Movie Diary 5/4/2010

Iron Man 2 (Jon Favreau, 2010). Villain Mickey Rouke gets wrapped in a Russian accent, Downey’s hero finds his mojo draining away, and the film dutifully spends time setting up the Avengers franchise. Somebody’s idea of a sequel. (full review 5/7)

I Am Love (Luca Guadagnino, 2010). Whatever else this is, it is unusual. Tilda Swinton – like Mickey Rourke, playing a Russian, and yet not like Mickey Rourke – finds herself tempted out of an Italian business dynasty by a younger man. (plays at Seattle International Film Festival 5/22, 5/23, 5/28)

It Came from Kuchar (Jennifer M. Kroot, 2009). Chronicling the goofiness of the Kuchar brothers, who work their own distinctive corner of the underground-movie market; some pretty good attention paid to actually talking about the movies – in fact, better than in documentaries about more respectable auteurs. (full review 5/7)