It’s the one-year anniversary of the “F.I.L.M. of the Week” column! I thought the best way to celebrate that milestone would be by featuring one of my-all time favorites, “Almost Famous.” It’s not exactly little known given its pretty devoted following and its awards season haul, which included an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and a Golden Globe for Best Picture. Although it was criminally snubbed by the Academy for a shot at the top prize, it is still more than worth your time.
The movie, written by director Cameron Crowe, is semi-autobiographical. As a teenager, he wrote for Rolling Stone and had the pleasure of touring with bands like Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Jealous, anyone?
Young William Miller (Patrick Fugit) discovers music after his rebellious sister (Zooey Deschanel) flees the tyrannical reign of their mother, the strict fundamentalist Elaine, played with brilliant propriety by Frances McDormand. As a young boy, Elaine thought her son to be so smart that she moved him up two grades in school, thus socially crippling him. His sister leaves behind a giant record collection, and William’s obsession with music begins.
Not unlike myself, he begins writing about his passion. We differentiate, however, in the fact that William’s work gets picked up by Rolling Stone. The industry-leading magazine asks him to follow Stillwater, an up-and-coming rock band, on their tour and write an article on them. He meets an interesting crowd aside from the band, who are always skeptical of his intentions, particularly lead singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee).
The most intriguing figure by far and away is the so-called Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), whose name, age, and intentions are always clouded in mystery. Penny is a different kind of groupie, offering herself to help the band more as a muse to inspire artistic inspiration than to satisfy lustful desires. She and William, both in their teen years, form a very interesting relationship while on the road. Hudson, only 21 at the time of the movie’s release, gives an absolutely masterful performance, and her virtuoso turn is only made more astonishing by her age.
But the movie’s real heart and soul comes from William’s friendship with guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup). It is he who teaches the young journalist to enjoy the ride and love every minute of being able to do what you love. Indeed, we watch “Almost Famous” with the same sense of wide-eyed wonder of William on the road, and the movie is an exciting experience that inspires our own fantasies of living out a childhood dream. Even if that doesn’t involve music, Crowe’s true masterstroke will still be able to delight your latent aspirations.
Much like Christopher Nolan, whose brains have been the recipient of much praise this summer, Charlie Kaufman knows how to write some intelligent movies. His third film, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” was a wildly engaging mystery and won him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. I think one thing Kaufman has over Nolan is an ability to keep us spellbound while we are perplexed, not scratching our heads.
I’ve thought of three great comparisons for “Hard Candy,” the “F.I.L.M. of the Week” (First-Class, Independent Little-Known Movie, for those who need a refresher on the acronym), and I just had to include them in my post. I think they make a great lead. Imagine me clearing my throat, and then I say to you…
You need to see “Children of Men” if you haven’t already. You owe it to yourself.
I’ve been hearing about “Run Lola Run,” this week’s “F.I.L.M.,” for at least a decade. So a few weeks ago, I decided to experience it for myself. I found out that I had been missing quite a lot. The movie is a joyous rush of blood to the head with a style that will knock you of your feet.
As the countdown to “Inception” hits seven days and the nail-biting stage begins, I think it’s a perfect time to look back on the career of Christopher Nolan. Today is the kick-off for a week long celebration of the director. I’ll review all of Nolan’s movies leading up to Friday, where I will offer my take on “Inception.” In addition, I hope to take a look at some of Nolan’s influences, reviewing those movies with particular attention to how they shaped one of the most influential directors of our time.
This week’s “F.I.L.M.” is Nicole Holofcener’s probing social comedy “Friends with Money.” If you look at the poster and see Jennifer Aniston and instantly think, “This movie is going to be stupid,” be prepared to think twice. It’s an incredibly, perhaps surprisingly, deep look at the effects of money and social class on four friends in Los Angeles. It rounds all the bases, touching on all the big issues that an obsession with money can bring.
Find me a more disarming movie than “Amelie,” this week’s “F.I.L.M.” Try to name a movie that can match it in charm. Try to name a movie that is capable of delivering such a warm feeling. Well, I’m waiting.
Love. Sex. Desire. Lust. Need.
They don’t make movies this powerful and impacting very often. That’s why “Requiem for a Dream,” an stylistic masterpiece by Darren Aronofsky, is the “F.I.L.M. of the Week.” I thought I couldn’t be scared by movies after having made it through several horror movies barely flinching. Yet along came “Requiem for a Dream,” and unexpectedly, I was screaming, shouting, and cowering in fear.
With the kickoff of the Cannes Film Festival this week, it seems fitting that the “F.I.L.M. of the Week” honor a recent winner of their most prestigious prize, the Palme D’Or. That winner would be “The Class,” the French film which also scored an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film. The movie is an interesting look at an at-risk classroom in France from the preliminary teacher meetings in summer to the final bell of the year. It particularly concerns itself with the style and methods of the teacher, François Marin.
Marshall and the Movies 
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