Wendy's Films of 2010 # 166 - #176: A Rush to Finish 2010's Reviews! - The End!

#166. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Not as much of a Christmas movie as I'd hoped, but I loves me some James Stewart and this was no disappointment.

#167. American Pop (1981)

Neat animated film chronicling the history of pop music throughout the 20th century by following the descendants of one immigrant boy. There's one portion of the film (or one character, I should say) that's hard to like, but such is life.

#168. Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

A 70s movie from Japan where an alien race attempts to destroy earth with their Mechagodzilla, Godzilla comes to the rescue! Unfortunately a bad scientist has created Titanosaurus and uses him against Godzilla. It's pretty much exactly the way it sounds!

#170. Network (1976)

Was pleasantly surprised by this one; an intriguing drama about a television network: "I'm as mad as hell and I'm going to take this anymore!"

#171. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

I grew up with the 1994 remake of this classic, and boy am I glad I finally saw the original.

#172. TRON: Legacy (2010)

I don't suppose we'll be getting this one in now, but hey! Why not add it to the reviews? I found it provided a good source of entertainment, perhaps a wee bit long though.

#173. Black Swan (2010)

As a wise man named Posen told me today, his three questions of the week are: "How was your Christmas?" "What are you up to for New Years?" and.. "Have you seen Black Swan?!?" I

thought it was the best film of the year, though I haven't seen every one, but it seems to be a wide-spread consensus among those I know.

#174. Chinatown (1974)

Second Faye Dunaway film I watched this week and both were excellent! Jack Nicholson was so good back in the day, I wish he and Robert De Niro would come back to life.

#175. Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)

I loved Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure growing up, so it was only a matter of time before I had to check this one out. It started off really strangely, but I ended up laughing a fair amount. Also, it references this next movie!

#176. The Seventh Seal (1957)

It almost seems fitting that the last film I saw this year would be this one, especially since GenX will soon be closing. It wasn't done on purpose, I just didn't have the time to watch Throne of Blood before tomorrow night. As such, my last film would be a seemingly bleak one, but one that has hope and a sparkle in its eye. What a wonderful way to end the year.

Ryan Watches A Motion Picture #70: Pusher III: I'm The Angel of Death (2005)

The final film in the Pusher trilogy. This time we focus on Milo, the Copenhagen drug lord from the first two films. Milo, a Croatian immigrant, was seen up until now only as a looming power - friendly at first, fond of cooking and prone to culinary disasters, and vicious when crossed. By Pusher III, he is older, addicted to what he pushes, and is losing dealing ground to a new generation of would-be drug runners.

In Pusher III we get the greatest sense of desperation and waste. The amount of care you might find you have for Milo is surprising. You really want his addicts anonymous meetings to go well for him. You really want his daughter to appreciate him. You really want him to work himself out, and, most surprisingly, you really want him to kill his enemies. All this for a man that does some awful things, and makes his living on the suffering of others. That takes some pretty tactful filmmaking.

Issues of race and nationality are raised in this film much more than in the previous two films. We're given a host of immigrants trying to carve a tenuous life in the underworld of Copenhagen. Unfortunately for Milo, that means his turf. The new generation of pushers are all racially divided expats, the most threatening being a young Arab, and a rival Serbian group that attempts a passive aggressive (for the most part) takeover in a moment of weakness. Milo, being Croatian, doesn't handle this well. Or perhaps he does.

So: Same great character, dialogue, and cinematography. A great finish to a great trilogy.

Ryan Watches A Motion Picture #69: Pusher II: With Blood On My Hands (2004)

After loving Refn's first Pusher film, I was eager to continue. Pusher II did not disappoint, and if I had to make the hard choice, is probably the strongest film in the trilogy.

Mads Mikkelsen gets his chance to shine. I had first encountered him in that awful Clash of the Titans remake with Avatar-face McSoldierstein, and was greatly afraid that he sucked. I knew I was soon to see Mads in the unbeknownst-to-me-amazing Valhalla Rising, and feared the worst. So crappy move down, awesome movie up, I wondered what Pusher II would be like with him at centre stage. The answer to that is: Mads Mikkelsen is now an actor I will follow. I am enamoured by his screen presence and hope for some great films to come.

Pusher II is much like the first film in terms of its visual sense, pacing, and dialogue, but is certainly tighter in all fields. The budget is higher, the scope larger, the characters more complex. As with each film save the first, you really can't help but invest affection in the gangster characters. They are by no means nice people, but they are more human than one would expect, and they are beset by environments of poverty, violence, and abusive family dynamics, and every second is emotionally riveting.

So: If you see any of the Pusher films, see this one.

Pose Reviews A Movie. #39: Do The Right Thing (1989)

Touché, Criterion Collection. Touché.

I'm not sure why it took me this long to see Spike Lee's canonical breakout, appropriately included in the Criterion Collection, but I'm very glad I did.

The film, which takes place in a small neighbourhood in Brooklyn in the midst of an almost biblical heat wave, provides an excellent examination of race relations and the unfortunate power of groupthink, but it does it with a cast of colourful characters in a way that's genuinely entertaining.

Over the course of one ridiculously hot Saturday, Do The Right Thing takes the time to introduce the audience to the eccentric and diverse staples of the neighbourhood. The action centres around Sal's Famous Pizzeria, and we spend the film following Mookie (Spike Lee) as he puts in a day's work delivering Sal's pizzas. (A clever excuse for capturing all kinds of neighbourhood interactions on camera? Indeed, Spike Lee. Indeed.)

Through Mookie's wanderings, we meet people like:

-Da Mayor (Ossie Davis), an endearing old lecturer whose taste for Miller High Life gives him something of a bum rap on the block.

-Mother Sister (Ruby Dee), a maternal figure who (quite literally) watches out for the community from her front window.

-Buggin Out (Giancarlo Esposito), a friend of Mookie's and an outspoken protégé of Malcolm X.

-Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn), the boombox-totin' giant pictured above.

-And Mister Señor Love Daddy, a radio DJ played by a young Samuel L. Jackson who periodically offers a narrative voice for the events of the film.

And, of course, there's a host of other nearby dwellers, all of whom add to the film's rich tapestry of characters.

The film looks at racial tensions between several ethnic groups, and its inclusion of all forms of prejudice, from the virtually unspoken to the outright violent, makes its message more effective.

It's also interesting that Do The Right Thing doesn't have defined heroes or villains. Each character seems to have elements of both, except perhaps Sal's villainous, racist and hostile son, Pino, fastidiously played by John Turturro.

Overall, Lee's cinematic breakthrough provides a piece of relevant and effective social commentary that's presented not in a preachy way, but in a way that's entertaining and engaging.

After all, you need to feel for these characters in order to care about what happens at the film's explosive climax.

Luckily, if there's anything Spike Lee can do, it's instilling that kind of caring in his audience.

A brief trip to Wikipedia informed me that Do The Right Thing has been identified as "culturally significant" by the U.S. Library of Congress, and I certainly don't disagree.

I'd recommend Do The Right Thing as a classic example of cinematic importance, and invite anyone with an interest in social dynamics to check it out.

I mean, come on--clearly it's the right thing to do.

Ryan Watches A Motion Picture #61: Pusher (1996)

After seeing and loving Valhalla Rising (review on the way), I decided to check out Nicolas Winding Refn's other films. His first was Pusher, number one in a trilogy of Pusher films. I was not disappointed.

It follows the life of a Danish drug dealer as he drifts from club to club and home to home, working coke deals and violently collecting money when force is called for. He has a strange relationship with a high-price callgirl and can barely manage a human or personal life with her or his friends. He is living blankly, and he gets in way over his head.

Judging by Valhalla Rising, I suspected that Refn is really good at creating atmosphere, and Pusher certainly confirmed it. The film is well shot and looks great for its low budget - the lower-end camera very much suits the seediness of the locales, the characters, and the subject matter, and is an instance where a filmmaking setback becomes a subtle boon. The acting is tight and with talent, as the dialogue is incredibly believable (so much so that it's probably improvised) and the gangsters are entirely lived in. You really get the sense that you're looking into a very real and not-so-underground world.

So: Great stuff, I can't wait to watch the next two Pusher films.

Pose Reviews A Movie. #36: In America (2002)

I'd like to start by dedicating this review to my friend Kate, who initially recommended that I watch In America, and who I know has a tendency to follow the blog.

I miss you KT!! I think it's wonderful that Scotland has swallowed you up, but I'm also counting down the days till you come home. (Right now it's several hundred.)

OK, now on to the review.

Did I like In America?

Yes.

BUT,

was it mostly because of the way it tugs at the heartstrings, and less on account of its technical or artistic merit?

Also yes.

Jim Sheridan's film about an Irish immigrant family settling illegally in New York City after the death of their son is the kind of movie that is designed to wrench your emotions.

It just has to.

But the reason it's OK is because the film exacts its full-on assault of the feelings through style and content--it doesn't rely strictly on either.

Take, for example, the fact that the film is narrated by Christy Sullivan, the elder of the two daughters in the family. This is an effective choice, since her interpretation of the film's events are endearingly skewed by her young age, and having such an adorable narrator guide you through the film helps to soften the blow of some of the sadder and more upsetting elements.

The acting is also very strong across the board. Paddy Considine and Samantha Morton are dynamic as the Irish parents, who try their best to keep themselves financially and emotionally afloat in the Big Apple, all the while attempting to hide the harsh realities of city life from their children.

The two daughters, played by Sarah and Emma Bolger, are also tremendous actresses--their roles call for a sophisticated range of moods and subtle line deliveries, both of which they handle with impressive ease.

All in all, In America is exceptionally made--my only qualm with the story is that it wanders into far-fetched territory at times. The deus-ex-machina quality of some of these extraordinary events is alleviated slightly by Christy's claim that her brother gave her three wishes before he died, but that only makes them slightly more believable within the context of the film.

That said, you can't have a dramatic film without the drama, and certainly In America would be a little boring without the implausible moments to which I'm referring.

And they sure do sting the ol' tear ducts.

Ultimately, In America is a very uplifting film, encouraging its audience not to dwell on the past, but more to look forward to the future. It's also the kind of movie that encourages us to put our own struggles in perspective, and to be more mindful of the struggles of our newly immigrated friends, co-workers and neighbours.

I'd recommend In America to anyone with feelings they haven't used in awhile, and who also has an affinity for happy endings...

...and Irish accents.

Ryan Watches A Motion Picture #58: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

I should be doing comedy, Morgan.

Shawshank is one of those movies I swore by as a younger lad. I had found it moving, captivating and, especially, inspiring. I shouldn't have re-watched it.

I'm sure it's a film you've all seen already. While it's not a bad film, since it certainly has its inspiring moments and lines of dialogue that stick to my brain and peel out in times of emotional trouble, it is at its heart an overly romantic film. It's sappy. It's real sappy. To the point where I couldn't help but feel like the not-so-nice elements in the film were being medicated, because when something bad happens you're given comfort soon after. Despite the subject matter, it's an easy film; it leads you along by the hand and doesn't rattle you too much. When it does, it tells you its sorry and promises that things will be fine by the end. And they pretty much are.

The performances are good, but Tim Robbins is just Tim Robbins. The score is swelling and with the camera, drifting in operatic Frank Darabont style, tells you exactly when something grand and important is being said. There's little room for subtlety or mistake. I don't think a film should be without risk of mistake. It should never be so precise as to leave you without room.

So: A medicating, specifically bromantic comfort movie for those in need of life-change. I could just tell you: Get busy living or get busy dying.

Pose Reviews a Movie. #19: La Haine (Hate)

In spite of its title, I really really loved La Haine.

Loved it.

I've been telling everyone I know to watch it, adding the endorsement, "it'll make your inner film nerd melt."

And if you don't have an inner film nerd? Well, this movie will probably give you one.

This early endeavor from French director Mathieu Kassovitz is simply very, very impressive.
It manages to nurture plot, character development and aesthetic all at once, and manages to raise a very powerful social and political drama that makes you watch it.

La Haine has the most hypnotic quality--it wrangles your attention from the very beginning, and you almost can't look away until the final scene.

Like, you know those movies that you keep watching even though you have to go to the bathroom twenty minutes in? The ones where you value what you're watching more than the continuing health of your own internal organs? Yep, it's one of those.

The film looks at one of the housing projects outside of Paris, the day after one of the major riots in the early '90s. Through the perspectives of three young residents of the projects, it provides a surprisingly sympathetic look at the story behind the story of the Paris riots in 1993.

La Haine deliberately doesn't spend any time past the opening credits documenting the actual riots, and instead focuses on the systemic causes and consequences of violence, giving the audience the perspective of the insider. And despite its gritty nature, that perspective is beautifully presented.

Kassovitz's film makes no bones about its purpose--it tells you right in the title that it is a film about hate; where it comes from, how it manifests itself, how it is overcome, and what it itself can overcome. The setting and characters frame it well, but it is ultimately a study of one of the most powerful emotions we have, and the things that we do with it.

I won't say much more, since I went into La Haine knowing absolutely nothing about it, and I'm very glad I did.

But I will say this.

If you're looking for a movie that'll move you, put this one into your DVD player, punch yourself in the face and say, "Good. I'm ready."

Pose Reviews a Movie. #18: The Ice Storm

Ang Lee does family drama?! Woo-hoo!

I rented The Ice Storm 'cos I was in the mood for something angsty, and in terms of the mood I was expecting, it didn't disappoint.

The film takes place in the Nixonian era, colloquially known as 1973, and focuses on two suburban families--the Hoods and the Carvers. The art director did a great job on making this a period-piece--everything, from the costumes to the furniture to the art on household walls lives and breathes the 1970's. I was literally expecting Eric Forman to pull up in a station wagon at any moment. (It didn't happen).

The narrative of The Ice Storm wanders nomadically between characters, documenting the boredom-bred infidelity of Ben Hood (Kevin Kline) with the weirdly foxy Janey Carver (Sigourney Weaver), the loneliness of his wife, Elena (Joan Allen), and the growing pains (and...er, pleasures) of the Hood and Carver children.

The kids are simultaneously the darkest and most fun of the entire film. They represent the seedy underbelly of the suburban teen's world, complete with after-school-special-worthy substance abuse and sexual misadventures. However, the fun part comes from the fact that they're played by Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci and Elijah Wood. The Ice Storm was made in 1997, so these three were actually kids!

It's kind of funny that when they grew up, they went on to play a superhero (Maguire in Spiderman), a hobbit (Elijah Wood in...well, you know) and a major depressive (Ricci in Prozac Nation).

OK, maybe the Christina Ricci part isn't much of a surprise...she does deadpan pretty well, even when playing a 14 year old.

Regardless, the kids hold up a fascinating and functional mirror to their parents' lives, demonstrating that the issues of adolescence never really go away.

I liked The Ice Storm, though I'll admit it seems a little like the younger cousin of American Beauty and The Squid and the Whale--it wants to come along and play with the big kids, but ultimately, it's just not as cool.

Granted, those two films were released after this one, but the point is, the fam-dram has been done. If you're going to make one, it should probably bring something new to the table. The Ice Storm just serves Thanksgiving leftovers.

But a film doesn't have to be groundbreaking for its genre to be worthwhile--it probably should be if it's to be included in the Criterion Collection (which The Ice Storm is), but that's another story altogether. Overall, Lee's adaptation of the novel by Rick Moody met my expectations for an angsty drama. It was good that it paid attention to both the parents and the kids, and the parallels between them, but that was the only thing that stood out as being in any way unique.

I suppose I should be thankful though. At least it was better than Hulk.

Ryan Watches A Motion Picture #37: The Wild Hunt (2009)

All you need is LARP.

I'm really glad that this didn't suck. I'd been waiting for this one to hit the Princess pretty eagerly, since hearing of it and its concept. I dared hope that I could look forward to a Canadian film I could actually endorse with honesty. It's not perfect, but it's good, and left me with the kind of reflective aftertaste that films like Apocalypse Now and Deliverance left me with - that is, a strong brooding on the lizard-brain, violent animal nature in humanity, lurking on the periphery of consciousness and waiting for a chance to assert itself. Powerful film titles to evoke, I know, but the first that came to mind. Wild Hunt doesn't approach their mastery, but is certainly effective in its conceits and is able to work within its own logic.

Wild Hunt follows Erik, a young guy who's girlfriend, Evelyn, has been seeming disaffected towards him and her life. She decides to leave him, and he finds out that she's been immersing herself more and more heavily in the secluded LARP camp that she frequents. Catching some looks from the LARP boys in the car she jumps into, Erik suddenly starts to think that Evelyn has been dishonest in her motivations for leaving and that she's left him for another man. He decides to track her down and speak to her, in a bid to win her back. Things get bad for him. Indeed, the film was much rougher than I had expected, and gave me some sequences I had to work not to flinch from. And not for any gratuitousness.

For those unfamiliar with LARP (Live Action Role-Playing), it's basically Dungeons and Dragons ramped up to its logical conclusion - people in detailed costumes, pretending to be historical or fantastical characters of their own creation in an immersive role-play driven environment. Their conflicts and interactions are governed by Dungeons and Dragons-like game rules, and typically, these activities take the form of large camping events in specialised camp grounds lasting days at a time.

Oddly enough, I actually hadn't expected Wild Hunt to play up the nerdiness of the characters to the degree of comedic effect it went for, and whenever it did it felt pretty hokey and reminded me that I was watching a movie, likely in a theatre with a handful of actual LARPers. I wondered how they were reacting to their representations on the screen. At any rate, it was a bit of fan-service that could probably have been put aside for the much weightier and more interesting characters through which the film does its best work. There are tender and profound moments to be seen, and an ending I absolutely loved.

So: Check it out if you get another chance and support some Canadian filmmaking worthy of your loonies.

Ryan Watches A Motion Picture #36: The Room (2003)

This image, this face, was on a lone billboard for years with the tagline "Can you really trust anyone?" Audiences were not disappointed.

Here's how I heard about The Room:

A friend of mine says "Hey, I need you to track down a movie for me. Have you heard about this movie called The Room?"

I said no.

He says "It's supposed to be the worst movie ever made."

I was interested.

"Apparently Alec Baldwin was walking past a huge line-up filled with twenty-somethings and paused long to enough to ask what was going on. A guy told him 'It's The Room, it's the worst movie I've ever seen. I've seen it four times.' Then Alec Baldwin got in line."

I was very interested.

The greatest Baldwin had this to say: “It’s like ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ without the wit or charm.” I don't think that's terribly accurate, since I've always considered Rocky Horror clever, competent, and actually pretty artsy in an elemental and carnival way. The Room is more like a late night blue-movie without the wit or charm. Sorry, with less wit and charm. It is, however, wildly entertaining for it.

It's essentially one Tommy Wiseau's earnest attempt to make a film about human passion and foible utterly ruined by his passion and foible. Wiseau's not a good writer, he's not a good director, and he's an even worse actor. What he does have is the money to produce a motion picture, though, and The Room is a motion picture. I can't really praise it unironically beyond that. I can say that it's been awhile since I've seen a movie this hilariously terrible, Birdemic: Shock and Terror at the Bloor Cinema aside. This'll be a great party movie for sure, and for extra flavour, try downloading the Rifftrax for a couple bucks - Rifftrax being downloadable comedic commentaries produced by some of the old Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew.

So: Beautiful and terrible as the dawn. And Wiseau looks and sounds like he should be fronting a European power metal band. We'll say it's called Owl King.

Wendy's Films of 2010 #82: Stand By Me (1986)

As an 80s classic meant to make you feel good and leave you reminiscing about your own childhood, Stand By Me fulfilled my every expectation. It didn't really provide any surprises, but it did what I think it meant to do. The story goes that a group of boys decides to find the body of a kid that went missing. They embark on a journey that brings them closer together and makes memories that will last a lifetime. Each kid actor (including Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell) gives a pretty solid performance, and with a few key scenes like the puking tale and the leech incident it's a pretty memorable film overall. My one shock, however, was in discovering that it ranked at number 157 on IMDb's Top 250 list. I wasn't expecting that one, as much as I can appreciate the love others have for it. I don't think I could be persuaded to agree with that position or any position in the Top 250 films of all time, even if someone spent an entire afternoon arguing for its sake. Sometimes people's tastes shock me, though my favourite films certainly don't adhere to what most consider the best films of all time. Anyway, I liked the film, though not enough to warrant a recommendation. It's nice, but not particularly special to me, you might love it though!

Ryan Watches a Motion Picture #32: Muriel's Wedding (1994)

This one's an Australian film directed by Paul Hogan. Sorry, it's not the Paul Hogan, it's a different and perhaps lesser man. For the rest of this review, right up until the end, I will imagine that Crocodile Dundee directed Muriel's Wedding, not a guy who isn't Crocodile Dundee. There's nothing you can do to stop me.

Boy, was I in shock when Paul Hogan's name hit the screen! Mick Dundee himself, stepping up to the plate and producing a really enjoyable film like Muriel's Wedding. I didn't know he had it in him! But now that I know it seems only logical. Have you seen his movies, where he's Crocodile Dundee? What a hoot they are!

Anyway, Muriel's Wedding is one of those films like American Beauty, where someone stuck in a blase life, ruled by the status quo and by the expectations of bad friends and bad family, transforms through a series of hard-won epiphanies. The humour is good, the turns in fortune heartbreaking and/or triumphant, and the commentary is sobering. I will say, though, that it suffers a bit from a lengthy runtime. There are a handful of sequences where the effect is quickly communicated, but the movie is indulging too much to cut away. Or a scene following another scene is too emotionally similar to its fellow. This leads to some pacing trouble.

So: A cool Aussie film with a large amount of charm, though not directed by Dundee. If you're by any chance reading this, P. J Hogan, no hard feelings.

Wendy's Films of 2010 #65: Chasing Amy (1997)

I wasn't taken with this film from the get go, but as the seconds passed I was slowly sucked into the story, the ideas and emotions of the characters. I don't want to ruin too much, because I went into this film not knowing what it was about and it was that much better because of it. Synopsis? Holden (Ben Affleck), a comic book writer, meets and becomes infatuated with Alyssa, a girl who dates girls. Their friendship becomes complicated when he tells her he's in love with her.

Unfortunately, I couldn't stop staring at Ben Affleck's goatee. Now don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of the facial hair when it works, but on Ben it looks like a fuzzy marmot has been taped to his baby face. Yet Kevin Smith manages to suck you in nevertheless, with moments of sheer hilarity and utter sadness. Jason Lee is arrogant, yet strangely charming, so I thought he deserved a mention. The role played Joey Lauren Adams (Alyssa) is one of a woman simply trying to be happy, regardless of labels determined by the world around her. Labels plague our lives - jock, skater, bisexual, straight, smart - so seeing someone attempting to shake the previously determined classifications of our culture is refreshing.

Pose Reviews a Movie. #13: Everything Is Illuminated

I'll bet you thought Liev Schreiber was only good for playing Sabertooth, huh?

Well, it turns out he can write a mean screenplay--and shoot it, too!

Everything Is Illuminated, based on the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, is an extraordinary directorial debut for this actor-turned-director. It's a genuinely touching story about a young man devoted to collecting artifacts owned by, or relevant to, his ancestors, and his quest to find out more about the one ancestor he knows the least about.

The film chronicles Jonathan, played by an endearingly deadpan Elijah Wood, through his trip to Ukraine, where he searches for the woman who saved his Jewish grandfather from the Nazis during World War II. However, despite its seemingly heavy concept, Everything Is Illuminated strikes a balance between humour and drama without either losing its effectiveness.

The humour comes in the form of Alex, Jonathan's Ukranian tour-guide whose charming butcherings of the English language make him a delightful pseudo-narrator. Alex and his grandfather are entrepreneurs who run a business helping affluent Jewish folk track down their deceased ancestors, and Alex especially seems genuinely (and refreshingly) enthusiastic about helping his fellow man. (Even if he can't express it in grammatically-correct English.)

The drama, however, comes from the thorough emotional connection that Jonathan makes with his family's past while on his pilgrimage to his grandfather's village of origin. This is truly a film about tracing your roots, and it can strike a pretty loud chord with anyone who has a soft spot for genealogy.

Everything Is Illuminated seems to be informally divided into two halves. It ropes you in with humour at the beginning in order to keep you on board for a dramatic and somewhat unexpected destination at the end. It handles both of these distinctive genres very well, and offers a truly rich cinematic experience as a result.

My only issue with the film was the way it dealt with certain flashbacks. It wasn't always clear who was being flash-backed to, which meant I had to spend about fifteen minutes at the end sorting out what had actually happened in certain scenes. But surely taking a quick trip to Wikipedia after the film, or reading the novel (which I hear is fantastic) will solve this minor problem quickly, and it certainly wasn't major enough to ruin the movie.

Overall, Everything Is Illuminated is a veritable highlight of our "Actors Attempting To Direct" section, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's in the mood for a comedy, a drama, or both.

Wendy's Films of 2010 #22: The Talk of the Town (1942)

What a great shot eh? Cary Grant is so charismatic, so handsome, so wonderful. Those eyes; that chin!

Ahem. Well. It was a pretty standard story; you've got your female love interest, your intrigue, your hero in trouble. I really enjoyed it though. Grant plays an escaped convict attempting to prove his innocence, who hides in the attic of a house that is being rented by one of the top lawyers in the country (Ronald Colman), and they both fall in love with Miss Nora Shelley (Jean Arthur), who owns and rents out the house. It's an interesting idea, playing with the idea of law, what it should mean, and how it should be enforced. Both Grant and Colman are captivating, though Arthur's character gets a little silly about halfway through, but she thankfully redeems herself in the end.

I would recommend this one to anyone looking for an old classic they might not have seen, especially those who are fond of Cary Grant or lawyers with beards.