BABEL (2006)

Catching up on some recent 1001 listings
(Film 7 of 12)

Babel-One of those multi-layered/intersecting story movies, which I must admit that I usually like. And I like this film too, though not as much Magnolia or Short Cuts.

In Babel, we have an American couple in distress in Morocco, their children’s nanny in distress in Mexico, a deaf Japanese teenager going through growing pains in Japan and a poor family in crisis in Morocco. Oh, what’s life without a little conflict?

Read More

FISH TANK (2009)

Catching up on some recent 1001 listings
(Film 6 of 12)

Fish Tank-I found the second half of this movie more satisfying than the first half as it took me quite awhile to warm up to the rather unpleasant characters in this film, but I eventually got there.

Read More

MONSTERS (2010)

Catching up on some recent 1001 listings
(Film 5 of 12)

Monsters-Story of a photojournalist who is in charge of transporting his bosses daughter through an infected zone inhabited by alien squid-like monsters may not be for those who prefer more exotic creatures over characterization and plot, (like my wife)-but in my opinion, the plot carries this one (In other words, my wife is wrong).

Read More

BORAT (2006)

Catching up on some recent 1001 listings
(Film 4 of 12)

Borat-Yes, it’s often funny, but after awhile I started feeling sorry for the people that Borat was ridiculing (With the exception of Pamela Anderson, of course.)

Read More

THE HURT LOCKER (2008)

Catching up on some recent 1001 listings
(Film 3 of 12)

The Hurt Locker-2008 Best Picture winner about a team of American soldiers that disable bombs in Iraq. It took me awhile to get into it, but the film gains steam the more it looks into the head of the teams adreneline junkie leader.

Read More

AN EDUCATION (2009)

Catching up on some recent 1001 listings
(Film 2 of 12)

An Education-BBC film about a young girl who becomes smitten with a worldly older man. It’s better than the description I just gave it with especially good scenes with the girl (Cary Mulligan) and her dad (Alfred Molina). My favorite part of the whole movie was the clever opening credits. I'm stil not quite sure this would make my book, but it is worth a viewing.

Read More

FOUR LIONS (2010)

Catching up on some recent 1001 listings
(Film 1 of 12)

Four Lions-I couldn’t figure out what movie this reminded me while I was watching and then it dawned on me that it was This Is Spinal Tap! only featuring terrorists instead of musicians, though I doubt I'm the first to make this observation. Favorite scene: Barry's plan to bomb the mosque. Quite clever and even funnier on a second viewing.

Read More