Che: Part Two ****

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Year: 2008

Writers: Peter Buchman, Benjamin A. van der Veen

Cinematographer: Steven Soderbergh

Che: Part One ****

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Year: 2008

Writer: Peter Buchman

Cinematographer: Steven Soderbergh

Very well made movie, a movie that shows, doesn't tell. It refuses an ending with closure, instead opting to give another anecdote showing Che's character. He is not said to be an idealistic hero, the scenes and screenplay and performance show him to be an idealistic hero.

Reminds me of "Z", "The Battle of Algiers", and "Army of Shadows". Soderbergh is not doing a Hollywood biopic, and that really works in his favor. This is an interesting movie, and I feel like I am learning about a character without being rushed through his whole life story. I like that it meditates on two periods in his life, the military campaign in Cuba (depicted in gritty, real, color), and the political campaign set in New York (depicted in sexy black and white) in and around the United Nations.

Not really concerned with setting up clear character arcs and Hollywood-like entertainment... this film has a very mellow, meditative tone, a documentarian sense of attention to detail... and yet it is not tedious or heavily philosophical.

Let the Right One In ****

Director: Tomas Alfredson

Year: 2008

Novel by: John Ajvide Lindqvist

Adapted by: John Ajvide Lindqvist

Cinematographer: Hoyte Van Hoytema

I really enjoyed this film, the cinematography harkens back to 70's and 80's films. A couple of distracting visual effects involving cats, but I easily forgive it for that. There are some stunning visual touches in this film, and the confidence of the director to leave space and quiet really excited me.

I don't normally watch scary movies, especially not ones that use kids as scary images (exception for The Shining of course) and I can't say I'm a van of vampire themed things... but I really liked this movie. I want it in my DVD collection.

The acting is really nice from these two young actors, and the screenwriting is pretty damn good. Not a perfect movie, I didn't like the second to last scene very much, but the last scene was good. I don't want to give away why I don't like it that much, because I don't want to push anyone away from this movie. I think this is absolutely worth watching.

There is this beautiful balance between innocence and violence, and a thin line between violence and malevolence, and apparently a big gap between misanthropy and being a vampire.

Vampires are cast as sympathetic creatures, victims of their disease... and yet the film doesn't just give them an excuse to commit murder in the name of survival... in one important subplot, a character who has become a vampire instead chooses suicide over murder.

I like the arcs of the characters and the themes and conflicts the story explores, I think the film will reward a second viewing, and I'm excited to revisit it someday soon.

Food Inc. ***

Director: Robert Kenner

Year: 2008