SEX AND DEATH 101: Quick Bite

SEX AND DEATH 101: EARNS AN A+

From the man who brought up Heathers, comes a film so odd, so surreal and so very good. An ordinary, wait, an extraordinary, and handsome man Roderick Blank (Simon Baker) finds himself happy and content with his work, life and impending nuptials. Then comes a mysterious email of 101 names. Each name, up to a certain number, is the same of a sexual conquest. Shortly thereafter he finds who the new names are, and he does so with great enthusiasm. All the while, there is a serial killer, Death Nell, is on the loose creating mayhem and controversy. Add the "Matrix" like office for those who seem to be in control of, well, everything and it comes a very different kind of movie. It's not a perfect movie by any means, but I really enjoyed it. When it jumped from surreal to reality it was seamless. It was great to see Winona Ryder back on the big 'screen' and she did a fabulous job. I could swim in the pools of Baker's eyes and he did a good job too! Surprise hit, Mindy Cohn (who will always be known as the fat girl from the Facts of Life) as Blank's lesbian assistant. She has comedic timing down and was perfect in the role. Bite: Fun film, little too long, but good payoff. See this film!

ELEGY

ELEGY

George: Beautiful women are invisible.

David: Invisible? What the hell does that mean? Invisible? They jump out at you. A beautiful woman, she stands out. She stands apart. You can't miss her.

George: But we never actually see the person. We see the beautiful shell. We're blocked by the beauty barrier. Yeah, we're so dazzled by the outside that we never make it inside.

Ben Kingsley is David, a charismatic college Professor, who, unlike before, finds himself mesmerized by one of his students, Consuela Castillo, (Penelope Cruz) although she is half his age. A relationship develops and soon becomes intimate and full of life. He lives through her eyes, fresh and new, wholeheartedly immersing himself in her experiences. However, over time, she questions his participation in the relationship, while he sees it more as an affair. Where the flame burned, it then fizzles until again, it is cold and dark. Elegy is a moving and life affirming film, well written, acted and directed. Cruz lights up a room and could make a sack cloth dress look stunning. Kingsley is hot. Upon first glance, he is self assured and cocky. Once Consuela has his heart, he does nothing short of donning full armor to protect it. It is that fatal flaw, his need for unconditional love that ultimately smashes the relationship to bits. Can it be mended?

Big Bite: A wondrous look into two lives and the meaning of love and friendship. Muy bien!

SYNECDOCHE, NY: Quick Bite

SYNECDOCHE, NY: GREAT PLACE TO VISIT, BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO LIVE THERE

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines "synecdoche" as: "a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (as fifty sail for fifty ships), the whole for a part (as society for high society), the species for the genus (as cutthroat for assassin), the genus for the species (as a creature for a man), or the name of the material for the thing made (as boards for stage).

Was that confusing for you? Try watching the film. From the man who brought us Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, for your entertainment pleasure, welcome to Synecdoche, NNY. Philip Seymour Hoffman is Caden Cotard, a theater director given a grant to produce his life's opus. A dream becomes a dream which becomes and dream and so on until the boundary between reality and fantasy disappear. Giving up the fight for meaning and structure, the once confusing movie became clear. It is a search for the meaning of life and trying to understand ourselves. But, the meaning comes from the search, not an answer.

Half-Bite: Purely an existential movie, not for the faint of heart or mind.

THE NAMESAKE

THE NAMESAKE EMIGRATES EXQUISITELY

This beautiful film, both visually and spiritually, lets us join on the path taken by an Indian man, Ashoke Ganguli (Irrfan Khan) from New York, where is currently lives, back to his birthplace in Calcutta, where he agrees upon an arranged marriage with the enchanting, Ashima (Tabu). Once they move back to New York they spend time getting to know each other while Ashima adjusts to American life. They have two children; Gogol (Cal Penn) and Sonia (Sahira Nair). The movie grows as the characters grow and develop. Gogol wants nothing to do with his heritage until his family returns home to Calcutta and he is forcibly immersed in tradition. Throughout the film we are presented with explanations about the origin of Gogol's name, which he changes to sound more American. He also dates a white, upper-crust girl, Maxine, which his family is less than delighted to meet. Then Gogol's world turns upside down. He finds the importance in his heritage and is able to find a way to balance both worlds. It is then that he understands what his name means and how important it is. This film is simply remarkable. It is heartfelt and you care about the characters and their trials and tribulations. I found myself smiling with their joy and tearing up in their sorrow. Amazingly the time span during this film is great and the characters look and act realistically. (Some films do not handle such transitions well and it can detract so much from the movie.) Penn (who is well known for 'Harold and Kumar go to White Castle') does an amazing job transitioning from a disrespectful, ungrateful boy to a responsible, sensitive and strong man of character. As an actor who has done many "teen/comedy" movies, he proves that really can act in this film. This movie was a joy to watch and touched my heart.
Pick: Amazing and beautiful film; a definite must see