Films of the month - so far

So I've seen two films in three days this week - first up a digital screening of Alfred Hitchcock's comedy-thriller, "The Lady Vanishes". I don't have much to add to parrot_knight's review, except to ponder the physical - both facially and in stature - resemblance of the Italian stage illusionist Signor Dopplo to the director, and to praise the quality of Park Circus' digital restoration (specifically the sound - although the volume level of some of the dialogue was lower than I would have wanted, the all important silences - especially when our heroine is passing in and out of consciousness - were crackle and hiss free.)

On Tuesday I went to see the Oscar nominated "Juno", courtesy of a preview screening and my friendship with the local projection team. We're clearly in the same bittersweet American Indie territory of "Pieces of April" and "Garden State", but what sets this one apart isn't the direction (way too much fey, wispy singer/songwriter stuff on the soundtrack, Mr Reitman) but Ellen Page's sassy and touching performance, Diablo Cody's arch, zinger-filled script and terrific support from the other actors, especially Michael Cera, who can do more with a stricken facial expression than other actors can do with pages of dialogue. And Allison Janney plays Juno's step-mom, and shines as one would expect.