Movie of the Day

American History X (1998)

Ed Norton, Edward Furlong
Dir. Tony Kaye


Thoughts: This is the first time I've seen this film. With that said, I don't know how to feel about it.

Norton does a fantastic job with Derek Vinyard, for starters. Easily my favorite part of the film was his scene at the dinner table. It has a nice gradual build, with the one-sided argument as Derek takes over the conversation and lets the audience know a bit more about his extreme disliking for those that aren't white Protestants. Then, after the climactic blow-up and frantic action, we're given perhaps the most important shot of the film: Derek, standing in the main hallway, looking at his mother. In this moment, we see both sides of Derek: on the outside, there is the hard, ruthless man who is impossible to reach or talk to; but in his eyes, we see someone who feels much more than he lets on, someone who still has a soul. In this moment, we believe the new Derek, the transformed person.

I'm having a hard time grasping the rest of the film. Certainly it brings up the point that insensible hatred leads to consequential decisions, that which cannot be erased. It does a good job of getting this point across without beating you over the head with preachy talk of how 'we all need to love each other, man!' But, for some reason, I can't get a hold of what this film is really saying to me. Maybe I need to watch it again, to go through the film and pay attention to the themes and motifs a little more.

I do like this film, especially for Norton's performance. I think I need another viewing or two to really let it sink in and see what the film is saying to me.

Movie/Music Review

 Movie of the Day


The Prestige (2006)

Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman
Dir. Christopher Nolan

Thoughts: The first time I saw this movie was in theatres, and I fell asleep halfway through it. This time, with eyes wide open, I was able to see yet another brilliant movie by Nolan. This is my third Nolan film (Memento, Inception), and I honestly believe he is the best director in today's world. This may not have been a direct idea from Nolan (the film is an adaptation of Christopher Priest's 1995 novel of the same name), but he executes the story with magnificent elegance.


Artist of the Day: Jack Johnson

I've been hearing Johnson's music for as long as he's been making it, but I didn't bother truly listening until just recently. I still haven't listened to all of his work, but I enjoy what I have heard. The first song that really caught my attention was "Upside Down," from the Curious George soundtrack. After that, I downloaded his new album, To the Sea. Then the whirlwind led me to his previous singles, then the supporting albums.

On the surface, Johnson makes a catchy tune, one that almost always includes an acoustic, upbeat tempo and a chorus that is easy to sing along to. He may seem to be making the same song over and over again, but from what I've heard, his music has taken a subtle step forward, complete with To the Sea and its feel of an actual band playing together.

The Beginning...

Movies watched today:

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz

Dir. Quentin Tarantino

Thoughts: An excellent film. For the second consecutive year, the best acting performance on-screen comes from the Supporting Actor slot, as Waltz truly owns this film. And Pitt's accent is so ridiculous, I love it.

The Departed (2006)

Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson

Dir. Martin Scorsese

Thoughts: My second-favorite Scorsese gangster film, just behind Goodfellas. This movie does a good job of creating conflicting emotions about the main characters, as you sometimes forget who exactly is the "good guy" and "bad guy" in the grand scheme of things.