Vicky Cristina Barcelona
I enjoyed this a lot, which was nice, especially seeing as it's not the movie I was going to go see (we had plans for I've Loved You So Long, but the timing was off). It's not brilliant, but Hall, Cruz and Bardem are all very good, and I thought Scar Jo was quite... serviceable. I sniggered at things a few times when I don't know that anyone else in the cinema did, and I laughed out loud on more than a few occasions. The end was... odd.
3/5
Slumdog Millionaire
I suddenly realised about 40 minutes in that I loved this film, which surprised me, because until that point I think I was a little ambivalent, for the most part. It was also difficult because I was suddenly hit with this wave of melancholy, for a better word, at that point, and it didn't leave me till the end. There is this really dark undercurrent running through this film, and it really made more upset, as opposed to uplifted by the main story.
I thought it was supremely done, but looking back, I don't know that there aren't issues with the story, particularly the story of Salim, Jamal's brother. That said, the skill of the direction is really obvious. (Frankly, I don't understand how people don't like Boyle. Personally, I think he's pretty great.)
There's a lot of talk about the credits, and I'll just say that for me, they didn't fit. The ending had me pretty much in tears, and then to follow it with the credits, changed that mood.
Still I think this is coming to rest at number three on my end of year list at this stage (remembering that a lot of big films haven't been released here yet), or number 2 if I move Caramel back to last year, which I should, because it is a 2007 release officially. Anyway, I rant.
4/5
Oh, and edgar? Wait till you see Hunger. It's difficult, but it looks amazing (better than Slumdog, which, considering the subject of most of the shots, is a massive achievement.