FOLLOWING

1998 Directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Lucy Russel plus several unknowns.

If you enjoyed Memento, then this movie is worth checking out. It was shot on zero budget with several unknown actors and before the success of Memento. Once again, Nolan has me from beginning to end. You could say I'm a bit of a fan, but I really appreciate movies that provide an experience verses the same old formula movie. I love those movies too but I am always excited by something different for a change. This is definitely different, unpredictable, clever, and fun to watch in a twisted sort of way. You will just have to rent it to see what I mean!

MEMENTO

2000 Directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), and Joe Pantoliano.

If you feel like watching a movie unlike any you've seen before, then this is the rental for you. Christopher Nolan has such a unique style. From the opening scene to the last my attention was held completely. This is a real POV movie and I loved the experience. The script is amazing with outstanding editing to match.

What you will find even more amazing after watching it, is that the movie was shot in only 25 days on a budget of just 5 million dollars. Most films have budgets at least five times this amount. Christopher Nolan proves that you don't need a huge budget (or even a lot of time) to make a great film.

DEAR FRANKIE

2004 Directed by Shona Auerbach and starring Emily Mortimer, Jack McElhone, and Gerard Butler.

Please please go to your DVD menu and set up the English Subtitles before viewing this movie. This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time and I wouldn't want anyone to miss one single word of dialogue. (the various Scottish and English accents can be difficult to understand at times)

This movie was just beautiful. Beautifully written and acted, I am just sad that I missed this one at The Little Theater. I wouldn't want to spoil any part of it so that's all I will say!!!

IRIS

2001 Directed by Richard Eyre and starring Kate Winslet (Titanic), Judy Dench and Jim Broadbent.

This movie is a true story about the life of novelist Iris Murdoch and her husband, John Bayley. The script is based on the book written by Bayley "Iris: A Memoir and Elegy for Iris".

I loved the skinny dipping scene. Kate Winslet shows the world that you don't need to be a skinny, under weight model with silicone anything to be absolutely gorgeous. However, the true beauty of this movie is the love that John Bayley holds for Iris. This is not your typical love story and it is definitely not a fairy tale. But it is interesting, wonderful, sad, candid, and sometimes uncomfortable. I enjoyed it very much.

BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM

2002 Directed by Gurinder Chadha and starring Parminder Nagra (ER) and Keira Knightly (Pirates of the Caribbean).

This is an all around feel-good movie starring Parminder and Keira on the verge of their becoming well recognized stars in Hollywood. This movie gives great insight into the Indian Culture in Great Britain. There is a hilarious fight scene at a wedding which seems to be completely random and makes no sense but I have since learned that there is basically a fight at every Indian wedding which is why the scene was included. Another interesting fact is that the scar on Parminder's leg, which is shown in one scene, is her real scar. Anyhow, I won't spoil the movie so I will just say that I loved it and would classify it as a "Football Fairy Tale".

Remember to use the English subtitles anytime you rent a British or Irish film. This will save you from from rewinding everytime you can't understand a part of the dialogue.

By the way, if you're wondering who Beckham is or what bending is . . . . (for the soccer illiterate such as myself) click here and here.

PS Although this is a sporty movie about soccer, this is not a movie for small children - many sexual references.