So Tony Scott and Manohla Dargis, his new partner in film reviewing, handicap the fall movie season in today's NYT. Now about the new kid: she praises David O. Russell and Alexander Payne in the same sentence, so she can't be entirely, irredeemably, Joyce Wadler-style crazy, but the only possible explanation I can come up with is it's a cry for help:
Before Sunset just about drove me INSANE. Those two jabbery narcissists deserved each other; the Ethan Hawke character's invisible wife must plop into a Calgon bath as soon as he walks out the door for his book tour.
Even if Before Sunset doesn't make huge sacks of money, it will probably be one of the best if not the best film [Warner Brothers] puts out this year. It's too small to get Oscar recognition, because those dolts in the academy rarely look at a movie that tiny, but big Warners has to understand that this movie has great worth.
Did someone mention walking? I haven't seen such a pointless randonnee since Gerry. But with its incessant, empty banter, Before Sunset is almost the exact opposite of Van Sant's nearly dialogue-free buddy pic. Before Sunset is the anti-Gerry. And you've gotta pick your poison; you're either a Gerry person or a Before Sunset person. Unless you're Manohla Dargis, who apparently loved both. Move over, Joyce.
The Best Movies We've Never Seen [NYT A&L]
Related: greg.org on Gerry
