Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

"We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information."

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful film. I might need a new job though.

Lolita (1997)

"I would still go mad with tenderness at the mere sight of her face."

I saw two films today! Working through the backlog, since I've little else to do which didn't involve the spending of monies I hadn't got (I'd already gone for a walk around Howden Marsh).

The film is not as good as the book, little is. It has some searing flaws of direction but also some inspired choices. And, with such descriptive material, it doesn't make a hash of the location - though I didn't quite believe New Hampshire could look so much like Gloucestershire.

The Proposition (2005)

IMDB

"What are you going to do now?"

Nick Cave has a way with stories, and I especially like the Murder Ballads. This is a song writ large, made powerful by upscale. And it's fine. But as a storyteller, Cave works better as a narrator than scriptwriter - the dialogue works fine as the screen interpretation of a modern fable, but not as a work of cinema in its own right. Meaning you have to take many liberties watching it, lest you be sucked into the hyper-realism of it all. Because it has much more to offer than entertainment - it has a story to tell.

Just don't ask David Wenham to tell it, at least not in his English accent :)

Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

IMDB

"If we don't raise $14 billion, and that's million with a "B," this war is over by the end of the month."

Definitely part two (and inferior) to Iwo Jima, don't think it sits so well on its' own. Nevertheless an education, Clint Eastwood taking Spielberg's ground-breaking ideas and toning down the violence and melodrama, each less incisive second-time around, and coming out with a half-decent film.

The other half is less decent. The editing is not too sharp and it misses a great, though difficult to execute idea to tie it in with Iwo Jima. Or maybe that would make it too long for many minds. Mine thought it too rushed, but that's me.

Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

IMDB


"It took centuries to build this temple. Do you think you can build it again in three days?"

And so, on Easter Sunday, an undeniably Easter film. And a reverent one, a beautifully-shot one, a moving one. Yes, it's an account of the gospels, but there's a world of difference from Mel Gibson's attempt. I mean honestly, watch both and tell me which teaches more, reveals more, inspires more? And which is plainly anti-semitic claptrap?

Running With Scissors (2006)

IMDB


"My turd is a direct communication from the Holy Father."

The kid from Jack Frost has crazy childhood. Who'd a thunk it?!

There Will Be Blood (2007)

IMDB


"That was one goddamn helluva show."

Part of the problem with living so far from civilisation (how far can I take this?) is that the local library is rather, well, understocked.
What I'm saying is, they don't have a copy of Oil!, the Upton Sinclair novel upon which the film was based. Which is annoying, because the first thing I wanted to do upon leaving the cinema was read the book.
Two and a half hours is too short to show everything there is to show in a film that Mark Kermode justifiably says 're-writes the language of cinema.' The tone and style kinda made me think it needed a second part, like an opera or Lord of the Rings. And I was genuinely disappointed when it ended, because I wanted more.
It was far from perfect, but it aspired and almost made it. Maybe on a second viewing it'll get there. And I'll tell you after Friday :)