A rant about and celebration of the movies

[markses]

I just saw a glorious little film called "Raising Victor Vargas." It was extremely tender, supremely patient, and maddeningly refreshing.

Yesterday, I sat through about 3/4 of the big Hollywood film S.W.A.T. It was incredibly awful. Damn near unwatchable - in fact, closer: I stopped watching. Couldn't bear to sit through the predictable ending. Garbage.

I shit you not: A 13 year-old no name with a minor part in Raising Victor Vargas gave a better performance than EVERY ACTOR in SWAT, including Samuel L. Jackson, who was awful.

Whenever I see a little film like Raising Victor Vargas, I remember why the movies are so fabulous, why cinema more or less stands over our culture as the total art work. No doubt, it cost a fraction - a small fraction - of what it cost to make SWAT. And it was beautiful. A beautiful film.

Any other comparisons out there?

[Lindsey]

1. I just saw "In America"

and it was one of the best films I've ever seen. I believe that it also is in limited release. I can't remember ever having been so moved.

[anti_shrub]

2. On the other hand

The Lord of the Rings trilogy are three of the finest films ever made, and that's coming from someone who was a non-LOTR geek before they came out.

That's just Hollywood for you...90% is crap but the good 10% is usually pretty damned good.