Blitz (2011)

  This was a fun little movie.  I don't know if it ever got released outside of England but it's worth checking out.  I really like Paddy Considine more and more as an actor.  He has that ineffable ability to completely change everything about himself to fit a part.  Some of you are probably thinking "duh, that's what acting is" but think about how few people actually manage it.  Jason Statham, for example, is pretty much just Jason Statham in every movie he's in.  It works for him, but you're probably never going to see him playing a chess grandmaster in an Oscar-nominated drama.

Anyway, Brant (Jason Statham) is a London cop with some serious anger issues.  The unit has no time to deal with his attitude problem, however, because a serial killer targeting cops is loose.  The top brass brings in Nash (Paddy Considine), a former top cop currently being ostracized for being openly gay.  These two must work together to find out who is knocking off bobbies before one of them takes a bullet.

This movie also has a supporting turn from Luke Evans.  Hollywood has been trying to make Luke Evans happen as a star for the past three years and it just doesn't look like it's going to stick.  I wondered why they were pushing because I frankly didn't see a lot there, but he really pulls focus in this film.  More than he has any right to as a supporting character.  I think, now that I'm really thinking about it, the difference is that he actually had a chance to just relax on screen.  Most of the characters he's played in other films -- The Raven, Immortals -- have been really tightly wound.  I know he has that broody dark-browed face, but I think we the public would collectively fall for him if the studios just let him be a little more inviting.

In other news, I binge-watched season 2 of Mad Men.  It went down smooth as silk, smoother even than season one.  I liked Peggy a lot more this time around.  It just seemed like everyone was really settling into their roles.

I also went back and skimmed through season one of Desperate Housewives.  That season was so good it actually made me wonder if I had judged the subsequent ones too harshly.  I remember watching seasons two and three back to back and just being really irritated at the whole thing.  Maybe  I'll give it another shot.