Win Win

— Watched "Win Win" over the weekend. Very nice little film that lives in the gray area where everyone's less than perfect, but that just means they have room to improve.

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[2011. 106 min. Directed Thomas McCarthy. Starring Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, and Jeffrey Tambor.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/win-win-2011

Bad Teacher

— “Bad Teacher” came to the top of my Netflix queue. Embarrassing to have even added it to my list, but now it’s on its way, I’m looking forward to that kind of raucous, raunchy romp…in the privacy of my own home with the blinds drawn so only my Facebook friends will know!

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[2011. 92 min. Directed Jake Kasdan. Starring Cameron Diaz, Lucy Punch, Jason Segel, and Justin Timberlake.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bad-teacher-2011

Drive

— "Drive" is a slick and somber film with a great cast, but being finely crafted isn't enough and I'm pretty sure I'll forget most of it pretty quickly.

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[2011. 100 min. Directed Nicolas Winding Refn. Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, and Albert Brooks.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/drive-2011

Moneyball

— I'm not much of a baseball fan but I didn't need to be to enjoy “Moneyball” which gets you thinking about the value of clinging to old ways instead of grabbing a ride on new waves and about decisions based on money or on emotion.

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[2013. 133 min. Directed by Bennett Miller. Written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Starring Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Chris Pratt.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/movies/brad-pitt-in-moneyball-by-bennett-miller.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Sarah’s Key

— Saw another film based on another novel I should have read. Thank you, Michael, for recommending that I see “Sarah’s Key”. I know some critics weren’t thrilled with the two stories, one weightier than the other, but there’s no denying Kristen Scott Thomas managed to keep them from seeming too off-balance in the telling, and I was certainly moved. It was a wonderful film!

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[2010. 111 min. Directed Gilles Paquet-Brenner. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Melusine Mayance, Niels Arestrup, and Frederic Pierrot.]
http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/article_c7da1444-2b68-5841-87da-bc8218add363.html

Contagion and
The Robber

— Saw “Contagion” yesterday and agree it did what it does really well, and kept me focused throughout, grateful for Soderbergh’s direction and a great ensemble cast, but I may have enjoyed Thursday night’s flick, Benjamin Heisenberg’s “The Robber” more. Maybe I was just more perplexed by it.

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[Contagion: 2011. 106 min. Directed Steven Soderbergh. Starring Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Bryan Cranston.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/movies/contagion-steven-soderberghs-plague-paranoia-review.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

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[The Robber: 2010. 101 min. Directed by Benjamin Heisenberg. Starring Andreas Lust, Franziska Weisz, and Florian Wotruba.]
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/06/entertainment/la-et-the-robber-20110506

Sound of Noise

— Enjoyed "Sound of Noise" last night. Grateful to live in a town with a theater showing international films...and that they pair such films with wines from the film's country of origin (Pierre Boniface Apremont last night--very tasty)! Feel a little guilty to live such an easy life while so many people we know are dealing with fires or floods.

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[2010. 102 min. Directed Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjarne Nilsson. Starring Sanna Persson, Magnus Borjeson, and Johannes Bjork.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/movies/sound-of-noise-from-sweden.html

The Debt

— Not much in regular theatres this weekend. Ended up at “The Debt”, knowing Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson almost always please. Good espionage film that relies on good acting and editing instead of special effects, something I applaud. Oh, and then there’s Jessica Chastain who’s certainly very capable, proving herself in “The Tree of Life”, “The Help”, and now “The Debt”. I’m betting she’ll shine in “Wild Solome” too.

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[2010. 113 min. Directed John Madden. Starring Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington.]
http://www.vulture.com/2011/09/movie_review_the_debt.html