118. September 10, 2010 - The Calcium Kid (2004)

Milk - does the body good. Apparently it also makes Orlando Bloom (who is hot and can certainly use a bow and arrow, but will never convince me that he would ever survive as a boxer) into a champion in the boxing ring. Right. The story feels rushed, with his character Jimmy going from nobody to superstar to disgraced celebrity and back to star in the first hour. It's a mockumentary, so it feels like it's following closer to real time than fictional film time and the character arc goes at warp speed. Minor characters come in and out, but no significant time is spent on any of them, so any sort of audience connection is lost.
My Netflix rating: 2 stars

November 7, 2009

A Mighty Wind (2003)
Besides the great cast, this is a perfectly crafted mockumentary. You know it's not real - the presence of recognizable actors is enough to remind you of that - but most of the time, it feels like it is. Like you could walk into a music store and find a CD by Mitch and Mickey or the Folksmen. The songs that were written for each group are perfectly reminiscent of folk music, while at the same time delightfully tongue-in-cheek, and the song that was nominated for an Oscar ("A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow") is sweet and hilarious. Who knew Eugene Levy could sing?
My Netflix rating: 4 stars