Closer and Hotel Rwanda

So I headed out to the movie theater today to catch a double feature of "Closer" and "Hotel Rwanda". It technically isn't really a double feature. To be accurate, I paid for one and wandered into the other free of charge. In my defense, I did buy popcorn in between movies so that was almost the price of another ticket. Sure, you risk a one way ticket to hell, but I rolled the dice anyway. Besides, I am far too poor to see everything separately. This site doesn't exactly pay the bills you know.

First on tap was "Hotel Rwanda". I had already heard from my good buddy Kareem out in LA that he had seen a screener of the film and loved it. So I rolled in hoping for greatness, and while I'm not sure what I got was greatness, it was defiantly really goodness. The basic premise of the movie is a hotel manager (Don Cheadle) in Rwanda starts taking in refugees once the civil war breaks out. Think "Schindler's List" in a hotel. This movie hinges on Don Cheadle's performance, which was absolutely stellar. If he has given a better performance, I have yet to see it. He isn't over the top or showy with the role, he plays it without a false not. Seeing him torn between taking his family away and staying and helping is brutal. Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix are the other name actors who look a bit out of place. Especially Nolte, it seemed at times that his character was made up during shooting just to get him in the movie. While that probably isn't how it went, it just seemed like he had nothing really to do. Phoenix on the other hand does a lot with a little. Taking a throw away part and working wonders with it. The rest of the cast was good in smaller roles. There is nothing showy or flashy about this film, which I think is one of the great things about it. It just drops you in the middle of a genocide and lets you watch. Making this a very uncomfortable movie, but one that needed to be made. Here's hoping Cheadle is rewarded with a nomination come Oscar time.

So after a trip to the concession stand I was sitting down to watch "Closer". This is a movie I have wanted to see since it came out but just couldn't get the timing right. After it took home a couple of surprise Golden Globes, I figured it was time to finally see it. "Closer" is one of those movies that is just an acting clinic. Nothing really spectacular happens but you just feel like you are watching greatness. All 4 of the main characters (Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Clive Owen, and Natalie Portman) shine in this drama about relationships and how we screw them up. The actors just light up the screen thanks in part to Patrick Marber's brilliantly written script. This is a movie for grown ups and pulls no punches. Owen and Portman especially turn in career making performances sure to leap them into the A list. Mike Nichols is in midseason form. This is just one of those movies that feel real, like it could be a documentary. Finally, the song that bookends the movie is a great piece of music and I can not believe it isn't getting more award season respect. The song is called "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice and is the best piece of music in a film that I saw all year.

2 more films down as I attempt to catch all the big Oscar movies so I can complain when the Oscar don't get it right. And don't you worry, I will be complaining right here on this very blog for your reading enjoyment.