I’m heading home from one of the best festivals I’ve been to. I’m not sure if I just got lucky, or if the slate of titles was actually that much better.
A quick recap of my last day of movies includes Miss Representation, a good doc about how women are treated in media and how it shapes our perceptions. I especially recommend this film for young girls and women.
I also saw Homework with Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts, which was just okay. I liked Freddie, but thought Emma was flat. Because I didn’t connect with her, his infatuation with her didn’t mean anything to me. I was rooting for his character to move on and find his way without her.
I really liked The Convincer. Greg Kinnear was excellent as an insurance agent attempting to con an elderly man played by Alan Arkin. This film reminded a little of Fargo, and the last 20 minutes made the whole thing work for me.
I ended my trip with the star-studded Margin Call. The cast alone makes this worth watching, although it felt a little stretched and could have used more editing. Kevin Spacey and Paul Bettany are two great actors who hold your attention throughout.
As I mentioned, this was one of the best festivals I’ve attended. My favorite films were Win Win, The Details, The Convincer and Cedar Rapids. I highly recommend you seek these out, either at the theater or preferably by adding them to your Queue at blockbuster.com.
