Enchanted, No Country For Old Men, December Movie Preview

Enchanted - Remember when Disney used to make good movies like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid? Well, they haven't completely lost their touch. Not only is Enchanted, well, enchanting (yeah, with a name like that, they are just asking for it) but also it takes you back to the golden day of Disney films which were full of evil witches, pretty maidens, poison apples and scary dragons. Enchanted is the perfect blend of animation and live action which makes it's story telling a throw back to old school classics while still feeling fresh and unique. The pretty maiden Giselle (Amy Adams) falls in love with Prince Edward (James Marsden) but when his evil step mother Queen (Susan Sarandon) finds out, she sets a trap that sends Giselle to a place where happily ever after doesn't exist - New York City. Prince Edward follows to find his one true love and, well, many a comedic thing happens. While in the Big Apple, Giselle meets a cynical New Yorker named Robert (McDreamy... I mean, Patrick Dempsey... I wonder how Dempsey feels to know there are people out there - me in particular - who only refer to him as McDreamy? That's probably weird, huh?) who she eventually falls in love with eventhough he has a super awesome girlfriend named Nancy who is played by none other than one of my lady crushes Idina Menzel. All hail Idina!!! Sorry, that's a bit off track, yes? Anyway, that's enough plot. There's a lot of singing and dancing and lots of animals and dress making. This movie is really the definition of "light entertainment." It's really such a perfect family movie. I'm a cynical bitch and I even liked the goddamn thing! The casting is just perfect. While McDreamy is not necessarily my type (I'll take McSteamy, thanks), so many women are in love with him that he really makes such a perfect modern day Prince Charming. Susan Sarandon was more or less born to play an evil stepmother / bitchy queen. I just wish she had more screentime. Unfortunately, she was usually animated or in dragon form. If they would have given her a meatier role, she would have been simply divine. James Marsden is absolutely hilarious and perfect. I'll take him over McDreamy ANYDAY! He's just brilliant. I can't really even describe what makes him so perfect for this role but he just is. You'll have to see it to understand. The same can be said for Miss Amy Adams. I think she's going to become huge thanks to this movie. Also, frontrunner for Best Actress Oscar much? My money is on her. She's simply perfect. Her perfection is just almost beyond words. No one else could have possibly played this part but her. She's simply divine. She's finally becoming the star she should have become after her great turn in Junebug. She's at this weird Julia Roberts / Julie Andrews place in her career right now. I say good for her. Anyway, the film is really just great so check it out!

Grade: B

No Country For Old Men - It's very hard for me to review this movie. It almost doesn't really seem like a movie to me. It's more than a movie. It's better than a movie. It's almost like a piece of art, amazingly beautiful. You just want to stand and look at it for hours and hours. The Coen Brothers have definitely crafted a masterpiece here. They knock it out of the park with this violent, pretty western drama. No Country For Old Men is slow-moving and character driven. It's violent and bloody and absolutely beautiful. There's humor aplenty but it is definitely a tough and gritty story. This is a thriller that doesn't disappoint or skimp on the thrills. Javier Bardem gives the absolute best performance of his career (of the year? ...so far). His portrayal is one of unrelenting evil, true derangement. It's a performance about a human being with no humanity. It's one of the greatest psychopathic characters ever captured on film. Yes, ever. The greatest thing about his character is that he is absolutely not cliched in the tiniest way. It's a character whose lunacy and craziness you can enjoy. It's a frightening, terrifying, masterful performance. I felt absolutely nervous and excited every time he graced the screen. Josh Brolin is great as well. He's really had a great year since he was also impressive in Grindhouse / Planet Terror. If Bardem didn't steal this movie in every way possible, you'd surely spend more time talking about Brolin's great performance. Then there's Tommy Lee Jones (who is not too old to be one of my movie star boyfriends). He isn't used much but he's used well. His scenes pepper the movie and add a great understated effect. He's also had a hell of a year with this performance along with his great turn in In the Valley of Elah. Then there's Kelly MacDonald. If it's a slow year in the Best Supporting Actress race (but, really, with all those Atonement women, how could it be?), she could sneak in there. Her final scene on screen is just a revelation to watch. The cinematography (by Roger Deakin) is breathtaking. There are scenes in this movie which are just up there with the best scenes I have ever seen in a film. There is one scene featuring Bardem in a gas station which has little to do with the actual plot development but which is still just a pleasure to watch. I'm not going to talk plot at all because it's better if you go into something like this knowing as little as possible. Be prepared for it to be slow-paced and violent. That's all you need to know. Other than the fact that it's one of the two best movies of the year (unless December REALLY wows me). It's just a masterpiece.

Grade: A+

December Movie Preview

December 5 - Juno hits New York and Los Angeles. At this point, I am tempted to drive to New York just to see this movie. I won't... but that's how much I want to see it. Ellen Page, Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Allison Janney... my god. This movie looks fantastic.

December 7 - Atonement starts it's limited release. It looks like my kind of love story - epic and potentially tragic. Plus, I love James McAvoy. The Golden Compass opens as well. I wasn't interested in it at all until Inge told me some background on it. Perhaps I'll see it now. I mean, Eva Green and Daniel Craig are in it so that's a plus! Grace is Gone opens in limited. I really hope John Cusack is as good as everyone says he is here. I really hope he'll finally get an Oscar nomination. Unfortunately, the race is probably too heavy at this point.

December 14 - Alvin and the Chipmunks? Me thinks not. I am, however, very excited about seeing I Am Legend. If there's one person I trust saving the world, it's Will Smith. The Kite Runner and Youth Without Youth open in limited release. Which means I probably won't see them this year.

December 21 - Charlie Wilson's War looks surprisingly better than I thought it would. Tom Hanks has an inherent charm about him. Put him with Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Julia Roberts and Amy Adams and, wow. What a line-up! When I see the trailer for National Treasure: Book kof Secrets, all I can think is: "Helen Mirren and Ed Harris are better than this." P.S. I Love You opens and looks... cutesy. That's not a good thing. The best parts are probably the parts with Lisa Kudrow from the trailer. Skip. Sweeney Todd opens as well. I'm disappointed that they are trying to hide the fact that it's a musical. Embrace it! Then there is Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Might be hilarious. Might be stupid. We'll see.

December 25 - Alien vs. Predator - Requim opens. No, I'm serious. The Bucket List opens in limited release probably just so Jack can try to get another Oscar nomination. Hell, I would give it to him but that's just me. The Water Horse opens for all the little kiddies. I'd say skip it and go see Enchanted again.

December 26 - There Will Be Blood opens in New York. Again, maybe I'll drive there just to see the showdown between one of the great (Daniel Day-Lewis) and one of the upcoming greats (Paul Dano).

December 28 - Two limited releases that I would love to see open in limited: Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream (eventhough the buzz is NOT good. Still, I would see anything Woody does. And I would recommend anything Woody does... unless it has the words "Jade Scorpion" in the title) and The Orphanage, a creepy Spanish horror movie.

The Mist, La Vie En Rose

The Mist - Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. Before I review this film, allow me to ramble a little bit about my love-hate relationship with Miss Marcia Gay Harden. It started as a pure love thing: The Daytrippers, The Spitfire Grill, Meet Joe Black. Then the 2001 Oscars came around. At that time I was a little bit obsessed with a movie called Almost Famous (guess what? I still am). Anyway, Miss Marcia was nominated for Best Supporting Actress against TWO Almost Famous ladies: Kate Hudson (playing one of my very favorite film characters of all time) and Frances McDormand. Well, Miss Marcia won and I was furious! (In my defense, I still have not seen Pollack). I held it against her... very much. Thus began the hate portion of our relationship. Then came a little movie called Mystic River and I began to forgive Marcia just a little bit. Then Kate Hudson stopped making movies like 200 Cigarettes and Desert Blue and instead started making movies like Raising Helen and Le Divorce. I really began to forgive Marcia. Especially once she gave the most spectacular performance in the movie The Dead Girl. But then. Oh, but then. Just when I thought our hate relationship was behind us, she decided to make swill like The Invisible. Why Marcia would do such a thing is beyond me! Just a few months ago she was in Into the Wild. She didn't really have much to work with there so all I can say is that I was pleased she was in the movie. I guess that's a plus. But now. Oh, but now. I can gladly say the love relationship has never ever been stronger. In The Mist as religious zealot Mrs. Carmody, Marcia kicks ass, takes name and wipes the floor with these sissy boy actors. No one, oh, no one could do what Marcia does in this movie. She plays a one-note bible thumping caraicature so, so, so very right. I was excited every single time she was on screen. I can't really say that for the entire film though. I mean, I was pleasantly surprised, for sure. The movie was actually surprisingly solid. Mark it down as one of the very few Stephen King adaptations that I enjoyed (Carrie, The Shining). It's just, the whole supernatural thing never set very well with me. And it probably never will. I realized about halfway through that I really enjoy vampire / zombie movies and they are supernatural, right? But, I don't know, part of me is more willing to believe that vampires actually exist than, say, giant crazy bugs living in mysterious mist. The special effects were not particularly well done. The basic plot reminded me of a really bad movie I watched once on Sci-Fi Channel. It was about a military testing ground on high mountain that tested all these creatures and then, all of a sudden, the giant frozen spiders escaped and decided to attack a ski lodge. I mean, it's basically the same premise. When the creatures were attacking, I didn't especially like the movie. However, when it came to character development and interaction, I really enjoyed it. My Marcia, of course, steals the show, but there are a few solid actors in the film as well. Hottie McHottie Thomas Jane (he may have to join my movie star boyfriend list) is the artist turned relucatant hero of the townspeople after they are shut in the local grocery store. Andre Braugher is his rational lawyer neighbor. Toby Jones is solid as well. I can't say I loved the film entirely but I did find myself liking it more often than not. And, my lord, that ending. Even if you see it coming a mile away, it's still perfect and shocking and absolute Stephen King perfection. And Jane, whose acting I don't always love, really pulls it off. Overall, the movie is hit and miss although it hits more times than it misses. Marcia, my darling, our love affair is back and better than ever. Moral of the story: Don't take your kid to the grocery store.
Grade: B- (Marcia gets an A!)

La Vie en Rose - Maybe I suffer from not knowing much (or anything at all for that matter) about Edith Piaf. As far as I can tell, she led a pretty extraordinary life. I read up a bit about her online before I decided to write this review. Turns out she was a member of the French Resistance during WWII. She starred in a blockbuster play written by Jean Cocteau. She became such a hit in the United States that she appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show eight times and played at Carnegie Hall twice. She pretty much singlehandedly saved the famous Paris Olympia concert hall from bankruptcy. La Vie en Rose mentions none of these things. Instead, her life is shown as a crazy melodrama. Call her the Courtney Love of 1930s France. I won't even go into the details of the film because, honestly, I don't know what is true and what isn't. In my opinion, it all just seems a bit too much. She spent her childhood in the circus. She was raised for a bit in a brothel. She was accused (but acquitted) of being an accessory to the murder of her mentor. She was a drunk and became addicted to various pain killers. The movie tends to paint the picture as a list of all the tragedy in her life. However, there is little mention of the monumental success it seems she achieved. All the tragedies are almost dulled by a lack of happy moments to contrast them with. Again, I didn't know much about Edith Piaf. I have heard that Marion Cotillard does a remarkable job portraying her. I have read people who say things like, "She better win the Oscar or else..." I'm not sure I can agree. I think she'll probably get nominated, sure. However, it seems like she plays a young Piaf as a goofy, over-the-top caricature of a person and plays the older Piaf as an almost senile, uncharismatic shell of a person. Again, I have absolutely no knowledge of how Piaf really was... so perhaps Cotillard IS doing a great job. The movie just didn't have enough substance to hold my attention. I don't know much about Piaf but I have a funny feeling that she deserves better than this.

Grade: D+

Top Ten List: Things to Be Thankful For...

Well, it's Thanksgiving. I'm done stuffing myself with food. I'm a little bored waiting for The Birds to come on AMC (that movie scares the hell out of me), so the list lover in me decided to make a Top Ten List. This time around, it's the things to be thankful for this year. It's been a pretty good year for movies, I think. Sure, there have been some disasters (I'm talking to you Captivity and Evan Almighty) but this post is meant to focus on the positive, not the negative. So, here's my list:

10. Low Budget Horror Movies - You can take your Saw IV and your Halloween remake and shove them somewhere. I'll take a couple more low key film releases this year. First, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon was a unique take on the tired horror genre. It was interesting, compelling, funny and just plain well done. Then there was David Arquette's funny, quirky The Tripper which wasn't so much a new look at a tired genre. But at least it felt more fresh than the exhausted Saw series.

09. The Return of Michelle Pfeiffer - Miss Michelle simply does NOT make enough movies. She's been absent from the screen for far too long. But this summer we were treated to not one, but two wonderful Michelle roles! First she was delightfully evil as a former beauty pageant winner in Hairspray. Next she was... delightfully evil as a former pretty witch in Stardust.

08. The Affleck Brothers - First, Casey Affleck was pretty much the best thing about Ocean's Thirteen (although, I guess, that's not saying much since that movie just plain was awful). Next, The Assassination of Jesse James came out in which he is rumored to be Oscar worthy. Then there was Gone Baby Gone. Directed by Ben Affleck, who is a better director than actor, Casey starred and gave a truly riveting, heartbreaking, ballsy performance.

07. Michael Cera - Little George Michael Bluth is all grown up and guess what? He's easily the funniest young man in show business. Not only did he have a hilarious internet who called Clark and Michael, but also he starred in the funniest movie of the year - Superbad. Plus, did I mention ever this little movie coming out next month called Juno?

06. The Cast of Hairspray - I already mentioned my love for Michelle. But let's not forget about one of the best ensemble casts in recent memories: Newcomer Nikki Blonsky might get a Golden Globe nomination, John Travolta dresses as a woman, Christopher Walken is just plain cool, James Marsden and Zac Efron steal hearts, Queen Latifah belts it out like few others can, Amanda Bynes is hilarious and adorable all at the same time, and then there's the unsung hero of the movie: Allison Janney. Homegirl has the least amount of screentime and yet steals the show. Whoever had the brilliant idea to put her in this movie deserves some sort of award.

05. Upcoming December Releases - While this year has been great, let's not forget that some of the possible best movies of the year still haven't come out yet. I probably won't get to see No Country For Old Men or I'm Not There until December. Other December releases include: Juno, Atonement, Grace is Gone, I Am Legend, Youth Without Youth, Sweeney Todd, Walk Hard, Charlie Wilson's War, There Will Be Blood, and Cassandra's Dream.

04. Ben Foster - No one else this year has portrayed crazy characters quite like Ben Foster. First, he played a Meth junkie who does karate and shits on floors in Alpha Dog. Next, he played a crazy bad ass cowboy in 3:10 to Yuma. Finally, he stole the show with his subtle yet over the top Stranger in 30 Days of Night. He's possibly the most exciting young actor working today.

03. Into the Wild - Easily my favorite film of the year so far; it's damn near perfect. Sean Penn directed a beautiful, epic, intimate, heartbreaking, inspiring piece of art. He compiled a damn near perfect cast (Emile Hirsch, Catherine Keener, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Stewart, Hal Holbrook, Jena Malone). I just simply love this movie.

02. Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon in Bug - I know they probably won't get any love once the awards start pouring out... but they should. Judd and Shannon give two of the gutsiest, ballsiest, fiercest performances of the year. They don't do anything safe in this movie. They shed inhabitions and just simply go for it. They take huge chances. This movie surely isn't for everyone, but the people who like it, will really love it. And most of the reason for loving this movie lies in the performances from Judd and Shannon.

01. The Women of 2007 - Last year was pretty unexciting as far as female performances go. The same five women (Cruz, Dench, Mirren, Streep, Winslet) pretty much ruled the awards circuit with Mirren cleaning up. This year... might not be quite as much of a lock. There are a lot of women giving some truly great performances. If you really wanted to, you could have a Best Actress list full of performances that came out BEFORE summer: Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan, Ashley Judd in Bug, Keri Russell in Waitress, Julie Christie in Away From Her, Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose (more on that movie coming soon). If the Academy was feeling cheeky, they could fill up the Best Supporting category with women just from Grindhouse. Then there's the performances that I haven't even seen yet: Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There, Ellen Page in Juno, Kiera Knightley and Romola Garai in Atonement, Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh in Margot at the Wedding, Laura Linney in The Savages, Amy Adams in Enchanted. I'm sure I'm missing quite a few. My point is this: it's been a great year for actresses!

The Darjeeling Limited, Paris je t'aime, Top Ten List

The Darjeeling Limited - Ah, Wes Anderson. The poster boy for quirky, indie, intellectual, hipster comedy-drama. My love for him knows no limits. I admit, he may not be for everyone. I mean, after all, not much really ever happens in his movies. But, I for one, love him. And The Darjeelinig Limited? Well, it's just the next in what I consider to be a stellar directing career. Sure, it's not as good as The Royal Tenenbaums or (especially) Rushmore. But it's slightly better than the superb Bottle Rocket and way better than the slightly (I said, slightly) disappointing The Life Aquatic. The Darjeeling Limited is a film occupied with moments. It's not so much concerned with, how should I put this, plot but for me (and probably for most Anderson fans) that doesn't ever get dull. These moments that fill up the movie are wonderful moments. They are well crafted and who just how much Anderson has matured over the years. The film is essentially about a spiritual journey. Three brothers who haven't spoken in a year (since their fathers hilariously tragic funeral) reunite on a trainride through India. Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Anderson newcomer Adrien Brody (who fits quite perfectly in Wes-world) star as the three brothers. The film is great from the very start with a hilarious and memorable cameo from the great Bill Murray, trying to catch the Darjeeling Limited train in slow motion. Still, he's outrun by Brody's Peter all to the tune of The Kinks' 'This Time Tomorrow' (oh, the music! Isn't music always another character in Anderson movies? Love the music). The film also features a small role from the great Anjelica Huston and a tiny cameo from Natalie Portman (who plays heavily in the short film prelude Hotel Chevalier which is highly recommended viewing before the film). In the end, this movie is just great fun. It's a fun ride through a world occupied by colorful characters and memorable incidents. The film is quite simply bright, random, happy, sad, funny, stupid, silly and wise.

Grade: B+

Paris, je t'aime - The tagline here is 'stories of love from the city of love.' Indeed. Paris, je t'aime is a collection of 18 short films by acclaimed directors and starring great actors (some well known, some not at all). It's a sometime bizzare, sometimes stupid, sometimes beautiful look at the language of love. A friend of mine described the film as being frustrating because it was like watching the first five minutes of 18 different movies. I disagree. I've always loved the short film as an art form and I think this collection is a great way to express 18 different ideas on one subject. It's terribly interesting. It's a creative and unique look at different directors each lending their own unique vision and interpreting love in the City of Lights. When you are dealing with 18 short films, obviously, there are going to be some films that are better than others. You have it all here, really. There is one short in particular that was just almost painful to watch. It was entitled Porte de Choisy and it was just strange and weird and stupid. It follows some sort of shampoo salesman who arrives in a Chinatown-looking place in Paris. I think perhaps the story was about inner beauty but I could be completely wrong. Of course, there are those shorts that are mediocre. There are quite a few of those. A few that are dull and forgettable. But, for the most part, the collection is mostly hits with only a few misses. There are quite a few memorable shorts. Of course, the short that stands out as being most different is the noir-esque vampire love story starring Elijah Wood called Quartier de la Madeleine. While that looked and felt the most different and was quite strong, it wasn't in my top 5 favorites among the shorts. The five I want you to pay most attention to when you watch this film (because you should) are (in the order they appear): 1) Tuileries - Directed by the Coen Brothers and starring Steve Buscemi, he's absolutely mesmerizing without ever saying one single word. The entire sequence is just hilarious. It kept me hooked through until the very end of the sequence. 2) Bastille - Probably my favorite among the shorts. A man meets his wife at a restaurant where he plans on telling her he's leaving her for his mistress. However, he soon gets some rather devastating news from his wife and he changes his mind. It's sad and simple and beautiful. 3) Tour Eiffel - Two mimes fall in love while spending the night in jail together. Plus, the kid is super adorable. 4) Faubour Saint-Denis - Tom Twyker's short film is the most beautifully done. It's stunning and lovely. A blind man picks up the phone and hears from his girlfriend (a beautiful Natalie Portman) that she is breaking up with him. He reflects on their relationship. It's short and stunning and it stays with you - everything a short film should do. 5) 14th Arrondissement - The final sequence is just hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. An American woman tells her French class about her trip to Paris. Her French is terrible, but by the end of the segment, she realizes what Paris is really all about. A lovely final way to sum up a great collection of shorts. Check it out.

Grade: B

Top Ten List - Best Movie Endings

Spoiler Alert! Obviously, I'm probably going to spoil some stuff if you haven't seen these movies. You've been warned. This is inspired by the fact that I am currently watching Se7en. So, here's my list (what's yours?):

10. Hard Candy - You can argue that adding this to my list is just an excuse to talk about this movie that I love so much and to talk about Ellen Page who I love so much. Valid point. Talk about an ending, though. Ellen Page gives a master class acting performance (and she was, like, 18 when she made this move!). When Hayley reveals that she's known the truth all along, try not to let your skin crawl. Plus, you just know she's not getting rid of any evidence. Ellen Page - I love you.

09. The Village - You can take your 'The Sixth Sense' ending anytime you want. I will always prefer 'The Village.' Although, I'm not necessarily a fan of M. Night Shyamalan, this is my favorite of his films. The end is fantastic and intellegent and just plain surprising. Unlike The Sixth Sense which you could, seriously, see coming a mile away.

08. Closer - This is a movie filled with liars. All of the characters do is lie and lie and lie some more. Except Alice (Natalie Portman). It seems Alice may be the only emotionally honest person in the entire film. But, when we finally see her passport, we find out she's the biggest liar of all. Her name really is Jane. Thank you.

07. The Birds - First of all: Here's a little bit of a confession. This movie scares me to death! It just simply terrifies me. In the end it seems that our lovebirds (ha) are headed to safety. But then the camera pans out. And guess what? There are birds, birds, crazy I'll peck your eyeballs out birds EVERYWHERE. How far do you really think our heroes are going to get in that soft top convertible?

06. The Silence of the Lambs - I can't possibly think of a more perfect way to part ways with our dear old friend Hannibal Lector. The ever intelligent, witty and clever man has a little phone conversation with Clarice. His parting words? "I'm having an old friend for dinner." Perfection.

05. Planet of the Apes - An astronaut is in a strange, strange world filled with apes. But, in the end when Charelton Heston grabs his lady love and tries to run, guess what he finds? Lady Liberty buried in the sand. What have we done to our country? Social commentary at its best.

04. Fight Club - The destrction of capitalism all set to the beautiful music of The Pixies. Plus, the whole, I am Tyler Durden thing. Well, I'm sure you've seen it. You know.

03. Chinatown - Chinatown is everything and nothing all at once. In the end, (after the whole, 'She's my sister. She's my daughter. She's my sister. She's my daughter' fiasco - best. scene. ever.), Jake (my ultimate movie star boyfriend Jack Nicholson) solves the crime. And then he's told, "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." God, I love this movie.

02. Se7en - Watching it again, I'm finding it a little hard to take seriously and I blame Andy Samberg for that. All I can hear is, "Step One: Cut a hole in the box. Step Two: Put Gwennie's head in a box. Step Three: Make Pitt open the box." But, still, this movie is simply great. Kevin Spacey always has the upper hand...

01. The Usual Suspects - Told you so! You think Chazz Palminteri is leading Spacey's Verbal Kint to the slaughter house. You think you've got it all figured out. But with the simple breaking of a coffee cup and the shaking off of a limb, everything you thought you knew completely changes. It's everything a movie ending should be.

Saw IV, Gone Baby Gone, November film preview

Saw IV - I've seen all the Saw films although I guess I'm not as obsessive about them as some people apparently are. I'm sort of almost indifferent to the original Saw, in retrospect. Saw II was quite possibly one of the worst horror sequels in recent memory. However, I thought Saw III was actually quite enjoyable and easily my favorite of the franchise. Guess what? It remains that way. Saw IV is a solid film as far as fourth installments go, however, if it wasn't part of a highly successful film franchise, it doesn't hold it's own. The story is more or less over. However, the cash is still flowing in so they will continue to churn them out. Saw IV isn't quite the monstrosity of the fourth installments of, say, Friday the 13th or (especially) A Nightmare on Elm Street (and I won't even put Halloween 4 on this list since I absolutely love that movie!). Plus, it's just a little too confusing. Or, well, a lot confusing actually. That's because, like I said, I'm not an obsessive Saw person. I've seen all the Saw's but, I'm sorry, I don't remember every single detail about them. So, when characters pop up from previous films, I'm a little flustered. Anyway, Jigsaw is dead but the game is far from over. And guess what? Even though Jigsaw really is dead, Tobin Bell is still featured heavily and that's a huge plus for the movie as far as I'm concerned. He's a creepy, creepy man. The film opens with the autopsy of his body. It's gross and not for the squeamish. I loved the opening. Saw IV tries to re-capture the essence of the first and third films - gore and shocking twists at the end (although this ending... not so shocking... I figured it out in the first 30 minutes). However, it doesn't work here so well because it's too confusing and it doesn't satisfy as easily. It leaves more holes (that will undoubtedly be filled by more sequels) than it leaves answers. Saw IV is gory. It has, quite possibly, the best death scene captured on film this year (Eric Matthews and two ice blocks... that's all I'll say). I'll give credit where it's due: the film is consistant with the others. There's a lot of backstory about Jigsaw which I found utterly interesting (probably my favorite part of the movie, actually). Luke Danes - I mean, Scott Patterson - shows up as a tough talking cop but he'll always be a tough-talking diner owner in Stars Hollow, Connecticut to me. It's almost a shame because of Saw that we have come to expect the gore. It's not shocking anymore. The movie isn't a total waste of time and the diehard Saw fans might really enjoy it.

Grade: C+

Gone Baby Gone - I learned two things while watching this movie. 1) Ben Affleck is a better director than he is actor. 2) Casey Affleck is, quite possibly, the most underrated actor working right now. This movie will undoubtedly be compared to Mystic River - both are based on books by Dennis Lehane, both are set in Boston, both are directed by actors. And, guess what? Both are great, great movies. If you are a parent, I'm sure your biggest nightmare is the thought of someone kidnapping your child. Well, that's the story here. But the mother in this movie isn't a very good one. Played by the Oscar worthy Amy Ryan, she's a drug addicted, alcoholic who takes her daughter along on drug runs and leaves her home alone at night while she hits the bar downtown. Casey plays a private detective brought in on the case by the aunt of the child. He and his private detective partner/lover (Michelle Monaghan) take on the case and get wrapped up in finding out who took the little girl. They work alongside cops played by Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman. There's a lot of twists and turns here and I don't want to go into plot too much because, really, the movie is just too good and you really just need to see it. The ending is quite possibly my favorite film ending all year. It's simple and it's sad and it's heartbreaking and it's absolutely honest. The movie is heart wrenching, emotional, haunting, intense. This is surely a second chance for Ben Affleck. His acting career seems to have stalled out thanks to a lot of personal escapades but he's back and better than ever as a solid director. There's depth and balance and restraint. The film is beautifully shot at times and very gritty at others. The cast is fantastic. Casey is just stunning and flawless here. I've heard he's better in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (best. movie. title. ever.) but I really can't imagine how he could be any better than he is here. Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman are fantastic but, really, how could they not be? They are always fantastic. Amy Ryan is absolutely mesmerizing to watch. Her character is hardly likeable but you just want to see more of her on screen. Best Supporting Actress come Oscar time? I'd place my money on her. Gone Baby Gone is one of my very favorite movies of this year so far. If I had one criticism, it would be that it almost feels like three movies in one. Still, the Affleck brothers are multi-talented. This movie is deeply disturbing and thoroughly engaging. Just try getting it out of your head.

Grade: A-

November Movie Preview

November 2 - (I know, I'm late but I was on vacation!). Run and see American Gangster. This year's The Departed? Probably not. But I'm up for the showdown between Denzel and Russell. Martian Child looks a little cheesy for my liking but I'll take anything with John Cusack (and I guess this will hold me over until Grace is Gone gets here). Then there's Bee Movie. It makes me very, very sad.

November 9 - After Dark Horrorfest 2007... probably a skipper if I'm judging soley on last year's crop of eight films (one of which was good). Fred Claus opens. It has Kathy Bates, Kevin Spacey and Paul Giamatti playing second fiddle to Vince Vaughn. WHAT!?! Lions for Lambs stars Tom Cruise which is a huge turn off. BUT, it also stars La Meryl which is a huge turn on! No Country For Old Men is a movie I'm very, very excited about. Javier Bardem looks deliciously evil. My kind of man. I know it's only limited but I'll count the days til it opens somewhere in Pennsylvania.

November 16 - Beowulf, Beowulf, Beowulf. Let me tell you a quick story. When I was 10 or so, I was a really weird kid. My favorite book, you ask? Well, it was Beowulf. I've read the goddamn thing approximately 50 times. I love it. But it's torturous to read. Unless this movie is 3 DAYS long, then I don't want to see it. It can't quite possibly cover everything unless it's 3 DAYS long. It's probably not. So I don't want to see it. Margot at the Wedding opens in limited release. I love me some Noah Baumbach and some Jennifer Jason Leigh so I can't wait until it comes somewhere in my vacinity! Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium makes me feel a little sick to my stomach. Even the name is sugary sweet. But, the cast is amazing - Natalie Portman, Dustin Hoffman and, one of my movie star boyfriends, Jason Bateman.

November 21 - August Rush looks cheesy but Jonathan Rhys Meyers is one of my movie star boyfriends. Those eyes! Those cheek bones! Those lips! Yeah, I'll see this movie. Enchanted actually looks really, really cute for a kid movie. Amy Adams is almost too adorable for words. Hitman stars Timothy Olyphant. I'm not sure about it. I'm Not There opens in limited release and, man, I can't wait to see Cate Blanchett take a stab at Bob Dylan! Stephen King's The Mist looks like most Stephen King movies. And that's not a good thing.

November 28 - The Savages stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney. I think every movie should star Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney.

November 30 - A really solid film month ends with the release of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I've heard good things so I'm excited to see it.