Opening this weekend are three big movies that I'm not particularly interested in:
- High School Musical 3
- Saw V
- Pride & Glory IV: Glory's Revenge Upon Pride
If you see them, please report back. We'll do the same if we get lost and stumble into the wrong darkened room and accidentally get a glimpse of one of them. Smaller releases include:
- I've Loved You So Long, which I like less than others.
- Changeling, the new Clint Eastwood film, which I'm afraid will remind me too much of that scene in Mystic River or that thing that happens in Million Dollar Baby. But maybe I'll check it out.
Far more interesting among the small releases are two imperfect but surprisingly fascinating films
- Happy-Go-Lucky
- Synecdoche, New York
The former is the new film by Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies, Topsy-Turvy) and the latter is the directorial debut of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. I skipped the Leigh film in Toronto, assuming that it would be ... fine. But it turns out to be quite a bit better than that, not only because the Amélie-like surface of the main character is covering something far more interesting but also because she comes into contact with other personalities who to tease it out instead of highlight it with sprinkles. In the theater, Kaufman's film feels familiar and unpleasant -- like rolling around in someone's laundry. But something about it is sitting well in the brain. More later.
Coming Soon
The early word from reliable sources on the new Bond film, Quantum of Solace, is not encouraging.