Friday movie roundup – July 17

The biggest movie of the week — indeed, one of the biggest movies of the year — opened on Wednesday. You might have already seen it. It’s called “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” It was supposed to open last Thanksgiving, remember? And then they pushed it back, and it was the end of the world? Remember how you cried? Well, it’s here now and everything is OK. Shhh, shhh… everything is OK….

Me likey movie a lot. I wonder if I might have liked it less if I’d read the book more recently than four years ago and thus better remembered what was going to happen. Actually recalling the plot probably takes some of the suspense out of it.

There’s also “500 Days of Summer,” a movie I absolutely love, opening on a couple dozens screens today. This was Sundance’s biggest hit this year, both with critics and regular audiences; it’s the kind of thing that’s so funny and creative and wistfully romantic that I think just about everyone who sees it will like it. It has wide-range appeal. It’s expanding all over the country in the coming weeks (here’s a schedule), so be sure to catch it when it shows up at the local multiplex.

Another great film is “Il Divo,” an Italian political story with lots of style and a fascinating main character. It’s in limited release, hiding in art houses and independent theaters.

Oh, and I showed up on the /Filmcast this week, talking about “Brüno.” You can listen here. Note that there is a bit of PG-13 language, cuz it’s the Internet and there are no rules.

Here’s me on the Twitter.

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