Another periodic update
Now Playing: Stuff I've seen recently, in case you couldn't guess
So I've seen a good number of movies lately, although you wouldn't know it to look at my blog here. My excuse for not posting is that I've been busy. Plus boiling my thoughts on a movie down to 50 words is hard, since I usually feel the need to explain where I'm coming from before I really get into my opinion. In other words, doing this is probably a big waste of time, and you should make do with the star grades on my screening log and the occasional longer stuff I've posted on Epinions.com. But I'm a trouper, so I press on. Just don't expect much.

OFF THE MAP (2003, Campbell Scott)- Strong performances (dig Allen and Elliott both playing against type) bolster story about early-teenage girl coming of age in unlikely surroundings, and a houseguest searching for himself. Scott, predictably, is good with actors, but also acquits himself visually. Quirkiness laid on thick at times, but the film is satisfying overall. Rating: **1/2.

MONDOVINO (2004, Jonathan Nossiter)- Pretty boring, and I don’t use that word often. Yeah, globalization and homogenization of wine is bad, local traditional recipes are good, okay. Also dogs. Perks up some when the film heads to Argentina, but a snore overall. Thank goodness we have Nossiter to show us what real connoisseurship is. Rating: *1/2.

CHAIN (2004, Jem Cohen)- Feature-length video contrasts a foreigner’s POV of American mall culture with that of a native, and the result is thought-provoking but rarely compelling. Probably worked better as gallery installation, as I got impatient with this stand-alone version after about 45 minutes. Not uninteresting, however. Rating: **.

BABY FACE (1933, Alfred E. Green)- Delicious Pre-Code offering, with Stanwyck as a brazen woman sleeping her way to the top. Restored scenes add teeth to the story, although the finale still feels a bit soft. Wonder if Jean-Claude Brisseau has seen this? Rating: ***1/2.

THIRTEEN HOURS BY AIR (1936, Mitchell Leisen)- Not exactly a great movie, but still a fun one. Fred MacMurray flies the friendly skies with Joan Bennett, ZaSu Pitts, and an assist from United, until a fugitive and a snowstorm imperil their journey. Granddaddy of AIRPORT series plays better now than its descendents- it’s a smooth, unpretentious ride. Rating: **1/2.

ADVISE AND CONSENT (1962, Otto Preminger)- Homosexual subplot aside, Preminger’s film dates quite well, with its look at congressional politics strangely modern. Henry Fonda feels like a guest star, as the film mostly takes place around him, and it’s all the more successful for it. Charles Laughton rules, obviously. Love the understated regime-change ending. Rating: ***1/2.