World War Z review

So after complaining about the high body counts in other blockbusters this summer (Star Trek: Into Darkness, Man of Steel, Iron Man 3), here I am about to praise the one with the highest body count of all. Yes, I like World War Z. Maybe the body count doesn't bother me because, well, what else should you expect from a zombie movie? Anyway, it's clever and has some powerful imagery (the zombies climbing a wall, for example, like a rising tide in a sea of inhumanity). And while WWZ moves swiftly, it also pauses now and then for reflection. (I believe that's called good pacing, something I wouldn't accuse those other blockbusters of having.)  This isn't Brad Pitt's biggest acting challenge, but his connection with the audience is impressive and he achieves it without fuss or irony. Of course, a movie like this one is a strong flavor that isn't for everybody. But much to my surprise, it's for me.

Burn After Reading, After Pizza

American Film Comedy
We had our Pizza Party this week. The entertainment was that everyone told jokes. Lots of fun!!! Then we watched Burn After Reading, a hilarious Coen brothers film with a nearly all-star cast (George Clooney, Brad Pitt [sooo funny!], John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, J.K. Simmons [also sooo funny!], Richard Jenkins), that was criminally underrated when it opened, possibly because it came out just after the Coens' Oscar-winning No Country for Old Men (which, BTW, I didn't love). The class reaction to Burn was amazing. It started slow, with just the occasional titter, and then built until, by the end, the class was reacting loudly to everything. There are a lot of ways to talk about this film. I'm going to try a character-oriented approach next week and see what happens.