Elizabethtown

It's been a while since a movie with such a dark subject matter has both uplifted the audience and brought a smile to our faces, but Cameron Crowe's latest does just that.

Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom) is a young up-and-coming wizkid in the field of footwear and when his first big idea, the Spasmotica, goes south and ends up costing the company close to a billion dollars, you can't blame him for wanting to kill himself. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) he receives a phone call from his sister (Judy Greer) telling him that their father has just died, while visiting his brother in a small place called Elizabethtown. Drew must put his own worries aside and go see to the funeral arrangements. Along the way, he meets air stewardess Claire (Kirsten Dunst), who ends up changing his life for the better.

I have to admit I went into this thinking it might be all right, but ended up loving everything about the movie. It's funny, heart warming and serious in all the right places. The performances are amazing, if not a little cheesy at times, and even - believe me, it was painful to say this out loud - Bloom is great in it. Elizabethtown is picturesque and serene and looks like the kind of place you could see yourself living in. Hell, after watching the film, I wanted to jump in a car and go travelling. Crowe is definitely back - in style.

Elizabethtown doesn't really show you how death affects everyone, but shows how it can bring people together, and, best of all, does it with an awesome soundtrack. You can't help but smile all the way through.

Definitely one of the best movies of the year.