Movie catch-up

I've seen a few films recently and neglected to review them, so here's a catch-up...

You, The Living - very, very black swedish comedy-drama from Roy Andersson, a follow-up to his 2000 film, Songs From The Second Floor. Set in a grey Stockholm, we witness little, tenuously linked scenes from the lives of disparate individuals. A plumber finds himself in court after trying to pull a tablecloth off a fully-laden table, a middle-aged woman bemoans her monther-in-law's refusal to serve alcohol at dinner, a junior school teacher breaks down in tears in front of her pupils, a businessman has his head partially shaved after falling out with a barber. These vignettes and others combine to produce a a film short on plot, but heavy on symbolism. Their point is often elusive, yet together you get a feeling for what the message is, without neessarily being able to verbalise it. And yes, I am having trouble writing this review for this reason. My advice, just go see it for yourself - 4/5

In The Shadow Of The Moon - documentary recounting the Apollo missions, with particular emphasis on Apollo 11, through interviews with the astronauts involved and (often spectacular) archive footage. A largely absorbing film, though if you're quite familiar with Apollo 11 a lot will seem like going over old ground. However, the astronauts themselves are compelling and full of anecdotes, especially Buzz Aldrin. Sadly, the reclusive Neil Armstrong chose not to take part and his real absence is as infuriating as his notional presence is enigmatic. A worthy and significant work - 4/5

Gone Baby Gone - directorial debut for Ben Affleck, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, the UK release of which was delayed due to parallels with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. In summary, two private detectives (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) are hired to help investigate the disappearance of a young girl, something which brings them into conflict with the local police and the girl's mother. It's an accomplished directorial debut, owing a lot to the films of Clint Eastwood - the tone and style are reminiscent of Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby. Of course, it helps to be working with solid source material such as Lehane's novel. It does unravel a little towards the end when the time comes to start explaining things - it gets a little confused and ragged - but this is a screenplay isse, not a directorial one. The final, resolutely downbeat scenes, salvage things though. Affleck is showing himself to be a fine actor following this and The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford and quality support is provided by Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Titus Welliver and Oscar-nominated Amy Ryan, but Michelle Monaghan is largely superfluous - 4/5