Wow, has it really been two weeks since I wrote up a new (to me) movie? Wish I had some more exciting to say about this one, which takes a fairly predictable arc about the human cost of war- WW2-era German children shocked out of their comfort zone and subjected to a series of progressively terrible incidents- distinguished somewhat by Shortland's sensualist filmmaking style and a star-making lead performance by Saskia Rosendahl, who anchors the movie with her expressive face…

Decided to revisit this one as a fan of the Wachowskis' post-MATRIX work, and was somewhat relieved to find that this works better than I remembered. Of course, I wouldn't call this a misunderstood masterpiece or anything- the quality of the film is too inconsistent for that. Part of the problem is that the Wachowskis are far too enamored of long scenes in which the characters discuss the philosophy and rules of their world. Two of the most compelling aspects…

This is exactly the kind of movie that seems like it'll be ideal for a Yesterday's Hits-style anthropological assessment in a couple of decades. Those elements that have made this so popular- the wall-to-wall CGI-based spectacle, the four-quadrant-skewing reappropriation of one of the classics of Hollywood cinema- will probably be what makes this look quaint and dated over time. Yet it also promises to be fascinating in a number of ways.

Most noticeably, this might be the first blockbuster I've…

The more I watch this, the more I realize that this is basically the Coens' MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, casting a pair of CIA agents as the gods who marvel at the crazy shenanigans the characters get themselves into throughout the story. But these aren't just innocent lovestruck fools anymore- the worst of them are arrogant, impulsive, bitchy and vain, after all. It would be one thing if the worst people weeded each other out, but such is their nature that…