Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion

I debated about whether or not I should include this in my film review log. First of all, eww. Second, I only saw the last hour of the movie, while resting at a hotel in San Diego. After a day of seminars on urban development, with an evening and two more days to go, an hour of stupid Sunday seemed just the thing to unwind. Finally, since I readily admit that I never plan to see this movie again, this would be my only chance to review it. I decided to take notes for a later posting, then promptly forgot about it during the hassle of having my cell phone stolen.

Anyway, I'm back home again, my new cell phone is activated, and I'm going to admit I watched this - and I liked it. I'm not a fan of cringe-worthy film. I even have trouble watching The Office. But, having gone through my own ten-year reunion a few years ago, I found the similarities - even and especially the big dance scene - that I was left smiling as the film ended.


Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion
1997, 92 minutes, directed by David Mirkin

The Illusionist

Alas, on Monday the 22nd I found myself stuck for 11 hours again with just a 6" screen. Before sleeping off most of the flight, I caught one of the in-flight selections.

Cheesy as it sounds, I don't like watching movies with unhappy endings. That's not why I want to immerse myself in film - to be saddened. But despite the tragedy in this movie, I found the promise of hope. Plus, though this may be obvious already, I'm easily fooled by plot twists.

I will watch this again some day on a larger screen with pleasure.

The Illusionist
2006, 110 minutes, directed by Neil Burger

Sunshine

Let me start by saying that Google and its services (including Blogger) are very frustrating to use overseas. Yes, I'm in Japan. Yes, most folks in Japan would prefer Japanese versions of these web sites. But I can't speak Japanese and don't even have the character sets installed. Line after line of questions marks aren't very useful, and there are no options to pick a different language.

It's been a few weeks since I last saw a movie. A break is good after the immersion that is a festival such as Fantastic Fest. But yesterday's 12-hour flight to Tokyo with little more than a 6-inch screen to keep me company was a fitting time to delve back into film, and there's no better choice to start with than something from my favorite genre, low-budget sci fi.

With Sunshine, I felt the budget was well used. I was somewhat disappointed with the expected plot twists and some cliché characters, but it was overall a satisfying experience. I'd certainly see it again if stuck on a plane with Evan Almighty as the only other option. (Incidentally, I later made it 10 minutes into Evan before giving up, so no review is forthcoming.)

Sunshine
2007, 107 minutes, directed by Danny Boyle