business that's personal

the wrestler--
i can't imagine a more appropriate star vehicle for mickey rourke at this stage of his career. and i can't imagine anyone else doing this role justice; he is sheer perfection. darren aronofsky's brutally intimate character study is a heartbreaker. gruesome hard knocks of modern-day gladiator's fading spotlight mirror the crumbling of his identity and deterioration of his very existence. marisa tomei's Stunning soulful stripper represents hope in more ways than one.
heartbreaker: 4 stars

revolutionary road--
not the first utterly depressing breakdown of 50's suburban culture. heralded reunion of kate winslet & leonardo dicaprio is all about tone. this time, rather than discover couple's freeing connection, we witness their suffocating dissolution. Busy(!) cinematographer roger deakins (also framed the reader and doubt) and composer thomas newton command while stars shout at each other. michael shannon, in juicy loony supporting role, justifiably calls into question sanity of everyone & everything Settled around him.
tone: 3 stars

* still life (BONUS dvd review)--
winner, best foreign language film, l.a. film critics. tricky title proves doubly telling. story explores parallel estranged relationships alongside china's yangtze river, where in spots entire villages were displaced by three gorges dam. quiet camera and subdued performances harmonize to reveal emotional core. pic unfolds gracefully into portrait of patience and resilience of human spirit.
patience: 3 stars