We're at the finish line!
Thanks for embarking, readers. It's been fun.
Here are some things I want to share before I get to my favorite film of the year:
*My top 5 of 2009 were as follows:
5) In the Loop
4) Inglorious Basterds
3) Fantastic Mr. Fox
2) The Hurt Locker
1) District 9
In looking back, this is mostly consistent, but I would maybe move Inglorious Basterds up. That one was fantastic.
*There were a few movies I didn't get to see this year that I was interested in seeing. They are as follows:
Catfish
Get Low
I Love You Phillip Morris
Inside Job
Machete
Shutter Island
Welcome to the Rileys
Any other worthwhile ones I missed? Let me know. I'd like to see said movies eventually.
* I am unbelievably nerdy, but we have decided to have an Oscar-themed snack and dinner menu at the house. I heard my good buddy Jacy did this last year, and I thought it was kind of an awesome idea. Here's the menu:
DRINK:
Appletini (Social Network) and beer (The Fighter)
SNACKS:
Granola bars (127 Hours)
Hummus and french onion LAYERED dip (Inception)
The king's peach (The King's Speech)
Black forest ham and White Swiss crescent roll-ups (Black Swan)
DINNER:
Boston Baked Beans (The Fighter)
True Grits (True Grit)
Fried Chicken (Winter's Bone)
DESSERT:
Sour Patch Kids (Are All Right)
Cookies (Toy Story 3)
Cadbury chocolate (King's Speech)
Yeah....just huge, huge nerds.
And speaking of, I wanted to get a shout-out in regarding the shadow-blog written by the person who saw probably about 80% of these movies with me. Her take is funny and she is a good writer, so check it out!
*It's kind of a cool year because I don't really feel like anything will sweep tonight. Here's what I think about the big categories:
Supporting Actor SHOULD WIN: Christian Bale, Fighter
Supporting Actor WILL WIN: Christian Bale, Fighter
Supporting Actress SHOULD WIN: Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Supporting Actress WILL WIN: Toss-up between Fighter gals, but I'm going to say Melissa Leo.
Best Actor SHOULD WIN: Colin Firth, King's Speech or James Franco, 127 Hours
Best Actor WILL WIN: Firth.
Best Actress SHOULD WIN: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Actress WILL WIN: Portman.
Best Screenplay Adapted SHOULD WIN: Aaron Sorkin, Social Network
Best Screenplay Adapted WILL WIN: Sorkin.
Best Screenplay Original SHOULD WIN: Toss-up: Lisa Cholodenko, Kids Are All Right or Various, The Fighter
Best Screenplay WILL WIN: Fighter.
Best Cinematography SHOULD WIN: Wally Pfister, Inception
Best Cinematography WILL WIN: Matthew Libatique, Black Swan (also very good)
Best Picture WILL WIN: King's Speech
Best Picture SHOULD WIN:.......
#1 Inception
The reason this one takes it for me is because it truly does feel like the full package.
My buddy Andy was the first to bring up the film's main weakness with me, and others have since commented on it: There is a fair amount of over-explaining. There is enough time taken out to explain exactly what's going on that it takes away from things like developing any other character besides DiCaprio's Cobb.
And I agree. But I don't know that it matters.
I've seen it three times now, and the last time I watched it, I was with someone that kind of needed a little extra explanation. So I get why Nolan went that direction. Those of us that are movie goons find it a little annoying, sure, but whatever.
You really can't compare with the ingenuity of Inception this year. Visually, the combination of the cinematography and the effects is gonzo, mind-blowing even. Hans Zimmer's score is far and away the best of year; it gets in my head more than I'd like to admit. The cast, three of which have appeared in Christopher Nolan films previously, is top-notch, with DiCaprio leading the charge and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt's sleek Arthur a close second. The script, save the aforementioned overtelling, is incredibly original, and the fact that Nolan gets to work within the world of the dream means there's basically no limit to the creativity he gets to employ. The story is engaging and the ending--man, that ending.
DiCaprio's Cobb, a professional dream thief, is a joy to watch, through all his insanity and flaws. I read that Nolan wrote the script with his dream infiltration team mirroring that of a film, with Cobb as the director, Arthur (Gordon-Leavitt) as the producer, Areadne (Ellen Page) as the writer, Eames (Tom Hardy) as the actor, and Saito (Ken Wantanbe) as the financier.
Every time I watch it, I get sucked in. It's impossible not to. And I notice new things each time I see it.
When you can watch a 2 hour and 20 minute movie about corporate espionage in the background of dreams and not feel a minute of dead space, you know you're getting somewhere.
That'll do it for this year. Agree? Disagree? Agree to disagree? Be sure to let me know.
Take care and I'll see you later on in the blogosphere!
title
Sunday, February 27, 2011
2010 Movies: 5-2
#5 Black Swan
I'll get one thing out of the way first and foremost--I have tons of respect for Darren Aronofsky as a filmmaker. His paced use of follow-shot from behind a character adds tenacity to scenes, his preference for digital handheld shooting is innovative to say the least, and his dark and untreaded subject material is always worth plenty of discussion.
When I saw Black Swan in theaters, I was taken aback. It was everything you could have asked for in a "psycho-sexual thriller". I cringed and even tented my eyes on a couple of occasions; certainly not a movie for the squeamish. By the time the resolution hit and the credits started to roll, I had a sh*t-eating grin on my face. "That was cool," I remember saying. When I walked out of the theater and into the lobby, I kind have had forgotten I had been in a movie theater at all. Oftentimes that's a telltale sign of being enraptured by a film.
However, the problem I have with Aronofsky's films, save The Wrestler, is this:
I never want to see them again.
I don't think you could pay me to watch Requiem for a Dream.
Aronofsky's usual plan to make the viewer squeamishly uncomfortable is as prominent as ever. It's a fantastic watch on the big screen, with all of the noise and light and wild score, but it's not like I'm gonna call the fellas over for a couple beers to watch Black Swan in my TV room (wait, there's one scene, maybe...). I just don't see it translating into further viewings on DVD. It's another Aronofsky one-and-done for me at this point.
I could change my mind on that-at least I'd know the outrageously insane stuff is coming ahead of time. He gets outstanding performances out of his actors, and with all of the time that Portman is on screen and shot-up close and with all of the devotion she put into the role of Nina Sayers, I can't see her not winning the statue, even if she did get slighted by Annette Bening at the Globes. Another one that I thought should have maybe gotten a nod was Vincent Cassel as the creepy choreographer Thomas, who oozes power and sex and convinces Portman to bring more of her dark side to the table. This was probably the first dramatic role I've seen Mila Kunis do, and I liked her as the seemingly unstable temptress and competition.
The viewer begins to lose touch with reality pretty early on in the film, from the moment she splits her first toenail at practice (Really, Aronofksy? Necessary?). Nina is under such microscopic scrutiny by her peers and her batsh*t crazy mother that she can't help but lose her mind. And as she transforms from innocent wunderkind to some sort of split personality who wages war with forces dark and light, Aranofsky never even hints at playing the "this is what really happened" card. Which I think is kind of cool.
This film was a polarizer--everyone I know either loved or hated it. What I have to say is this: An awesome horror-psychological flick. Very well written, acted and crafted. Shockingly uncomfortable, and low on my re-watch list. See it once, enjoy it for what it is, try your best to get the nasty imagery out of your head, and move on. That's Black Swan.
#4 127 Hours
In September of 2006, I called in sick for what would be the only time in my current job, which I've had for just over five years. The reason was a simply idiotic one: I was at the gym in between shifts, and I thought I could handle bench-pressing a whole bunch of weight on my own. Not the case. I went to put the weight back on the bar (can't recall-175, maybe?) and overshot it, resulting in the entire thing coming down and squashing my left ring finger in between the bar itself and the metal portion of the bench.
I looked up, and my fingertip was spraying blood around the weight room. The owner of this particular Lifetime Fitness branch happened to be on the floor, and with his quick thinking, we got me wrapped up and upstairs to an urgent care that happened to be in the same building. Before I got stitches, I called over to my boss with a weary "yeah...not going to be able to make it in today..." and took the afternoon and the next day off. Never since, even though on Friday I ended up with a fever that had me lying down in the nurse's office for the first time in probably 20 years. But that's a whole other story.
I've since learned to ask for a spotter when I'm attempting larger weight and have been shown how to correctly hold a bench-press bar (thanks, Jespsen). The weightlifting story can be connected to 127 Hours in couple of ways. First, with the possible exception of Winter's Bone, it was far-and-away one of the least viewed of the ten nominees, simply because "it's the one where dude chops off his own arm." That part is only two minutes or so, and yeah, it's a little grizzly, but not a whole lot worse than watching a 25-year old moron spurt blood from his ring finger in a gym. Secondly, Aron Ralston should have had a "spotter" with him when he got trapped in a Utah canyon, and by that I mean someone, anyone else.
The movie starts with Aron Ralston (James Franco) doing his best Mountain Dew commercial, biking as fast as he can along dirt roads, kicking up dust, headphones cranked full blast. His extremeness feels a little cheesy at first, but it being shot in the same bright style that Danny Boyle used in Slumdog and showed to the viewer in vivd split and four-screens make it forgivable and fun to watch. He gets off his bike and deeper into canyon territory, where he meets Kristi and Megan (Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn). It becomes painfully obvious how much of an outdoors nerd he is, as he gives them plenty of tips and pointers before showing them a natural spring to jump into from deep within the rock. After a little fun, they part ways--the girls invite him to a party over the weekend, and he says he'll try and make an appearance.
And that's the last we see of anyone--in the present timeline anyway--for a long time.
As he's jumping from rock to rock, he somehow manages to dislodge a boulder and it comes down with him, trapping his arm and him in the depths of a narrow canyon--Oh Sh*t. From there everything changes. His first priority is to dislodge the boulder, so he tries everything he possibly can with the supplies he has on him. Second priority, conserve food and liquid, which he can do for only so long. Third priority, stay alive. Invent games to keep things interesting. Find ways to keep track of time. Film video diaries. Try not to fall apart.
James Franco is simply outstanding as Ralston, who runs the entire human gamut of emotion and physicality. Unless he is having a dream or acting in a flashback, he's also completely alone. His range is astonishing enough that the viewer experiences the dwindling hope and crushing reality right along with him.
Yes, he cuts off his own arm. If you're not into the blood thing, you can cringe for that two minutes and be fine. You at least know it's coming. But don't avoid the movie just because of that two minutes; it's way too good to miss.
#3 The Town
People say Affleck has had a slew of garbage roles in his day, that his acting is nothing special, and that he's been riding the coattails of talented buddy Matt Damon for going on 15 years.
Some of that may be true, but the guy knows his way around Boston.
The Damon-Affleck penned Good Will Hunting, despite its occasional hokeyness, is one of my all time favorite scripts. I'm a big Casey Affleck fan, so I knew I would dig Gone Baby Gone, but I ended up liking it a ton thanks to Ben's steady direction and choices made behind the camera. The Town shows his confidence has grown as a director, and to tell you the truth, his acting's pretty damn decent, too.
He's Doug MacCray, a repeat-offender who leads a team of four bank robbers in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston: Himself, the brains; James "Jem" Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), the trigger man; Albert "Gloansy" MaGloan (Slaine), the driver; and Desmond Elden (Owen Burke), the tech wiz. As a crew they've knocked out close to a dozen banks without getting caught. The movie opens with them robbing a bank in Cambridge, clad in masks that evoke Predator. Everything goes according to plan except for one thing--they take a hostage, bank manager Claire Kesey (Rebecca Hall). MacCray begins running surveillance on her to make sure that she doesn't start talking to the wrong people, but amidst his hovering, he ends up starting a relationship with her. That's not shared with anyone, let alone Jem's sister Krista (Blake Lively, perfect in slum Boston garb) with whom he has had a long on-again-off-again relationship and has spent a little bit of time playing surrogate father to her daughter, Shyne.
Other factors in Doug's life are FBI agents Frawley and Campa (Jon Hamm, exuding his usual Draper smugness, and Titus Welliver, LOST's Man in Black) and his boss, Fergie (Pete Postelthwaite, rest in peace), a vicious man who runs drugs and other criminal jobs out of his flower shop. Before too long, he's falling harder for Claire and wants out of the bank game. No one, however, is interested in him walking away quite yet. Especially Jem, who believes in his heart that he just finished serving his nine year bid exclusively for Doug. MacRay has a different take: "Here's a little f---ing cheat sheet for you. It's never gonna be you and me and your sister and Shyne playing house up there. You got it?"
Affleck does a great job in the conflicted protagonist role which yes, has traces of Will Hunting with his warring desires and his dealing with everyone else's push and pull. Renner is even better as the loose cannon who is governed by the rules of the old neighborhood. And Jon Hamm should be in the supporting discussion as well, with his sly and accurate portrayal of an FBI agent gone for broke. Everyone's good, everyone's real, everyone is very Boston.
BEFORE #2, I'll say this...
My #1 and #2 have flip-flopped back and forth countless times. It has been agonizing trying to decide which of the two I like better, and why. I'll have what I think is a solid justification, and then second-guess it. Thing is, I don't believe in ties when it comes to something be crowned. So as of today, even though I'm sure it has the capacity to switch back to #1 anytime, my #2 film of the year is:
#2 The Fighter
There are many excellent casts in the movies this year, but no ensemble quite as tightly knit and pitch-perfect as this one. This is the third Massachusetts movie to make the top eight, so it's been a busy and important year for that fah-kin' state.
Believe it or not, I hadn't seen Rocky until recently--within the last few years, anyway. I thought it was pretty good. Sylvester Stallone is so dunderheaded and goofy-sounding it at times made it hard to concentrate. The classic soundtrack, the run up the stairs, the fight with Apollo Creed--of course all of those moments were legendary to finally see on the screen.
Quite honestly though, I thought that The Fighter may have been a better boxing movie. I know that's a very audacious claim and everything, but if you put the two DVDs in front of me, chances are I'd probably choose the newer of the two.
The mercurial David O. Russell, who somehow found himself angry enough to call Lily Tomlin the most disgraceful of words on the set of I Heart Huckabees and notoriously get into brawls with George Clooney during the filming of Three Kings has seemingly settled down a little bit and has directed his way back into prominence. The film is shot using a handheld as well as old stock film and it feels very authentic.
The acting performances are so good that the movie's lead, Mark Wahlberg, is possibly the weak link out of the bunch. Wahlberg plays amateur boxer Micky Ward who is training to be a welterweight champion. He'd be there already, but he's being held back from his jailbird half brother, ex-boxer and crack-addict Dickie Eklund (Christian Bale), his controlling mother Alice (Melissa Leo), and his seven sisters (played by various actresses). He trains with his brother and Mickey O'Keeffe (playing himself), but his brother is unreliable, spending altogether too much time with the wrong crowd, playing hooky and smoking crack. The entire time, Eklund's behaviors are being taped by an HBO documetarian, which he believes to be about his glory as a fighter. Instead, it's about crack use, and when he comes to figure that out, it happens in a such a compelling way that it almost brings you to tears.
There are ups and downs, but in the end it is a feel-good story. Amy Adams shows range as Ward's girlfriend Charlene, trying to be one good influence in a storm of people who claim they know "what's best" for him. Melissa Leo's Alice tries to balance her love for Micky and Dickie but ultimately tries to coddle them both. And the seven sisters sit on their Lowell couches and La-Z-Boys, a smart-mouthed Greek chorus of giant perms, beers and cigarette smoke. A couple were actresses (one of which Conan O'Brien's sister), but most were unknowns, and they were phenomenal.
But the best performance of the year, supporting or otherwise, goes in my opinion to Christian Bale. Like The Machinist, Bale dropped a bunch of weight to simulate an unhealthy lifestyle, in this case of a junkie. The way he talks about his past glories, the way he smiles sheepishly when people try to worry about him, and the range he shows when he learns he's been duped by the documentary will take your breath away. I was beyond impressed with the frailty he brought to the role. Again, unbelievable performances from everyone.
See you soon with #1, and a couple of other things to wrap-up.
I'll get one thing out of the way first and foremost--I have tons of respect for Darren Aronofsky as a filmmaker. His paced use of follow-shot from behind a character adds tenacity to scenes, his preference for digital handheld shooting is innovative to say the least, and his dark and untreaded subject material is always worth plenty of discussion.
When I saw Black Swan in theaters, I was taken aback. It was everything you could have asked for in a "psycho-sexual thriller". I cringed and even tented my eyes on a couple of occasions; certainly not a movie for the squeamish. By the time the resolution hit and the credits started to roll, I had a sh*t-eating grin on my face. "That was cool," I remember saying. When I walked out of the theater and into the lobby, I kind have had forgotten I had been in a movie theater at all. Oftentimes that's a telltale sign of being enraptured by a film.
However, the problem I have with Aronofsky's films, save The Wrestler, is this:
I never want to see them again.
I don't think you could pay me to watch Requiem for a Dream.
Aronofsky's usual plan to make the viewer squeamishly uncomfortable is as prominent as ever. It's a fantastic watch on the big screen, with all of the noise and light and wild score, but it's not like I'm gonna call the fellas over for a couple beers to watch Black Swan in my TV room (wait, there's one scene, maybe...). I just don't see it translating into further viewings on DVD. It's another Aronofsky one-and-done for me at this point.
I could change my mind on that-at least I'd know the outrageously insane stuff is coming ahead of time. He gets outstanding performances out of his actors, and with all of the time that Portman is on screen and shot-up close and with all of the devotion she put into the role of Nina Sayers, I can't see her not winning the statue, even if she did get slighted by Annette Bening at the Globes. Another one that I thought should have maybe gotten a nod was Vincent Cassel as the creepy choreographer Thomas, who oozes power and sex and convinces Portman to bring more of her dark side to the table. This was probably the first dramatic role I've seen Mila Kunis do, and I liked her as the seemingly unstable temptress and competition.
The viewer begins to lose touch with reality pretty early on in the film, from the moment she splits her first toenail at practice (Really, Aronofksy? Necessary?). Nina is under such microscopic scrutiny by her peers and her batsh*t crazy mother that she can't help but lose her mind. And as she transforms from innocent wunderkind to some sort of split personality who wages war with forces dark and light, Aranofsky never even hints at playing the "this is what really happened" card. Which I think is kind of cool.
This film was a polarizer--everyone I know either loved or hated it. What I have to say is this: An awesome horror-psychological flick. Very well written, acted and crafted. Shockingly uncomfortable, and low on my re-watch list. See it once, enjoy it for what it is, try your best to get the nasty imagery out of your head, and move on. That's Black Swan.
#4 127 Hours
In September of 2006, I called in sick for what would be the only time in my current job, which I've had for just over five years. The reason was a simply idiotic one: I was at the gym in between shifts, and I thought I could handle bench-pressing a whole bunch of weight on my own. Not the case. I went to put the weight back on the bar (can't recall-175, maybe?) and overshot it, resulting in the entire thing coming down and squashing my left ring finger in between the bar itself and the metal portion of the bench.
I looked up, and my fingertip was spraying blood around the weight room. The owner of this particular Lifetime Fitness branch happened to be on the floor, and with his quick thinking, we got me wrapped up and upstairs to an urgent care that happened to be in the same building. Before I got stitches, I called over to my boss with a weary "yeah...not going to be able to make it in today..." and took the afternoon and the next day off. Never since, even though on Friday I ended up with a fever that had me lying down in the nurse's office for the first time in probably 20 years. But that's a whole other story.
I've since learned to ask for a spotter when I'm attempting larger weight and have been shown how to correctly hold a bench-press bar (thanks, Jespsen). The weightlifting story can be connected to 127 Hours in couple of ways. First, with the possible exception of Winter's Bone, it was far-and-away one of the least viewed of the ten nominees, simply because "it's the one where dude chops off his own arm." That part is only two minutes or so, and yeah, it's a little grizzly, but not a whole lot worse than watching a 25-year old moron spurt blood from his ring finger in a gym. Secondly, Aron Ralston should have had a "spotter" with him when he got trapped in a Utah canyon, and by that I mean someone, anyone else.
The movie starts with Aron Ralston (James Franco) doing his best Mountain Dew commercial, biking as fast as he can along dirt roads, kicking up dust, headphones cranked full blast. His extremeness feels a little cheesy at first, but it being shot in the same bright style that Danny Boyle used in Slumdog and showed to the viewer in vivd split and four-screens make it forgivable and fun to watch. He gets off his bike and deeper into canyon territory, where he meets Kristi and Megan (Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn). It becomes painfully obvious how much of an outdoors nerd he is, as he gives them plenty of tips and pointers before showing them a natural spring to jump into from deep within the rock. After a little fun, they part ways--the girls invite him to a party over the weekend, and he says he'll try and make an appearance.
And that's the last we see of anyone--in the present timeline anyway--for a long time.
As he's jumping from rock to rock, he somehow manages to dislodge a boulder and it comes down with him, trapping his arm and him in the depths of a narrow canyon--Oh Sh*t. From there everything changes. His first priority is to dislodge the boulder, so he tries everything he possibly can with the supplies he has on him. Second priority, conserve food and liquid, which he can do for only so long. Third priority, stay alive. Invent games to keep things interesting. Find ways to keep track of time. Film video diaries. Try not to fall apart.
James Franco is simply outstanding as Ralston, who runs the entire human gamut of emotion and physicality. Unless he is having a dream or acting in a flashback, he's also completely alone. His range is astonishing enough that the viewer experiences the dwindling hope and crushing reality right along with him.
Yes, he cuts off his own arm. If you're not into the blood thing, you can cringe for that two minutes and be fine. You at least know it's coming. But don't avoid the movie just because of that two minutes; it's way too good to miss.
#3 The Town
People say Affleck has had a slew of garbage roles in his day, that his acting is nothing special, and that he's been riding the coattails of talented buddy Matt Damon for going on 15 years.
Some of that may be true, but the guy knows his way around Boston.
The Damon-Affleck penned Good Will Hunting, despite its occasional hokeyness, is one of my all time favorite scripts. I'm a big Casey Affleck fan, so I knew I would dig Gone Baby Gone, but I ended up liking it a ton thanks to Ben's steady direction and choices made behind the camera. The Town shows his confidence has grown as a director, and to tell you the truth, his acting's pretty damn decent, too.
He's Doug MacCray, a repeat-offender who leads a team of four bank robbers in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston: Himself, the brains; James "Jem" Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), the trigger man; Albert "Gloansy" MaGloan (Slaine), the driver; and Desmond Elden (Owen Burke), the tech wiz. As a crew they've knocked out close to a dozen banks without getting caught. The movie opens with them robbing a bank in Cambridge, clad in masks that evoke Predator. Everything goes according to plan except for one thing--they take a hostage, bank manager Claire Kesey (Rebecca Hall). MacCray begins running surveillance on her to make sure that she doesn't start talking to the wrong people, but amidst his hovering, he ends up starting a relationship with her. That's not shared with anyone, let alone Jem's sister Krista (Blake Lively, perfect in slum Boston garb) with whom he has had a long on-again-off-again relationship and has spent a little bit of time playing surrogate father to her daughter, Shyne.
Other factors in Doug's life are FBI agents Frawley and Campa (Jon Hamm, exuding his usual Draper smugness, and Titus Welliver, LOST's Man in Black) and his boss, Fergie (Pete Postelthwaite, rest in peace), a vicious man who runs drugs and other criminal jobs out of his flower shop. Before too long, he's falling harder for Claire and wants out of the bank game. No one, however, is interested in him walking away quite yet. Especially Jem, who believes in his heart that he just finished serving his nine year bid exclusively for Doug. MacRay has a different take: "Here's a little f---ing cheat sheet for you. It's never gonna be you and me and your sister and Shyne playing house up there. You got it?"
Affleck does a great job in the conflicted protagonist role which yes, has traces of Will Hunting with his warring desires and his dealing with everyone else's push and pull. Renner is even better as the loose cannon who is governed by the rules of the old neighborhood. And Jon Hamm should be in the supporting discussion as well, with his sly and accurate portrayal of an FBI agent gone for broke. Everyone's good, everyone's real, everyone is very Boston.
BEFORE #2, I'll say this...
My #1 and #2 have flip-flopped back and forth countless times. It has been agonizing trying to decide which of the two I like better, and why. I'll have what I think is a solid justification, and then second-guess it. Thing is, I don't believe in ties when it comes to something be crowned. So as of today, even though I'm sure it has the capacity to switch back to #1 anytime, my #2 film of the year is:
#2 The Fighter
There are many excellent casts in the movies this year, but no ensemble quite as tightly knit and pitch-perfect as this one. This is the third Massachusetts movie to make the top eight, so it's been a busy and important year for that fah-kin' state.
Believe it or not, I hadn't seen Rocky until recently--within the last few years, anyway. I thought it was pretty good. Sylvester Stallone is so dunderheaded and goofy-sounding it at times made it hard to concentrate. The classic soundtrack, the run up the stairs, the fight with Apollo Creed--of course all of those moments were legendary to finally see on the screen.
Quite honestly though, I thought that The Fighter may have been a better boxing movie. I know that's a very audacious claim and everything, but if you put the two DVDs in front of me, chances are I'd probably choose the newer of the two.
The mercurial David O. Russell, who somehow found himself angry enough to call Lily Tomlin the most disgraceful of words on the set of I Heart Huckabees and notoriously get into brawls with George Clooney during the filming of Three Kings has seemingly settled down a little bit and has directed his way back into prominence. The film is shot using a handheld as well as old stock film and it feels very authentic.
The acting performances are so good that the movie's lead, Mark Wahlberg, is possibly the weak link out of the bunch. Wahlberg plays amateur boxer Micky Ward who is training to be a welterweight champion. He'd be there already, but he's being held back from his jailbird half brother, ex-boxer and crack-addict Dickie Eklund (Christian Bale), his controlling mother Alice (Melissa Leo), and his seven sisters (played by various actresses). He trains with his brother and Mickey O'Keeffe (playing himself), but his brother is unreliable, spending altogether too much time with the wrong crowd, playing hooky and smoking crack. The entire time, Eklund's behaviors are being taped by an HBO documetarian, which he believes to be about his glory as a fighter. Instead, it's about crack use, and when he comes to figure that out, it happens in a such a compelling way that it almost brings you to tears.
There are ups and downs, but in the end it is a feel-good story. Amy Adams shows range as Ward's girlfriend Charlene, trying to be one good influence in a storm of people who claim they know "what's best" for him. Melissa Leo's Alice tries to balance her love for Micky and Dickie but ultimately tries to coddle them both. And the seven sisters sit on their Lowell couches and La-Z-Boys, a smart-mouthed Greek chorus of giant perms, beers and cigarette smoke. A couple were actresses (one of which Conan O'Brien's sister), but most were unknowns, and they were phenomenal.
But the best performance of the year, supporting or otherwise, goes in my opinion to Christian Bale. Like The Machinist, Bale dropped a bunch of weight to simulate an unhealthy lifestyle, in this case of a junkie. The way he talks about his past glories, the way he smiles sheepishly when people try to worry about him, and the range he shows when he learns he's been duped by the documentary will take your breath away. I was beyond impressed with the frailty he brought to the role. Again, unbelievable performances from everyone.
See you soon with #1, and a couple of other things to wrap-up.
2010 Movies: #8-6
#8 The Social Network
The year-end lists that have all been coming back with this one at the top are definitely right about one thing: The main reason this movie is good is because of David Fincher. That's not to discredit the snappy, inventive, highly-touted Aaron Sorkin script, or the smart-ass performances of Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, or the dark undertones of the awesome Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) score. This movie does indeed have a lot going for it, but Fincher is the man behind it all.
And to be honest, I can't really think of a more capable director to make an interesting, sleek and engaging movie about a g-damn lawsuit.
Okay, maybe it's more than that. No matter how much we hate to admit it, facebook has become stream-of-consciousness for just about every American. It's become so big that car commercials are now selling their automobiles by saying at the end-"see more at facebook dot com backslash Hyundai." For someone like me, stuck in Minnesota until at least next weekend, it's allowed me to live vicariously through photos and posts by all of my family and friends that are marching at the state Capitol in Madison. Over the past few years, it has literally become the norm for spreading the word about anything--a product, a concert, a protest. Anything. I remember facebook hitting the University of Wisconsin at some point in 2004 and me resisting it as long as I could. I wasn't exactly sure why, I guess I just didn't see the draw. I did 4 and a half years of college, and I joined the "semester" after I graduated. In a way, I kind of miss the days it was only available to college kids, but the sheer utility of the thing is straight-up remarkable.
Naturally then, audiences are drawn to the mystery surrounding its creation. I was fortunate enough to see it for the first time with my Harvard-educated gf, who would whisper additional notes to me as the movie went on. Evidently, one of her friends was on the original facemash.com that preceded fb. I liked the way the movie opened quite a bit, first with Zuckerburg getting dumped at the bar and then with him walking the dimly lit campus as Reznor's score eerily guided him home. It was a drunken rant that would become the basis for the entire thing, and I found that fascinating.
The way that Fincher bounces the movie back and forth is almost jarring at times, but it's really the only way to tell the story. Amidst two separate lawsuits, one from his business partner Eduardo Saverin (Garfield) and one from the notorious Winklevoss twins (hilariously refered to at one point as "the Winklevi" by Zuckerburg), Eisenberg and the surrounding players tell their stories from the top, and they are interspersed seamlessly with the settlements that are taking place in the present. We see him get approached by the twins to form their "harvard connection" website, form his meager company with him as the brains and Saverin as the money, the impending move to Palo Alto to form a programming haven, the initial meetings with Napster founder Sean Parker (A super-obnoxious Justin Timberlake), and the eventual disintegration of the original partnership. All the views are of course differing, and all are captivating. The scenes between Eisenberg and Garfield are great, with we as the viewer watching the ominous train wreck on the horizon, despite things looking hopeful in the rearview. Also effective is the sexiness of power that is displayed by being a part of one of Harvard's traditional year-end clubs, and its contrast with the sexiness of power that Timberlake's Parker offers to bring to the table.
Lest we forget though--this movie also features what may be the best preview of all time. Radiohead's "Creep" is given a brilliantly terrifying makeover by an Austrian women's choir as some of the most tense moments toggle across the screen. I have acted the preview out several times with the gal, and I'm not ashamed to admit it in the least. Watch the preview again. Re-live it.
#7 Blue Valentine:
Oscar snub of the year: Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine. Are you kidding me, academy? Franco and Firth are obvious choices. Jeff Bridges' performance is good but over the top and cartoonish, Jesse Eisenberg talks too fast to really show any depth and though I didn't see Biutiful, my boss told me that there is no redeeming qualities in any of the characters, including Javier Bardem's. Ryan Gosling is way too good to leave out of this mix. I'm glad they recognized Michelle Williams at least, even though she doesn't stand a chance.
I did a little research on Gosling and found out that he was part of the Mickey Mouse Club that spawned careers for Timberlake and Spears and Aguilera. I think I may have already heard that somewhere. I also found out he smartly doesn't take a whole lot of movies--a couple in 2011, but before BV, nothing since 2007. This is a good thing if you want to put all you have into a role--even though Forest Whitaker beat him out in 2006 for Last King of Scotland, Gosling was far and away the best of that year in Half Nelson.
With the Chinese Democracy-like delays that plagued the film, though, Gosling may not have had a choice to take any other movies. See the following: Derek Cianfrance's 60-plus drafts of the script since 1998, the death of Williams' ex Heath Ledger in 2008, the battle to get it rated R when the MPAA wanted it to be NC-17. Which to me seemed a little farfetched--there's one kind of rough sex scene at one point. People can be sensitive, I suppose.
The movie follows Cindy (Williams) and Dean (Gosling) in two separate but intertwining timelines: The present, in which their marriage has begun to fall to pieces; and when they first met, when everything was crisp and colorful. Cianfrance used two different kinds of film stock to show the time periods (cool, though not revolutionary), and the past being shot in Super-8 gave it a nice, vintage-y feel. They're trying desperately to get the spark to return, but nothing seems to be working--especially for the increasingly guarded Cindy. They fumble their way through a romantic getaway at a "theme" motel, in which they choose the future room-complete with rotating bed and blue-ish lighting. There are roadblocks though--Cindy is a nurse working to get a leg up at her hospital, and she's worried about leaving the Budweiser-drinking house painter Dean in her dust. Their daughter's getting older too, and many of their fights feature her at the epicenter.
We come to find that their past isn't exactly perfect either, but it was a time where you could tell the couple felt invincible as long as they were together, and that simply isn't the case anymore. You can see it in their beleagured faces, which Cianfrance shows in close-ups pretty often. Apparently they shot the scenes in the past first, and then Gosling/Williams cohabited for a month and cooked meals together, eventually working to make each other mad. Talk about commitment. They're both unbelivably good-I can't say enough about Ryan Gosling-and it's powerful (but sad) to watch what used to be fade into an impossible void.
#6 Exit Through the Gift Shop
Thierry Guetta is a strange Frenchman living in L.A. who videotapes more or less everything that happens in his life. He's got an entire room devoted to his VHS cassettes, and it's so overwhelming that you know there is absolutely no way he'll get through them all.
He's also obsessed with street artists. At some point he is granted audience with Shephard Fairey (he of the iconic Obama poster and the Obey imprint) and gets to spend time filming Fairey's process in the streets. Guetta is very excited and thankful for the insider pass, but it's not good enough. He wants to land the big fish.
And that would be Britain's own Banksy, notorious worldwide for his legendary political grafitti, such as the girl holding the balloons trying to float over the West Bank's wall in Israel. I have friends that were in New Orleans on vacation and saw drips of paint stuck to the sidewalks. They followed them to one of Banksy's famous mice, painted on a wall. He doesn't grant interviews because of the legal implications. Somehow, Guetta manages to swing it. The interviews are of course done with a disguised voice and put into dim lighting, the silhouette of Banksy's hoodie the only prominent feature in the shot.
Then about midway through, a funny thing happens. Banksy ends up the documentarian as a suddenly inspired Guetta begins to put together what he considers to be an groundbreaking art show. The only thing is--it isn't. I don't want to give a whole lot away as to why, but it's a hilarious turn of events that leaves Banksy to constantly wonder why he agreed to meet this weirdo in the first place.
I respect the hell out of grafitti artists, as a few of my friends growing up were talented artists. A couple still are. I even tried, but I was terrible. Just awful. This movie is conceptually ingenious, and insight into the world of the incredible Banksy-even though it's just a little insight-is well worth the price of admission.
Special bonus section: Really? Seriously??
The year-end lists that have all been coming back with this one at the top are definitely right about one thing: The main reason this movie is good is because of David Fincher. That's not to discredit the snappy, inventive, highly-touted Aaron Sorkin script, or the smart-ass performances of Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, or the dark undertones of the awesome Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) score. This movie does indeed have a lot going for it, but Fincher is the man behind it all.
And to be honest, I can't really think of a more capable director to make an interesting, sleek and engaging movie about a g-damn lawsuit.
Okay, maybe it's more than that. No matter how much we hate to admit it, facebook has become stream-of-consciousness for just about every American. It's become so big that car commercials are now selling their automobiles by saying at the end-"see more at facebook dot com backslash Hyundai." For someone like me, stuck in Minnesota until at least next weekend, it's allowed me to live vicariously through photos and posts by all of my family and friends that are marching at the state Capitol in Madison. Over the past few years, it has literally become the norm for spreading the word about anything--a product, a concert, a protest. Anything. I remember facebook hitting the University of Wisconsin at some point in 2004 and me resisting it as long as I could. I wasn't exactly sure why, I guess I just didn't see the draw. I did 4 and a half years of college, and I joined the "semester" after I graduated. In a way, I kind of miss the days it was only available to college kids, but the sheer utility of the thing is straight-up remarkable.
Naturally then, audiences are drawn to the mystery surrounding its creation. I was fortunate enough to see it for the first time with my Harvard-educated gf, who would whisper additional notes to me as the movie went on. Evidently, one of her friends was on the original facemash.com that preceded fb. I liked the way the movie opened quite a bit, first with Zuckerburg getting dumped at the bar and then with him walking the dimly lit campus as Reznor's score eerily guided him home. It was a drunken rant that would become the basis for the entire thing, and I found that fascinating.
The way that Fincher bounces the movie back and forth is almost jarring at times, but it's really the only way to tell the story. Amidst two separate lawsuits, one from his business partner Eduardo Saverin (Garfield) and one from the notorious Winklevoss twins (hilariously refered to at one point as "the Winklevi" by Zuckerburg), Eisenberg and the surrounding players tell their stories from the top, and they are interspersed seamlessly with the settlements that are taking place in the present. We see him get approached by the twins to form their "harvard connection" website, form his meager company with him as the brains and Saverin as the money, the impending move to Palo Alto to form a programming haven, the initial meetings with Napster founder Sean Parker (A super-obnoxious Justin Timberlake), and the eventual disintegration of the original partnership. All the views are of course differing, and all are captivating. The scenes between Eisenberg and Garfield are great, with we as the viewer watching the ominous train wreck on the horizon, despite things looking hopeful in the rearview. Also effective is the sexiness of power that is displayed by being a part of one of Harvard's traditional year-end clubs, and its contrast with the sexiness of power that Timberlake's Parker offers to bring to the table.
Lest we forget though--this movie also features what may be the best preview of all time. Radiohead's "Creep" is given a brilliantly terrifying makeover by an Austrian women's choir as some of the most tense moments toggle across the screen. I have acted the preview out several times with the gal, and I'm not ashamed to admit it in the least. Watch the preview again. Re-live it.
#7 Blue Valentine:
Oscar snub of the year: Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine. Are you kidding me, academy? Franco and Firth are obvious choices. Jeff Bridges' performance is good but over the top and cartoonish, Jesse Eisenberg talks too fast to really show any depth and though I didn't see Biutiful, my boss told me that there is no redeeming qualities in any of the characters, including Javier Bardem's. Ryan Gosling is way too good to leave out of this mix. I'm glad they recognized Michelle Williams at least, even though she doesn't stand a chance.
I did a little research on Gosling and found out that he was part of the Mickey Mouse Club that spawned careers for Timberlake and Spears and Aguilera. I think I may have already heard that somewhere. I also found out he smartly doesn't take a whole lot of movies--a couple in 2011, but before BV, nothing since 2007. This is a good thing if you want to put all you have into a role--even though Forest Whitaker beat him out in 2006 for Last King of Scotland, Gosling was far and away the best of that year in Half Nelson.
With the Chinese Democracy-like delays that plagued the film, though, Gosling may not have had a choice to take any other movies. See the following: Derek Cianfrance's 60-plus drafts of the script since 1998, the death of Williams' ex Heath Ledger in 2008, the battle to get it rated R when the MPAA wanted it to be NC-17. Which to me seemed a little farfetched--there's one kind of rough sex scene at one point. People can be sensitive, I suppose.
The movie follows Cindy (Williams) and Dean (Gosling) in two separate but intertwining timelines: The present, in which their marriage has begun to fall to pieces; and when they first met, when everything was crisp and colorful. Cianfrance used two different kinds of film stock to show the time periods (cool, though not revolutionary), and the past being shot in Super-8 gave it a nice, vintage-y feel. They're trying desperately to get the spark to return, but nothing seems to be working--especially for the increasingly guarded Cindy. They fumble their way through a romantic getaway at a "theme" motel, in which they choose the future room-complete with rotating bed and blue-ish lighting. There are roadblocks though--Cindy is a nurse working to get a leg up at her hospital, and she's worried about leaving the Budweiser-drinking house painter Dean in her dust. Their daughter's getting older too, and many of their fights feature her at the epicenter.
We come to find that their past isn't exactly perfect either, but it was a time where you could tell the couple felt invincible as long as they were together, and that simply isn't the case anymore. You can see it in their beleagured faces, which Cianfrance shows in close-ups pretty often. Apparently they shot the scenes in the past first, and then Gosling/Williams cohabited for a month and cooked meals together, eventually working to make each other mad. Talk about commitment. They're both unbelivably good-I can't say enough about Ryan Gosling-and it's powerful (but sad) to watch what used to be fade into an impossible void.
#6 Exit Through the Gift Shop
Thierry Guetta is a strange Frenchman living in L.A. who videotapes more or less everything that happens in his life. He's got an entire room devoted to his VHS cassettes, and it's so overwhelming that you know there is absolutely no way he'll get through them all.
He's also obsessed with street artists. At some point he is granted audience with Shephard Fairey (he of the iconic Obama poster and the Obey imprint) and gets to spend time filming Fairey's process in the streets. Guetta is very excited and thankful for the insider pass, but it's not good enough. He wants to land the big fish.
And that would be Britain's own Banksy, notorious worldwide for his legendary political grafitti, such as the girl holding the balloons trying to float over the West Bank's wall in Israel. I have friends that were in New Orleans on vacation and saw drips of paint stuck to the sidewalks. They followed them to one of Banksy's famous mice, painted on a wall. He doesn't grant interviews because of the legal implications. Somehow, Guetta manages to swing it. The interviews are of course done with a disguised voice and put into dim lighting, the silhouette of Banksy's hoodie the only prominent feature in the shot.
Then about midway through, a funny thing happens. Banksy ends up the documentarian as a suddenly inspired Guetta begins to put together what he considers to be an groundbreaking art show. The only thing is--it isn't. I don't want to give a whole lot away as to why, but it's a hilarious turn of events that leaves Banksy to constantly wonder why he agreed to meet this weirdo in the first place.
I respect the hell out of grafitti artists, as a few of my friends growing up were talented artists. A couple still are. I even tried, but I was terrible. Just awful. This movie is conceptually ingenious, and insight into the world of the incredible Banksy-even though it's just a little insight-is well worth the price of admission.
Special bonus section: Really? Seriously??
Saturday, February 26, 2011
2010 movies #12-9
A brief disclaimer before I continue:
I got a fair amount of flak for what people considered to be a low charting for The King's Speech at #15.
If you read what I had to say on it, I did like that movie quite a bit. I think this is one of the strongest years for movies in a while--though 2007 is pretty legendary too--so to be in the top 25% is still pretty damn good. I'm not really a period-piece guy to begin with, but it was still enjoyable. It goes without saying that Colin Firth was dynamite as King George VI.
So again, I thought The King's Speech was quite good, I just liked 14 movies better than it. And to be honest, everything from #40 on has at least a redeeming quality or two about it.
Forward towards the end...
#12: The Kids Are All Right
When one grows up in uber-liberal Madison, Wisconsin with two parents heavily involved in theater, the concept of a successful lesbian couple is not mind-blowing material. Though, I can't imagine it being all that hard to conceptualize for an audience in the first place.
You'd be surprised though. A few years back, a buddy of mine and I were en route to X-Men III and he jokingly tussled my hair at a stoplight. The woman in the car over launched into this speech about "Oh, I'm so happy to see you guys are partners. I'm from a small town in northern Minnesota and I don't see that up there."
And I'm not saying I'm more qualified to see this movie than anyone else. The point that director Lisa Cholodenko tries to make stick is that this is a family, and just like any other family there are resistant teens, quirky habits and marital problems.
The always-great Annette Bening wears the pants in the relationship as Nic, the bread-winning physician and consummate control freak. Her better half is Jules (Julianne Moore, robbed from an Oscar nod in my opinion), a new-agey stay-at-home who is trying to get her landscaping business off the ground. Then there are the kids, who both share the same sperm donor but were birthed by different mothers. Joni belongs to Nic and Laser belongs to Jules, and the resemblances in demeanor are pretty evident; Joni is an over-achieving A student and Laser a skateboarding aficionado. It's now the summer before Joni heads off to college, and she pulls Laser aside and tells him they should meet their donor. Enter the scruffy, open-button down shirt wearing Mark Ruffalo. He's everything cool and male that they could never have: He owns a hip restaurant, rides a motorcycle and bags beautiful women. He comes over for dinner and they all hit it off, deciding as a family that they want him involved in their lives. Things spiral from there.
This is a really well-written movie that feels legitimate, definitely one of the best screenplays of the year. There are many quotables. Nic goes off the handle about organic trends, saying "If I hear one more person say how much they love heirloom tomatoes, I'm going to punch them in the face." Jules says to her "Take it easy on the wine," to which she replies "Same goes for the micro-managing." I also remember laughing at Annette Bening's delivery on "They wouldn't even write thank you notes if it wasn't for me. If it was up to you they'd just send out good vibes." Every family has their differences, and every family family makes it work, even if it's tough as hell sometimes.
#11: Toy Story 3
In my sleep apnea days (up until this past December) I would occasionally pass out in dark, comfortable movie theaters. Especially if it was the day time. Especially if it was in the summer and the air conditioning was the perfect temperature. Especially after I stuffed my face on the first leg of our field trip at Old Country Buffet.
All of those things led to my missing 20 minutes of Toy Story 3, a key 20 minutes at that. I knew I liked it, but I wanted to make sure I saw it again before the Oscars.
I'm glad I did. Pixar's track record (not counting the woeful Cars) is borderline absurd. Conceptually this film was ingenious- Andy prepares to head off to college and has to figure out what to do with all his toys. I'm not sure if any of us still had a toy chest still lingering in our room at age 18, but I decided to roll with it.
In a mix-up, the gang finds their way off the curb just before they are thrown out and ends up instead in the back of the station wagon, being donated to the Sunnyside Childcare Center. Once the kids leave for recess, the rest of the toys come alive and are abuzz with excitement at the prospect of new toys. They are welcomed by Lotso, a stuffed bear who is the leader of the faction of Sunnyside toys. He welcomes them with open arms and then has them distributed to the Caterpillar room, where they proceed to get beaten to high heaven by the toddlers after they return from recess. They are smashed, rubbed in paint, sat on, drooled on. Abused.
The ever-loyal Woody is convinced the best thing to do is find Andy, and ends up separated from the group, where he ends up on a little adventure of his own. From there, he determines he should rescue his friends from the daycare and Lotso's evil grasp.
The plethora of vocal talents add depth to what is already a great and well-constructed film. The sight gags--particularly when Mr. Potato Head becomes Mr. Tortilla head--are fantastic. This is a franchise that went out with a bang.
#10: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
We all know how much of a commercial juggernaut the Potter franchise is, but will it ever be considered legitimate movie-making? When Cedric Diggory gets clapped by Voldemort in Goblet of Fire the mood of the whole series changes; it becomes decidedly more adult. David Yates, who has directed since Order of the Phoenix, has handled the transition of our characters from bickering adolescents to responsibilty-wielding (and bickering) adults really well.
And that said, I hope that when the eighth movie comes out later this year, the big three of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson get a little more credit for their acting. Not only have we watched them grow up as characters, we've watched their skills progress as well. All of them were real and believable in their roles and they carried the movie on their shoulders with ease. Though, the franchise has always been a who's-who of phenomenoal British actors, and the supporting cast once again does not disappoint.
The Deathly Hallows has to deal with tragedy almost immediately. As far as stories go, it's very much last man standing, and not everyone gets to be so lucky. I was happy that Yates did not hold back in that regard when it came to the adaptation--us Potter fans were a little bummed at the lack of stick-to-the-script in Half-Blood Prince. And because the big three are on the run throughout, there is a lot of sitting around and getting frustrated and gameplanning, but somehow it never feels slow. The effects were great, especially early on when they attempt to disguise seven people as Harry Potter when Ron is forced to destroy the locket that somehow brings his worst fears to life. Even though it was sad, it ended in the perfect spot. It's only going to get better from here.
#9: Animal Kingdom
We begin Animal Kingdom on a couch. 17-year old Josh's mother is sitting calmly next to his mother, who has just OD'd from heroin. He calls his grandmother to let her know hey, I just might be staying with you for a while, and the world slows down as the paramedics burst through the door and try to revive his mother.
Such is the reality for our protagonist, who moves into a house inhabited by a family of criminals. There's his grandmother Janine (Oscar-nominated Jackie Weaver), the terrifyingly tranquil matriarch and her sons, the loose-cannon Craig and surfer-cool Darren. They're pals with local crime boss Barry Brown, who ends up popped pretty early on. And there's a third son too, who goes by "Pope". He's without a doubt the most sociopathic and vicious of the bunch, even though he doesn't live at home with mom any longer. Janine has a habit of pulling her young ones in for full-on kisses on the lips, so sensual that it's incredibly creepy.
Josh witnesses the boys do a pretty terrible thing, and detective Leckie (Guy Pearce) moves in quick to exploit it. With things careening out of control on both fronts, Josh has to choose who to side with. And before he does, all types of mayhem goes down.
This is director David Michod's first feature-length film, and he just nails it. The tension is outrageous and handled perfectly, the use both of sound and silence is very effective, and the performances are outstanding.
***
...I've got a lot of ground to cover between now and 7 PM tomorrow, so stay tuned!!
I got a fair amount of flak for what people considered to be a low charting for The King's Speech at #15.
If you read what I had to say on it, I did like that movie quite a bit. I think this is one of the strongest years for movies in a while--though 2007 is pretty legendary too--so to be in the top 25% is still pretty damn good. I'm not really a period-piece guy to begin with, but it was still enjoyable. It goes without saying that Colin Firth was dynamite as King George VI.
So again, I thought The King's Speech was quite good, I just liked 14 movies better than it. And to be honest, everything from #40 on has at least a redeeming quality or two about it.
Forward towards the end...
#12: The Kids Are All Right
When one grows up in uber-liberal Madison, Wisconsin with two parents heavily involved in theater, the concept of a successful lesbian couple is not mind-blowing material. Though, I can't imagine it being all that hard to conceptualize for an audience in the first place.
You'd be surprised though. A few years back, a buddy of mine and I were en route to X-Men III and he jokingly tussled my hair at a stoplight. The woman in the car over launched into this speech about "Oh, I'm so happy to see you guys are partners. I'm from a small town in northern Minnesota and I don't see that up there."
And I'm not saying I'm more qualified to see this movie than anyone else. The point that director Lisa Cholodenko tries to make stick is that this is a family, and just like any other family there are resistant teens, quirky habits and marital problems.
The always-great Annette Bening wears the pants in the relationship as Nic, the bread-winning physician and consummate control freak. Her better half is Jules (Julianne Moore, robbed from an Oscar nod in my opinion), a new-agey stay-at-home who is trying to get her landscaping business off the ground. Then there are the kids, who both share the same sperm donor but were birthed by different mothers. Joni belongs to Nic and Laser belongs to Jules, and the resemblances in demeanor are pretty evident; Joni is an over-achieving A student and Laser a skateboarding aficionado. It's now the summer before Joni heads off to college, and she pulls Laser aside and tells him they should meet their donor. Enter the scruffy, open-button down shirt wearing Mark Ruffalo. He's everything cool and male that they could never have: He owns a hip restaurant, rides a motorcycle and bags beautiful women. He comes over for dinner and they all hit it off, deciding as a family that they want him involved in their lives. Things spiral from there.
This is a really well-written movie that feels legitimate, definitely one of the best screenplays of the year. There are many quotables. Nic goes off the handle about organic trends, saying "If I hear one more person say how much they love heirloom tomatoes, I'm going to punch them in the face." Jules says to her "Take it easy on the wine," to which she replies "Same goes for the micro-managing." I also remember laughing at Annette Bening's delivery on "They wouldn't even write thank you notes if it wasn't for me. If it was up to you they'd just send out good vibes." Every family has their differences, and every family family makes it work, even if it's tough as hell sometimes.
#11: Toy Story 3
In my sleep apnea days (up until this past December) I would occasionally pass out in dark, comfortable movie theaters. Especially if it was the day time. Especially if it was in the summer and the air conditioning was the perfect temperature. Especially after I stuffed my face on the first leg of our field trip at Old Country Buffet.
All of those things led to my missing 20 minutes of Toy Story 3, a key 20 minutes at that. I knew I liked it, but I wanted to make sure I saw it again before the Oscars.
I'm glad I did. Pixar's track record (not counting the woeful Cars) is borderline absurd. Conceptually this film was ingenious- Andy prepares to head off to college and has to figure out what to do with all his toys. I'm not sure if any of us still had a toy chest still lingering in our room at age 18, but I decided to roll with it.
In a mix-up, the gang finds their way off the curb just before they are thrown out and ends up instead in the back of the station wagon, being donated to the Sunnyside Childcare Center. Once the kids leave for recess, the rest of the toys come alive and are abuzz with excitement at the prospect of new toys. They are welcomed by Lotso, a stuffed bear who is the leader of the faction of Sunnyside toys. He welcomes them with open arms and then has them distributed to the Caterpillar room, where they proceed to get beaten to high heaven by the toddlers after they return from recess. They are smashed, rubbed in paint, sat on, drooled on. Abused.
The ever-loyal Woody is convinced the best thing to do is find Andy, and ends up separated from the group, where he ends up on a little adventure of his own. From there, he determines he should rescue his friends from the daycare and Lotso's evil grasp.
The plethora of vocal talents add depth to what is already a great and well-constructed film. The sight gags--particularly when Mr. Potato Head becomes Mr. Tortilla head--are fantastic. This is a franchise that went out with a bang.
#10: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
We all know how much of a commercial juggernaut the Potter franchise is, but will it ever be considered legitimate movie-making? When Cedric Diggory gets clapped by Voldemort in Goblet of Fire the mood of the whole series changes; it becomes decidedly more adult. David Yates, who has directed since Order of the Phoenix, has handled the transition of our characters from bickering adolescents to responsibilty-wielding (and bickering) adults really well.
And that said, I hope that when the eighth movie comes out later this year, the big three of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson get a little more credit for their acting. Not only have we watched them grow up as characters, we've watched their skills progress as well. All of them were real and believable in their roles and they carried the movie on their shoulders with ease. Though, the franchise has always been a who's-who of phenomenoal British actors, and the supporting cast once again does not disappoint.
The Deathly Hallows has to deal with tragedy almost immediately. As far as stories go, it's very much last man standing, and not everyone gets to be so lucky. I was happy that Yates did not hold back in that regard when it came to the adaptation--us Potter fans were a little bummed at the lack of stick-to-the-script in Half-Blood Prince. And because the big three are on the run throughout, there is a lot of sitting around and getting frustrated and gameplanning, but somehow it never feels slow. The effects were great, especially early on when they attempt to disguise seven people as Harry Potter when Ron is forced to destroy the locket that somehow brings his worst fears to life. Even though it was sad, it ended in the perfect spot. It's only going to get better from here.
#9: Animal Kingdom
We begin Animal Kingdom on a couch. 17-year old Josh's mother is sitting calmly next to his mother, who has just OD'd from heroin. He calls his grandmother to let her know hey, I just might be staying with you for a while, and the world slows down as the paramedics burst through the door and try to revive his mother.
Such is the reality for our protagonist, who moves into a house inhabited by a family of criminals. There's his grandmother Janine (Oscar-nominated Jackie Weaver), the terrifyingly tranquil matriarch and her sons, the loose-cannon Craig and surfer-cool Darren. They're pals with local crime boss Barry Brown, who ends up popped pretty early on. And there's a third son too, who goes by "Pope". He's without a doubt the most sociopathic and vicious of the bunch, even though he doesn't live at home with mom any longer. Janine has a habit of pulling her young ones in for full-on kisses on the lips, so sensual that it's incredibly creepy.
Josh witnesses the boys do a pretty terrible thing, and detective Leckie (Guy Pearce) moves in quick to exploit it. With things careening out of control on both fronts, Josh has to choose who to side with. And before he does, all types of mayhem goes down.
This is director David Michod's first feature-length film, and he just nails it. The tension is outrageous and handled perfectly, the use both of sound and silence is very effective, and the performances are outstanding.
***
...I've got a lot of ground to cover between now and 7 PM tomorrow, so stay tuned!!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
2010 Movies #16-13
ONWARD!
#16 Never Let Me Go
This movie was so sad, I had to create a new adjective: "soul-crushingly depressing".
But it was also just gorgeous. The English countryside is on full display as we follow a trio of children from their early boarding school days until young adulthood. They are Kathy, Ruth and Tommy-- played by Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and future spider man Andrew Garfield, respectively. There's something a little off-kilter about this world, and we come to find out that everyone who attends this seemingly normal but utterly creepy school has a pre-destined future. In this alternate reality Britain, the students from the school find themselves as part of a scientific initiative.
That's all I'll give away. As you watch the trio deal with and accept their fates, they simoltaneously confront their past. A weird love triangle is in effect from the beginning between the restrained Mulligan, the sexual Knightley and the confused and angry Garfield.
It's certainly not the feel-good film of the year, but it's well worth seeing to catch the layered performances from what may currently be the three hottest British actors under 30. The cinematography is outstanding, and the script based on Kazuo Ishiguro's bestselling novel (which I hear is twice as sad) by is very engaging, even if it does kind of crush your soul.
#15 The King's Speech
Look, anyone who tells you this movie is not Oscar bait is spewing untruths. Both Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush had made this claim, that they "had no idea why" people would want to see a movie about the friendship between two middle-aged men. Well, when one of them is royalty, all of the history buffs come running, and when the buzz about Firth's brave portrayal of King George VI hit the papers, there was no stopping the Oscar-steam train.
I'm kind of reminded of ESPN talk show host Colin Cowherd and his comments on Aaron Rodgers. "I'm not saying Rodgers isn't great," he'll say. "I'm just saying he's not elite yet. He's not a Big Ben, he's not a Rivers, he's not a Tom Brady." Two things should be noted here: 1) Cowherd has the biggest man-crush in the world on Tom Brady, and 2) Since those comments, Rodgers does have a ring and one of the best all-time Super Bowl performances. That's kind of how I feel with the King's Speech--it's good, it's really good--but it's not in my top bunch this year. I'm sure that when it takes home best picture in less than 1 week (which I'm almost sure it will), I'll be feeling a little like Cowherd must have after the Super Bowl.
Yeah, it's exactly the type of movie Oscar goes for. Guy/Gal works at overcoming a problem or disability (see My Left Foot, Rain Man, A Beautiful Mind, Ray )and does so in an emotional and powerful way. The first thing I'll say is that Colin Firth did probably give the best male performance of the year, and the second thing I'll say is that I'm not anti-beat the odds by any means. It's just that it is definitely the kind of thing that all of the academy voters--young and especially old--can find common ground on.
Beyond Firth's show-stopping, there were other things I liked about the film. Geoffrey Rush was of course great in the role of the "you can do this" mentor, speech therapist Lionel Logue. His unorthodox nature made for a great story, and the way George VI finally started to let his guard down little by little (after starting as a completely pompous prick). The way it was shot was pretty unusual and I liked it--almost entirely in wide-angle lens. It's not meant to be flattering, and Firth knows this. Instead of running away, he uses it to his advantage, perhaps itself acting as a lens to how strange and alien he felt within his world.
I enjoyed all the historical aspects; before this movie I had never known that there was a British King who stuttered. Historically it felt very accurate, from the mise-en-scene to the costumes. It dragged a little bit, particularly in the scenes with his "usurping" brother.
All that it being ranked #15 means is that it has been a very strong year for movies. I find it a little overrated and more than a little Oscar-ish, but it's still very much worth seeing, even if it's just to see Firth completely lose himself in the role.
#14 Winter's Bone
This movie was dubbed a "backwoods-noir".
I wonder in the history of the world up until this point a film has ever been refered to as a "backwoods-noir.
I was extremely surprised to see this dark, quiet film make its way from Indie darling to best picture contender. To be fair—it’s really, really well done, but I didn’t think that anyone besides my mother and I actually saw it. We saw it in an empty Minneapolis theater; maybe five other people there.
A lot of the strength of this backwoods-noir (catchy, right?) lies in its two Oscar-nominated actors, Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes. They’re superb. Jennifer Lawrence was a relative unknown and at only 20, is poised for a lengthy career. John Hawkes is mostly a TV guy—Kenny Powers’ pushover brother in Eastbound and Down, and in Lost as a bit character in the last season. Before that, I really enjoyed him in Me, You and Everyone You Know as a hapless but sincere shoe-salesman romantic lead.
Jennifer Lawrence is Ree, and she's doing everything she can to keep her family's scraping existence from going kaput. She cooks, cleans, takes care of her siblings and her drugged-out mother, and shoots squirrels for dinner. All that has to take a backseat when people--police in particular--start asking questions about her father. See, he's been missing for weeks, and unless he comes back to sign the house deed and kick a little money into the property, they're cast out into the Ozarks.
Armed with a flashlight, a flannel and a pissed-off face, she goes out to bring him home. It's pretty obvious early on that nobody wants her to, nobody wants her snooping around. Including her uncle Teardrop (Hawkes), who wants to hide the truth away so bad that he slaps her at one point. Her father has been putting food on the table until this point by dealing with some pretty unsavory characters, and one by one they begin to show up to obstruct her ultimate goal.
The movie definitely has an aesthetic throughout--Dark, gray, dreary and cold. The scenes leading up to the final moments are eerie, and the resolution itself feels like a punch in the stomach. As Ree pushes her way through moonlit landscapes, her breath visible the whole time, you want her to succeed. But maybe-just maybe-we don't want her to know the whole truth. Jennifer Lawrence belongs in the same class as her four opponents, and she will for years to come.
#13 How to Train Your Dragon
Last week, when I was teaching the kindergartners all about the letter V, I decided to try and explain what a Viking was.
Tennyson: Excuse me, but isn’t it like a football player?
Me: Here in this state, yes. The Minnesota Vikings are the team mascot. Do you guys know what “mascot” means?
(They didn’t)
Me: Okay. How about warrior, or explorer? Do you know what either of those things are? An explorer is someone who explores land, someone who tries to find land first. Does that make sense? A Viking is an explorer—way before you and me, they built ships and went around the world, looking for new land.
Harry: You know how they have big ships? Some of them have swords on the top of their sails.
Me: Yes. Very good, guys. How many of you guys, then, have seen How to Train Your Dragon?
Everyone: OOOOHHH! MEEE!
Eli: You know how when Hiccup tries—he doesn’t have a sword. He just takes the wood and then he does the shield when he’s trying to get the dragon away and then his dad—
Me: Good, Eli. Next?
I should have known. What Eli was doing his best to re-hash (not a bad job either) was a painfully cute movie. I saw it in 3-D (my girl saw it twice) and the animation lends itself particularly well to the adaptation. I mean, you’re going to be more than all right if you have the plethora of flying objects that this one does.
Jay Baruchel voices Hiccup, the skinny, whiny, reluctant Viking. I tried as best to err on the side of the big guys with beards as an example. His father wants him to grow up to be the muslebound juicehead that he is, and Hiccup is not interested. He’s a peaceful kid in a society of testosterone.
One night, after dragons have raided the village and absconded with a gang of sheep, Hiccup does the unthinkable: he tries to take down the elusive Nightmare, a lightning-spitting badass who no one has been lucky enough to capture. His catapult connects and the beast goes down. In the morning, he tries to go find it and encounters him in the woods, looking peaked. When he goes to touch him, the Nightmare rears up and screams before flying off. From there on, it’s Hiccup’s mission to prove to everyone that he snagged a Nightmare.
They become fast friends after Hiccup supplies him with a bucket of fish. Seeing that he’s missing some chompers, Hiccup names him “Toothless”, and the name sticks. They begin to hang out more as Hiccup secretly nurses Toothless back to full strength. Meanwhile, he’s in dragon-fighting school and performing at the top without so much as touching the dragons; he’d rather slip them some of that contraband lutefisk. Around the dragons, he’s a Nordic Gandhi.
After all this transpires he begins to win the respect of the village. The problem is, he can’t hold out a whole lot longer without exposing his new pal.
Funny, heartfelt, and visually amazing, How to T Yr D does not disappoint. Toothless and Hiccup are an unlikely but workable duo, as Hiccup helps him transform from angry beast to cat-like dragon.
#16 Never Let Me Go
This movie was so sad, I had to create a new adjective: "soul-crushingly depressing".
But it was also just gorgeous. The English countryside is on full display as we follow a trio of children from their early boarding school days until young adulthood. They are Kathy, Ruth and Tommy-- played by Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and future spider man Andrew Garfield, respectively. There's something a little off-kilter about this world, and we come to find out that everyone who attends this seemingly normal but utterly creepy school has a pre-destined future. In this alternate reality Britain, the students from the school find themselves as part of a scientific initiative.
That's all I'll give away. As you watch the trio deal with and accept their fates, they simoltaneously confront their past. A weird love triangle is in effect from the beginning between the restrained Mulligan, the sexual Knightley and the confused and angry Garfield.
It's certainly not the feel-good film of the year, but it's well worth seeing to catch the layered performances from what may currently be the three hottest British actors under 30. The cinematography is outstanding, and the script based on Kazuo Ishiguro's bestselling novel (which I hear is twice as sad) by is very engaging, even if it does kind of crush your soul.
#15 The King's Speech
Look, anyone who tells you this movie is not Oscar bait is spewing untruths. Both Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush had made this claim, that they "had no idea why" people would want to see a movie about the friendship between two middle-aged men. Well, when one of them is royalty, all of the history buffs come running, and when the buzz about Firth's brave portrayal of King George VI hit the papers, there was no stopping the Oscar-steam train.
I'm kind of reminded of ESPN talk show host Colin Cowherd and his comments on Aaron Rodgers. "I'm not saying Rodgers isn't great," he'll say. "I'm just saying he's not elite yet. He's not a Big Ben, he's not a Rivers, he's not a Tom Brady." Two things should be noted here: 1) Cowherd has the biggest man-crush in the world on Tom Brady, and 2) Since those comments, Rodgers does have a ring and one of the best all-time Super Bowl performances. That's kind of how I feel with the King's Speech--it's good, it's really good--but it's not in my top bunch this year. I'm sure that when it takes home best picture in less than 1 week (which I'm almost sure it will), I'll be feeling a little like Cowherd must have after the Super Bowl.
Yeah, it's exactly the type of movie Oscar goes for. Guy/Gal works at overcoming a problem or disability (see My Left Foot, Rain Man, A Beautiful Mind, Ray )and does so in an emotional and powerful way. The first thing I'll say is that Colin Firth did probably give the best male performance of the year, and the second thing I'll say is that I'm not anti-beat the odds by any means. It's just that it is definitely the kind of thing that all of the academy voters--young and especially old--can find common ground on.
Beyond Firth's show-stopping, there were other things I liked about the film. Geoffrey Rush was of course great in the role of the "you can do this" mentor, speech therapist Lionel Logue. His unorthodox nature made for a great story, and the way George VI finally started to let his guard down little by little (after starting as a completely pompous prick). The way it was shot was pretty unusual and I liked it--almost entirely in wide-angle lens. It's not meant to be flattering, and Firth knows this. Instead of running away, he uses it to his advantage, perhaps itself acting as a lens to how strange and alien he felt within his world.
I enjoyed all the historical aspects; before this movie I had never known that there was a British King who stuttered. Historically it felt very accurate, from the mise-en-scene to the costumes. It dragged a little bit, particularly in the scenes with his "usurping" brother.
All that it being ranked #15 means is that it has been a very strong year for movies. I find it a little overrated and more than a little Oscar-ish, but it's still very much worth seeing, even if it's just to see Firth completely lose himself in the role.
#14 Winter's Bone
This movie was dubbed a "backwoods-noir".
I wonder in the history of the world up until this point a film has ever been refered to as a "backwoods-noir.
I was extremely surprised to see this dark, quiet film make its way from Indie darling to best picture contender. To be fair—it’s really, really well done, but I didn’t think that anyone besides my mother and I actually saw it. We saw it in an empty Minneapolis theater; maybe five other people there.
A lot of the strength of this backwoods-noir (catchy, right?) lies in its two Oscar-nominated actors, Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes. They’re superb. Jennifer Lawrence was a relative unknown and at only 20, is poised for a lengthy career. John Hawkes is mostly a TV guy—Kenny Powers’ pushover brother in Eastbound and Down, and in Lost as a bit character in the last season. Before that, I really enjoyed him in Me, You and Everyone You Know as a hapless but sincere shoe-salesman romantic lead.
Jennifer Lawrence is Ree, and she's doing everything she can to keep her family's scraping existence from going kaput. She cooks, cleans, takes care of her siblings and her drugged-out mother, and shoots squirrels for dinner. All that has to take a backseat when people--police in particular--start asking questions about her father. See, he's been missing for weeks, and unless he comes back to sign the house deed and kick a little money into the property, they're cast out into the Ozarks.
Armed with a flashlight, a flannel and a pissed-off face, she goes out to bring him home. It's pretty obvious early on that nobody wants her to, nobody wants her snooping around. Including her uncle Teardrop (Hawkes), who wants to hide the truth away so bad that he slaps her at one point. Her father has been putting food on the table until this point by dealing with some pretty unsavory characters, and one by one they begin to show up to obstruct her ultimate goal.
The movie definitely has an aesthetic throughout--Dark, gray, dreary and cold. The scenes leading up to the final moments are eerie, and the resolution itself feels like a punch in the stomach. As Ree pushes her way through moonlit landscapes, her breath visible the whole time, you want her to succeed. But maybe-just maybe-we don't want her to know the whole truth. Jennifer Lawrence belongs in the same class as her four opponents, and she will for years to come.
#13 How to Train Your Dragon
Last week, when I was teaching the kindergartners all about the letter V, I decided to try and explain what a Viking was.
Tennyson: Excuse me, but isn’t it like a football player?
Me: Here in this state, yes. The Minnesota Vikings are the team mascot. Do you guys know what “mascot” means?
(They didn’t)
Me: Okay. How about warrior, or explorer? Do you know what either of those things are? An explorer is someone who explores land, someone who tries to find land first. Does that make sense? A Viking is an explorer—way before you and me, they built ships and went around the world, looking for new land.
Harry: You know how they have big ships? Some of them have swords on the top of their sails.
Me: Yes. Very good, guys. How many of you guys, then, have seen How to Train Your Dragon?
Everyone: OOOOHHH! MEEE!
Eli: You know how when Hiccup tries—he doesn’t have a sword. He just takes the wood and then he does the shield when he’s trying to get the dragon away and then his dad—
Me: Good, Eli. Next?
I should have known. What Eli was doing his best to re-hash (not a bad job either) was a painfully cute movie. I saw it in 3-D (my girl saw it twice) and the animation lends itself particularly well to the adaptation. I mean, you’re going to be more than all right if you have the plethora of flying objects that this one does.
Jay Baruchel voices Hiccup, the skinny, whiny, reluctant Viking. I tried as best to err on the side of the big guys with beards as an example. His father wants him to grow up to be the muslebound juicehead that he is, and Hiccup is not interested. He’s a peaceful kid in a society of testosterone.
One night, after dragons have raided the village and absconded with a gang of sheep, Hiccup does the unthinkable: he tries to take down the elusive Nightmare, a lightning-spitting badass who no one has been lucky enough to capture. His catapult connects and the beast goes down. In the morning, he tries to go find it and encounters him in the woods, looking peaked. When he goes to touch him, the Nightmare rears up and screams before flying off. From there on, it’s Hiccup’s mission to prove to everyone that he snagged a Nightmare.
They become fast friends after Hiccup supplies him with a bucket of fish. Seeing that he’s missing some chompers, Hiccup names him “Toothless”, and the name sticks. They begin to hang out more as Hiccup secretly nurses Toothless back to full strength. Meanwhile, he’s in dragon-fighting school and performing at the top without so much as touching the dragons; he’d rather slip them some of that contraband lutefisk. Around the dragons, he’s a Nordic Gandhi.
After all this transpires he begins to win the respect of the village. The problem is, he can’t hold out a whole lot longer without exposing his new pal.
Funny, heartfelt, and visually amazing, How to T Yr D does not disappoint. Toothless and Hiccup are an unlikely but workable duo, as Hiccup helps him transform from angry beast to cat-like dragon.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
2010 Movies: #20-17
A special thanks to everyone still fighting for our rights in Madison--whether it be getting the word out on facebook, protesting at the capitol or signing petitions. You're all incredible, and I wish I could be there to stand alongside you. Maybe after I get my car fixed. Until then, I will continue to order you pizza from afar.
Onto the countdown.
#20 Youth in Revolt
I got used to sweet, innocent Michael Cera speaking a little blue in Superbad, essentially playing George-Michael from Arrested Development, but with the newfound ability to use curse words. Like I mentioned in my review of Scott Pilgrim, Michael Cera is a bit typecast as far as his geekdom is concerned. Thus, when Cera began to blow vehicles up and have sex in this film, it was a refreshing surprise.
Onto the countdown.
#20 Youth in Revolt
I got used to sweet, innocent Michael Cera speaking a little blue in Superbad, essentially playing George-Michael from Arrested Development, but with the newfound ability to use curse words. Like I mentioned in my review of Scott Pilgrim, Michael Cera is a bit typecast as far as his geekdom is concerned. Thus, when Cera began to blow vehicles up and have sex in this film, it was a refreshing surprise.
He plays Nick Twisp, a loser who lives with his loser mom (journeywoman Jean Smart), her loser lover (Zach Galifinakis) and their loser plans. When they go on a trip to “the cabin” (a trailer), he meets the girl of his dreams, a blonde named Sheeni Saunders (Mr. Sunshine’s Portia Doubleday). They become inseparable and adopt a dog, both of which are much to the chagrin of Sheeni’s bible-thumping family. When Nick and the family head back to the city, he hatches a plan along with his new swearing, cursing, mustachioed alter-ego to get back to Sheeni. Soon the two Ceras commit a string of misdemeanors and he gets sent to live with his father (Steve Buscemi), conveniently down the road from the Saunders residence. But with her parents throwing the holy book at her and threatening to send her to boarding school, can he find a way to prove himself?
You’ll have to watch and see. Director Miguel Artega is a master of the quirky; with Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl in the rearview and now Cedar Rapids quickly picking up steam, he’s one to watch for in the future. The dialogue—especially between Cera and Doubleday—is awesome and mock-chivalrous, and the film always keeps you entertained. Michael Cera, you dog you—didn’t think you had it in ya!
#19 Buried
I kind of wonder how Ryan Reynold's agent pitched this one to him: "Okay, so apparently you're going to be acting by yourself the entire time, and you'll be spending the entirety of the film in a coffin. Sound good?"
Whatever possessed Reynolds to agree to the film, I'm very glad he did because he does an outstanding job. The difference between this and 127 Hours is that Reynolds is entirely alone, which in a way is even more impressive (though Franco absolutely killed it).
Buried is modern-day Hitchcock from the very get-go, with the opening credits all but ripping off Vertigo with its fanfare-d score and twisting graphics; However, I really enjoyed the opening credits, no matter how much homage was paid to the Master. The first two minutes of the film are spent in total darkness--the viewer just hears labored and sporadic breathing and small cries of "help". Until a zippo lighter flickers on and we're face to face with Paul Conroy, a contracted trucker who, at the last he can remember, was driving cargo around Iraq. And now, he's by himself in a small wooden coffin.
The 90 minutes we spend with Paul Conroy are incredibly tense. Armed with a lighter and a video-cell phone left by his captors, he must try his best to recall everything that happened to him as he tries to figure out who put him down there--and why. He calls America, trying to find his wife. He calls his company, trying to get them to assist. He calls his government, praying they'll do something, anything. And he receives calls too, from who would be the person who put him there. And oh yeah, he's running out of air and dealing with sand seeping through in tiny intervals.
If you're a very claustrophobic person or you are deathly afraid of snakes (two of my very best friends in the world are) then this may not be the movie for you. But if you want to see Reynolds in perhaps a career-defining performance, or you want to see a one of the most innovative films of the year in which there is one character on screen the whole time and flabbergasting twists and turns leading up to the final moments, then rent this one. I thought it just ruled.
#18 True Grit#19 Buried
I kind of wonder how Ryan Reynold's agent pitched this one to him: "Okay, so apparently you're going to be acting by yourself the entire time, and you'll be spending the entirety of the film in a coffin. Sound good?"
Whatever possessed Reynolds to agree to the film, I'm very glad he did because he does an outstanding job. The difference between this and 127 Hours is that Reynolds is entirely alone, which in a way is even more impressive (though Franco absolutely killed it).
Buried is modern-day Hitchcock from the very get-go, with the opening credits all but ripping off Vertigo with its fanfare-d score and twisting graphics; However, I really enjoyed the opening credits, no matter how much homage was paid to the Master. The first two minutes of the film are spent in total darkness--the viewer just hears labored and sporadic breathing and small cries of "help". Until a zippo lighter flickers on and we're face to face with Paul Conroy, a contracted trucker who, at the last he can remember, was driving cargo around Iraq. And now, he's by himself in a small wooden coffin.
The 90 minutes we spend with Paul Conroy are incredibly tense. Armed with a lighter and a video-cell phone left by his captors, he must try his best to recall everything that happened to him as he tries to figure out who put him down there--and why. He calls America, trying to find his wife. He calls his company, trying to get them to assist. He calls his government, praying they'll do something, anything. And he receives calls too, from who would be the person who put him there. And oh yeah, he's running out of air and dealing with sand seeping through in tiny intervals.
If you're a very claustrophobic person or you are deathly afraid of snakes (two of my very best friends in the world are) then this may not be the movie for you. But if you want to see Reynolds in perhaps a career-defining performance, or you want to see a one of the most innovative films of the year in which there is one character on screen the whole time and flabbergasting twists and turns leading up to the final moments, then rent this one. I thought it just ruled.
I’ve been telling people lately how I wish I hadn’t been a punk teenager when my grandfather John passed away. I was in early high school, part of that inevitable stage in life where you feel way too important to spend time with your family. I was halfway through sophomore year when he died. I did of course miss him dearly, and still do, but I also feel like I would have a lot more in common with him these days. I drink bourbon on the rocks, just like he used to. I could talk to him about the old Milwaukee Braves teams that he grew up with. And I could sit down and watch a John Wayne western with him, because all that stuff interests me now.
I really can’t say what Grandpa John would have thought about the Coen brothers re-make.
I know that as a fan of westerns, he probably would have had a favorable reaction. Paired once again with their longtime cinematographer Roger Deakins, the Coens turn the stark landscapes into a character.
Newcomer Hailie Steinfeld (impressive, by the way) is looking to hunt down the man who shot her father down. She enlists the help of washed-up ranger Rooster Cogburn. Having not seen the original, I'm not sure how John Wayne plays it, but Bridges' Cogburn is a drunken cartoon character, a past-his-prime Yosemite Sam. This is oft pointed out by Matt Damon's character, who wears a mustache and spurs better than one might expect. The Bridges act is entertaining, but sometimes you're left feeling a little empty in the dramatic portions because he is hard to take seriously.
The movie looks awesome and is wholly entertaining. The shootouts are done well and the class is there. But when they finally find the hooligan, it doesn't feel the least bit climactic, nor really does the resolution. The Coen brothers, because of their deservedly elite status, will always have impossibly high expectations to live up to. That said, I enjoyed True Grit. It was good, just more middle of the pack Coens than, say, No Country or Miller's Crossing. Very much worth seeing-you know the Co Bros will always feel right at home in the West.
I know that as a fan of westerns, he probably would have had a favorable reaction. Paired once again with their longtime cinematographer Roger Deakins, the Coens turn the stark landscapes into a character.
Newcomer Hailie Steinfeld (impressive, by the way) is looking to hunt down the man who shot her father down. She enlists the help of washed-up ranger Rooster Cogburn. Having not seen the original, I'm not sure how John Wayne plays it, but Bridges' Cogburn is a drunken cartoon character, a past-his-prime Yosemite Sam. This is oft pointed out by Matt Damon's character, who wears a mustache and spurs better than one might expect. The Bridges act is entertaining, but sometimes you're left feeling a little empty in the dramatic portions because he is hard to take seriously.
The movie looks awesome and is wholly entertaining. The shootouts are done well and the class is there. But when they finally find the hooligan, it doesn't feel the least bit climactic, nor really does the resolution. The Coen brothers, because of their deservedly elite status, will always have impossibly high expectations to live up to. That said, I enjoyed True Grit. It was good, just more middle of the pack Coens than, say, No Country or Miller's Crossing. Very much worth seeing-you know the Co Bros will always feel right at home in the West.
#17 The Ghost Writer
In the US courts, Roman Polanski was found to be one of the biggest dirtbags of all time. I won't say a whole lot more beyond that it was on account of sexual defiance. But as it turns out, he can still direct the hell outta a film. Amid a slew of controversy, the exiled Polanski re-created the Martha's Vineyard setting of the film in Germany, simply by using a few American automobiles, shooting in a neighborhood that felt decidedly Massachusetts, and throwing up some American flags. He oversaw the final edits of the film from a Belgian prison cell. Long story short, nothing would stop him from getting this movie made.
Good thing, too. Ewan McGregor stars as "the ghost" (his character's nameless), a journalist hired on to edit and write ex-prime Minister Adam Lang's memoirs, played with complex steeliness by Pierce Brosnan. It turns out the job is not quite as easy as McGregor thought it would be. While staying at his oceanside headquarters, he unwittingly starts a relationship with Lang's wife (Olivia Williams), for starters. Then, as he gets deeper into writings and government documents, he comes across all sorts of information he's not supposed to know about. He goes off on his own to investigate certain happenings, and it doesn't take a genius to know its not going to end well for him from there.
This film was very moody, and I loved that about it. All of the scenes in "Martha's Vineyard" were windy and gray, incredibly ominous. The final shot of the movie is insane, and it will stick with you. It's a good thriller in that it keeps you guessing and you, like ghostie, never know who to trust. You're one of the all-time pricks, Polanski, but you sure do make a good movie.
2010 Movies: #23-21
What's the worst date you've ever been on?
I know mine. The year was '99, and I was a high school senior. We went to Madison's Eastgate Cinema and saw the Usher Raymond-captained Light it Up, in which he and some comrades including Rosario Dawson and Onyx's Fredro Starr take a school under siege. I just read on imdb that it was called High School Jack in Japan.
I think we may have held hands at one point. I remember the movie being pretty bad, and I have no idea why it was that one that was decided upon. The last thirty minutes of the movie, I was starving, and trying to contain my gurgling stomach. I asked if she wanted to get some food on the way home. She said she wasn't hungry, but it'd be fine if we stopped. Being relatively out of money following the film, my options were more or less the fast-food gauntlet on East Washington Ave. I chose Taco Bell.
I didn't want to look like a glutton; rather, I didn't want to make a bad impression by pulling out my usual 3-4 item order that I would get late nights on weekends with the boys. So I got a chili-cheese burrito and I purchased her some cinammon twists that she picked at while I tried to eat as civilized as I could for it being the eatery at a local Taco Bell.
No such luck on the civilty thing--I took too big of a bite and liquid-hot chili and cheese exploded out of the back of the burrito, landing on my hand and my shirt. My date was very friendly and cordial, willing to help with the clean-up and all that. I waved her off with a "that's okay, it's not necessary." But as I ducked into the bathroom for a brown paper towel and water clean-up session, I knew it was basically over. We never went on another date, and she ended up in a long-term relationship with a good buddy of mine not too long after that. Maybe it was the choice of movie, maybe it was the choice of the cuisine. Either way, I blew it. Clearly, I was quite the charmer in high school.
And now, the three BEST date films of the 2010 year.
#23 Date Night
No matter how bad the burrito incident date was, I can't imagine it or any date being worse than the one embarked upon in Date Night. Fey and Carell are Claire and Phil Foster, a suburban mom and dad that are too exhausted to make time for dates. Phil wants to change that, so he tries to take her to trendy NYC joint Claw. They're packed to the gills and scolded for not making a reservation first. So he does something out of character--he takes another couple's; they become the "Trippelhorns". Little do they know, the Tripplehorns are in just a little bit of trouble with a corrupt D.A. for stealing information on a flash-drive, which Claire refers to as a "computer-sticky-thing".
Hilarity ensues as the Fosters fight for their lives and attempt to track down the Tripplehorns (Franco and Kulis, using aliases). Their wild chase takes them through Central Park, puts them a flashy sports car, sinks them in a harbor and eventually into a rather ridiculous adult club. Their chemistry is of course great, maybe at its best in there moments of cute sincerity. A good trick that they do a couple of times is have discussions in the voices of other couples they see out at dinners.
It was only a matter of time for the two of them to work together. When I read that theThursday night juggernauts were teaming up on Date Night, my first reaction was "Why did it take so long?" Clearly, a lot of other people thought the same thing, because this movie features everybody. Leighton Meester is their babysitter, Mark Ruffalo and Kristin Wiig are friends whose relationship is rocky, It-girl Olivia Munn is a bitchy hostess, James Franco and Mila Kunis are low-level thugs, Common and It's Always Sunny's Jimmi Simpson are "cops", Taraji P Henson is a by-the-books detective, Curb Your Enthusiasm's J.B. Smoove is a cab driver, and Mark Wahlberg is a millionaire playboy that helps them along the way. Quite a supporting cast, no?
#22 Going the Distance
Guy-meets-girl and girl moves out of town (or vice-versa). This format is of course not new, but in Going the Distance it's pulled off in a really great and engaging way. A lot of it has to do with the script--it was penned by newcomer Geoff LaTulippe--which feels very real and is a lot of times outrageously funny. The other thing is that for as good as Drew Barrymore and Justin Long are, the supporting cast one-ups them at each chance, that being Long's pals Jason Sudekis and Charlie Day (the latter is his roommate) and Barrymore's sister and brother-in-law, played by Christina Applegate and Jim Gaffigan.
Barrymore is Erin and Long is Garrett. They meet at a bar, plugging quarters into Centipede. They hook up, but he comes to find out she is only in town for the summer as a journalist intern at a New York paper; she's back to San Francisco at the end of the summer. She shocks him with cool-girl wit and good taste in music. He makes her laugh. So of course when it comes time for summer to be over, it's not an easy break. It never is. But because of the whirlwind nature, they decide to give it a go, which is of course super complex and exhausting. Going the Distance is much more vulgar than you would expect, but here it works because both the relationship and the dialogue come across (with a couple of exceptions) as pretty realistic. Granted, I didn't have too many expectations for this one to begin with, but whatever ones there were got blown out of the water.
#21 Easy A
The clever double-entendre' employed by Easy A ("this class is an 'easy A'" and "this girl is an easy piece of A") works well in this modern day teenage comedy re-telling of The Scarlet Letter. This is Emma Stone's first leading role, and she carries it well as Olive, the girl at the epicenter of the gossip column. She creates a lie about losing her virginity--a funny scene in which she and a friend make animal noises and jump up and down on a bed at a party--and suddenly, everyone wants a piece.
Maybe that's not a bad thing, Olive thinks to herself. She turns her newfound "slutiness" into a profit-making machine, asking anywhere from 20 to a hundred bucks just to say she hooked up with high-school losers. She wears an "A" sewn onto her scandalous tops in homage to the scarlet letter, a move that her teacher (Thomas Haden Church, great as always) and her counselor (Lisa Kudrow) consider to be a little bit misguided. It's all working for now, but when will her scheme catch up with her?
The script of this movie is fresh if not a little farfetched--her family, with Patricia Clarkson and a dynamite Stanley Tucci as her parents, basically talk to her like she's an adult and let her get away with just about whatever she wants as long as it's what she wants. Amanda Bynes leads a crew of hardcore Christians that pray for her and simoltaneously look to take her down, staging protests and the like. And Penn Badgely is Woodchuck Todd, the school mascot, maybe the only one in the whole bunch that really gets her, and their relationship develops nicely. Really enjoyed this one.
Back later with the top 20, or essentially, the 10 oscar nominated films and 10 other ones mixed in...
Friday, February 18, 2011
2010 Movies: #25 & #24
#25 Cyrus
"Come on, man--you really just popped a wine cork into an urn of cremated ashes?"
"Don't tell me that fire is spreading and that--oh, yep, that ingrate just burned down the altar that Owen Wilson spent several days creating in his woodshop. Nice job, idiot."
-Are a couple of the things that ran through my head the first time I saw Meet the Parents. That, to me, is still probably the most uncomfortable piece of cinema I've ever seen. I get the whole idea, all right? Deniro is a psycho, and it's always a nerve-wracking experience to meet your in-laws, but much more so if you're a male nurse who carries out several ill-advised schemes at your fiancee's childhood home.
I mention Meet the Parents because Cyrus is also cringe-worthy and painfully awkward at times. The difference is, the mayhem stops when it's supposed to.
Cyrus follows John (John C. Reilly), a lovable loser who still gets unannounced pop-ins from his ex-wife (Catherine Keener). When she invites him to a party in an attempt to get him out of his recent, largely-caused-by-her-so-easily-moving-on funk, he gets hammered and completely bombs at talking to women. Until, while outside pissing in a bush, he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei). They bond over the lyrics to The Human Leagues "Don't You Want Me" (he belts it out to the party through a beer-bottle microphone), and take each other home. In the morning, she tries for the quick getaway. After what seems to be an okay resolution, she doesn't return his calls. It's not looking good for John, but it's not because she doesn't like him; it's because of her inappropriately close relationship with her 21-year old son, the titular man-child played by Jonah Hill.
He plays it cool at first. A few minutes after they meet, Cyrus plays John one of his electronica songs he has been working on, which is funny in and of itself, but hysterical because of the way he stares blankly at and thrusts slightly towards John. Eventually the jealous nutjob in Cyrus comes out, manifesting itself in things like shrieking "night terrors" when John spends the night. In the fight for Molly's love (Cyrus considers them close enough to not call her mom), Cyrus fights dirty as hell, and it of course brings out the meathead in John. Their interactions and threats to one another are great, and in fact, the whole cast is fun to watch. But no one is as talented and expressive as John C. Reilly. He's one of my current favorite actors because he's seamless in combining comedic and dramatic. I think he should have at the very least been in the discussion for an actor prize or two--he really seemed to get the vulnerability of his character. If you can stomach some awkward moments, it's worth seeing for Reilly at the top of his game.
#24 Despicable Me
In lieu of what's happening in my home town of Madison, Wisconsin, I think the best way to approach this write-up is to draw comparisons between Gru, the Steve Carell-voiced protagonist bent on taking over the world, and our new Governor, Scott Walker, whose recent actions can really only be described in one way: Despicable.
GRU WALKER
Hometown: Unknown Delavan, Wisconsin
Political Aspirations: World Domination Mass Evacuation of WI Residents
Campaign Contributors: Bank of Evil (Formerly Lehman Bros) Wal-Mart, US Oil Co. (not kidding)
Inventions/Weapons: Shrink Ray (for use on moon) Anti-Union Rhetoric
Job Title of Staff: Minions Minions
Achilles Heel: Love for Foster Daughters Little Debbie Zebra Cakes*
*As of press time, this fact was not fully confirmed
I don't want to get too deep into this; there's nothing I will say that hasn't already been said by tens of thousands of Wisconsites. I will say, however, there are many members of my family and friends that will be and HAVE BEEN directly affected by this looming legislation. People are very unhappy. My father will lose 10% or more of his teacher's salary. My step-parents are both State employees. My siblings haven't been able to go to school because their teachers aren't there. The city's best nurses (all unionized) are threatening to leave town if these laws are passed. I don't need to be scathing. I don't need to sling mud, or re-hash the obvious problems. Just for all of their sakes, all of the Madisonians and Milwaukeeans and the rest of the state residents, I hope Scott Walker really re-thinks what he's planning to do.
And now, onto Despicable Me.
The voice of Carrel's Gru in the film drove me insane for the first five minutes or so; it was as if he was trying to pull off Schwarzenegger without the muscle. But he settled into it, and from there I started to enjoy myself. Gru tries to secure a loan so that he can finance an operation to steal the moon. He's rejected, and from there he and his minions steal a shrink ray from a secret lab. But his arch-nemesis, the younger, more savvy Vector (voiced by Jason Segel), intercepts the plot, takes the ray, and shrinks his ship. Bummer.
He needs to get into Vector's lair and get his shrink ray back. He tries numerous hair-brained ideas with funny results--no luck. Finally he gets an idea. He and his assistant Nefario (Russell Brand) hatch a plan to sell Vector some girl scout cookies, only the cookie boxes will actually be robots. So now he needs the girl scouts. He goes to an orphanage, procures the girls and the outrageousness begins.
Gru's transformation from fiend to surrogate father is a slow and often funny one. At one point, he is trying to deliver one of those classic big-screen villain messages to his enemies, and the girls are jumping around asking for stuffed crust pizza, and he yells "I'll stuff YOU in the crust!". That one really got me. That and his minions, who are hundreds upon hundreds of yellow creatures (some with one eye, some with two) in overalls and goggles. They are the physical comedy of the film and they are hysterical to hear talk, some sort of hybrid between Fraggle Rock creatures and the Pillsbury Dough-Boy. Carell does a good job of executing Gru's character arc, and Jason Segel is a fun and aloof antagonist. The animation is good, the concept is original, and it's pretty damn funny.
Now if only we can get Governor Walker moving towards a change of heart...
I'm off on a mini-vacation to Duluth. Back to writing by Monday--a President's Day special!
Stand strong, Wisco. My thoughts are with you.
"Come on, man--you really just popped a wine cork into an urn of cremated ashes?"
"Don't tell me that fire is spreading and that--oh, yep, that ingrate just burned down the altar that Owen Wilson spent several days creating in his woodshop. Nice job, idiot."
-Are a couple of the things that ran through my head the first time I saw Meet the Parents. That, to me, is still probably the most uncomfortable piece of cinema I've ever seen. I get the whole idea, all right? Deniro is a psycho, and it's always a nerve-wracking experience to meet your in-laws, but much more so if you're a male nurse who carries out several ill-advised schemes at your fiancee's childhood home.
I mention Meet the Parents because Cyrus is also cringe-worthy and painfully awkward at times. The difference is, the mayhem stops when it's supposed to.
Cyrus follows John (John C. Reilly), a lovable loser who still gets unannounced pop-ins from his ex-wife (Catherine Keener). When she invites him to a party in an attempt to get him out of his recent, largely-caused-by-her-so-easily-moving-on funk, he gets hammered and completely bombs at talking to women. Until, while outside pissing in a bush, he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei). They bond over the lyrics to The Human Leagues "Don't You Want Me" (he belts it out to the party through a beer-bottle microphone), and take each other home. In the morning, she tries for the quick getaway. After what seems to be an okay resolution, she doesn't return his calls. It's not looking good for John, but it's not because she doesn't like him; it's because of her inappropriately close relationship with her 21-year old son, the titular man-child played by Jonah Hill.
He plays it cool at first. A few minutes after they meet, Cyrus plays John one of his electronica songs he has been working on, which is funny in and of itself, but hysterical because of the way he stares blankly at and thrusts slightly towards John. Eventually the jealous nutjob in Cyrus comes out, manifesting itself in things like shrieking "night terrors" when John spends the night. In the fight for Molly's love (Cyrus considers them close enough to not call her mom), Cyrus fights dirty as hell, and it of course brings out the meathead in John. Their interactions and threats to one another are great, and in fact, the whole cast is fun to watch. But no one is as talented and expressive as John C. Reilly. He's one of my current favorite actors because he's seamless in combining comedic and dramatic. I think he should have at the very least been in the discussion for an actor prize or two--he really seemed to get the vulnerability of his character. If you can stomach some awkward moments, it's worth seeing for Reilly at the top of his game.
#24 Despicable Me
In lieu of what's happening in my home town of Madison, Wisconsin, I think the best way to approach this write-up is to draw comparisons between Gru, the Steve Carell-voiced protagonist bent on taking over the world, and our new Governor, Scott Walker, whose recent actions can really only be described in one way: Despicable.
GRU WALKER
Hometown: Unknown Delavan, Wisconsin
Political Aspirations: World Domination Mass Evacuation of WI Residents
Campaign Contributors: Bank of Evil (Formerly Lehman Bros) Wal-Mart, US Oil Co. (not kidding)
Inventions/Weapons: Shrink Ray (for use on moon) Anti-Union Rhetoric
Job Title of Staff: Minions Minions
Achilles Heel: Love for Foster Daughters Little Debbie Zebra Cakes*
*As of press time, this fact was not fully confirmed
I don't want to get too deep into this; there's nothing I will say that hasn't already been said by tens of thousands of Wisconsites. I will say, however, there are many members of my family and friends that will be and HAVE BEEN directly affected by this looming legislation. People are very unhappy. My father will lose 10% or more of his teacher's salary. My step-parents are both State employees. My siblings haven't been able to go to school because their teachers aren't there. The city's best nurses (all unionized) are threatening to leave town if these laws are passed. I don't need to be scathing. I don't need to sling mud, or re-hash the obvious problems. Just for all of their sakes, all of the Madisonians and Milwaukeeans and the rest of the state residents, I hope Scott Walker really re-thinks what he's planning to do.
And now, onto Despicable Me.
The voice of Carrel's Gru in the film drove me insane for the first five minutes or so; it was as if he was trying to pull off Schwarzenegger without the muscle. But he settled into it, and from there I started to enjoy myself. Gru tries to secure a loan so that he can finance an operation to steal the moon. He's rejected, and from there he and his minions steal a shrink ray from a secret lab. But his arch-nemesis, the younger, more savvy Vector (voiced by Jason Segel), intercepts the plot, takes the ray, and shrinks his ship. Bummer.
He needs to get into Vector's lair and get his shrink ray back. He tries numerous hair-brained ideas with funny results--no luck. Finally he gets an idea. He and his assistant Nefario (Russell Brand) hatch a plan to sell Vector some girl scout cookies, only the cookie boxes will actually be robots. So now he needs the girl scouts. He goes to an orphanage, procures the girls and the outrageousness begins.
Gru's transformation from fiend to surrogate father is a slow and often funny one. At one point, he is trying to deliver one of those classic big-screen villain messages to his enemies, and the girls are jumping around asking for stuffed crust pizza, and he yells "I'll stuff YOU in the crust!". That one really got me. That and his minions, who are hundreds upon hundreds of yellow creatures (some with one eye, some with two) in overalls and goggles. They are the physical comedy of the film and they are hysterical to hear talk, some sort of hybrid between Fraggle Rock creatures and the Pillsbury Dough-Boy. Carell does a good job of executing Gru's character arc, and Jason Segel is a fun and aloof antagonist. The animation is good, the concept is original, and it's pretty damn funny.
Now if only we can get Governor Walker moving towards a change of heart...
I'm off on a mini-vacation to Duluth. Back to writing by Monday--a President's Day special!
Stand strong, Wisco. My thoughts are with you.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
2010 Movies: #26
#26 Tron: Legacy
My conversations leading up to this film usually went kind of like this:
Homie A: "Dude, I'm soo fired up for the new Tron. You remember in the first one, where-"
Me: "Actually...I've never seen the original Tron."
Homie B: "you've never seen Tron? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Homie A: "Seriously...what kind of sheltered, pathetic childhood did you have? I suppose now you're going to tell me you never owned a G.I. Joe, much less stopped Cobra from infiltrating the Pyramid of Darkness."
Me: "I...er...uhhh.."
Homie B: "Nooooooo!"
Yes, Tron was one of the staple 80s upbringing things I missed out on. I had ninja turtles, thundercats and he-man action figures, but no Joes. I saw Goonies and the Princess Bride umpteen times but never Tron. Some people take umbrage to that sort of thing.
So having no basis for comparison, I thought Tron:Legacy was, at the very least, visually and sonically fantastic. We jump 25 years or so from original Tron times to the present. Sam (Garret Hedlund) moves in with his grandparents after his video-arcade mogul pops (Jeff Bridges) goes missing. Fast-forward to a little while later; Sam is now a leather-jacket rocking teen with a motorcycle and a piece of his father's company. When douchebaggery begins being implemented by the higher-ups, Sam and his fathers partner launch a plan to taken a portion of the software public. Then he goes on the run, ending up in his father's old arcade. A couple of quarters pumped into Tron leads to an office opening up that just so happens to portal him inside the video game, where he will take a shot at tracking down/bringing home his estranged father.
The script is of course Disney-cheesy as is the acting (even though his dudeness brings his inner Lebowski to alternate universe land), but it's still a blast to watch. The action scenes are off the hook, particularly the one where Sam fights the video game drones.
The video game mainframe is full of neon suits and lit-up neon discs and Olivia Wilde and loud techno provided by our favorite robot dj techno duo Daft Punk--a highlight being the single, "Derezzed". The length and the crap dialogue are certainly pitfalls, but let's be honest-you weren't there for the writing. I was impressed at how well the movie was able to computerize a young Jeff Bridges, shown at the beginning as a much younger father and throughout as the nemesis of the mainframe. I suppose I should have expected impressive computerization-it's a dang movie about computers!
***
I'm halfway there! Now comes the back end of the Top 50-get excited...
My conversations leading up to this film usually went kind of like this:
Homie A: "Dude, I'm soo fired up for the new Tron. You remember in the first one, where-"
Me: "Actually...I've never seen the original Tron."
Homie B: "you've never seen Tron? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Homie A: "Seriously...what kind of sheltered, pathetic childhood did you have? I suppose now you're going to tell me you never owned a G.I. Joe, much less stopped Cobra from infiltrating the Pyramid of Darkness."
Me: "I...er...uhhh.."
Homie B: "Nooooooo!"
Yes, Tron was one of the staple 80s upbringing things I missed out on. I had ninja turtles, thundercats and he-man action figures, but no Joes. I saw Goonies and the Princess Bride umpteen times but never Tron. Some people take umbrage to that sort of thing.
So having no basis for comparison, I thought Tron:Legacy was, at the very least, visually and sonically fantastic. We jump 25 years or so from original Tron times to the present. Sam (Garret Hedlund) moves in with his grandparents after his video-arcade mogul pops (Jeff Bridges) goes missing. Fast-forward to a little while later; Sam is now a leather-jacket rocking teen with a motorcycle and a piece of his father's company. When douchebaggery begins being implemented by the higher-ups, Sam and his fathers partner launch a plan to taken a portion of the software public. Then he goes on the run, ending up in his father's old arcade. A couple of quarters pumped into Tron leads to an office opening up that just so happens to portal him inside the video game, where he will take a shot at tracking down/bringing home his estranged father.
The script is of course Disney-cheesy as is the acting (even though his dudeness brings his inner Lebowski to alternate universe land), but it's still a blast to watch. The action scenes are off the hook, particularly the one where Sam fights the video game drones.
The video game mainframe is full of neon suits and lit-up neon discs and Olivia Wilde and loud techno provided by our favorite robot dj techno duo Daft Punk--a highlight being the single, "Derezzed". The length and the crap dialogue are certainly pitfalls, but let's be honest-you weren't there for the writing. I was impressed at how well the movie was able to computerize a young Jeff Bridges, shown at the beginning as a much younger father and throughout as the nemesis of the mainframe. I suppose I should have expected impressive computerization-it's a dang movie about computers!
***
I'm halfway there! Now comes the back end of the Top 50-get excited...
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
2010 Movies: #28, 27
#28 Four Boxes
Haven't heard of this one? That's okay-I hadn't either. My ladyfriend is buddies with a woman who helped finance this Minnesota-bred indie flick. Its biggest star is MN native Justin Kirk (Nancy's brother on Weeds) and beyond that, there's really only two other actors-Sam Rosen and Terryn Westbrook, both of whom are unknowns but up-and-comers.
Rosen and Kirk play Rob and Trevor, small-time liquidators who have set up camp in the house of a man who just died in order to get footage of his stuff and sell it over eBay. Westbrook's character is engaged to Rob and dated Trevor for quite some time. She's ever present and it drives Trevor Four Loko. Creepy things start happening around the house--in particular with a typed, fragmented note that Trevor puts together. Beyond that, the trio (trevor in particular) become addicted to a website called fourboxes.tv, which is a voyeuristic look into the life of a masked man they know only as "Havoc". Havoc lives in some weird kind of cave-like apartment, and the four boxes refer to the four rooms that are on a live feed. Before long, things take a turn for the insane as they witness Havoc destroy an animal and put what appears to be a giant bomb together. With that knowledge what will they do? The script was weak at times, but this was a digital-age thriller done right, that throws many curveballs at the viewer right up until the twisted final ten minutes, and shows us the exact pitfalls of voyeurism. See it if you get the chance.
#27 Scott Pilgrim v. The World
I'll be the first to admit--I'll see just about anything Michael Cera is in. However, There was a little while there in which I was pretty sure Michael Cera would be typecast his entire life, playing the same goofy youngster well into his mid-30s. Though Michael Cera's awkward teen schtick (still maybe at it's best in Arrested Development) is still intact, he spent this year adding a little bit more range with his roles in Scott Pilgrim and Youth in Revolt (more later). It goes without saying that if you've seen this movie, you'd know that even with a good effort from Cera, it's the aesthetic and originality of Scott Pilgrim that makes it worth seeing.
Scott is a bass player in a Toronto punk band who lives in an efficiency and shares a bed with his gay roommate, also Scott (Kieran Culkin). He has a cute little girlfriend named Knives Chau who lets him hold her hand every now and then; when he meets Ramona at a party, he flips for her and he leaves poor Knives in the dust. In the middle of a big performance with his band, a shrieking goth dude flies in and challenges Scott to a battle, causing Ramona to reveal why maybe it has been a little to good to be true: in order to win her love, Scott will have to physically conquer all of her 7 evil exes. From there the film takes a unique turn in which his survival depends upon live-action battles that are visually one part anime and one part video game; when he defeats a character they turn into coins, and he receives "power-ups" throughout. It's a good showcase of special effects, and it marks the first pseudo-action role for superdork Cera--a small step in a different direction.
Haven't heard of this one? That's okay-I hadn't either. My ladyfriend is buddies with a woman who helped finance this Minnesota-bred indie flick. Its biggest star is MN native Justin Kirk (Nancy's brother on Weeds) and beyond that, there's really only two other actors-Sam Rosen and Terryn Westbrook, both of whom are unknowns but up-and-comers.
Rosen and Kirk play Rob and Trevor, small-time liquidators who have set up camp in the house of a man who just died in order to get footage of his stuff and sell it over eBay. Westbrook's character is engaged to Rob and dated Trevor for quite some time. She's ever present and it drives Trevor Four Loko. Creepy things start happening around the house--in particular with a typed, fragmented note that Trevor puts together. Beyond that, the trio (trevor in particular) become addicted to a website called fourboxes.tv, which is a voyeuristic look into the life of a masked man they know only as "Havoc". Havoc lives in some weird kind of cave-like apartment, and the four boxes refer to the four rooms that are on a live feed. Before long, things take a turn for the insane as they witness Havoc destroy an animal and put what appears to be a giant bomb together. With that knowledge what will they do? The script was weak at times, but this was a digital-age thriller done right, that throws many curveballs at the viewer right up until the twisted final ten minutes, and shows us the exact pitfalls of voyeurism. See it if you get the chance.
#27 Scott Pilgrim v. The World
I'll be the first to admit--I'll see just about anything Michael Cera is in. However, There was a little while there in which I was pretty sure Michael Cera would be typecast his entire life, playing the same goofy youngster well into his mid-30s. Though Michael Cera's awkward teen schtick (still maybe at it's best in Arrested Development) is still intact, he spent this year adding a little bit more range with his roles in Scott Pilgrim and Youth in Revolt (more later). It goes without saying that if you've seen this movie, you'd know that even with a good effort from Cera, it's the aesthetic and originality of Scott Pilgrim that makes it worth seeing.
Scott is a bass player in a Toronto punk band who lives in an efficiency and shares a bed with his gay roommate, also Scott (Kieran Culkin). He has a cute little girlfriend named Knives Chau who lets him hold her hand every now and then; when he meets Ramona at a party, he flips for her and he leaves poor Knives in the dust. In the middle of a big performance with his band, a shrieking goth dude flies in and challenges Scott to a battle, causing Ramona to reveal why maybe it has been a little to good to be true: in order to win her love, Scott will have to physically conquer all of her 7 evil exes. From there the film takes a unique turn in which his survival depends upon live-action battles that are visually one part anime and one part video game; when he defeats a character they turn into coins, and he receives "power-ups" throughout. It's a good showcase of special effects, and it marks the first pseudo-action role for superdork Cera--a small step in a different direction.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Catch-Up Time: #33, 32, 31, 30, 29.
Whoa! I had a super busy weekend as it turned out, but now I'm going to try and play catch-up. I got re-certified in CPR, watched live hockey, split a huge beer with a couple of friends, played music with my band and saw Swedish pop-star Robyn. All of these things were great, especially the latter.
As a result, these will be shorter reviews, but that's ok.
I wanted beforehand to quickly address the hardships of a ranking system.
Every time I put a year-end list together, whether it be for music or films, I find myself wanting to make adjustments as soon as it gets done. Sometimes my rationale for a particular ranking will change; with music it's sometimes the fault of either playing a CD too much or else discovering a song or batch of songs too late. If I could do it again, I would definitely make a couple of alterations to 2010's music list.
Another problem is that people tend to drop some serious knowledge on your ass and make some pretty decent points when they don't agree. Take for example mulhernmovie loyalist Al, who had this to say:
"Ondine at #38? You are really dumb, fo real. That movie was awesome. There is no way that Ben 'my sh*t don't stink' Stiller movie was better. What's next? You trying to convince anyone that Black Swan is worth watching? Crazy-ass mo-fo..."
And you know what? He's probably right, which brings me to my final point: Oftentimes the feelings I have for the movies I watch do end up directly affected by the situation and/or the time of day. When I saw Ondine I was super tired, so the fact that the movie had kind of a sleepy and quiet feel made me nod off even further. I watched Greenberg in the exact same spot--my couch--but I was more alert at the time so I took it in a more engaged fashion. Because of movie theaters being less comfortable than home and having less distractions, the movies I saw in the theaters almost certainly had a distinct advantage. Unlike Matt Damon's Green Zone, in which I fell asleep 15 minutes in and consistently woke up to sounds of gunfire and shouts of "Go! Go! Come on, let's move! Go!" I thought for sure my basement was under siege by some sort of terrorist faction.
So apologies Al, I owe Ondine another viewing, but if you think I'm not going to recommend Black Swan, you are the one who is "really dumb, fo real."
Onto the countdown:
#33 Hot Tub Time Machine
Just about exactly what you'd expect--no more, no less. Low-brow and at times slapstick comedy about four friends being shot back in time to 1980s ski-bum Colorado territory via magical hot tub. They all are in a middle-age rut, wanting to change the future by altering the past (a new twist on not necessarily new film territory). John Cusack tries to test the fates by trying to re-ignite an old love; The Office's Craig Robinson jumpstarts a music career; Rob Coddry plots revenge on a former bully; Michael Cera pal Clark Duke just tries to make sense of the whole thing and oh yeah--not erase his conception. Laugh-out loud funny at times with good performances by all, but certainly not uncharted waters.
#32 The Other Guys
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg star as two cops relegated to the office after a couple misunderstandings. When the balls-to-the-wall and revered duo of Sam Jackson and Duane "The Rock" Johnson die leaping from a building, the precinct is looking for new blood to step up. Ron Riggle and Damon Wayans, Jr. (there's a Damon Wayans Jr. ??!?) are their competition who will stop at nothing to humiliate them, including daring Ferrell to do an "office pop", ie, shooting his gun off in the office, and picking a hysterical silent fight during Jackson and Johnson's funeral. Eva Mendes is Ferrell's astonishingly hot wife and Steve Coogan is his usual relaible self as the white-collar criminal they aim to expose. Pretty funny throughout--better than Semi-Pro and Ricky Bobby but eons short of Anchorman and Step Brothers as far as Ferrell vehicles are concerned.
#31 MacGruber
The SNL skit-turned-movie isn't always a succesful venture, is it? For every seminal Wayne's World, there's another Night at the Roxbury around the corner--yes, an entire movie about the guys who ram their crotches into women to Haddaway's "What is Love". I wasn't sure how the ridiculousness of MacGruber would translate to the silver screen; there's only so many times Will Forte' can blow up mid-sentence. For the most part, it actually worked for me. I was surprised at the amount of cursing and over-the-top violence that they couldn't pull off on SNL used here. Will Forte', along with Bill Hader, are two of the best tv-to-movie exports the show has produced in recent history. Ryan Phillipe and Kristen Wiig are good sidekicks, but it's Forte's show as he gets people accidentally blown apart, curses out military men and montages his way towards an encounter with nuke-wielding villain Dieter (Val Kilmer). Crude and fun.
# 30 She's Out of My League
Oddly enough, this one was ALSO written by the duo responsible for the aformentioned time-warping jacuzzi. In yet another re-hashing of schlubby guy pulls off amazing girl, Judd Apatow (the king of schlubby guy pulls off amazing girl) alum Jay Baruchel stars as Kirk, an airport worker whose ex-girlfriend Marnie happens to live at his house with his parents. Not ideal. In a "out of all the gin-joints in the world" moment, Molly (Alice Eve) walks through his security line and forgets her phone. She calls it, he picks up, they meet, inevitable fireworks begin. T.J. Miller is outstanding as Kirk's co-worker and best friend Stainer, who tells Kirk over and over again that there's no way in hell it'll happen--"She's a hard 10 and you're only a 5." So Kirk tries to hold onto the impossible while all the while dodging his crazy ex. Funny stuff.
#29 Morning Glory
Rachel McAdams is a rising journalist with horrible bangs who takes a job producing a morning show that is ranked a distant last among the major networks. It's the same stale bullsh*t each morning anchored by Diane Keaton and Modern Family's Ty Burrell (who I think is fantastic on TV but less appealing here). She cans Burrell and goes after journalistic idol emmy-winning Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford). He is cranky, stubborn, and war-worn, but he eventually agrees to it, sold by McAdams to "bring integrity back to the morning news". He of course despises Diane Keaton, and hilariously chastises her at every possible chance. Soon the show's makeover begins to catch popularity despite the mayhem behind the scenes. She does everything she can to keep things together. Ford is at the top of his game and his scenes with McAdams work as his tough persona ever so slightly softens and they become a team--albeit a dysfunctional one.
...Til next time...
As a result, these will be shorter reviews, but that's ok.
I wanted beforehand to quickly address the hardships of a ranking system.
Every time I put a year-end list together, whether it be for music or films, I find myself wanting to make adjustments as soon as it gets done. Sometimes my rationale for a particular ranking will change; with music it's sometimes the fault of either playing a CD too much or else discovering a song or batch of songs too late. If I could do it again, I would definitely make a couple of alterations to 2010's music list.
Another problem is that people tend to drop some serious knowledge on your ass and make some pretty decent points when they don't agree. Take for example mulhernmovie loyalist Al, who had this to say:
"Ondine at #38? You are really dumb, fo real. That movie was awesome. There is no way that Ben 'my sh*t don't stink' Stiller movie was better. What's next? You trying to convince anyone that Black Swan is worth watching? Crazy-ass mo-fo..."
And you know what? He's probably right, which brings me to my final point: Oftentimes the feelings I have for the movies I watch do end up directly affected by the situation and/or the time of day. When I saw Ondine I was super tired, so the fact that the movie had kind of a sleepy and quiet feel made me nod off even further. I watched Greenberg in the exact same spot--my couch--but I was more alert at the time so I took it in a more engaged fashion. Because of movie theaters being less comfortable than home and having less distractions, the movies I saw in the theaters almost certainly had a distinct advantage. Unlike Matt Damon's Green Zone, in which I fell asleep 15 minutes in and consistently woke up to sounds of gunfire and shouts of "Go! Go! Come on, let's move! Go!" I thought for sure my basement was under siege by some sort of terrorist faction.
So apologies Al, I owe Ondine another viewing, but if you think I'm not going to recommend Black Swan, you are the one who is "really dumb, fo real."
Onto the countdown:
#33 Hot Tub Time Machine
Just about exactly what you'd expect--no more, no less. Low-brow and at times slapstick comedy about four friends being shot back in time to 1980s ski-bum Colorado territory via magical hot tub. They all are in a middle-age rut, wanting to change the future by altering the past (a new twist on not necessarily new film territory). John Cusack tries to test the fates by trying to re-ignite an old love; The Office's Craig Robinson jumpstarts a music career; Rob Coddry plots revenge on a former bully; Michael Cera pal Clark Duke just tries to make sense of the whole thing and oh yeah--not erase his conception. Laugh-out loud funny at times with good performances by all, but certainly not uncharted waters.
#32 The Other Guys
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg star as two cops relegated to the office after a couple misunderstandings. When the balls-to-the-wall and revered duo of Sam Jackson and Duane "The Rock" Johnson die leaping from a building, the precinct is looking for new blood to step up. Ron Riggle and Damon Wayans, Jr. (there's a Damon Wayans Jr. ??!?) are their competition who will stop at nothing to humiliate them, including daring Ferrell to do an "office pop", ie, shooting his gun off in the office, and picking a hysterical silent fight during Jackson and Johnson's funeral. Eva Mendes is Ferrell's astonishingly hot wife and Steve Coogan is his usual relaible self as the white-collar criminal they aim to expose. Pretty funny throughout--better than Semi-Pro and Ricky Bobby but eons short of Anchorman and Step Brothers as far as Ferrell vehicles are concerned.
#31 MacGruber
The SNL skit-turned-movie isn't always a succesful venture, is it? For every seminal Wayne's World, there's another Night at the Roxbury around the corner--yes, an entire movie about the guys who ram their crotches into women to Haddaway's "What is Love". I wasn't sure how the ridiculousness of MacGruber would translate to the silver screen; there's only so many times Will Forte' can blow up mid-sentence. For the most part, it actually worked for me. I was surprised at the amount of cursing and over-the-top violence that they couldn't pull off on SNL used here. Will Forte', along with Bill Hader, are two of the best tv-to-movie exports the show has produced in recent history. Ryan Phillipe and Kristen Wiig are good sidekicks, but it's Forte's show as he gets people accidentally blown apart, curses out military men and montages his way towards an encounter with nuke-wielding villain Dieter (Val Kilmer). Crude and fun.
# 30 She's Out of My League
Oddly enough, this one was ALSO written by the duo responsible for the aformentioned time-warping jacuzzi. In yet another re-hashing of schlubby guy pulls off amazing girl, Judd Apatow (the king of schlubby guy pulls off amazing girl) alum Jay Baruchel stars as Kirk, an airport worker whose ex-girlfriend Marnie happens to live at his house with his parents. Not ideal. In a "out of all the gin-joints in the world" moment, Molly (Alice Eve) walks through his security line and forgets her phone. She calls it, he picks up, they meet, inevitable fireworks begin. T.J. Miller is outstanding as Kirk's co-worker and best friend Stainer, who tells Kirk over and over again that there's no way in hell it'll happen--"She's a hard 10 and you're only a 5." So Kirk tries to hold onto the impossible while all the while dodging his crazy ex. Funny stuff.
#29 Morning Glory
Rachel McAdams is a rising journalist with horrible bangs who takes a job producing a morning show that is ranked a distant last among the major networks. It's the same stale bullsh*t each morning anchored by Diane Keaton and Modern Family's Ty Burrell (who I think is fantastic on TV but less appealing here). She cans Burrell and goes after journalistic idol emmy-winning Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford). He is cranky, stubborn, and war-worn, but he eventually agrees to it, sold by McAdams to "bring integrity back to the morning news". He of course despises Diane Keaton, and hilariously chastises her at every possible chance. Soon the show's makeover begins to catch popularity despite the mayhem behind the scenes. She does everything she can to keep things together. Ford is at the top of his game and his scenes with McAdams work as his tough persona ever so slightly softens and they become a team--albeit a dysfunctional one.
...Til next time...
Friday, February 11, 2011
2010 Movies: #36, #35 & #34
#36 Wall Street II: Money Never Sleeps
Oliver Stone is a director who has been known for taking chances throughout his career. Oftentimes he takes controversy head-on, whether it be the gonzo stylized violence of Natural Born Killers, having Josh Brolin portray the president that still happened to be in office in W., and of course the "always to soon to question" topic of the Kennedy Assassination in JFK. Themes of politics, violence and greed are often at the forefront of his films. Which is why I was surprised that the Wall Street sequel was lacking in cojones.
I get the impression that the movie was meant to act somewhat as a time capsule, ie, how did people in the middle of the storm react to the financial crash? And I also get that it would be kind of a thrill for viewers and young businessmen who worshipped Gordon Gekko's every move to see Michael Douglas reprise the role. I have to admit, when he got released from prison and received his 1980s "cell phone" as part of his belongings, it was pretty funny.
Thing is, no one wants to watch Gordon Gekko as a broken man. That's not the purpose he serves. He's a souless entertainer, a caricature. When he befriends Shia LaBouf as a way to reconnect with his daughter, you see the gears start to turn and his need to get her back in his life. Daughter (played by Carey Mulligan) is not interested, but Shia still wants him as a mentor, now that his old boss (Frank Langella) is dead after watching his company free-fall. With LaBouf getting promising offers from the smarmy Josh Brolin, he needs someone to help him navigate the shark-tank atmosphere of the New York financial world. Gekko agrees to work with him, and it proves to be--just as girlfriend Carey Mulligan predicted--a mistake.
Pros: Good outfits, awesome LaBouf v. Brolin crotch-rocket race scene, good hubris displayed by Mr. Langella, lifestyles of the rich and famous. Cons: Not enough time spent on the actual market crash, hokey ending, and a held-back Michael Douglas/Gordon Gekko.
#35Get Him to the Greek
Russell Brand nabs Katy Perry and a spin-off movie renewing his Forgetting Sarah Marshall character in the span of months. Well done, sir.
I was under the impression Jonah Hill would come back as his Marshall character as well, the obsessed and socially inept resort waiter who admits his love for Aldous Snow (Brand) with the classic line "I just went from six to midnight" as he watches him perform. Instead, Hill plays a record exec that his boss (P. Diddy) tasks with somehow bringing the erratic, drugged-out frontman from England to L.A. to play the Greek Theater. He has 72 hours. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?
Aldous Snow has just destroyed his band's reputation--so Diddy and co have put the show together to re-hab his career. Snow doesn't think he's done anything wrong to effect the future of Infant Sorrow; he thinks that "African Child" (complete with a hilarious video) is ingenious, while one magazine calls it "the worst thing to happen to Africa since apartheid." He doesn't see the need to go stateside--instead, he coerces Jonah Hill's character to get blackout drunk and make bad decisions. Eventually, Hill gets him to not only agree to the performance at the Greek but also open up about himself, which Brand actually does with the melancholy sincerity of someone who has actually been through the Aldous Snow lifestyle.
From the UK to the Greek Theater, dozens of mishaps occur, ranging from disgusting (Hill agreeing to smuggle heroin in his butt for Snow, Hill vomiting all over everything when he takes Snow's drugs to keep him sober) to hilarious (Snow forgetting the words to "African Child" on the today show and performing "The Clap" instead, Hill smoking some sort of drug concoction known as a "Geoffrey"). Aldous Snow's path to redemption is a sloppy one, but it's good gross fun if you're in the mood.
#34 How Do You Know
All hail the return of Reese Witherspoon! I first saw Reese's acting chops in 1996's Freeway, when she was just 20 years old. It was a bizarre retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in Los Angeles, starring her as the heroine and Kiefer Sutherland as the disfigured wolf-esque villain. She is an ultimate badass as she prepares to clash with him, at one point fashioning a shiv out of a toothbrush!
In How Do You Know, her character is significantly less badass, but that's okay. She's an Olympic caliber softball player who puts motivational post-it notes all over her apartment and lives out the athlete's credo. When she ends up getting cut unexpectedly, every part of her life becomes up for re-evaluation. As she's mulling over her fling with Washington Nationals pitcher Owen Wilson (he has pink velour Nationals sweatsuits at the ready for co-ed sleepovers!), she ends up going on the worst date of all time with Paul Rudd, who plays a businessman amidst professional crisis. But something about him sticks, and thus the How Do You Know-ing begins as she tries to make decisions about her life.
Reese Witherspoon does a great job as always, Paul Rudd does his "American Hugh Grant" befuddled schtick, and Owen Wilson has some good moments (when he reads aloud "When you left, I was so mad-I broke a lamp," as his speech to Witherspoon, it's just classic). Director James Brooks does good work making his film feel sincere--none of us really know, we just have to give it our best guess.
Oliver Stone is a director who has been known for taking chances throughout his career. Oftentimes he takes controversy head-on, whether it be the gonzo stylized violence of Natural Born Killers, having Josh Brolin portray the president that still happened to be in office in W., and of course the "always to soon to question" topic of the Kennedy Assassination in JFK. Themes of politics, violence and greed are often at the forefront of his films. Which is why I was surprised that the Wall Street sequel was lacking in cojones.
I get the impression that the movie was meant to act somewhat as a time capsule, ie, how did people in the middle of the storm react to the financial crash? And I also get that it would be kind of a thrill for viewers and young businessmen who worshipped Gordon Gekko's every move to see Michael Douglas reprise the role. I have to admit, when he got released from prison and received his 1980s "cell phone" as part of his belongings, it was pretty funny.
Thing is, no one wants to watch Gordon Gekko as a broken man. That's not the purpose he serves. He's a souless entertainer, a caricature. When he befriends Shia LaBouf as a way to reconnect with his daughter, you see the gears start to turn and his need to get her back in his life. Daughter (played by Carey Mulligan) is not interested, but Shia still wants him as a mentor, now that his old boss (Frank Langella) is dead after watching his company free-fall. With LaBouf getting promising offers from the smarmy Josh Brolin, he needs someone to help him navigate the shark-tank atmosphere of the New York financial world. Gekko agrees to work with him, and it proves to be--just as girlfriend Carey Mulligan predicted--a mistake.
Pros: Good outfits, awesome LaBouf v. Brolin crotch-rocket race scene, good hubris displayed by Mr. Langella, lifestyles of the rich and famous. Cons: Not enough time spent on the actual market crash, hokey ending, and a held-back Michael Douglas/Gordon Gekko.
#35Get Him to the Greek
Russell Brand nabs Katy Perry and a spin-off movie renewing his Forgetting Sarah Marshall character in the span of months. Well done, sir.
I was under the impression Jonah Hill would come back as his Marshall character as well, the obsessed and socially inept resort waiter who admits his love for Aldous Snow (Brand) with the classic line "I just went from six to midnight" as he watches him perform. Instead, Hill plays a record exec that his boss (P. Diddy) tasks with somehow bringing the erratic, drugged-out frontman from England to L.A. to play the Greek Theater. He has 72 hours. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?
Aldous Snow has just destroyed his band's reputation--so Diddy and co have put the show together to re-hab his career. Snow doesn't think he's done anything wrong to effect the future of Infant Sorrow; he thinks that "African Child" (complete with a hilarious video) is ingenious, while one magazine calls it "the worst thing to happen to Africa since apartheid." He doesn't see the need to go stateside--instead, he coerces Jonah Hill's character to get blackout drunk and make bad decisions. Eventually, Hill gets him to not only agree to the performance at the Greek but also open up about himself, which Brand actually does with the melancholy sincerity of someone who has actually been through the Aldous Snow lifestyle.
From the UK to the Greek Theater, dozens of mishaps occur, ranging from disgusting (Hill agreeing to smuggle heroin in his butt for Snow, Hill vomiting all over everything when he takes Snow's drugs to keep him sober) to hilarious (Snow forgetting the words to "African Child" on the today show and performing "The Clap" instead, Hill smoking some sort of drug concoction known as a "Geoffrey"). Aldous Snow's path to redemption is a sloppy one, but it's good gross fun if you're in the mood.
#34 How Do You Know
All hail the return of Reese Witherspoon! I first saw Reese's acting chops in 1996's Freeway, when she was just 20 years old. It was a bizarre retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in Los Angeles, starring her as the heroine and Kiefer Sutherland as the disfigured wolf-esque villain. She is an ultimate badass as she prepares to clash with him, at one point fashioning a shiv out of a toothbrush!
In How Do You Know, her character is significantly less badass, but that's okay. She's an Olympic caliber softball player who puts motivational post-it notes all over her apartment and lives out the athlete's credo. When she ends up getting cut unexpectedly, every part of her life becomes up for re-evaluation. As she's mulling over her fling with Washington Nationals pitcher Owen Wilson (he has pink velour Nationals sweatsuits at the ready for co-ed sleepovers!), she ends up going on the worst date of all time with Paul Rudd, who plays a businessman amidst professional crisis. But something about him sticks, and thus the How Do You Know-ing begins as she tries to make decisions about her life.
Reese Witherspoon does a great job as always, Paul Rudd does his "American Hugh Grant" befuddled schtick, and Owen Wilson has some good moments (when he reads aloud "When you left, I was so mad-I broke a lamp," as his speech to Witherspoon, it's just classic). Director James Brooks does good work making his film feel sincere--none of us really know, we just have to give it our best guess.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
2010 Movies: #39, #38 & #37
#39 The A-Team
This is one of the strangest things that's happened to me involving a movie in a long time: The A-Team was a movie that I'm almost positive I enjoyed. But when I tried to remember what happened--a single plot event, even--the only thing I could recall was a parachuting tank, and Jessica Biel walking out of a tent looking angry. That's it. I know who all the stars were, I remember thinking that Bradley Cooper was good, as was Sharlto Copley (the lead in District 9), and that Quinton Jackson did well with the Mr. T role. Other than that...nothing. I looked at the plot summary online, and nothing rang a bell. I talked to the people I saw it with to see if they could help jog my memory, and what they said wasn't the least bit helpful. A couple of still-shots looked familiar, but nothing Pavlovian. I can say I liked it, but I can't give it a higher rating than this if I've completely forgotten just about everything about it.
So in conclusion, I recommend the fun action-romp provided by the A-Team reboot...I think?
#38: Ondine
When I was just a wee-movie blogger, I remember very vividly the controversy surrounding Neil Jordan's The Crying Game. It was 1992, so I would have been 10 years old. I don't want to give anything away in case you have not seen it and are planning on it in the near future, but the taboo surrounding the film involved a big twist that some loved and some found to be dangerously inappropriate. I also remember hearing Boy George's smoky ballad of the same name at every turn. Although most of the general public didn't, BG claimed through pained vocals to "know all there is to know about the crying game." And I believed him.
Neil Jordan's latest stars Colin Farrell as an Irish fisherman named Syracuse who very early in the film, ends up trapping a young woman (Ondine) in his fishing net. He is convinced from the get-go that she is a Selkie (in Irish lore, a seal-woman) and has her stay with him on the boat. As she comes to stay with him, she forges a sweet relationship with his daughter from a past marriage, who also happens to be handicapped. As Farrell falls in love with the mystical Ondine and her siren song (which, incidentally, brings him a sh*t ton of fish each time she sings it) his daughter hopes for her to stay long enough to become fully human and heal her. But as the movie goes on, a creepy, ominous man shows up and as they try to protect Ondine from him, the truth is revealed about her.
So yes, much like The Crying Game, there is a big twist involving one of the protagonists. Here, it doesn't pay off in all that exciting of a fashion. It gets kind of an "Oh...okay, I guess," response. The movie has a quiet and dark aesthetic that still manages to be gorgeous--Ireland as a backdrop will do that. And although the plot is engaging, it tends to drag and almost sing you to sleep, much like Ondine herself does. If you like Neil Jordan's previous work--Crying Game, Interview with a Vampire, Michael Collins--it's worth checking out. Interesting concept, anyway.
#37 Greenberg
In 2005, a little Indie by Noah Baumbauch called The Squid and the Whtale blew me out of the water. It was a quirky story about the aftermath of a Brooklynite family's divorce, and apparently it's based somewhat on his childhood. It definitely feels personal and it's hilarious, tragic and real. The cast is just dynamite with Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels as the conflicting forces/opposite personalities, and a pre-Zuckerburg Jesse Eisenberg as the teenager caught in the middle.
The last half of that last sentence may have been the most Jewish thing I've ever seen.
And speaking of Jewish, Ben Stiller stars as the titular character in Baumbach's latest effort Greenberg. He's a total disaster; he takes over housesitting for his rich brother in Los Angeles after recently being institutionalized--the circumstances of which are not altogether clear. But what is clear is that it probably makes sense being that his neuroses and offensive demeanor are on constant display. Early on in the film, the family dog gets sick, and he screws it up. He cooks up an awkward relationship with the family's housekeeper, and screws that up. He spends a lot of time with an old bandmate played by Rhys Ifans, who's band Greenberg was of course responsible for screwing up.
But besides that, Roger Greenberg mostly complains. He complains as much as he possibly can. Some of this is quite entertaining--an ongoing theme are his thought-out complaint letters to various businesses--but most of it is brash and annoying. All the viewer wants to do is to tell him to shut up. For every funny sequence, another painfully awkward one was right around the corner. The supporting cast is pretty good and I laughed wholeheartedly a few times, but the story basically goes nowhere-we just watch Greenberg talk and think himself in circles as he tries desperately to connect with anyone and anything.
Til next time...
This is one of the strangest things that's happened to me involving a movie in a long time: The A-Team was a movie that I'm almost positive I enjoyed. But when I tried to remember what happened--a single plot event, even--the only thing I could recall was a parachuting tank, and Jessica Biel walking out of a tent looking angry. That's it. I know who all the stars were, I remember thinking that Bradley Cooper was good, as was Sharlto Copley (the lead in District 9), and that Quinton Jackson did well with the Mr. T role. Other than that...nothing. I looked at the plot summary online, and nothing rang a bell. I talked to the people I saw it with to see if they could help jog my memory, and what they said wasn't the least bit helpful. A couple of still-shots looked familiar, but nothing Pavlovian. I can say I liked it, but I can't give it a higher rating than this if I've completely forgotten just about everything about it.
So in conclusion, I recommend the fun action-romp provided by the A-Team reboot...I think?
#38: Ondine
When I was just a wee-movie blogger, I remember very vividly the controversy surrounding Neil Jordan's The Crying Game. It was 1992, so I would have been 10 years old. I don't want to give anything away in case you have not seen it and are planning on it in the near future, but the taboo surrounding the film involved a big twist that some loved and some found to be dangerously inappropriate. I also remember hearing Boy George's smoky ballad of the same name at every turn. Although most of the general public didn't, BG claimed through pained vocals to "know all there is to know about the crying game." And I believed him.
Neil Jordan's latest stars Colin Farrell as an Irish fisherman named Syracuse who very early in the film, ends up trapping a young woman (Ondine) in his fishing net. He is convinced from the get-go that she is a Selkie (in Irish lore, a seal-woman) and has her stay with him on the boat. As she comes to stay with him, she forges a sweet relationship with his daughter from a past marriage, who also happens to be handicapped. As Farrell falls in love with the mystical Ondine and her siren song (which, incidentally, brings him a sh*t ton of fish each time she sings it) his daughter hopes for her to stay long enough to become fully human and heal her. But as the movie goes on, a creepy, ominous man shows up and as they try to protect Ondine from him, the truth is revealed about her.
So yes, much like The Crying Game, there is a big twist involving one of the protagonists. Here, it doesn't pay off in all that exciting of a fashion. It gets kind of an "Oh...okay, I guess," response. The movie has a quiet and dark aesthetic that still manages to be gorgeous--Ireland as a backdrop will do that. And although the plot is engaging, it tends to drag and almost sing you to sleep, much like Ondine herself does. If you like Neil Jordan's previous work--Crying Game, Interview with a Vampire, Michael Collins--it's worth checking out. Interesting concept, anyway.
#37 Greenberg
In 2005, a little Indie by Noah Baumbauch called The Squid and the Whtale blew me out of the water. It was a quirky story about the aftermath of a Brooklynite family's divorce, and apparently it's based somewhat on his childhood. It definitely feels personal and it's hilarious, tragic and real. The cast is just dynamite with Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels as the conflicting forces/opposite personalities, and a pre-Zuckerburg Jesse Eisenberg as the teenager caught in the middle.
The last half of that last sentence may have been the most Jewish thing I've ever seen.
And speaking of Jewish, Ben Stiller stars as the titular character in Baumbach's latest effort Greenberg. He's a total disaster; he takes over housesitting for his rich brother in Los Angeles after recently being institutionalized--the circumstances of which are not altogether clear. But what is clear is that it probably makes sense being that his neuroses and offensive demeanor are on constant display. Early on in the film, the family dog gets sick, and he screws it up. He cooks up an awkward relationship with the family's housekeeper, and screws that up. He spends a lot of time with an old bandmate played by Rhys Ifans, who's band Greenberg was of course responsible for screwing up.
But besides that, Roger Greenberg mostly complains. He complains as much as he possibly can. Some of this is quite entertaining--an ongoing theme are his thought-out complaint letters to various businesses--but most of it is brash and annoying. All the viewer wants to do is to tell him to shut up. For every funny sequence, another painfully awkward one was right around the corner. The supporting cast is pretty good and I laughed wholeheartedly a few times, but the story basically goes nowhere-we just watch Greenberg talk and think himself in circles as he tries desperately to connect with anyone and anything.
Til next time...
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