A Christmas Tale (2008) (4 STARS)

Arnaud Desplechin, in his directorial debut won best director in the French film awards. A Christmas Tale is on over 20 critics top 10, with several respectable number 1s. I was amazed by the style and elegance of this film. It was 2 and a half hours, giving it time to breath and be. Its constructed by hundreds of tiny moments between family members. Many of which there is no dialoge.

The story is about a strained family. Dysfunctional is what we'd call it, but it's not as simple as that. They come together for the first time in a while for Christmas.

The music was very interesting, using odd instruments from many different places; some sort of Irish bag piping, an auto harp, a harpsichord, Indian percussion and other things I can't think of or noticed.

The use of light was unconventional. The camera was sometimes over exposed, maybe to point out something. The focus was used in an interesting way. The use of soft focus and sharp focus meant something. There was a circle framing in some scenes, maybe seems that pertained to death. There was probably many many things I didn't even catch because I was too busy concentrating on what was going on in the story and reading the French subtitles.

Woyzeck (1979) (3.5 STARS)

Woyzeck (1979) was directed by Werner Herzog and starred Klaus Kinski. It was shot with the entire crew of Nosferatu 5 days after they finished shooting. It consists of many long shots. It took 18 days to shoot and 4 days to edit. Amazing. Kinski seems wiped out but gives every last drop of energy to the film.

This is one of 6 films directed by Herzog and starring Kinski. I've been on a marathon of them. I've now seen Aguire: the wrath of God (76), Fitzcarraldo (82). I've also greatly enjoyed Herzog's The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (74).

It's about a man who is in the military and allows experiments to be done on him for money. He is being pushed around by everyone. He is losing his mind, and losing his wife and kid. Until he goes crazy.

Taking Woodstock (2009) (3.5 STARS)

Taking Woodstock (2009) was directed by Ang Lee (crouching tiger, Hulk, Brokeback Mountain). It's about the guy who was responsible for getting the Woodstock Festival to come to his town. I enjoyed watching this movie. I laughed quite a bit and was really interested the entire time. I hate hippies. Though I love this movie. The movie makes you feel like you'd fit right in had you been to Woodstock in 69. There were some great characters; Micheal, who seems to be the director of the festival, shows up on horseback every so often. He seems angelic at times, it's hilarious. The one security is a muscular ex-marine and dresses in drag. The Earthlight Players bring the biggest laugh was the local theater group. They put on plays that usually end in everyone taking their clothes off. There is a super funny hippie couple who gives him acid and it's an amazing scene. We don't see any bands, we don't hear any music. It's all about the people. Good movie.

The Hurt Locker (2009) (3.5 STARS)

Directed by Kathryn Bigalow (only the 4th woman to be nominated for best director) (also the ex-wife of contending director James Cameron "Avatar")in 2009. The name Hurt Locker comes from when a dude gets blown up, he goes to "the hurt locker". And this movie is about dudes who take care of bombs...defuse them, or whatever. I went into this movie thinking it was going to be amazing. She had made some big action films in the past like Point Break in 1991 and Near Dark in 1987. She is a legitimate action director. But her movies have also gotten a lot of criticism from not action fans and critics alike. Point Break especially and also her last film K19-Widowmaker, the critics called K19-Careerbraker. However, this movie has come out and people are going nuts over it. Nominated several times...best actor, best director, best picture.

So...I watched it last week and...I didn't think it was that great. In no way does it come remotely close to Avatar. I would easily put Up In The Air above it. It's not really saying anything (except for "war is a drug" which is says in the opening credits). The characters are as flat as pancakes (the kind that doesn't need eggs or milk). I didn't like the over used and poor effect of the "shaky cam" hand held thing trying to give a documentary look. I didn't like the digital picture. It was very unappealing. Plus a sort of resented the way the camera cheated with an "omi-opti" point of view to add tension. Speaking of tension, the film had tension. It was tense, but I feel like you can film a guy walking across the street, after putting the idea he might die in your head, and it would be tense. Saying a movie about defusing bombs is tense and suspenseful is very very obvious.

My vote is that, though is it worth watching, The Hurt Locker should not win an Oscar of any sort.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (1980)

The director of Up in Smoke and producer of Rocky Horror Picture show. The writer of Slap Shot and Coming Home. Diane Lane at 15 in her first movie, and Laura Dern at 14 in hers are in a late 70's girl punk band who goes on tour with a band containing members of the Sex Pistols and the Clash. It's a movie about the desperation and hypocrisy of punk rock. A movie you have to see to comprehend.