Movies You May Have Missed: 8/30/08
Rachel McAdams is the other woman and Chris Cooper
is the unfaithful husband in Married Life
It’s a solid week for Movies You May Have Missed. Here are a few more below-radar films that are coming to DVD on Tuesday.
Reprise (2006) ****
Here’s a great movie that I never got around to reviewing, but this is what I said about it in a Watercooler from May: Contemplative, philosophical and dryly funny, Joachim Trier’s Reprise tells the story of two boyhood friends, aspiring writers who worship the same authors and even submit their first manuscripts for publication on the same day. One of them is accepted, the other is rejected and the balance of their relationship is tipped, though never in ways that you expect. At times very serious and others almost Swingers-like in its bantering humor, Reprise is hard to categorize, but it features great performances all around and it’s highly recommended. In Norewgian with subtitles. Buy: DVD
Married Life (2008) *** 1/2
I think I might like this one even a bit better than when I first reviewed it back in March. It’s an odd mixture of romantic melodrama, black comedy and film noir with Chris Cooper as a man plotting to kill his wife Patricia Clarkson. Rachel McAdams plays the true object of his desire and Pierce Brosnan plays the best friend with an agenda of his own. Good acting all around and a terrific ’40s production design help make a slight but all around entertaining couple of hours. Buy: Blu-ray, 
Water Lilies (Naissance des pieuvres) (2007) *** 1/2
This one from Céline Sciamma is another one I should’ve reviewed. I didn’t think a film about girls growing up would have much I could identify with, but it was surprisingly effective. Here’s what I said about it in the Watercooler: Water Lilies tells the story of three very different 15-year-old girls: Floriane, the pretty one who is disliked by the other girls but loved by all the boys; Anne, the chubby one who yearns for a little male attention, and, in the middle, Marie the awkward tomboy who is friends with Anne, but drawn to the beauty, grace and seeming confidence of Floriane. It does a nice job of capturing the awkwardness, uncertainty and insecurity of an age where a person’s physical and emotional maturity don’t usually match and where each person’s development is different from the next. In French with subtitles. Buy: DVD
Filed under: DVD
Tags: Celine Sciamma, Chris Cooper, Ira Sachs, Joachim Trier, Married Life, Naissance des pieuvres, Patricia Clarkson, Pierce Brosnan, Rachel McAdams, Reprise, Water Lilies
I just know that I will LOVE “Reprise.” I just know it.
I liked Married Life, but loved Water Lilies.
REPRISE and WATER LILIES are both great. REPRISE is still in my top ten of the year. They’re both definitely worth checking out.
When did Reprise actually come out on DVD? It’s already available, and I swear I didn’t see it in Amazon’s queue over the past few weeks.
I didn’t care for Married Life as much as you, Craig, but I found it entertaining nevertheless. The four actors all give solid performances in a mostly well-crafted black comedy.
Water Lilies and Reprise are two I have to see.
Thanks for the tip … I’m going to have to check “Married Life” out.
I wonder Alexander if ML would work better on DVD.
I don’t know what the story with Reprise is Evan, Netflix and VideoETA have it listed for 9/2, but as you note Amazon has it already.
I’m not sure that I would like to sit through “Married Life” again. I liked it, but not enough to revisit it anytime soon.
Reprise and Water Lillies are both coming up soon in my Netflix queue. Speaking of which, just finished watching the my current Netflix rental, Nanking, and oh my god. I’d heard it was almost a companion piece to White Light/Black Rain. I can see that, but to me, this one was even more powerful. Heartbreaking, inspiring, searing stuff, an important and fascinating story too few people know anything about. Shoulda been nominated last year, no question.
Don’t think I’ll be following it up with Kung Fu Panda this afternoon, that would just be tonal whiplash.
Nanking is powerful stuff indeed, I loved it with all my heart too.
Married Life would probably play well on the small screen, Craig.
I remember discussing it with you and comparing it to The Trouble With Harry, as a Hitchcockian “comedy.” It’s a modest film, and I enjoyed it, but I’m not especially interested in seeing it again anytime too soon.
Brosnan’s narration is excellent, however, funny, charming, informative and providing thematic depth that enhanced the film… unlike the narration of a certain Woody Allen film that came out this month. :)
Nick and Alexander, your ennui over Married Life saddens me…but it’s not the end of the world. One man’s middle ground entertainment is another man’s low level waste of time.
Thanks for the tip on Nanking JB. That one was in theaters for all of five minutes and I managed to miss it (one can’t see everything), but now I aim to catch it.
I want to rewatch Reprise first though so I can give it a proper review.
hahaha…we’re going to carry that VCB debate to our graves.
Well, I don’t think Married Life is a waste of time… I enjoyed it. I imagine I will eventually see it again, but probably only in about half a decade from now or so. I have to budget my movie-watching, after all. Wherever there’s an obscure silent Russian classic, there I’ll be. Wherever there’s an until-now-unreleased treasure by Sembene, there I’ll be. Wherever there’s a… fades away
re water lillies which i haven’t seen.
‘I didn’t think a film about girls growing up would have much I could identify with.’
come on craig….i thought being a rabid movie fan would have pushed such thoughts out of your head…
Don’t tease Craig, glim.
He’s got a soft heart and he’s much more honest than most.
We’re lucky to have him.
Glimmer, I simply don’t understand grown women, let alone developing girls. I wasn’t expecting this particular story to illuminate my own life and experience, yet it did.
Great call on Reprise. I was wondering when that was getting released. Certain to be an overlooked gem this year, even though I found it less than perfect. Very promising in many ways.
I’m going to take another crack at it and maybe finally write a review.