THE OFFICE (UK)

10/27/2012

 
Funny, characters with arcs, the perfect length, and it ends well. Thank you Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant!

CHIMPANZEE

10/27/2012

 
Short, sweet, beautifully filmed Disney documentary narrated by Tim Allen about a family of chimps living in the Taï National Park, Ivory Coast. 
http://disney.go.com/disneynature/chimpanzee/

MONSIEUR LAZHAR

10/25/2012

 
Quiet, elegant, French Canadian adaptation of a one-character play about an Algerian refugee / schoolteacher leading a class of middle-schoolers through grief and loss while managing his own. Yes.
http://www.musicboxfilms.com/monsieur-lazhar-movies-2.php
 
Tahar Rahim portrays a fictitious Algerian black marketeer turned resistance fighter in Nazi occupied Paris. Loosely based on the life of Paris Mosque rector Si Kaddour Benghabrit (Michael Lonas,) and Algerian/Moroccan/Jewish singer Salim Halali. Yes.

JANE EYRE

10/17/2012

 
Charlotte Brontë's classic novel is given the gothic horror treatment: beautifully! Starring three of my fav's; Fassbender, Dench, and Wasikowska. Costumes & cinematography are outstanding. Loved it.
http://focusfeatures.com/jane_eyre

THE AVENGERS

10/16/2012

 
Zac, Joss; why over forty minutes to get moving? You can label it "an installment" but it's a sequel: and it's too long. When half of your characters are flat & zombie-esque, especially the females, that means you might have too many characters. Some thrilling scenes... plenty of propaganda. 

JUAN OF THE DEAD

10/13/2012

 
Cheeky Cuban zombie movie; think Shawn of the Dead, with more skin, but not as funny.

MY TRIP TO AL-QAEDA

10/11/2012

 
Alex Gibney brings journalist Lawrence Wright's one-man-play to the masses: love it!
 
My life mission of viewing all of Michael Fassbender's films has lead me to this 2008 British TV mini-series. Flawed, yet captivating period-piece set during the English Civil War (1643-1660.) Yes!
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-devils-whore

FRANKENWEENIE

10/8/2012

 
Yes, you should see it: it's great!