So obviously there was this really big gap in her career lately where, I dunno, she was consulting her Magic 8 Ball when it came to her acting choices. (Or she was busy being a mom, whatevs.) But wow, I loved Rabbit Hole. And yes, it was totally one of those brilliant and depressing things I love when done well, not unlike Revolutionary Road.
But don't be dissuaded! Here is the thing about Rabbit Hole--and it's really important, especially when you start that argument about which makes you want to cut yourself more, this or Blue Valentine: Rabbit Hole may deal with a very difficult topic, but it is also very optimistic.
D and I saw it with my good friend L and her bf A. I also really like A, and we have very similar tastes. (More on that in a minute.) And Rabbit, though it may not seem so at first, is not just Kidman's character's story, but also her husband's, played (where is this man's effusive praise by the way? He rocked the shit out of this!) by Aaron Eckhart. And the film does a really beautiful job of telling two stories while appearing to tell only one; you can see the point at which the film becomes two different stories and I think that's sort of essential to the whole point of the movie, really.
(And look! Sandra Oh! She was also very good, and I mention this so Alex may consider a viewing.... ;))
But the neat thing was that once it was over and we were talking about it, my good friend L and my husband D both really thought Aaron Eckhart's story was more compelling and saw it as his story, but A and I vehemently disagreed that it was clearly Kidman's story. So that right there really makes an impression on me that it was a very effective film.
But I really enjoyed this film and how it was told. I get that it's a little fucked up to say I "enjoyed" it, perhaps "appreciated" is a better word? It was very well done, and the teenage kid--Miles Teller--was really a standout.
So that was my Oscar theater pic of the week. I also rented the new Jean-Pierre Jeunet film, Micmacs, not up for any Oscars, but a 2010 film (for us here in the USA, anyway). As with all his films, it was very creative. I didn't find it to be positively bursting at the seams with cute, clever and creative, like so many of his others, but it was still quite pleasant.
And I did not find the contortionist, Julie Ferrier, as cute as I'm sure I was supposed to, and she even reminded me a tiny bit of Giulietta Masina, Fellin's real-life wife and the impossibly cute face of La Strada.
But you should still watch it. After all, a somewhat less-than-impressive Jeunet film is still like "acceptable" caviar, you know? And it's always so refreshing to see someone pay attention to the details.
But oh, there were crappy movies, too, fear not. I finally watched The Other Guys.
This was really pretty awful, but I liked Will Ferrell in it. (And I'm not a Will Ferrell fan, but I don't DISlike him, if that makes sense. I think he very good at what he does, I just don't belong to that mass band-wagon of people who would readily give him their first-born.)
I have also come to the conclusion that I would probably watch Mark Wahlberg in just about anything. (Maybe it's rooted in the fact that Boogie Nights remains in my top five (a top five often characterized by seven films, I admit), but I also personally adore him in The Departed, that role never fails to crack me up. And I must think he's a solid actor, I mean, jesus, it's fucking "Marky Mark," right? Normally I wouldn't be caught dead selling this shit.) In this case, I don't know...I could appreciate the facial expression he seemed to somehow maintain for the whole film, a nice mix of mouth-breather and rage.
Aside from its two main actors, though, the only thing The Other Guys had going for it was the element of randomness, probably more accurately chalked up to a horribly inconsistent and directionless script. Otherwise, it was predictable (duh), the jokes often got old really fast, and it was just really weak overall.
But if you want some stupid/funny action, this is a solid one-time guilty pleasure, so go for it. And don't let the beginning fool you--it's very much tongue-in-cheek, which becomes readily apparent, but to me was initially quite worrisome.
Oh, totally not related to anything? I went to the dentist last week and.....NO CAVITIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :O
1 1/2 years since my last dentist appointment. I landed a dentist assistant with a fantastic personality 5 minutes from my place. She did a panoramic scan of my teeth; I always get nervous when the dentist has bad-ass new technology and they act as if it has been standard for the past five years--WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! It makes me nervous. Luckily, it was all good.
So I'd like to take this moment to thank my parents and the wonders of genetics that I just have AWESOME TEETH.
Because based on my horrendous--however well-intentioned--up-keep, I should have had about eight root canals by now.
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