Witz Flickz: King of Kong, Rocket Science, The Amateurs, Two Days In Paris, The Hottest State, Michael Clayton, and Gone, Baby, Gone

Man, Pick #201 sure is a big letdown-- it's like the day after Christmas, now we all have to wait another 365 days until pick #300 (I mean, c'mon, let's be honest). Hopefully, it will come faster than that and fortunately, Monday's are only teaser picks that lead up to the glory of Fridays (you know, sometimes, by accident). Here are a bunch of short movie pickz for you because I've been watching far too many recently:

The Hottest State:
Ethan Hawke lured me in, but he's barely in this movie. Instead, we get a young couple struggling with life and love in NYC. Somehow, possibly because of how it was shot and written, the story and dialogue grab and hold you for a decent part of the film, but ultimately, it gets a bit old and tiresome-- like the old guy at family reunions, the first half of the night he's hanging onto everyone and talking excitedly about the past (aka Historical Fiction) and then he's exhausted and needs to leave early, but the old folks bus ain't there yet so everyone starts arguing about who's gonna stay with Uncle Charlie. Good acting and really decent commentary on relationships, but a bit too self-consciously indie and long-- the movie, not Uncle Charlie.

Two Days In Paris:
I really enjoyed this film and not just because it reminded me waaaay too much of how my family operates under travel duress. Adam Goldberg and Julie Delpy go to Paris on the way back from Italy to visit and to see her parents (they live in nyc and she's from Paris). Argumentative hilarity and philosophy ensue. Perfect for a Ratatouille double-header, the dialogue is quick and entertaining, and the plot only drags at a few points and not for very long.

The Amateurs:
One of those movies where the whole isn't quite the sum of the parts. A small small town gets together to make a porn film when Jeff Bridges has a moment of clarity for his next moneymaking project. His buddies fall into line including Patrick Fugit, Ted Danson, That Police Guy From Prison Break Season One and Invasion, and The Funny Little Guy From O Brother Where Art Thou, Joe Pantoliano (that guy from everything), John Hawkes (Deadwood), Lauren Graham, The Gay Bashing Dude From Grey's Anatomy, and The Older Wife From Big Love. There are some scenes of brilliance and great comedy, but not nearly enough, and considering the topic, you'd think they'd have been able to pack in more goodness. The movie works and it's ok, but it's not amazing.

Rocket Science:
For everyone who thought Juno was the only quirky white people indie film available for viewing, I have great news-- Rocket Science exists. Very well written, somewhat amusing, and really well acted, Rocket Science is the simple story of a boy with a stutter in high school who starts to come into his own with the help of a girl who either loves him or hates him. The simple story is described in dramatic proportion, but in a way that works. He gets tricked onto the debate team, where he ironically tries to win the contest and the girl's heart. I really enjoyed the simple story and the characters its tough not to get involved with the characters. Plus, for you Juno fans, since they are quick talking debaters, most of the dialogue is snappy and far too fast for realism. Also, this shockingly means that The Great Debaters is NOT THE ONLY debate movie to watch. Baffling. I hope debate becomes like dancing and cliques square off. They can call it, "Bring It On Again, Because Within The Current Debate Format It Is Your Turn For Rebuttal."

Michael Clayton:
George Clooney gets wacky wild in the gray area of morality and ultimately chooses-- well, I won't tell you. But what would a guy who was formerly on "Sisters," "ER," and played Batman choose to do? Anyway, well acted, well written, a bit unnecessarily confusing, and containing ONE extraneous horse scene, I liked it, and I bet the writer was screaming into his pillow the night they gave the Academy Award to "The Girl Who Got Pregnant But It Was Ok"-- which I also really enjoyed.

Gone, Baby, Gone:
The best part about this movie is that I get to quote the line where they say, "Gone baby, gone." with a Haitian accent ALL THE TIME NOW.

"Where's the leftover pizza??"
"Gone baby, gone."
"Where's that DVD you got from Netflix?"
"Gone baby, gone."
"Where's your dignity after more than 200 pickz?"
"Gone baby, gone."

Awesome. The second best part about this movie was Casey Affleck and the great story-- I know that's two things, but did you really want me to have to write a third line where I told you what the THIRD best thing was? Moot point. Anyway, I'm pretty shocked that they didn't give this more nominations, because I thought it was probably more compelling and well done than any other movie I've seen that was nominated...which pretty much just means Michael Clayton.

BUT THE BEST MOVIE I'VE SEEN THIS YEAR IS:

The King of Kong: A Fistfull of Quarters
This documentary about is about the best Donkey Kong players in the world-- although the top few competitors are all from the US, which seems suspect, but hey, what do I know. For sheer surrealty, nothing beats this. The "characters" are amazingly odd, but you see where they're coming from. Steve Wiebe (pronounced Wee-bee, like jammin') faces off against Billy Mitchell (the second best name to square off with since Chuck Norris was taken) in the epic long lasting battle and scandal for domination in what is described as the most difficult of the original arcade games. You get to watch as these two prepare, converse, battle, and boast. When you get to the showdown in Hollywood...Florida that is, you will be giddy and astounded at how invested you have become in the story. There is also a colorful array of side characters such as Mr. Awesome, my new favorite person (I guess that was his plan), and Walter Day, the aging referee and game score keeper. I can't possibly explain how awesome and amazing this movie is, you have to find out for yourself.

I'll save a few movies for another slow day. Enjoy the ones I told you to enjoy.

Watching House (M.D.) Season By Season In Reverse Order Is EXACTLY Like Watching The Show Lost In Regular Order,
Witz