Thoughts: Apparently many people are making comparsions between this version and the 1971 Willy Wonda and the Chocolate Factory. I don't think you can compare the two. This is not a remake of the Willy Wonda film but another interpretation of the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. The film is not Oscar worthy but it was entertaining and Freddie Highmore's role as Charlie Bucket was on the money. Johnny Depp as Willy Wonda was a bit strange and creepy unlike Gene Wiler's Willy Wonda who was more insane yet caring. In addition, Tim Burton did a wonderful job creating a whole new world with the chocolate factory and the Bucket's home much like what he did for Edward Scissorhands. The only real downside for me was the lame Willy Wonda back story they built into the script.
(M) Me and You and Everyone We Know. (2005, Miranda July)Grade: C-
Thoughts: I had read and heard this movie was suppose to be good ... right up my ally of indie films. Boy was I mislead. Within the first 20 minutes of the film, Richard Swersey (John Hawkes), one of the main characters, had set his hand on fire while Christine Jesperson (Miranda July), the other main character, and her elderly passenger are having a moment of silence for a goldfish that is about to die, I thought to myself "Should I get up and walk out?". Well I didn't but the film never got any better. One of the biggest problems I had with the movie was the use children in sexual situations. There is the 6-year old boy on Internet sex chatrooms or the 14-year old girls talking to a 30-year old man about dirty sex positions. I don't believe you have do something shocking/disturing just to call your film indie. It was like the director Miranda July felt it was not enough just to be indie but be shock value indie. At the end of the movie a character is asked what he is doing and his response was "Passing the time." and that's all this movie did. Addendum:I spoke to my cuz and read Pigern's review of this film and did some more thinking and maybe I missed the point to the film. I might have to give it an additional viewing but only on DVD.
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