Brick d. Rian Johnson
This was really great. The whole film-noir-in-a-high-school thing is done with total sincerity and seriousness. I never once felt like it was too gimmicky or lame or whatever. I was just totally wrapped up, enthralled by their slang, by the complex plot, and by the excellent acting by almost everyone. Very well done by Rian Johnson, who pulled off his dream project excellently. Very thrilling. Sometimes difficult to understand, but nonetheless very engaging.

Howl's Moving Castle d. Hayao Miyazaki
I loved Miyazaki movies for the creativity that is put into every scene. The bus that was shaped like a cat, the birds made out of paper, etc. are all really great. Can his movies sometimes become suffocated by the focus on wonderful, fantastic images? Howl's Moving Castle proves they can. The actual storytelling was put behind the incredible sights and although they are very entertaining to see, such as the door that with the turn of a dial can take you anywhere, they made the actual plot difficult to follow. Something about a magician that doesn't want to fight in a war as a bird and he has a curse on him or whatever. Of course, Miyazaki put some of his most crazy ideas in this movie. He just didn't spend enough time developing the dialogue and the plot.

After Life d. Hirokazu Koreeda
This was a pretty interesting concept, but it had a somewhat negative affect on me while viewing the film. Basically it's about one of many stations where the dead arrive to choose only one memory from life to have a special crew recreate on film for their eternal viewing. Unfortunately they did not actually spend a lot of time on the film making part, which was what I was waiting for in anticipation. I did enjoy watching the people reminisce on old memories, from a man who only wishes to remember a childhood memory because he's had a boring life to a meticulous pilot who wants to remember flying through the clouds. The memory that you want to relive for eternity is essentially your idea of heaven. Really this is a movie that shows how a person's idea of heaven and how they explain it can tell a lot about them. The film making scene was really great, and it was touching to see the dead people so enjoying reliving their memories. I kind of disliked how it abruptly shifted to a love story near the end, but this was a good movie.

A Man Escaped d. Robert Bresson
Very straightforward. Bresson had a singular focus on what story to tell with this movie, and he did it well. I thought a movie about a man trying to escape from prison in Nazi-occupied France would be boring, but it was actually very gripping. Whenever he was writing, or removing the boards from his door, or doing something else risky, I was absolutely terrified for him. The last scene, which is about 15 minutes long, is a completely suffocating experience for me, because I was too afraid for him to even breathe. Although there isn't much of an underlying message with this film, Bresson captured the intensity of prison escape perfectly and great acting by the guy who played Fontane made this a completely enjoyable film.

Stroszek d. Werner Herzog
Herzog is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. Prior to this I've seen Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo, both excellent, albeit very similar films. This was very different from those two as this is not exactly about a maniac wrapped up in visions of the great and impossible. Instead, Bruno S. nicely plays the lost man in Germany who decides to move with an old man and a prostitute to rural America, in order to run from some pimps that are harassing him and also to find a purpose for existence by making lots of money. The part of the movie in America is so great as it follows Bruno and Eva getting established with a home, a bank and getting acquainted with a new, "better" life. I can't really tell much more, but there is beauty in watching the progress of Stroszek's life in America. I think Herzog's message with this movie is that unless we accept the unexplainable circumstances of life, we will always remain outsiders. The last scene in the film is beautiful. Herzog says he did not know the metaphor he was making with this scene, but he knows there is one. I don't believe him, because it is one of the most powerful, haunting scenes I've ever seen. My dad hated this movie but loved Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo. I think this rivals both. This is truly one of the best films I've ever seen. (Cool note: Herzog and his cameramen actually strapped themselves to the hood of the car the actors were driving in, on the freeway, to film some driving scenes. With just their belts. Werner Herzog is so awesome.)