Looking Back

Last Days, Welcome to the Dollhouse and Plesantville are great works of magic. Directors Gus Van Sant, Todd Solondz and Gary Ross are three of my favorite filmakers. Last Days has had mixed reviews but i feel that it served Kurt Cobain and his life greatly. It shows his unique, naive, ambitious/unambitious creativity and the film is about anything but his last days. Van Sant is truly a genius and pioneer of american film. He gets the "culture" without cheating. Dollhouse has a truth that is rarely seen nowadays. It is one of the most underappreciated titles of 90's cinema. This is Solondz's greatest work and it truly shows what pre-adolescence is about.

Pleasantville is surreal and in that way very different than the two other films. I think that it truly mirrors the social ills of society, without punching us in the face. All three films really challenge popularity and conformity with creativity, art, love and music. Difference should be what we strive for. All three films deserve a A, but very close to A+. Dont forget the Last Days, The Dollhouse and the Pleasantville.

Into The Wild

This film delivers something quite special, which tests one's heart, life and nature. Writer/Director Sean Penn does a really good job in letting his audience understand and appreciate the life of McCandless(or Supertramp) and lets Emile Hirsch execute the role with loads of passion and potential. The film centers this young man's trip into the wild, combating nature and society both at once. He ends up losing to nature but opening up our society to a different way of being. This film packs an outstanding group of supporting actors, highlighted by very powerful performances by Hal Holbrook and Catherine Keener. This is the first film of the year that i felt was oscar-worthy. It isn't perfect however, as Penn unneccesarily takes big risks with the style of the film and the mood is sometimes inconsistent. However, the film is very powerful, thought-provoking and heart-felt, which makes Penn a great success here. Eddie Vedder's powerful sound also grasps the heart of the wild. A very succesful film and the start of the awards season. The film will challenges one's heart and one's world. This might be the most moving film in years

Grade: A/A-