a dash of art house

banged out a coupla quick art house flicks last week while the rest o' you kiddies were checking out the new seuss:

paranoid park--
latest from director gus van sant, who is steady keeping up his dreamy pretty people on the fringe trope. about halfway through i'm annoyed, figuring this one too is going nowhere...and slowly. (i need not list how many disappointments in a row he's churned out.) lead gabe nevins gives us tone-perfect naturalism as alex, drifting through his daydream teen day-to-day. the direction follows slyly, meandering, honing in for focus/story clarity only as it needs to, in bits, as authority figures and friends alike peck around for clues to alex's existence. what develops is an adroitly explored, simple portrait of a young man growing into discovery of his sense of self. it's appropriately arty, intimate, careful--classic van sant, his best in years--lead with heart, and ultimately full of hope.
arty: 3 stars

funny games--
remake of 1997 austrian film also by writer/director michael haneke. rarely does a helmer get the chance to pull a "do-over," essentially reframing the same story for english-speaking audiences (read: for hollywood). my question is Why do it line-for-line, shot-for-shot? does he feel that, even ten years later, there is no room for improvement?on anything? bummer, i say, cuz the time away could have served him better. it's torture porn with a wink, an audience-inclusive what-if, literally questioning our desire for a nicely-wrapped package of story. clever enough exploration, yet i'd like a little more challenge in this game. like what if the director did something more than simply turn convention on its ear? the idea shows such great potential, then coasts along feeling good about itself. this do-over feels too much like opportunity wasted.
bummer: 2 stars