My month in movies

The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder. ~Alfred Hitchcock



The Lucky Ones (2008) - Ostensibly about 3 soldiers returning home on leave to find their real lives very different from their expectations, this is also an excellent road trip movie with a strong cast and humor that made it an unexpected delight.

Let the Right One In (2008) - Quiet horror film about 2 isolated children who form an unlikely friendship. This was a selection for the Orbis Terrarum film challenge.

Frost/Nixon (2008) - Fascinating psychological drama about two men with huge egos who clash in a series of televised interviews. The casting was perfect, and I was thoroughly engaged in this historical drama.

Notorious (2009) - Movie version of the life and death of Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G. Interesting, but hard to have sympathy for many of the characters except Wallace's mother.

4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days (2007) - foreign independent film about a college student in Romania helping her friend obtain an illegal abortion. For me, it was much more about how far one person is willing to go for their friends. Thought provoking, but ultimately unsatisfying. This was another selection for the Orbis Terrarum film challenge.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - This was a case of a movie being just a little bit too over-hyped. I thought it was very good, but after seeing so many people say it was the best movie they'd seen all year, I was expecting to be completely blown away. And, I wasn't quite. I've seen at least two movies from the 2008 season that affected me more, and for some reason it really irritated me when the director switched from subtitles to English. (I know, silly thing to bug me, but it did.)
Now, it is certainly an excellent movie - but I didn't love it quite as much as the rest of the world.

Here's Just Not That Into You (2009) - Strangely enough, this movie was EXACTLY what I expected - light, fluffy, ensemble cast film about several 30-something singles in Baltimore trying to figure out love and relationships.

Revolutionary Road (2008) - an American tragedy, this movie was so painful to watch, and yet so brilliant. Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio give the performances of their careers. This movie left me breathless with its desperation.

Grey Gardens (1975) - the famous documentary about "Big" Edie and "Little" Edie Bouvier Beale, who live in their once magnificent estate, Grey Gardens, along with cats, racoons, fleas, and squalor. This movie made me feel a lot better about my housekeeping skills.