January 12th – January 19th
Happy Go-Lucky – From what I’d heard, this one was either a love it or hate it type of movie, especially in respect to Sally Hawkins’ character Poppy. I was pretty sure I was going to hate it andher. But, I ended up liking it all quite a bit. For one, it passes the Bechdel rule with flying colors. There’s even a Dykes to Watch Out Forbook somewhat prominently displayed in the bookstore scene. A movie like this makes me realize how male-centric most good films tend to be. And while Poppy’s cheery personality is not mine, I appreciate that she doesn’t have to follow normal conventions in order to be happy. She makes her own happiness. And Hawkins and Eddie Marsan are both a joy to watch.
The Red Balloon – After catching The Flight of the Red Balloonlast week, I finally was able to see its inspiration. It’s hard to say anything bad about a movie featuring a young boy and a red balloon. It was full of hope and optimism to be sure. And it brought a smile to my face. But balloons (or Barack) don’t change the fact that the world can be a cruel place.
Burn After Reading- I certainly enjoy a John Malkovich performance. I still can’t decide if I love his acting or absolutely hate it. Nevertheless, I most always enjoy it. On the whole, I was lukewarm about this movie. I enjoyed the spy movie conventions that were sprinkled about. There were funny enough parts here and there. And I appreciate the reference to bungled intelligence. But it wasn’t either ambitious enough or funny enough for it to take its place along side Coen Brothers classics like Arizona, Lebowski, or NCFOM.
Miller’s Crossing- I can’t say I loved this one either. It seemed like a solid gangster movie. But I don’t know my noir well enough to see where this fits among the classics or what sort of homage it aspires to. Certainly after watching this movie, but also after watching You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Storyon PBS a few months back, I really need to find room on my queue for some Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney. And, Dashiel Hammett’s been on my reading list for some time too. While the Coen Brothers can leave me cold on occasion, they do often lead me to expand my Netflix queue and/or reading list with interesting stuff. I still need to get to Blood Simple.
