Slog News & Arts

Line Out

Music & Nightlife

« A Verdict on Bus Beating | This Week on Drugs »

Friday, December 7, 2007

This Weekend at the Movies

posted by on December 7 at 15:54 PM

News: Editor turns on writer in this fascinating case study of the tyranny of the pissy commenter: Read this entire thread at Boxoffice.com and behold the future of film criticism. (Via The House Next Door.) Meanwhile, nobler blogs busted the door open for the trades to review Sweeney Todd early—and the buzz remains ecstatic. (Via Thompson on Hollywood.)

Opening this week:

I review Atonement: “For the first hour, set in a prewar English country house, it’s faultless: a pungent stew of pleasure and dread, shrill suspicions and pouting revenge.” I love so many things about this imperfect movie—including the typewriter sound motif that certain critics dismiss as “literal-minded.” I couldn’t disagree more. The clanging sounds at first like the racket a typewriter makes, but soon enough it slides into the rhythms of fury, mania, obsession. Especially if you’ve read the novel and know its narrative tricks, being reminded throughout the film of the act of writing—an act that pretends to be generous but serves a passionately selfish purpose—is beautiful. Further, I have to say that I expected to love Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, and they’re pretty good, but Saoirse Ronan is sublime. If anyone from this film deserves an Oscar nomination, it is she.

Briony Learns a New Word

Meanwhile—in movies intended for children’s eyes—Lindy West reviews The Golden Compass: “When some people look at a novel, they just see an obese screenplay. Cut a few characters, speed up the action, add some pat narration and rampaging CGI war bears, and there you go: The Golden Compass. Kindly direct the money truck to the back gate of my grand and imposing Hollywood manse!”

And in On Screen this week: the Guy Ritchie debacle Revolver (Charles Mudede: “Revolver attempts to resolve the ancient philosophical puzzle of the source and meaning of human consciousness. This is no joke”) and the surprisingly worthwhile Jimmy Carter Man from Plains (Eli Sanders: “What’s most fascinating is watching Carter’s combination of strength, smarts, religiosity, and deep humility as they work in concert to disarm some of his most antagonistic audiences”). Honey and Clover has been delayed because of roof repairs; it’s now opening January 11th at the Grand Illusion. I’m leaving the review up because we may not have room to run it in the print edition in January, but I’ll push it into the web edition that week for sure.

__________________________


There are a couple of number of once-in-a-lifetime events in Limited Runs this week, so read closely. The seven-hour Soviet adaptation of War and Peace is screening at SIFF Cinema for two weeks. This is a gutsy and exciting move for SIFF—it’s exactly the sort of film other Seattle theaters can’t risk committing to for a solid two-week run—so make it worth their while, OK? Charles Mudede promises you won’t regret it: “In this film, more than any other film in history, the power of the state is translated into the power of cinema.” You have multiple options for both Part I and Part II; both parts continue through next week.

War and Peace

For Warhol fanatics and anyone who was affected by the story of his onetime lover, filmmaker and lighting designer Danny Williams, in the SIFF 2007 film A Walk into the Sea, Northwest Film Forum is screening it again alongside two showcases of Williams’s 16mm films—documents of Factory existence, but films in their own right as well.

Also from SIFF 2007: The Life of Reilly, playing at the Varsity. It’s an excellent doc about the recently deceased Charles Nelson Reilly (Jen Graves: “In an acclaimed one-man stage performance, he hits as many bittersweet notes as one-liners”).

And finally: Rawstock: Aural Fixation 2007 and the conclusion of NWFF’s Pedro Costa series, with In Vanda’s Room, Where Lies Your Hidden Smile?, and Colossal Youth.

RSS icon Comments

1

Sadly, I missed a free showing of Atonement, but am still, even after your fine reviews, looking forward to seeing the Golden Compass tonight and Sweeney Todd on Sunday.

Psst. If you thought the church was upset at the Golden Compass, wait until you hear about all the blood and singing in Sweeney Todd ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | December 7, 2007 4:05 PM
2

I saw "War and Peace" back in high school at the Neptune and have never forgotten the experience. Don't miss this!

Posted by Jim "The Mosquito" Demetre | December 7, 2007 4:05 PM
3

I'm going to see the Golden Compass only because the local Jeebus Freaks have decided to boycott it. They say the author of the book is plotting to turn their kids into atheists. Really.

Posted by yucca flower | December 7, 2007 4:06 PM
4

@2 - just think of all the non-digital horses ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | December 7, 2007 4:07 PM
5

@2: Yes, but that was dubbed, yes? Now you have to see the subtitled version.

Posted by annie | December 7, 2007 4:11 PM
6

Heard a rumor that Charles was going to Live Slog W&P.

Posted by tim | December 7, 2007 8:14 PM
7

god i wish i didn't have fucking finals all through the showings of W&P

Posted by vooodooo84 | December 8, 2007 1:27 AM
8

Yeah, I saw War and Peace in New York in October. It was amazing and I recommend everyone see it. The 7 hours just float by... And its worth it just to fall in love with Natasha again...

Posted by Jude Fawley | December 8, 2007 6:54 AM

Comments Closed

In order to combat spam, we are no longer accepting comments on this post (or any post more than 14 days old).