I saw . . . this: Part 6

Because sometimes, I see movies.

For Your Consideration (2006)

Christopher Guest outlines and directs the kind of movies that I always mean to see. I think I'll watch it, I set aside time to watch it, I never watch it. I made a point of going to see his latest, about a film set that is overrun with Oscar buzz after one of the stars hears about a blog rumour, but it didn't click with me. I liked it just fine. I had a few laughs. Even so, the satire never kicked in. It had no bite. For my money, I'd hit up State and Main for a Hollywood send-up.

Insomnia (2002)

Years ago, I tried to watch his movie because Jonathan Jackson is in it. I knew it was a small part, but I wanted to see him. I watched exactly one scene with him, got really bored, and turned it off. I had already read whodunit, so there was no allure. A while ago, the movie floated back up to the surface because of director Christopher Nolan. I love Nolan, so I put it back on my Zip List. Sure enough, I enjoyed the movie. As operatic as Pacino can be in his later years, he shows up to do the work more than anyone. Under Nolan, he manages something of a low key performance, and it was a nice change. Finding the killer is only half the game with this one. The cat-and-mouse work to bring him holds your attention far better. I don't know that I can think of a man who better knows his way around a plot twist than Nolan.

Northfork (2003)
I'd never seen a Polish Brothers movie before, and I can't say that this one will deter me from seeing another. It appears that a lot of the critical comments marked this movie about the stragglers in a small Montana town about to be turned into a lake as poetic. I'm not sure I agree. I can certainly see how one might find it allegorical, especially the plot line about the family searching for the unknown angel and the little boy who believes he can help them, but I wouldn't call it poetic, exactly. It's more surreal than anything. It's a quiet movie, nothing in particular happens, but it's a nice way to an hour and a half if you feel like being quiet yourself.

The Faculty (1998)

If you feel like being highly amused by a bad movie over the same time frame, however, this one's for you. Emily reminded me that Jon Stewart was the science teacher. We had to see it again. There's nothing in this movie that isn't funny. The plot loves to make no sense, Josh Harnett is one of the least convincing bad boys I've ever seen (unless making it seem like a really obvious affectation was a sly comment on the characterization of teens by the media . . . nah), and Laura " Daisy, Daisy Adair" Harris is hilariously checked out as nude but menacing alien. Personally, nothing is funnier than watching wee little Stewart toss six-foot-plus Harnett across the lab.

Ghost Rider (2007)

Now, you have to know that when a movie isn't screened for critics, it's going to suck. I know it managed $52 million in its opening weekend. I was one of the people that helped put it there. It's so bad, you pretty much have to have fun watching it. Much like the above, nothing about it isn't funny. I used to think I disliked Nic Cage because he was always mugging for the camera instead of acting. Now I get the laugh at him phoning it in, too! I used to think that I maybe liked Eva Mendes, or that I could in the future. After she decided that her best option was to act like her character's development was arrested at 12, I'm thinking maybe I don't like her. I do, however, like Sam Elliott. He makes everything better. Also, Ghost Rider's powers are lame. He stares at people. What's the point of looking that cool if you aren't going to do anything cool?