Holy crap, another terrific film tonight!

Another night, another great film. Tonight's main course? The Barbarian Invasions. Wow, this might even be better than The Motorcycle Diaries. It won best foreign film at the 2003 Oscars, and it certainly deserved it. On a base level, it's the story of a terminally ill man and the friends and family that comfort him in those last days. There is a LOT more going on though, and a whole lot of ideas about mortality, politics, international relations, even the history of mankind. Like I said, a LOT going on, with a lot to discuss afterwards (even the tangenial "throwaway" scenes have meaning.) It went in a completely different direction than I thought it would at first, which was refreshing. At first you think that you're going to be stuck with this miserable, spiteful bastard, but they somehow turn him into a charismatic, brilliant guy who you know you're genuinely going to miss by the end of it. And the character arc feels entirely natural the whole time. This is not the easiest film to sit through, especially for those uncomfortable thinking about death, but for those who are, it's well worth the trip.

4 out of 4 stars.

I promise to post something funny soon, and not just a link to another hot/cool chick's blog.