Review: Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

* * * *
Director: Malik Bendjelloul

They investigated every inch of his two album covers and combed through his lyrics looking for something, anything, that would provide a clue as to who Rodriguez was and where he came from. To the shock of his fans in South Africa, where he was as big, if not bigger, than Elvis, he was unheard of in his native America. His life and death were shrouded in mystery until two fans - journalist Craig Bartholomew Styrdom and record store owner Stephen "Sugar" Segerman - undertook the task of learning the truth about what happened to him. In the process they discovered a story more incredible than they could have imagined.

Library Project: October 13 - 19

Another week watching my DVDs, and a particularly fruitful one at that. Here's what I watched:

October 13: Dark Passage (1947) - the least of the films to co-star Bogart and Bacall. This gimmicky noir lacks the charm and energy of their other pairings, though it does start to find its footing near the end.

Review: Seven Psychopaths (2012)

* * * 1/2
Director: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson

It's not quite a movie within a movie story. It's more like an idea for a movie within a movie where the characters seem vaguely aware that they themselves are ideas for characters in that idea for a movie. Seven Psychopaths, writer/director Martin McDonagh's follow-up to 2008's In Bruges is a wickedly clever, ultra self-aware, and sometimes brutally violent comedy and easily one of the most entertaining movies of the year.

Review: Argo (2012)

* * * *
Director: Ben Affleck
Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman

When it comes to movies and marketing, a little hype can go a long way. Sometimes hype sets expectations too high, making a perfectly good film seem disappointing, but every once in a while a film is equal to the advance word and Argo is certainly one of them. All the talk about the film being a legitimate Best Picture threat is entirely justified, which is all the more amazing when you consider that the film is so thoroughly a genre piece. A taut suspense thriller that plays all the right notes at exactly the right time, Argo is the kind of movie that is "old fashioned" in the best possible way.

Library Project: October 6 - 12

Fell a little behind this week as I continue my journey through my movie library, but at least the majority of the movies I watched are bonafide masterpieces, so I guess that balances things out a little bit. Here's what I watched this week:

October 6: Camille (1936) - Garbo delivers one of her best, and most acclaimed, performances in this romantic drama co-starring Robert Taylor. Directed by George Cukor, Camille is an absolutely stunning period piece set in Paris' demimonde.