I thought it was worthwhile to copy and paste my entry in a long-quiet talkback on Ain't It Cool News to sum up my feelings on the movie.

You can read Quint's review here.  It is my review, essentially and stupendously.  I even reused my brain/straw/gelatinous metaphor for describing how it fit my feelings.  :)

The AICN talkbacks are strange beasts.  A lot of the same people get together in each one, fighting for their voice and opinion to be heard, and nothing is ever settled or courteous.  Some of them are like religious or philosophical debates where there simply are no concessions.  Some people purposefully just drop bombs to start a melee.  Whatever.  What follows is my reaction to posting in a talkback that hasn't had an entry in over a month.

Slings and Arrows by HyphenatedWords

Aug 16th, 2009 05:36:03 AM

It's sobering when life's slings and arrows prevent you from seeing a movie that you've been looking forward to. Here it is mid August, and I'm just getting around to seeing HBP. I was burning to see it, with that piqued anticipation only waiting for a new film to come out can cause. I was in a bad mood for half a day when circumstances prevented me, when I was required to be a grown up, relent, and say, "It's only a movie." Why do we hate saying that so much? It's such a privilege to be alive in this age of cinema, with its mega-budgets, full transparency, and immediate gratification. We love feeling that entitlement. So, it's a strange feeling to have seen the movie last night and then arrive at the end of this dormant talkback. A battle was waged here. There are still bloodstains on the walls and broken wands everywhere. The defenders of the book were here. The lovers of the films stood their ground over there. The haters apparated onto that platform there. It was a hell of a battle, one that repeats every couple of years whenever a new HP film hits. Coming into it like this, I'm left with the sad thought, "Wow. So much energy. So much bloodshed. So much passion... spent on this?" The irony, of course, is that I made the journey here. I'm standing on that battlefield and yearning for the sword or musket or M-16 or wand. This party is already over. One thing I hate about talkbacks is that they seem to rarely address the review at hand. Quint, you've perfectly captured my feelings about the movie as though you unscrewed the top of my head, stuck in a straw, sucked out some gelatinous matter, and begat your review from it. :) I loved this movie. I loved watching it with my 10-year-old daughter. I loved Danielle Radcliffe and Michael Gambon. I adored every scene with Jim Broadbent. I thought the editing was at times... ODD... and at times innovative and inspired. That pullback from one train window and zoom-in to our heroes' compartment is a great example. Draco's subtle reveals and juxtapositions with happier, more innocent teens were brilliant. I was willing to let go of the end battle because the filmmakers FOCUSED on Dumbledore when they could have had a free-for-all, switch-cutting fracas. I can respect that. The battle in the book was primarily to distract from Draco's assignment, and we had The Order vs. the Death Eaters in the last movie. Frankly, the wand battles just haven't translated well to the screen because the film can't pause to explain what curse is happening when from whom, to whom, and the meanings behind them all. So, we get a pretty light show with lots (and lots) and exploding squibs. Unless they were willing to roll up their sleeves and reinvent that cinematic wheel, I'm glad they left it out. In summary... Great job, talkbackers for stepping into your parts and fighting the good fight. Great review, Quint, for its clarity and resonance. And... I finally saw the new Harry Potter film. Loved it. Flaws? Yes. But I loved it, and I think it's a tremendous privilege that I'm alive during this time when I can say, "I can't wait to see the next Harry Potter movie."

I'm just getting through them.  I already linked Beeswax on Facebook.  It looks in-credible, and I need to see Andrew Bujalski's other films, darn it.

Next up is The Invention of Flying, with Ricky "He Just Can't Lose" Gervais is an original concept piece that "takes place in an alternate reality in which lying-even the concept of a lie-does not exist."  If it starred Jim Carrey, it would be a competent yet fairly shallow film like Liar, Liar (which I love), but this one looks like it could be a bit deeper.  I'm betting it is, and I can't wait.

For gruesome, dark, yet light-hearted fun, check out Dominic Monagan in I Sell the Dead.

Ummmmmmm...  Wow.  This is the kind of horror film that Glass City Films could make.  You'll get to the end of this trailer and say, "That is the most fucked up thing I've ever seen," but not in a Saw-bizarre way.  It's indescribable.  It will be despicable.  It will be hard to watch.  It will stick to your bones — if it's done well.  Wow.  Grace

Those are my picks.  15 new trailers went up overnight, and several in the days before that.  Once I post this, I'm opening a Word document and starting a list so I can remember these films months from now when they slip in and out of the theaters.  It would be bloody expensive to see all of these in the theater.  It's too bad...

Here is the trailer for Amelia, starring Hilary Swank as Amelia Earheart.  Richard Gere.  Ewan McGregor.  It looks beautiful, photographed by Stuart Dryburgh, a cinematographer with an emerging resume.  I'm trying to make it a point to learn who these DPs are, since a good friend is making his living that way.  I have a greater appreciate for what they do.  Can you imagine working on a film like this?