Max Sanches

We rented Vicky Christina Barcelona from Amazon – Video On Demand (Formerly Amazon Unbox).  I went in with no expectations but I thoroughly enjoyed the film.  Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz both impressed me.  Rebecca Hall as Vicky was not someone I had seen act before and her performance was spot on as well.  Scarlett Johansson was less interesting but I might be influenced by the nature of the character she is playing.  The ending has a nice symmetry, though perhaps too satisfying a payoff for those too quick to judge the turmoil surrounding Javier Bardem’s character.  Like so many things, ultimately I enjoyed the journey a bit more than the destination but it was a trip I was very glad to have taken.  Authentic dialogue and performances that crackle all set in gorgeous Spanish countryside.

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Mini- Amazon – Video On Demand Review

Amazon – Video On Demand via Tivo is a service that enables you to download films (for purchase or rental) over broadband internet.  The service works flawlessly thanks to the integration with Tivo but is still a bit pricey.  The quality of the downloaded video is more than acceptable on our 32″ HD TV.  The convenience of browsing and purchasing without the need for a Netflix cue or a trip to Blockbuster is hard to beat.  We tend to wait for sale pricing and have yet to rent any of the HD titles, but so far so good.

Zack Snyder’s Watchmen looks visually amazing but the characters are thin and the underlying dystopian vision lacks the impactful nuance of Blade Runner.  Maybe I am just not in the mood right now for a film that paints people essentially as heartless bugs.  Are we capable as a species of mindless acts of selfish violence?  Yes, but I don’t need a 3 hour film to remind me of this.  That’s what CNN does most nights and I avoid that too.  What I crave and films like Blade Runner, The Martix and 28 Days Later deliver is the dystopian vision coupled with characters that reflect humanities potential.  Not because I can’t handle the darkness but because total darkness is no more real than a vision where everything is sweetness and light. 

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