Local Color

Director: George Gallo
Starring: Trevor Morgan, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Samantha Mathis
Year: 2006

**

Touching, if you want it to be touching. If it weren't for all the cussing, it would be something you could show to middle school students and have them inspired.

Armin Mueller-Stahl was ~perfect~ in this role. The sincerity, devotion of the student as played by Morgan was real as well. There are several breathtaking shots of natural beauty, taking the viewr on a camara ride, so to speak.

Simple themes, simple story, simple decisions. Sometimes, though, simple is all you need to pass an hour or two!

**

Rate: 5/10

The Last Word

Director: Geoffrey Haley
Starring: Wiona Ryder, Wes Bentley, Ray Romano
Year: 2008

**

Not your typical RomCom. It didn't make me giggle as much as it made me smile darkly.

Take three complete strangers stranger than most... well, at least one of them! Yes, the one who writes suicide notes as a profession... and make them meet. Of course they affect each other.

The script is A-1 and the delivery is pretty well done too. Ryder is a bit overrated sometimes, or so I think. Otherwise, you'll perhaps enjoy Bentley's strange, cold blue pupils staring away at something. Romano is perfect in his role.

Giraffes (stuffed ones) make an excellent gift. And blowing up fax machines is a perfect answer to a bad day.

**

Rate: 6/10

Swingers (1996)

Directed by: Doug Liman
Starring: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn

**

A hint of nostalgia is the is the story of this film; a tale of five guys living in the bluecollar backstreets of Hollywood, California (yes, there is such a thing!) in the 1990s.

Five guys, all twenty-something, are party-goers of what seems like a 90s retro-movement of swinger style. In their quest of attempting to unlock the mystery of women, each present their unique though uninspired story.

The neat thing is that Liman doesn't attempt to glorify the normality of a bunch of tail-chasing yuppies; the film presents the 90s swinger retro-movement in a realism that does indeed make it worthwhile.

Some really nice scenes with smooth jazz and blues at some of Hollywood's often overlooked bars and jazz clubs. A nice treat.

A- for acting and screenplay.
B- for plot.
B+ for directing.

Legion

Director: Scott
Starring: Paul Bettany, Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson, and Dennis Quaid
Year: 2010

**

Wanna see an old lady leave bloody paw marks on the ceiling? Or really sick looking bubbles boiling on skin?

How about the an obvious plot and a lotta guns in a cafe called 'Paradise Lost'? No no! It's not sarcasm! You really can't miss out on Paul Bettany's awesome attempt to stitch himself up after his wings get chopped... and the look on some of those faces... priceless.

Want gory allegory and funny?

This one is for you.

**

Rate: 2/10

boy A

Director: John Crowley
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Katie Lyons, Peter Mullan
Year: 2007

**

This is by far the best film I have seen in a long, long, long time... It hits the chords that are rarely touched.

I praise a lot of actors. But I bow to Andrew Garfield. Thank you... for such a beautiful... beautiful performance. Playing with past and present tensions, the simplicity of the plot actually enhances the depth of the characters involved. Poetic script. And mind the knife!

See it. See it. See it. That is all there is to say.

**

Rate: 9/10

Towelhead

Director: Alan Ball
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, Maria Bello, Peter Macdissi, and Summer Bishil
Year: 2007

**

It took me back to the 90's, among other things, but it was with a bit of nostalgia I smiled at the huge sweaters, miniskirts, and side-head pony-tails.

The plot is simple, and stereotypes abound. But it's the acting that appeals most to me. There is no falsifying at all. Bishil captures you from scene one, and leaves her endeared till the last. It's fascinating to see the innocence of a 13 year old in an actress who is actually 19 when the film was shot.

My favorite scene, which was ~beautifully~ acted and paced was the dinner party to celebrate the end of the war... only to reveal the several entangled inner wars taking place.

Script was A+.

Watch it sometime if you want to feel sorry for a sweet girl who'll break your heart. Or not!

**

Rate: 7/10

(500) Days of Summer

Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel
Year: 2009

**

They have been giving this one stars all over the place and I thought, oh alright, fine, I'll see it.

I think it's the strange reality of this story that makes it so delightful to lose yourself in it. It's your ordinary RomCom with no larger-than-life overcast. And the structure of the plot is what twists it even more. You're left watching slices, piecing them together, regardless of the fact that you actually ~know~ it! Exactly like a jigsaw puzzle, in fact. You have to see the final picture anyway before you start building it. Props to the director for that.

I felt that the chemistry between the characters was floppy in the beginning... but then it clicks why. Acting pleased.

You can tell that a perfectionist was behind the script. Tom: "No one loves Ringo." Summer: "That's exactly what I love about him." Yes. Perfect. Among other perfect lines!

Also, Regina Spektor. Gotta love her.

So, mes amies, does love exist or is it just a series of coincidences?

I'll let you decide.

**

Rate: 5/10

This is going to be a bit different.

Our film blog is, at least from my part, going to provide a bit of a different look at film. There are plenty of blogs and reviews written by the pros out there that provide good insights into the strength of film, but what you're going to find here is a look at film from the Objectivist perspective, simplified into no more than one paragraph for each film.

That's right, folks. Ayn Rand is still alive.

Fracture

Director: Gregory Hoblit
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling
Year: 2007

**

Gosling was the reason I picked this one. I love Gosling. And no, not because of "The Notebook" either... he's is such a saturated actor. You see him as the character, unlike Jolie and Clooney, who, try as they might (although Clooney DID succeed in 'Michael Clayton'), can't put their personal aura down.

The film was tight, but the suspense was lacking compared to Hopkins other thrillers like 'Silence of the Lambs.' But maybe it's just because I still have Affleck's 'Gone Baby Gone' running through my head. Now THAT is suspense and surprise.

But bravo to Gosling for his superb performance, and kudos to the inventor of those creepy ball machines Crawford has all over his place... I mean, yeah they were NEAT, and the director did use them quite well in the opening credits... but they give you an involuntary shudder.

Another film down!

**

Rate: 5/10