Thursday, April 7, 2011

From the archives: October 2008

It's often hard to know, right at the moment, which films will linger over time.

Certainly this month had its share of high-profile projects: a new espionage thriller from director Ridley Scott; the third entry in Disney's enormously popular High School Musical franchise; and several impressive adaptations of books, whether historical or simply amusing.

Yet what did I wind up watching several more times? A charming, teen-oriented romantic comedy with the unlikely title of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

Can't get enough of it. Go figure.

Okay, so I'm a sucker for good-natured misfit romantic comedies. But they're even better when layered with ribald sensibilities, and director Peter Sollett makes the most of Lorene Scafaria's script, which is adapted from an equally engaging (if even more filthy) book. Throw in a killer soundtrack, and you've got a hit for the ages, which I expect this film to become.

On an entirely different note, the other film that resonates, all this time later, is Rachel Getting Married: as gripping a real-world horror story as I've ever seen, and one that brought star Anne Hathaway a well-deserved Academy Award nomination. Director Jonathan Demme superbly orchestrates this cinema-verité depiction of the wedding guest from hell: You can't take your eyes off the screen ... much as you desperately want to.

As for the rest, the month also brought a nifty IMAX domentary; a poignant buried treasure (The Secret Life of Bees) that shouldn't have died at the box office; and a tiresome "inside look" at Hollywood (What Just Happened) that absolutely deserved the same fate.

Step into the Wayback Machine, and check 'em out:

Body of Lies

The Duchess

High School Musical 3

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Pride and Glory

Rachel Getting Married

The Secret Life of Bees

What Just Happened

Wild Ocean 3D

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