Attack the Block

Hey, so, Attack the Block came out in July. Have you seen it? It's on DVD now, so you should get on that as soon as possible.

I feel like I am always posting here about movies that I haven't really liked very much. (Dear J. Edgar, I like you less the more I think about you and the more I talk to my gay friends about you.) And I think one of the reasons I post about movies I didn't like very much is that there is, well, more to say about them. I feel like it simply is not that easy to write six or seven paragraphs on something that I love. My good reviews all end up being something like "Go see this; it's really good." Maybe that's just me. Who knows.

But allow me to do that exact thing yet again. Attack the Block. Rent it!

This is a genre picture: a violent adventure film about killing aliens that invade Earth. Except this movie stars junior-high kids who live in a London project. It's a film that is smart about race, as well.

And let me just say that I find it a relief to watch a movie about black people that doesn't also feel the need to be a movie that's really about white people.

But the thing that is great about Attack the Block is, well, nearly everything. I loved this movie. The aliens are interesting and cool-looking. The plot is surprising and fun. The heroes are complex, attractive, and clever. The dialogue is witty. It's also suspenseful, violent, and very, very funny. Please allow me to recommend this movie to you. It's definitely going to be in my top ten for the year.