Brief Movie update.

Sideways: I give it an A-. It’s astounding that there’s still an occasional movie nominated for an academy award that’s worth watching. (Or that there’s anything at Blockbuster worth watching for that matter.) It gets points for dissing Merlot. More points for being different yet watchable at the same time. I’m starting to rather appreciate Paul Giamatti. I spent most of the movie unable to figure out why Thomas Haden Church looked familiar, and then Joanna said, “Did you know that this guy was on Wings?” Right. The mechanic. Overall, I didn’t think it was extraordinary, but I did think it was good and enjoyable. My only serious complaint is that I still have no idea why it’s called Sideways.

Coffee and Cigarettes: B. This film consists of a series of disconnected scenes, filmed in black and white, where the only common thread is coffee and cigarettes. It even has Tom Waits! It’s funny, in a strange sort of way, hardly unpleasant, and is most definitely different. I think that Ben would probably enjoy it.

I Heart Huckabees: B+. Loved both by existential wannabes (who take it seriously), and those of us who’ve had enough of existential wannabes, and laugh at it. Genuinely funny.

The Matchmaker: B-/C+. The DVD was so badly scratched that we couldn’t watch the ending, but I doubt it contained any surprises. Set in Ireland, so subtitles help. Hardly a wonderful premise, but it was at least well executed.