Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)

Or, Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios. THIS is the movie I watched in college for a Spanish class that I liked but couldn't remember the title. I *thought* it was Like Water for Chocolate but then I watched that movie again (I thought it was again at least--it was actually for the first time) and, while I like the movie a great deal, I'm extraordinarily happy that I didn't have to watch that one in a language lab of a small college at 18.

Regardless, it's fun to see how well Women holds up and what are now anachronisms. The situational comedy works wonderfully but a lot of it is centered on a land-line phone and missing phone calls. Nevertheless, it's one of my favorite Almodovar films (the other being Volver). Also amusing is Antoinio Banderas less than a decade into his career at 28 and playing not sexy at all.

Get Low (2010)

And I topped off my 31st birthday day with a movie about a hermit throwing his own funeral in the 1930s. Makes total sense, right? When it involves Robert Duvall (especially Robert Duvall explaining his relationship with Sissy Spacek as "We had a go") and Bill Murray (especially Bill Murray as a funeral home director with the driest humor ever), it makes more than total sense. The movie has many many moments of a few of the funniest lines ever as well as some honest-to-god brilliantly-accomplished pathos. I hope there are Oscar nods galore and an awesome dvd.

Machete (2010)

I rang in the wee hours of my 31st birthday in the middle of this movie on Friday night/Saturday morning and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm a sucker for faux-chauvinistic movies and kitschy blood/gore. What exactly is more kitschy than Lindsay Lohan in a nun's habit? A lot, actually, and it's all in the film. I can only hope for more and more and more films in the Grindhouse genre because I love it.

Also seen:

I'm also blogging over at Docs on Film for a 1001 Movies Project. First up was Umberto D; spoiler: not a favorable review :)

Inception (2010)--2nd theater viewing

Nolan is a smart smart smart filmmaker. We watched this one again late one night because we could and this time around I paid attention to a few small details that had been brought to my attention by some review or another. Somewhere someone pointed out that DiCaprio only wears his wedding ring in the dreams and this proved something or another that's not particularly relevant here. What is relevant that upon second viewing when I knew the plot (because unlike others, I didn't think it particularly difficult to grasp), I could pay attention to things like whether DiCaprio had on the ring. What's interesting to me is that not only is the continuity fantastic--you never see the ring on DiCaprio when he's not in a dream--but that Nolan, and thus DiCaprio, carefully play with whether you can see the ring. Yes, you only see the ring in the dreams but in some dreams DiCaprio's hand is purposefully obfuscated. His left hand is under a table or he's only using his right or the ring finger on the left hand isn't visible. So you can't run with the ring theory entirely but the ring is obviously a trope to be paid attention to. Nolan is smart and clever and careful enough to give us an inkling of a thread to pull but he won't allow that thread to unravel the movie or give us any answers. Impressive.

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

I don't know how I managed to not see this movie until now especially with all the movies I've seen from this era and with these two actors. Fun, quick, witty, screwball comedy with two of the best actors to ever be on film. If we're going to re-release films to the theater, we should start with this one; not others (ahem, Avatar).

Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)

I love George Clooney. Who else would make this movie? Who else COULD make this movie?

And, tee hee, Ewan McGregor is a Jedi.

Absurd, highly enjoyable movie with great actors being great actors.

The American (2010)

We saw this one on Wed--the mid-week opening for the movie. I love love love George Clooney but goodness this was not what I expected. It was so very quiet--in terms of actual sound and in terms of action. Not much happens and it takes a long time for that little bit to happen. There is actually more action on the poster (Clooney running with a gun) than there is in much of the film. I don't dislike it for that reason but I was caught off guard by it. But, I am also not sure I like the film either.

Cover Girl (1944)

I watched this one the other week when my back was out--love Netflix streaming on my laptop! It's a cute Singin' in the Rain sort of movie with Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. And a small role for Eve Arden (by the way, have you seen the new actor pages on imdb--just clicked over the check the name and, yeah, a tad confused!). I don't actually have too much to say about this one--it's ok but not spectacular.