I added a big batch of films to my Big Board over the last few days, but I'll cover them right here as has become my habit.

The Door in the Floor

This film wanted to be good. I could see something impressive in there just trying to escape. Unfortunately, this pseudo-adaptation of John Irving's A Widow for One Year just didn't have it. The performances were all quite solid; however, the film dragged and was simply too discomfiting to really sit well. Incidentally, Dakota Fanning's younger sister Elle. She might be even creepier than Dakota in her preternatural abilities.

Collateral

I really loved this film, and can't wait to see it again. It's possible that on a subsequent viewing, it might be my favorite of the year. I really appreciate Michael Mann's style, and both Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx give outstanding performances in their respective roles. There's a moment in the film that felt like a mini-version of the death of Detective Zito (John Diehl) in Miami Vice. Very impacting.

Little Black Book

My god, are romantic comedies ever dreadful this year. Little Black Book is not funny, not romantic, not touching, and simply is not good at all. I generally like Brittany Murphy, but her character, who we're supposed to be rooting for, had practically no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Also, I thought Ron Livingston was billed as the romantic lead, but he might have been in the movie for all of two minutes. I missed Ron the other 95 minutes. Badly.

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster

It's getting to the point that documentaries are becoming my favorite "genre". This film, which follows Metallica through the highs and lows of creating their most recent album, St. Anger is fascinating and repelling all at the same time. That group has some incredibly powerful personalities, and while I always viewed Lars Ulrich as the real driving force (partly due to his ability to talk and talk and talk and talk without ever letting anyone else get a word in edgewise), I think the group actually fears James Hetfield more. His dark side is powerful.

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism

There's nothing particularly groundbreaking here, but the skewering of Fox News is generally fun to watch. I say generally because there are times that some of the stuff that was going on made me sick to my stomach. As someone who once aspired to be a journalist (before disillusionment set in), the tactics employed by Fox News in the name of "fair and balanced" reporting really piss me off.