Waiting it out

Patience is a virtue I'm pretty sure I don't have. My hands are shaking from the desire to complete the final six movies of my long (seemingly interminable) goal to see one hundred movies in one year. To those who think that isn't so difficult you may be right but I'm not a full time film reviewer and time and money are both considerable costs to consider. Since 2004 when I first realized that I had come within 25 or so films of the elusive 100, I have been trying to attain said magic number. Now with victory all but assured (and I suppose due to my confidence destined to fail), I want each of the final six to be worth the price of admission.

Here is what I'd like the final six to be but since a fair number of them are only limited release and most of my time this month will be in cities that never get limited release films, I may have to settle for slightly less.

The Wrestler - The Fountain may have been one of the biggest pieces of indulgent auteur crap I have ever seen but Aronofsky also made Requiem for a Dream which in terms of the relating the harsh reality of drug use, I've seen few better pieces of evidence. It was not a movie for one emotionally durable enough to watch utter personal destruction. And the man who made that film, in my opinion, can probably deliver on an emotional story of an aging "wrestler". Plus Mickey Rourke by all reports gives one hell of a performance. Add Marisa Tomei who pleasantly surprised me last year in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and I'd say my interest is peaked.

The Brothers Bloom - Rian Johnson's first film was the amazingly good update of noir films in a modern day high school (Brick) starring the continually impressive Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Second films have of course a certain notoriety of not living up to the promise of the first, still I'm giving it a chance.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - This I can't entirely explain. I've never been that keen on David Fincher as a director. Brad Pitt is generally disparaged as an actor but there have been several times in his career that he took on serious roles that genuinely impressed me. Most recently his turn as Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was frankly quite good (a claim I know a few will contest).

Revolutionary Road - Just reading the description this sounds like its right up my alley. Sam Mendes is hit or miss with me but Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet is a pretty undeniable acting duo. And how can you look at the below image and not get goose bumps? Are you heartless? (Apologies to all those without cinematic hearts)



Doubt - Basically because of Philip Seymour Hoffman who never fails to perform. Meryl Streep will no doubt be amazing as well.

Gran Torino - Last year, Eastwood released two films, the much maligned Flags of Our Fathers and the much better received Letters from Iwo Jima. I saw the latter and thought it was okay. This year Eastwood released the much "blahed" Changeling and soon this film. Oh and I didn't see any other film that looks to be released this year that had any real interest for me.

I should say this list is of future releases and I am definitely interested in seeing several films that have already been released that have yet to come to this area.

And I can only assume a series of seemingly random yet wacky events will occur in the next few weeks which will prevent me from accomplishing my goal. You know because Fate can be a bastard that way. Although I am somewhat looking forward to a period in my life that eerily resembles a sitcom. For the record: Synecdoche, New York? Seen it five times now. Is it that good? to me? Yes.