School of Rock
Behold the strength of a well-executed “feel good” movie. Music, laughter and a whole lot of heart makes School of Rock better than the sum of it’s parts with invigorating filmmaking and clever script. Jack Black is once again phenomenal in the role as a laid up musician pretending to be a substitute teacher and the story excels as it celebrates the importance of the arts and how it helps kids and fosters and greater appreciation for the world around them.
Before Sunset
Subtle, graceful filmmaking at it’s finest with two superb performances at it’s core, Before Sunset is not only the (arguable I suppose) best of the trilogy but the best film Linklater has done to date. Introspective with more than a few hints of melancholy, the film see’s both Celine and Jesse at a crossroads as they try and determine where their lives are going to take them next. It’s proof that their first meeting wasn’t just a fluke and that there is some deep, tangible chemistry between the two, both physical and metaphysical. There is a spark that ignites when the two are close as their hugs turn into embraces or as Celine reaches out to fix Jesse’s hair. That spark burns in Jesse’s eyes as he watches Celine sing and dance in her living room, very much aware that he’s about to take a sudden leap all for a woman that has so totally and completely captured his heart and mind in the two, brief encounters they’ve shared. It’s a romance for the ages and character study near unparalleled in cinema.
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