the workings of a tv/movie nerd.

Smart People:

Into the life of a widowed professor comes a new love and an unexpected visit from his adopted brother.

I Saw this movie a few weeks ago and to tell you the truth it wasnt exactly that great, sure it had its moments but it mislead me a bit with the trailers.

“Smart People” isnt a laugh riot it’s more of a film that’s written very sharp and the lines are witty and intelligent. And the themes of characterization dominate much of the movie as each face a problem during their life. And this film really shows and proves that each and every person no matter how smart or dumb they are learn something as they go. The cast is super with veterans Quaid, Parker, and Church who give steady and seasoned performances and it blends well with Page’s witty and fresh intelligent turn.

Dennis Quaid is Lawrence Wetherhold a literature professor at a Pittsburgh, PA university who’s a cultured yet uptight and lonely social misfit who still misses his deceased wife. One of the things that keeps him going is his witty and smart as could be daughter Vanessa(Ellen Page) who knows everything from politics to pop culture she also has a sharp tongue she’s certainly a joy to listen to(much like Page’s “Juno” character). Also he’s just taken in his lonely and confused stepbrother Chuck(Thomas Haden Church)who does provide him some emotional support. Much of that changes for the better thru bad fate after Lawrence suffers a concussion and once he discovers after his treatment from ER doctor Janet(Sarah Jessica Parker)that she was once an ex student a friendship develops into love.

Along the way the film focuses in on each characters good points and their negatives as each learn the good and bad points along the way about one another. Ending in a surprise as this films proves no matter how intelligent or smart a person is they can always learn from life’s lessons and by making mistakes unexpected joys and happiness may arrive. You learn life as you go. This film is nothing great, but okay for the way it’s witty and focuses on different characterizations and it proves each must learn and the performances are well from the veterans topped off by Page’s wit.

This film kind of struck me as similar to the film (The Squid and the Whale) purely by the way it was written, i really enjoyed the squid and the whale but found it very strange, and thats how i found this one, but I guess people have to make their own desicion so see it if you liked “The Squid and the Whale) in my opinion.

The Black Balloon:

The Black Balloon is a drama-based Australian film which stars Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson, Gemma Ward as well as a cast of newcomers. It is directed by first time feature film director, Elissa Down.

I saw this fim on mothers day on sunday and it is i think one of the best Australian films in years and i really enjoyed it.

It tells the story of Thomas (Rhys Wakefield). He and his family move to a new home and he has to start at a new school, all he wants is to fit in. When his pregnant Mother (Toni Collette) has to take it easy, he is put in charge of his autistic older brother Charlie (Luke Ford). Thomas with the help of his new girlfriend Jackie (Gemma Ward) faces his biggest challenge yet. Charlie’s unusual antics take Thomas on an emotional journey that cause his pent-up frustrations about his brother to pour out.

Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) has just started at a new high school. His father serves in the armed forces and the family has to relocate regularly. His brother Charlie (Luke Ford) has severe Autism and Attention Deficit Disorder. He’s not able to speak and because he’s the size of an adult, caring for him is not easy. At the start of the film we see him grunt with delight as he tramples a newly-bought carton of eggs into the kitchen floor.

While Thomas’s mother (Toni Collette) has accepted her son’s condition, Thomas has not. He wants to keep his brother a secret from his new schoolmates but when one student (Gemma Ward) learns of his sibling, she’s not put off.

It’s been a number of years since I’ve connected with an Australian film to the extent that I did with THE BLACK BALLOON. From the interesting title sequence at the start, we’re drawn into the challenges of life with a family member suffering a developmental disability. While, I suppose, an outsider could never fully appreciate just how demanding such a life could be, the film gives us a very good idea.

One of the film’s many accomplishments is its successful blend of drama and comedy. It could quite easily have been a depressing affair but many of the brother’s outrageous acts prove most amusing. On other occasions, they’re heartbreaking.

Equally fine is the performance by Luke Ford. Playing a handicapped character is a challenge for any actor, but Ford is totally convincing as Charlie. Never do we consider he’s an actor playing a role.

Rhys Wakefield Proves to be a young aussie ready to hit hollywood, he really impressed me the nature of his acting and his many moods throughout the film, sometimes you thought he was a real jerk and other times you really feel bad for him, he is awesome.

Toni Collette is first-rate as the ever-loving mother. She’s heavily pregnant and when complications arise from her pregnancy, we can’t help but wonder if the third child will be like Thomas or Charlie.

The most likable of the characters is Thomas’s classmate and later girlfriend, Jackie, played by Gemma Ward. Her acceptance of Charlie and her solid support for Thomas makes her most appealing. It’s interesting to note that while Thomas sees Charlie as a burden, his formal introduction to Jackie and the development of their relationship has much to do with his brother.

THE BLACK BALLOON is the work of first-time director Elissa Down, who studied film-making in Perth. She has done a sterling job. Having grown up with two Autistic brothers, it must be a profoundly personal work. The screenplay, by Down and Jimmy the Exploder, is honest and moving and the photography by Denson Baker is fine. I particularly appreciated his low- angle wide shots.

I think that people should see this movie because it brings a new light to the Australian film industry.

The Painted Veil:

The Painted Veil is a love story set in the 1920s that tells the story of a young English couple, Walter (Edward Norton), a middle class doctor and Kitty (Naomi Watts), an upper-class woman, who get married for the wrong reasons and relocate to Shanghai, where she falls in love with someone else. When he uncovers her infidelity, in an act of vengeance, he accepts a job in a remote village in China ravaged by a deadly epidemic, and takes her along. Their journey brings meaning to their relationship and gives them purpose in one of the most remote and beautiful places on earth.

I saw this film with a friend on saturday and really enjoyed it, it really touched me in a way that a film hasnt done in a long time, The acting was brilliant out of the three main leads and what i really loved abou this film was the cinematography, it was simply stunning.

Although I  saw this film 3 days ago I still feel this sinking in the pit of my stomach every time I think of it. Edward Norton’s character Walter really came alive on the screen (and the accent sounded flawless to me). He seems at first one-dimensional, but then he becomes, to his own disdain, more three-dimensional due to his wife’s actions. He pads through life, studying that which takes life (bacteria and disease) instead of living life. Yet, he finds it is that which surrounds you, whether the culture, disease, or your wife, which matters in the end. Naomi Watts’ character Kitty goes in the opposite arc: from out and about to understanding that it is what is unseen and not tangible that is important,such as love, friendship, and duty and obligation.

I haven’t seen a film that has impacted me like this for a very long time.

I encourage everyone to go and see it, because it is one of those films that you sit and think about afterwards and that you will think about for days later, you will feel happy that you saw it.