Check
out this great piece of guest art from Mr.
Steve Mack! I've admired his work for some time now, so I
got all giddy when I saw this! Be sure to drop by Steve's Illustration
Farm when you get the chance, and check out all of his other
amazing work. Thanks, Steve!
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So,
after being swamped with work for the past few weeks, I finally
got a chance to sit down and watch a couple of films. Luckily,
I saw a couple of films that totally blew my mind.
Punch-Drunk
Love began haunting me the moment the credits began to
roll. Its gorgeous visuals, intense musical score, brilliant acting,
and a simple yet pitch-perfect script make this film an incredible
experience. Paul Thomas Anderson has put together a richly-textured
masterpiece that, despite his propensity for creating dense and
heavy-handed material, manages to stay wonderfully light on its
feet. I can't stop watching this movie!
Another
amazing film I saw recently was Isao Takahata's My
Neighbors the Yamadas, one of the new films from the good
people at Studio Ghibli. I'll have to admit that with both of
these films, it was initially difficult for me to get into the
narratives due to their odd styles and structures, but once you're
in, the filmmakers are able to use these quirks to their full
advantage and play them up for heightened emotional effect. The
final 20 minutes of My Neighbors the Yamadas are simply
incredible. Takahata is also the director of Grave
of the Fireflies and Only
Yesterday (one of my all-time favorite films).
As
for films that are currently in theatrical release, a while back
I caught an early screening of Lost
in Translation, director Sofia Coppola's sophomore effort
featuring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanssen. Murray is wonderful
as usual and Johanssen's performance just eats up the screen.
While I didn't feel this was a tour-de-force of any kind, it leaves
you with the kind of feeling you get when you have a nice cup
of coffee after a mild chocolate cake. I highly recommend it.
Hey,
I should get paid for these reviews!
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