The best film of the festival so far was The Hurt Locker. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Strange Days), it's the story of a bomb disposal unit serving in Iraq and their daredevil new leader whose seeming death wish could endanger them all. I wasn't expecting much going into this, but it was really amazing. Great human drama mixed with genuine pulse-pounding thrills.
Directed by Duncan Jones (aka David Bowie's son Zowie), Moon was about a mechanic (Sam Rockwell) working a lonely three-year stint on a moonbase, accompanied only by a cheery computer (Kevin Spacey doing his best HAL 9000), who becomes disturbed when it appears he's not as alone as he thought he was.
(500) Days of Summer is a love story and it's sometimes very funny, but it's not a romantic comedy. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Tom, whose love for the Smiths and the Pixies can't hide the fact that he's a hopeless romantic. Zooey Deschanel plays Summer, who is fun, spontaneous, and sexy, but just plain doesn't believe in love. The film depicts the 500 days that Tom was in love with her through a non-linear series of his memories of that love, moments that range from the ridiculously super fun to the depths of despair. Both the leads were great and thoroughly adorable. I thought it was a great and the soundtrack that includes Regina Spektor, Feist, Belle & Sebastian, the Knight Rider theme, and a showstopper from Hall & Oates really added to the fun.
