Fall 2003
Matrix Revolutions
The Matrix was a movie with near universal appeal. At once basic and intellectual, fun and intriguing, it succeeded on delivering more than was expected of it. On following this, the sequels have failed, despite or because of heroic efforts. The second one featured massive fight sequences and special effects spectacles, while also feeding the intellectual thirst with complex monologues and plot convolutions. The third was similar in this regard. The problem is that those looking for action were turned off by the intellect, and those looking for intellect were turned off by the action. They lost the seamless blending so masterfully done in the first. That said, I personally really liked the second and liked the third even more. I thought the very end of Revolutions got a bit hokey, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Kill Bill vol. 1
The first installment of Quentin Tarantino's Kung Fu serial is a bloody, gory mess of completely absurd fight scenes built along a very simple revenge plot, with almost no dialogue worth mentioning. I thought it was great. His trademark out-of-order sequencing, slick cutting and interesting characters, sudden flashbacks and universal themes lead to an exciting revisitation of a genre recently overwhelmed by special effects overdoses and single character showcases. I'm looking forward to the second half of the story, to see how Bill gets it in the end, or if he does. A fun twist at the end adds a new light to the story that makes you grateful the sequel is not far off.
Lost in Translation
This was a rather interesting romance movie. Bill Murray is an aging actor in Tokyo endorsing whiskey. His wife, busy with her own activities and their children is encountered only in brief neurotic phone conversations. Through this we see that busy Tokyo represents escape and relaxation, despite its odd foreign nature. He meets the young and bored wife of a photographer and they become friends. The movie didn't have a point beyond sharing this experience with the audience. Despite this the movie was interesting, if pointless. A cool glimpse into modern Japanese culture and the psychology of a near affair.