Coco Before Chanel

All in all, this film is really good. Just remember... it is just as the title explains. So, if you are a bit of a fashion victim like myself then you will be frustrated that we aren't just jumping in to all the good stuff right away. A biography of the the life of Coco Chanel and the circumstances that led her to be the most influential female fashion designer in history. Was that statement to bold? No. Audrey Tautou is just so beautiful and her acting is really great. I had just watched Amelie, again, and it was good to be reminded just how different she is in this film. The costumes are fantastic. If you are a Chanel fan, it is fascinating to see where all of her influences came from i.e. Nuns, Fisherman, Menswear, BLACK! Just be aware... the fashion aspect doesn't really show up until the end. I also posted this particular poster because it was never in the U.S. because of the cigarette... kind of funny. I mean the woman SMOKED! 

Leave Her To Heaven

Whew! This is a wild one. Again, Gene Tierney is gorgeous. Even though she is full-tilt-boogie CRAZY in this film. The swimming scene on the lake will never leave my mind. HORRIFYING! The clothes and colors in this film are beautiful. I kept wondering what the audience must have been thinking when this first came out in 1946. I would think this type of character would have been so shocking. Possessive, obsessive, domestic, psychological terror..... yes, please! I do wish that the court scene at the end could have been a bit shorter yet the scenario you are dealing with is great. Also, Vincent Price is the prosecutor which helps. "You're not making very much progress Danny."

Inception

Ready, okay. If you are like me, you really appreciate a big budget "summer blockbuster" that is smart, original, free of film stereotypes, and looks amazing. I appreciate this because you are going to end up talking about this move with everyone on planet earth but with this movie you don't mind talking about because it is really good. I left this movie being so impressed with the art of telling a story through film. This plot is layered with like 4 more layers on that last layer. I was so impressed with Christopher Nolan's gift to keep the audience (for the most part) clear on what was happening. Visual candy in every shot! Also, the clothing is fantastic. I am really glad someone sent me an interview with the costume designer because I was having a "children's apparel" issue if you know what I am talking about and it answered some of my questions. Ellen Paige... you were fine but could have been played by a lot of other actresses. Maren voted Rachel McAdams and I fully concur. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, I am so glad you are getting your moment in the sun. Ken Watanabe, you are so cool that it totally evens out the fact that I really struggle with your accent sometimes (and I am not that bad with accents.) Marion Cotillard, you are brilliant and I liked seeing you cuh-razy.

Eclipse

I thought that I should throw a few movies up here that actually came out in 2010. I of course saw this shortly after release. I've finally just accepted that the casting of these movies is pretty much wrong and it isn't going to be rectified until a strange made for tv remake happens in like 30 years. So I walked into this just ready to enjoy it... which I did for the most part. The fighting was good and I like anytime the Volturi show up. Having read the books, I was dreading the "tent scene" because I thought it was just ridiculous in the books. I guess it had been long enough because I didn't really hate the tent scene. I hate what a confused trampy wreck Bella becomes right after the "tent scene." I really don't have much more to say except that I finally finished the last book. I am sort of confused because SO many people hated it and I feel like I finally got some payoff in the end. Plus that birth is wild and BLOODY and I really hope they put it in the movie in all its horror. That's all... oh... Dear Bella, you are le worst. Love, Dirk.

David & Lisa

I adore this movie! A friend suggested I watch it a few years ago and it was right up my alley. Recently screened it with a few folks who were new to this gem. This touching and melodramatic tale of two teens in an institution is so gripping. The cinematography is fantastic and the two main actors are STUNNING. The style is great. David in his perfectly tailored suits and Lisa has a collection of jumpers to beat the band. For some reason, I always want to listen to the band Broadcast for days after I watch this. I connect the two for some reason. Like the imagery is what they mast have seen when writing some of their music. This movie, upon first exposure sent me on an intense spiral to find old black & white films about psychological and mental problems. I came on to a few treats but please share if you know of any. The stranger, the better. "Tell me David, who do you see? who do you see?" "I see a girl. A pearl. A pearl of a girl."