12) Still–Ghetto Boys…From the film Office Space
You know the film, you know the moment. Mike Judge is, in fact, a comedic genius. From Beavis and Butthead, to King Of The Hill, to this…his first feature film, no funny man around has made so many laugh on such a consistent basis. This particular scene is the crowning jewel to one of the funniest movies of the 1990′s. When Peter and Co. open the trunk to the car and the copy machine that has antagonized them throughout the film is revealed, the hard beats from this Ghetto Boys classic starts bumping, and you know what is about to happen. The violent scene that follows is absolute comic gold. Never has revenge against an inanimate object been so poignant, brutal, and absolutely hysterical.

11) Come What May–Nicole Kidman and Ewan Mcgregor…from the film Moulin Rouge

Oddly, though I love music in films, I really do not like musical films. But I f—ing love Moulin Rouge. Can’t explain it. Something about this film just gets me in all the right places. It twists and turns and tortures and pleases and never settles for an easy moment. By the time the play takes place in the end, and this song finally happens…it is pure ecstasy. Funny thing is, this song was not even written for this film. Baz Luhrman actually wrote it for his re-imagining of Romeo + Juliet, but didn’t use it for that film. Good thing, cause he found the perfect song to end his opus.

10) Moonlight Mile–The Rolling Stones…from the film Moonlight Mile
Despite the fact that it stars Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon, Jake Gyllenhall, and Ellen Pompeo, I find that not many people have seen this move. Or even heard of it. Which is a real shame. The story of the aftermath of the death of a young man’s fiancee is a wonderful little film with a lot of heart. And a kick-ass soundtrack to boot. The center-peice of which is this song. Perfect moments are rare. This one is very close. Sad boy ends up at bar, plays a song on a jukebox. Girl emerges from bathroom, randomly begins dancing with boy. The rest, as they say, is history. This moment ends with the perfect line as well. Boy: What’s happening?
Girl: You played my song.

9) Doola and Dawla–The Bang-Bang…from the film Brothers Of The Head
This is another one that not many of you have seen. So, I will say this. GO RENT THIS MOVIE IMMEDIATELY!!! The story of siamese twins who start a punk band in early 1970′s England is an absolute joy to watch. And the music, all original songs played by the actors in the film, is brilliant. Pure punk joy. When the brothers play the first notes of this song, the rules in the story…and the film itself, completely change. The lyrics are spot-on, the music itself is great, and when you finally find out what the song is really about, you may find yourself genuinely moved.
Inside of You–performed by Russell Brand…from the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Russell Brand’s performance as Aldous Snow is one of my favorite comedic performances of the last decade. He does not have a false moment in this film, and is completely on fire in this scene. Sexy, raunchy, silly, ridiculous…but totally serious. It’s quite a moment, and he owns it. With music and lyrics by writer/star Jason Segel, this is one of those moments that makes you laugh even on the 10th viewing. And I dare you not to laught at scene stealer Jonah Hill here. What more can you say? Look for Brand to reprise the character of Aldous Snow in next year’s quasi-sequel Get Him To The Greek.

7) All These Vicious Dogs–Will Oldham…from the film All The Real Girls
If you haven’t seen this film, shame on you. David Gordon Green’s second film is a near perfect meditation on love, the choices we make, and growing up. This is the opening music for the film, and it sets the perfect tone. It starts over a black screen, then slowly fades into a shot of a young man and woman…and plays over what may be my all time favorite opening to a film. It’s a lovely, haunting song that will stay with you for days after you’ve seen the movie. The opening chords of this song just play and play and play.

6) You’re Gonna Miss Me, Baby–Thirteenth Floor Elevators…from the film High Fidelity
“Which came first? The music, or the misery?” That is the question. This movie almost single-handedly restored my faith in music. John Cusack delivers a flawless performance as Rob Gordon, a hapless, almost directionless music snob recounting the great loves of his life as he tries to get his life in order. His life is a mess because his girlfriend has just let him, and this is the scene that opens the film. You can guess by the title why this is the perfect song for the moment. And it is a bad ass song too.

5) Just In Time–Nina Simone…from the film Before Sunset
On the topic of great beginnings…how about a perfect ending? Seven years after making the seminal “walking and talking movie” Before Sunrise, Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy got together again to revisit their characters Jesse and Celine. The first film was a meandering tale of two young people walking all night through Vienna and falling in love. This film is far more immediate. The stakes are much higher, time is much shorter, and the connection more intense. Again they walk, again they talk, again they fall. I really had no idea where this movie was going to end. Then, this song is played…Julie Delpy begins to dance and tell the story of seeing Nina Simone live…and I knew. “Baby…you are gonna miss that flight.” Indeed.

4) Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time?–The Delfonics…from the film Jackie Brown
As far as perfect moments go, this is one of them. This song plays over two scenes in this film, and it is the second one that makes it for me. The story is very complicated, so I won’t waste time setting up the scene. Just that two men are on their way to a fateful destination. The two men are Robert Forster as a bail bondsmen and Samuel L. Jackson as a low-life gun smuggler. They sit quietly in a car, on their way to the destination. It is a quiet drive. Then Jackson’s character pushes a tape into the cassette player. This song plays. The men share a moment of content as the music plays. Jackson’s character speaks. “I didn’t know you like The Delfonics.”
Forster responds, “They’re pretty good.”
And that’s the scene. I have no idea why this scene gets to me the way it does…but I love it. I imagine many of you will be asking how I could use this over Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon, or Stuck In The Middle With You…both of which are iconic movie/music moments. They are not, however, my favorite.

3) Poor Old Grandad–Faces…from the film Rushmore
Ah, Max Fischer. You are the great character I dream of writing one day. And this film is peppered with great musical moments. None more powerful than the last. Wes Anderson has, at times, been an exceptional filmmaker. At times, a bit self-indulgent. When he is on, there are few better. In this film, his second feature, he was on. Start to finish, there is not a false moment…and it all culminates into this last scene where everyone from the film reappears to have a dance to this song. I don’t know if it is the image, or super slo-mo, or the colorful characters that pepper the scene that make the moment. I don’t think that any of those things hold up on their. Not without this song. It is the glue in a perfect final shot. And I simply cannot imagine another song taking its place.

2) Save Me–Aimee Mann…from the film Magnolia
Magnolia is my all-time favorite film. Hands down. A film with great vision. A perfect blend of style, grandeur, and soul. Much of the soul for this film is anchored in the music of Aimee Mann, whose songs inspired director Paul Thomas Anderson to write this script. Luckily, she was a friend, and Anderson persuaded her to lend many songs to the soundtrack…and a perfect soundtrack was married to a perfect film. The closing scene, and it takes a lot to get there, is nothing but a slow push in on the angelic face of Melora Walters…whose character may be the most beautiful/damaged of a group of beautiful/damaged people. The lower body of a man stands before her as she lays in bed. He speaks, but we do not understand his words. Her expressions change throughout as the man speaks and this song plays. In the final moment of the film…she smiles. I suppose you have to see it to truly feel it. But it is the single most rewarding ending to a movie I have ever seen. A moment of pure cinematic joy…and the perfect song to sell it. Wait…why is this song number two?

1) Tiny Dancer–Elton John…from the film Almost Famous
Here’s why. Essentially, this entire film is an ode to music and moments.. Seems sort of a cheat to pick one song from this film, but nobody can deny the power of this scene. If you haven’t seen the film, I won’t ruin the moment. I will say, “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! GO RENT THIS MOVIE.” But if you have seen the film, you have likely seen this scene many, many times. I’ve watched this movie at least a dozen times (5 times in the theater) and this scene gives me chills every single time. It’s a scene about friendship, forgiveness, finding yourself and your place, and above all it is about the healing power of song. A perfect marriage of music and moment. And that’s what it’s all about. Cameron Crowe is a filmmaker that understands the power of songs. He is also the guy behind that scene in Say Anything, which is not on this list because it is just too perfect and a little to easy. He has put together some of the great soundtracks in film history, though he did criminally misuse not one, but two great Ryan Adams songs in Elizabethtown. This is a guy that gets it.

There you have it. I know I will spend the next week or so thinking about all the songs and moments I forgot, I may even post an addendum at some point…but, for now, this is my list and I am sticking to it. Enjoy it, Monkeywhalers!

The Good

Drag Me To Hell– Far and away the most fun I’ve had at a movie this summer. Sam Raimi returns to his horror/comedy roots with a perfect movie for our times…a horror movie about the mortgage crisis. It’s the perfect blend of Raimi’s Evil Dead sensibilities and his Spider-Man production values. And Alison Lohman is perfect in the lead.

The Hangover– Judging by the box-office numbers, many of you have already seen this film…and that is a good thing. Todd Phillips(no relation to me…though I do, oddly enough, have a brother named Todd) returns to the form he showed in the surprisingly good movies Road Trip and Old School with another raucous comedy about grown men doing incredibly stupid shit. A really good script holds together from beginning to end, and actually makes the leads into real characters, not just stock comedy “types.” Zach Galif…whatever his name is steals every scene.

UP– Pixar has made only one bad movie. And this is not it. I’m looking at you Cars. Once again, Pixar makes a movie that can entertain anyone.

Public Enemies– Michael Mann has never made a bad movie. Period. And nobody can stage a shootout better. Depp and Bale both deliver the goods here, and Marion Cotillard is wonderful too. Shot in HD, this film actually manages to look better than film. One of the most beautifully shot films I’ve seen in a long time. This is the best film of the summer…and hopefully will be remembered come awards season.

Away We Go– Sure, it’s a bit pompous and pretentious, even smug at times. But so am I. And those faults didn’t bother me in the least. I really liked this story…though the photography of the film could have used some work. And the soundtrack is excellent.

The Bad

Year One– Those of you hoping for a return to comedic form for director Harold Ramis (Caddyshack, Groundhog day) prepare to be disappointed. This one is totally empty.

The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3– Another lousy, over-edited work of nothing from director Tony Scott. He needs to take a lesson or two from big brother Ridley, and find something interesting to do.

The Brothers Bloom– From the director of Brick, this should have been really good. I was very much looking forward to it. Complete waste of a wonderful cast, except for Rachel Weisz, who is wonderful in her role. Feels like a watered down version of Wes Anderson. We already got that in The Darjeeling Limited.

The Ugly

Terminator Salvation– A top notch production, with absolutely nothing interesting to say, or do. Christian Bale phones it in here, with nothing remotely close to a character to play. Apparently, after reading the script early last year, Bale told director McG that he wouldn’t do the movie until the script was up to snuff. If this is the script that was up to snuff…I would hate to read the one he passed on. Also, there is a ten minute sequence near the end where the Terminator…the mindless, one job to do and that is to kill, cyborg, spends lots of time bothering to beat up a human…instead of just ripping his head off. Seriously. Not just one of the worst of the summer…maybe one of the worst all year.

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen– Even the trailer was awful. Shame on you, America for giving these people 200 million dollars of you money.

Land of The Lost– A really interesting looking film, that is just not that funny, or interesting.

Worst. Summer. Ever. There is still hope, though. The coming weeks will be bringing us the likes of Bruno, The new Harry Potter film, Tarantino’s long awaited Inglorious Basterds, and Judd Apatow’s third film Funny People. Hopefully at least one of these movies will live up to expectations. Seeing as this is my Summer Movie Review…I have left out the smaller, indie films I have seen recently…and there have been some good ones. That review should be coming inmmenently. Until then, I say go and have your fun, Monkeywhalers…and see a good movie every now and again.

Seeing as many of you have already seen the film, I’m going to try and keep this a very short review. There’s not much to say, in any case, that hasn’t been said already. We pick up our story on a starship under heavy attack by a Romulan vessel with advanced weaponry. The outcome is hopeless, and through a series of events, George Kirk is left in charge. As things get progressively worse Kirk must make the ultimate sacrifice to save as many lives as he can…all the while his wife is giving birth to his son in an escape ship. I’m sure the birth of James Tiberious Kirk is sort of a monumental thing for uber-fans, but I found the scene a bit annoying an overplayed by all involved. And all this before the opening titles. We next check in with young Spock on the planet Vulcan, who is half human/half Vulcan, and having a rough go of it as a youth. Then back to Kirk as a youth, and so forth until their individual circumstances lead them both to Starfleet Academy. My biggest problem with this movie is the script, which is at times a breath of fresh air to an old story, and at other times annoying formulaic and clichéd. It’s like the writers just couldn’t trust that people out there would get these character and circumstances without occasionally pandering to them. And when it isn’t pandering it is occasionally making things a bit too complicated with a storyline that feels a bit too much from Donnie Darko. Damn it man…I’m a viewer, not a physicist!

Kirk and Spock have a strong dislike for each other in the beginning, and we can see that much of the movie will be spent showing this odd couple come to terms with the idea that they need each other, and will become the friends that we know and love from the previous stories. The story doesn’t really get interesting until these two characters, played wonderfully by relative newcomers Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, get into each other’s lives. Their banter is cutting and often quite funny. In fact, the movie is often quite funny and occasionally hilarious which a welcome addition to the old formula is. Spock and Kirk were often cute in their interactions, but hilarious is not a term I would ever apply to the old shows or movies. Anyway, as soon as we are aboard the S.S. Enterprise, Captained by Christopher Pike as we begin its maiden voyage, we meet the crew that we know we will come to love. Uhura, Bones, Chekhov, and Sulu, who turns out to be a total badass with a sword. Meeting all the crew members, and yes eventually Scotty turns up, was the most formulaic part of the script. They are all given proper introductions, and all given their little moments to shine, and I just couldn’t help thinking that this part of the script should have been handled better. As I’ve said, I have some problems with the script, but once the story gets going, it really is quite a good ride…and absolutely beautiful to look at. We truly never have seen Star Trek look this good, and my hat is off to director J.J. Abrams for putting together such a first rate production. Top to bottom, there is very little here that is not pleasing to the eye and the ear, and that goes a long way to making the movie more than the script.

Ultimately, if you know anything about Star Trek, you know how this story will turn out, and the ending feels a bit too Star Wars for me, but I still had a relatively good time getting there. And when we get the voice-over that used to open the TV series near the end credits…I will admit to getting chills. It’s very effective…and in Leonard Nimoy’s voice none the less. He also has a nice cameo here, and is still very effective as Spock. The real stars here, though, are Pine and Quinto who breathe more life into these characters than has existed since The Wrath Of Kahn back in 1982. The new Star Trek film is not perfect, but it is a lot of fun…and you can sort of feel that the next installment may well knock it out of the park. I will be looking forward to that film, and hoping that all involved here will come back for more. Oh, and did I mention Eric Bana is a total bad ass as the romulan captain?

Starring: Giovanni Ribisi, Cate Blanchett

Screenplay by: Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzyzstof Piesiewicz

Directed by: Tom Tykwer

I have been very, very busy lately. So busy, in fact, that I haven’t been to a movie in the theater in about a week and a half. That is a really long time for me. Hopefully this weekend will leave me with some free time to spend in the theatrical cathedral of my choosing. That being said, I’ve been dragging horribly on my blogging duties…apologies to all those at Monkeywhale. I should be back in the swing this week. Until then, I’ll just tell you guys about a little movie from back in 2002 that is well worth checking out on DVD. The film is called Heaven, and really does live up to that name.

Philippa is at the end of her rope. Our story begins as she executes an attack on a business man in Italy. It has the feel of a terrorist attack, except that it is clearly an attack on one man, and not many innocent people. There is righteous anger in her that is bubbling just below the surface as she does her business. We watch as, in a matter of seconds, her well planned attack goes horribly, horribly wrong, and innocent lives are lost. She stands at a phone booth, calls the police to tell them what she has done and why. Her reasons are just and righteous, she even goes so far as to give the police her name, but she doesn’t know how terribly things have changed. She is arrested, and in the first few moments of her interrogation, finds out just how horrible her actions have played out. The scene is devastating, and any sense of righteousness quickly disappears. This is where Filippo(Giovanni Ribisi) turns up as court stenographer. He is immediately taken with the beautiful Philippa, and is there holding her hand as she wakes from a fainting spell. The moment passes between them, and the rest of the story is complicated, and sweet, and sad, and happy, and, above all, quietly intense. This is a movie that is simply not afraid to constantly take you to interesting, beautiful places.

The film takes place in both English and Italian, and it is really interesting to watch the interrogation scenes play out in both languages, the two leads being the only characters that are bilingual. Their word and language play is fascinating to watch, and kudos are due to both actors for speaking Italian so very well here. Needless to say, this being a love story, the two escape the prison, each giving up everything to do so, and run off into the country. The escape scene is both exciting and original, and the motives for each doing so are equally intriguing. Philippa claims to have no reason to live, except to kill the man she set out to kill in the first place…but once her sense of justice is satisfied she still runs off with the love-sick Filippo. This is the only real conceit the film asks you to make…that the instantaneous love is real. Some of you will not have a problem with that, some of you will. Either way, where the story goes once the two leave the prison is constantly interesting and exciting and beautiful in ways that really will surprise you, and lead to an ending that defies the term existential. Really, you will never see it coming, and when it happens, your heart will rise.

Tom Tykwer is a film maker of astonishing ability. His first film was the brilliant Run Lola Run, and he followed that with the equally astonishing The Princess and The Warrior. This is his third film, and perhaps his strongest effort. It’s focused, wonderfully paced, hits all the right beats, and never dumbs down a single word or emotion. It lacks the blind, kinetic energy of Run Lola Run, but makes up for it in every other way imaginable. Particularly the look of the film. The wonderful German DP Frank Griebe brings a texture to this film that gives every single frame a weight and depth that is both exhausting and rewarding. His camera sees things in ways that are simply not imaginable to most people, and there is not one single shot in this film that doesn’t feel like it’s the exact shot that was required to tell the story. There is a scene near the end of this film that is simply two people standing near a tree in the sunset that may well be the most beautiful single image in a film I have ever seen. This is not an overstatement. It simply takes my breath away.

The script was written as part of a planned trilogy by legendary Polish film maker Krzysztof Kieslowski, and you can see his imprint on every second of this story. His other trilogy, Trois Couleurs, played out in very satisfying ways and this film is clearly the start of something beautiful. Sadly, this was the only part of the trilogy that was finished at the time of his death in 1996, and we will never get to see just where he wanted to go with this.

This film is certainly not for everyone. If you need fast-paced action…stay away. But if you are willing to go through 97 minutes of meticulously plotted and paced story, then this will be an intensely satisfying trip for you. Two wonderful performances, astonishingly beautiful images, and a very rewarding story to boot. Give Heaven a shot. It may be a bit difficult to find, but its well worth tracking down.

Starring: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, and Celia Weston

Written and Directed by: Jody Hill

Last summer, a little film remarkably got a wide release in the midst of all the summer blockbusters, thanks mainly to backing from Will Ferrell who saw it at Sundance and loved it. The film was called The Foot Fist Way. It starred Danny Mcbride as a delusional Tae Kwon Do instructor. It wasn’t a very good movie. If fact, at times it was quite bad. But when it was good…it was really good. And very, very funny. There was just something about it that you couldn’t stop watching to see what this crazy dude was going to do. It was shot entirely in North Carolina, and made by UNCSA alumnus from top to bottom, and director Jody Hill and crew are back this year with the much larger budgeted studio backed Observe and Report…and the results are much more interesting.

This go round the stars are much bigger. Seth Green, stretching in ways we haven’t quite seen before here, plays Ronnie Barnhardt, head of security at Forest Ridge Mall. The seemingly quiet atmosphere at the mall is disturbed greatly in the opening scenes as a flasher runs amuck in the parking lot, exposing himself to any woman he sees. Ronnie and his staff are embarrassed by the flasher and their failure to catch him. This is only exacerbated by their failure again to catch the perv when he returns days later. This time however, the pervert flashes the lovely/shallow cosmetics girl Brandy, who Ronnie is crushing on big time. As they say in the movies… “this time it’s personal.” Ronnie makes it his personal battle/redemption to catch the flasher and make him pay.

The plot develops from these simple origins into one of the most offensive, often disturbing, always hilarious films I have seen in many, many years. And it does so without pandering to the dick and fart joke scene…Kevin Smith pay attention, this is what funny actually is. Jody Hill is cut from a different cloth than many filmmakers today. He seems obsessed with the delusion of power. His protagonist in The Foot Fist Way believed he was the best Tae Kwon Do fighter in the world, even though he constantly reminded that he clearly was not. In much the same way Ronnie suffers from the same problems. He thinks he is the best Police Officer in the world, though he is not even a real cop, and not even a very good security officer. These problems become even more problematic when Ray Liotta shows up as the detective assigned to the mall flasher case. Rogen and Liotta have some great scenes, and Liotta does a fantastic job playing it cool and reserved until just the right moment to erupt. When he does, it is one of the funnier scenes in the movie.

On the topic of funny, a big shout-out is due to the indomitable Anna Faris. The word fearless is used quite often to describe actors who take risks, but none have ventured as far out as the truly fearless Anna Faris. I can’t claim to be a big fan of the Scary Movie franchise…in fact, I’ve never seen any of those movies in their entirety, but I will give them props for giving this wonderful actress her big break. I’ve seen her and liked her in other films since then. Most notably Lost In Translation, the wonderfully twisted horror, May, and most recently in The House Bunny, a really bad movie that is very viewable because of her balls-out optimistic performance. I’m not sure there has ever been a more shallow, one-dimensional character as her Brandy. To say she’s about as deep as a Frisbee is an insult to Frisbees everywhere. Never has Faris gone this far out there…particularly in one of the most disturbing/hilarious sex scenes ever filmed.

As for Seth Green? Since making a huge splash as the lovable loser in Knocked Up a couple of years ago, he’s made several movies…essentially playing the same character every time. He really stretches here though. His Ronnie is a completely delusional asshole. But there is something wholly likeable about him. You root for him the entire time, even when he’s being a complete schmuck. Especially when he’s being a complete schmuck. Rogen has always had an easy charm and a strong screen presence, and he uses both of those qualities to great effect here to make Ronnie a completely unique character in the world of mainstream comedy. But, make no mistake. In spite of backing from Warner Bros., this is no mainstream comedy. Which brings to question, what the hell was Warner Bros. thinking when they greenlit this film? Big pat on the back from those guys for taking such a great risk.

Jody Hill has very quickly emerged as a director to watch. He has yet to develop anything resembling a true visual style, but it’s only his second film, and he benefits greatly on Observe and Report from the brilliant Director Of Photography Tim Orr, another UNCSA alumnus. Hill’s great strength so far is as a writer. He has a tremendous sense of pacing, and seems to know exactly how long to let a joke go. He also has a fairly twisted sense of humor. The funniest moments in both his features so far come in moments that are painfully awkward or disturbing, except for one little thing that turns it from offensive to flat out funny. There are few filmmakers around right now that will even think about taking the risks that Hill does…and the almost always pay off.

This film is not for all. There are some of you who will just not like any of the characters. There are some of you who will not see the humor in the bleak, disturbing situations. But for those of you who consider yourselves a bit adventurous and are willing to let things unfold as they will…Observe and Report is the perfect movie. And all wrapped up in a tidy, 86 minute bow.

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vanessa Shaw

Written by: James Gray and Ric Menello

Directed by: James Gray

I really hope this is not Joaquin Pheonix’s last movie. You all know by now the story. He’s lost it, and has decided to devote his time and energy to becoming a hip-hop star. Who knows if it’s true or not. I myself am choosing to believe that he is in the middle of some sort of art/character project the likes of which we haven’t seen since Andy Kaufman left this Earth. Maybe I’m just not ready to lose such a versatile and gifted actor. Should this be his last film, however, it is quite a remarkable note to go out on.

A man torn between two women. Does it get any more timeless than that? It’s a story we’ve seen thousands of times. And it never gets old. As our story begins, we see Leonard(Phoenix) walking down a peir carrying some dry cleaning bags. He seems to wander aimlessly for a bit, but then stops. He walks to the railing on the peir, looks out to the ocean, and calmly climbs over the side and jumps into the water. Moments pass. He looks as if he has no intention of resurfacing, but suddenly he does. If you were incredibly lazy, you could stop watching the movie there, as it is sort of the perfect metaphor for what is happening with this character, and we spend the entire film watching him find his way to the surface. Therein lies the drama. Therein lies the story.

Leonard is a good guy. But he’s got some problems. He lives with his parents. He works in their Laundromat. We find out, almost immediately, that he has tried to kill himself before, but we don’t find out exactly why until much later. He seems to be a man stuck in a place that he can’t get out of. Then it happens. He meets a girl. The lovely Sandra(Shaw) comes to a dinner his parents are having, and the two immediately hit it off. She is the good girl: brunette, sweet, attentive, loving, she wants to take care of Leonard. They hit it off and make plans. Not long after, Leonard meets his new neighbor, Michelle, who needs to hide out in his apartment for a few minutes. She is the bad girl: blonde, selfish, self-absorbed, drug-addled, clingy…he takes to her immediately. There you have it. One man. Two Women. Infinite Drama.

As per usual, I will avoid getting too deep into plot turns and details, you should find those out on your own. Needless to say, we spend the entire story trying to find out what Leonard will do, and who will Leonard will end up with. It is sort of a fascinating story to watch. Mainly because Leonard is such an interesting character to watch. We never know quite what is going on in that head of his, and Phoenix plays him in such a way that we almost always empathize with him, even when he is making the wrong decisions…maybe even because he makes several bad decisions. What makes this movie work is that the characters are so realistic. You will feel like you are watching people you know in private moments. In fact, you will probably cringe on a couple of occasions at how close to your own life some of this story feels. I know I did. But you can’t help but fall in love with these characters. All of them. None are bad people, and they don’t exactly do bad things to each other. They are just people trying to carve out a spot at the table of love.

James Gray is one gifted filmmaker. This is his fourth feature, after the splendid Little Odessa, the tricky The Yards, and last year’s criminally underseen gem We Own The Night. You won’t find a bad movie in the bunch. Gray has a sense of character and pacing that puts him miles ahead of most directors…I beg you to find a more intense five minutes of celluloid than the chase scene in We Own The Night. That sense of timing plays out incredibly effectively here in Two Lovers, and really that is what the movie is sort of about…timing. Everything and everyone seems just a little bit off in timing, except that they may all be right on. It’s a unique concept. Anyway, this is Gray’s third film with Phoenix, who seems to function as his muse. It’s rare that directors and actors pair up so many times, and you can see the progression in the three films these two have made together. Phoenix has grown and matured and come into his own under the watchful gaze of Gray who utilizes Phoenix’s gifts in ways that other filmmakers haven’t yet imagined, and it’s a bit scary to see how Gray will respond to the loss of his favorite collaborator. His The Lost City of Z should be one to watch next year.

Phoenix is nothing short of brilliant here. His every twitch and word are perfectly timed and executed here. You cannot tell where the man ends and the character begins. Indeed, I found myself marveling at the ease in which he subtly changes his character in the company of each of the women. He is two, but still one. He simultaneously knows exactly what he wants and has no idea what it is, or where to get it. His female counterparts are equally effective in their roles. Especially Paltrow, who is better here than she has been in a long time. The Role is similar to her part in The Royal Tennenbaums, but she finds new life in the part and manages to make us love and hate Michelle in equal quantity. What can you say about Vanessa Shaw? She has the role of the girl that you should want to marry…and that might not be much of a stretch for her. She’s come a long way since the film Ladybugs.

Two Lovers may not be blindingly original, but it is a spectacular piece of storytelling. Where it starts and where it ends are quite surprising in ways I didn’t expect, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride getting there. While I do not enjoy begging, I implore all of you to go and see this little film. Stop putting money into pockets of people who make movies like Fast and Furious (72 million? Really? WTF?) and start rewarding filmmakers who care about little things like story, character, tone. Two Lovers is a very good film. And very rewarding to its viewers. And it may well be the last chance to watch one of America’s truly gifted actors at work. Don’t miss it.

While we’re on the subject…what the fuck is Joaquin Phoenix doing anyway? This guy has more talent in his pinky than most of the bigger name actors around. Why throw it away to chase a hip-hop dream? Have you heard some of his rhymes? It’s really quite lame. I sincerely hope this is some sort of Sasha Baron Cohen/Borat trick he is pulling…and if it is I want to congratulate him right now for being so blindly dedicated to the idea. If he really is following his heart and his dreams, then I wish him all the luck in the world. And in a couple of years, when he has burned through most of his assets chasing this dream, I will welcome him back to the screen with open arms. I really hope his is not gone that long, though. America is short on really talented actors at the moment. We can ill-afford to lose one of our best.