double-feature

my brother and I hit up the Carmike for a double-feature last night. First, we saw Frost/Nixon. Langella's Nixon is more haunted than you would have expected, and so you don't have to spend the film fighting against unwelcome sympathy; instead you begin to empathize with him, despite his actions, at the realization that the last 20 years of his life must have been a lonely hell. Michael Sheen was also great as Frost - I'll admit I have been interested to see what he would do with his career after The Queen, and I think this movie will finally make a Name for him.

then we decided to go for the depression flick with Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road, as he once again focuses on the dark side of suburban America. Kate Winslet is one of my all-time favorite actresses, and she is fantastic as always. I was surprised to find out that this movie is actually based on a book written in 1961 - it seemed to be set in the mid 50's or so, but felt much more immediate, despite the fedoras and Mad Men-esque office commute. my highest praise, though, has to be given to the final scene - a perfectly executed ending to the film.

so basically, I liked them both, but would recommend the former over the latter, given a choice between the two, just because I know most people don't love the despair-laden flicks. (although if that IS your cup of tea, then you REALLY should check out 28 Grams. depress-o-rama. it's awesome.)