It's too late for new releases to be considered for the Oscars and–guess what?–pickings are slim at the multiplex. These two came out over the holidays and are still well worth seeing though.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD Directed by P.T. Anderson. In Limited Release.
"On the strength of 'Punch-Drunk Love' and his other well-known features, 'Boogie Nights' and 'Magnolia', Mr. Anderson would have seemed an unlikely match for a period piece like 'There Will Be Blood'. Yet Americana is Americana, whether in the San Fernando Valley of the late 20th century or the central California of that century's early years. What's so remarkable about this film is not its time frame but the wealth of its detail (the production was designed by Jack Fisk), the eloquence of its images (the cinematographer was Robert Elswit), and the sweep of its ambition.
PERSEPOLIS Directed by Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud. In Limited Release.
"In this age of Pixar and 'Shrek', it is good to be reminded that animation is rooted not in any particular technique, but in the impulse to bring static images to life. And 'Persepolis', austere as it may look, is full of warmth and surprise, alive with humor and a fierce independence of spirit. Its flat, stylized depiction of the world - the streets and buildings of Tehran and Vienna in particular - turns geography into poetry."
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