Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Forget the cheesy black-and-white classic Frankensteins with the flat head and bolts in the neck; this is a powerful, dramatic, raw, bizarre, and human story closer to the novel Mary Shelley wrote in 1818.

Kenneth Branagh is a bit (okay, maybe a lot) over-the-top as both director and actor, but, well, that's Branagh, and it is somewhat forgivable for this story. Too many good performances to acknowledge here, but I have two favorites. John Cleese shows us he can set the humor aside, and puts in a wonderfully understated Prof Waldman. Robert De Niro is fantastic as the "monster" -- by the end of the film, his creature has shown more depth and soul than his obsessed creator, but also a brutal, powerful dark side. I love complex, even contradictory characters like this; they are too rare in movies.

(I accidently posted this on the wrong blog some weeks ago)

following in Brian's footsteps

Predators -- Can't really add anything to Brian's review; a good/proper sequel.
Valhalla Rising -- I'm generally with Brian on this, too. It helps to not focus so much on plot and understanding and literal meaning, and just watch and feel and let the movie carry you along. It also helps to watch more than once. Between this and Bronson, Nicholas Winding Refn is becoming one of my favorite directors.

A Fish Called Wanda

Man, I forgot how funny this movie is!  A friend and I were talking about The King's Speech (which I enjoyed very much) and stuttering in general and I randomly had the urge to watch A Fish Called Wanda.  I hadn't seen it in years and figured I would appreciate it more as an adult.

God, was I right!  I watched it last night and enjoyed it so much more than I ever have before.  Everything about it works almost flawlessly.  The story isn't complex, but it's very layered, so it never runs out of steam.  The acting, though, is where the movie really shines.  Everyone on the screen gives great performances, which really breathes life into the script, and the comedy is brilliant because it stems chiefly from the performances and feels natural.  Michael Palin and Kevin Kline are especially hilarious, and Jamie Lee Curtis--who generally isn't (or wasn't, I suppose would be more accurate) heralded as a sex symbol--is beyond sexy.

The only complaint I have with Wanda is the score.  It's too generically 80's for my taste, which I loathe.  I realize it's a matter of taste, though, so I don't really hold it against the filmmakers.  It's a product of it's time.

Overall, I'm more than satisfied with A Fish Called Wanda.