FEATURED THEME MOVIE OF THE MONTH: IN TIME FOR VALENTINE'S DAY:

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

Random thoughts for Valentine's day, 2004. Today is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.

Life is complicated enough, then you add in love and relationships. They are usually much more work and require a greater effort than does the initial attraction. So, is it worth it? The pain, the boredom, the real life, non romantic stuff? This movie wholeheartedly says yes. Often criticized for it's difficulty in following the out of sequence scenes, and the bizarre concept of memory removal, this film with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet present the magic upon meeting a "special someone" and the pain often associated with the years to come. Like most of my other favorite nontraditional movies, while this is a love story, it is also a Valentine's Day movie just because it begins on VD. The characters are engaging and quirky in their own right. I love both lead performances as well. Carrey gets to have serious and funny moments. I like him best when he isn't over acting. The concept is beautiful; a scientific way to erase a past relationship from your mind in order to move on with your life: the effects "on par with a night of heavy drinking." What I like best about the whole movie, is the last scene. Would you do it all again, even if it meant you would eventually feel pain and suffering due to whatever went wrong in the first place? Would you? If so, way to go. Make sure to catch this flick!

BLUE VALENTINE: PLEASE BE MINE

Dean: In my experience, the prettier a girl is, the more nuts she is... which makes you insane. You're probably nutty coo coo crazy.

This is not your typical love story. It's a crazy roller coaster ride where there is mad crazy passionate love, mad crazy scary vulnerability;love lost and love found. This film follows this crazy dysfunctional passionate relationship between married couple Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) as they struggle to remember what brought them together in the first place and what keeps them together now. Undoubtedly, there is a ton of chemistry between Gosling and Williams. This story is that they moved into this house together and lived for a month before shooting the film. In addition, a great deal of the script was improvised which made it obvious how connected these two people were. The movie flashbacks to when the couple first met and the crazy things they did in the name of love and contrasts that with their routine married life,which didn't turn out exactly how either of them had planned. Gosling is magical. He shows both a vulnerability and assured bravado. Williams, is both alluring and tired of having to be the adult in the relationship. I guess that's why they say for better or for worse. Overall, a well done film. 

CATFISH: THRILLER AND A DOCUMENTARY NOT ABOUT FISH
Vince Pierce: They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. They'd keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mush and tasteless. So this guy came up with the idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in with them and the catfish will keep the cod agile. And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank god for the catfish because we would be droll, boring and dull if we didn't have somebody nipping at our fin.

Who knew a documentary film could be more thrilling than most of the "scary" horror films out on DVD right now. I can't say too much about this film without giving away the part that makes it so unbelievably awesome. This is a documentary that follows a young man (Nev) who practically falls into a rabbit hole of unbelievable circumstance that will literally blow your mind. During the last half an hour or so of this film I could barely remember to breathe and my eyes were glued to the screen. As the events unfolded, and this film became more and more shocking, it then turned a sharp corner and made it a touching testament to grace and forgiveness. This film is a real commentary on the human condition. I could not have enjoyed this film more. There were several times that I had to stop and check that it was indeed real, a documentary, and not a piece of fiction. Make sure to put this on your must-see list.

Note: Just like I'm Still Here was thought to be fake and in the end was, this movie has caught a lot of flak for not being authentic. The filmmakers have admitted to re-enacting some of the scenes, I would believe they took a lot of "creative" license with the whole film... if something is that unbelievable, maybe it is. Either way, I still loved this film and the idea alone is worth the good review.

THE VICIOUS KIND: AN ODD COMEDY AND DRAMA ALL IN ONE

Caleb Sinclaire:You know there are whores, right? All of 'em. I'm not just talking about the little skanks that hang out around your dorm, or frat, or whatever. But actually every woman you've ever known, and every woman you'll ever meet - Mom, Grandma, Aunt Ellen.
The fact that they're related to us doesn't make any difference.
Cause at the end of the day, given the right set of events, they *will* fuck you over. For the sole reason that they have a vagina, and they can.

So obviously Caleb (Adam Scott) has some issues that need addressing. In fact, for the most part of this film he is a most unlikeable, asshole; and of course, the most interesting. Little by little we find out that Caleb had a relationship that ended on a sour note and he's had trouble getting past it and moving on. He's also had trouble getting past some issues with his dad (the new popular dad about town, J.K. Simmons) but seems fond if overly protective of his brother who has brought his new girlfriend (Brittanny Snow) home from college to celebrate Thanksgiving. Caleb compels interest and as the layers peel away, we find a much different man than the movie begins with. This is quite the "quirky" film, not for everyone. However as much as I laughed and watched with my mouth wide in awe, I also felt deeply for him at the end and for the dynamics that every family seems to share; dysfunction. I really liked this movie.

CHLOE: NOT QUITE THE GIRL NEXT DOOR

...and not quite your average thriller either. Chloe is an "erotic thriller" (which sounds like something you'd only find in the 18 an up section of the video store) centered around a paranoid wife, Catherine, (Julianne Moore) who thinks her husband is having an affair. So, she does what any other suspicious wife would do and hires a prostitute, Amanda Seyfried as Chole, to temp her husband into infidelity. Now here's the hook; Chloe isn't the most stable woman in the world. She has issues. So of course everything spins out of control and Catherine is left holding the bag. This film is based on a french film, Nathalie, and is the first film that Atom Egoyan didn't pen. While the film has it's sensual drapery that is Egoyan's, it it obviously not his work. At it's base, the film tries to emphasize the need to connect with each other and the fine line between what is real and what is imagined. While it began as an interesting concept, I felt like the film just slightly missed the mark. The performances were solid, most notably Liam Neeson whose wife died during filming. It wasn't a terrible movie, just hard to swallow (so to speak) regarding the actions the characters took. My favorite films push the envelope of believability however this one pushed too far.

500 DAYS OF SUMMER WORTH THE WINTER AND THE FALL

"Author's Note: The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Especially you Jenny Beckman. Bitch."

Maybe best start to a love story ever. But this is not a love story. Hold on tight, like flipping through the pages of a young girl's journal, this movie takes us on a journey, the story of a relationship, starting on (page) day 390 then back to day one. We meet Tom Hansen (Joseph Gorden Levitt) who upon first sight falls head over heels for the lovely Summer (Zooey Deschanel) a beautiful and quirky co-worker. As these things go, it ebbs and flows as they get to know each other, first as friends, then as lovers and then, not so much so. Tight and very clever and true writing helps bring these characters to life, as they were most likely based on just that, some's true life.

THE AIR I BREATHE

THE AIR I BREATHE IS FRAGRANT AND COMPELLING
"Sometimes risking everything is the only choice you have." -Pleasure

This film is magical and moving. By far, it is one of best movies I may have ever seen. Based on the Chinese proverb that divides life into four major emotions: Happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. When put together they make a whole that defines life and our existence. Like the proverb, there are four story lines that fit together piece by piece. Alone they are interesting character pieces. When combined they tell a story of the human condition.

"No emotion, any more than a wave, can long retain its own individual form." Henry Beecher

Each character is named for their emotion. Forrest Whitaker is Happiness and begins the movie. He is a man who is afraid to breathe and apologizes for his very existence. Brendan Fraiser is Pleasure, a man who is anything but afraid and is able to glimpse the future. Sorrow, is Sarah Michele Gellar who has a name, Trista, which means sorrow. She is a pop star who is trying to escape her life. Kevin Bacon rounds out the stellar ensemble as Love, a doctor who loves with his very being. Yes, for a film that received so little reception, it has strong star power. I've not even mentioned the fine work of Andy Garcia, Emile Hirsch, or Julie Delpy. I watched this movie twice, a rarity. It moved me and struck a chord down deep that is the gift I love most about good movies. There was never a dull moment and when you see how each action sets up the next, the end product is a feeling of total satisfaction. How a film like this never received acclaim is shameful, but believable in a world full of Step Up 2 The Streets and Mirrors. The acting in this film is razor sharp. The story is well written and the plot is gripping. I was moved down to the bone.
Big PICK: Not a movie to miss. It is sharp, touching and well done across the board.

EVENING

Indeed, it was a wonderful life...and death.

Every film, in some way, is about life or death. As a society, I think we pay closer attention to the young and turn a blind eye to our elderly and their deaths. EVENING provides us with a realistic portrayal of a woman, Ann Lord, on the brink of death (Vanessa Redgrave), whose memories as a young girl (Claire Danes) fade in and out as she also interacts with her own grown daughters. It is a strong film about and including mothers and daughters. Natasha Richardson (Vanessa's real-life daughter) is Constance, the daughter who has the seemingly ideal life with a husband, children and a dog named spot. Toni Colette plays Nina, the free spirit/black sheep. The memories Ann has as a young woman center around her best friend's wedding. We see two very different paths; one that was expected of a woman in '50s (marriage, teacher or secretary) versus young Ann, an aspiring singer and free spirit. Meryl Streep is the older Lila and her real-life daughter is the younger Lila, Mamie Gummer. This film touched my heart. It reminded me that life is as beautiful as it is painful and nobody has it all figured out thus far. The casting was as perfect as the acting (hail to Glenn Close for one very sensitive scene). I am fond of Claire Danes' work and it is refreshing to see her make the move into a more mature role. Her facial expressions show so much without being obvious. It was a beautiful film and I wish it had done better at the theater. Ann says, "There's no such thing as a mistake. You get nervous, but you sing anyways."

Rating: Excellent film and you might find an appreciation for your mother you never considered.