Beltmann

Revolutionary Road. I'm not a fan of movies that make the shallow, Palinesque assertion that the "suburbs" are somehow less real than anywhere else. Plus, all of the actors seem like they are acting rather than embodying the characters. The whole thing reeks of smarminess.

I agree with you in general principle, but these new regs make the situation more complicated. First, several laws, including Title VII, already provide protection for workers who don't want to participate in abortion-related services. The right to refuse has existed for three decades. These new regs go much further, though, and make it virtually impossible for hospitals to anticipate all the situations where a worker might invoke the conscience clause; they may also render certain state laws unenforceable, such as those mandating contraceptive insurance coverage or the availability of emer

To my eyes, Paranoid Park is by far the best of Van Sant's recent cycle of impressionistic "vibe" films. This time, the psyche of the main character feels fully explored, not merely hinted at with vague approximations.

About half are available on DVD... I suppose Transsiberian, Honeydripper, and The Visitor are the most "accessible."

Fatherhood dramatically altered my moviegoing habits, too--and 2008 saw the arrival of the second spawn, so I ended up seeing less than in any year since the mid-Nineties. Still, I did a decent job of staying on top of the 2008 movies I was most excited about. What got cut was all the obvious crap--I think I've lost interest in being comprehensive--and, unfortunately, a high number of second-tier titles. Having two kids really changes things, which is frustrating at times but overall is still a terrific trade-off: Now I have the pleasure of introducing my kids to all sorts of movies, and th

I loved The Dark Knight, Benjamin Button and Slumdog as much as anyone, but if it were up to me, these films would be up for more awards: The Edge of Heaven A Christmas Tale My Brother Is an Only Child Transsiberian The Visitor Wendy and Lucy Honeydripper Shotgun Stories The Last Mistress Paranoid Park Flight of the Red Balloon and many others...

Stacy and I are planning to be there!

We're on the same page.

Gotcha. But even so, when we look at Eastwood's entire CV, there's plenty that fits the "Dirty Harry" mold but nearly as many projects that try something different. I'm not sure it's still fair, all these years on, to say that persona is the only enduring association of his career. (I say this as someone who thinks Eastwood the director has only become better, and more interesting, with age.)

I found the main character insufferable, but the moviemaking is classy--it's a good film, despite my personal irritance.

I've seen all of those, and most liked Benjamin Button and Rachel Getting Married. I guess I'm mildly curious about what will be nominated, but I don't have any strong feelings about it--awards shows are just not a reasonable way to discuss "quality" in cinema.

I don't think his recent output is all that different from everything else--they certainly cover familiar themes and ideas, albeit in new formats. Besides, what's wrong with mixing it up? Is an artist not being "true" if they veer away, over time, from their established persona? In my view, what would be false is if Eastwood allowed himself to be boxed-in by preconceptions the audience might have. Million Dollar Baby might be miles away from, say, The Outlaw Josey Wales, but I'm not sure that makes it any less Eastwood-y.

Starting from today--the 18th--I'd highly recommend these: Sex & Lucia For the Bible Tells Me So Joe Strummer The Puffy Chair

I liked Doubt and really liked Gran Torino--even if the Christ-figure stuff at the end was a bit over-the-top. And The Curious Case of Benjamin Button might be among the year's best.

That was my first computer, too. I even had the Datasette gadget that allowed you to store stuff on cassette tape.

I don't know enough about Afropop to say whether Vampire Weekend is a success or failure at appropriating bits of it. But I do know that I find the record tuneful and much more enjoyable than just about any other well-known pop record of last year, so the band is at least successful at something.

Welcome! This is a great place.

It had been a while. My son, who is 11 months old, seemed to love it.

I strongly disliked this song for a very long time, but hearing it live unlocked the sincerity and emotion for me. I'm still not crazy about the melody, but overall I've come around; at this point, I'd say it's one of Jeff's most moving songs.

I do that sometimes, too. I always find reviews more interesting after I've seen a film and have my own set of opinions ready to be challenged or confirmed.

Rourke's acceptance speech was quite touching--although the best part may have been NBC's closeup of Aronofsky giving him the finger. Some classic TV right there.

I don't like Wendy & Lucy as much as Old Joy--Kelly Reichardt's last movie, and one of my favorites of 2006--but it's still pretty groovy.

Saw The Wrestler today, and it feels churlish to quibble when the movie has so many terrific qualities. Like everyone else, I found Rourke's great performance emotionally engaging, and I also very much enjoyed Aronofsky's visual style and light touch. Still, I couldn't help but feel that the script was merely a compendium of cliches. Stripper with a heart of gold? Alienated daughter who never wants to see him again? Missed dinner that reminds daughter why she hates dad? Washed-up athlete ignoring doctor's orders? And so on down the checklist. It felt like watching the Dardenne brothers

Those Bergman/Rossellini films are really underappreciated. For the uninitiated, Stromboli concerns a woman stuck on a volcanic island, trapped in a hopeless marriage (which seems ironic since during the film's making Bergman left her own husband for Rossellini, leading to the same moral dilemmas and public condemnation that her character faces.) In Europa '51, Bergman plays a high-society woman who discovers a surprising compassion for the plight of the working class. Clearly advocating the principles of socialism, the movie also takes a sharp swipe at how the advantaged fear any kind of cha

Nick Broomfield's Battle for Haditha.