in the head, somehow decides to raise the baby who a bunch of crazy men are trying to kill (including a truly wicked Paul Giamatti) with the help of his lactating hooker friend (Maria Bello). Like I said, there is pretty much no plot here at all. That doesn't mean it's not fun! Among the many shocking/fun/ridiculous moments: Clive Owen kills multiple people with a carrot. Oh, and since the movie is called Shoot Em Up, there are a lot of gun fights. Gun fights while sky diving. Gun fights while having sex (which apparently will give you the best orgasm of your life!). Gun fights while in the playground. Clive Owen is absolutely perfect for the tragic hero sort of character he plays often. He's cocky and charming with a great swagger about him. Plus, he's just about the sexiest actor working today. Paul Giamatti is wonderful here as well. But, honestly, it was all just a little bit too much for me. I mean, I know that's what the movie was going for but I really don't need to see a man carrying a baby around while he's shooting ten other men and then jumping from a building into a window and crashing into someone's living room. The whole thing is fun. The action is there. The dialogue is atrocious. It loses it's steam somewhere around the final act and what started out as entertaining becomes ultimately tiresome. Still, it's definitely a fun time. In the end, it was all just a little bit too ridiculous for me.

Grade: C-

Halloween, The Nanny Diaries, Summer Movie Wrap-Up, September Preview

Halloween - As far as I'm concerned, there are four perfect horror movies. I use the word 'horror' to mean both slashers and psychological horror films. Anyway, those four movies are (in no particular order): The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Rosemary's Baby, The Shining and, of course, Halloween. When I heard they were remaking Halloween, I was aprehensive at best. I mean, remake HALLOWEEN?!?! But then I heard that Rob Zombie was doing it. If I trust anyone to make a horror movie these days, it's Rob Zombie. After all, his films House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil Rejects are quite simply the best horror movies since the Scream trilogy. But, still, remake HALLOWEEN!?!?! I don't even think I was this upset about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake. Anyway, I thought I would be terribly disappointed or terribly impressed. And I was right. First of all, let us discuss my number one pet peeve with modern horror movies (remakes and 'original' ideas (keep in mind I'm using the word original very, very loosely)). The villain does not have to be a 6'10", 300 pound NFL linebacker / pro-wrestler / Amazon warrior to be scary. The thing that makes Michael Myers and Leatherface and even Freddy and Jason scary is the fact that they are just plain crazy evil. It's not that they are super fast and super big and super scary. Now, what was so great about the original Halloween? Well, we are introduced to a little kid who, for no apparent reason, stabs his sister to death. We are given the impression that he's a normal kid from a normal family in a middle class suburban neighborhood. There is no motive, no warning, nothing. The kid just snaps. Nothing motivates this kid to kill. Michael Myers is pure evil. And it's terrifying. The kid never talks again. He spends fifteen years in a little cell, staring at walls, giving no sign of remorse or anger or hatred. He just sits and the only thing left inside him is the evil. (When he escapes, he goes after the only remaining member of his family. Why? We have no fricking idea. And it's terrifying.) While at the psychiatric ward, Michael meets Dr. Loomis, a man who spends his entire life trying to understand Michael. After years and years and years, he comes to the simple conclusion that there is nothing inside Michael but evil. This absolutley shatters his world. His ambition to help people and understand them and find humanity is destroyed. He becomes obssesed with Michael (and doesn't try to cash in by writing a fucking book). Anyway, few movies have captured the feelings of evil, fear, doubt, hopelessness and isolation so well. I don't think Rob Zombie understands any of this. People say: "Keep in mind, this isn't John Carpenter, it's Rob Zombie." I know. Believe me, I know. And I like Rob Zombie a lot (he's no John Carpenter, but who is really?). I knew the movie would be vulgar and violent and filled with sex and loud music and lots of blood and gore and everything else you associate with Rob Zombie. I was prepared for it. I just wasn't prepared to leave the theatre feeling so simply disappointed. Let's take one of the classic horror movies ever and just make a simple little story about an angst ridden kid from a white-trash family who has a stripper for a mother, an abusive and alcoholic stepfather and is bullied at school. Am I surprised that this kid would kill his sister (whole family, whatever)? Not at all. And it doesn't scare me in the least. Then there's the Loomis character. This is what I was most worried about. Who would play Dr. Loomis? No one can come close to the late, great Donald Pleasance. I love Malcolm McDowell and I think he does his best with what he has to work with here. The performance itself is very well done and he's trying to do his best to make Pleasance proud. It's not entirely his fault that his character was turned into a money hungry doctor who authors a book and uses the story of Michael as a cash-cow. Loomis never would have had sympathy for Michael. Their relationship was one of hatred and hopelessness. What I should have worried about more was the casting of Laurie Strode. If Jamie Lee Curtis ever meets Taylor Scout-Compton in a dark alley, I'm pretty sure she'll kick her scrawny little ass. Jamie Lee is the one and only scream queen. Scout-Compton's sorry excuse for acting involves squealing the entire time and turning Laurie into some immature, horny teenager. Laurie was innocent and sweet and you wanted her to make it out alive. I wish Michael would have killed this annoying version of Laurie. It's hard to believe a movie that involves so many cool people (McDowell, Bill Moseley, Danny Trejo, Sheri Moon Zombie, Brad Dourif, Halloween 4 and 5 alum Danielle Harris) could be so disappointing. There are a few interesting things about the movie (little eleven year old Michael murders a nurse with a fork). I also liked the idea that Michael was the main character and not Laurie. Still, by giving us a lame backstory and a 7 foot superhuman monster, this remake takes away all the frights, all the mystery, all the suspense. There's really nothing terrifying about this movie at all.
Grade: D

The Nanny Diaries - This movie is forgettable at best since I saw it two days ago and can barely remember what it's about. Still, it's cute at times (who knew I would like this movie slightly better than Halloween, seriously). Anyway, it stars the too-gorgeous-for-this-movie Scarlett Johansson as a recent college graduate who doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. Does she want to follow her dream and study anthropology or does she want to give into the beast and work in the corporate world? Well, she decides to put everything on hold and become a nanny for rich New York City upper East Side Family. Dad (Paul Giamatti) is a workaholic with a likelihood for pre-marital flings. Mom (Laura Linney) is too busy for her son Grayer. Not busy with work, busy with shopping and spas and planning benefits for kids who are not her own. I've heard the book is witty and provacative. I haven't read it but if that's true, then the movie is a watered down version. There's a sort of whimsical quality to the film (the flying red umbrella... seriously?) that just didn't work at all. If the film was a little more cutting and dark then it would have been a whole lot better. Meanwhile, Scarlet's Annie is in love with the Harvard Hottie (Chris Evans) upstairs but she can't date him because her employers don't approve of dating and she thinks he'd be slumming by dating her (seriously, Scarlett? Fuck you). Anyway, Annie really wants to quit the job but finds herself actually caring about the little brat so she sticks it out for a time for him. Blah, blah, blah. Boring? Yes. The movie was cute... but, from what I've heard about the book, I'm pretty sure that's not what they were going for. The movie can most accurately be described as a wasted opportunity. There's so much talent here. What went wrong? It's more Lifetime movie of the week than anything. And I'm sure I'll completely forget about it in a few weeks.
Grade: D+

Summer Movie Wrap Up (from Memorial Day to Labor Day, from best to worst...)
Bug - A
Superbad - A-
Sicko - B+
Live Free or Die Hard - B+
Hot Rod - B+
Hairspray - B
Evening - B
Stardust - B
Broken English - B-
No Reservations - B-
Hostel: Part II - B-
1408 - C+
Knocked Up - C+
Becoming Jane - C-
The Nanny Diaries - D+
A Mighty Heart - D+
Ocean's 13 - D+
Spiderman 3 - D+
Halloween - D
Transformers - D
Mr. Brooks - D
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - D-
Evan Almighty - D-
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - F
Captivity - F

September Movie Preview
September 7 - I'm pretty excited to see 3:10 to Yuma. I know it's a Western and I hate Westerns but Ben Foster, Christian Bale and Peter Fonda can't do wrong, right? Well, that's debateable, I guess but it's getting solid reviews and so I'm pretty excited. I am not, however, excited for Shoot 'Em Up. Are Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti serious? It looks like the worst kind of action movie. Then there's The Brothers Solomon. You all know that I wish Will Arnett was my boyfriend. I'll see it and I don't really care if it's stupid. Finally there is The Hunting Party. It stars Richard Gere and Terrence Howard and it reminds me of this dream I had one time (except my dream wasn't really about a television crew in a war torn area).

September 14 - I am shaking in anticipation for Across the Universe. Sure it doesn't go wide until the 21st but this could be the best movie of the year. Or a huge mess. We'll see. Then there's In the Valley of Elah. Who suggested that Paul Haggis name his movie that? It sounds awful but is pretty Oscar baity. As the follow up to Crash, there will be a lot of eyes on this movie about trying to find out what really happened to a soldier who disappeared from Iraq. It stars Oscar winners Tommy Lee Jones, Susan Sarandon and Charlize Theron. Jodie Foster also tries to prove that she's not really a serious actress and is a kick-ass action star instead with the revenge flick The Brave One. Could be interesting, actually.

September 21 - My movie star boyfriend Sean Penn takes a detour into director town with a star studded cast (William Hurt and Catherine Keener... it was like this dream I had). The trailer looks great. With a stellar cast, how could it possibly disappoint? Then there's the Oscar hopeful Good Luck Chuck. Dane Cook and Jessica Alba are definitely on my short list. Resident Evil: Extinction may only be the third but it feels like the 30th. Sydney White stars Amanda Bynes so all the little girls will show up, for sure. The Jane Austen Book Club stars Hugh Dancy, so I'll show up, for sure. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford may be the coolest title for a movie ever and I may go just to see Casey Affleck kill Brad Pitt (it's like this dream I had...).

September 28 - The trailer for Feast of Love has been before pretty much every movie I've seen in the last two months. It looks... cute. That blonde haired boy may be my temporary movie star boyfriend (at least until James McAvoy makes his triumphant return to the screen in Atonement in December). The Kingdom stars a bunch of actors who annoy me but everyone else loves. I might pass. Lust, Caution opens in limited release. It is directed by Ang Lee and got an NC-17 rating. I won't pass.

September 29 - The Darjeeling Limited opens in New York City only. That means it won't come to Pennsylvania until, like, November. Dammit!