The Last Picture Show

I've slipped behind in the BPC due to a fierce affliction of the flu, but even this phlegm-rattling cough and these feverish aches cannot stop me from making at least a little bit of progress. Friday night I went out to the movies with one of my friends, and we saw not just one but two movies before going home. I felt so sick that I thought, by the time movie #2 came around, I was entering the last picture show I'd ever attend, and that death would soon be claiming me. Somehow, though, I made it through alive. The first film of Friday evening was The King's Speech, a nominee for 2010 that I had yet to see, and the second film was 127 Hours (it might have been my third time seeing it in theaters, but I still cried like a baby and left just as spell-bound as I did the first time). In an attempt to prevent myself from falling too behind, I managed to fit a viewing of Slumdog Millionaire(2008) in on Saturday afternoon.

The King's Speech consensus:
Somewhat overrated. Sure, it was good. Uplifting, funny, gripping at times. A charming movie, in itself, but comparatively speaking it isn't all that fantastic and shouldn't take the cake in February. Held next to jaw-droppers like Black Swan, Inception, and my very favorite, 127 Hours, this one pales considerably and fails to take hold in our heads and hearts. And while Collin Firth gives a commendable performance, he's no James Franco (I hope the Academy doesn't snub Franco like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association did at the Globes).

Slumdog Millionaire consensus:
Incredible. A powerful, heart-wrenching, exhilarating celebration of the irrepressible human spirit. Such a tragic picture of his past is painted that we hope for Jamal Malik(Dev Patel)'s success so desperately that when his triumphant moment finally arrives, we're practically leaping out of our seats with him. Danny Boyle is rapidly becoming my favorite director (I can't stop talking about his latest uplifter), as this film instantly jumped up into the ranks of my most favorite movies.

I've noticed that I've practically been writing books for each post, so in an effort to be more concise, I'll end the rambling here tonight. I'm not sure which movie I'll watch before I go to bed tonight (I can't afford to skip another night!) but I'm sure I'll have a lot to say about it tomorrow.