Saturday, August 29, 2015

The End of the Tour

Another film that I was drawn to because of Jessie Eisenberg, but it turned out that Jason Segal was the star of The End of the Tour in my book. I know litle about David Foster Wallace, but Segal plays him as a smart, sensitive, self aware man. Eisenberg plays writer David Lipski who is looking for sensation for a Rolling Stone article. As Lipski looks for sensation, Wallace keeps his feet on the ground. Interesting look at journalistic process and literary fame.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

The explicit nature of The Diary of a Teenage Girl was a little off-putting at first. Appropriate for the story of a girl who has an affair with her Mother's boyfriend. Mini explores her sexuality and takes us along for the ride. This is a creative film that uses artistic flairs to tell this coming of age story. Excellent film.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Iris

Self assuredness and moxie are very attractive qualities to me. Fashion icon Iris is depicted in an insightful documentary showing off both. Iris Apfel is a style icon who has enjoyed a long life of creativity. Her life and career are captured beautifully by Albert Maysles in this documentary. What a woman! What a film!

Sunday, August 23, 2015

American Ultra

I'll admit that Jessie Eisenberg's performances fascinate me, so American Ultra was high on my summer must-see list. The story did not disappoint, though it was a little complex. There was violence, humor, violence, wit, violence, romance...and did I mention violence? Quite a ride!

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Touchy Feely

A podcast appearance By Lynne Shelton put the film Touchy Feely on my list. I liked the story of people, seemingly disconnected, learning their places in their relationships. A thoughtful film. I liked it.

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Bringing Up Baby

A serious scientist runs into a wacky woman who has a leopard named Baby. The scientist's well ordered life gets caught up in the mayhem of the young woman's pursuits. The film Bringing Up Baby is full of wonderful banter, crazy caper scenes and the gigantic talent of Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Though it is black and white, the film is vibrant.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Match

In the film Match we meet a woman who appears to be a journalist interviewing an accomplished ballet dance professor. The questioning takes an unusual turn, and so does the plot. A bit of a mystery, a drama, a thriller. A very mature, satisfying film.

Saturday, August 08, 2015

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Winning a hotel stay in New York City, I invited my daughter to join me. As we put together our wish lists of things to do, a Broadway show was high on the list. After mulling over our choices we landed on Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Musical, drag, drama, fun. The Belasco Theater was on the next block from The Iroquois, it felt like fate. Oh, and did I mention that Taye Diggs is playing Hedwig? Yeah baby. The story of love, betrayal, dreams and redemption played out on the Broadway stage. The staging was cool and Diggs rocked every number. When I got home I rented the film and got more of the story and a more subdued Hedwig in John Cameron Mitchell's performance. Both performances good and I really love this soundtrack.

Saturday, August 01, 2015

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

The Mission Impossible franchise is a soft spot for me. Each installation is intriguing, action packed and high quality. With each new director we get a new slant on the missions of Ethan Hunt. The tone of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is very different from Ghost Protocol. It is thoughtful, subtle, smart and intense. Not the thrill ride of the previous films, but enough intrigue, humor and chase scenes to satisfy me.