Saw a few good movies this weekend:
Doubt: Starring Meryl and Philip Seymour Hoffman, this movie has superb acting. Viola Davis gives a particularly amazing performance in her short time on the screen. She's up for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Streep is up for Best Actress (Drama), Hoffman is up for Best Supporting Actor and Amy Adams is up for Best Supporting Actress. Davis better win, or at least she deserves a nomination from the Academy as well. This movie was directed and adapted to the screen by John Patrick Shanley from his own play of the same name. It definitely feels like a play. It has an ambiguous ending that leaves you with more questions than answers. Rather than telling a story, the focus here is on being thought-provoking. And it certainly is. The film brings up a lot of questions about doubt and certainty vs. uncertainty, both in the metaphysical and the personal. And for all the questions that this film elicits, there are no right answers.
Doubt: Starring Meryl and Philip Seymour Hoffman, this movie has superb acting. Viola Davis gives a particularly amazing performance in her short time on the screen. She's up for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Streep is up for Best Actress (Drama), Hoffman is up for Best Supporting Actor and Amy Adams is up for Best Supporting Actress. Davis better win, or at least she deserves a nomination from the Academy as well. This movie was directed and adapted to the screen by John Patrick Shanley from his own play of the same name. It definitely feels like a play. It has an ambiguous ending that leaves you with more questions than answers. Rather than telling a story, the focus here is on being thought-provoking. And it certainly is. The film brings up a lot of questions about doubt and certainty vs. uncertainty, both in the metaphysical and the personal. And for all the questions that this film elicits, there are no right answers.
Frost/Nixon: This is another film adapted from a play. Both Michael Sheen (David Frost) and Frank Langella (Richard Nixon) reprise their roles from the stage in this film version of Peter Morgan's Frost/Nixon. Directed by Ron Howard, the film's success (or lack thereof) is tied to the performances of Sheen and Langella. This is a sort of docudrama, with the ambience of the film being based in realism and the action grounded in the sparring between the two title characters. The actors are amazing. Frank Langella deserves some serious recognition for his portrayal of Nixon (I have yet to see Milk or The Wrestler, and I hear Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke have some amazing performances this year). For all intents and purposes, he is Nixon, while never becoming a caricature. And this is important. While this film is about many things, it is certainly about the humanity of Nixon, and this is portrayed wonderfully. I still have some more movies to see, but this is my #1 of the year right now. Go see this. NOW.
Chungking Express: I've been enjoying some Hong Kong cinema recently, particularly Johnnie To (remember my Mad Detective post?). I went back in the vaults for this one, a film from 1994 written and directed by Kar Wai Wong. This movie is known for bringing Quentin Tarantino to tears and inspiring him to create Rolling Thunder Pictures, a company that gives American theatrical releases to quality foreign films (one of the most famous Rolling Thunder releases is Hero). This movie relies on cinematography and mood rather than storytelling. It consists of two tales of love & heartbreak which are very loosely related. Both stories are about a cop who is recently dumped by his girlfriend and ends up falling in love with another girl. The stories are simple so that the details and visual imagery can be complex. This film definitely demands multiple viewings, but from seeing it once I really liked it. And for a bonus, Criterion recently released it on Blu-Ray. Can't wait to see it on that format (or maybe even own a Blu-Ray player).
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