In addition to lots of mother’s day pampering I was also treated to a rare 3 movie viewing fest:

11′09”01 September 11- Jeanni wrote a great review of this film. In fact, it was her review that reminded me 11′09″01 was still sitting on my dvd shelf waiting to be seen. What an idiot I’ve been to have it hanging around this long without watching it. I thought it was fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. A series of vignettes (each 11 minutes, 9 seconds) presented from eleven directors around the world- all paying homage to the victims of September 11th. They’re all good in their own, unique way, but the standouts for me were Mexico, the United Kingdom and Iran (sorry jeanni, I didn’t mean to copy you… you’ve just got great taste)

Mexico’s offering was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu - an absolute genius. His resume just keeps getting better. I thought his approach was so unique… so innovative… so poignant, that it just blew me away. I would never have thought the absence of visual material could make such an impact, but it did… and then some.

As for the United Kingdom… it was all about reminding us that america’s not blameless when it comes to the world scene and the cruelties of dictators. It’s a man saying “we’re no so different, you and I”, that he had once been on the receiving end of cruelties. His 9/11 happened in 1973 in Chile when a united-states-backed Pinochet toppled the government of the newly elected socialist president, Salvador Allende. But it’s not done with guile or blame or a ‘you had it coming’ attitude, instead it’s tasteful and really makes you think about the part we all play in global atrocities. I’d say this was the vignette I mulled over the most after finishing the film.

Iran’s was so sweet and touching and just goes to show that across the world… regardless of differences both physical and philosophical… children are beautiful, innocent things. Iran’s eleven minutes centers entirely around an Afghan schoolteacher sharing with her class the events of 9/11…

The Fountain- For most people Darren Aronofsky films fall into two categories. You either love them or you hate them. Personally, I loved Requiem For A Dream, but struggled to appreciate Pi. Having said that, I still thought Pi was great from a cinematography and funkiness standpoint. So I’ve been eager to see The Fountain, loved the teasers and thought they were visually stunning. I also thought it would be interesting to see how he showcased his partner (and star of the film), Rachel Weisz - an amazing actor in her own right.

At its heart, The Fountain is sort of like the old Ryan O’Neal/Ali MacGraw ‘Love Story’ movie (love means never having to say you’re sorry…) with a time continuum twist. What rescues it from cheese is the caliber of the actors, the intelligent writing and the amazing, amazing cinematography. Hugh Jackman plays a medical researcher desperate to save his dying wife (Weisz). He also plays a Spanish Conquistador on a quest to bring eternal life to his Queen (again, Weisz). And in yet another timeline he’s a time traveler with Buddhist leanings traveling through space with a life-giving tree (which, I think, again represents Weisz). All timelines speak to the impermanence of life, and (equally so) the impermanence of death. Something I found very beautiful.

And speaking of beautiful, Rachel Weisz literally glows through the film. At times it felt almost voyeuristic watching- such was the raw way Aronofsky’s camerawork captured Weisz’s character. That alone probably counts as the fourth love story in the film, and it’s equally compelling.

My only real criticism comes toward the end when the conquistador confronts the tree of life (without giving too much away) I felt it veered a little too far into arthouse territory for me. But this by no means is my way of saying it wasn’t a good film. It was. Out of four stars I’d still give it 3.25 or 3.5. Well worth seeing.

Eragon- Eh, it was ok. Honestly, I don’t think you can expect much from this genre. I was mostly bummed Jeremy Irons wasn’t in more of it. Sydney liked it and that was the primary reason for viewing it to begin with, so all in all it was satisfying. Oh, and now I totally want to own my own dragon.

On this day..

• Oh, the irony. - 2006