Now that we've hit the summer primetime skids, the spousal unit and I are blazing through our Netflix queue. The past 2 nights, we've watched Notes on a Scandal and Babel.
I have yet to watch The Queen, so I can't say how Judi Dench's performance in Notes stacked up Oscarwise to Helen Mirren. But there's something to be said about Dame Dench when Cate Blanchett's affair with a 15 year old isn't the creepiest aspect of the movie.
Babel made it a Blanchett twofer, though Cate graces the screen for far less time than in Notes. This was a film of bad decisions and tragic outcomes. I wanted to wring Gael Garcia Bernal's character's sexy neck. The film was beautifully made, and the cinematography, score, and storylines kept me riveted. I found this film to be far superior to Crash, which followed the same interwoven storyline format.
So far I've seen two of the 3 films from the much-touted "3 Amigos" filmmakers - Babel and Children of Men. I only hope that Pan's Labyrinth is more positive than the first two, both of which left me feeling quite depressed. Even eye candy like Brad Pitt, Bernal, and Clive Owen in Children weren't enough for me to overcome the feeling of despair imparted by the respective plots.
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5 comments:
I've been ignoring my Netflix queue in favor of glut-watching Deep Space Nine episodes. I'm halfway through the fifth season.
Really enjoyed Notes on a Scandal, and the Queen. Not going to watch Babel - Rowbear saw it and didn't recommend it for me (whoremonal and all that).
I love Cate and Judi, too!
We watched Pan's Labyrinth...I had to leave the basement about halfway through. I found it startlingly violent. I mean, I could handle the Departed and other movies but Pan's didn't show me any love.
Part of it I'm sure is being pregnant, and also it's set in Spain during the Spanish Civil War.
This event obviously shaped my family (and then me and my siblings) so when I see the young girl in the movie, I think of my mother, and father (even though my mum was born in 1937, about a year into the war).
But a lot of people enjoyed it so I'm not saying don't see it.
Surprisingly, I was all over Children of Men, didn't not suffer while watching it...I really enjoyed it. Weird, eh?
Snay - not a bad choice. I watched DSN with the spousal unit when it was new. I liked it better than Voyager.
Tanya - if you can hang through Children of Men then I think you'd be OK with Babel. I'll have to watch for the violence in Pan. Can totally see where you're coming from re: the Spanish Civil War.
Slave, I might try Babel then, as you say. Although the other problem I suffer from now is I can't concentrate on anything...I can barely make it through a commercial or a TV Guide...
;p
Tanya - it was looooooooooooooooooong.
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