21 June 2009

Driving blind

O'Horten

Crit
A sixty-seven-year-old Norwegian train conductor retires, meets and loses a couple of new friends, finally takes a chance. Not much there there, yet Bent Hamer (Factotum, Kitchen Stories) uses the face and the quiet of Bård Owe to make it all matter. Wonderful turn by Espen Skjønberg as a dipsomaniac genius found in the gutter, who provides the essential metaphor of the film.

The Brothers Bloom

Crit
The best con, we are told beginning (yes, that familiar voiceover voice is Ricky Jay's) and end, is the one in which everyone gets what he or she wants. Ditto the best con movies. I desperately wanted to love this, but despite the wonderful cast, I eventually just wanted them to get on with it, con or not con, elope or not elope, whatever.
Trailers

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