I can believe that @#*!

Winnebago Man is about Jack Rebney, that pissed off RV spokesguy who turned into a viral-video sensation even before the invention of YouTube. The film rated 91 per cent on the tomatometer and was listed on Roger Ebert's ten best documentaries of 2010, so how can I not respect that. But, I don't know. What came between me and a real appreciation for this movie was its director, Ben Steinbauer, who tracked down Jack Rebney and then didn't know what to do with him. I kept thinking: "Let the man speak!" Does this guy seem like the kind of guy who wants to open up about his childhood? Let him rail against Dick Cheney, for $%!@ sake! 

Maybe five minutes of altercation between Ben and Jack would have told a story, but it seemed to go on and on. Until, finally, Ben steps out of the way and the movie takes off and we get to see Jack at his finest and receive the round of applause he deserves for, guess what, expressing his contempt for Dick Cheney (among other things).

So, I recommend renting (or ordering?) this documentary because you just gotta meet Jack. The confrontation between him and a Walmart manager is worth the price of admission. I just wish that someone like Steve James or Errol Morris or even Michael Moore had found him first.

Photo by Laura Muir (from YouTube)

The strum of a ukulele will never be the same again

Blue Valentine is as intense, raw and heartbreaking as everybody says it is. Indeed, I haven't been as unhinged by a relationship drama since watching Brokeback Mountain. I'm not sure why it didn't get more Oscar nods including a nomination for Best Picture, instead of The Kids Are All Right, and one for Best Actor for Ryan Gosling's performance. (As you probably know, Michelle Williams is up for Best Actress.)

I like how writer/director Derek Cianfrance explains the movie in this interview: "I wanted the past to feel like they were fish in the ocean and the present to feel like they were in a bucket."
And just something to keep in mind: instead of quickly getting up and putting on your coat after the last scene, pay attention to the closing credits. You'll see what I mean.
Photo by Laura Muir

Highly recommended

Renting Winter's Bone was a good decision on my part. I loved the backwoods dialogue and the menacing characters (including Arkansas's Ozark Mountain area itself).

"Never ask for what oughta be offered." Mark my words, this scene is going to be shown at the Oscars. It's a pivotal moment when we discover what 17-year-old Ree Dolly is all about — tough and principled. On a side note: Jennifer Lawrence (who plays Ree) looks a lot like Renee Zellweger, without the weird facial expressions.
Photos by Laura Muir