Bring The Payne!!!!

(I’m really sorry about that title line, I was just trying to get you to read this.)

I’ve recently become infatuated with the work of director Alexander Payne. In a way he’s from the quirky, tweed suit wearing school that produced Wes Anderson, but at the same time he brings a note of realism that’s sometimes missing from Anderson’s pictures. Take for instance “Election” starring an equally excellent Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon. It’s sort of like “Rushmore” on paper, an extra curricular enthused perfectionist going against a down on his luck working stiff (Ferris Bueller proving that he really isn’t cool at all). Under Payne’s direction it turned out to be far more than a cheap Anderson style rip-off (I’m looking at you “Rocket Science). I’ve also had the pleasure of seeing “Sideways” which I assumed would be all hype and little substance, but was actually far from. His other two feature film “About Schmidt” and “Citizen Ruth” look alright, but I’ve doubted you twice before Mr. Payne (haha), and I don’t think I can afford to again. This is another case in which I sat on watching any of his films, and now I realize I’ve truly been missing out on the growth of a fine American auteur. But I can rest easy because not only did I catch his short in the lovely “Paris Je’Taime”, but he also has a new film set for 2009. More Payne is surely on the way (lol)