Hello all, Matt here. Here's some movies I'm pretty sure you'll love.
Current New Releases
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
This is hands down my favorite movie from the last year. It works on every single level. The cinematography is absolutely stunning, the acting is all top-notch, and the script and the direction suck you in right from the beginning. This is as real as it gets folks. Waking up from a stroke and realizing you're paralyzed - you live it. The frustration from realizing you can no longer speak - you feel it. Mathieu Amalric is wonderful as the paralyzed Jean-Do. And Marie-Josee Croze is exceptional as speech-therapist Henriette (watching her slowly reduced to tears when Jean-Do asks for death is heart-breaking). Also, look out for Max "I'm probably the best actor of all time" Von Sydow in a small but ridiculously powerful role as Jean-Do's father. I honestly cannot recommend this movie enough.
There Will Be BloodI know Katie recommended this last week, but I don't care. WATCH THIS MOVIE. Everything you've heard about Daniel Day-Lewis in this film is true. He's amazing. This could be a three hour movie of him eating a sandwich in character and it would be good. You're not going to see better acting anywhere else. Oh, and also, everything else in this movie is great. Wonderfully shot (Oscar winner for best cinematography), Paul Dano actually manages to hold his own opposite Day-Lewis (an accomplishment within itself), and Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood provides a PERFECT score for the film. (I wouldn't call this movie the new Citizen Kane - oh wait yes I would, WATCH IT NOW!)
Other New Releases To Check Out...
Michael Clayton
Juno
Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs
The Darjeeling Limited
Death At A Funeral
Margot At The Wedding
Oldies But Goodies
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind -This is probably my favorite film of all time. If you've already seen it, watch it again. If you haven't, I can't even begin to fathom explaining it. Just give it a try. Charlie Kaufman is the man.
Songs From The Second Floor - Super weird and artsy dark comedy out of Sweden. If you like foreign films, amazing imagery, and a man throwing hundreds of Jesus statues into a dump - this is the film for you. (Watch closely and you'll see the camera only moves once in the entire film. Its like watching a bunch of living paintings.)
Maelstrom - The less I tell you about this film the better. But if you can do subtitles and want to see a very simple cautionary/love tale, with an amazing lead performance (Marie-Josee Croze, who I previously mentioned from Diving Bell And The Butterfly. She's simply wonderful here. You'll recognize her as the fully nude assassin from Munich.) then I'd definitely give this a try.
Also check out...
Punch-Drunk Love
Morvern Callar
House Of Fools
Your Friends & Neighbors (or anything with Catherine Keener for that matter)
Friends With Money (like this movie, in fact, watch all of Nicole Holofcener's films)
12 Monkeys (And all of Terry Gilliam's, except for Brothers Grimm)
Children Of Men (YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH)
Me & You & Everyone We Know (writer, director, and star Miranda July is from Barre, VT)
The Royal Tenenbaums Lost In Translation
I just realized I recommended two films with Ben Stiller in them Don't worry, they're still really good. Also, I would just like to give an ANTI-recommendation to the movie Crash, the worst film ever made ever, ever. (And I'm talking about the atrocious one that won Best Picture a few years ago, not the
super f'ed-up one about people who get off from car accidents starring the totally awesome James Spader, that movie rules.) Have a nice week, all - enjoy the movies.
