http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/blogs-1-1-1-16.html The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford   This ambitious, richly rendered look at an American legend and his demise is an overly mutated mixture of voice-over narration, striking imagery and fascinating performance. Based on the novel of the same title by Ron Hansen published in 1983, the movie clearly struggles with its weight and transforming the novel into a consistently rewarding, for that matter engaging, cin]]> Think Morgan Spurlock's popular Super Size Me, only this time, marajuana instead of McDonald's. Premiering at Austin's vital SXSW Film Festival this week is Super High Me, part concert film and part investigative documentary. Featuring comedian Doug Benson, named "Stoner of the Year" by High Times magazine in 2006, it explores medical marajuana in the United States. As part of the movie, Benson smokes marajuana all day, every day for 30 days whil]]> ...Baby Mama.   Okay, initially I was very excited for this new film, being that it is the big screen debut as a leading lady for Tina Fey, the phenomenal talent behind NBC's little seen comedy gem 30 Rock, but then I saw the preview. Now it is hard to judge a movie solely from a preview, since I probably was not the target audience for it, but the comedy was completely lost on me, to put it kindly. It is important to note that Tina Fey was ]]> This week's MUST SEE CINEMA film comes to us on DVD, since the new offerings in cinema bring us very little to salivate over. I have yet to see the critically lauded, yet little seen, second film from Andrew Dominik, whose debut film was the Australian, Eric Bana career launcher Chopper. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford stars the titular, respectively,  Brad Pitt and Cassey Afleck. Casey Affleck who was nominated fo]]> Rest easy fellow Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum lovers, according Variety star Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass have agreed to return for a fourth installment of the Bourne franchise, the greatest action film series of all time. This week's Variety reported in article entitled THE RE-BORN IDENTITY, "Shmuger and Linde landed Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon for a fourth Bourne movie, even though the director and star seemed ready to wr]]> Berlin International Film Festival - Day 6 2/12/08 One of my favorite moments here happened at the beginning of Day 6. Everyday you must arrive in the morning to secure your tickets for the following day's screenings, or you risk not being able to see your first choices. I usually arrive just after opening, which is early enough to ensure my desired tickets, but I happenend to be awake early, so I was there before opening and witnessed the perc]]> Berlin International Film Festival - Day 5 2/11/2008 In a banner day for the festival, featuring premieres of new work from several well known international filmmakers, the best film I saw was one that premiered elsewhere, Cannes in '07. German director Fatih Akin's "The Edge of Heaven" is an incredibly moving, personal work that showcases a filmmaker just entering his prime. While Majid Majidi's "The Song of Sparrows" featured several poetic,]]> Berlin International Film Festival - Day 4 2/10/2008 Oddly, one of the biggest buzz films of the festival and its biggest seller so far at the European Film Market is not even screening here. "Che," directed by Steven Soderbergh and featuring Benicio del Toro as the iconic revolutionary leader Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, has only a 10 minute rough cut screening in the market. The film is tabbed as a likely opener for the 2008 Cannes Intl]]> Berlin International Film Festival - Day 3 2/9/08 I can`t believe it has been only 3 days. I have already seen more solid fiction films then I saw at all of Sundance. So far the consensus is that the Competition titles have disappointed, while, at least outside of the European premiere of Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece "There Will Be Blood." Interesting sidenote, actor Daniel Day Lewis turned his press conference political by speaking out ]]> Berlin International Film Festival - Day 2 February 8, 2008 A few hours of sleep and five films later... Two standouts amongst the offerings thus far, the Competition title "In Love We Trust" and the European Film Market title "Phoebe in Wonderland," a film that I missed at Sundance. "In Love We Trust" is the latest film from Chinese auteur Wang Xiaoshuai, the director of the award-winning "Beijing Bicycle." Xiaoshuai is considered a member o]]> Berlin International Film Festival - Day 1 Feb. 7, 2008 There is nothing like throwing yourself into the sensory overload of a film festival when you have not slept in 28 hours! I have never been able to sleep on an international flight, so if anyone reading this has a tip, please let me know (and fast, I could use it for the trip home.) The sheer amomunt of information to take in here is dizzying. I pretty much have a routine, having been her]]> The following is my Top Ten List for the year. 1. Zodiac: Sublimely methodical and equally eerie, David Fincher’s meditative thriller about the allure and pratfalls of obsession is itself obsessed, with information, just before our era of information overload. 2. Offside: The pinnacle of Iranian cinema, which was criminally under seen, is Jafar Panahi’s entertaining and warm pseudo-documentary on a group of Iranian girls trying to g]]> Sundance Film Festival Park City Utah - Day 7 Only at a film festival can you have one of your best experiences watching 12 year-old children, and younger, in prison. Seriously. Looking closely at children locked up inside an unnamed Russian prison, Alone in Four Walls is first a reavealing look at a humanitarian and economic crisis and second a cinematic experience of aesthetic precision that rivals some of Kubrick's best work. The childr]]> Sundance Film Festival Park City Utah - Day 6   Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden renew our hope for American fiim with their newest collaboration, Sugar. The team behind Half Nelson and Gowanus, Brooklyn add to their sterling track record with this poetic and dramatic narrative film about a Dominican Republic youth with a rocket arm who strives to move to the United States to follow his dream of playing in Major League Baseball. On a day of mournin]]> Sundance Film Festival   Park City, Utah - Day 6   I think Sundance should just shut down for the rest of the day. If you are not completely devestated by the news of Heath Ledger's death, then you are not a fan of contemporary cinema. Heath Ledger, at the age of 28, was still ascending. He approached every performance with a ferocity rarely seen by young actor's today. He truly inhabited his characters and had an onscreen presence like]]> Sundance Film Festival Park City, Utah - Day 5 Anvil Rocks Sundance! The most moving experience I have had at Sundance so far was from a completely unexpected film. Some readers might know of Anvil, a heavy metal band that has been rocking out since the early 80's. The film follows the lead singer and drummer, both original members, as they embark on a fledging tour and struggle to record their latest albulm, their 13th! Lips, the lead sing]]> Sundance Film Festival Park City Utah - Day 2 Well, I lied in my last entry. I ended up seeing In Bruges last night and I have to say I was a bit perplexed. No matter what you think of the film, it seemed like a very curious opening night choice. The performances were nice (Colin Farrel, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes) and it was wonderful to see the great Belgium city of Bruges on screen, but the plot was a retread, the characters were half-]]> “I have a competition in me. I hate most people. I want no one else to succeed.” - Daniel Plainview One of the great American horrors is explored in There Will Be Blood, the dark side of capitalism, the dark side of our unbridled entrepreneurial spirit. There Will Be Blood is itself a horror film, but unlike most I have ever seen. No edge of your seat thrills, just a psychological slow burn that builds from frame to frame, off e]]> Sundance Film Festival Park City, Utah - Day 1 It is not often that you leave Wisconsin to a new destination and find it colder. MUCH COLDER. As the tempature dips into the single digits I am beginning to think my hasty packing late last night is going to come back to haunt me. Anyone know a good longs store in Park City? For that matter, anyone know of a T-Mobile store in Park City? Why a T-Mobile store? While, let me tell you about a ]]> Finally, this Friday will bring to Milwaukee the opening of There Will Be Blood. The most critically acclaimed film of 2007 is described as a sprawling epic of family, faith, power and oil, set on the incendiary frontier of California's turn-of-the-century petroleum boom. It stars Oscar winner Daniel Day Lewis (My Left Foot, Gangs of New York), emerging star Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, L.I.E.) and was written for the screen and directed by]]>