May Movie Wrap-up

To move more quickly through the heavy backlog of my film journal, this next post will encapsulate all the movies seen in the month of May. Almost all were good, but there is one film of the bunch that simply confounds and frustrates me, La Vie en Rose (2007). Great performance from Marion Cotillard, but the story was too stagnant, too formulaic to appreciate. That said, here are flicks I enjoyed:

Woman on the Beach - (2007) - Film
Seen: Thursday, May 1, 2008
I found my first Hong Sang-soo film, Woman on the Beach hilarious and cute. Our old pal Tativille talks about it in more depth here.











La Vie en Rose - (2007) - DVD
Seen: Sunday, May 4, 2008

Per this post's introduction, you know I didn't "like" La Vie en Rose, but at this juncture, what does that assessment matter? Let's not beat a dead horse, on to the next movie, one that I enjoyed!


The Insider - (1999) - DVD
Seen: Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Voila! I hadn't rewatched Michael Mann's The Insider since its release (now almost a decade ago, that makes me feel old), but I forgot so many of the great things about it over the years. I wrote up a bit on Seen's sister site here, at Scarlett Cinema.


Baby Mama - (2008) - Film
Seen: Friday, May 9, 2008

I'm just saying, Baby Mama got a bit of the shaft last spring. Is it a golden comic delight of the Dodgeball, Anchorman or Step Brothers caliber? Well, no. But it is still an enjoyable movie that was, in my opinion, too harshly judged and dismissed. I found some sexist-slanted reviews and wrote about it here, as well.


Halloween - (1978) - DVD
Seen: Saturday, May 10, 2008

Why in the world did Halloween show up in the viewing queue in the middle of the month of May? Who knows, but who cares! It never hurts to see Carpenter's biggest horror classic.


Dressed To Kill - (1980) - DVD
Seen: Sunday, May 11, 2008

I watched Dressed to Kill three years ago on the cusp of my departure from grad school and at the time was disappointed. But what was I thinking? This is why one rewatches movies: as we grow, sometimes we grow into movies too. De Palma's flick is eerie the whole way through, and entrancingly meta in its moments capturing the killer on film--whether it's the elevator surveillance video or the frame-by-frame capture of the psychologist's front door. And Michael Caine to boot!


Advise and Consent - (1962) - DVD
Seen: Saturday, May 17, 2008

Just in time for an election year, Otto Preminger's Advise and Consent! If you haven't see it, please do...


Medicine For Melancholy - (2008) - DVD
Seen: Sunday, May 18, 2008

Ah, new director Barry Jenkins! We shall hear much more from him in the future, watch out. Here's my review, and an interview he and I had last year.


How The West Was Won - (1962) - DVD
Seen: Sunday, May 18, 2008
Man, I wish I was around to have experienced Cinerama. The three stories, each directed by three different directors (Hathaway, Ford, Marshall), themselves aren't anything to write home about, but come on, it's Cinerama! The spectacle of this film alone is enough to appreciate it. And I do wish I had a Blu-ray disc player to see it how old Dave K. recently did...














Alpha Dog - (2006) - DVD
Seen: Thursday, May 22, 2008

Augh, "bitches," "bitches" everywhere. Strangely, I really enjoyed Nick Cassavetes' Alpha Dog, but it sure ain't helpin' the cause. I talked about it in conjunction with SatC, over here.


Man Push Cart - (2005) - DVD
Seen: Monday, May 26, 2008

I began my catch-up on director Ramin Bahrani's filmography for a piece I wrote here (links embedded). Man Push Cart is a fond prelude to this year's Chop Shop, undoubtedly one of the year's best films.