Go See: Waltz With Bashir

Waltz With Bashir opens this weekend in Minneapolis — January 30th at the Uptown Theater. (It's already playing in select cities just in case you live in one.) Bashir is an animated pseudo-documentary about the Israeli-Lebanon conflict of the nineteen eighties. Go see it.

Waltz With Bashir Trailer

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is the perfect blend of Eastern and Western cinema. Danny Boyle adds some grit and realism to this romantic fairytale (it's just barely believable) that no one will be able to leave unsatisfied.

The love that blossoms between the main character Jamal (newcomer Dev Patel who doesn't do much to hide it) and Latika (Indian sweetheart Freida Pinto) becomes harder and harder to swallow as the film progresses and the story adheres strongly to formula, meaning the whole thing feels like a setup and you can see what's coming around the next corner, but Slumdog Millionaire is a welcome return to the old Danny Boyle. Although moments in his films may be bleak, as a director Boyle has always dabbled in destiny — it's hard to forget the chain of events that made A Life Less Ordinary possible — and this film is an exciting achievement for him.

Slumdog Millionaire does Indian cinema a great justice. It's saved from exploitation and is redefined for a western audience. Wes Anderson tried not so long ago to take us to India in The Darjeeling Limited and although his film was a beautiful vacation, as viewers we felt like sight-seers in a foreign country. This film has translated Bollywood for us (even if it's on a superficial level) and I left the theater ready for the real thing. And believe it or not, it makes a great family movie. Parents will feel informed and inspired, so formula or not Slumdog Millionaire is a winner. Getting anyone to voluntarily experience the slums of Indian is an achievement indeed.

Slumdog Millionaire Trailer
A Life Less Ordinary Trailer
The Darjeeling Limited Trailer

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

If you're going to see it (and I suggest that you do) take the time and invest in a theater experience. Benjamin Button makes gorgeous use of digital format and although the story isn't new the point of view is. Screenwriter Eric Roth made a name for himself with Forest Gump, which is unfortunately a little too similar to Benjamin Button, but he also wrote Munich and his scripts are moving in a very romantic way. This is life as magical realism.

Don't worry too much about the romance between Cate Blanchet (radiant as always) and Brad Pitt. It's difficult to see Benjamin Button as anyone other that Pitt, which has less to do with his acting than it does with his persona. I think the stardom that we have afforded him is hurting how we watch him. He is aptly cast, beautiful and adoring but he simply cannot escape his household name. I would recommend that he disappear from the public eye, just for a bit, so that we may view him in a different light. That said, the lifelong bond between Daisy and Benjamin is a necessary element, but it doesn't carry the film and it doesn't need to. The first few acts are mesmerizing, and they refrain from romantic pandering. Movie posters and trailers made us think that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is about something it's not, and this time I didn't mind. Love is an easy ploy, and if it gets people into the theater to see this film, I am more than satisfied.

Keep in mind that this film is based on the idea of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story, not it's plot synopsis. What David Fincher found fascinating was the ennui. The same goes for the film; it's overall effect is terribly emotional, but the performances (while strong) are only part of a much bigger picture. In this version, it's the film that steals the show.