Weekly Review -- Something old, something new...

If someone asked me to choose a favorite movie genre, they would need to have a lot of spare time. I would never be able to decide on one. Eclectic is my middle name and that is why there is a spectrum of films I can watch over and over, as well as a variety I watch every week. This week was no different. Here are a couple of older and newer films I saw:


Breakfast on Pluto (2005) -- I wish more films like this one were made. More films that actually make you smile and cry, more films that make you think, and more films that actually engage you in the characters and story, instead of serving up endless clichés or posing as horror flicks. Breakfast on Pluto is a poignant story about humanity, love and the many twists and turns of life. The principal character, Patrick (Patricia) "Kitten" Braden, is a free spirit who never compromises her individuality and who influences everyone she meets on her journey by being herself. Cillian Murphy is fantastic in the role, bringing out the character's heart and soul, while infusing every word and action with old-fashioned glamour. Liam Neeson is very good as the priest who finds Kitten when she is abandoned as a baby, and Ruth Negga is endearing as Kitten's best friend. The cinematography by Declan Quinn is also impressive, with somber visual hues that still hint at a light at the end of every tunnel. A touching story with a great message.

10/10


The Parallax View (1974) - This film is probably one of the best thrillers I have seen. The plot is frightening and the screenplay intelligent. Warren Beatty is convincing as reporter Joseph Frady, who seems to have bitten off more than he can chew when he uncovers a possible conspiracy behind a political assassination. The aspects of the film I most admired, though, were the way it creates the suspense and the music that colors it. Director Alan J. Pakula's suspense is quiet and menacing, consisting of shadowy shots wrapped in Frady's increasing paranoia and distrust. The score by Michael Small unsettled me to no end, peppering a simple melody with synthetic hints of a possible horror lurking just around the corner. Simply put, the 1970's were THE era for conspiracy/intrigue/cover-up films -- Coma, The Fury and The Omen come to mind. An effective and genuinely creepy film.

9/10


Aeon Flux (2005) -- I am not familiar with the MTV cartoons this film is based on, but, as a sci-fi fantasy, it could have been a whole lot better. It is a visual delight, boasting numerous innovative effects and elegant, minimalistic set design that reminded me of 1970's sci-fi films. Plotwise, the film tends to get a little cramped in places, with too many ideas and too little time to develop them all. Charlize Theron is suitably cool, calm and collected as the title character, a member of the Monicans, rebels trying to overthrow the quazi-utopian regime of Bagna, the only human city left in 2415. Some other actors, notably Frances McDormand and Pete Postlethwaite, are pretty much wasted in their respective roles. McDormand particularly has nothing to do and has about four scenes altogether, which is a shame, since I was interested in knowing more about Handler, her mysterious character. The film offers some food for thought in regards to our views of humanity, society and our place in the cosmos; the trouble is, it merely lists these concepts instead of exploring them. A good try, but we are intrigued and want to know more!

6/10