A bunch of films I've seen recently…

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - so there still hasn't been a great adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic but this is about a billion times better than the 1971 abomination

Nashville - I finally got around to watching Robert Altman's "masterpiece" about the country music business - lots of interconnected stories cleverly realised and rounded out with great performances and enjoyable songs. I also recenlty watched Altman's Cookie's Fortune which was also fine, it differed from Nashville in having a more cohesive and simple plot around which the charactes lives were wrapped. Both are well worth catching.

Donnie Darko - I finally got around to seeing this highly regarded film and if you're happy not fully understanding a film and then enjoy cross-examining it for days afterwards then it's a good film. I do so I quite enjoyed it, although I'm a little puzzled that it makes it into the IMDB top 250

Bringing Up Baby - classic "screwball comedy" and, like all screwball comedies, you have to be prepared for lots of shouting and hit and miss gags. Katharine Hepburn was great and Cary Grant was just Cary Grant but the supporting cast were a little overwhelmed. So was I.

The Great Escape and Chicken Run - Watched these two escape classics again and enjoyed them both - I'd forgotten just how downbeat the ending of The Great Escape was so appreciated the success of the chickens breakout.