Recent Films II

The Aviator - Martin Scorsese turns Oscar whore in a full-throttle biopic that reveals more about Scorsese himself (and his desire to give a Best Director acceptance speech) than his enigmatic subject. Is Leonardo DiCaprio good as Howard Hughes? Got me - I have no idea, given what I know of the real-life reclusive billionaire. Cate Blanchett is sometime captivating, sometimes laughingly over the top as Katharine Hepburn.

A Very Long Engagement - From the same star and director as Amelie (which I loved), a sometimes slow but always engaging film that alternates between magical near-whimsy and crushingly realistic battle scenes. Beautifully staged and photographed; sometimes too much so - giving the appearance of a diorama and not a film.