• We had a pretty ominous storm front roll through the Chicago area early this evening (and are expecting storms on and off for the next few days). I was walking into a Best Buy just as the nasty looking stuff was about to let loose, as I stopped and looked up at the clouds a little more closely. As I stood there watching, there was a center to the clouds directly overhead that had something of a pronounced spinning vortex motion. Quite weird to see, and certainly made me wonder if it could open up into a twister if it had a little more energy and ambition…
• The amusing story about Hillary’s not-so-perfect spelling.
• Go, Bill Hunt, Go! I totally agree with his rant. To think HD-DVD can win the format war at this point is nothing short of crazy. And like Bill Hunt, I’m not siding with either due to any loyalty of any kind, or any technical respect. The both have equal pro’s and con’s in both of those respects. I don’t own hardware/software for either format yet (this format was has been stupid beyond all manner of hope, and I’ve been reluctant to jump into it until it settles down), nor do I have any vested loyalty to either the 360 or the PS3 (or own either). But simply from a business and sales point of view - which will absolutely determine the winner, as NOTHING else matters when it comes to things like this - Blu Ray has this format war in the bag. It’s all a matter of time. When will I join the format war? Probably with Pioneer’s $299 BD-Rom drive, due to be released this month.

My primary reason for seeing this movie was the fact that it was the writing/directing debut of Sarah Polley, a very talented Canadian actress. If Parker Posey is the independent film queen, Sarah Polley is the Canadian independent film queen. Away From Her is a strong enough character film, produced and performed with delicate confidence, but it’s a might unsteady at times. Overall, though, most complaints are minimal, and it was enjoyable enough.

Writing: Having never read the short story this film is based on, I can make no comment as to how closely Polley stayed in the adapted screenplay. The characters are seemingly simple but carry a good amount of subtle complications. The specific motivations are a bit vague, but that’s probably at least partially intentional.

Production: There’s plenty of confidence and simplicity in the production of the film. Surely, Polley has picked up a good amount of experience acting in a number of films with talented director Atom Egoyan, who serves as executive producer on this film. Cinematography is solid with some nicely stylized shots (without going out of the way to make look “stylish”). Editing is a bit uneven, but it works well enough. Sound is as simple as can be, and rightfully so.

Cast: The cast of the film is the strong point. Having been an actress in many films of the genre, I’d bet Polley was able to cast and direct the material in a way that brought out the best performances from this cast. Julie Christie is quite impressive in her role, which we get to see deteriorate as the film progresses. Gordon Pinsent does an excellent job balancing warmth and distance to his role (which is kinda the primary role of the film). Other cast members round out the supporting roles nicely, from Olympia Dukakis to Wendy Crewson to Kristen Thomson.

Music: Despite credits ranging back to the late 80’s, I don’t think I’ve seen anything that Jonathan Goldsmith had scored previously. Granted, the bulk of it is Canadian TV films. His score is low-key and folksy in nature, and kinda stays out of the way of the material, downplayed to a point. In no way remarkable, but in no way bad either.