The first movie, Morvern Callar is based on a novel by Alan Warner that I read about 5 years ago. When I read the novel, I felt that the main character was somehow distant, alienated, unfeeling and cold. I think Movern is portrayed much more sympathetically in the film, but perhaps I was misreading the book. In this film, she embodies a spirit of individuality and freedom or something along those lines. However, she did cut up the body of her boyfriend who committed suicide and erased his name on the manuscript and puts her own on it and takes credit for it's publication, not exactly the acts of a sympathetic character in my view. The movie is begins quite somberly with little sound and then explodes into party and dance scenes, a series of contrasts I suppose. I couldn't relate to he character, but it was an interesting film nonetheless.
The other film was The Sunshine State directed by John Sayles. I think John Sayles is one of the most interesting directors around these days reflected by a varied body of work. Sayles writes and directs all of his movies and seldom is unsuccessful in the results. This ensemble film seems like a Robert Altman film, but is probably closer to in spirit to Sayles? excellent Lone Star. The guess the film is a bit heavy on dialogue and the issues of family, redevelopment, and preservation of traditional communities and the environment. The scenes with the wealthy golfers in particular seem a bit too staged. All in all, it is well acted with good performances and intelligently written and thought provoking.
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