Friday, May 25, 2007

Now Playing (05/25)

L I M I T E D

Angel-A Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) delivers what looks like a black and white stunner. And since its Besson you know there's a physically formidable girl at the center.
The Boss of It All Depressed Danish madman Lars Von Trier returns for this ... corporate comedy (?) He claims that it's his last film unless he recovers from depression. But then again, he's a famous prankster. Either way we should all see it. Even when his films are bad (which is rare) they're completely discussable. Jens Albinus (the group leader from The Idiots) is the boss of it all.
The Golden Door This trailer is so sweet and overscored that it hurts both my teeth and ears. I pray the movie is better. This was Italy's submission for last year's foreign film Oscar race.
Paprika Looks sensational, but can it tell a worthwhile story to go with the intriguing imagery? That's the key question with animated envelope pushers.
Ten Canoes Another foreign film submission from last year, the historic aboriginal film from Australia. We know Stale Popcorn is a fan.


W I D E

Bug Two strangers become lovers and lose their collective shit in a motel room. I've breathlessly awaited this movie for so long y'all are probably starting to suspect that I'm on the Lions Gate payroll. Nah. I just loved the play. Critics seem to agree that the transition was successful. Yay.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Depp, Bloom, Knightley, and every other actor who ever appeared in the first two movies are at it again. Sure to be overstuffed. The question is will the stuffing be clever fun (Curse of the Black Pearl, TFE top ten list) or antic filler (Dead Man's Chest)?

14 comments:

Glenn Dunks said...

Seriously. Someone. PLEASE. See Ten Canoes.

I'm sick of all these brilliant movies going unwatched by American eyes.

Jigsaw Puzzle said...

Ok, I'll see it.

Media Obscura said...

I really want to see Angel-A already. WTF!

My family fell asleep during Paprika, and I almost did, but it was after a day of work, an hour drive and two other movies. I realize it's TV, but I wouldn't have let my eyes even get to half-mast if it was as good as PARANOIA AGENT

NATHANIEL R said...

kamikaze --if it means anything to you i got an email from Nick this week saying:

"Nathaniel: Jindabyne, Jindabyne, JINDABYNE!!! see it now"

Anonymous said...

I'd see Ten Canoes... but I'm afraid it's not out in Belgium! :P

But I did hear we'd be getting Jindabyne... I remember you recommending that one as well KCamel!

Anonymous said...

It's "Pirates" night!

Can't wait. Critics be damned.

Anonymous said...

Don't know how the american trailer for Golden Door is, but, really, go see it.. It's worth (and it's NOT overscored, much the contrary, I can assure you that)

Anonymous said...

Alright, all you horror fans out there that open slash-and-gore movies to obscenely gross weekend grosses - get thee to either of the screens in your town showing "Bug". I have Ashley on my Oscar five and I need the domestic gross points.

Please. Don't make me beg...

RahulB said...

Yeah Pirates 3 is total crap. Good luck Nat. Have fun trying to not tear your eyes out...

adam k. said...

Critics seem to agree that Bug was successful? I don't think a 60% RT rating is very encouraging. Though it definitely seems like one of those films that could be a masterpiece despite barely managing "fresh" on RT.

In any case, opinion is certainly divisive, so I beg to differ with your assessment. It may be indeed great, but critics certainly don't "agree" on that.

NATHANIEL R said...

well, the critics I checked with before i posted liked it ;)

whatever i'm seeing tomorrow (friends in town who want to see it)

Glenn Dunks said...

I sent Nick an email the other day asking if he cared to elaborate with me why he liked it so much (he gave it an A-) but he has to respond. I can't wait to hear what he thought.

I like hearing why others like the movies I like. Helps me feel like I haven't been championing something that everyone actually thinks is a hunk of junk.

Y Kant Goran Rite said...

I feel like I should support the Australian film industry far more than I can honestly manage so I won't tell you what I honestly thought about Ten Canoes (though, along with Mike D'Angelo, I seem to be in the minority anyway). But I will say that if you're only gonna see one Australian film from 2006, make it Jindabyne, rather than Ten Canoes. It is flawed and ends in a hurry in a way that pretty much contradicts everything that's gone on before (as opposed to Ten Canoes, which just doesn't end soon enough - sorry, I had to). But Laura Linney is as sensational as you'd expect in the lead role, and most of the film tends to veer between suspenseful and thought-provoking, both of which are good things.

Anonymous said...

Angel-A is beautiful. Came out here last summer - haven't seen it since, but it definitely grows on you with time.

Pirates 3 - very well shot and I did like the verging-on-arthouse, meta bits - but oh my god - it suffered from LOTR polyendings syndrome and just had too much going on. And yet no plot.

Can't wait to see Jindabyne - released here with weekend.