Sunday, October 12, 2008

Where's Fluffy?

I'm on roll finding great movies lately!  In the past week I've seen APPALOOSA (wonderful film that was written, directed and starred the talented Ed Harris, in what I think could garner an Oscar nomination), HALF NELSON (on DVD) and now NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST.  You'll have to see NICK & NORAH for yourself to understand the reference in this blog title.  

NICK & NORAH was thoroughly enjoyable. I couldn't help but notice many similarities between it and the film GROOVE.  Both films take place in the course of one evening, focus on a search (and love) of music, depict the dawning of a new relationship, involve a party, have a minor gay side-couple, and end as the new day is dawning literally and figuratively. I'd give NICK & NORAH a solid "A", although with a few tweaks, it could have been a real classic.  If you haven't seen the film, please stop reading my review here, so you can enjoy the experience at it's fullest. Spoiler Alert:  My main criticisms: I wish the film used more effective shots to create a grander ending.  After the shot on the escalator, I wish they punched out to a WIDE establishing shot where we see them slide out of the escalator and out of frame. Then the camera could have craned back further to reveal an even WIDER shot of the band playing... Yeah baby!! One more note:  I think it would have worked better without the sex scene.  I felt this film had a somewhat innocent feel to it, and this scene was extraneous.  It's not like they put it in for nudity's sake, since there is none. I found it anticlimactic.  (No pun intended). Sex is so casual in society today, especially for kids, and this film reflects it. (And I don't think that was a conscious point).  If they had to keep it in, I wish they had a bit of dialogue about a condom or something to indicate they were using protection. Regardless, it was a great flick! 

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