Dogville, Rhymes With Doggerel
Granted, I watched only the first 20 minutes of this (three months ago in Budapest), switching screening rooms instead to Ken Park, which I thoroughly enjoyed, so I can't give a proper review of this steaming pile of shit, as I didn't see it through to the end.
But here's what I can tell you. It's from director Lars von Trier, "innovator" of the Dogme 95, a cinematic movement (ugh) with it's own set of rules, such as "Shooting must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in," "The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa," "The camera must be hand-held" and so on. The result: pretentious crap.
Seemingly realizing this, von Trier takes Dogville (the name a coincidence with Dogme? doubtful) in the opposite direction: it's all set on a small theatrical stage. All the action (that I stayed for, anyway) takes place on the small "Main Street" of Dogville, where all the houses are outlined in white lines on the floor of a wood stage. There are, in fact, no houses, and furniture is sparse. Everything in pantomimed. Someone knocks on a door, we hear "knock, knock, knock," but they're rapping their fist against empty air. No walls, no background, everything is left to the imagination.
Sounds innovative? Sure, I rented Waiting for Godot, with Burgess Meredith and Zero Mostel, a year or so ago, and thought it was brilliant. Minimalism I can do. But pretentious garbage I can do without. (I mean, Nicole Kidman? Come on.)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
I hate trying to write something thoughtful and pretentious like a real film critic about movies on my blog, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. I wouldn't say it was one of the great movies of all time, but it has everything you want: likable odd-ball, underdog characters, an engaging narrative style, a truly clever plot conceit that builds on itself till the end, great photography, good, down-to-earth acting by big stars, laughs, tears and a bitter-sweet ending that leaves you feeling upbeat and optimistic for the characters without being sugar coated. A great date movie.
How often does a movie make you want to read a poem?
How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!UPDATE:
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;
Turns out Eternal Sunshine's weekend opening was less than stellar: $8.6 million, number six for the weekend. Good news (for evil doers) is that Dawn of the Dead displaced Passion of the Christ for the #1 spot.
:-)