Random Babbles: Ninjas And Afflecks

Sunday, February 17, 2008

If you still haven't seen "Ninja Warrior" on G4 then you are sorely missing out on great entertainment.
Maybe it's the subject matter, but I continue to be amazed at how open and honest everyone is on "Celebrity Rehab".
The writers are back and Bill Maher benefited greatly from it. Or his show did, at least. My opinions of his personal ability to be funny have gone down quite a bit.

Gone, Baby, Gone: This is a crime drama based on a Dennis Lehane book (as Mystic River was) dealing with the disappearance of a 4-year-old girl and the efforts of local private detectives to find her. Amy Ryan ("The Wire") nabbed the only Oscar nod as the somewhat-grieving mother, but Casey Affleck might have deserved one as well. Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman are, well, Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman, and you even get a cameo from the great Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar on "The Wire"). This marks Ben Affleck's major directorial debut (he directed a student film) and he acquits himself well. He mostly uses the same gritty style that Eastwood used on Mystic River, but lacks the discipline of a master like Eastwood. He also, obviously from Boston, uses some shots to show off parts of the city, almost like a love letter, that really add to the importance of the main character's local ties. No Country for Old Men is great and There Will Be Blood is very good, but this kind of gritty crime film is more my cup of tea. I highly recommend it.
In fact, my "Movies You Didn't See But Should Of 2007" are Gone, Baby, Gone and The Lookout. You're really missing out if you haven't seen either of these.

Random Babbles