NMR: Double Feature

I've fallen behind again, so here's another two-fore of Netflix films I've caught recently:

Gosford Park: Nominated for a Best Picture in 2001, this film plays like a who's who of British acting royalty. That's probably why I ignored it in the past, but have since come to appreciate a lot of their talents. Mostly due, oddly enough, to the Harry Potter films (Gosford Park includes Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon). This is also directed by Robert Altman; a director who has great acclaim, but I've never seen most of his film. The story here is an upstairs/downstairs murder mystery that occurs when a bunch of wealthy British people get together for a hunting weekend.

Overall, this is really well done and provides enough solid drama and comedy. Two major points drop this down from a perfect score though. First, while I can't fault them, I found it terribly difficult to follow the film at times because of the British accents. Given that the film is so dialogue-driven, this was very frustrating. Second, it takes too long for the actual murder to take place. I understand that you want to establish character and motive, but I felt some of that could have been trimmed or established after the fact. Still, if you're looking for a bit of sophistication in your movie-going experience, this is a perfectly good choice. Netflix rating: ****

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind: I had really wanted to see this when it was initially released, but it only got a limited number of screens to open on and by the time it hit DVD I had forgotten about it. This is a depiction of Chuck Barris' autobiography and was directed by George Clooney in his directorial debut. If you aren't familiar with Chuck Barris, he created a number of notable game shows including The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game and The Gong Show (which he also hosted). However, that's just half the story as Barris claims that he also was an assassin for the CIA.

This is a very stylish and engaging film, particularly for someone's directorial debut. Sam Rockwell does a good job playing the eccentric Barris (although I could have done without the numerous bare ass shots). Barris' CIA stories are likely bogus (they've never been confirmed or denied), but the film does a great job of making you not care whether it's true or not. This guy supposedly lived my dream life; a spy and a game show host!! Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts show up in supporting roles and do a nice job with the characters they have. The film is about too obscure of a person to truly considered significant, but I found it fascinating nonetheless. If you're looking for something a little different, I'd definitely suggest this one for you. Netflix rating: *****