tuckergurl

Sex and the City Take 2

Here is the longer trailer for the new flick. There are a lot of spoilers so beware!

Call Me A Dork

but I loved, loved Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. So I am so excited about the upcoming sequel! It is strange now that the girls in it are so famous (America Ferrera and Blake Lively for example). Anyway, here is the trailer. Yeah!:

Angela's Flicks Picks for 2007

Let me begin by giving you a window into my neurosis. 

I felt like I could not make this list until I saw every film on my Movies To See list.  But if I did that, I would have gone bankrupt. 

So then I felt like I could not create my list because I had not seen No Country for Old Men or There Will Be Blood. Chances are, they are the best films of the year and how can you create a list like this without having seen those films? 

And then I said to myself:  "Wait a minute.  People who read this blog (friends and family mainly and I love all of you) do not come here because I'm Ebert or Roepert or something.  They could care less if I have not seen a bunch of these films."  Leave it to me to create pressure for myself where there is absolutely none.

So, instead of trying to cram in all of these films, I am just going to begin by saying I missed the following films that might have made this list:  No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Atonement, Persepholis, Starting Out In The Evening, The Savages, Grace is Gone, No End In Sight, I'm Not There and Zodiac.  In the coming months -- since movies suck until after the Academy Awards -- I will catch up and let you know what I thought of those films.  In the meantime, here are films that I loved in 2007.  Some are obscure and some are not so obscure:

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - This was the best movie I saw this year.  By far.  It is a completely gorgeous, moving, life affirming film.  Period.

Broken English - I thought that upon my second viewing of this film, I would see all of these flaws and it would reveal itself to me as just another chick flick.  But nope.  This film just gets better and better.  I have never seen a film get what it is like to be single in your 30s so right.  No giggly, bumbling, quirky chick.  Just a phonemenal, self sabotaging, boozy Parker Posey.  Loved it.

The King of Kong - I have already raved about this film here.  You just have to see it to believe it.

Hairspray - This film was my most fun movie going experience of the year!

Waitress - This film has a sad underlying theme because of the untimely death of Adrienne Shelly.  You just have to admit that to yourself.  But this film is just pure goodness. 

Once - I have friends who read this blog who will ridicule me for this pick.  I was at their house and they went on and on about how bad this film was and I, in an unusual move, did not stand up for it.  I just nodded my head.  But now I'm coming out.  I loved this movie. 

Juno - At first I thought this film was a little too "hip".  I left the theater really liking it but wondering, "Is it the hype?"  I'm not sure to be honest.  I just know that Ellen Page and Michael Cera are so adorable that I had to include it.

Lars and the Real Girl - I just think Ryan Gosling is the bees knees!  He can take a premise as crazy as this, a man who falls in love with a doll, and make you buy it completely.  This is a film about loneliness and that is what makes it work.  The ending is kind of dumb but everything before it is brilliant so I forgive.

Forever - Another film I raved about here.  Heddy Honigmann does not get enough love.  I know that stories about coming to terms with loss hit home for me in a big way and this one is no different.

Cat Dancers: A True Story - When will this film get a wide release?  I saw it at SXSW in March and man it is brilliant!  A love triangle between cat tamers.  And it's a documentary!  I know it is coming to HBO soon so you'll just have to catch it there.

Runner Up:  The Namesake - I had to give Mira some love.  I adored this beautiful movie that does not quite do the book justice but Irfan Khan's performance is a joy to behold.  I am going to put him in a movie one day.  Mark my words.

Note:  I realized that many of the films selected here are Fox Searchlight films.  What a great year they've had!

There Will Be Blood

Wow, this review really made me want to see it!

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

I loved this movie so much. It is one of those movies that makes you see the truth and beauty in everything. I have just begun the book. My favorite quote so far:

There comes a time when the heaping up of calamities brings on uncontrollable nervous laughter - when, after a final blow from fate, we decide to treat it all as a joke. My jovial cackling at first disconcerted Eugénie, until she herself was infected by my mirth. We laughed until we cried.

I am not sure the trailer does it justice but it gives an idea.

Movie Update #1

My progress on my very long "movies to see" list.  This weekend I saw:

Waitress:  So wonderful.  Satisfied me completely!
Before the Devil Know You're Dead:  Phillip Seymour Hoffman is one of the greatest actors out there.  His ability to play nuanced characters boggles the mind.  Still, the female characters were pretty bad.  This film struck a nerve.  Why were all the female characters so annoying and naked?  It was well done in many ways but overall I was conflicted.

I am not as far as I planned because I got an unexpected gift of Season One of The Wire, a show that much to the chagrin of many, I had not seen before ... until this weekend.  I watched two episodes and I am riddled with questions.  I will not say that I am addicted yet.  I still need some more time.   But I have a feeling that many evenings will be spent watching this.

Movies I Must See

The Award Season has begun and I am behind in my movie going.  In no order, these are the movies I want/need to see:

Away from Her (Netflix) No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Waitress (Netflix)
Juno
Billy the Kid
Enchanted
La Vie En Rose
Into the Wild
Michael Clayton
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
I'm Not There
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
Starting Out In The Evening
Sweeney Todd
No End in Sight (Netflix)
The Savages
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Additions as of 12/14/07
Grace is Gone
The Great Debaters

More additions as of 12/18/07
Persepolis 

Wow, that's a long, long list.  I have a lot of work to do (and money to spend).  I'll keep you posted.

The Doc Shortlist Drama

Recently, the shortlist for Best Documentary Oscar nominations was announced and there were many people with some strong feelings about it.  AJ Schnack, whose film, Kurt Cobain About A Son qualified under the Academy’s rules but was not selected, wrote a lengthy article.  This point was particularly interesting:

Should we prefer a competent, conventionally styled film to one that swings for the fences, one whose highs hit us in unexpected ways, even if it occasionally falters in its risk-taking? The Academy and the IDA have chosen to stand on the side of conventional and competent. Even more importantly, should we favor a film's message over its craft? Here again, both the Academy and the IDA have answered resoundingly. Craft always comes in last.

Tricia Regan, whose film, Autism: The Musical, was on the shortlist this year, had this to say:

It truly is an honor just to be short-listed. And I agree, there are many great docs out there that did not make the short list, but they have been well recognized in other arenas, picking up awards all along the way. There is so much luck in all of this, but in the end, there are a lot of great docs, so getting into Sundance, winning an award, getting short-listed or nominated or even winning an Oscar, comes down to the individuals doing the voting and their particular tastes, and whatever politics exist within that voting structure.

Many other people are talking about this.

I looked at the shortlist and had not heard of many of these films.  (And I am someone who sees a decent amount of docs.)  I was disappointed that The King of Kong, my absolute favorite movie of this year, was not on this list.  I have a hard time believing that all of these films are better.  (Yes I know this list is subjective.)  And I do believe that the storyline of the film -- a battle to be the greatest Donkey Kong player in the world -- stopped it from being selected.  You can't nominate film like that for the Academy Award.  Well, I think you can but the "powers that be" obviously disagree. 

Thank goodness the qualification requirements have changed for next year.  Eliminating the multiple-city rollout will create a bit more of a level playing field.  I am not naive enough to believe that this process will magically become fair but it will be better.   Too much of this has to do with the quality of your publicity or the size of your marketing budget.  I wish more of it had to do with the quality of your film.

(Cross Posted on Engine Feed)

What A Cliche I Am ...

A 30 something girl excited about Sex and The City.  Oh, who cares!  I am dying to see this!  Here is a very, very brief trailer of the upcoming feature length version. 

   

My Short Film

Well folks, I have been looking for a place to put my short, The Birthday Girl, up online and here it is. Revver pays a teeny tiny amount of money when people watch. So even if you click play and go do the dishes, I win! Check it out. Put it on your blog. Email it to folks. It all helps. Here is the url as well.

Any questions/comments, please bring them on. I will do my best to answer them. Later!