Ask not what Elfin April can do for you

I know, I know. You hit up this blog everyday, maybe several times a day, and you think to yourself, "I want to do something for April. She's always freely dispensing her smart and sassy film advice, and what do I do for her? I'd like to do something nice that she'd appreciate. As long as it doesn't cost too much. And doesn't take too long. But otherwise, totally."

Well, gentle reader, have I got a deal for you: something that takes about 2 minutes and costs you nothing. It's free, baby! So! Easy!

See that image there at right? Well, that's my favourite show. It's called Veronica Mars. It's the new Buffy, only sadly, it doesn't even have Buffy's ratings. And here's the problem: now that UPN and the WB are merging, well, every damn show is up in the air. Especially this one. So, help me save it. Sign this here petition. That's it. If you're a speedy typer, you can do it inside of a minute.

I'm not exactly banking on this (do online petitions ever make any difference?), but it's not like I ask a lot of you. It's the best damn show on television, and it's my favourite, and I just want to keep watching such a wonderful collection of fine actors spouting clever dialogue and solving twisty mysteries. So, do me this props.

And, if you are feeling especially generous with your time, you can devote an entire hour to checking it out Tuesdays at 9 pm on UPN. There's only two episodes left this season, so you might get a little confused. Couch Baron will hook you up. He's good like that.

Woman's always got my back

I've been trying to figure out exactly what to say about a trailer so appalling, distasteful, and horrifying that I start squirming in my seat and wished the thing would swallow me whole. Those nice folks over at Slate are always quick with a word, but those words aren't enough for me. Trust Sobell to hit it once again:

I haven't the words for what I think of the impending United 93 movie, other than these: What do you think the entertainment industry thinks of you if they believe you'd prefer a manufactured narrative to the truthful reporting of events that aren't even five years old yet? (Click here for the source)

Or the only two words I can yet muster: too soon.

Tsotsi (2005)

Summary: When a young thug and leader of a small gang (Presley Chweneyagae), carjacks a woman and discovers her baby in the back seat, he decides to reform his life and raise the boy himself.

As much as I love movie trailers, sometimes they can really get in the way of things. This movie was great, but I had this slight problem. I could clearly remember one shot from trailer that kind of sucked all tension out of the movie for me. Had it not been so, though, than I would spend the rest of this review discussing how many layers of tension writer-director Gavin Hood weaves into such richly simple set pieces and sparse dialogue.

Perhaps what is most astonishing about Hood's direction is the stark performance he brings out in newcomer Chweneyagae. Chweneyagae makes Tsotsi so hard and unforgiving that it's easy to forget how young he is - younger than even yours truly. Yet he remains remarkably vulnerable, subtle, and, above all, sympathetic.

This film only has one strike against it. I have a hard time with movies that kill an animal or child just to advance the plot. I'm not talking Ordinary People-the-kid's-dead-and-that's-the-point killing a child or an animal; I'm talking about the Syriana-style lazy-writing-don't-know-how-do-this-otherwise. I'm not going to tell you which goes down here. It was painful to watch and wholly necessary.

Otherwise, compelling drama worth checking out. A-

Inside Man (2006)

Idea: Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) sees his chance to make first grade detective when he and his partner (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are assigned to a bank robbery turned hostage situation. Frazier thinks he's in control of the bank robber (Clive Owen) until the CEO (Christopher Plummer) hires Madeline White (Jodie Foster) to negotiate instead.

Of course, this movie could have just as easily starred Owen's voice, Washington's hat, and Foster's legs and had roughly the same effect.

Listen, I'm happy to get behind this whole "thrillers for adults" gambit. I'm happy enough to support a Spike Lee joint, especially if the critics seem to agree that it's a pretty savoury one.

Unfortunately, what this movie delivers could not be reasonably classified as "goods". Lee decided to direct like he had just graduated film school (which, wtf? I know you can do better than this), and the result was something so unfocused that it made me feel sick sitting in the back row. I mean literally unfocused. As in, the camera wasn't frequently in focus, the angles were all wrong, and the shots made little sense a lot of the time. You know the way Lee comes across as a smug prick in interviews? I never minded all that much before because it's not like I have to sit next to him while I watch the movie. Sadly, with this he appears to have finally figured out how to get that attitude to translate directly into his films.

Washington, et al, are their general well done selves, but I probably would preferred it if Owen and Washington had come off as reasonably matched. I'm not going to tell you who the movie favours, but I warn you that it comes across as ridiculously unfair to watch. Also, every once and a while I kind of wished that Ejiofor was the star.

Also also, the music was terrible. Yes, Terrence Blanchard, counterpoint is nice. Unfortunately, it has have a point other than one of distracting me from the movie given how out of place it is.

Just a disappointment. C