Sounds like some really mixed feelings about THE HELP, which means I will probably skip it in theaters. I will be moving GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER up the to-watch list, though.

I’m so looking forward to the silliness of next week and I find it tragic that Kati won’t be joining us.

All Humphrey Bogart movies are awesome, pretty much. I recommend Key Largo next.

So glad you talked about The Fountain! I love it too. YOU’RE BOTH TOTALLY RIGHT.

(And you’re correct, I am planning to watch Alcatraz, so we’ll see how it turns out.)

Excellent episode sans me, you guys. I’d taken Captain Blood out of my Netflix queue after I knew I wouldn’t make it this week, but I think I’m putting it back in! (Also, I agree that Matthew needs to keep up his “Pirate” voice at all times.)

I seem to have gotten across the exact opposite point I was attempting to make, because it sounds like you think I didn’t like the film because it didn’t have enough flash or glitter. Not so. My problem with the film was that it didn’t have anything to say. You say it was a good story, but I disagree, because I still don’t know what that story was about. Nor do I have any problem with quiet, understated films — I would have been surprised had The Kids Are All Right won, but pleased.

As for Inception, I’d agree that it doesn’t have the most well-developed characters in the history of film, but I’d prefer that to being force-fed information about characters the way we are in The King’s Speech. Show, don’t tell. As for the rest, well, the main motivation of the lead character is to get back to his children, not make a lot of money. Indeed, he promises his share of the money to Dileep Rao’s character. I’d also argue that it’s more than simply two and a half hours of “one clever thought”; it’s an extremely well-executed and entertaining heist film with an interesting twist to the circumstances. Do I think it was The Best Movie Of The Year? No, of the films nominated I would have prefered The Social Network or even Black Swan win before Inception. I do think it deserved to win Best Original Screenplay, and I remain appalled that Christopher Nolan wasn’t nominated for Best Director — not because of any flash or glitter, but simply on the strength of his ability to tell a compelling story.

To be fair, the historical context is a large part of what won me over — I didn’t feel like it needed to be MORE dramatic, because we’ve been deluged with a plethora of super-dramatic WWII movies over the years. So a quiet, understated film about a man with a stutter whose voice will become part of what carries his nation through prolonged, brutal attacks, well. I like that movie. I like that story.

I’m not sure any of the directions you wish they’d taken it in would have made it a better film, to be honest. There’s nothing about it I would have changed. Additionally, I thought the technical aspects were all very well done, if not particularly fancy.

Quite frankly, I would have been appalled if Inception had won anything other than technical awards. Two and a half hours of one clever thought, as performed by a panoply of poorly-developed characters, most of whom aren’t remotely sympathetic, and we have no reason to care who lives or dies (assuming you believe any of it is real), because the motivation for most of the action depends on some guy’s desire to make a lot of money. Big fricking deal.

I’m looking forward to watching Black Swan even more now. We have two prints of that running and I’m constantly hearing the soundtrack and feedback from the crowds.

Then again, I never watched the whole season, just finales and sometimes a random episode here and there.