The weird and wonderful world of soundtracks.

It’s funny how my musical taste and interests change around so drastically. Right now, all I have been listening to are soundtracks. Soundtracks are wonderful things. Now I’m talking about proper scores here. Not collections of already popular songs thrown together to please the masses. I’m talking about Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, Shirley Walker, Thomas Newman and James Newton Howard.

My favourite soundtracks are currently as follows:

1. Shirley Walker – Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm OST

2. Danny Elfman – Beetlejuice

3. Thomas Newman – Wall-E

4. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard – Batman Begins OST (Though The Dark Knight will probably eclipse this)

5. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

I would love to write a soundtrack someday. There is something so special and final about a special film with a spectacular soundtrack.

I wonder do others feel the same? Give us your thoughts…In fact Let’s see what other people’s top 5 would be? Gonna tag a few blogs and people can pass it on!

Spike kritikája következik Jesse James igaz történetéről.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

“Meghalt 1882. április 3-án
Élt 34 évet, 6 hónapot és 28 napot
Egy gyáva áruló gazfickó lőtte le, aki nem érdemli meg, hogy nevét ide írják.”

Ki a rendező: Andrew Dominik, új-zélandi születésű iró és filmrendező. Hollywoodi pályafutását a Chopper (2000) c. filmjével kezdte, mely Mark Brandon Read ausztrál exbűnöző életét dolgozta fel, főszerepben az alakításáért a Stockholmi Filmfesztivál legjobb szereplő díját elnyerő Eric Bana-val.

2007-ben készült el második nagyjátékfilmje, jelen ismertetőnk tárgya, mely Ron Hansen 1983-ban megjelent azonos című regényén alapul.

Dominik számos díjat nyert (többek között a Chopper-ért 2000-ben elnyerte a legjobb független filmrendezőnek járó díjat, az Inside Film Awards-ot), valamint a legjobb ausztrál rendező díját is.

A Jesse James-ért 2007-ben a Velencei Filmfesztivál Arany Oroszlánjára jelölték, a legjobb rendező díjára is felterjesztették (Film Critics Circle of Australia), továbbá a Western Writers of Amerca is elismerte a legjobb western dráma kategóriában.

Ki játszik benne: A főszerepben Brad Pitt. Gondolom, korunk egyik legnagyobb férfiideálját és egyik legfoglalkoztatottabb illetve legtehetségesebb színészét nem kell különösebben bemutatnom. Az 1980-as évek végén kezdte színészi karrierjét, mikor is olyan híres televíziós sorozatokban szerepelt mint pl. a Dallas, thirtysomething, 21 Jump Street, Growing Pains vagy a Head of the Class. A szakma és Hollywood Ridley Scott kultfilmjében, a Thelma & Louise-ban figyelt fel rá Geena Davis és Susan Sarandon oldalán. A Szenvedélyek viharában c. 1994-es drámában Tristan szerepében Golden Globe-díjra jelölték, majd a 12 majom (1995) végül Oscar-jelölést hozott neki. Láthattuk még az Interjú a vámpírral (1994) c. filmben; David Fincher kultthrillerében, a Hetedikben; a Harcosok klubjában (1999), mely hasonlóan kult státuszba emelkedett; vagy Stephen Soderbergh Ocean’s trilógiájában.

Tovább is van>>

With The First Avenger: Captain America scheduled to be coming out in 2011, Marvel is already tossing around the names of some actors they would like to see as Steve Rogers. You may be shocked to find out who.

Coming hot of the presses from LatinoReview.com, Marvel has been talking about looking to cast either Leonardo DiCaprio or Brad Pitt as Captain America. Of course these are just preliminary musings since the movie is very far off, but this no doubt shows the kind of person they are looking for.

By now Marvel has come to the realization that putting big name celebrities such as Robert Downey Jr. and Ed Norton in leading roles in their movies equals box office gold. Hell, even the supporting characters in both Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk were huge. Jeff Bridges, Gwnyeth Paltrow, and Liv Tyler aren’t bottom barrel actors in the least. That and the movies are just of a superior quality since they are in house productions.

Not only are DiCaprio and Pitt big stars but they are also similar in their acting styles. Both are flexible in that they can be rough around the edges types such as Billy Castigan in The Departed or Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, or the suave cool talking types such as Frank Abagnale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can or Rusty Ryan in the Ocean’s Series.

Despite their acting similarities, however, I think that Pitt would be a much better choice than DiCaprio. DiCaprio is too scrawny to play a super soldier serum injected Cap. I could see Pitt playing a much more believable Steve Rogers than DiCaprio.

According to the story on LatinoReview.com, Marvel may also be looking at Pitt to play Thor in the 2010 movie of the same name. That one I’m not so sure about. I’m trying to imagine what Achilles from Troy would like like if he was 1000 times more bad ass and carried Mjolnir… maybe it would work… maybe.

Sure, the sweet warm summer is coming, and, sure, I’m hitching the first ride I can out of these lousy prairies, but let’s not forget that for one month in the autumn, more or less, the flatlands of America are pretty cool. What better way to celebrate their four-week span of foggy, brown & lavander ghostly beauty than by forming a theme playlist for them? Sir, I will tell you politely but firmly that THERE IS NO BETTER WAY.

So here y’are:

The Prairies in October Playlist

1. ‘Song For Jesse’ by Nick Cave from the soundtrack to “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (An incredible film – one of the best I’ve ever seen. It was put out in super-limited release in 2007 and for that reason left almost as soon as it’d arrived, and that’s an incredible shame; I encourage everyone to get it on dvd. Seriously, I rank it with “Seven Samurai” and “My Dinner With Andre“. It makes me sad and hurty inside that everyone’s not cheering for it, and critics aren’t doing that thing where they creak back in their chairs and try and fit the words “ambiguity” and “evil” together in a sentence somehow, like “Well, its treatment of the ambiguity of evil was cookie-cutter, really,” which they do whenever a really awesome movie comes out.)

2. ‘Asleep and Dreaming’ by The Magnetic Fields

3. ‘The Coo Coo Bird’ by The Be Good Tanyas

4. ‘This Land is Mine’ by Dido

5. ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ by Emmylou Harris

6. ‘Laurie De’ Tullins’ by Chris Thile

7. ‘Hallelujah’ by k.d. lang

8. ‘Ivory’ by Ray Lynch

Gee, I was pretty disparaging about film critics before, wasn’t I? Well, not as disparaging as these guys:

Disclaimer: I don’t own this video. I got it here.

If you make a film and you inject it with as much poetry as possible, use a narrator, long takes, and shoot fields of tall grass, then you are going to be compared to Terrance Malick. Is that a problem? For some people it may be, as the implication is that the film will be both slow and long. For this viewer it can work out well, as it did in the case of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, written and directed by Andrew Dominik.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, takes place during the last years of Jesse James’ life, when he met Robert Ford (Casey Affleck). Jesse is a paranoid, confused, and suicidal figure at this point and Robert Ford is a sycophant of the highest order, having obsessed over Jesse James (Brad Pitt) his entire life. The film tracks the men’s relationship with one another and with other members of the gang and leads to the aftermath of the infamous man’s death.

What I liked: The poetry of the image was the surface, the initial layer of the film with it’s long lenses and shallow focus combined with vast landscapes and rugged interiors. Everything in the film is sparse, stripped-down, in an effort not to distract from the story. I loved how the film was shot. Roger Deakins is the man and he flexes his cinematographer’s muscles in this film. Dominik has the sense to work to Deakin’s strengths in the film, shooting some of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve seen in awhile. I should have seen this in the theater.

The next layer, the most important one, is the subtlety of the performances. Affleck, Pitt, Sam Rockwell, and Paul Schneider all deserve special mention and Affleck probably should have gotten an Oscar for this performance. While the character is detestable I couldn’t help but care for him. He is a tragic figure, mirroring Jesse James careening towards his demise. I thought this was the real powerhouse performance by Affleck of the year, not Gone Baby Gone. Pitt should also be noted for playing the icon himself and playing him as a man.

The shoot-out that occurs towards the end of the film was a favorite scene of mine. Played realistically with poor shooting and some real character moments, the scene stood out as a powerful example of how modern westerns can remain fresh by depicting the genre conventions as unromantic as possible.

What I didn’t like: The film dragged a bit in the middle, focusing too much on characters that, while interesting, detracted from the thrust of the narrative. I wanted to get back to Robert Ford and Jesse James.

4 stars

Il y a pas mal de films que j’ai vus dernièrement, mais parler de chacun individuellement est éreintant. Enfin, y penser l’est. Donc, faisons un petit tour d’horizon.

The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford – Petite déception de ce côté. Autant Brad Pitt est vraiment génial, autant Casey Affleck peut se montrer héritant. Sa performance n’équivaut pas celle de Gone Baby Gone. Il faut dire qu’il n’est pas aidé par l’histoire. J’attendais vraiment à être bouche bée devant ce film. Certes, les décors et la photo sont vraiment magnifiques, mais bon, Jesse James n’est pas assez exploité, et même si l’angle prit par l’histoire à ses qualités, j’ai ressenti un peu trop d’agacement. Et pour finir, pourquoi embaucher Mary-Louise Parker et ne lui donner que 2 lignes de dialogues ?

In The Valley Of Elah – Je pensais que le film avait un véritable rapport avec la guerre en Irak, alors qu’au final, c’est l’histoire d’un père qui cherche la vérité sur la mort de son fils après une soirée un peu arrosée entre potes de régiment. Le film n’est pas mauvais, mais souffre du fait que les ramifications de toute cette histoire soient vraiment trop courtes. En plus, Charlize Theron n’a pas franchement une bonne tête. La rendre un tout petit peu plus sexy n’aurait pas nui à l’histoire, enfin, moi je dis ça…

Accepted – J’ai acheté le DVD à pas cher sur 2xmoinschers, histoire de le revoir. C’est le genre de comédie que j’aime bien. Des jeunes qui défendent la liberté de penser et de choisir. Certes le film ne vole pas haut, mais l’humour est efficace et loin du graveleux à la American Pie.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Toujours un plaisir de le revoir. La scène avec le Cougar est toujours aussi excellente. Certains gags perdent de leur panache à force de voir le film, mais ça me fait toujours rire.

Austin Powers 1 & 2 – Les films vieillissent un peu, mais ça faisait longtemps que je en les avais pas revu. Il se trouve qu’ils sont meilleurs que dans mes souvenirs, en tout cas, le second que j’ai plus ou moins redécouvert, car je n’avais pas gardé un bon souvenir du dernier visionnage.

We Own The Night – On continue sur les films qui m’ont déçu. À force, je pense que je deviens trop exigeant. Il faut dire que de la part de James Gray, j’attendais quelque chose de bien plus subtil. Mark Whalberg est un peu sous-exploité. Robert Duvall, idem. Joaquin Phoenix a déjà fait bien mieux. La force du réalisateur a toujours été sa maitrise graphique. C’est encore une fois irréprochable de ce côté.

There Will Be Blood – Quand un film est qualifié de pur chef-d’œuvre, ça m’intrigue toujours. No Country For Old Men m’a vraiment convaincu de ce côté là, There Will Be Blood me laisse dubitatif. Les qualités du film sont indéniables, pourtant il y a quelque chose qui manque. Le truc qui fait que je n’ai pas, pendant les 2h30, réussit à passé outre la froideur de l’image. Je suis resté hermétique, contre ma volonté. Le temps a passé, et une fois au bout, et bien, j’étais un peu fatigué, mais je n’ai pas réussi à apprécier ce que j’ai vu plus que ça. On ne peut pas sciemment dire que c’est mauvais, mais, justement, c’est un peu comme si on nous donnait un verre du meilleur vin au monde, et qu’il avait un gout plutôt standard. Tout le monde connaît la réputation de ce vin, mais personne n’osera dire quelque chose, de peur que le problème ne vienne pas vraiment du vin, mais du gouteur. Peur de dire que non, c’est mauvais, alors que tout le reste du monde dit que oui, c’est bon. Bref, There Will Be Blood, ce n’est pas mauvais, mais ce n’est pas un chef d’œuvre, et ce n’est pas parce que l’on nous dit que c’en est un qu’il faut croire que si on désapprouve, le problème ne soit pas le film.

That little guinea pig is getting to the big ones, starting with Best Director. It was a tight race, with #’s 1 and 2 getting an equal amount of votes, but the Coen brothers were four point behind… Well, if you know it’s not the Coens, you’ll know who it is, and you’ll understand why I really cannot wait until Thursday. Number 3 wasn’t too far behind, but the rest of the votes was distributed among an impressive number of worthy contenders.

My own votes went to 1. the Coens, 2. Todd Haynes, 3. Wes Anderson (yup, I was that lone vote) , 4. David Fincher and 5. Joe Wright, mostly because I felt bad about him getting snubbed at the Oscars for Jason Reitman.

Don’t forget to also check out the Best Cinematic Moment Muriels: the votes are, obviously, all over the place, but that category is a great way of re-living some of the nicest scenes. My votes were very similar to this post on the old blog, and added to that

• the moment that should get the award for “greatest use of Adrien Brody’s limbs – ever”: his running for the train in The Darjeeling Limited
• Juno telling her dad and stepmom about her pregnancy – see, I don’t hate Juno!

Biggest surprise? I was the only one who mentioned that great scene in the fog at the beginning of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, with Jesse James waiting for the train to arrive. Simply breathtaking. I’m still waiting for the director’s cut of that one, incidentally. And if anyone feels like sending it to me as a late, late birthday present, I won’t stop you

Given that this wonderful blog called Owl Pellets is about all things cultural and entertaining, including music and film, I thought it wildly appropriate to SHOUT FROM MY FINGERTIPS a small word about new band, She & Him. (And I’m sure now you realize the title of this thread is not, as you initially thought, a horrible display of grammar.) You may recognize the two good-lookin’s in the photo above as M.Ward and Zooey Deschanel.

Matt Ward – M.Ward – is a singer/songwriter based out of Portland, Oregon and has released six records, his most recent, Post-War. He has collaborated with the likes of Neko Case, Conor Oberst, Jim James, Nels Cline, and Jenny Lewis.

Zooey Deschanel is an actress (and now songstress) based out of Los Angeles, California. Her resume spans over thirty-six television and film appearances, notably Almost Famous, Elf, Winter Passing, The Good Girl, Eulogy, Failure to Launch, Bridge to Terabithia, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, “Weeds”, “Frasier”, “Veronica’s Closet”, and the list, wonderfully, goes on.

I’m usually a bit weary of actors and actresses -turned musicians, but Deschanel has definitely proven she has the passion and style, really, for such an undertaking.

The duo’s MySpace page had this to say about their getting-together-ed-ness:

She & Him made their debut record as a love letter to the musicians who inspired it. Volume One (Merge Records) introduces a boy and girl choir hell-bent on making music the old-fashioned way: by hand – and with as few machines as humanly possible.

The She & Him story begins when in 2006 , renowned one man band M. Ward, recorded a duet with a girl named Zooey Deschanel. A delightful recording session, the experience lead to a dialogue between the two about collaborating further. This, in turn, led to Deschanel admitting to secretly making dozens and dozens of home demos and hoarding them like acorns for the winter. Sick and tired of being stingy and secretive about music, Deschanel realized that if songs were acorns then this was indeed her wintertime: she sent the recordings to Ward and these demos became the basis for their first record, entitled Volume One.

Ward’s unique arrangements and virtuostic guitar playing paired with Deschanel’s affinity for vocal harmony give Volume One its characteristic sound . Ward and Deschanel share a mutual affection for the songs they grew up hearing on Los Angeles radio stations – and keep in their hearts the records that most DJ’s aren’t playing anymore: Les Paul and Mary Ford, The Ronettes, Nina Simone, Chet Atkins, Linda Ronstadt, the Carter Family and about a hundred others. Aiming to achieve the warmth and charm of pop and country records from the early and mid part of the twentieth century, Ward, who also produced the record, and Deschanel, who wrote most of the music, called upon the help of a number of extraordinary musicians including: Rachel Blumberg, Adam Selzer, Mike Coykendall, Tom Hagerman, Peter Broderick, Mike Mogis, and Paul Brainerd. Without whom this record would just be two people with no drums, bass, strings or pedal steel.

Though I basically gave you all/most of what they present on the site, I’d recommend hitting it up anyway, if only to hear their full sample of “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?” Deschanel has a very cabaret goes modern sound, and Ward’s style is very apparent, though I kind of wish his vocals were more present.

I took a peek at Merge Records’ site, too, and their album is available for both purchase and sample. Her country style is dominating, but not too much so. I think Ward can put Deschanel up there with Neko Case in collaborations, as well, for her vocals are so distinctly her own, yet draw from strong influences, like Linda Ronstadt. Merge agrees with me there, too:

Embracing the warm sound of early analog recordings, Volume One is more than just a showcase for Zooey’s rich and endearing voice; it’s a distinctive and endlessly charming album. The songs themselves give a respectful nod to the likes of Dusty Springfield, Linda Ronstadt and The Zombies while Matt’s production gives them just the right amount of golden era sheen. Whether Zooey’s channeling Ronnie Spector as on “I Was Made For You” or joining Matt in turning The Beatles “I Should Have Known Better” into a seductive hula guitar duet, the results are always captivating.

Merge Records’ Website, She & Him: http://www.mergerecords.com/store/store_detail.php?catalog_id=530

MySpace, She & Him: http://www.myspace.com/sheandhim

EDIT: The more I listen to these two, the more I fall in love with their style, which is so obviously retro, it’s endearing.

EDIT, Part II: Since I have the full album now, I thought I might as well give VOLUME ONE a rating, if that means anything:

Back to the classics. 8/10.

Pitchfork agrees! 7.4/10. : http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/49188-volume-one

George Clooney in “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)

Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)

Johnny Depp in “Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)

Tommy Lee Jones in “In the Valley of Elah” (Warner Independent)

Viggo Mortensen in “Eastern Promises” (Focus Features)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Casey Affleck in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (Warner Bros.)

Javier Bardem in “No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)

Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Charlie Wilson’s War” (Universal)

Hal Holbrook in “Into the Wild” (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment)

Tom Wilkinson in “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (Universal)

Julie Christie in “Away from Her” (Lionsgate)

Marion Cotillard in “La Vie en Rose” (Picturehouse)

Laura Linney in “The Savages” (Fox Searchlight)

Ellen Page in “Juno” (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Cate Blanchett in “I’m Not There” (The Weinstein Company)

Ruby Dee in “American Gangster” (Universal)

Saoirse Ronan in “Atonement” (Focus Features)

Amy Ryan in “Gone Baby Gone” (Miramax)

Tilda Swinton in “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)

Best animated feature film of the year

“Persepolis” (Sony Pictures Classics): Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney): Brad Bird

“Surf’s Up” (Sony Pictures Releasing): Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

Achievement in art direction

“American Gangster” (Universal): Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino

“Atonement” (Focus Features): Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

“The Golden Compass” (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock

“Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount): Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Achievement in cinematography

“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (Warner Bros.): Roger Deakins

“Atonement” (Focus Features): Seamus McGarvey

“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Janusz Kaminski

“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins

“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Robert Elswit

Achievement in costume design

“Across the Universe” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky

“Atonement” (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran

“Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (Universal) Alexandra Byrne

“La Vie en Rose” (Picturehouse) Marit Allen

“Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Colleen Atwood

Achievement in directing

“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Julian Schnabel

“Juno” (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Jason Reitman

“Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.), Tony Gilroy

“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Paul Thomas Anderson

Best documentary feature

“No End in Sight” (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

“Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience” (The Documentary Group) A Documentary Group Production: Richard E. Robbins

“Sicko” (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company) A Dog Eat Dog Films Production: Michael Moore and Meghan O’Hara

“Taxi to the Dark Side” (THINKFilm) An X-Ray Production: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner

“War/Dance” (THINKFilm) A Shine Global and Fine Films Production: Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine

Best documentary short subject

“Freeheld” A Lieutenant Films Production: Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth

“La Corona (The Crown)” A Runaway Films and Vega Films Production: Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega

“Salim Baba” A Ropa Vieja Films and Paradox Smoke Production: Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello

“Sari’s Mother” (Cinema Guild) A Daylight Factory Production: James Longley

Achievement in film editing

“The Bourne Ultimatum” (Universal): Christopher Rouse

“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Juliette Welfling

“Into the Wild” (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment): Jay Cassidy

“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes

“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Dylan Tichenor

Best foreign language film of the year

“Beaufort” Israel

“The Counterfeiters” Austria

“Katyn” Poland

“Mongol” Kazakhstan

“12″ Russia

Achievement in makeup

“La Vie en Rose” (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald

“Norbit” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji

“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

“Atonement” (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli

“The Kite Runner” (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias

“Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard

“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino

“3:10 to Yuma” (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“Falling Slowly” from “Once” (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova

“Happy Working Song” from “Enchanted” (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

“Raise It Up” from “August Rush” (Warner Bros.): Music and Lyric by Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack and Tevin Thomas

“So Close” from “Enchanted” (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

“That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted” (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

Best motion picture of the year

“Atonement” (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers

“Juno” (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production) A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers

“Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers

“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers

“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers

Best animated short film

“I Met the Walrus” A Kids & Explosions Production: Josh Raskin

“Madame Tutli-Putli” (National Film Board of Canada) A National Film Board of Canada Production Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski

“Même les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)” (Premium Films) A BUF Compagnie Production Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse

“My Love (Moya Lyubov)” (Channel One Russia) A Dago-Film Studio, Channel One Russia and Dentsu Tec Production Alexander Petrov

“Peter & the Wolf” (BreakThru Films) A BreakThru Films/Se-ma-for Studios Production Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman

Best live action short film

“At Night” A Zentropa Entertainments 10 Production: Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth

“Il Supplente (The Substitute)” (Sky Cinema Italia) A Frame by Frame Italia Production: Andrea Jublin

“Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)” (Premium Films) A Karé Production: Philippe Pollet-Villard

“Tanghi Argentini” (Premium Films) An Another Dimension of an Idea Production: Guido Thys and Anja Daelemans

“The Tonto Woman” A Knucklehead, Little Mo and Rose Hackney Barber Production: Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown

Achievement in sound editing

“The Bourne Ultimatum” (Universal): Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg

“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay

“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney): Randy Thom and Michael Silvers

“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Christopher Scarabosio and Matthew Wood

“Transformers” (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

Achievement in sound mixing

“The Bourne Ultimatum” (Universal) Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis

“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland

“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney): Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane

“3:10 to Yuma” (Lionsgate): Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe

“Transformers” (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

Achievement in visual effects

“The Golden Compass” (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood

“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier

“Transformers” (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

Adapted screenplay

“Atonement” (Focus Features), Screenplay by Christopher Hampton

“Away from Her” (Lionsgate), Written by Sarah Polley

“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Screenplay by Ronald Harwood

“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

Original screenplay

“Juno” (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Written by Diablo Cody

“Lars and the Real Girl” (MGM), Written by Nancy Oliver

“Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.), Written by Tony Gilroy

“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird

“The Savages” (Fox Searchlight), Written by Tamara Jenkins

Note: Many assumptions are based on wild guess.

By Lindsay Zoladz

Of course, I had to show my solidarity with the writer’s strike, but deep down I was praying that the whole thing would be sorted out by Feb. 24 so we could all revel in our regularly scheduled Oscar glitz and glam. I know it’s cool to say that the Oscar telecast is stupid, pointless, and often about 12 hours long, but I’ll admit it: I love it. Here are my picks for this year:

Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men
C’mon now. I still can’t walk down my street at night without having visions of Javier Bardem leaping out of the bushes and zapping me in the head with a caddle prod. Clearly, this is the kind of performance that stays with you for a while.

Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Not only because she was superb in this role, but also to atone for the fact that Todd Haynes and everyone else involved in the film were criminally snubbed in a bunch of other categories.

Best Original Screenplay: Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Truth be told, I haven’t even seen Michael Clayton, but it seems that Gilroy has the best chance of upsetting Diablo Cody’s almost inevitable victory, and we all know how I feel about that. On the bright side, I think this is the first time there have been more female than male nominees in this category, so that’s pretty awesome.

Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins, No Country For Old Men
Deakins, also nominated in this category for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, is yet another scene-stealer in No Country’s ensemble cast, finding the subtle beauty that a lesser DP may have lost sight of in all that blood.

Best Actress: Julie Christie, Away From Her.
Again, this film is still chilling in my Netflix queue, but judging from the trailer, it looks at least a little bit better than Juno.

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood.
In accepting what will be the most deserved Best Actor Oscar in, like, years, I am still holding out hope that in place of a speech, DDL will just walk up there, scream, “DRAAAAAIIIIINNNNAAAAGGGGGE!” with a tiny bit of spittle dribbling from his mouth, and then walk off stage with the award.

Best Director(s): Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country For Old Men.
It’s about time, eh?

Best Picture: There Will Be Blood.
In reality, No Country will probably take this one, and I’d be more than OK with that. But personally, I’m pulling for There Will Be Blood.

The Oscars are on this Sunday at 8 p.m. For the record, I have not ruled out live-blogging.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, directed by Andrew Dominik, USA, 2007. Review by Sean on 2/16/08.

Just about every year, a western comes out, immediately followed by a thousand reviews claiming it to be the resurrection and/or final death of the genre. I’ll just sort of skip past this issue; let’s just file it over in “Dramas w/Cowboy Hats” and leave it at that. The Assassination has fallen off the radar rather quickly, with the exception of Casey Affleck’s excellent performance (nominated in the wrong category though it may be; more on that in a later post.) It’s the filmmakers’ bad luck that it came out in the fall of 2007, just in time to be railroaded out of memory by those other Dramas w/Cowboy Hats, No Country and There Will Be Blood; for those few who will seek it out, The Assassination is a surprisingly intense offering.

As with everything pertaining to the life of Jesse James, the story of his death is half-true and half-legend in its best form; Dominik’s film takes certain liberties with the chain of events and the who-did-what of it all, but is still close enough to score that oft-abused “true story” label. We find the James brothers engaged in their final train robbery and being pestered by Robert Ford, a wide-eyed youth with a James Gang fetish. After the robbery, Ford delights at brief moments of conversation with Jesse; within days, Robert is a trusted member of Jesse’s entourage. However, Jesse begins to grow more and more paranoid, suspecting and shooting most of those around him; the bulk of the film’s struggle concerns whether or not Ford will remain close long enough to kill Jesse. Any suspense on the topic should be directed to the title of the film.

Really, though, the story is about Robert Ford, and the shaky middle ground between hero worship and dangerous obsession. Key moments see James questioning whether Robert wants to be like Jesse or to actually be Jesse; around the Ford family dinner table, Robert’s brother goads him into admitting that he’s developed a laundry list of similarities between himself and the outlaw. Affleck’s performance is spot on; Ford is a permanently flawed and hopelessly complex character, but Affleck still can imbue a bizarrely dynamic quality in him; even if Ford never truly changes, he’s always about to.

The acting throughout the film is equally admirable; Brad Pitt’s James is affable and charming even with increasing paranoia and anger, and strong support is spread throughout by the likes of Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker, and the highly underrated Jeremy Renner. The direction is eerie and atmospheric, and the script compliments the feel of the film nicely; this is all especially notable considering The Assassination is only the second film written and directed by Andrew Dominik. Much like its title, the film is notably too long, and a few of the subplots fail to go anywhere; your enjoyment will also be tempered by how much you like voice-over. Nevertheless, there’s plenty to like here; remember to give this one a chance before it gets too buried in your Netflix queue to ever emerge.

Rating: 3.5 Screens (Out of 5)

A bit of Blog Business: over the next week, I’ll be breakin’ down those crazy Oscar races, and offering my picks and predictions. A little closer to Oscar night, the assembled Cinema Five troops will offer their long-awaited 2007 Top 10 lists, and we’ll see if we can’t finally find a There Will Be Blood review lying around here somewhere. Later today: I CIRCLE THE GLOBE, in the form of capsule reviews.

“Yeah…they said that would happen in health class.”

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A lot of the year-end lists have anointed 2007 as the best year for films in a long time — which is partially true, but also a pretty typical case of a short memory. While I agree that it was stronger than the last couple of years, there weren’t any standouts — none of the films released this year would make my all-time top 20 or so. It’s very similar to me to 2002, another year without many standouts but a lot of good depth. That year brought The Pianist, Infernal Affairs, Catch Me If You Can, Adaptation, Spellbound, The Ring, The Bourne Identity, 8 Mile, Insomnia, Narc, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Minority Report and of course, Super Troopers. I never saw The 25th Hour, Far From Heaven, Y Tu Mama Tambien or Punch-Drunk Love, amongst others, but that’s a lot of solid B/B+ movies with a couple A/A- but none of those come close to my top 20.

Just for the record, in my lifetime, the two best years for me were 1999, which was just ridiculous (Fight Club, The Matrix, American Beauty, Three Kings, The Insider, Run Lola Run, Being John Malkovich, Go, The Sixth Sense, and even genre standouts like Office Space, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels and The Thomas Crown Affair and others that I haven’t seen like Boys Don’t Cry, The Hurricane, Magnolia, The Red Violin and The Cider House Rules) & 1995, which has 3 of my top 20 (The Usual Suspects, Se7en, 12 Monkeys, Braveheart, Heat, Toy Story, Casino, Apollo 13 and Babe with films like Leaving Las Vegas, Dead Man Walking, The City of Lost Children, Richard III, and Dead Man that I never saw).

Now, no list can be complete, but these are some of the notable films from 2007 that I did not see that may have had a shot at being on the list – The King of Kong, Into the Wild, Atonement, The Kingdom, Hot Fuzz, Grindhouse, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

But here is my top 10 of 2007:

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1. Sunshine

“When I love a film, I know it right away — there’s a feeling I get that’s hard to describe (and maybe you get it too) when the credits are rolling, a kind of stunning feeling of awe and amazement that is what really hits at the heart of what movies can do. Like other forms of art, a great movie can make you look everything a little differently after you’ve seen it — for lack of a better term, they can rock your world.

Sunshine rocked my world.”
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2. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

“Jesse James is slow, long and meandering, but I never found it less than enthralling, thanks in part to the beautiful cinematography, deservingly the front-runner to win the Oscar, and the score by Nick Cave. It truly is a beautiful film and well worth seeing.”

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3. Zodiac

“Given that I had a prior interest in the story, and that David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en) is probably my favorite modern director, Zodiac is a movie I went in expecting to like. It did not disappoint. From the chilling opening scene all the way through the entire timeline of the case, Zodiac is captivating throughout, with Fincher taking a script that is mostly exposition and creating suspense and a consistent mood without overdoing it.”

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4. 3:10 to Yuma

“In the year of the Westerns that weren’t really Westerns (No Country for Old Men, The Assassination of Jesse James, There Will Be Blood), 3:10 to Yuma, a remake of a 1957 film, was a throwback to the old-time Westerns, and while it did not have the same aspirations as the other films, it is as entertaining a film as any that came out in 2007.”

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5. There Will Be Blood

“Overall, There Will Be Blood is worth seeing and probably one of the better movies of the year, almost entirely due to Daniel Day-Lewis (Paul Dano is also good, but overshadowed). It is a flawed story elevated to greater heights by the acting, the cinematography and the excellent score composed by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood.”

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6. Superbad

A lot of people preferred the other Judd Apatow movie, Knocked Up, but I thought Superbad had a lot more heart and a lot more laughs – plus Michael Cera being awesome, and McLovin’. Although, both movies employed the old, “fat guy with hot chick” plot device that always throws me off.

7. Ratatouille

After a rare misfire with Cars, Pixar came back with a vengeance with the story of a rat who proves that “anyone can cook.” The animation has never been better, the story was really good and Brad Bird established himself as the premier auteur in the world of animation.

8. American Gangster

My full review will coincide with the DVD release later this month, but Ridley Scott’s American Gangster was a straightforward, enjoyable cops&robbers flick with two solid performances from Denzel Washington & Russell Crowe. It’s a lot like season 1 of The Wire (though, of course, not as good) condensed into movie form.

9. No Country for Old Men

“Ultimately and unfortunately, No Country For Old Men has to rank as one of the most disappointing films I’ve ever seen, if only because of how great the first 2/3rds are. And goddamn, was it great — with one of the best standoff sequences I’ve ever seen and some other tense, suspenseful, memorable scenes. If the film had finished the way it started, it would definitely crack my all-time top 10. It’s too bad that I’ll remember the film for what it could have been rather than for what it was.”

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10. The Darjeeling Limited

I’ve never been completely sold on Wes Anderson, and I really did not like The Life Aquatic, but The Darjeeling Limited has more in common with Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums than with its predecessor. While it’s definitely very Wes-Andersony, it’s not too Wes-Andersony, if that makes sense. It has its flaws, but the combination of Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody & Jason Schwartzman is fun to watch and it’s a good movie overall.

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Honorable Mention:
Michael Clayton – if you like watching George Clooney be George Clooney, then you’ll probably enjoy this movie. It’s very well-done, but ultimately a little cold without any standout moments.

The Bourne Ultimatum – the best straight action movie of the year, Bourne wraps up its trilogy (or does it?) with the strongest entry yet. Matt Damon is great as always and there are some really kick-ass scenes, as Paul Greengrass toned down his tight, hand-held look from where it was in The Bourne Supremacy.

Gone Baby Gone - Ben Affleck’s directorial debut fell apart at the end, but he showed a lot of talent and promise, and his kid brother Casey turned in another excellent performance, as did The Wire’s Amy Ryan. There were a lot of holes in the plot and some weak acting, but overall a solid movie.

Worst movie of the year:
28 Weeks Later – I didn’t see a truly awful film this year, but 28 Weeks Later was a waste of time — the characters are so insanely stupid that you have no interest in them, the plot is ridiculous and inane and while the visuals and direction is good — they are a carbon copy of 28 Days Later. If you’ve seen the first, there is no reason to see the sequel.

Best Performances of the year:
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Brad Pitt, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises

Worst Performances of the year:
Shia LaBeouf, Transformers
Michelle Monaghan, Gone Baby Gone
Emile Hirsch, Alpha Dog

That’s all I have. I’ve love to hear feedback on the list or post your own favorites of the year in the comments. I’ve also posted my favorite scene of the year below, from Sunshine, but there is a SPOILER ALERT warranted.

Best Scene:

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#2 – Top Movies of 2007

“I look at my red hands and my mean face…and I wonder ’bout that man that’s gone so wrong.”

Rated R. Out on DVD. Written and Directed by Andrew Dominik. Starring Casey Affleck, Brad Pitt, Sam Rockwell, Paul Schneider and Sam Shepard.

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Overlooked during its theatrical release and overshadowed by the other critically acclaimed Westerns of the year, the superior The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford deserves a much wider look from the public now that it has been released on DVD. The cumbersome title, the long run time (2 hrs., 40 minutes), and the slow pace of the film made it no surprise that it hasn’t been embraced like There Will Be Blood or No Country For Old Men, which is a shame because it accomplishes what both of the other films set out to do but fell short of — combine interesting thematic elements with a great story and accomplished filmmaking.

Using the true-life story of the James gang to frame the narrative, director Andrew Dominik has crafted a Malick-like rumination on the nature of fame and infamy, the desire to achieve those things and drawbacks they bring. A large part of the film focuses on fraternal bonds and relationships and what can hold or break them apart. Because we know the ending from the title, the plot is less important than how the characters get to that point and their motivations behind it. The gradual transformations that Jesse James and Robert Ford undertake during the lead-up to their eventual confrontation are what make the movie so successful.

The film begins with the James gang reduced to Jesse (Brad Pitt), his older brother Frank (Sam Shepard) and a bunch of ragtag local boys they’ve recruited to pull off one more heist. By this point, their exploits have already become legendary, and to even be included with the James brothers is a thrill that Robert (Casey Affleck) cannot quite comprehend on his first day after being recruited by his older brother Charley (Sam Rockwell). The film follows Robert’s graduation from lackey to one of Jesse’s right-hand men as well as the exploits of the other members of the gang.

Affleck received an Oscar nomination for his role (as a supporting actor — which is bullshit, because he is the lead of the film), and he is great and really brings Ford to life, making him sympathetic despite his weaknesses. His development as a character is so subtle and Affleck deserves a lot of credit. Rockwell is very solid as the congenial but dopey Charley, and Paul Schneider has a couple of great moments as the unfortunately named Dick Liddil.

But the movie belongs to Pitt, who gives the best performance of a really underrated career. He’s been in some of my favorite movies and given some strong performances, but because he’s *Brad Pitt* he doesn’t really get any credit for being a good actor. Because of his superstar status amongst the tabloids, it’s hard to watch him in a movie and not see him merely as *Brad Pitt* (sort of like in Michael Clayton, where it’s just George Clooney playing George Clooney). In this film, though, Pitt does the improbable and really becomes Jesse James. You watch the film and you think of him as Jesse rather than thinking of him as *Brad Pitt* playing Jesse, which is an accomplishment. He is equal parts frightening and sincere and he gives you an idea of why his men looked up to him so much. There is one scene with Pitt & Garret Dillahunt, playing another member of the gang, which is a powerful showcase of his work.

Jesse James is slow, long and meandering, but I never found it less than enthralling, thanks in part to the beautiful cinematography, deservingly the front-runner to win the Oscar, and the score by Nick Cave. It is not a film for everyone, and though I definitely recommend it now that it’s out on DVD, check out the spoiler-free trailer below to get an idea of the tone and style of it. It truly is a beautiful film and well worth seeing.

Grade: A

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I know, I know, I generally stay away from awards hoopla. And really, I have long ago stopped really caring about the Oscars. But I’m facing a lack in content (my editor reminded me that since filmtotaal gives me the opportunity to go to screenings, I should write about them there, first, and much as I hate to admit it, he has a point there), and I’m afraid that the AMPAS will do what it always does, and leave out some of the worthier candidates.

I know, I know, nomination ballots are in already, but hey, it’s not like my little blog was going to have any influence, anyway. And I’m not saying the people and films mentioned here should win. But I think they definitely deserve a nomination, and will almost certainly be overlooked. One per category.

BEST FILM: The Assassination of Jesse James

It’s amazing how this film has grown in my estimation. I’m not sure I’ll still agree if I see it a second time. It’s not the masterpiece it wants to be, and in a year that produced so many great movies it’s understandable that it would get forgotten. But I think that more than Juno, more than Michael Clayton, this is a film that will still be watched ten years from now, a film that is so timeless that it will remain relevant. More than all that, it’s a film that takes you into its fully defined and inhabited world. And if I close my eyes, and put on the wonderful score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, I’m transported back there.

BEST DIRECTOR: Wes Anderson

The Darjeeling Limited is not Anderson’s best film. But I’ll argue that it relies much more on direction than his previous films, and a little less on script and art direction. Despite what everyone says, he is developing, and it’s crazy that one of the most creative young directors, with one of the most recognizable, idiosyncratic and inimitable personal styles, has never even been nominated for a directing oscar. Yes, you read it right, I said inimitable. Anderson may be partly to blame for the inundation of quirk we’re experiencing nowadays. But nobody has ever even approached his level.

BEST ACTOR: Viggo Mortensen

This nomination actually has a shot of happening, though it’s small. It’s a disgrace that Mortensen’s work as Tom Stall went unnominated, and he’s even better as Nicolai. “I’m just the driver” indeed. I won’t say too much because I already have before, but it’s an amazing performance, understated and layered, and it deserves to be nominated, no matter how awesome Daniel Day-Lewis is.

BEST ACTRESS: Carice van Houten

This is a tough one for me: Many of the year’s best films were very male dominated. So I’ll go for a performance I haven’t even seen, purely out of Dutch pride. I’ve seen some of Carice’s other work, and I have no doubt she knocks it out of the park in Zwartboek/Black Book too.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Garret Dillahunt

I’m not even certain whether he should be nominated for No Country For Old Men or for The Assassination of Jesse James. His somewhat bumbling, but nonetheless pretty smart deputy in No Country is great, providing laughs without being stock comic relief, while his Ed Miller is a quiet, somewhat slow, lonely man, who might just be the heart of that movie, his fear and confusion written clearly on his face. They’re two great performances that do exactly what supporting performances are supposed to do: they make the respective movies more complete.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Kelly McDonald

Do Brits have inherently better taste than Americans? I don’t know, but both Viggo and McDonald were nominated for the BAFTA’s, and it warmed my heart. Kelly McDonald has only won 1 award from a group of critics so far, and I just don’t get it. She’s the soul of this movie, and her character is what makes sure you can’t just stand outside this film and admire it just for its formal perfection. Her last scene is what makes sure there are no clean getaways for the audience, either.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: 2 days in Paris

Julie Delpy does Woody Allen, and who would have thought she’d do it so well? The movie has everything, from broad comedy to insight into relationships and why the hell we still try to make them work. It’s not a big film. It’s not quippy like I’m sure Juno is. But it’s a movie I can recommend to everyone who likes self-deprecating humor – and who doesn’t mind a somewhat uncomfortable feeling of recognition.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: nothing, really

I’m tempted to say Beowulf, but that would based on what I think the script was before it got Zemeckis’ised. Gaiman & Avery managed to make the Beowulf story more coherent, both plotwise and thematically. Unfortunately, the end product was as simplistic as could be, and more about penis-jokes than about questioning how heroic the hero really is, and how monstrous the monster.

There it goes. Any underdogs you particularly want to champion?

A pesar de que este lunes experimentamos fallas en nuestro sitio durante casi todo el día, no queríamos dejar pasar la oportunidad de comentarles las novedades de la cartelera que hemos comentado para ustedes en elperrocafe.com.
Por fin, después de semanas de polémica y acusaciones de censura, se estrenó Fraude: México 2006, el documental de Luis Mandoki sobre el proceso electoral del año pasado; la crítica está a cargo de Héctor Campio, quien además de colaborador de este sitio es además representante del Gobierno Legítimo de Andrés Manuel López Obrador (con credencial y todo).
Por otro lado, y en otro tono, tenemos El asesinato de Jesse James por el cobarde Robert Ford, filme del Oeste excesivamente lento (no para público alérgico a las cintas largas y reflexivas) que tangencialmente aborda el tema de la búsqueda de fama inmediata.
Finalmente, rescatamos del archivo Hannibal. El origen del mal, la más reciente secuela sobre el doctor Hannibal Lecter, que habíamos cometado hace meses, pero que tuvo su primera exhibición en salas mexicanas apenas el pasado viernes.
Como siempre. Lean y comenten