topaz

Have been catching up on my movie viewing.

On Tuesday, got to see Kinsey and had a very nice, long dinner and evening stroll with the always fascinating

psongster. The movie was very nicely done: I had problems with some of the characterizations (like Kinsey's father) but it was very well acted. In particular I liked the fact that while it didn't shy away from Kinsey's problems and the shortcomings of his methodology, it also didn't demonize him for them. Given that it was ultimately a very favorable portrait I thought it was as neutral as it could possibly be, given how polarized the subject matter was.

Last night I saw Million Dollar Baby. What a movie. Anyone who considers themselves a student of writing should see this one. The script is deceptively complex -- deceptive because it seems, when you are watching it, like a very simple, straightforward story, but the more you think about it, you will find layer upon layer of meaning that you had not noticed before. The stories fit together so neatly and so beautifully that you can't imagine them being told any other way. Lots of critics named Sideways the best picture of the year, and while I think I enjoyed the time I spent watching Sideways more, I can't say that it was the better film. The craft of Million Dollar Baby was so remarkable that even thinking about it now it takes my breath away.

Still want to see The Aviator and Rwanda, and Assassination and Aquatic before they leave the theaters. And Neverland if I can get

keyne to go with me before the Oscars.