Movie Marathon Madness

You may have read on Eric's blog that we attended the AMC Best Picture Showcase on Saturday. It was a fun experience overall, with the only real downside being directly related to the backside. (We sat in the same chairs for 13 hours). Oh, and the fact that we consumed free coke and popcorn all day, so I thought I might puke there toward the end. But I rallied, and now I'm ready to share my reviews, from least favorite to most favorite.

Babel
I was not impressed with this film. There were a few strong performances, but I never felt invested. Other films before it have addressed the "butterfly effect", even one with that particular title. And other films have addressed the vast divide between the cultures of this world. Last year's best picture winner, Crash, told that story in a beautiful and tragic way. Babel, for me, fell very short in whatever story it was trying to tell.

Letters from Iwo Jima
There's no question in my mind that Clint Eastwood is a brilliant director, which he proved once again in this film. It was not included in the list of nominees for Achievement in Cinematography but should have been. The characters of Saigo and General Kuribayashi were intriguing, and it was compelling to see the story told from the perspectives of both the lowest and highest ranks in the Imperial Army. My chief complaint with this film is that it's another war story with the same result -- no matter the reason behind it, no matter the pride and honor shown during it, no matter the uniform worn going into it -- a ridiculous number of people still die senselessly.

Little Miss Sunshine
What a delight! I love fun, quirky films like this one. It's a sweet story with likeable characters (Alan Arkin is perfection) and an inherent charm. It's also a nice reminder that if slugging it out toe-to-toe in the Little Miss Weirdest Family competition, your screwed-up family might not have it in the bag, after all.

The Departed
This was the only film we had seen prior to Saturday, but I thought it was worth a second viewing. Scorsese's films have no shortage of "MA" material (Mature Audience or Mom Avoid), but the man can direct a film. And this is certainly not the first good cop/bad cop battle ever to hit the big screen, but it manages to grip you and hold onto you from the first transgression to the last. Even though you know it's a Scorsese film and that everyone will eventually end up dead, those last few short-range gunshots to the head are still surprising. Plus, there are some heavy hitters in this one that are almost always a sure thing - Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg (up against Alan Arkin for best actor in a supporting role), Matt Damon and even Leo DiCaprio.

The Queen
I wanted to see this movie, and I wanted to like this movie, but I went into it slightly skeptical. The royals are popular subject matter in film, and often the pomp and circumstance is too laborious. Or, in an effort to avoid the inevitable onset of boredom, the film becomes flighty. Rarely does a film about a royal family hit the mark and invoke the perfect balance of emotions, but this one does. It is easy to be swept up in the pride of tradition that engulfs the monarchy, while at the same time rooting for the subjects in their desire to modernize the monarchy's stoic convictions. This fictional account of the days that followed Princess Diana's tragic death is extremely plausible, and Helen Mirren's performance is nothing short of extraordinary. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of The Queen for winning Best Picture, as voted upon by the Academy of Amy.