OK here's the top 10. But first, a few awards.
Most underrated movie of the year: "The Hunting Party" I've seen this since I started putting together this list. It might not be top 10 worthy, but it is much better than the middling reviews and paltry box office would indicate. A very strong, darkly comedic look at Bosnia in the aftermath of the ethnic cleansing through the eyes of a trio of television reporters in search of a war criminal. It also holds the distinction for being the only film I've ever seen a trailer for in theaters after it's already been released on DVD. Apparently even someone at the distributor forgot they'd released the thing.
Most unjustly invisible film of the year: "The Savages" This is the film that would have cracked my top 10 list if I had seen it earlier (at No. 5 in fact). It got consistently good reviews, stars a pair of fairly recognizable actors, got a few Oscar nominations and is a very relatable dramedy. Yet it got scant publicity and grossed less than $10 million - worldwide.
Most overrated movie: "Grindhouse" While "Lake of Fire" and the also recently seen "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" come close, neither got the hype and the critical fanboy drool that the Tarentino-Rodriguez monster got. The Tarentino fawning was especially obnoxious given how "Death Proof" was something that even me, who is not a huge Tarentino fan, had never accused him of being: dull.
The Frances McDormand in "Laurel Canyon" award: This year's honor for the best performance in a bad movie goes to Jennifer Jason Leigh, bringing one of the few sparks of genuine humanity to "Margot at the Wedding."
Theme of the year: While many painted this a year of dark films, of destruction (for one of the worst examples, read Mitch Albom's simple-minded "Let's only nominate blatantly uplifting movies for Oscars" article), for me four of this year's best films were about creation, in two cases the creation of life and in two the creative process in general.
And on to the top 10:
10. "Rescue Dawn": This story of a man pretty much willing himself and his fellow POWs to survive through little more than his only crazy brand of hope manages to do something that other recent prison camp movies haven't, craft interesting, three dimensional characters and create genuine suspense. While Christian Bale is great as the perhaps slightly loony pilot Dieter and Jeremy Davies provides able support, perhaps most impressive of all was the wonderful dramatic work done by Steve Zaun. Best known for his comedies, Zaun gives one of the year's better performances as one of Bale's fellow POWs who latches onto the pilot's plans to break free.
tie, 8 and 9. "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "Michael Clayton": It seemed only too perfect to put these two together. Both are wonderfully executed paranoia-driven thrillers led by movie starts delivering one of their best performances. Tony Gilroy had a hand in writing each of them. Both also share the same weakness, a slight feeling of been there done that. In the case of "Bourne," it is from the previous movies in the series, with "Clayton" other movies in the genre. Still, it is the execution that sets both apart. Credit Greengrass and Gilroy along with their casts and crews for pulling off two of the best movie-going experiences of the year.
7. "Zodiac": Much great fiction has been spun out of cops becoming obsessed with a case they are working, allowing it to eat them up from the inside, and Fincher's "Zodiac" deserves to be mentioned alongside such works as "The Wire" and "The Black Dahlia" (the book, not the movie) as one of the best such stories. In this case, it is not only the officers who fall prey to this obsession, but also reporters covering one of the most famous officially unsolved crimes in U.S. history, the Zodiac killings. It eats away at them, heightening the personality flaws they'd managed to keep mostly in the background as they stumble from one dead end to the next.
6. "Knocked Up": Yes, the ending feels a bit easy, but nothing else about the film is. While most would probably see the raunch as the biggest difference between this and more conventional romantic comedies. For me it was the lack of plot devices conspiring to keep the characters apart. The issues they have to work through aren't comedic misunderstandings; they are genuine issues that you'd expect these characters to have to deal with if they were actually going out. They spring from the characters, giving the comedy an honesty. It makes the happiness seem well-earned. Oh, and the film is flat-out hilarious, just like you'd expect from a Judd Apatow-directed feature.
5. "Juno": The start is awkward, but once this film gets rolling it is tough to stop. It's funny, highly quotable but also remarkably human. There's a wonderful scene at a mall, where everything clicks into place for the title character that is among the year's best. The romance is nicely played by Ellen Page and Michael Cera, and the supporting cast is amazing, especially including Jennifer Garner. Between her success here, her husband's directorial effort and the pair of great lead performances given by her brother-in-law, it sure was a great year for the Affleck clan.
4. "No Country for Old Men": This one could move up on second viewing if I can just figure out a couple of questions about what certain parts of the ending means. This might just be the Coen Brothers' best, and considering this is the duo that made "Fargo," "The Man Who wasn't There," "The Big Lebowski" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou," among others, that's saying something. The scene between Bardem and Kelly McDonald is especially chilling.
3. "No End in Sight": While "No End in Sight" is generally lumped in with the anti-war documentaries, the best of the docs I saw from last year says very little about the U.S. going into Iraq. Its focus is less anti-war, more anti-ineptitude. The movie paints a frightening picture of months following the fall of Saddam's government, painting a picture where loyalty and cronyism were valued above expertise, advice was rejected if it disagreed with what was "known" to be true and diplomatic decisions were taken out of the hands of diplomats and made by the defense department instead. This film provokes anger in all the right ways without showboating or grandstanding. Think of it as everything "Fahrenheit 9/11" could have been but wasn't.
2. "Ratatouille": This might be one of the least funny of the films Pixar has produced (although there are still plenty of laughs). Their simple storytelling magic has never shown brighter, however. Few films have better captured the passion and exhilaration in the creative process. While he might not get the level of acclaim as some of the top directors out there (directors of animated movies rarely do), Brad Bird is simply one of the great storytellers working today, and, as strange as it sounds, this story of rat who longs to be a gourmet chef is pure cinematic magic.
1. "Once": Few films this year were simpler in concept. None, however, hit the emotional chords quite as well as this story of a pair of musicians hesitantly stumbling toward love while, to be cliche, making beautiful music together. And oh how wonderful the music is, propelling the film emotionally onward from the first magical duet of the Oscar-winning "Falling Slowly" to the humor and sadness of Glen Hansard's "Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Guy," from Marketa Irglova's "If You Want Me" to the exhilaration of the recording scenes. The story is simple, tender, sad and hopeful. It is, quite simply, great.
That is the list. What did I get wrong? What should I still watch (I've got "Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "Lars and the Real Girl" and "I'm Not There" at home to watch next)? What would your top picks be?
Up next, delayed reviews of two films I've seen recently, "Iron Man" and "Baby Mama."
Friday, May 23, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Nos. 11-20: We're almost there
No. 20. "Offside": A remarkably smart and entertaining film about a group of girls who get caught trying to sneak into a big Iranian soccer match. It manages to discuss gender in Iranian society and sports fandom. And the celebration scene at the end is great.
No. 19. "Into the Wild": I initially had this a bit lower on my list. While I don't agree it is the masterpiece that many do, I decided to bump it into the top 20 for two reasons. First, the supporting characters almost all left an indelible impression. Catherine Keener especially is amazing here. Second, in retrospect, the film didn't let Hirsch's McCandless off as easily as I'd first thought. While it clearly admires aspects of his personality, it does clearly shows how his inability to see past his own philosophy kept him from absorbing the wisdom from those he meets along the way that might have saved him. He was spouting off wisdom but refused to accept any in return.
No. 18. "Charlie Wilson's War": While it might not be Aaron Sorkin's masterpiece, it does manage to showcase the same verbal wit that made "The West Wing" and "Sports Night" shine. That being said, I would be interested to read Sorkin's original ending before it was changed to see if it was as much of an improvement over the final one as I'ver read.
No. 17. "Away from Her": As a story about losing a loved one gradually, it is an extremely effective, heart-rending portrayal, and Christie's grace lends it even more emotional weight. By that measure, the film possibly should have cracked the top 10 list, but parts just seemed a bit, well, false. Maybe it is just because I'm judging all cases by my own experience with my grandfather, but Christie's character seems afflicted more with movie Alzheimer's than actual Alzheimer's. That is really one of the film's only flaws.
No. 16. "Hot Fuzz": Flat out one of the year's most consistently funny films. Personally I even thought the film was, heresy of all heresies, an improvement over their last outing, "Shaun of the Dead." Unlike some recent spoofs that simply seem to be a string of reference points, "Hot Fuzz" manages to send up the buddy-action movie genre with an actual storyline and characters. Just flat-out hilarious.
No. 15. "The Wind that Shakes the Barley": While this IRA drama can get a bit repetitive, it is also an extremely powerful film with another top-notch performance by Cillian Murphy.
No. 14. "After the Wedding": Mads Mikkelsen, the villain in "Casino Royale," plays the head of an orphanage in a poor village in India who gets invited to the wedding of the daughter of a potential donor. Instead of a mere celebration, he finds a web of secrets, plans and deceptions in which he is a key piece. An exceptionally interesting examination of power and, ultimately, love.
No. 13. "There Will Be Blood": I'll be honest. I need to see this one again. I had a splitting headache the entire time through that might have clouded my experience. That said, great first half, but the second half was a bit of a let down, and I think more development was needed with Dano's storyline to really have the final scene be as powerful as it was intended to be.
No. 12. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford": Yes, narration sometimes becomes a bit much and the film occasionally feels as long and unwieldy as the title. That being said, at its best, it is as good as any film this year. And Casey Affleck is a flat-out revelation. This is the year's best performance, overshadowing what might also be the best work of Brad Pitt's career. This is another one that could easily move into the top 10 with another viewing.
No. 11. "Gone Baby Gone": A Ben Affleck-directed movie nearly cracked the top 10. Who would have thunk it. The storyline isn't always as solid as you'd like, but they manage to maintain a rather stunning moral ambiguity, not allowing the audience any easy copout the way lesser films (I'm looking squarely in your direction "The Contender") often do. And the final scene is simply stunning. Oh and Amy Ryan, simply amazing. If not for Affleck's Robert Ford, this would be the year's top performance.
Up next, the top 10. Although you can probably guess it at this point.
No. 19. "Into the Wild": I initially had this a bit lower on my list. While I don't agree it is the masterpiece that many do, I decided to bump it into the top 20 for two reasons. First, the supporting characters almost all left an indelible impression. Catherine Keener especially is amazing here. Second, in retrospect, the film didn't let Hirsch's McCandless off as easily as I'd first thought. While it clearly admires aspects of his personality, it does clearly shows how his inability to see past his own philosophy kept him from absorbing the wisdom from those he meets along the way that might have saved him. He was spouting off wisdom but refused to accept any in return.
No. 18. "Charlie Wilson's War": While it might not be Aaron Sorkin's masterpiece, it does manage to showcase the same verbal wit that made "The West Wing" and "Sports Night" shine. That being said, I would be interested to read Sorkin's original ending before it was changed to see if it was as much of an improvement over the final one as I'ver read.
No. 17. "Away from Her": As a story about losing a loved one gradually, it is an extremely effective, heart-rending portrayal, and Christie's grace lends it even more emotional weight. By that measure, the film possibly should have cracked the top 10 list, but parts just seemed a bit, well, false. Maybe it is just because I'm judging all cases by my own experience with my grandfather, but Christie's character seems afflicted more with movie Alzheimer's than actual Alzheimer's. That is really one of the film's only flaws.
No. 16. "Hot Fuzz": Flat out one of the year's most consistently funny films. Personally I even thought the film was, heresy of all heresies, an improvement over their last outing, "Shaun of the Dead." Unlike some recent spoofs that simply seem to be a string of reference points, "Hot Fuzz" manages to send up the buddy-action movie genre with an actual storyline and characters. Just flat-out hilarious.
No. 15. "The Wind that Shakes the Barley": While this IRA drama can get a bit repetitive, it is also an extremely powerful film with another top-notch performance by Cillian Murphy.
No. 14. "After the Wedding": Mads Mikkelsen, the villain in "Casino Royale," plays the head of an orphanage in a poor village in India who gets invited to the wedding of the daughter of a potential donor. Instead of a mere celebration, he finds a web of secrets, plans and deceptions in which he is a key piece. An exceptionally interesting examination of power and, ultimately, love.
No. 13. "There Will Be Blood": I'll be honest. I need to see this one again. I had a splitting headache the entire time through that might have clouded my experience. That said, great first half, but the second half was a bit of a let down, and I think more development was needed with Dano's storyline to really have the final scene be as powerful as it was intended to be.
No. 12. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford": Yes, narration sometimes becomes a bit much and the film occasionally feels as long and unwieldy as the title. That being said, at its best, it is as good as any film this year. And Casey Affleck is a flat-out revelation. This is the year's best performance, overshadowing what might also be the best work of Brad Pitt's career. This is another one that could easily move into the top 10 with another viewing.
No. 11. "Gone Baby Gone": A Ben Affleck-directed movie nearly cracked the top 10. Who would have thunk it. The storyline isn't always as solid as you'd like, but they manage to maintain a rather stunning moral ambiguity, not allowing the audience any easy copout the way lesser films (I'm looking squarely in your direction "The Contender") often do. And the final scene is simply stunning. Oh and Amy Ryan, simply amazing. If not for Affleck's Robert Ford, this would be the year's top performance.
Up next, the top 10. Although you can probably guess it at this point.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Nos. 21-30: Inching my way toward No. 1
Well, it was bound to happen. For the first time since I started this list, a film has cracked my top 10, making the one I will eventually get around to posting old news already. But more on that when I get to the top 10 (although kudos to anyone ... other than Lisa, who already knows it ... who can guess what it is).
30. "Superbad": This is the crudest of the Apatow movies and far less focused than "Knocked Up" "40 Year Old Virgin" or even "Finding Sarah Marshall." That said, it has as many belly laughs as just about any movie from last year. Given the hype, I was kind of disappointed in the storytelling, which meandered a little more than even Apatow movies usually do, but I've got to admit, I still occasionally break out quotes from the movie.
29. "2 Days in Paris": I'm not sure I'd enjoy actually knowing either of the main characters in this rom-com about a couple, one a New Yorker and the other a native Parisian, visiting her family in France. That said, they sure are entertaining to watch. Director/star Julie Delpy has crafted a pair of distinctive characters and while the dialogue might not always be fluid, it makes it feel more real. The former film critic at my hometown paper compared it to "Before Sunset" only minus the wisdom. That feels about right to me.
28. "Dan in Real Life": Yah, I didn't think any film involving Dane Cook would ever be ranked this high either. There's no one thing about this film that really stands out, but as a whole it simply works. While he might be known for his broader comedy, Steve Carell acquits himself nicely in the everyman role. And Dane Cook actually isn't terribly annoying. That's the most shocking of all.
27. "The Lookout": It might not be the most memorable crime caper ever made, but this is yet another strong performance in what is becoming quite an interesting career for the guy once known as the kid from "Third Rock from the Sun." Levitt is wonderful here as a former athlete who lost his big man on campus status after an accident leaves him with memory problems. Jeff Daniels provides stellar support as Levitt's blind roommate/friend.
26. "Waitress": OK, the pies themselves often don't sound that appetizing. But that is one of the only things off-putting about this big-hearted comedy about a pregnant piemaker trying to escape from her controlling husband. Simply a joy to watch, in part because of a winning performance by Keri Russell.
25. "Breach": One of the most overlooked movies from last year. Chris Cooper is amazing as Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent selling secrets to the Russians. This is up there with his best work (including "Adaptation") and alone is reason enough to see the film. Fortunately, most of the rest works reasonably well too.
24. "In the Shadow of the Moon": The No. 2 documentary on the list, this is simply a fascinating look inside the space program from the men who took part. While the film glosses over some parts, there are a lot of details here I never knew, including why the first space landing was almost scuttled, and what undisputed first Buzz Aldrin has on the moon. A must see for anyone interested in the early days of the space program.
23. "Eastern Promises": The highs don't reach quite as high as Cronenberg's previous collaboration with Viggo Moretenson ("A History of Violence"), but that doesn't negate the effectiveness of this brutal, chilling story.
22. "3:10 to Yuma": I'm not a big fan of the ending, but for most of the rest of it, it was simply a great film, giving a pair of top-notch talents in Russell Crowe and Christian Bale a chance to play off each other in the service of a script that works. Simply a great western, something which isn't all that common these days.
21. "Atonement": The cinematography is oustanding, and it's got a wonderful story with a gut-punch of an ending. Too often, however, you could feel the director's hand and a couple of choices seem self-indulgent given the film's tone. Still a very good film, however.
Up next: One of the year's funniest films and the movies with the year's two best performances, among others.
30. "Superbad": This is the crudest of the Apatow movies and far less focused than "Knocked Up" "40 Year Old Virgin" or even "Finding Sarah Marshall." That said, it has as many belly laughs as just about any movie from last year. Given the hype, I was kind of disappointed in the storytelling, which meandered a little more than even Apatow movies usually do, but I've got to admit, I still occasionally break out quotes from the movie.
29. "2 Days in Paris": I'm not sure I'd enjoy actually knowing either of the main characters in this rom-com about a couple, one a New Yorker and the other a native Parisian, visiting her family in France. That said, they sure are entertaining to watch. Director/star Julie Delpy has crafted a pair of distinctive characters and while the dialogue might not always be fluid, it makes it feel more real. The former film critic at my hometown paper compared it to "Before Sunset" only minus the wisdom. That feels about right to me.
28. "Dan in Real Life": Yah, I didn't think any film involving Dane Cook would ever be ranked this high either. There's no one thing about this film that really stands out, but as a whole it simply works. While he might be known for his broader comedy, Steve Carell acquits himself nicely in the everyman role. And Dane Cook actually isn't terribly annoying. That's the most shocking of all.
27. "The Lookout": It might not be the most memorable crime caper ever made, but this is yet another strong performance in what is becoming quite an interesting career for the guy once known as the kid from "Third Rock from the Sun." Levitt is wonderful here as a former athlete who lost his big man on campus status after an accident leaves him with memory problems. Jeff Daniels provides stellar support as Levitt's blind roommate/friend.
26. "Waitress": OK, the pies themselves often don't sound that appetizing. But that is one of the only things off-putting about this big-hearted comedy about a pregnant piemaker trying to escape from her controlling husband. Simply a joy to watch, in part because of a winning performance by Keri Russell.
25. "Breach": One of the most overlooked movies from last year. Chris Cooper is amazing as Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent selling secrets to the Russians. This is up there with his best work (including "Adaptation") and alone is reason enough to see the film. Fortunately, most of the rest works reasonably well too.
24. "In the Shadow of the Moon": The No. 2 documentary on the list, this is simply a fascinating look inside the space program from the men who took part. While the film glosses over some parts, there are a lot of details here I never knew, including why the first space landing was almost scuttled, and what undisputed first Buzz Aldrin has on the moon. A must see for anyone interested in the early days of the space program.
23. "Eastern Promises": The highs don't reach quite as high as Cronenberg's previous collaboration with Viggo Moretenson ("A History of Violence"), but that doesn't negate the effectiveness of this brutal, chilling story.
22. "3:10 to Yuma": I'm not a big fan of the ending, but for most of the rest of it, it was simply a great film, giving a pair of top-notch talents in Russell Crowe and Christian Bale a chance to play off each other in the service of a script that works. Simply a great western, something which isn't all that common these days.
21. "Atonement": The cinematography is oustanding, and it's got a wonderful story with a gut-punch of an ending. Too often, however, you could feel the director's hand and a couple of choices seem self-indulgent given the film's tone. Still a very good film, however.
Up next: One of the year's funniest films and the movies with the year's two best performances, among others.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
2008 Movie #7: "27 Dresses"
Quite often a great lead performance can turn a middling rom-com into a good film simply by sheer energy and magnetism (see Amy Adams in "Enchanted" or even Jennifer Garner in "13 Going on 30"). Unfortunately "27 Dresses" is not that movie.
That's not a knock on the film's star Katherine Heigl as much as the rest of the movie. If the rest of the film were merely middling, Heigl might have pushed it over the top. Instead what we're left with is a frequently cringe-inducing, by-the-book rom-com made occasionally watchable by an utterly appealing lead performance.
The "Grey's Anatomy" star plays Jane Nichols, who has worn those 27 dresses as a bridesmaid in 27 weddings. We see her initially trading off between two of them, shuttling back and forth to be a bridesmaid at two different weddings in the same night. In doing so, she catches the eye of marriage cynic Kevin Doyle (James Marsden, "Enchanted"), who unbeknownst to her also happens to be the New York Post's wedding columnist, whose sappy prose the wedding-loving Jane clips and saves.
But the prospect of wedding No. 28 might be too much for Jane, as her younger sister Tess (Malin Ackerman) has used a few fibs to snare Jane's boss and the man of her dreams, George (Edward Burns).
As anyone who watched her gamely hold her own and then some in "Knocked Up" knows, Heigl can do comedy while also creating an interesting, three-dimensional character. Her energy is infectious, and even makes the standard rom-com sing-along appealing, at least for its first 30 seconds. Unfortunately, with the exception of the always-welcome Judy Greer as Heigl's snarky best friend, not much else about the film works. The script portrays George as a man of energy and passion and vision, someone who you could see the romantic Jane falling head-over-heels for. Unfortunately none of that comes through in Burns' somnabulent performance. Marsden fairs a little better, coasting through some parts on his charm, but his character is often so poorly written that he feels more like a scripting construct than a wedding columnist. Tack on a bunch of cookie-cutter rom-com scenes and a too tidy by half resolution and you've got yourself a film that's only amusing during those moments when Heigl is able to will it to be so. It probably won't be nearly the worst movie I see this year, but it's very easy to see that Katherine Heigl deserves a lot better.
(At Eric's request) D+
That's not a knock on the film's star Katherine Heigl as much as the rest of the movie. If the rest of the film were merely middling, Heigl might have pushed it over the top. Instead what we're left with is a frequently cringe-inducing, by-the-book rom-com made occasionally watchable by an utterly appealing lead performance.
The "Grey's Anatomy" star plays Jane Nichols, who has worn those 27 dresses as a bridesmaid in 27 weddings. We see her initially trading off between two of them, shuttling back and forth to be a bridesmaid at two different weddings in the same night. In doing so, she catches the eye of marriage cynic Kevin Doyle (James Marsden, "Enchanted"), who unbeknownst to her also happens to be the New York Post's wedding columnist, whose sappy prose the wedding-loving Jane clips and saves.
But the prospect of wedding No. 28 might be too much for Jane, as her younger sister Tess (Malin Ackerman) has used a few fibs to snare Jane's boss and the man of her dreams, George (Edward Burns).
As anyone who watched her gamely hold her own and then some in "Knocked Up" knows, Heigl can do comedy while also creating an interesting, three-dimensional character. Her energy is infectious, and even makes the standard rom-com sing-along appealing, at least for its first 30 seconds. Unfortunately, with the exception of the always-welcome Judy Greer as Heigl's snarky best friend, not much else about the film works. The script portrays George as a man of energy and passion and vision, someone who you could see the romantic Jane falling head-over-heels for. Unfortunately none of that comes through in Burns' somnabulent performance. Marsden fairs a little better, coasting through some parts on his charm, but his character is often so poorly written that he feels more like a scripting construct than a wedding columnist. Tack on a bunch of cookie-cutter rom-com scenes and a too tidy by half resolution and you've got yourself a film that's only amusing during those moments when Heigl is able to will it to be so. It probably won't be nearly the worst movie I see this year, but it's very easy to see that Katherine Heigl deserves a lot better.
(At Eric's request) D+
Monday, May 5, 2008
Nos. 31-40: We're starting to get really good
Here we go again.
40. "1408": Easily the best of the few horror films I saw from this year. While the ending might not be exceptional, it's nice to see John Cusack seemingly interested again. He gives perhaps his best performance since "Max." Partially because of that, this psychological thriller is actually thrilling and scary.
39. "Lady Chatterly": The first of three consecutive, how shall I put it, more explicit entries, this film's slow, methodical pacing really works with this story. While passion blossoms, it's slow and tentative, and the film allows it to play out in that manner. At times some of the acting came across as kind of stilted, but other than that it was quite good.
38. "Black Snake Moan": Craig Brewer's followup to "Hustle & Flow" seems to always exist just on the other side of reality and is better for it, even if it does occasionally diverge into the silly. There's a music and dance sequence here that is just plain bravura filmmaking.
37. "Lust, Caution": This might not rank among Ang Lee's best, but there are a few moments in here that hold an unbelievable amount of power. The problem is the film is a tad inconsistent (and yes, the sex scenes are a bit over-the-top).
36. "King of Kong": A good story told well, albeit not quite as well as I'd hoped for. This documentary about two men's battle for the Donkey Kong all-time record received a lot of publicity, partially simply because of its quirky subject matter. And it is entertaining to a degree, but don't go in expecting the level of quality of a competition documentary like "Murderball." It's good, but it never really elevates itself past that stage.
35. "American Gangster": The first 15-20 minutes of this film seem to portend something truly great, an achievement that would live up to the prerelease hype. Unfortunately, the rest of the film doesn't really live up to it. It's solid, but it seems overly safe, by the book. It's consistent, but never really surprising.
34. "Hairspray": It may not be a classic, but it is far more consistently entertaining than I figured it would be (although John Travolta in a dress still kind of creeps me out). Catchy and infectious.
33. "Enchanted": On paper, this bit of Disney gently skewering itself shouldn't work. But then, in case you haven't heard, Amy Adams is magic. Adams, with support from a surprisingly adept James Marsden, elevates the entire production. I know this wasn't your typical Oscar-type role, but Blanchett in a subpar sequel over Adams' breath-of-fresh-air performance here? Really?
32. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix": After a second viewing, I think I prefered "Goblet of Fire," but this is still a worthy entry in the series, if only because of Imelda Staunton's hilarious turn as Delores Umbridge. Hopefully the final films in the series keep up the good work.
31. "A Mighty Heart": Easily the best Angelina Jolie movie I've ever seen. As much as this was marketed as Jolie-centric, however, it is much more of a procedural (and far better for it). Winterbottom's style is the star here, and he makes the search to find Daniel Pearl before it's too late utterly fascinating, despite the fact we know how this story ends. Quite an achievement, even if the film never quite reaches the level of "great."
Up next: Four comedies, five dramas and the second best documentary I saw last year.
40. "1408": Easily the best of the few horror films I saw from this year. While the ending might not be exceptional, it's nice to see John Cusack seemingly interested again. He gives perhaps his best performance since "Max." Partially because of that, this psychological thriller is actually thrilling and scary.
39. "Lady Chatterly": The first of three consecutive, how shall I put it, more explicit entries, this film's slow, methodical pacing really works with this story. While passion blossoms, it's slow and tentative, and the film allows it to play out in that manner. At times some of the acting came across as kind of stilted, but other than that it was quite good.
38. "Black Snake Moan": Craig Brewer's followup to "Hustle & Flow" seems to always exist just on the other side of reality and is better for it, even if it does occasionally diverge into the silly. There's a music and dance sequence here that is just plain bravura filmmaking.
37. "Lust, Caution": This might not rank among Ang Lee's best, but there are a few moments in here that hold an unbelievable amount of power. The problem is the film is a tad inconsistent (and yes, the sex scenes are a bit over-the-top).
36. "King of Kong": A good story told well, albeit not quite as well as I'd hoped for. This documentary about two men's battle for the Donkey Kong all-time record received a lot of publicity, partially simply because of its quirky subject matter. And it is entertaining to a degree, but don't go in expecting the level of quality of a competition documentary like "Murderball." It's good, but it never really elevates itself past that stage.
35. "American Gangster": The first 15-20 minutes of this film seem to portend something truly great, an achievement that would live up to the prerelease hype. Unfortunately, the rest of the film doesn't really live up to it. It's solid, but it seems overly safe, by the book. It's consistent, but never really surprising.
34. "Hairspray": It may not be a classic, but it is far more consistently entertaining than I figured it would be (although John Travolta in a dress still kind of creeps me out). Catchy and infectious.
33. "Enchanted": On paper, this bit of Disney gently skewering itself shouldn't work. But then, in case you haven't heard, Amy Adams is magic. Adams, with support from a surprisingly adept James Marsden, elevates the entire production. I know this wasn't your typical Oscar-type role, but Blanchett in a subpar sequel over Adams' breath-of-fresh-air performance here? Really?
32. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix": After a second viewing, I think I prefered "Goblet of Fire," but this is still a worthy entry in the series, if only because of Imelda Staunton's hilarious turn as Delores Umbridge. Hopefully the final films in the series keep up the good work.
31. "A Mighty Heart": Easily the best Angelina Jolie movie I've ever seen. As much as this was marketed as Jolie-centric, however, it is much more of a procedural (and far better for it). Winterbottom's style is the star here, and he makes the search to find Daniel Pearl before it's too late utterly fascinating, despite the fact we know how this story ends. Quite an achievement, even if the film never quite reaches the level of "great."
Up next: Four comedies, five dramas and the second best documentary I saw last year.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
2008 Movie No. 6: "Leatherheads"
Leatherheads is being promoted as George Clooney's take on classic Hollywood screwball comedies and to some extent it is. The ingredients are all there: the charismatic leading man, the tough-talking dame, the snappy verbal repartee and the mildly ludicrous situations they must extricate themselves from. The thing is, the movie as a whole plays like an amalgamation of one of those films with "Bull Durham" and "Flags of our Fathers." And while all the pieces work well, they don't always work well together.
Clooney plays "Dodge" Connelly, the aging star of a struggling 1920s Duluth professional football team. They're quickly running out of money and, like many of that era's teams, in danger of having to close up shop for good.
College football, on the other hand, is thriving. And the face of college football is clean-shaven medal of honor winner Carter Rutherford, a star at Princeton whose manager (Jonathan Pryce) has made sure he's splashed across every newspaper and magazine cover, and many of the advertisements inside as well. In Carter, Dodge sees a face who could draw the kind of crowds pro football could only dream of, someone who might be able to singlehandedly save the game he loves from financial ruin. In Dodge, Carter sees a chance to put off his preordained life and continue playing football. So he joins Duluth, bringing immense hype and media attention with him.
Part of that media attention comes from Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger), the Chicago Tribune's ace reporter who is interested less in football and more in blowing apart the somewhat dubious story of how Carter single-handedly got 30 German soldiers to surrender. It should come as no surprise that while the pair team up successfully on the football field they compete for Lexie's affections off of it.
There are a lot of interesting things going on here. The comedy often works, and it has a few things to say on how we create our heroes. And Clooney does an especially good job playing a guy who realizes that by saving his football team, he's going to be changing things in a way that makes him obsolete. The problem is, tonally, it doesn't always work. One particular screwball sequence might be amusing on its own, but it sticks out like a sore thumb and doesn't really fit with anything else around it. And that's not the only time it felt that way. It's too bad because viewing the parts on their own, this had the chance to be a great movie instead of merely a good one.
Clooney plays "Dodge" Connelly, the aging star of a struggling 1920s Duluth professional football team. They're quickly running out of money and, like many of that era's teams, in danger of having to close up shop for good.
College football, on the other hand, is thriving. And the face of college football is clean-shaven medal of honor winner Carter Rutherford, a star at Princeton whose manager (Jonathan Pryce) has made sure he's splashed across every newspaper and magazine cover, and many of the advertisements inside as well. In Carter, Dodge sees a face who could draw the kind of crowds pro football could only dream of, someone who might be able to singlehandedly save the game he loves from financial ruin. In Dodge, Carter sees a chance to put off his preordained life and continue playing football. So he joins Duluth, bringing immense hype and media attention with him.
Part of that media attention comes from Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger), the Chicago Tribune's ace reporter who is interested less in football and more in blowing apart the somewhat dubious story of how Carter single-handedly got 30 German soldiers to surrender. It should come as no surprise that while the pair team up successfully on the football field they compete for Lexie's affections off of it.
There are a lot of interesting things going on here. The comedy often works, and it has a few things to say on how we create our heroes. And Clooney does an especially good job playing a guy who realizes that by saving his football team, he's going to be changing things in a way that makes him obsolete. The problem is, tonally, it doesn't always work. One particular screwball sequence might be amusing on its own, but it sticks out like a sore thumb and doesn't really fit with anything else around it. And that's not the only time it felt that way. It's too bad because viewing the parts on their own, this had the chance to be a great movie instead of merely a good one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)