As components, Alexander is an excellent movie. The acting is great, the backdrops are inspiring, the story is enticing. Each scene is well-polished (although the battles were occasionally a bit too jerky). But the composition leaves something lacking to me, in terms of what's been left out and the hopping back in time to show something that didn't need to be placed out of order.

In my mind, Riddick had a lot of potential after his introduction in Pitch Black. He's an anti-hero, and with that label, the capacity, if not the inclination, to do the right thing for mostly right reasons. Chronicles of Riddick solidifies Riddick in a way that I'm unhappy to see him go. [Spoilers]

Controversially, I think I, Robot is an excellent film. Whether it's what an Asimov fan would think Asimov would like, taken objectively, the film manages to cover a number of interesting concepts related to artificial intelligence, have mass appeal, and yet not go overboard on the sort of gung-ho "funny" action a la Independence Day.

On a bit of a whim, I chose Kaena from the DVD rental store, and I certainly don't regret it. The plot is a bit derivative, with insufficient background information to build a context to understand the movie. But one can't fault the imagery or the sound.

Or, Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy, The (2000). The beginning was interesting enough for me to decide to stay up past midnight (I feel so old!) to watch it.

Jeremy and I caught the last film of the 10th annual Out in Africa gay and lesbian film festival, at least in Cape Town. It was Latter Days, which some may remember caused some news for being banned in Salt Lake City. Basic plot: Shallow gay party boy Christian (Wes Ramsey) meets closeted Mormon missionary Aaron (solidly played by newcomer Steve Sandvoss - you'll see this name again), both change for the better.

Four movies this weekend (the down side of getting a contract). Jeremy watched Bulletproof Monk (which I'd seen before), and we watched Tortilla Soup on Saturday. While a bit obvious or simple in places, Tortilla Soup was a nice feel-good comedy about a single Mexican father and his three daughters now living in the United States. Great personal camera shots, and absolutely amazing coverage of food preparation and cooking - you'll be hungry about 15 minutes into the movie. Sunday brought Bringing Down The House (shockingly I found it tolerable - I'd expected a lot worse) and then The Hours, which I highly recommend. Great cast (Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, and also appearances from Claire Danes and Allison Janney), solid acting from the lead characters, and good movie construction tackling a possibly-confusing story successfully in my opinion.

No 'Wow!', but a great movie. Should probably watch it again. Great shots of Tokyo and Kyoto, showing the various facets of Japan's culture (I consider them: traditional, formal, mass-market, and youth). Bill Murray does well to play an actor some people may associate him with - an aging former star living on his past accomplishments. Scarlett Johansson is destined for great things after this performance. I think Coppola did a great job getting the visuals, the feeling of visitors to Tokyo and its vibrant culture, and getting us to feel for the couple (especially in the stayover/TV-watching scene). Went away from the movie (just over a week ago?) unsure of what exactly I thought, but the elements in combination make it a winner.

Wow! I wish I had watched it in the original French (preferably understanding it, but subtitles would do), the dubbing is about the only thing I can complain about. Again, this movie is not something everyone is going to like, but this outshines Y tu mamá también as the best movie I've seen in memory. I appreciated the wild and complex plot and the characters, the intelligence and the irony throughout. Beautiful imagery, with interesting camera work and style. Will probably watch it again tomorrow morning!

For nearly three and a half years, Sir Ian McKellen has been writing for his web site. This includes diaries (and photos taken by him on location) for The Lord of the Rings and X-Men shooting and events, as well as replying to questions from fans from the web site. It also encompasses his other writings (since 1974!) on stage and film and on activism (gay or otherwise). What a find!