Half Nelson.

Just finished watching this film.

A social commentary on the change in people and the effects of the world around them. The story centers in on a drug addled history teacher and one of his 13 year old students. The two make an unlikely alliance and try to come to grips with the poor hand that life has offered them.

I'm a sucker for bleak stories and sparse cinema...and Half Nelson has this in spades. Its not a happy story, but underneath the grit there is a faint glimmer of hope, friendship and new beginnings.

Ryan Gosling flexes his artistic muscles in this film - and really, the man blew me away with his performance. I would be perfectly content and accepting of him being nominated this year in the Best Actor category at the Oscars. Sadly...that probably wont be happening. No less spectacular was newcomer, Shareeka Epps who played her roll with the precision and style of someone who has been in the game far longer then she. Kudos to the director Ryan Fleck...a man that I will no doubt be watching a lot closer in the years to come.

Watch this film. Its worth paying attention to.

**Also of note is the soundtrack for this film...which is dramatically spectacular all on its own. Check it HERE.

Children of Men.

This year on christmas day Alfonso Cuarón releases his newest film, Children Of Men.

Tideland.

I got to watch Terry Gilliam's newest film last night, Tideland.

I've always been a big fan of Gilliam's work, and have been looking forward to Tideland for well over a year now. A little trivia for you...the film was shot just one province over from me, about a two and a half hour drive from where I am now typing this out.

Yes...the Prairies really are that flat. :P

Anyways I enjoyed the film...but I gotta tell ya, it was pretty warped. The story centers around a young girl who is more or less left up to her own devices and imagination to survive and get along in the world her drug addled rock star father (Jeff Bridges) has put her in. She has severed doll heads she keeps stuck on her fingers for friends and more or less blissfully goes about her days unaware of the strange predicaments she constantly seems to find herself in.

I dunno...that's the best I can do. Like I said the film is pretty fucked up so its hard to explain. Its slow moving and about halfway through I was trying to decide if I was enjoying it or not. By the end I decided I did - but concluded that its definitely not my favorite movie by Gilliam. And that's that. My very professional half ass feelings towards my Tideland experience.

I'd say wait for the rental (Sorry Mr. Gilliam) but do make sure that you watch it when that becomes an option.