Movie Update

Well, we've more or less completed the first 1/3 of the movie going year. My initial reaction is that it's been a boring spring, but looking at the list it's actually been pretty impressive! This summer there is some great looking stuff on the horizon, and even with the usual 25% success rate, SOMETHING should be good.

Best of 2006 So Far:

• Brokeback Mountain, which I didn't get around to in 2005. Possibly one of my all time favorites. It's been really tainted by so much hype and argument in pop culture, but I still see it for an amazing love story, and the difficult lives these men are trying to muddle through. One of the few movies that I actually felt I knew the main characters, and felt what they were going through -- it touched my heart. Includes the most passionate kiss I've ever seen.
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Excellent, and a particular bargain at the dollar theater! The story was terrific, and the special effects were better than ever. Only one flaw -- why would you hire a guy as sexy as Ralph Fiennes and make him hideous? It makes no sense.
• V For Vendetta. The best of 2006 so far -- if the summer blockbusters come even close to this, it will be a great summer. Comic book and science fiction elements, allusions to Count of Monte Cristo (one of my favorite books), mystery, love, revenge, a great looking heroine, a great sounding hero, beautifully filmed -- and two special effects climaxes that will blow your socks off. This is what movies are all about.
• Inside Man. Pretty decent, your ordinary decent bank heist film, although a tiny bit confusing to me.
• Take the Lead. A pleasant surprise -- a dance movie that's not painful to watch when the music stops! Antonio Banderas was charming, as intended, and there's a tango scene that is worth the price of admission on its own. Very fun.
• The Pianist (rental). Well made and beautiful, but I'm not sure I can recommend. The first three fourths are a long process of survival and hiding during the Holocaust. It's only toward the end that we are rewarded with a couple amazing bits of film. If you're willing to put in the first two hours to enjoy the last thirty minutes, the payoffs are pretty amazing.
• Mean Girls (rental). Easily the best Saturday Night Live movie ever made, hilarious and fun.

Looking Forward To:

• Da Vinci Code -- a book so nice I read it twice.
• Mission Impossible 3. Just looks like too much fun to pass up, plus Phillip Seymour Hoffman will make a great villain.
• X Men 3. A great series, will not miss this one.
• Lady In the Water. Shyamalan's new one. Even his failures are more interesting than most successes.
• Miami Vice. Even though Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell are kind of yucky to me, I have faith in any Michael Mann production. And the preview ROCKED.
• Superman Returns. I had no interest in this until I saw the preview, and it gave me goosebumps. That's not very surprising now that I've learned Bryan Singer is directing (he did the first X-Men), and Kevin Spacey is playing Lex Luthor.
• Little Miss Sunshine. Steve Carell's next project, which got great buzz at Sundance, and my most reliable source (Sunday) confirms it's promising.

And if you need a rental, here's my top 10 of 2005:

• Brokeback Mountain
• Walk the Line
• Pride and Prejudice
• Batman Begins
• King Kong
• March of the Penguins
• Murderball
• Grizzly Man
• Chronicles of Narnia
• Capote