Yesterday I saw an early screening of Felicity Huffman in Transamerica at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Prior to the film, Huffman was interviewed onstage by a local film critic, and I was pleasantly surprised at how down-to-earth, tiny and funny she is. This is the kind of film that needs to be seen; the kind of film that you need to tell your friends about because it is going to be released in limited markets and on few screens in December. Although Huffman’s character is a (pre-op) male-to-female transsexual, the movie is first and foremost about family, and is NOT an ‘issue’ film. Huffman gives the performance of her career as Sabrina Osborne, a character (thankfully) ten thousand miles away from Lynette on Desperate Housewives.  Her physical transformation was so incredible that I was convinced they’d found a man resembling her for the first few scenes of the film. Without a doubt, if this movie receives even an inkling of the critical acclaim and proper marketing it deserves, Huffman should be a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination. Note: this is the very first non-Miramax film to be acquired by The Weinstein brothers, who are distributing it (along with IFC Films). Given their reputation for aggressive campaigning during award season, perhaps this little indie treasure has a chance.

I saw A History of Violence this weekend. The pace (slow and purposeful intermingled with bursts of very violent scenes) and ambiguous ending reminded me of In the Bedroom. Even though the title of the film makes it crystal clear that this isn’t going to be a peaceful Disney picture, the violence came as a surprise because the story and characters are so engrossing. This is one of my early favorites for an Oscar nomination or two, especially for the stellar Maria Bello.
 

I’ve heard good things about A History of Violence, starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello and Ed Harris. Director David Cronenberg’s previous films have been odd, disturbing and/or controversial (Naked Lunch   and 1996′s Crash), but it appears that this one is more mainstream and the consensus is that the strong performances really drive the movie. It’s on my list of new films to see, along with The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (starring my fav Julianne Moore) and Everything is Illuminated (the directorial debut of underrated actor Liev Schreiber).
 
I am not a Cameron Diaz fan (don’t get me started on how she ruined Gangs of New York), but I will see In Her Shoes simply because it was written by Erin Brockovich scribe Susannah Grant and helmed by Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential and Wonder Boys), who is making a 360 degree turn by directing this chick flick after last conquering  I will ignore Diaz and her grating laughter, and focus instead on the great Toni Collette (8 Mile. Muriel’s Wedding and About a Boy).

There are a select few guilty pleasure movies that I can’t help but watch. And Affleck isn’t in any of them.

Although I forced myself to sit through Gigli and Jersey Girl, I geared up and tackled them both like high school math homework (algebra and Affleck, equally painful). I digress. Films like Showgirls and Striptease fall directly into the ‘so bad they’re good’ category. Similarly, if you appreciate campy dialogue and sub-par acting, you might want to check out Denise Richards in the one-two punch of Starship Troopers and Wild Things.

And then there are those incredibly captivating and over-the-top performances which suck you in every time you happen upon them while channel surfing; Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate and Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest are just two that come to mind. You’ll roll your eyes in delight watching Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly in the aesthetically pleasing Bound, which the Wachowski Brothers made solely to prove to the studios that they were capable of making the ambitious Matrix trilogy. I await the Basic Instinct sequel with guarded enthusiasm, as I believe Sharon Stone to be among the best at camp & vamp. In 1996, a relatively unknown Reese Witherspoon played a white trash teenager with a potty mouth in the dark comedy Freeway, which also features the scene-stealing Brooke Shields and Kiefer Sutherland. Before she became hugely successful, Witherspoon co-starred in the last great guilty pleasure film of the ’90s: Cruel Intentions. Besides being the movie where Witherspoon and future husband Ryan Phillippe fell in young love (and subsequently started producing babies with perfect blonde hair & unusually blessed DNA), this film contains many of the guilty pleasure requirements: a same-sex kiss, a step-brother/sister flirtation (recently revitalized by Boone & Shannon on Lost), and a hot young cast of up & comers like Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sarah Michelle Gellar, Dawson’s Creek pal Joshua Jackson and Selma Blair (Legally Blonde).
 

A friend alerted me to the fact that there is another Police Academy movie in the works. I wish I could say I was surprised, but with potty humor making a comeback over the last few years (Team America: World Police and most Will Ferrell/Ben Stiller/Vince Vaughn movies), perhaps the new Police Academy will find an audience with that coveted younger male demographic. Of course there will be PA fan clubs coming out of the woodworks; those who actually sat through and can quote the first 7 of them. Hugh Wilson, who directed the first PA in 1984, is slated to helm the new one as well. In between PA 1 and PA 8, Wilson directed some real stinkers, the only exception being The First Wives Club.

Although I’m sure plenty of film buffs will disagree, I believe there are only 3 fantastic movie sequels: The Godfather II, Kill Bill II and The Matrix Reloaded. These films are each great on their own, superior to the others in their series. My favorite trilogies include Star Wars (the original three), The Lord of the Rings, Superman and even Austin Powers, but I prefer the first in each of these trilogies to any of their sequels. And then there are the surprise hits, movies like American Pie or Legally Blonde that perform way beyond studio expectations, resulting in quick and disappointing sequels. Did we really need a second Cannonball Run or Oh, God! I’d also like to throw all sequels to Beverly Hills Cop, City Slickers, Home Alone, The Karate Kid, and Lethal Weapon into that disregard pile. 

It’s been over a year now, and I’m still singing the praises of Garden State. At first I was just thrilled to see the playful side of Natalie Portman, one that had not made an appearance since Beautiful Girls. She is very vibrant and animated in Garden State, a welcome change from her suppressed Star Wars days. But I have to give credit to co-star/director/writer Zach Braff (Scrubs), for making his directorial debut so entertaining, refreshing and even poignant. There is a very appealing spirit to this movie, and I guarantee that you will quickly forget about his wacky sitcom antics when you watch a much more subdued Braff unravel onscreen in Garden State. This film is, at its core, an amalgamation of the quirky experiences of Braff’s friends. Add to that the perfect mix tape of a soundtrack, and you are presented with an endearing film for the ages.