My week in film

Welcome to my week in review! Starting off with a fun morning enjoying TCM with a set of classic science fiction films. I watched Forbidden Planet, which I hadn't seen in years and dialogue cracked me up as it is so tongue-in-cheek. I also watched Them!, which I hadn't seen before and was a great classic monster movie.

All Hat was the surprize delight of the week. This unimposing and cleverly crafted Canadian film was well worth braving the snow on Wednesday. I stayed and watched Love & Other Dilemmas making it a Canadian double bill night, but I was disappointed at this film it pulled in a lot of different themes and some were funny but almost none were plausible. Even so, it has some cute moments.




Although I've decided not to watch all the Oscar nominated films this year, I am taking the opportunity to see the ones I wanted to see and missed, which is how I caught up on seeing La Vie en Rose / La Môme. The performance of Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf is stellar, and it is a very strong film. I had no idea she had such a challenging life. My only grr moment is that the songs were not subtitled, and I really wanted to know the words. Other than that it was fantastic, but sometimes sad, film.

Continental, un film sans fusil / Continental, a Film Without Guns was without a doubt the highlight of the week. The screening was at Cinematheque as a part of Canada's Top Ten. Not only was is a beautiful film attended by a engaged audience, but the director Stéphane LaFleur and Cinematographer Sara Mishara were in attendance and there was a delightful Q&A after the film. What a treat! As a bonus, I've now seen all of the Best Motion Picture nominees for The Genies. Yay!

I caught up with a hidden gem, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ...and Spring / Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom. When I took it out at the library they asked me about it and all I could think to say was that it's highly acclaimed (if you are Rotten Tomatoes fan you will know this is true, it has an extraordinary high score). I am still not sure how or when I heard about it but I am glad I did, completely loved it. Rich in symbolism, and beautiful overall.

The Big Lebowski was the only meh moment of the week. It's the first film in quite a while that I turned off. I'm not a Coen brothers fan to begin with, and any film that has someone urinating as part of the plot holds no interest in it what so ever.

Last but not least I finally saw The Lookout with Joesph Gordon-Levitt. It was not what I expected at all thinking it would be a crime-thriller, which technically it is but it reads for the majority of the time as a drama and quite simplistic. It is worth watching, presenting interesting and solid acting by Joesph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels and Matthew Goode.

This coming week I'm hoping to see, Up the Yangtze, Enchanted and catch up on a few westerns The Wild Bunch and For a Few Dollars More.

What did you see this week?