——THE ESSENTIALS——
No Essentials
——JEFF’S PICKS——
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris)
At the time of its release, this was considered the ultimate Indie film. And I suppose it was. But when you have talent like Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell and Alan Arkin you’ve got a head start. No matter what the budget or absence of a major studio.
ZODIAC (David Fincher)
There is so much meticulous attention to detail in Fincher’s account of the decades-long search for the true-life Zodiac killer of the San Francisco Bay area, that you feel like you’ve actually been through it when it’s over. Largely an exercise in frustration, the film becomes a meditation on perserverance, obsession and justice. The cast, led by Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downy Jr. (all superb), carry us through time and space in what becomes an existential journey. Part crime thriller, part newspaper story, part character study. All fascinating.
