YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH -- Fred Astaire & Rita Hayworth, stars

©1941
studio: Sony Pictures
production company: Columbia Pictures Corporation
dir: Sidney Lanfield
cast: Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Robert Benchley, John Hubbard, Osa Massen, Frieda Inescort, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Donald MacBride
screenplay: Michael Fessier & Ernest Pagano

A choreographer gets stuck between his leacherous, married boss and a dancer (who's fallen for the choreorapher). In an attempt to avoid them all, the choreographer joins the army.

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This was just a heck of a lot of old-time, musical comedy fun. I did find the sexual innuendo much stronger than I expected for a '41 film. How blatant was the theatre impressario's attempts to bed the dancers ... and his wife seemed to know about them?!

Recommended for a relaxing evening of movie watching.

300 -- Zach Snyder, dir

©2007
studio: Warner Home Video
production company: Warner Bros. Pictures, Hollywood Gang Productions, Atmosphere Entertainment MM, Legendary Pictures, Virtual Studios
dir: Zach Snyder
cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Michael Fassbender, Tom Wisdom, Andrew Pleavin, Andrew Tiernan, Rodrigo Santoro, Giovani Cimmino
screenplay: Zach Snyder & Kurt Johnstad and Michael B. Gordon, from a graphic novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley

King Leonidas and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.

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I didn't know what to expect when I rented this movie, other than it was probably full of action and violence (a good guess). What I didn't expect was the beautiful visual appeal to this film.

The setting/background set such an incredible mood for this film that I enjoyed watching it simply for the aesthetic experience. I often feel this way about a Ridley Scott film (ie: Legend is stunning to look at, but the acting and script suck)

The plot is paper thin, despite the attempt to add a little romance/drama back at the court.

The use of Matrix-like slow motion and angle-changing video is effective though I worry that too many films will start doing this and the affect will wear off.

I may watch this again just to take in the full experience.

CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER WOMEN -- Hans Canosa, dir

©2005
studio: Arts Alliance Amer
production company: Gordonstreet Pictures
director: Hans Canosa
cast: Helena Bonham-Carter, Aaron Eckhart, Yury Tsykun, Brian Geraghty, Brianna Brown, Thomas Lennon, Erik Eidem, Nora Zehetner, David Franklin, Olivia Wilde
screenplay: Gabrielle Zevin

When a man and woman flirt with each other at a wedding reception, the sexual tension seems spontaneous. As they break from the party to a hotel room, the flirtation turns into a night filled with passion and remorse. [from imdb.com]

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I watched this on-line through Netflix.

I was totally absorbed in the split screen direction. Getting a different POV for each character was really interesting and actually did not become boring as I thought it might. Combine that split POV with some back soty POV and you have a really interesting film.

The story builds slowly and it does take some time for a greater part to develop, which helps keep the viewer interested. However, once the situation is abundantly clear, the rest of the films falls flat. I don't know that we like him well enough to hope that he succeeds at what he's doing, and perhaps we like her a little too well which makes us not pleased with what she gives in to.

It's a slow moving film with with a great deal of cat and mouse dialog in the beginning, but I recommend it simply based on the unique film style.

SIDEWAYS -- Alexander Payne, dir

©2004
studio: 20th Century Fox
production company: Fox Searchlight Pictures, Michael London Productions, Sideways Productions Inc.
director: Alexander Payne
cast: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Hayden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh, Marylouise Burke
screenplay: Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor from a novel by Rex Pickett

Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment, embark on a week long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle. [from imdb.com]

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This was an interesting film given its unlikely hero and not particularly likeable sidekick.

I'm not a fan of Paul Giamatti, but I tolerated him here.

Some have written that this film had an endearing quality to the lonelyliness of unfullfilled middle-agers. Rather, I found it even sadder that this might be the highlight of some people's lives. The lost weekend; the last grasp at youth.

The storytelling was well done and I was engaged and captivated throughout. But ultimately I left no better or worse for having seen the film, and not particularly entertained.

I wouldn't dismiss this film out of hand, but I wouldn't give it a glowing recommendation either.