Last night was nice, went to Comme Bar, had some beers, caught up with some people. Here's some movie reviews.

'Strange Fits of Passion' (1999) directed by Elise McCredie

Not bad. A light comedy-drama focusing on the romantic life of a twenty-something Australian woman. It had some nice moments but overall felt a bit patchy, as though some scenes didn't quite work together. The ending in particular is quite abrupt, introducing some totally new themes and this isn't explored enough.

'Wisconsin Death Trip' (1999) directed by James Marsh

A documentary film about the town of Black River Falls, a town that seems to have a history filled with murder, insanity and suicide. The film uses reenactments as it's main device but also features old photographs and modern day footage. It's shot really well, the film looks great and it's not like any documentary I'd seen before. Having said that, it pretty much stayed at the same pace all the way through, giving it something of a monotonous feel. Interesting in parts, though.

'The Soloist' (2009) directed by Joe Wright

A quiet drama about the relationship between a journalist and a street musician. It's okay, although not much happens in the story. This film is chiefly about the performances of Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx and as such, it feels like the kind of film that has been made to generate Oscar buzz. They're both quite good, particularly Foxx, but by the end of the film I felt a bit dissatisfied. Overall, it seemed to be lacking depth. I never felt like I was ever really that intrigued by the two characters and the dynamic between them was at times difficult to gauge. Also, the use of flashbacks gave the film an unneccesarily cheesy melodramatic feel.