The Barber (2002)

Hair, Cut “Fargo” without the go, “Albino Alligator” without the wrinkles, “The Gardener” without Angie, “Invisible Man” made visible, “Insomnia” without the light and most of all, “Twin Peaks” with only one peak. McDowell has built a career of his role in “Clockwork Orange:” a demented brilliance of character. It is possible to make an… Continue reading The Barber (2002)

Banger Sisters (2002)

The Photos Would Have Been Funnier Yow, another formulaic movie that preaches breaking out of the formula. Another staid, risk-free production that promotes the taking of risk. Another film about film writing whose chief fault is the script. The setup is simple: comfortable but compromised person is confronted and sees the error of their ways… Continue reading Banger Sisters (2002)

Ararat (2002)

Denied I think Egoyan is one of our best living filmmakers. He layers his stories in ways that some layers generate or reinterpret others. Usually, this is apparent to the viewer. In this case, the viewer is fooled into thinking that this is film reminding of an atrocity padded with a bunch of other stuff.… Continue reading Ararat (2002)

Ally (2002)

Mulsim Porn I’m interested in what makes Muslim porn different. It surely exists, but you won’t be finding much on IMBD. Porn is a special sort of film. I believe that film in general is where we do most of our experiments in how we reason about the world. Yes, even in popular film. Depending… Continue reading Ally (2002)

Adaptation (2002)

Abject Folding I am writing a book about “folding” in film. That’s a term I have coined to describe all the parallel levels that have become part of the film vocabulary, among them self-reference, reflection self-aware irony and timeshifting. I love these films. They are always about ideas and many are incredibly sophisticated in concept,… Continue reading Adaptation (2002)

About Schmidt (2002)

Which Film? Brando invented the modern acting technique of giving you two films: the one in which the characters exist, and another in which the actors exist. Nicholson has developed that into something rather clever. The basic job is the same, to inhabit a character and create a truth so sharp you think you knew… Continue reading About Schmidt (2002)

25th Hour (2002)

Figure Skating There are two ways to look at figure skating. You can judge it as a matter of difficulty or a matter of grace. It used to be the grace that trumped. I watch figure skating and films because of how they enrich my lives. Sometimes a skater — or an actor for that… Continue reading 25th Hour (2002)