Elephant

Released in 2003 from Writer/Director Gus Van Sant comes Elephant. The tag line for this movie is "An ordinary high school day. Except that it's not." This movie is a behind the scenes Bowling for Columbine but the commentary from Michael Moore is replaced with Beethoven's fur elise.

This movie is like the secret life of the American teenage but not sucky.

This is also a movie I must urge you to take a chance on. It is 81 minutes of slow moving, slow sounding, not much dialogue, and an unclear direction...at first. If you are willing to pay attention - pay 100% attention - to this movie you will understand why it was nominated 6 times and won 5 awards.

This movie is like Crash in the way that all characters lives movie fluidly over the next ones. You see a scene usually twice. Once from one set of charters point of view, and the other from that of whoever was in the background before. You have all your social stigmas and elements. The alcoholic dad, the "couple", the popular girls, the cutter, and most importantly, the outcasts.

The movie was called "Elegantly disturbing" from even a negative review.

The bottom line is, if you are affected by this movie, you will notice it for the rest of that day, If you are not, then you are not. It is definitely not for everyone, but I believe you should at least give it a chance. Keep quiet and just watch it.

Why is it so bothersome? The way Gus Van Sant directs makes it uncomfortable to watch as viewers. We are used to characters being shot in a certain way and scenes flowing from left to right, top to bottom. That is why horror movies bother us psychologically. The killers usually appear from the bottom right, making us uncomfortable on a subconscious level.

The ending? Well there isn't one really. You get to choose. That is also a bit unsettling.

Give it a chance.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Forgetting Sarah Marshall, released April 18th 2008. Now on DVD and on Cinemax on DEMAND with Charter. What's better then a free movie? Its a feel good flick like all other romantic comedies, with some originality thrown in. Jason Segel as Peter showing full-frontal 3 or 4 times to be specific. While this definitly doesn't make the movie, its something funny that gave it publicity.

Here's the rundown - Peter and Sarah are together for 5 and a half years. She is the lead actress on a famous show, and Peter does the music for it. They break up. Peter is so distraught he sleeps with many women and takes the advice from his step brother to go on a vacation. Peter decides to go to Hawaii. Guess who he sees there? Sarah! and her new boyfriend, a famous singer.

Well well what will happen next!?

The rest of the movie is filled with Peter finding his inner-peace amidst drinking in the A.M, attempting to surf, going to dinners alone, and getting noise complaints about a "crying woman" in his room. The epitome of a broken heart. Somewhere along the way Peter finds interest in the hotel customer service person, Rachel (Mila Kunis.)

My favorite line of the movie is when Peter and Rachel are jumping off a cliff. Rachel goes in first and says, while Peter is scared. "Come on I can see you Vagina from here! I can see your whooo-haaa."

Overall Peter follows his newly assigned goals, realizes what he wants, and does not want, and moves on. Its a funny movie that doesn't disappoint.

Anyone else have any opinions?