Week and a Half? Review #1?

1. The Royal Tenenbaums (dir. Wes Anderson)
This is my favorite movie now. It is everything I dreamed of in a movie except not knowing it. Some people feel it is painfully controlled, but the instances of emotion are almost crippling because of this control. The characters also do things that seem irrational and spontanteous while the style and the world is controlled by the film-makers. One scene that I think is perfect is when Richie sees Margot the first time in the movie when he is an adult. The music and everything creates the perfect feeling in me that I can't help, but love this movie. I know the rest of the movie isn't perfect, but it comes quite close.
Sidenote: It is quite interesting to compare this Paul Thomas Anderson's third film, Magnolia. They both have a father in it that attempts to reach out to his family by saying he is dying. Phillip Baker Hall's character might be dying while Royal is not dying at all. Hall's character however might have did far worse things to his family than Royal. Narration in both films is surpisingly similar. They both don't have narration in the middle of the picture, but bookend the film. There is alot more narration in Wes's film though. Both films seem to be controlled very elaborately compared to each film-maker's work before this. Rushmore showed Wes's signature style alot while Bottle Rocket just showed little bits like the jumpsuits. Paul's Boogie Nights showed the direction he would be heading with Magnolia, but hasn't made a film like it since. I also believe both those films are the best of their respective director.
**** out of ****
2. Dead Man (dir. Jim Jarmusch)
This movie is my favorite Jarmusch film. I cared for the characters and it felt surpisingly focused compared to his earlier work and even his later work (Broken Flowers). Thats not to say his other films I've seen are worth watching, but they fail to create a mood and a universe like this movie. The soundtrack is amazing and Gary Farmer's performance as Nobody is particularly noteworthy. The film felt like a spiritual western. I dig it.
3. California Split (dir. Robert Altman)
Elliot Gould is the man.
**** out of ****
4. Close-Up (dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
Kind of funny. Not the movie, the situation I watched the movie. I watched it right after the post below. It even says Based on a True Story in the beginning, but the film has documentary footage implemented of it. Some of the people in the documentary footage were willing to re-enact instances talked about in the documentary footage. The ending makes you wonder if the events actually happened or not so it isn't completely abusing its Based on a True Story. Most Hollywood pictures would have put no effort at all into the movie since the audience already has a sense of "Oh this really happened" even though they should be trying harder. Kiarostami is one of my favorite film-makers now.
**** out of ****