23.2.08

Golden

Sleuth-The film,adapted from a theater play-can easily be divided into two very distinct parts:first,the exposition during which the two (only) characters first meet and Michael Caine plays predator to Jude Law,and the second,which launches with a pretty cheap "twist" before delving into the medley of dangerous mind games the two characters play.The first part is surprisingly decent,but the second crumbles under the unfortunate weight of Jude Law's ridiculous overacting-the second he leaves the unsuspecting,yes-yes young guy persona and steps into scheming psycho mode the movie becomes desperate,irrelevant and tastelessly over-the-top.

Michael Clayton-I don't get the big hype behind Clooney's performance here-all the way he has that "serious" face of constant fretting and worrying,we get it-he's angry and dealing with a totally fucked-up case that usually sees the calm,ever-ready Clayton tear up from the pressure of a difficult lawsuit,assassination attempts,divorce,debt etc but his acting never really varies from that one look of deep aggravation-but not to worry,the plot's build-up is handled expertly ,but most of all,Tilda Swinton just blew my brain.Her character was intensely disturbing on so many levels,and by the end I was wishing for her own spin-off.

There Will Be Blood-The only real problem I had with it was Paul Dano's performance.He's just atrocious in this-giving off the impression that he's way too young for the role,whenever a scene demanded that he act all possessed and insane he came off looking dumb and unrealistic like it was all one drunken parody.It's a shame because it's written as pretty solid and interesting character,just spoiled by Dano's poisonous acting.Other than that,it's pretty fucking brilliant.

Martian Child-Okay,fine,this was sheer cheesiness.Lookit-recently widowed father meets socially awkward orphan who does cute things like move around in a big box,and they both learn to complete each other or something like that (*cringe*).Amazingly,even with a couple huge imperfections (namely the aforementioned cheesiness),it still worksJohn Cusack & Amanda Peet are really likable,but the kid however,is something else.That tiny speech he makes,quoting Cusack's words-that moment he grows up from being a whiny troublemaker to some sort of emotional maturity-saying to "never ever ever ever ever give up"-that was the film's tear-jerking climax,not the final scene in which Cusack predictably says something like "I'll always love you no matter what" (although at that point I had already dissolved into a squishy marshmallow-so that got to me too).

Oscars soon-I think No Country's locked to be the night's big winner-not a huge fan,the film's pretty much the "big deal" this awards season.Most nominees this year are pretty meh,nothing mind-blowing (random addition:..unlike LOST this season).Whoever wins,in five years it'll be more or less inconsequential.Except maybe Julie Christie and Daniel Day-Lewis' performance,Paul Thomas Anderson's directing for There Will Be Blood,and the films Away from Her,Atonement & Into the Wild.They were both quite exceptional,so to see either Amy Ryan or Tilda Swinton win in the Supporting Actress category would be great.

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