Sunday, December 9

I have been slacking on blog posts, so here goes:

(B) Notes From a Small Island (Bill Bryson, 2001) Grade: B
I bought this book ages ago and decided it would be a light read for my trip to Canada. This is my first Bryson book, and though it was OK, his sense of humor would appeal more to my parents. He also incessantly whines about trivial things (traffic, unattractive buildings, poor taste), which I suppose befit his age. Some of the places he mentions I have visited, and I do know how he feels when he is in the English countryside on a Sunday looking for something to eat. Quite impossible.

(M) The Last King of Scotland (Kevin MacDonald, 2006) Grade: A
I usually enjoy most African films I see (God Grew Tired of Us, Coming to America—kidding) and I was captivated by this one. Forest Whitaker is mesmerizing as Idi Amin, the Ugandan ruler who killed 300,000 of his own people. I didn’t particularly like James McAvoy’s character, Dr. Garrigan, who was a pretty ignorant playboy, but King did deserve all the attention it received. Gillian Anderson is hardly in the film and plays a pretty minor role.

I’ve seen a few films via the screening series, so I am just going to briefly review them below.
(M) No Country for Old Men (Coen Bros., 2007) Grade: B+
(M) Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (Sidney Lumet, 2007)
Grade: B
(M) The Savages (Tamara Jenkins, 2007) Grade: B

(B) Post Office (Charles Bukowski, 1971) Grade: B

2 comments:

Darth said...

Coming to America is by far my favorite African movie. That reminds me i need to get some sou-glow.

Last King of Scotland is on Cinemax all this month so i'll try to catch it.

Curelover said...

Coming to America is a great great movie ... not sure how much of Africa is discussed compared to America. Ha ha.

I need to watch Last King as well. No Country was pretty good.