The weekend of Nov. 27-28 2010, brought about a massive one-two punch to our childhood memories with the passing of two men who forever affected our movie-watching careers. Tonight we remember Leslie Nielsen and Irvin Kershner.
One of the best films of the year and defiantly some of the best acting. I was really looking forward to this film because Fincher does a personal pic then a studio pic, and after Benjamin Button (2008) it was time for him to really care about a project. I also have a weakness for films based on true stories in contemporary times, like Shattered Glass (2003). I know this film is a dressed up version of the real thing, but it was realistic and enjoyable. The film represents how business is done today in the fast paced .com industry. Companies are based on fads and software, and are in and out of fashion so fast that Napster seems like a company that existed 30 years ago. The savvy businessman is out the window and young anti social misfits like Zuckerberg are in charge and they come across as cold and deceptive. Are they really bad or just inexperienced nerds thrown into the forefront of a multimillion dollar companies who can't interact with other people? I think David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin bring all of these points to the table and this film will be a time capsule of business in the 2000's, just like Wall Street (1987) was to the 80's. Fincher is also king of how to properly use CGI. He has fun with it wants to fool the audience of it's existence, which is what SFX are supposed to be used for. Great music, smart Sorkin script, and fine directing and acting all around. 4 out 5 stars.
man trying to break his gambling habits in order to save his marriage only to then have a sure bet fall in his lap. The quick-witted screenplay and brilliant casting makes for a very funny, quirky and enjoyable film. Screenwriter Nancy Dowd and first-time feature director Joe Pytka do a great job of capturing the setting of the racetrack as well as the mindset of the everyday bettor. Dreyfuss once again delivers a comedic performance on the money, but the real jewels of this movie are the side characters. David Johansen is hilarious as Trotter's best friend and biggest loser of the group of riff-raff they hang around the track with. Teri Garr was a great choice to play his wife who is used to having her heart broken time after time. Jennifer Tilly plays her trademark dim-witted character, this time with more sex-appeal, and many other recogn
izable faces pop up as well, like Allen Garfield, Robbie Coltrain, Cynthia Nixon, Tony Longo, and Richard Dimitri (Roman Maroni from Johnny Dangerously) just to name a few. Richard Edson, the garage attendant from Ferris Bueller has all of eight lines and is one of the funniest people in the movie. These days, a story with this many characters would have the director trying to shoehorn in equal screen time for a bunch of egos, but this one gets it right and gives the viewer no more than they need. A collaborative effort between writing, performance and editing generates a comedy with a good pace, and it all wraps up in a tidy 90-minute package. There aren't many copies out there but getting hold of one is well worth the effort.
We conclude our “Best of the Decade” talk with the top 10 lists of Matt Fickel, Cody Franklin, and Jeff Ayala. Will Fickel put “Tetro” on his list? Will there be a ‘Shotgun Stories’ in Jerf’s future? How many more times does ‘There Will Be Blood’ Appear? Tim Sigur makes an appearance by email and our own beloved Rever
end Renke delivers a spiritual message to us after the discussion, so besure and stay tuned all the way through. Enjoy.
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