The TV Addict 

I’M NOT THERE
I wanted to like I’M NOT THERE, mostly because on an intellectual level I appreciate its audacious and artistic experimentalism. But unfortunately like a lot of intellectually artistic pursuits - and this is more a shortcoming on my part than the films - it never becomes engaging for me as an audience member who needs a little more coherent narrative, and a good deal more emotional involvement instead of just intellectual stimulation (it’s why I can never get into true experimental film, a la Brakhage, etc.) Even if the one thing I can appreciate is its attempts to defy traditional conceptions of a musical biopic, precisely because Bob Dylan himself defies such neat structuring, it still has the unfortunate ability to alienate though (like me) who are just not as familiar with Bob Dylan as Haynes and others are. Regardless, on a simpler level, the film is undoubtedly well put together, features Dylan’s outstanding music, and has numerous excellent performances.

THE ORPHANGE
Produced by Guillermo Del Toro, THE OPRHANGE essentially is a spiritual partner to his own supernatural child-centered dramas, THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE and PAN’S LABYRINTH. Though perhaps not as good as either film, it’s nevertheless effective at emulating those films’ formula of being a genuinely creepy horror film that has – more importantly – a solid dramatic character story at its center It even throws in a surprising and unsettling ending.

Overall rating: B