Film night

While Adam was on a sleepover we watched three films (well nearly three).

The 40 Year Old Virgin - I lasted half an hour before deciding that a film that presents a person being vomited on by another person as funny probably was never going to work for me. Maybe it did get better when Catherine Keener turned up but I don't care. Really don't care. The swearing, the shouting, the sex talk, the sensitive guy's girlfriend actually just being worthless despite his longing, the club scene, the hilarious drunk-driving just made me feel tense and unhappy. I am middle-aged and I am old-fashioned and I hate crap like this.

A Scanner Darkly - highly recommended - a film that I know will just get better on repeated viewings - the animation took about ten minutes to get used to and the last ten minutes seemed a bit rushed and abrupt but otherwise it was dark, funny, moving, thought-provoking and gripping. The acting was great and although the animated Keanu Reeves and Robert Downey Jr were spot on, the animated Winona Ryder was curiously not. It was interesting having three of the four leads cast in a druggy film with their own druggy problems or interests. There were two very funny scenes: the 9 or 18 gear bike and the unlocked front door.

Catch Me If You Can - it seemed appropriate to watch this after ASD since it is referenced in that. There are very few films over 2 hours long that wouldn't be better not being over two hours and this wasn't one of the few. Nevertheless, I did enjoy it. I hadn't registered that Tom Hanks was in it and my heart sank a little at that but he was great: exceptionally well cast as the dogged Carl. I have always thought Leonardo DiCaprio is a good actor from way back when I saw him in What's Eating Gilbert Grape and This Boy's Life and people who can't see past Titanic are missing out. He is charismatic and charming. Reading about Abagnale afterwards it is clear that brilliant rather than good film could have been made. This was too tasteful.

PS:

I like Paul Rudd