J. Edgar

An oddly sympathetic portrait of a personage who had, by the time this film was made, largely become a punchline to various jokes and a symbol of some of the problems of his period of American history. The factuality of this account is destined to remain outside of true knowledge; this is mostly about looking through a prism, and what you see is more about who you are rather than any quantity of legitimate truth. What is undeniable is Leonardo DiCaprio's chameleon-like ability to fill whatever role he pleases, and to do so with such a natural-seeming ease that he remains, perhaps, under appreciated for his talent, even with a career full of plaudits behind him. This is his show, and his almost peerless ability as an actor makes this film worth the viewer's time.

Birdman (or, The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Hollywood loves Hollywood, more than anything else. Even when it's an adjunct of Hollywood, like Broadway. That's a big reason why this movie, like Argo and The Artist before it, won Best Picture. The rest of us would prefer to judge a film on its actual merits--but even that's hard to do here, because this one is so steeped in its appreciation for film-making, and acting, and creativity and artistic effort in general. From the ostentatious camera-work to the passionate soliloquies about doing "something meaningful" creatively, this story practically browbeats the viewer into loving (or at least respecting) the cinematic arts, to the point where it's almost annoying. Thankfully, there's enough humor, professional performances, and flights of fantasy to redeem the film's worst excesses. I'm not sure it's statuette quality on its plain merits, but it's at least worth checking out on the viewing medium of your choice.

The Assassination Of Richard Nixon

Like almost all assassination plots, this film has a fatal flaw. The movie's arduous, even repetitive efforts to paint Sean Penn's character--a failed salesman, husband and would-be assassin--as a loser undermines any broader significance to the man's actions. It's an unavoidable question/conclusion: what reason is there to question the system if the only one driven to challenge it is someone congenitally unable to function within its domain? Are all activists, murderous or otherwise, simply those who can't get along? That is the unexpected train of thought that grows out of this film. Penn's performance is typically fine, but there isn't much of interest--apart from the violent denouement--once his character is established. A noble, but large, failure.

Le Divorce

Whatever the story, however it is presented, set it in Paris and you have magic. Just the look of a film shot in Paris is entertaining, especially in the hands of a pair of old pros like Merchant and Ivory. Ah, but what about that story? The complicated lives of two American sisters (Naomi Watts and Kate Hudson) living among the Frogs hold the interest for the whole running time, and the cast is strong from top to bottom (especially the two leads). Still, the denouement is a bit unseemly, and the viewer is left feeling not quite sure what to make of all this. Overall, a quintessential MEOW review.