The Borrower Arrietty

The trailer for the new Studio Ghibli is here!  Excitement!  I'm actually halfway through watching Ponyo right now, and I'm amazed at how well chosen (and what profile) actors they manage to get now.  I guess the English version of Arrietty won't be with us for a while, but it will have some trouble being anywhere near as good as BBC's adaptation of The Borrowers with Beverley Callard's daughter, Shaun of the Dead's mum and Spiller's half-scissor...

Speidi breaks up

Heidi Montag poses for a photo shoot to commemorate the fact.

SADFACE

Where The Wild Things Are

You wouldn't think that the director behind Being John Malkovich and Adaptation could fuck up the film that produced one of the most amazing-est of trailers of ever.  But he did.  I  watched Where The Wilds Things Are last night and despite the consistent brilliance of Catherine Keener (who had all of 10 minutes screen time) and some pretty stunning monster designs, this was a colossal waste of time.  After watching this and Away We Go last week, I just wish Dave Eggers would steer clear of my film-viewing experience.

The Brothers Bloom

Rian Johnson's follow-up to his high school noir Brick is a looser, more accessibly film that its predecessor. Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody are Stephen and Bloom, con artists and brothers, whose cons are as complex as "Russian novels", complete with symbolism, complex plot arcs and a wide array of supporting characters. That old staple, the "one final job" (Bloom longs for "an unwritten life"), involves a jaunt across Eastern Europe with eccentric, lonely millionaire Penelope (Rachel Weisz), during which the Brothers Bloom will fleece her of her fortune.

The problem with most con movies is that the number of twists the plot manufactures precludes feeling for its characters, a problem that The Brothers Bloom isn't immune to. However, much like he did with Brick, Johnson marries two disparate genres with considerable success. His second film is shot through with a Wes Anderson-like sensibility but, unlike Anderson and his numerous imitators, Johnson has a broader palette to work from and a willingness to cut loose that works in his favour.

Whilst not without its faults (the first 10 minutes detailing the brothers' first con stick too close to the Anderson formula and the ending lacks any real emotional punch), there much to love in the detail, not least a marvellous comic turn from Weisz and a typically relaxed, amusing one from Ruffalo.