Monday Movie Meltdown, 1st Ed.

I've decided that every Monday, I'm gonna awkwardly scribble down some thoughts on the movies I watched over the past week, except those which I've already reviewed. Good idea, right? So original too, OMG.

My watching of movies this week was, like, abnormally frequent. And with an abnormal amount of excellent movies, and lots of ensemble-based ones too. And even though my ability to love films is equal to Dane Cook's ability to suck, I'm still very young compared to you and I haven't seen as much nor am I entirely cynical to film yet. Plus, my rating system is so impenetrably paradoxical it just complicates everything more. So.

Also saw Wall•E and In Bruges.

The Sweet Hereafter -- You all know my love for Academy Award Nominee Sarah Polley, Mistress of Time. But, as DL (I miss u) once said:

But for people who haven't seen The Sweet Hereafter, Go, Guinevere, My Life Without Me, The Secret Life of Words, etc., and just know her from Dawn of the Dead and now Away From Her -- you are missing out on a truly unique screen presence. She's amazing.

... I ain't that versed in her. But I'm working on it! It took me a while to pop it into the player, but I finally saw this, and it's definitely one of those instances of "Why the hell didn't you watch this earlier, you little twit?!?!" It's breathtaking, both in it's subtle visual intoxication, and it's wonderfully descriptive screenplay. Though, I'm surprised Egoyan managed to be nominated for it and his direction; they're both excellent in ways that the Academy typically doesn't recognize, you know? Still, it's perfectly acceptable. Ian Holm was magnificent, and Sarah was - of course - amazing (the deposition scene?!), but then again so is everyone else in the movie. Excellent work.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind -- Technically, this is the second time I've seen it: I was 12, and it was on HBO. I didn't actually remember any of it till I saw it again, which is a blessing, because I recall only slightly liking it. What I think of it now, though, just proves I was a fucking idiot when I was 12. I loved the fuck out of it. It's so loopy! Plus, it features awesome performances by Kate Winslet, Jim Carrey, Kirsten Dunst, Tom Wilkinson and Mark Ruffalo (pretty much everyone), mind-numbing direction, totally hot cinematography and editing, a drool-worthy soundtrack, and the warped trademark symbol of that Oscar-winning (for this OMG!) sociopath Charlie Kaufman... so, like, I cried. Actually cried. That doesn't happen very often with me. I just get misty. omg... *cries* Seriously, though, it's a perfect film in the fact it's so messy because you know that's completely the point, and it's beautiful.

Notorious -- Watching Cary Grant violently shake a beautifully drunk Ingrid Bergman in the front seat of a convertible made me explode. That's what I think of the movie. Suck it, Whitney Houston!

Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs -- After the awesomeness that was Bender's Big Score, it's not all that surprising that this isn't as good. Especially how it deals with BBS's ending (NO FUCKING END OF THE UNIVERSE) which also led me to believe that Nibbler died for nothing. Which pisses me the fuck off. But I digress. It's good in it's own right, but definitely lesser Futurama in every way. Brittany Murphy was a nice (weird) surprise, and seeing Zap half-naked with someone other than Leela or Kif was cool. Yeah.

Vertigo -- Yes, there was a Hitch marathon on TCM Friday, and I took advantage of that to the best of my ability. I've been meaning to see it for a while, because it seems to be his most lauded film all of a sudden. It's immensely deserved. I'm not sure if it tops Rear Window, but it's certainly as great. Jimmy Stewart freaking me out was fucking incredible to feel. I mean, who would've thought, right??? And Kim Novak, well... OMG! It's all amazing. Also: This makes the SIXTH Hitch I've seen!!! That's GREAT for me, because I SUCK with classic directors! I'm working on that, though. *wink*

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet -- Baz Luhrmann must do an inhuman amount of acid, or at least is seriously disturbed, right? Because there is no way a clear-minded person can make the films he makes. Not that I'm complaining. I mean, in no possible tangent of reality was I not going to love it. In fact, it's probably a better-made film than Moulin Rouge!, perhaps because it's a less ambitious film. Despite the craziness and the whole matter of it's own existence, there was still probably some guaranteed aspect that it would work. Maybe Shakespeare's unyielding power to inspire... or OMG LEONARDO DICAPRIO + CLAIRE DANES. That might've done it. BTW, she can't act. I've figured it out. Yet that dead-eye stare does wonders for her here, oddly. And Leo was so girlishly pretty?! It was sort of scary, honestly, especially considering how buff he got.

Witness for the Prosecution -- Brilliant, cheeky, earth-shatteringly melodramatic, and genuinely entertaining? Hyperbole or not, it's still awesomely unfamiliar territory for me to venture in. It's compulsive too, you just can't look away, it's so engrossing. Charles Laughton was EXCELLENT, Elsa Lanchester was awesome, and Marlene Dietrich... I'm pretty sure this is a widely known fact (but as this is the first thing I've seen her in, forgive me) she was so fun. I'd use the word 'fierce' but I usually try to avoid sinking to that level. Incredible courtroom action too.

So how was your movie week, and what do you think of mine?