Movies

Two quirky little films came our way this week via Netflix:

"Jesus' Son" - Billy Crudup (yes, he's very cute, but he still needs to change his name) plays a guy known as Fuckhead, because, well, he keeps fucking up his life. He's mostly an aimless druggie, although he does seem to want a better life for himself and to find meaning. I think we're supposed to believe he has indeed found that meaning by the end of the movie, but I wasn't convinced. Nothing really comes together, although I enjoyed watching it. Cameos from Dennis Hopper (you can't make a druggie movie without him), Holly Hunter, Denis Leary, and—best of all—Jack Black.

"Proof" - The young Elrond Hugo Weaving plays a blind man who takes photos and then asks the kid who grows up to become Russell Crowe to describe them, then he labels the photos and tries to figure out whether he's being lied to. The conflict revolves around Crowe's character and the blind man's housekeeper, but it all comes down to his traumatic childhood relationship with his mother. I thought the premise was very interesting, and the characters pretty well thought out, but it is just a small movie, if you know what I mean.

Comments

[scott]

There really are some actors that I have a hard time seeing in other roles now and Hugo Weaving is certainly one of them. I end up whispering an addition to all his lines: "... Mister Anderson!" Likewise with Christopher Lee, whose every line now concludes "... Gandalf!" I reduced Chris to tears when I whispered that during Corpse Bride.