The Double Feature Weekly Wrap-Up, 7/29/12

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:

• Nobody Knows - This Japanese drama based on actual events just broke my heart. The slow pacing of this film made it even harder to bear as you could really feel the impact of time throughout the film. I had to think hard to find a film that cold equal the dark tragedy of this and I found it in the Ukraine's Lilya 4-Ever. You know you're watching a seriously tragic film when there are times you wish the protagonists would die not because you dislike them but because death would be a kinder fate than what's happening on screen - Lilya is very much in this camp. Haunting.
•  Bellflower - I really felt this was an awesome movie that just never quite found its way. The story was intriguing but the characters false and plot full of holes. Visually it was a feast for the eyes and I saw what they were trying to do. I Melt With You is the film Bellflower wanted to be - a tortured story of four men dealing with a crucial turning point in their lives. I Melt with You is one of my favorite rentals of late with perhaps my favorite trailer in a LOOONG time.
• Meeting Evil - Again this was a decent idea gone all wrong. The plot was unbelievable from jump and even Sam Jackson flubbed his character in this flimsy thriller. It reminded me of Bill Paxton's Frailty , which suffered from many of the same problems of muddied plot and poorly drawn characters.
• Jiro Dreams of Sushi - I expected this documentary about the king of sushi to be great. I didn't expect to be so well educated by it, nor did I expect the bombshell ending of the story which changed my whole perspective of the story. While lacking the ending twist, Kings of Pastry , a documentary about the ultimate French pastry competition, is a perfect pairing for this. Ah, all the lovely food!
• Attack the Block - I got a huge kick out of this fun and fast action/adventure comedy set in London. The characters were great and the action engaging without sacrificing its edge. Pair this with the similarly toned Tucker & Dale vs. Evil , a hilarious horror/comedy mix starring Alan Tudyk.
• Tinker Tailor Solider Spy - The writing in this spy thriller was magical and the acting superb. Every time I thought I had it all figured out I found out I was mightily wrong which I greatly appreciated.The whole time I was watching this I was reminded of Costner's No Way Out, a spy thriller with a similar edge with an ending that I don't think anyone predicted/
• 42 Up - Apted's series keeps getting better as the characters we now have grown to love keep getting older and wiser. What a wonderful idea for a series so perfectly realized! For a documentary with a similar main idea but completely different approach try Life in a Day , a documentary that tries to capture a feel for the everyday and the extraordinary over the course of one single day in July of 2010.

There you go - my double feature pairings for the week! I hope you enjoy them and happy movie watching!