December 1, 2006
A Fountain of Goodness
Hi. I just saw the best film of the year. Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain is a rapturous, gorgeous, fearless, and sometimes incoherent paean to Love and Forever (with capital letters). It hasn't a trace of cynicism; Aronofsky bares his soul and dares us to look away. I couldn't. It's cinematic poetry in an age when poetry is considered quaint. It's pretty amazing. I'm babbling. 5 goats. 4.5 goats. Once the intial rush wore off, I realized that I have too many problems with certain parts of the film to give it 5 goats, but it's pretty damned close.
"But where's the review, Goatdog?" I haven't written it yet. Here it is. However, in the interim, feel free to read some other recent reviews:
Catch a Fire is a pretty good film about an apolitical South African black man who is turned into a revolutionary when he's mistakenly arrested as a terrorist. It slips up in its earnestness and desire to draw parallels to current events (and Tim Robbins's accent slips quite a bit), but it's still worth watching. 3 goats
Casino Royale is the best Bond movie I've ever seen. Of course, I haven't seen all that many, but I prefer its seriousness and muscular action to the slickness and camp of the earlier films. It's Bond with a soul (and a six-pack). 4 goats.
Tender Mercies is a non-event, a timid and polite film that tries really hard to be uninteresting, and succeeds. It's mild, very mild, but fails even to be all that insightful. It was a Best Picture nominee in 1983. Why? I don't know. 2 goats.
And Elevator to the Gallows is an almost unbearably delicious French noir from 1958. Louis Malle blends three distinctively French storylines (one of which seems to have influenced Godard's Breathless). 5 goats.
Posted by mike, December 1, 2006 9:25 PMI'm breaking up inside that you don't like Tender Mercies, one of my all time favorites. Oh well, I'll get over it. Speaking of movies, you know what I miss about Chicago? Matinee prices. I can't afford to go to the theater here at all. I've seen one movie in the theater since I've been here. Painful.
Posted by: Shawn at December 2, 2006 12:03 AMOh, dear Goatdog, it is clear you are not a woman. Yes, maybe Daniel Craig is the first actor to play Bond who looks like he could kick your butt, but Bond is a spy and there ought to be an element of subtlety in his character. This bloke looks, not suave and elegant but as if he would be in a bar fight. Not appealing for this Scottish lass, give me Sean, or David or Timothy any day. In fact, at 2:32 a.m., (the current time in Chi-town) I wouldn't mind them at all. hahaha
Posted by: QiaJenae at December 2, 2006 2:37 AMI have not seen the new James Bond movie yet, but it sounds pretty good. I, personally, am one of those stereotypical Sean Connery Bond fans. I love the Connery Bond, campiness and everything. I have not really liked any of the other Bonds. Pierce Brosnan came the closest to being awesome. I actually liked him as Bond a lot! It is too bad that the writers of his Bond films learned their trade at the cafeteria in middle school.
Posted by: shane at December 2, 2006 5:10 PMI read your review of "The Fountain." Sounds like something I would really like.
Posted by: shane at December 3, 2006 3:03 PMAs a card-carrying Ian Fleming reader, I am seriously looking forward to seeing Casino Royale, since it's my favorite Bond book, and was long overdo for a proper screen treatment.
What is it I heard about Aronofsky adding more scenes to The Fountain after its release? hmm?
PS. Birthday Party for Gabriel on Saturday.
Posted by: Travis at December 4, 2006 10:45 AMI was mystified by Tender Mercies, and ultimately made ornery by its refusal to say or do or be about anything--to include the smug way (I thought it was smug) in which it implies that you are a caffeinated, city-dwelling, insensitive Tasmanian Devil for wishing that something would happen, or something would mean something. Which is a long way of saying, I loved your review, and you read my mind.
Posted by: Nick at December 8, 2006 2:20 AM