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This is a very good review, DP. I'm dying to see this. There is just one error: United 93 was the first American masterpiece of 2006.

I know, I'm an asshole. I couldn't resist.

I was gonna say that, considering that the last two movies I remember DP raving about were Miami Vice and World Trade Center, I was really feeling wary of his taste these days...but then I found his 2005 top ten list and was reminded that I mostly agreed with it, so with that in mind I'm looking forward to this.

"Winslet rarely misses. And her turn here is layered in ways you can't imagine even as you watch it. She plays a character who thinks she knows her parameters… but until they are challenged, she doesn't. This probably should be her Oscar winner."

Would be about frakking time, too. She's only the best actress in the business today, and the fact that she doesn't have an Oscar yet is criminal.

Fantastic review, only I wish you wouldn't review this stuff so far before the general public gets to see it. I'm DYING over this one now.

Yeah, I was really looking forward to this until I saw that David loved it enough for New Line to let him post an early review ... now I'm worried. :)

Sounds promising.

However... as somebody who found In the Bedroom ridiculously overrated and at times quite silly, will I like this? Your review makes it sound like a different kind of film (it's funny, for example).

Dave, can you come do my shit job, and I'll go and watch movies months in advance?

Nothing would be cooler than seeing Kate Winslet winning best actress...I can't wait to see this.

The film had such a fantastic trailer design (as well as lots of pedigree) that I felt bad for having zero interest in seeing it (the only adultery film I've ever liked was Doctor Zhivago). But this review reminded me that the sum of "In the Bedroom" was a lot more than the log line suggested (in fact now I want to rewatch In the Bedroom this weekend). It also appears to be 2006's patented 'early-Dave-fave' of the oscar season.

In glancing back at the last three 'early-Dave-faves' I figure it's always a film worth seeing, even if I had no prior interest.

In America - 100% agreement with Dave, this actually makes my all time top 20.
Sideways - well I understand while people like it, don't love it or hate it myself
Walk the Line - I wanted to love the movie but didn't, I only liked it a lot.

When D-Po raves, he sure knows how to rave.

Thank you for hyping it up with words like "masterpiece", "great", and "perfection" so that people like myself will certainly be disappointed no matter what.

ED - Movie is in Telluride today... that's the (endlessly discussed) embargo date.

Gent - don't think that makes you an asshole at all... wrong, but no asshole.

J-MC - If you weren't doubting me, I would be checking to make sure that when I saw the sun this morning that it wasn't really the dead of night. But I would hope that you measure my comments in context and not on degree of enthusiasm. Not all raves are created equal.

Bucket - Reality is reality. Sorry I never used those words for BBM. Funny thing is, in this case, the key to the review is "Kubrickian," not "masterpiece." There will be a split out there. And it will take some time for this movie to be embraced fully. But muthafuck, it is a fine film. I will see it at least a half dozen times before the year ends and that is something I haven't done in a while. I already can feel that "it's on cable... let me just watch a scene... damn, I'm still up at 4am" thing about this movie. There are a few scenes that aren't that for me, but they pay off later.

I got goosebumps of excitement reading that review, very evocative, DP. I just have to say though, when you hype something up that much, by the time I get a chance to see it (here in flyover country, probably end of December?), it's been built up so much that it's a letdown. That's what happened with In The Bedroom, for me.

Next time you want to rave about a film, can you make it not so rapturous? :)

Great review, Poland. A film that was not on my must-see list now is.

My main trepidation: Winslet. She's a fine actor but her American accent leaves much to be desired. I'd love to see her use her regular accent more often.

Jimmy: You're right and keep sticking with it.

DP: The explicit point of my post is that I'm not doubting you. Believe what you like.

Thanks for the heads up, David. Just in time to pencil it in on my TIFF order form!

Also took your tip on Day Night Day Night.

Wow, that Telluride line-up looks great... I think I'm going to shoot for that next year... would have loved to have done something else besides writing all weekend over Labor Day.

D-Po, you unsexy beast, why do you have to bring up BBM even when I don't even think about it in the first place? Please get over your obsession with the happy cowboys. I have.

Great review. Now that Ebert is sick, David is my go to guy for movie reviews. The fact that he likes this film so much is exciting. This film wasn't really on my radar for this fall but when I heard it was the new film from Todd Field it immediately went to the top of my list. In the Bedroom was the best film of its year for me.

This film along with The Fountain, The Departed, Flags of Our Fathers, Babel, Apocalypto, and Hsiao-Hsien's Three Times coming to DVD are the films I'm really amped to see. This fall is going to be special.

OK, I'll admit my interest in movies is in the business end and not the critics end. And I don't watch nearly as many films as you all. But this comment did make think right away of two movies like that for me: Shawshank and Ocean's Eleven (Clooney/Pitt).

Now you all may not appreciate my tastes but those two do it for me everytime.

Before I forget, good review DP.

The best American film I've seen this year is BUBBLE, and that was definitely Kubrickian.

I wonder if Poland's seen that one - I don't remember reading about it, except to ridicule the day-and-date release...

"However... as somebody who found In the Bedroom ridiculously overrated and at times quite silly, will I like this? Your review makes it sound like a different kind of film (it's funny, for example)."

Agreed. I didn't really get the In the Bedroom love. But, I am looking forward to Little Children due to The Kate. Plus, Wilson and Connelly and all the rest.

"My main trepidation: Winslet. She's a fine actor but her American accent leaves much to be desired. I'd love to see her use her regular accent more often."

Heh. Someone needs to watch "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". ;)

I didn't get In The Bedroom at all. But then again, I saw it when I was still in high school. I should probably rent it and see it again. Little Children sounds absolutely interesting. A pity it won't be in theater here in Bangkok. After its multiple awards' nominations(which sounds like it'll get), I might have a chance to see it. But that would be next year. I envy people in the US...

ployp: But you got to see "The Protector" first!

(Okay, I know that's not much of a consolation but I felt bad for you...)

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