May, 6, 2006 archives

my fiancée celia and i went to go see los angeles plays itself at the egyptian theatre the other night. it’s a documentary about how los angeles has appeared in films over the years, and the writer/director is pretty critical of how the city is portrayed.

i had seen praise for the film, but i don’t think it quite lived up to the hype. a lot of the film footage is of questionable quality, the narration can be fairly tedious at times, and it’s just too long. the few film clips showing the now-gone richfield building did make my heart skip a beat.

i’d say it is still worth seeing if you can find a screening and you’re a nut about los angeles, but it’s not a must-see film if you’re more casual in your interest.

the joy luck club is just a little too drippy, and the non-flashback portions haven’t aged well (and are the drippiest). but i’m told that watching it has put me several months ahead into understanding my new family-to-be.

love actually is one of those sprawling ensemble pieces that just doesn’t quite gel. we watched it so i could see the scene with the gospel choir at the wedding in the beginning of the movie, which is a clever little scene.