2002-06-03 | 6:16 p.m.

corduroy licorice was full of baloney. he had a lunch meat-specific eating disorder.

***

i'm in the mood for something new.

for now, my new flippy haircut and vibrant run lola red dye job with a 'lil spit of blonde for kicks in the mix will have to do. but i'm feeling the pull of magnetic forces. the thirst for a drink that hasn't yet been packaged for the retail market. hmmm...this case of self-investigation must be reopened. something's amiss with this miss.

***

the list of movies i want to see has suddenly quadrupled, so this weekend i saw two in one day to gain a soothing sense of progress: cq and late marriage. both were lovable and laudable for very different reasons. that's the magic of movies and i don't know what i'd do with them. we're talking life's blood here, folks.

cq is a delightful little gem of a film. it is the big-screen debut of writer/director roman coppola (sophia's brother, francis ford's son) and, boy, did that boy do his homework.

i read on the official site that roman did a lot of style research for this movie and it shows. the art direction and costumes are deliciously retro, as is the film's style...a frothy blend of 60s cinema verit� and sci-fi kitsch set in paris,1969. i first heard about the film on pop-pop's blog, then saw the trailer. it looked like it could be a playful disaster, but it turned out to be a playful pearl. all of the pieces fit together so well. it was obvious roman had a vision and was meticulous in the details that it took to bring it to life. a sweet little bonbon with a creamy, movie magic filling.

the story is about a young film editor who dreams of being a director. due to a crisis, he is forced to direct the ending of the sci-fi action film he's working on. the movie-within-a-movie device is so well-orchestrated. the acting is terrific, too. especially jeremy davies, as the befuddled first-time director/long-time dreamer, and jason schwartzman, as an obnoxious, young, flavor-of-the-month-type director. the lead actress, who plays an either-naked-or-baby-pink-leather-cloaked super spy named dragonfly, was quite charming...although her painfully thin figure was a bit distracting. a wry sense of humor percolates throughout, as do knowing winks at the perils of the film industry. the soundtrack is full of smart, retro-sque sparkle, too. both of my thumbs are in the fully upright position on this one, captain.

late marriage is an israeli film i first noticed on mike d'angelo's "grade a" list. the guy don't give out many of those top grades, so i knew it would be a quality theater experience. it definitely was. the funny thing is, some reviewers are calling it a comedy. i disagree. this is a very bittersweet, painful film sprinkled with some very funny moments.

director dover kosashvili did a magnificent job of telling the tale of a young man being strong-armed into marriage by his parents and by cultural expectations. the lead actor lior louie ashkenazi did a terrific job of playing a peter pan philosophy uppergrad who is living on his parents' tab while secretly dating an older, single mom, mesmerizingly played by ronit elkabetz.

in d'angelo's review, he made a point that the centerpiece sex scene was one of the most believable ever shot. it was and it provided a poignant peek into these two characters' relationship. from that moment on, you understand why they are drawn to each other so desperately. just as desperately, his parents (two terrific actors, themselves) want this relationship to end and will go to extremes to stop it. it is quite painful to watch what unfolds, but it is a bracing, eye-opening film experience.

i saw a sunday matinee of the film and the audience was full of grey-haired folks. as the credits started to roll, i heard some irritated "harumphs" echoing up the theater behind me. something told me they'd come expecting a lighthearted romantic comedy starring some charming foreigners. too bad they were disappointed. they'd gotten to see something much more substantial and truly special. the captain has turned on the no-smoking sign. this movie is ready for take-off.

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