I just signed up for Netflix, so I've been watching a lot lately.
Before Sunset: I enjoyed it, but I didn't connect with it the way I had Before Sunrise. Part of what I loved about Before Sunrise was that it seemed aware of its own characters' pretentiousness, and that movie perfectly captures what it's like to be young and in love with life and with the sound of your own voice. Celine and Jesse fall for one another, for sure, but it's just as much about the experience as it is about the other person, which I find intriguing. It's flawed, but the more beautiful for it, and Hawke and Delpy have so much chemistry. The chemistry remains consistent in Before Sunset, but it's somewhat disappointing that Jesse and Celine are just as self-involved ten years later as they were when they'd first met. I would have liked to see a little more maturation, whereas the only discernible difference in their conversations in the two movies is that they are less optimistic in the second. I wanted them together, but was nagged by the idea that they probably wouldn't be really good for one another. Still, the movie does a nice job with the emotional consequences of missed opportunities. Recommended, although I don't think it was ultimately necessary to revisit these characters.
The Good German: Gimmicky with a flimsy plot. It's fun to play on Clooney and Blanchett's likenesses to old Hollywood stars, but ultimately, I would rather have been watching a movie from that era than one filmed to imitate it. Watchable, but sort of a waste of time.
Jesus Camp: Just frightening, and pretty relevant now in terms of the current Supreme Court vacancy. I would take it with a grain of salt as the people the documentary focuses on are in the very, very extreme.
Hard Candy: Definitely an intriguing movie. It goes for provocation and shock value and mostly achieves it, turning a would-be child molester into his not-so-innocent victim's prey. Patrick Wilson gives an adequate performance as the 30-something photographer and internet stalker, and Ellen Page a great one as a 14-year-old he invites to his house. Page is really the reason to watch the movie, and it was nice to see her out of the Juno mold of roles. The issues the movie raises are interesting, and though it doesn't ultimately do them justice, it does get you thinking.