Paris, Je t'aime (2006)

The city is lovely on film. My favorite vignettes are the one Elijah Wood is in, Gus Van Sant's piece, and the last one.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)

Seems to have been written by someone who is good friends with gay people. A mainstream flick with nothing gay in the main storyline, but lots of gay side material. There are even attractive gay guys in this movie who are not basket cases and actually they're the good guys of the film. Kind of amazing how Hollywood has evolved.

Is the story believable though? Ah well. Not really, but it's entertaining all the same. The music is good, if inoffensive.

One funny line is where Cera's character, Sal, says most believeably on suffering from his breakup: "It's tough being a straight guy."

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

A nice watchable film. But I think a little overrated considering the 8 Oscar wins.

What drove the kid? Love of a girl, who is now lost. How to connect with her? Become famous! Not a little idealistic and crazy, but perhaps just an exaggerated version of an occasional truth of the human condition: boy wins girl through dogged determination and courageous acts.

With other occasional truths (requiring less effort) being boy wins girl through having a job, being a prince, having good looks or having fashion sense (similar to being a prince).

Terminator: Salvation (2009)

I had a good conversation about meta-physics and science fiction genre after seeing this film with a friend. It seems to me the Terminator shares quite a bit with the Matrix. I found this Terminator a mildly intellectual exercise and one which manages to satisfy. I.e no major holes in the story, though there are obviously paradoxes. One weird thing which isn't giving anything away I don't think, is seeing your own father as a young kid. How weird would that be? (And then of course, how much weirder, as I was reminded by my buddy, later sending him off to die -- without telling him perhaps -- to make it with your Mom to have you?)

Doubt (2008)

The universal signifier of a gay boy: he wonders if he looks fat? This could have been a much shorter film it seems to me. I was able to get through it using some FFwd in about an hour without really missing anything. I read through a few reviews before writing this. They pretty much pan Streep's performance. I actually liked it. I thought it was good and had a lot of good gaffuws at how impressively and stylishly her character, despite being so one-note, actually makes progress in her investigation.

The Reader (2008)

Kate Winslet and the boy protagonist, Michael Berg, spend a lot of time naked in this film. This definitely improved Winslet's chances I think for the Oscar, and the crossover appeal. Ralph Fiennes seems a bit off here following the boy's mostly exuberant performance, else the boy had really changed in demeanor quite significantly having grown up greatly. I found exceptional and strange compassion for Winslet's character, perhaps it was a good understanding of one of her weaknesses, I guess. [Hey, the actor playing the boy is probably in his late teens, early twenties.] Winslet's was a very worthy performance.

The Living End (1992)

Made in the middle of the devastating peak of the AIDS crisis, the movie muses on the nihilistic themes of death. The death sentence leads to a road trip and love, sort of.

Louis C.K. "Chewed Up"

I watched this comedian on Comedy Central last night. He was hilarious. I thought strangely amusing (but no, not exciting) his little bit on date rape: a woman he dated who wanted him to force her to have sex with him. But he touched on a lot of topics, including what it's like being a white male (difficult to complain) and why his own kids are so annoying.