Solo

Set longer than long time ago, this space spectacle successfully stands alone. An appropriate amount of camp and coolness lend further fuel to a film that doles up the right ratio of references to revelations and, ‘trust’y tropes aside, manages to maintain tension despite obvious direction and less obvious directors.

Vanishing on 7th Street

Clever premise for another philosophical endeavor from machinist Anderson. Opening is brilliantly crafted, but the scares quickly become redundant flickers. Falls apart in the second act and gets darker still in the third as the subtext is stated overtly, and the universe logic changes. Ends in A&E’s walking horse shot.

Crash (2004)

Candy coated look at the intersecting lives of several hundred people in Los Angeles. Melodramatic and carefully constructed to remind to the viewer that racism is terrible. Lives intersect repeatedly, and so on occasion to brilliant editing, performance, and music to form several powerful tear-jerk moments. Better title: Hate Actually.

W.

Alarmingly objective and seemingly fair representation of recent controversial events. Brolin’s performance is incredibly compelling without becoming a caricature. Supporting cast are for the most part impeccable as well, thought Wright and Newton are a bit hard to accept. Objectivity hindered by amusing and unrealistic compilation conversations of so-called Bushisms.