upon quinnzap's recommendation, Oneal and i saw National Treasure last night - and for free, too, because we used the G4 movie passes i won at Mos Eisley Night. what a riot! it's like MacGyver, CSI, The Amazing Race and Indiana Jones all rolled into one! i think this is the first time i ever really liked Nicolas Cage in a movie - he was funny, and his performance didn't look like hyperbole-a-minute at all. it was so much fun because the story was about more than finding a treasure and all the treacheries that come with hunting it down and "whatdowedowhenwefindit?" it was more about history, sleuthing, adventure and chasing after your dreams. and hardly any violence at all! it's such a family movie, and it's sooooo cool! it also stars that girl who played Helen in Troy, Jon Voight, Sean Bean (who miraculously doesn't die in this movie!), and Harvey Keitel. if you like history and adventure and scavenger hunts, this one's for you.

now Connie and Carla was hilarious - except the last ten minutes of the movie was the part of the script where the writers couldn't figure out how to resolve all the issues so they botched it. so i'd say it's worth the watch - just hold your criticism till after the sucky last minutes of the movie.

granted, there are cheesy parts, but i think movies that talk about accepting who you really are will inevitably have such moments. still, the stage shows, the transformations and the plot twists are incredibly funnee! watch watch. =)

and this is the point where i actually say bad things about a movie. Colin fucking Farrell as Alexander?! Oliver Stone, what in sweet heaven's name were you thinking?!?!?! were you, even?? good lord.

it's a worse casting choice that Nicolas Cage in Captain Corelli's Mandolin! it was just wrong. Alexander was meant to be like a god among men, who could make all people love him, who treated all people whether Greek or barbarian wth respect and trust. Colin Farrell was just too... crude. too rough and unpolished to be the man who inspired hundreds of thousands to leave their home and follow him through lands unknown, through battles and disease, through desert and jungle. tell me, does Colin Farrell inspire you? does he make you proud to fight or something you believe in? he lacks the charisma and veneer that Alexander's character should have had. to be fair though, at least Colin Farrell kept from turning him into a machismofest, and managed to emit sympathy, compassion, sensitivity, fears and doubts. i must admit, he played his love scenes - with Hephaistion and Bagoas - well enough.

with regards to the writing and the direction though, it was unremarkable. bland dialogue that led to borng speeches, unimaginative photography... yes, i'm disappointed. Oliver Stone, i expected better from you.

at least Angelina Jolie was perfect. as always.