Saw "There Will Be Blood" yesterday, on day 1 of what we refer to in-house as the Oscar-movie death march (Coppola's "Youth Without Youth" today at 2, "Charlie Wilson's War" at 7, "Sweeney Todd" tomorrow. Etc.)

Anyway, "Blood." The return of Paul ("Boogie Nights") Thomas ("Magnolia") Anderson ("Punch-Drunk Love"). The return of Daniel Day-Lewis and the second coming of Paul Dano (the mute kid from "Little Miss Sunshine") as, respectively, Capitalism and Old-Time Religion battling it out for the American soul in the early days of the 20th century. Very weird, very funny, very scary, and I wasn't sure I liked it until I couldn't get it out of my head all night.

Wesley's assigned to review this when it gets released at the end of December, and I don't want to steal his thunder. A few observations, then, rather than a full-on early take. Day-Lewis owns this movie, which makes sense, since it's an epic two and a half hour character sketch rather than a thickly plotted narrative. The performance has pieces of every self-made American monster who has walked through our movie imagination, from Charles Foster Kane to John Huston's Noah Cross in "Chinatown." (Day-Lewis' Daniel Plainview even sounds like Huston.) "Blood" is a radical stylistic shift for Anderson, brooding and monomaniacal where his previous films were mannered and impassioned. The dialogue is cryptic but beautiful; the subject heading above comes from a climactic scene and is nearly operatic in its lunacy. (It even makes sense in context.) The source material, Upton Sinclair's "Oil!," seems to have been mined for its characters alone, as though Anderson had ripped them out of the book and set them walking , to see where they'd go.

I can't wait to see it again.

... at that Friends of Film screening of "Atonement" (it opens Friday): I know it wasn't the greatest movie you've ever seen (the refinement, the "shocking" vulgarity, the cheekbones). But was it necessary to express your disdain (you were being disdainful, right?) by whipping out your emory board and proceeding to file your nails? Never mind that I usually do that over the sink in my bathroom or on a lonely walk in the park, but your session lasted for three scenes. I know because the sawing was all I could think about, and at such a majorish moment, too: your manicure began during a death scene.

It's true that was a dull scene, but not the one after it, in the hospital. Remember? Oh, that's right: saw, saw, saw. How many talons do you have, anyway? No one needs a three-scene filing. Yes, agreed: the cell phone that went off three times was annoying. But how does that excuse you? And why am I the only Friend of Film who turned around to shoot you a nasty look? (Friends just don't let friends file their nails.) Why did I have to do it four useless times? Your husband didn't bat at an eyelash. (What a champ.) Neither did the couple you made a big deal of holding seats for. You didn't ruin the movie for me. For the most part, the movie did that all by itself. But that sort of public hygiene might be a moviegoing nadir. And for that, madame, you should atone.

The Goonies is a classic adventure tale that follows a group of young friends as they embark on a treasure hunt to find legendary pirate - ‘One Eyed Willy’s’ hoard. These kids are not your average adventurers though. The group include an asthmatic, a crazy inventor, a cheerleader, a mouthy prankster, and a fat compulsive liar, and none of them are exactly fearless. They scream and jump at pretty much anything they come across, from old skeletons to numerous booby traps. The amount of energy the young actors have makes each scene pretty intense and exciting to watch, so there’s never a dull moment. (more…)

Technorati tags: chokingonpopcorn movie Reviews The Goonies

Michael Moore is back and this time the American healthcare system gets a beating. Moore takes us on a two-hour journey to illustrate how and why the American healthcare system works as it does and what the consequences of that system are. It’s not surprising to hear that the insurance companies are rich and just want to get richer. It’s not surprising to hear horror stories about some of the 47 million uninsured Americans. It’s not surprising to hear how the pharmaceutical companies and politicians have a strong hold and influence on the healthcare system, guarding their profits. What is shocking to discover is how little chance the 250 million Americans who are insured appear to have of actually getting their medical bills paid for by the insurance companies.
(more…)

Technorati tags: chokingonpopcorn movie Reviews Sicko