Swedish Auto and New York, I Love You

Swedish Auto
What happens if you are stalking someone and then you find out someone is stalking you so then you stalk that person. Swedish Auto answers this question … lugubriously (how do you like that word? :) Lukas Haas plays a sad sack auto mechanic who is in love with a beautiful violinist so what’s a guy to do but follow her around town, meanwhile an abused waitress fancies the mechanic and hovers outside his abode. The waitress is played by the beautiful January Jones of Mad Men fame and she hardly seems like she could be a stalker. If you think this movie might be a light-hearted and wacky (as I hoped it would be) you would be wrong. Rather it’s a story about a bunch of surly down and outs who try to find moments of happiness in a dreary life. Sound fun, doesn’t it?


New York, I Love is a collection of short films directed by people like Mira Nair and Natalie Portman with a myriad of famous actors in brief pieces: Bradley Cooper, Andy Garcia, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman (acts and directs), Orlando Bloom, Ethan Hawke, Anton Yelchin, James Caan, Julie Christie, John Hurt, Shia LaBeouf , Chris Cooper, Robin Wright Penn, and Cloris Leachman. This is part two of a series. Paris, Je T’aime which I wrote about was the first film. Like that film, this movie is a hodge podge of some good and some what the heck is goin’ on here? But I think Paris, Je T’aime seemed more connected to real people’s problems. New York, I Love You, begs the question: Why do I love you, New York? You are so crude and banal.

Hodge Podge

I have actually seen four movies in the last week, but haven't been keeping up very well with ye olde blog. So here's a quick synopsis starting with last Friday night when I was watching a DVD with my niece Holly . . .
Charlie Wilson's War: Holly could barely pay attention to this political movie, what with all the texting and facebooking. I tried my best but also was a little distracted by the world of the Internet. And quite frankly it was a tad boring. I thought the concept, a war started in Afghanistan by huge American egos, was fascinating and learned a something, but I had trouble sustaining my attention. Tom Hanks and Phillip Seymour Hoffman were good in it, though.
Rachel Getting Married: I dragged Holly and three friends to this movie and regretted it. One friend said, "I never would have seen that movie if I knew what it was about." All four found it to be a real downer. Yet, I wanted to see it -- you know my penchant for anything Indie. Sure it was depressing and odd all at the same time. Oh, and irritating, note the bizarre dishwasher filling competition, and you will wonder what the deal is with these psuedo-intellectual weirdos. Yet, I thought Anne Hathaway was really good in it, and there were some genuine moments in the film and some really good music. Oh, and some annoying music too. The genuine moment came in the cold way Hathaway's mother played by Debra Winger politely dismissed her daughter as she left the reception -- that was painful to watch. So sorry friends for putting you through that, but you know.
In Bruges: is a violent black comedy with Colin Ferrel, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes, and it really was violent, but also funny. I couldn't imagine how a story of three paid assassins who have a strange holiday in Bruges, could possibly be funny, but it is. Worth seeing. and Bruges is incredibly beautiful.
Jodhaa Akbar: Finally, today I saw a 16th century, three hour Hindustani epic with subtitles. How does that grab you? Well, if you want to learn a little about Indian history in a toned down Bollywood style, you might like this, but I doubt it.

My Dinner with Andre

Remember this oldie but a weirdie? Back in 1982 two playwrights, Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, starred in this strange movie where they just sit at a table in a restaurant and discuss weird stuff like improvisational theater in a Polish forest, being naked and lowered into an 8 foot grave, or a Japanese shaman walking on Andre's wife named Chiquita. It's weird and was somewhat popular back in the 1980s. I remember seeing it back then on PBS, and I am sure I was seeing it because I thought it was THE movie to see. (I still do that, you see) I wanted to see it again because 1.) it was at the library 2.) I love Wallace Shawn and had recently seen The Princess Bride, and 3.) I wanted to remember what all the fuss was about. Well, the fuss is about a couple of intellectuals struggling with some pretty esoteric issues and deciding, in the end, that it is all bunk. Or is it? I kinda enjoyed watching it again. My friend Mary was too engrossed in Scrabble to have an educated opinion on this movie.

Paris, Je T'aime

You may have noticed that I am attracted to movies with certain characteristics. I watch a lot of independent films, movies with certain actors I like (Ryan Gosling or Mark Ruffalo, Juliette Binoche to name a few), and of course, movies about France or movies in French; I'm a bit of a Francophile. I like other than French foreign films usually (when I am up for subtitles), but gravitate the the French ones in particular. So Paris, Je T'aime was right up my alley; it combines France, French, independent film with Juliette Binoche, what else could you ask for? It's a collection of short films shot in Paris and about love. An amazing array of well known directors and actors take part in the project. Directors such as Gus Van Sant, Wes Craven, the Coen brothers and many more and actors such as Steve Buscemi, Rufus Sewell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Elijah Wood, Gena Rowlands and Natalie Portman. About half of it is in French. Some of the films are truly memorable, some truly strange, and some truly forgettable. As I watched these short films I was amazed at how easily the directors can present a story in sometimes just 5 minutes. So if you want to slog through a unique movie and find some gems, you might enjoy Paris, Je T'aime.

I'm not there for 27 Dresses

I'm not there -- the Bob Dylan movie is perplexing. Especially if you know a bit about Bob Dylan and keep trying to figure out what bits are really from his life and what bits are distorted additions to his life. After reading the notes included with the DVD extras, I learned that the movie is meant to be like an extended dream. Well, it's not that fun watching a dream where each event seems unconnected. I enjoyed the music; I love Bob's music. I enjoyed watching the well-known actors create versions of the Dylan persona (Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Christian Bale to name a few). But I lost interest in the movie as it progressed and was ready for it to be done at the end.

On a completely different note I watched 27 Dresses about a beautiful woman (Kathrine Heigle) who is always a bridesmaid. I couldn't get past the beautiful woman who couldn't snag the guy. Good movie potential gone very bad.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is about a 42 year old French man who has a stroke and becomes paralyzed, unable to talk. He communicates through blinking his eye as a nurse goes through the letters of the alphabet. He writes a whole book like this (the book is what the movie is based on). It's pretty amazing. I would definitely not call this movie action-packed, but pretty interesting.

Hannah Takes the Stairs

Hannah Takes the Stairs is an arty independent film -- a few 20 somethings make a movie in their apartment -- that did well at Sundance. Critics' opinions range from, "Unfocused and indulgent" to praising the director for having "an uncanny talent for making the randomness of downtime feel as alive as it seems generationally true." I just thought it seemed like a whole lot of down time and not much up time. The lead actress playing Hannah is cute and has presence on screen but plays an annoying unfocused serial dater. In my opinion the movie is not worth seeing. But that's why I am there for you, oh loyal reader, to watch these movies so you don't have to.

Starting out in the Evening

Frank Langella plays a washed up novelist who's earlier success seems forgotten by all but an ambitious grad student who insinuates herself into his staid life. The writer's daughter is played by Lily Taylor and she becomes increasingly concerned about the grad student's influence over her father. I thought maybe this would be a movie my parents might enjoy. Within 10 minutes of the movie my mother said, "I don't like that girl!" about the Lauren Ambrose grad student character. I had to leave to finish the movie later and both parents decided they would be happy not finishing it and leaving me to tell them what happened. I did finish it and liked it more at the end but still found it lacking, lacking in some heart or something. Lily Taylor's character was the most interesting. I love Lauren Ambrose from Six Feet Under, but, I guess I agree with my mother, she was annoying in this movie. Oh well, I don't know why I feel I have see every movie that's either about a writer or has actor's I like when it really isn't very good, but then I can tell YOU about it.

Lars and the Real Girl

I love Ryan Gosling and had planned on watching this movie for a while, but the thought of watching a movie about a guy who thinks his girlfriend is a blowup doll seems kinda creepy. The surprising thing about this movie is that it isn't creepy; Lars' creation of this "girlfriend" from out of town who is in a wheelchair is a manifestation of his own screwed up mind and is mainly just sad and uncomfortably funny at the same time. Even though I don't think this situation could happen in real life, it seems very believable (with the exception of some of the townspeople's reaction to him) This movie left me wondering. One thing that is for sure though, Ryan Gosling is a great actor!

Holly visits and we watch 3 movies

Margot at the Wedding by the same dude who did the Squid and the Whale was not as tight and funny as the Squid and the Whale but included a bitchy lead character to match the father Squid. Nicole Kidman's Margot was deliciously mean and Jack Black was goofy and kinda funny. Holly thought, "This is the weirdest movie I have ever seen."

We also went to the theater to see The Other Boleyn Girl. Holly thought,"The Scarlett role was played too nice and it didn't go coincide with the book and took away from the sisterly tension that was in the book." But overall, Holly liked it. Mary, who had just finished season I of the Showtime Tudors, found it not as compelling as that series about King Henry VIII, but enjoyed the ever cute Natalie Portman in the role as Anne and found her a better Anne than in the series. Both stories are a bit too soap operish, however.

Two Days in Paris was our last movie viewing of the weekend. Two Days in Paris was written, acted, and produced by Julie Delpy and examines the detioration and possible renewal of a two year relationship while visiting Paris. The actor Adam Goldberg played a Woody Allenish neurotic and paranoid lover to the beautiful and oversexed Julie Delpy. The parents, Julie Delpy's real parents by the way, were pretty funny but super odd. Worth seeing? Holly says, "It's mediocre but worth seeing." Mary watches all independent movies especially if they involve Paris so she says Yes, worth seeing.

Side note: all films involved a dead slaughtered and bloody pig. This, however, was merely a coincidence, but odd since Holly just gave up pork a few weeks ago for being grossed out by the thought of eating pigs. These scenes affirmed her decision.

The Wind that Shakes the Barley

I read great reviews of The Wind that Shakes the Barley, a drama about the struggles in Ireland, directed by Ken Loach. Even though it is essentially a war movie, not usually my cup of tea, I thought I should see it and happily was completely entranced by it -- partially because of the perspective of a small community of regular folk turned terrorists by necessity -- the brutality of the British soldiers is horrifying. The other entrancing reason to watch the film is Cillian Murphy who plays Damien O'Donovon, a doctor about to go of to London when he is pulled into the conflict. This skinny blue-eyed Irishman is worth seeing the movie for, trust me on that.

On a completely lamer note, I saw The Nanny Diaries (I'll see anthing with Laura Linney) which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be with a very cute little boy whose train wreck of New York Upper East side parents are actually kinda funny and sad in how terrible of parents they are. It's a slight film overall, however.

Juno and Once

I saw Juno in the theaters a few days ago. Before going I heard a review that described the snappy dialogue as unrealistic and annoying. But you know I found it refreshing and enjoyable. Ellen Page, who plays Juno, is adorable and precocious. She is an extremely smart 16 year old who fools people into thinking that she is more mature than she actually is and then in the end we see her as a vulnerable kid. Besides the very funny lines of Juno I really enjoyed her regular girl interests -- she has a hamburger phone and wears grungy jeans with a flannel shirt. She reminds of my friends as a girl -- she's not a girly girl.

I also saw Once which I probably had unrealistic expectations of and found it not as compelling at first as I thought it would be but then by the end really appreciated the understated performances. These two musicians really acted like real people; they responded to embarrassing or sad situations like real people and they really seemed infatuated with each other. By the end, I compared Once to Juno and found it "realer" but maybe not as fun and seductive.

The Hottest State

Based on an Ethan Hawke novel, and probably his own experiences, The Hottest State examines a doomed relationship between a young actor and a beautiful Latin singer (an actress I was trying to place from a previous movie the whole time). There are some whimsical moments but mainly the movie is actually kinda boring. After the singer breaks up with the insecure actor he goes bonkers and obsesses about her to the point of annoyance. Meanwhile he learns that all of his problems stem from the being rejected by father as a child. This one, I definitely could have passed on.

Old Joy

I had the movie Old Joy on my queue for some time. I put in on after reading a good review even though it did have the potential for being really dull. It's about two old friends who go on a camping trip to the Cascade Mountains -- both are Oregon liberals but one is stuck in the past and a rather pathetic pot smoker and the other has a 9-5 job, with a baby on the way who listens to public radio shows about the economy and boring stuff like that. These guys reminded me of guys I know and reveals how guys grow apart when their lives take different turns. I liked peeking into a world of how guys communicate with each other. One barely talks, avoids any confrontation, and just goes along with the pot smoker dude who is kinda a blowhard and keeps trying to reaffirm that his life is not meaningless. So there is not much plot in this movie -- it's just a glance into the lives of a couple of aging hippies. One more thing, the spot they visit in the Cascade Mountains is very cool -- the movie may be worth seeing just for that.

Dark and Light: Away from Her and Miss Potter

Last night I saw the DVD Away From Her about a 60ish couple who lose each other due to Alzheimer's disease. The couple, Fiona and Grant, played by the beautiful Julie Christie and an actor unknown to me, Gordon Pinsent, live comfortably on a lake in Ontario when Fiona begins forgetting words for common objects and sticks a frying pan in the freezer. Grant is destroyed at the thought of losing the love of his life -- they have been married for 44 years -- and fights her wish to go to a care facility, even after she gets lost after cross-country skiing near her home. While watching the movie, I had a sick feeling in my stomach; it was painful to watch Gordon's sadness and Fiona falling into oblivion. The experience of watching this movie reminded me of watching Wit, with Emma Thompson who dies slowly and painfully from cancer. Both are not fun but are incredibly powerful and beautifully made movies.

On a much lighter note I also saw Miss Potter finally. Finally because last summer I put Miss Potter on my Netflix queue and mostly it was no. 1 but for some bizarre reason I did not get it until two weeks ago. I even called and emailed Netflix about this and was told that they only have so many copies of some movies and when they are very popular blah blah ... blah. Really, Miss Potter is a hot item in the US, seems unlikely but who am I. So anyway after all that build up, I enjoyed the movie and have always liked the real Beatrix Potter and her clever and beautifully drawn stories. While Renee Zellweger did a fine job as Miss Potter, I couldn't help wishing the wonderful Emily Watson would have played the artist instead. Instead she plays the publisher's sister. The publisher is Ewan McGregor and he is Miss Potter's suitor. The movie is cute and pretty and fun to watch but at times a little fluffy.

The TV Set

I just saw The TV Set, a behind the scenes look of making a pilot and trying to get it on the air. The movie stars David Duchovny who plays a beleaguered writer whose pilot keeps getting watered down and compromised while all the other TV biz workers compromise their own principles, except Sigourney Weaver's character who never had any principles playing the TV executive who brags about having a hit show called Slut Wars. I think if you are interested in finding out about how or why there is so much terrible TV out there and like behind the scenes-type movies, you would like this movie but it may be a little too insideree for some. I liked it and especially got a kick out of Weaver's character's denseness. The TV Set is mild and fun satire.

Sweetland

I saw Sweetland on DVD, finally. Being a good Minnesotan, I was sorry I did not see it in the theater and coincidentally it is having a special showing at a new theater/ stage right near here. So I think I am going to see it again. I really enjoyed it. It was sweet, as the title suggests, and the two lead characters seemed so true. I especially liked the spunky German Inge and her persistence in making a go of her life in Minnesota. Even in German or Norwegian she was funny and determined. For those of you who are not on the pulse of Minnesota movie info., Sweetland was filmed in Minnesota and is based on a Will Weaver short story in his book A Gravestone Made of Wheat, (that I would like to read now). I think it is rare now-a-days to watch a movie that is romantic and kind with a compelling story plot like Sweetland, and it is not fast-paced and there is no swearing, sex scenes, or bloody incidents. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it and I give it an A-. (The - is for occasionally cheesy bits esp. in modern scenes) So how do you like my ratings system? Would you call it academic?

The Squid and the Whale

I can find lots of DVDs at my local Carnegie Library where I found The Squid and the Whale, one of the best movies of last year. Was it last year? This movies has one of my favorite actresses, Laura Linney. It's about couple of New York writers who are getting a divorce and get their two boys involved. Lot's of head games are played and the two boys get seriously messed up in the process. One caveat, there is a really weird scene about one of the boys displaying some really odd behavior for a boy of 11? played by Owen Kline, son of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates. Well worth seeing, although some founded it depressing. I enjoyed the zingers.
If you are into mean and funny dialogue another movie you might enjoy is Notes of a Scandal where Judy Dench brings verve to the art of insulting someone.