The Final Curtain

Alas, the 2006 Wellington Film Festival has now been and gone. However, I did manage to head in armed with red wine and ice cream to catch the following 6 movies before it drew to a close on Sunday.

Thank You for Smoking - A black comedy about the life of a lobbyist for Big Tobacco cigarettes. Fantastic film with one of the wittiest scripts I've heard in a long time. If you haven't already seen this, rent it.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is another recommendation. Quite a slow film but stick with it as Tommy Lee Jones and Barry Pepper are excellent.

American Cannibal: The Road to Reality - A documentary about 2 budding American sitcom writers who stumble into the surreal world of reality TV. Engaging and humorous probably for all the wrong reasons, worth catching though.

13 (Tzameti) - A french thriller, very french, very stylised, pretty good. Didn't have a comfy seat for this so that probably hampered my enjoyment. I reckon it'll be picked by Hollywood for a remake in the not too distant future.

Brick - Probably my favorite film of the festival, Film Noir with an American High School spin. Absolutely loved it, this is a must-see for everyone.

Finally, The Science of Sleep - A Michael Gondry film (he of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind fame) which revolves around how 1 man confuses reality with his dream world. Still trying to get my head around this as it's completely mental. That said, it was a hilarious, surreal couple of hours.

Top 5 I'd recommend you see - Once in a Lifetime, Thank you for Smoking, Brick, The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang and The Science of Sleep.

Watch and enjoy.