jonathanlemond

Yes, the King is indeed dead. Hate to say it about one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, but you can stick a fork in him. A younger Scorsese would've realize the more compelling story belonged to Bill the Butcher (Day-Lewis) and NOT the horribly underwritten Amsterdam (DiCaprio). The writing is abysmal. How and why Weinstein and Scorsese spent all that money to make this script is beyond me. It tries to squeeze in as many historical tidbits as possible (why didn't he just make a documentary and be done with it?), it uses almost every cliche in the book in hopes we'll be overwhelmed by their abundance (a la Titanic), and the story is simply not compelling enough for the marathon running time. The story, or what story there is, is merely an afterthought, a backdrop to the backdrop of New York at the cusp of the Civil War. Day-Lewis is the only bright spot here, easily stealing every scene he's in, creating a uniquely flawed but sympathetic and honorable antagonist. He's a great actor, period. Dicaprio is serviceable, although he could do without the tough-guy routine; it doesn't suit him. (Spielberg used him much better in "Catch Me If You Can.") Diaz is in over her head; she should stay away from period pieces. I was longing for Gwyneth Paltrow; that's how bad she is. John C. Reilly is barely in it, and when he is, I've never see him worse. In his defense (along with DiCprio an Diaz), he had nothing to work with. And the direction is all over the place, as if Scorsese forgot that good stories are about people, not places. It's so uneven and sloppy I almost walked out. I'd rather watch "Jenny Got Cancer" on Lifetime. Yep, it's been almost 13 years since his last good film, Goodfellas. The fat lady is at the mic and the band's about to play.

NOTE TO MARTY: Make small, personal, independent movies again, stupid! And get Bobby in there if you can. Do not try to be Ridley Scott or James Cameron, they're beneath you anyway. Do this before the world starts thinking your good movies were flukes.

Beautifully directed short film from a filmmaker who, I suspect, will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years. The performances are wonderfully nuanced, the camera movement elegant and purposeful, and the story suspenseful and poignant. If you haven't seen this film, you should. It's a treat.

Tilman Buttner is the star of Russian Ark. The steadicam operator from Run Lola Run makes his feature debut as a cinematographer (doubling as camera operator), and the results are groundbreaking. The film is part tour of the Hermitage, part reenactment of moments and glimpses of 300 years of Russian history, part ghost story -- always mesmerizing. Originally shot on HD, the film is one continuous 90 minute shot, without a cut, something even Hitchcock failed to do. At times tedious, Russian Ark is ultimately a moving and unforgettable experience. Not as gut-wrenching as Mother and Son, but quite an achievement.