Review: Dazed and Confused

       High school is a different experience for everyone. For some, it is the high point of their lives, a time when they feel like kings ruling over their domain. For others, it's a difficult time filled with awkwardness and agony. Regardless of what you're high school experience is, most people look back on it fondly with a nostalgia that block out most of the more painful moments. It's a time where we come of age, discover who we are, and step into adulthood. This is a truth understood in Dazed and Confused, where we follow different high schoolers on the last day of class and the long night that follows. Each of the characters appears to be having a great time, drinking beer and smoking weed, hanging out at various local establishments, but many of them are to focused on the various small problems in their life to truly enjoy themselves.

Review: The Town

     Ben Affleck used to be considered a bad actor, forever trying to escape the shadow of his Good Will Hunting co-star/writer, but now he seems to have found his calling as a director. He has directed two critically acclaimed feature films, Gone Baby Gone and The Town, and is regaining the respectability he once had in Hollywood. I'm glad to see Affleck finally find a place he can succeed critically in the business he loves and create quality entertainment. As a director, Affleck brings years of insider knowledge of the film industry and a knowledge of how to craft a story and give direction to actors that comes from a place of experience. I have to imagine that some of it has to be from learning from mistakes, but hey, success is success.