Film Flam

God, I love the fall. The trees are turning - football is in full swing - and finally, decent films are hitting the theaters!!! Here are three you need to get out to see.

First off is Scorsese's "The Departed." I was worried about the film, hearing that is was not quite up to his quality - but thankfully, the film blew my mind! Everyone is in top form (even Damon - who surprised me) and Scorsese has made a fascinatingly detailed and bloody as hell flick.

I would toss this up there with "Goodfellas" - "Raging Bull" - "Taxi Driver" - the best of his work!

(If you have not seen the latter films - hang your head in shame and flog thyself for punishment)

See this one in the theaters!!


I dug Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" and I feel the same for "Marie Antoinette." Both films are very personal and aloof - which sometimes can get long and loose - but Coppola finds a way to wrap it all around for a very interesting ride.

There are some amazing images - some amazing music - and some ok moments. We don't get completely inside Marie - but we get a story that really has not been told this way. Coppola connects with the isolated character and looses her a tad in the historical moments.

It was really interesting to sit in the audience - which consisted of old arty egg heads mixed with 13-15 year old teeny bopper girls who would coo at the sight of a puppy dog on screen. Odd.


Finally, I had an equal amount of fun at Chris Nolan's "The Prestige." I love "Batman Begins" and "Memento" ("Insomnia" could have used some work) and I am really loving Nolan's editing style and command of storytelling.

The film plays like a long episode of The Twilight Zone - with twists and dark imagery. I was not as shocked by the twists - but I loved Nolan's uber concsious analogy of the story to the concept of filmmaking. Magician as filmmaker - fun as hell to toy with in the film and in discussions afterwards!

THE DEPARTED A+
MARIE ANTOINETTE B+
THE PRESTIGE B+

Yo