The Brave One (2007)

Actually you don't need sound to watch this movie. Somehow the plane noise was too loud for my iPod, so I just watched it without my headphones, fast forwarding through the portions with dialog. Later I read the spoiler and caught up on what I missed. It's pretty good: full of testosterone filled action. Perhaps not a surprise with Jodie Foster as the lead in a story of, well, revenge.

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Minor spoiler:

I had a problem with the ending. How can anyone have someone else shoot them point blank in the chest no matter how much one trusts the other person? It's simply crazy. How can you be sure that you won't be dead from blood loss or other complications or even if not immediately, have some long term nerve or other damage. Perhaps if it's a smaller caliber weapon the round could ricochet around internal organs, and with a larger caliber the wound is larger and the damage could be fatal. In the movie's case, no precautions were taken. Shit, you could be hit in an important artery or puncture a lung and die in minutes. Crazy. Improbable.

Gerrit Engle: Manhattan New York

A pretty picture book to be sure, but it is somewhat amazing the way the book is able to capture the changing architecture and scale of construction in New York starting from 1793 to today. He is even able to make the twin towers seem more intimate: by placing nearby smaller buildings closer in frame and making the towers like slightly bigger brothers to them.

Beowulf (2007)

The sort of animated blond Beowulf isn't exactly hot, but he does strut around naked a lot. The real star is apparently Angelina Jolie who as mother to monsters is -- I think -- made to look younger and more attractive in this film than in real life. But did I mistakenly detect a sort of gay story line with Wiglaf?

The Valet (2006)

Well done little chick flick, but a bit absurd to my gay little head. Would a rich supermodel of seemingly upright morals go for an utterly unattractive (almost repulsive) married billionaire CEO? With expensive gifts and trips and a promise of a divorce, I suppose it's within realm of possibility.

BTW, is Kristin Scott Thomas french? She seems to speak well enough.