The Occasional Blog of Jonah Weiland

Okay, going to play a bit of catch-up with films I’ve seen so far this year … well, the ones that I can remember.

“X-Men 2″: This will go down as one of my favorite comic based films of all time. The writers of this film took the source material seriously, treated it that way and ended up with a smart and engagin action film. Hugh Jackman is even better as Wolverine this time around and Ian McKellan almost steals the movie. Great performances, excellent direction. LOADS of fun.

“A Mighty Wind”: Possibly my favorite movie of the year so far. Incredible comedic timing that one-ups previous like-minded films “Best In Show” and even “Spinal Tap.” Equally part zany, wacky and heart warming. Watching this film you’re reminded of the one element that was missing from “Best In Show”: Harry Shearer. The man is a comedic genius that NEVER goes the way with a joke you expect him to. This will be a DVD buy for me.

“Charlies Angels 2″: I enjoyed this film despite not really wanting to see it. A bunch of friends were going to see it opening night and I thought I’d tag along. I never saw the first and had no idea what to expect. This film succeeds because it meets its goals: the movie was conceived as wacky action flick with chicks that kick ass and that’s exactly what you get. I won’t see it again, nor will I buy it on DVD, but it achieves that “popcorn” level of entertainment.

“Capturing the Friedman’s”: This movie fucked with my brain and I love it for doing that. A documentary that follows a family in New York in the 1980s where the father and son have been accused of child molestation. This documentary is unique in that the family was very much a fan of making home videos, so you have an incredible amount of footage of the family before the trial and then during, wherein you see the family completely fall apart during intensely personal family fights. At times you almost feel like you’re intruding into their lives. One of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen.