August: 43--48
43. The Dark Knight. Very well structured (nice use of intercutting, very neat plot), very intense, good as an ensemble piece; interestingly, and I think successfully, it largely focuses on the reaction to Batman than on Batman himself. Chicago is used beautifully, and the Angel fan in me appreciated Scarybadger's role.
44. The Mummy 3. Oh so obviously full of plot coupons, but also charmingly honest about that fact, and largely fun.
45. Slither. Alien parasite thing lands in small town America, wackiness ensues. The start is not great, but it picks up markedly around the half-way mark. Pleasingly direct use of profanity. Nathon Fillion entertaining as somewhat klutzy sheriff.
46. Last Year at Marienbad. French experimentalist cinema in its purest form. bibliolicious and I are pretty sure that someone involved in the story is dead, but whether it's the narrator or the woman he's talking about/to is open to question. Apparently inspired by this science fiction novel which appears to bear very little resemblance to the film in any way other than thematically; also inspired the longest novel in the world.
47. The Good German. Noir set in 1946 Germany, for which Soderbergh obviously cast the most 40s-looking actors he could find. Not bad -- I liked the narrative hand-offs beween characters -- but I was left feeling that the goal of recreating period techniques was on the one hand a bit gimmicky, and on the other just not very effective (too much naturalistic acting, for one thing).
48. Secretary. Suffers a bit from implicitly linking mental illness and a taste for BDSM, but the central relationship is still fascinatingly explored.
44. The Mummy 3. Oh so obviously full of plot coupons, but also charmingly honest about that fact, and largely fun.
45. Slither. Alien parasite thing lands in small town America, wackiness ensues. The start is not great, but it picks up markedly around the half-way mark. Pleasingly direct use of profanity. Nathon Fillion entertaining as somewhat klutzy sheriff.
46. Last Year at Marienbad. French experimentalist cinema in its purest form. bibliolicious and I are pretty sure that someone involved in the story is dead, but whether it's the narrator or the woman he's talking about/to is open to question. Apparently inspired by this science fiction novel which appears to bear very little resemblance to the film in any way other than thematically; also inspired the longest novel in the world.
47. The Good German. Noir set in 1946 Germany, for which Soderbergh obviously cast the most 40s-looking actors he could find. Not bad -- I liked the narrative hand-offs beween characters -- but I was left feeling that the goal of recreating period techniques was on the one hand a bit gimmicky, and on the other just not very effective (too much naturalistic acting, for one thing).
48. Secretary. Suffers a bit from implicitly linking mental illness and a taste for BDSM, but the central relationship is still fascinatingly explored.