The Dry Spell is Over!

I don't know about you, but it has seemed that there has been a real drought in the movie business lately. Blockbusters like "The Dark Knight" and "Quantum of Solace" notwithstanding, it has been a tall order to find a decent movie to spend 90 or so minutes of your time on.

That is precisely why I'm always happy when November and December roll around and bring with them all sorts of Oscar hopefuls. This year has certainly been no disappointment and here's a smattering of what I've loved lately in the theatres:

"I've Loved You So Long"

This French film (sub-titled) with Kristin Scott Thomas is mysterious and moving as it reveals Juliette's (Thomas) history bit by bit, like peeling back layers of an onion. While Thomas is predictably solid in her portrayal of Juliette, fresh out of prison after 15 years, Elsa Zylberstein's role as the generous, good-hearted younger sister is the surprise of the the film and the two of them develop a dyamic that could only exist between family members who are essentially strangers.

"Happy Go Lucky"

I've already raved about this one enough, so I'll just say that if you still haven't seen it, GO NOW.

"Slumdog Millionaire"

Indian film comes out of Bollywood and into its own with this moving, sometimes humorous portrayal of Jamal, a "slumdog" from Mumbai who is working his way up the ladder in the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" The film cleverly uses the questions in the game show to reveal details of Jamal and his brother's history.


"Ghost Town"

This is a bit random and I'm not saying that this is Oscar material, but the movie "Ghost Town" was actually a really fun surprise. It's probably one of the worst possible names for this movie, but the film itself was pretty good, mostly owing to Ricky Gervais and his portrayal of a semi-reclusive NY dentist. One of the funniest parts of the movie is a short series of scenes with Kristen Wiig as a surgeon, portraying a character worthy of her SNL roots. I saw this on a flight to New York, so being a completely captive audience may have contributed to how much I like the movie, but if you see it for yourself, you'll see that behind the clever humour, there is a great premise that really makes you think.


And finally, my other movie-going tip (when you're NOT on an airplane) is that if you request a "kid's pack" at the snack counter, you get a small soda, just the perfect amount of popcorn and a tiny pack of candy, all for about $5 or $6. It's the best deal in town! And I've gotten over the embarrassment of asking for "the Kid's Pack, please" when I'm standing in front of the skeptical snack jockey with clearly not a single "kid" in my charge. Hey, last time, I got a Madagascar bobblehead on my soda lid to take home with me!