Spring Movies: Part 5

Last two before Summer '07!

The sweetest movie in theaters right now has to be Once, which was just as affecting, romantic, and filled with great music as I had hoped. (Debbie was less in love, but still liked it quite a bit.) The filmmaking here is simple (mostly handheld camera and straight-ahead lighting), the script honest and cute, the performances winning, the story slight to say the least: "Guy", a heartbroken Dublin street musician played by Frames frontman Glen Hansard, meets "Girl", a charmingly feisty Czech immigrant played by Markéta Irglová, with whom Hansard recorded a CD last year, too. Guy and Girl walk around and talk and flirt and eat in each other's homes. They feel a definite physical and emotional connection, but are unsure what to do with it. They play piano and guitar and sing a lot instantly likeable songs together. They... well I let you found out for yourself. Make no mistake: this is definitely a musical, meaning that we watch as somewhere around ten songs are performed in their entirety by the Guy and/or the Girl. But what lovely songs they are...

Switching gears, Scoboco went to see Shrek the Third last Saturday evening, braving the babies and the texting-parents and the kids kicking the backs of our—ok, of my—seat. Yes, this is a total product, and nothing new (if you weren't fond of Shreks 1 or 2, 3 will not be the charm). But Bo and Co had more than few good laughs, I felt reasonably entertained and smiley almost throughout, the hit-to-miss ratio of jokes was pretty high, and in the end the three of us felt like we had a fun night out at the movies. Just keep those expectations low.