Movie Diary 2/18/2009

Variety (E.A. Dupont, 1925). Only available in its cut U.S. version via an old VHS tape (a month ago the European cut was up on YouTube, but now it’s been taken down). You can still see the excitement peeking through, with Karl Freund’s camera flying around on the trapeze and hefty performances by Emil Jannings and Lya De Putti.

I Love You, Man (John Hamburg, 2009). If Paul Rudd is finally playing the lead role in one of these comedies, who’s playing the Paul Rudd role? Not Jason Segel, or Andy Samberg. Jon Favreau almost, Thomas Lennon sort of. No way around it: what this movie lacks is the Paul Rudd role. (full review 3/20)