American Beauty *****

Before I get into things I wish to place a request with the cosmic ordering system that I can meet and have a chat with Alan Ball, the writer of this film......thanks.

Lester Burnham, (Kevin Spacey) is 42 and entering a bit of a mid life crisis. The wheels have come off, his job has no meaning for him, his wife Carolyn, (Annette Bening) is on the brink of an affair and his daughter Jane, (Thora Birch) has no respect for him. Now watch what happens and how it affects him and his family and his new neighbours, the Fitzs.

This is a spectacular piece of work in regards to just about any aspect of film making that you might wish to measure. But as is often the way, it comes down to a couple of amazing moments which the whole films hangs on; in this case speeches by Lester's drug toting young neighbour Ricky Fitz, and towards the end of the film by Lester himself, elements of which have been borrowed from each other. The first takes place whilst Ricky shows Jane "the most beautiful thing he has ever filmed."

"It was one of those days when it's a minute away from snowing and there's this electricity in the air, you can almost hear it. And this bag was just, dancing with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. For fifteen minutes. And that's the day I realized that there was this entire life behind things, and this incredibly benevolent force, that wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid, ever. Video's a poor excuse, I know. But it helps me remember... I need to remember... Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in".

There is much iconography in this movie. Hands feature a lot, as well as reflections and mirrors and confined spaces. Lester is seeking to escape from his restricted life, but not to a place of irresponsibility, to a place where he can be himself.

This is a beautifully realized film with fantastic performances, Anette Bening is scarily effective, Mena Suvari who plays Jane's friend and the subject of Lester's infatuation is mesmerising, there is great imagery and brilliantly chosen music but above all, I love this film because I once had a similar experience to the one Ricky describes and as he said himself "it helps me remember".

Collateral *****

Film 4 showed this movie last night. I am a fan of Michael Mann but whilst this is every bit as stylish as Heat, it hangs together better as a complete entity.

Tom Cruise (who I am not usually bothered about) plays a hitman, Vincent, in town for the night to do a spot of contract killing. Jamie Foxx is Max, the unwitting soul recruited to drive Vincent around for the duration. Max is a disenfranchised, nice guy, taxi driver who starts to realise that, up against Vincent and perhaps in the rest of his life he needs to take a stand. Vincent, on the other hand, is surfing along on the edge of his confidence and power, doing "what he does for a living......indifferent", causing havoc.

Sometimes aspects of a character in a film remind me of people I know and this for me is a sign of a great performance. Rarely has it happened to the extent that it does in the case of Vincent (not sure what this says about people I know).

This a black comedy; the bullying of Max by Vincent generates much tension and even amusement, odd pairings in other films like Midnight Run and Planes Trains and Automobiles come to mind. The imdb page for the film features much of Vincent's wisdom and ascerbic one-liners.

One dead body already in the boot of the car, two cops approach, "Don't let me get backed into a corner, you don't have enough trunk space", he warns Max.

Australian GP

My predictions seem to be on target post this first race of the season........(click here for more).

Nice Truck

Captured in its natural habitat in rural Alberta last year, I was pleased with how close I was able to get to this one.

Le Conseguenze dell'amore ****

I spoke to someone about this film over the weekend. They said that they couldn't understand what motivated the main character to do what he did.

In the Scritti Politti song, the Sweetest Girl, there is the line "she left because she understood the value of defiance".

In this atmospheric and stylised but handsome film we learn about Titto, an immaculately dressed, middle-aged, lonely guy who lives in a smart hotel by a lake in Switzerland and is suffering from the consequences of decisions he has made and circumstances he has found himself in, which appear to have trapped him.

Much of the interpretation is left to the viewer but whilst decisions have consequences and whilst they may have a permanent impact, defiance does have an intrinsic value as does doing things for reasons of your own.