I *finally* got to see The Shape of Water this week. I really liked it. It has great acting in an engaging “adult fairy tale” story with fantastic direction and production design. A minor quibble would be Michael Shannon as the villain. He’s fine in the role, but Shannon has played LOTS of villains and it just seemed like more of the same. Past that, I was totally enthralled by this movie and even got teary-eyed at the end.

My bet is that The Shape of Water will take home Best Picture in a few weeks at the Oscars. I am still rooting for Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri to win (because it’s great and was filmed locally!) … but I don’t think it will win because of the bad buzz surrounding the character of Dixon.

Actually … the weekend was kinda busy.

David and I binged watched the new season of Grace and Frankie on Netflix. I do like the show … and I think we can all agree that Ethan Embry is totally adorable.

Saturday, we went to Asheville and saw separate movies. Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Phantom Thread FINALLY opened here and it was amazing.

We stopped at Diamond Brand after the movie(s), and I picked up a new water reservoir for my new pack. New hiking gear is always fun to get!

I went down to self-serve karaoke at Harmons’ Den Bistro on Saturday night because Kiki commanded that I be there. It was pretty fun singing 80’s new wave (my specialty).

PT, Stephanie and I went on a wee hike on Sunday. It was somewhat fun, but the ice on the trail made it less so. Fortunately, nobody broke anything.

I have been fighting being in a funk since Sunday afternoon. It’s another one of those “everything is fucked up and won’t get better” kind of things. Ugh. Right now, the funk is winning.

I finally watched John Frankenheimer‘s Seconds. Rock Hudson does some damn fine acting and that ending is a gut punch. This one is going to stick with me for a long time.

Here’s the theatrical trailer …

Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1979 science fiction masterpiece, Stalker, hits Blu-ray in the states on July 18 courtesy of the Criterion Collection. Reviews have been popping up and the new restoration looks spectacular!

Here’s a screenshot from the Artificial Eye Region B release …

And here’s a screenshot from the new restoration …

And here’s the trailer for the restoration …

C’mon, July 18th!!!

David Fincher movies get me all excited. So, when it was announced he was at the helm of the American-ized version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” I got super excited. I really enjoyed the Swedish film, so I was curious as to what Fincher would do with the material.

Now the results are in theaters and it stacks up well (and sometimes not so well) against the original Swedish film.

For the most part, Fincher’s version works very well. The tone of the movie is very cold, clinical and precise. Fincher seems more interested in presenting the mechanics of the investigation rather than making it a more lurid thriller. It’s kinda like a lighter and more user friendly version of “Zodiac.” Some plot elements from the book that were ditched in the original movie show up here which make a nice addition. All the actor’s are solid and the pacing clicks along fairly well (except for wrapping up all the loose threads at the end). Plus, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross deliver another very interesting soundtrack.

So, does Rooney Mara kick it as Lisbeth Slander? She does and then some. I liked Mara’s take of the character more than Noomi Rapace‘s. It’s more dark, internal and withdrawn.

The major problem with the movie is that it has about five endings. They catch the killer and then there are about four more plot points to resolve which drags out the ending. And the movie is fitted with a bizarre James Bond-esque opening credit sequence. It looks cool and plays under the blasting sounds of “Immigrant Song” (covered by Reznor/Ross/Karen O) … but it doesn’t really serve any other purpose than to look cool.

There are better Fincher films … but, on the whole, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” worth checking out.

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So, guess who is super excited about seeing the new Danny Boyle film tomorrow!

What better way is there to spend a blustery, dreary fall day than to spend it at the movies!

“Animal Kingdom” (Australia, 2010)
This wasn’t at all what I expected. It’s less a story about actual crime and more about the effects of crime on a 17 year old suddenly thrust into his uncle’s criminal world. This movie is well written, directed and superbly acted. Well worth seeing if it’s playing in your area … two thumbs up!!!

“The Social Network” (USA, 2010)
Seriously. David Fincher IS the best director working in the business today. This whole movie is top notch … from the directing to the Aaron Sorkin script to the acting to the Reznor/Ross score. Another two thumbs up!!!

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Directed by David Fincher

A new David Fincher film is always cause for excitement. He’s always made movies that have a lot going for them. “Zodiac” (his last film) is a modern masterpiece (in my humble opinion). The time, Fincher has turned away from his typically dark subjects to bring us a psuedo-fantasy/chick flick with “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” It’s beautifully filmed. The acting from Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett is serviceable (it won’t knock your socks off). While watching the movie I was thinking how some of the elements of the story were very “Forrest Gump” only used to better effect. Turns out that the screen writer is the same guy that wrote that movie … a movie that I really don’t like. Maybe that is tainting my view of “Benjamin Button.” Or maybe it’s the “tug at your heart strings” ending. I must confess that the more I think about this movie the more unsure of it I become. It would be interesting to hear what other Fincher fans think about “Benjamin Button.”
 

“Doubt”
Directed by John Patrick Shanley

I have read and have seen the stage play on Broadway. And now … the movie version of “Doubt.” The stage play is a four character affair. For the movie version, John Patrick Shanley has taken his stage play and made the canvas a lot bigger (with great results). Plus it doesn’t hurt that Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep get to showcase their chops. And what chops they have! Amy Adams (as Sister James) holds her own in the struggle between Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius. But, it’s Viola Davis who nearly steals the whole movie in her short scene with Streep. “Doubt” showcases not only lots of high drama … it also showcases lots of excellent acting. I highly, highly recommend this movie.

Next up … Bryan Singer’s “Valkyrie.”