Wet Floor: Moments That Breathe

SPOILERS

Moneyball

I just saw it for the second time and somehow... it got better! I don't know how much work Sorkin did on this screenplay, though I'm assuming quite a bit. But I'm left with just a truly wonderful moment stuck in my head... there's the recognition the Pitt is cursed, truly jinxed, and Pratt steps up to bat and then there's this perfect directorial explosion of brilliance. Sound, Cinematography, Performance... it's all just pitch perfect here. These are always brief comments on films (and I'd like to keep it that way), but man that was such a brilliant scene. This film truly makes me wonder about the potential of baseball if certain peoples (who shall remain nameless) would get their heads out of their asses and recognize that the game could use a couple steps into modernity. That is the fight, no? Anyway, I recommend this one. Even if the very end doesn't hit as hard as I'd like, the scene before sure sticks and that's good enough for me.

Genre: Walk and Talk with less walk and a little more Baseball.

The Ides Of March

While not quite as strong as I would have hoped from Clooney's Junior attempt at directing (Good Night and Good Luck was amazing!!), I still felt like a great deal of the film worked. Firstly it looked beautiful. Then, the performances were pretty top notch. So the real problems I had were the cliches in the writing. Mostly the whole intern subplot (though that is really the movie). It's cool to watch good performers make something like this though. However, if you want a real political thriller that bites, I suggest you just wait for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Genre: Political Intrigue meets Easy Puzzle Film

Drive

Ryan Gosling twice in one month?? Oh how lucky we are. But he's only part of what makes this flick so superb. Excellent directing and writing intermingle in a stylistic reality... and honestly I can't get that song out of my head! But my favorite part of the whole thing is just that very beginning chase sequence. I submit that it be considered amongst the Greatest Car Chases Of All Time list. Yes, it's that good, cause I've never seen one so smartly executed before. Bryan Cranston makes his mark as well and there's a whole cast of quality characters. Somehow I can't fully express what this movie makes me feel. I simply suggest you see it.

Genre: A Hero's Journey

Contagion

I dunno. See it if you must, but it's really not all that.

Genre: Meaningless Sickness Film that ignores any and all interesting plot developments in lieu of whiney annoying characters

That wraps me up for right now. It's actually been a pretty great month in filmdom. What with three of the above as well as Warrior! Man I can't say how good that film was enough.