The Double Feature Weekly Wrap-Up, 7/22/12

Welcome to this week's edition of  the Double Feature Weekly Wrap-up!
Here are my self-imposed rules taken from my first edition:

1. No pairing of sequels. Obviously Watching Iron Man 2 with Iron Man would  be a good double feature, but that's so obvious I don't think it should count. Same with pairing it with another film in the Avengers series.
2. No pairing remakes with originals. Yes, it's tempting to pair the new Arthur with the original, but again that's too obvious.
3. No pairings with the same director or lead actor unless a REALLY persuasive case can be made.

So, without further ado, here's my double-feature pairings for the week:

• Nothing Personal - This Polish drama set in Ireland was beautifully daring in that it was comfortable in its own silence. There was no backstory given for the characters and none needed - the female lead never even had a name. A truly poignant film worthy of an equally daring and poignant pairing. I would watch this with Breaking the Waves, Lars Von Trier's gorgeous and daring film that also explores complex relationships without over explaining. Tonally the two match well and I think would compliment each other greatly.
• 28 Up - This continuation of the UP series finds our subjects now at 28. Most of the cast returns for this segment with a few great surprises. The thrust of this installment was opportunities, which is why I would pair it with Nursery University, a documentary that tackles the subject of elite nursery schools in Manhattan and the crazy things some parents will do to secure their child a place.
• Man on a Ledge - I'm still mixed on this film. The action was exceptional and the heist portion really well done. It was the whole man-on-a-ledge part that was hollow to me and very unbelivable. This film really wanted to be The Score, the De Niro/Norton/Brando heist film that had all of it's pieces fit tightly together.
• Griff the Invisible - I had such high hopes for this film having seen so many wonderful variants on this theme as of late. This didn't really deliver for me in the way I had hoped it would - I didn't believe it. Of all the "superhero" films I've seen lately this most reminded me of Special, a similarly themed drama starring Michael Rappaport as a young man who can't quite find the line between reality and fantasy any longer.
• Devil's Playground - This documentary about the Amish rite of Rumspringga was fascinating in theory but light on content. I really had wanted to learn more about both these kids and the culture from which they sprang. Pair this with Jesus Camp, a wonderful documentary about the culture of Evangelical Christians in America that passes no judgments.
• Chalet Girl - I love Felicity Jones but this romcom about a former skateboarder turned snowboarder was very average. It took me three days to remember the name of the movie it reminded me of - Blue Crush, a very similar film substituting surfing for snowboarding.
• 35 Up - This installment of the UP series finds us reunited with a cast member we missed in 28 Up but lacking another. Having tracked these subjects for nearly thirty years it's just amazing to see how much of the person really had been there at age seven. Following Sean is the perfect pairing for this - it tracks down a documentary subject first caught on film at age four thirty years later to see how he, and the filmmaker, have changed.

That about does it for this week - happy movie watching!