Orange Orange

Six Movies

No Country for Old Men — Interesting, i.e. enigmatic, but also a little dry and not in a humorous way (I’m not talking about the desert scenes either). The Coen Brothers are definitely going for dark, deadly, and deep, but I think they forgot wit along the way. Most people who saw this liked it, but I wonder if that’s just a testament to how well the trailer selected for the demographic most likely to enjoy the film. I’d go see Fargo first. Then the Big Lebowski. Then O Brother Where Art Thou. Then I’d use the money you have left to get a good book and a cup of coffee. Unless you plan to use it to see Atonement (below), in which case you should probably see this instead.

Atonement — Epic, emotional, long. If that sounds exciting, then go see this movie. If you are an aspiring film-maker and want to observe a veritable portfolio of tear-jerking and soul-wrenching techniques put to good use, see this movie. If you consume movies like they’re drugs and have built up so much tolerance to vicarious emotional trauma that every new trip to the theater is just an exercise in delaying withdrawal symptoms, you’ll get more bang for your buck somewhere else (i.e. go see No Country for Old Men).

I am Legend — I get a lot of crap for saying that 28 Days Later is one of my favorite movies, but there’s something to be said for impressive panoramas of empty postmodern landscapes and vaguely applied (but not blatantly wrong) scientific principles. The subtext was also a neat little commentary on human nature. Take that description of 28 days later, change “impressive” to “obviously fake and computer generated” and “not blatantly wrong” to “blatantly wrong,” and you have I am Legend. Oh, and the subtext this time is a thinly veiled plug for blind spiritual faith, because it turns out that although doing science fair experiments in your basement to find a cure for zombie virus is the most effective way to save mankind, it isn’t such a hot idea if you want to save your family.

Welcome to the Doll House — Proof that having roommates with quirky taste in films can sometimes pay off. The main character in this movie reminds me of Mouchette, a girl in the Robert Bresson film of the same name whose sole purpose in the plot, it seems, is to get shit on by fate. Without being excessively existential, this movie plays out a similar theme in exaggerated American 80’s suburbia. Ugly girl gets made fun of, ugly girl’s family hates her, ugly girl gets in all sorts of strange shenanigans, etc. A little painful to watch, but strangely enthralling.

Amores Perros — I’m already a big fan of the Magnolia-Traffic-Crash-Babel genre, so the minute I saw the set-up at the beginning of this movie — non-linear chronology, independent storylines announced by dramatic intertitles — I knew it had a lot to live up to. Most of these movies tend to flop a little unelegantly under the weight of their themes, and some times they’re so ambitious that they sink altogether (*cough*Babel*cough). Amores Perros was simple, coherent, and the acting was scorchingly good. A recent favorite.

Strangers on a Train — The only other Hitchcock film I’ve seen before this one is The Birds, and I guess I understand why he’s called the “Master of Suspense.” My enjoyment of most movies (not to mention that of my friends with whom I watch movies) has been ruined ever since I took an introductory course in film studies last year. That’s why I’m thankful we have directors like Hitchcock who make films like this that are begging to be analyzed to death. I can’t even name all the socio-literary discussions you can have over this movie, starting right at the first scene, a homoerotic moment in a train between, you guessed it, strangers. Then, it’s chest-clutching, stroke-inducing suspense right through 2 hours of man vs. man and man vs. himself archetypal conflict, to an ending that is way too exciting to have taken place on a merry go round. So, if high school English class discussions were the one thing that really made you feel alive, then this is the perfect movie for you.