Sunday, September 11, 2005

Foreign Gardens


In what is turning out to be a rather mediocre year for the movies, when even some of my favorite directors have delivered patchy (Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Hayao Miyazaki's Hauru no ugoku shiro) to indifferent (Terry Gilliam's The Brothers Grimm) films, Fernando Meirelles (the Brazillian director of the brilliant Cidade de Deus) does not disappoint. Working from a relatively minor work by John Le Carré, he weaves a compelling, haunting, and surprisingly well crafted and taut thriller that is not easily forgotten; and he is most ably supported by a perfectly cast Ralph Fiennes and the heartbreakingly tender Rachel Weisz, along with Alberto Iglesias' throbbing score and César Charlone's eloquent cinematography.

The Constant Gardener opened nationwide on August 31, and is now in theaters. Go watch it!

Friday, September 02, 2005

Greener Grass

Ever notice how restaurants advertise 'homestyle food', and when the grub is particularly elaborate and fancy at home it is compared to 'restaurant food'!