Comments on: Movies You May Have Missed: 10/5/08

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:11:45 +0000

I haven’t seen Station Agent since it was in theaters, but I loved it at the time.

I understand a healthy majority of people found the emotional resonance you speak of Sam, so maybe I’m just broken inside. :)

Ok Daniel, I’m almost convinced by your notion of an offseason. Not sure how I’d fill my time though…

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:32:29 +0000

“I should change LiC’s motto to “So many movies, so little time.”

Offseason, anybody?

Boy A was outstanding, as has been conveyed here. It’s not the best movie of the year, but it might feature the best performance I’ve seen, by Andrew Garfield.

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:55:33 +0000

curious Craig, would you convey to me your own sentiments on McCarthy’s THE STATION AGENT?

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:54:35 +0000

Fair enough Craig, if the emotional resonance did not work for you, I agree the film would drop a few notches. What you say makes sense, and with THE VISITOR the element of taste seems to be stronger than with most films.

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:56:30 +0000

hahah Sam, I’m glad you got that off of your chest.

Here’s the thing, the emotional resonance of which you speak is a highly subjective measure and for me it simply wasn’t there. There were too many scenes that took me out of it. All these months later the one that stands out was the ghastly stereotype of the rich white woman buying something from the Senegalese girlfriend.

I’m not trying to talk you down from your passion for the film. I think it’s great and I’m a little jealous I don’t share it. But the fact is, I don’t.

I agree that Jenkins was great and I really liked Tarek.

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:51:00 +0000

I will be receiving my promotional commission from Tom McCarthy later this week. It was well worth posting up my tirade.

By: Miranda Wilding

Miranda Wilding — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:39:51 +0000

“So many movies, so little time.”

Oui oui, Monsieur Kennedy. That would apply to men as well.

Yeah…

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:21:12 +0000

I strongly disagree with those above who were underwhelmed with THE VISITOR, and I have the professional establishment completely on my side. (It is one of the best reviewed films of 2008) This is not a good film but a great one. It is a cross-cultural drama that resonates emotionally in a way that few contemporary films do. It boasts the greatest performance by an actor in a leading role this year by Richard Jenkins, and the supporting players are marvelous and the screenplay excellent. I was overwhelmingly moved by the film, and I picked up the DVD earlier today in Manhattan so I can savor it again and share it with others.

Alexander did indeed write a great review of BOY A, and he acknowledged that it may well be one of the most unforgettable films of the year. It’s a wholly visceral and intellectually challenging independent feature.

PARANOID PARK isn’t Van Sant’s greatest film, but again like BOY A (nice comparison there Alexander) it’s a deft mood piece with all of the director’s probing visuals. Nick Plowman is to be fully commended and appreciated for his passion for this one.

Paranoid Park ****
Boy A ****
The Vistor **** 1/2

It is not out of the question that THE VISITOR may end up my #1 film of 2008. EDGE OF HEAVEN, UP THE YANGTZE, MAN ON WIRE, THE LAST MISTRESS and ALEXANDRE are the other contenders at present for the top spot, but of course we have three months to go.

Among the other releases this week are two more Criterions (both by Melville), LE DOULOS and LE DEUXIEME SOUFFLE, the former an engrossing genre piece and the latter lesser Melville but still with much to revel in. (I picked up both today as well.)

I saw THE HAPPENING there too, but I think that will street in most stores next week. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t buy it! LOL.

Ii must bump up all of Craig’s ratings here.

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:57:54 +0000

I know what you mean Jennybee. I’ve been watching a crapload of movies and I feel like stuff is still slipping through the cracks. Forget about going back to watch old movies.

I should change LiC’s motto to “So many movies, so little time.”

By: jennybee

jennybee — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:21:50 +0000

The only problem with this Movies You May Have Missed feature is that my Netflix queue has a way of getting longer much faster than it gets shorter. I’ll be adding Paranoid Park and Boy A to it now, though. The Visitor was already on there. Looking forward to checking them all out.

By: Alexander Coleman

Alexander Coleman — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:17:01 +0000

Interestingly, there were at least a few critics who praised Boy A as the film Paranoid Park wanted to be. I liked Paranoid Park a good deal, I think it's Gus Van Sant's best in a long time, but Boy A sort of blew me away, and is certainly one of my favorites of the year.

By: Nick Plowman

Nick Plowman — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:51:25 +0000

I’ve seen Paranoid Park 4 times now, I have the DVD already, and I love it more and more each time. Still my number 1 film of the year by a long shot.

I would love to see the other two at some point as well, especially The Visitor.

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:34:59 +0000

Interesting take on PP Phillip. Like Joel, I’m looking forward to another visit with it, but we’ll see how it holds up. The first time I watched it, I’d just finished with Gerry and Elephant so comparisons were inevitable. I wonder how it plays on its own.

By: Joel

Joel — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:26:14 +0000

I completely agree with your assessments of Paranoid Park and The Visitor, looking forward to seeing Boy A. I also would like to revisit Park. It’s still vying for a spot as one of my favorites of the year, but I recall being a little thrown off by some of Van Sant’s more stylized sequences.

Also releasing this week is the doc The Mindscape of Alan Moore, which talks with and profiles the well-known but somewhat eccentric and reclusive artist. Sounds interesting…or possibly incredibly pretentious. I’ll be checking it out.

By: Phillip Johnston

Phillip Johnston — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:24:57 +0000

I was very moved by Paranoid Park when I first saw and reviewed it over at MZ, but I watched it again a few weeks ago and it left me cold. Perhaps it was my mood.

I missed The Visitor in its theatrical run. I’ll definitely be picking that up Tuesday.