cause being a nazi's just not cool anymore, baby

my favorite movie is Half Nelson, with Ryan Gosling. i've never seen anything else with him in it, but he was phenomenal in this movie. and Shareeka Epps provided one of the best performances i've seen a young actor give.

have you seen this movie? if not, make it your number one priority in life. i'm serious.

nothing really happens in the film, which delights me. it's such a perfect reflection of real life. there's no real climax, there's no real resolution, but there is a tiny glimmer of hope tinged by the knowledge that, realistically, there may be no hope at all. it's bittersweet and slightly awkward and brilliant.

normally, i'm not a big fan of tight closeups or shaky hand-held camera work (which seems to be a stamp of independent film in the past few years), but both of these techniques work wonderfully in this movie. perhaps it's because this movie is really about two characters, and portrays a tight glimpse into both of their lives - even though it really doesn't reveal all that much about them, their pasts, and their futures. just enough.

this is the kind of movie that seems like it was born from a short story - it's sparse in dialogue and in action, but not enough so that it becomes boring.

broken social scene, one of my favorite bands, provides the score. and it's pitch perfect. i couldn't imagine any other music in place of the songs chosen for many of the scenes.

maybe most importantly, this movie raises questions of addiction and of a quiet longing to be somebody you could envision yourself being, but aren't quite there yet. of blurry lines and grey areas we all live through. there's so much emotion in this movie, but it's all beneath the surface.

i think of this movie often. it reminds me of so much; of just getting by. of places i've been and visited, of people in my life. of lonliness and being on the brink of something much larger than yourself and of quiet love, though by no means is this a conventional love story (which is also refreshing).

and this isn't an independent movie that hits you over the head with the fact that it is, in fact, a low budget independent movie. the whole thing is subtle. which i'm pretty sure Philip Seymour Hoffman would appreciate.

the curious case of benjamin button

i really love David Fincher (director of Se7en and Fight Club, and his cinematographer, Claudio Miranda, who worked on the same films. and Cate Blanchett is perhaps my favorite actress, ever. really. i can't think of any character of hers i wasn't impressed with. her character of Jude in I'm Not There still gives me chills. but that's another story, entirely.

and i really do like Brad Pitt. he was fantastic in Babel and Fight Club ... and sometimes I think he is overrated, but not for his acting. just because he's one of those A-list stars who is guaranteed to draw a crowd. and while i am also a fan of his handsome good looks, i can't say that's why i go see the movies he's in.

i have been wanting to see this movie since i saw the trailer a few months ago and was stunned. it looked gorgeous.

and it was.

though it's nothing like the short story (from which the screenplay was adapted, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald) other than the basic storyline of a man being born around age 80 and getting younger and younger, it bears the same title.

it was everything i wanted it to be.

anybody that talks to me about movies knows i am big on the colors of the film. it's use of color was outstanding - the color palette was comprised of rich and dark tones, with just the right tones of brightness when the characters and story line called for it. coloring of a film is so important. it sets the mood, visually, and acts like a silent character that you barely notice, but makes you continue to want to watch the movie. that's why cinematographers are brilliant, beyond the actual framing of the physical shot.

ANYWAY.

it was subtly magical, sad, happy, hopeful and true. fantastical but utterly believable.

it floored me.

so few movies really do this to me, and from the opening scenes to the last it was almost too much for me. but it was riveting. i mean, i saw this movie on Saturday, and here it is Monday, and i'm still thinking about it. that might be due to the fact that i have this week off, and am sitting home reading and planning a syllabus for next semester, so i have copious amounts of time on my hand, but (more importantly) it's because of how powerful this movie really was.

i want to see it again. and again.

so, you should go. it's definitely worth it, trust me. and let me know what you think.

so

hello. new to blog world, but i will give this a go.

this thing here is going to be dedicated to film. mostly my thoughts on it. sometimes other people's thoughts, too.

for starters:

i just read an amazing, in-depth article in the New York Times Magazine about Philip Seymour Hoffman. you should check it out. it's quite lengthy, but trust me, it's worth it. he's one of the most amazing actors of our time, and he talks at length about some of his more recent performances (Doubt, Synecdoche, New York), as well as his work in theater.

here's a quote that really resonated with me:

"In this film, he keeps the action going, and the people don’t ever behave against their true nature.

That’s what I look for in my work: when a writer can deftly describe the human experience in a way that you didn’t think could even be put into words.

That doesn’t happen often, but it gives me something to play inside. Too much of the time our culture fears subtlety. They really want to make sure you get it. And when subtlety is lost, I get upset."