Movies

The power is up and the computer is back connected to the Internet at home, and yet still I haven't updated my movie reviews. Shame on me. My three most recent film-going ventures have all been book adaptations. Here's a preview: The latest adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is a very romantic and an approachably minimized version of the full story, starring Keira Knightley (though not near as satisfying as the 1995 BBC miniseries). Capote, starring the fabulous Philip Seymour Hoffman in title role, is a mesmerizing exploration of the author's absorption in the subject matter of his final book, In Cold Blood; well told, well acted, highly recommended. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is too fast paced and overly minimized for my tastes, though Harry remains very sympathetic, which I'm quite glad of.

Before all that I saw The 40-Year Old Virgin, but it's not even in the theaters anymore. My better-late-than-never review comes down to this: a genuinely funny, utterly silly, adult-humor film. Some really good lines, some over the top stuff, and a sweet story at center of it all. Stars Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and Catherine Keener.

Oh and after that but before the others David and I saw David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. It stars Viggo Mortensen as a small town family man who's drawn the unwanted attention of some bad guys (led by a creepy Ed Harris). You can catch this satisfyingly tense, thoughtful drama about past and present lives on DVD. We went in seeking something really moving and thought-provoking; it was good but not as deep as we'd expected. Still, a much better movie overall than most others coming out lately.