Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny

It's not required that you are high to enjoy this, but it would help. Really silly, but actually sticks to the hero's journey formula pretty well. The thing about Tenacious D - the songs are actually pretty good.

Deja Vu

Suspenseful, but by-the-numbers thriller. Lengthy sci-fi explanations by quintessential geek Adam Goldberg bog down the proceedings, but Denzel keeps the plot relatively grounded as he plays everything really straight.

The Fountain

Beautifully rendered, utterly confusing.

Casino Royale

Second viewing. Great movie.

For Your Consideration

Disappointing, since I love the Chris Guest movies. But the characters are too outlandish and they all exist in a bubble far away from Hollywood, where there is no internet or young people. I love Parker Posey (she was the best thing about Superman Returns) and even SHE wears a little thin at the end, especially after a nice and sincere arc. Ho-hum.

Casino Royale

All-around great. Entertaining. Kick-ass. Fun. Cops out a little in the end. (I thought of a better ending.) Poker scenes are long and a bit boring. But a smashing success otherwise.

Borat

Not all that funny for me. Humiliating real people makes me nervous, even if they do deserve it. I admire the conviction and commitment of Cohen though, especially for the nude wrestling scene. Yikes.

Stranger Than Fiction

Well-done and engaging, but won't resonate. Truman Show lite. Generally likable though, and fun for the whole family.

The Queen

The subject matter is less commendable; a love-note to Princess Di. But the execution here is consummate. This is a supremely well-made movie about the power of denial. Most likely a Best Picture nominee.

Inland Empire

I admire David Lynch for many reasons. I loved Mulholland Drive. He’s a role model of mine. But this! This shot-on-cheap-video, rabbit-head-wearing, mind-bender confused the hell out of me. And I resent it that Lynch won’t explain what it is, or what he was going after. I can’t recommend it. Although Laura Dern was a good sport and went along with whatever it was Lynch was doing. You’ve got to hand it to her.

Lynch would like to claim that it’s like an abstract painting. That you can’t explain it. But movies are a temporal art form (McKee) and making somebody sit there for three hours means you need to be clear about what the hell’s going on. Even if clarity means it’s not SUPPOSED to be clear. Am I being clear?