Friday, August 3, 2007

So Much to Read—Good Thing You Have Nothing But Time

Wow, Jeremy, you sure wrote a lot of stuff this week, you say.

Yes, I did.

So which stuff can I skip and which stuff is a must-read?

I'm afraid all the articles are must-reads. Sorry.

In Memory of Ingmar Bergman

It’s impossible to sum up Ingmar Bergman’s contribution to cinema by only giving examples of one or two of his films — or even a decade’s worth of his work. So individual and profound are the experiences of so much of his work that only detailed examinations could do each of his films justice. To only note the eerie dream sequence of “Wild Strawberries,” or the chess match between a medieval knight and Death in “The Seventh Seal,” or the intertwining faces of “Persona,” neglects the completeness that all three films have.

"The Bourne Ultimatum:"

No other thrill-offerings this summer have come close to the level of suspense, excitement and propulsion that “The Bourne Ultimatum” pours out with seemingly no effort. The film could get by on its remarkable action sequences alone, but still takes the time to house them in a multi-layered story performed by great actors.

"Joshua:"

While mixing the formula for “Joshua” at the movie factor y, writer/director George Ratliff and his co-writer David Gilbert hit a snag. There was a leak in the credibility-injection machine. The more ingredients editor Jacob Cray-croft poured in, the faster the component leaked them out. There was still a reel of film to be spooled out, and the boys were stumped.

"Bratz:"

One’s a soccer player, one’s a cheerleader, one’s a math geek (and also loves fashion!) and one is a singer, but won’t perform because she’s too shy. At one point, when all four of the girls are holding cards stating their clique, the shy one’s says “journalist,” but she’s never actually shown doing any writing or reporting. In fact, she seems to be completely friendless once the other three ditch her. But no worries—before we can even see what adjusting to high school is like for these four hot shots, a “two years later” title card comes up.

"The Simpsons Movie:"

You might think that “Austin Powers” already adequately sent up the convenient obstruction of genitalia during nude scenes, although you remember that “The Simpsons” did that gag long before Mike Myers, when Marge painted Mr. Burns. But the issue isn’t who did it first, but who does it best, and “The Simpsons Movie” wins hands down with a beautiful, fluid movement and as perfectly absurd a punch line as could be conceived."

And don't forget to catch up on my commentary on the show's greatness from last week!

Or my review of "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry."

Hope that's enough!

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