(Note: Sorry this took so long to get done. I actually postponed it to give me time to see a different movie first. You'll see later.)
Few filmmakers just capture the pure magic of storytelling as well as Pixar does. That's one of the best ways to describe their new film, "WALL-E" simply pure movie-making magic. Seriously, see this movie.
Our hero WALL-E, short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class, is the last working robot on earth, or at least Manhattan. Humans have long since abandoned earth after toxic levels of garbage overran the city, and WALL-E's fellow robots, essentially full-service trash compactors left behind to clean up the planet, have long-since stopped working. But WALL-E has persevered, going back out every day to compact mounds of trash. Perhaps WALL-E has survived because he has found a reason to. Over the years, WALL-E has developed a personality, mainly a sense of curiosity and wonder. Every day, he saves certain treasures from the trash he compacts, bringing them back to his home.
For all of the treasures WALL-E has found, however, something is missing. Along with curiosity, the robot, whose only friend is a seemingly indestructible cockroach, also has developed a sense of loneliness, a longing for some kind of connection.
Then one day, a spaceship lands on earth carrying EVE, a robot with a specific mission and an itchy trigger finger. Finally, WALL-E hopes, here is the connection he has been longing for.
Much has justifiably been written about the movie's first segment on earth, which is absolutely breathtaking. The vistas are both strangely beautiful and haunting, a barren wasteland of trash. Perhaps better still, however, was the character work. Without more than just a couple of words, this section creates an utterly heart-breaking character in WALL-E. Both his curiosity and his near desperation are so vividly and wonderfully drawn that this robot seems more human than the people in many movies.
While the second half on a spaceship which now houses the human race is not quite as flawless as the first, but there is still a lot of brilliant stuff to be drawn from its rather dystopian view of the future. People have ceded so much of their lives over things and technology that they have lost those very human traits that the robot WALL-E seems to have developed. There's no curiosity, no wonder or awe. People have let technology take care of their every whim, and because of that they've kind of become a slave to it.
On thing that strikes me looking back on the last two Pixar films is how they seem to be digging back into the early days of movies for inspiration. One of the reasons why this review is late is that I wanted to wait until I'd finished seeing my first silent film, "City Lights," which has been cited by some as a possible inspiration for this film. I can see it. But several of the more choreographed comedic sequences reminded me of Pixar's previous outing. Many of the kitchen scenes in "Ratatouille" took on the same balletic quality as many of the scenes in Chaplin's film. It might be neither here nor there, but it is interesting how a company on the cutting edge of technology seems to be turning to the past for storytelling tips.
As some of you who have been reading the various incarnations of my movie lists for a while might recall, two out of the last three Pixar films cracked the top 10 for their respective years. I'd be surprised if it didn't happen once again this year.
In one word: "Whoa!"
A
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
What am I missing?
So I'm trying to watch some of AFI's top movies that I haven't seen. And that's great when they are as wonderful and hold up as well as "Lawrence of Arabia," which I watched yesterday. But "Gone with the Wind"? Seriously? This is the movie that's so revered? Maybe it just hasn't held up that well over the years, but it certainly generates a lot of love for a film with two unlikable (and not all that interesting) leads, a massively overrated love story (if you can even call it that) and a storytelling style that manages to make the film simultaneously feel unbearably long and extremely rushed. Even most of the iconic lines (with the exception of the admittedly great parting shot) manage to feel leaden in the film itself.
Seriously, someone tell me what I'm missing here. Why does this film generate the level of love and admiration?
Seriously, someone tell me what I'm missing here. Why does this film generate the level of love and admiration?
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Movie No.10: "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
My first reaction after seeing the new Indiana Jones movie: What the @#$@#$?
And I'm actually not talking about the rather out there plot. I'm talking about just how sloppy some parts of it were. Granted there were also moments where you were reminded just how talented the people involved were, but there were too many moments that assaulted my suspension of disbelief with an Uzi, and the film never really achieved a level of consistency to make up for it.
To account for the character's aging, the plot has been moved up about 20 years, eschewing Nazism and religious artifacts for Communists and a more, well, sci-fi related plot. In the 20 intervening years, Indy has apparently added war hero and occasional spy to his previous list of job titles (archaeologist, adventurer, academic). He's been kidnapped and taken to a certain well-known and mysterious military "area" by a group of Soviets led by the somewhat psychic Col. Dr. Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett with a black bob) to find an artifact in the storage facility that Indy had helped examine (let's just say the town of Roswell is mentioned).
After a harrowing (and in one case eye-rollingly ludicrous) escape, a young greaser named Mutt Williams (Shia LeBeouf) comes looking for Indy, saying his mother had told him to contact him after she and his pseudo-stepdad, a onetime friend of Indy's were kidnapped after Indy's friend had gone in search of the fabled Crystal Skull.
Some of the things that you'd expect from an Indiana Jones movie are still there. The action sequences still mostly carry the same level of excitement. Ford, though visibly aged, still wears the character well, and his easy delivery of some of the movie's snarkier lines helps add some intentional laughs to the proceedings, especially after he meets back up with "Raiders of the Lost Ark" flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). Blanchett also is a nice addition to the cast. Her character is occasionally a bit over the top, but the Oscar winner makes her work.
The problem is several sequences are so jaw-droppingly ridiculous (the refrigerator scene, the monkey scene and the "It drops three times" scene, among others) that they kill any momentum the film had. This is especially bad when they seem to, without fail, come immediately after the film's strongest scenes. Some parts feel overly drawn out. Others feel rushed. Overall it just doesn't really come together all that well. It's not an awful film, but it sure as heck ain't "Raiders of the Lost Ark" either.
D+
If you'll notice I also added "In the Valley of Elah" (better than I expected) and "Southland Tales" to the list. "Southland Tales" is a bizarre one. I simultaneously think I have it rated too high and too low. It has moments of a fever-dream type brilliance, but its plot also manages to twist and turn its way into utter incoherence. Let's just say this is a film that quotes liberally from the Book of Revelations, has Sarah Michelle Gellar's character hosting a TV show that can perhaps best be described as the McLaughlin Group if it were made up entirely of ditsy female porn stars, and has a couple of characters utter a variation of the line "I'm a pimp, and pimps don't commit suicide."
And I'm actually not talking about the rather out there plot. I'm talking about just how sloppy some parts of it were. Granted there were also moments where you were reminded just how talented the people involved were, but there were too many moments that assaulted my suspension of disbelief with an Uzi, and the film never really achieved a level of consistency to make up for it.
To account for the character's aging, the plot has been moved up about 20 years, eschewing Nazism and religious artifacts for Communists and a more, well, sci-fi related plot. In the 20 intervening years, Indy has apparently added war hero and occasional spy to his previous list of job titles (archaeologist, adventurer, academic). He's been kidnapped and taken to a certain well-known and mysterious military "area" by a group of Soviets led by the somewhat psychic Col. Dr. Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett with a black bob) to find an artifact in the storage facility that Indy had helped examine (let's just say the town of Roswell is mentioned).
After a harrowing (and in one case eye-rollingly ludicrous) escape, a young greaser named Mutt Williams (Shia LeBeouf) comes looking for Indy, saying his mother had told him to contact him after she and his pseudo-stepdad, a onetime friend of Indy's were kidnapped after Indy's friend had gone in search of the fabled Crystal Skull.
Some of the things that you'd expect from an Indiana Jones movie are still there. The action sequences still mostly carry the same level of excitement. Ford, though visibly aged, still wears the character well, and his easy delivery of some of the movie's snarkier lines helps add some intentional laughs to the proceedings, especially after he meets back up with "Raiders of the Lost Ark" flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). Blanchett also is a nice addition to the cast. Her character is occasionally a bit over the top, but the Oscar winner makes her work.
The problem is several sequences are so jaw-droppingly ridiculous (the refrigerator scene, the monkey scene and the "It drops three times" scene, among others) that they kill any momentum the film had. This is especially bad when they seem to, without fail, come immediately after the film's strongest scenes. Some parts feel overly drawn out. Others feel rushed. Overall it just doesn't really come together all that well. It's not an awful film, but it sure as heck ain't "Raiders of the Lost Ark" either.
D+
If you'll notice I also added "In the Valley of Elah" (better than I expected) and "Southland Tales" to the list. "Southland Tales" is a bizarre one. I simultaneously think I have it rated too high and too low. It has moments of a fever-dream type brilliance, but its plot also manages to twist and turn its way into utter incoherence. Let's just say this is a film that quotes liberally from the Book of Revelations, has Sarah Michelle Gellar's character hosting a TV show that can perhaps best be described as the McLaughlin Group if it were made up entirely of ditsy female porn stars, and has a couple of characters utter a variation of the line "I'm a pimp, and pimps don't commit suicide."
Friday, June 13, 2008
A little more on 2007
I was a little baffled when I made up the initial top-90 list why so many people considered 2007 such a great year for movies. There were certainly many I liked, but it seemed actually slightly down from a lot of years.
What a difference 12 movies make.
I have hit 100 and posted them, in order, on the side of page with the new ones having an asterisk. As you can see, many of them are toward the top. I already told you about "The Savages," but even better was "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." It lived up to its reviews. Many of the stretches are simply marvelous. I'd also highly recommend "Lars and the Real Girl," "Control," "The Hunting Party" and "Starting Out in the Evening." And as highly uneven as it was, "I'm Not There" had moments of, if not genius, then at least a reasonable facsimile. "Walk Hard" wasn't as good as the other two high-profile Apatow productions of last year, but it was frequently very, very funny. And while "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" was a bit of a disappointment to me, it, "King of California" and "Things We Lost in the Fire" were all at least passable. Even by far the worst, the bipolar train-wreck of a film that is "Romance and Cigarettes," had a delightful performance by Kate Winslet.
So hey, the year's looking up. I'll probably see at least another 10 or so movies. "Persepolis," "In the Valley of Elah," "This is England," "10 Canoes" and, for sheer curiousity's sake, "Southland Tales" are all on the list. What else do you think should be?
What a difference 12 movies make.
I have hit 100 and posted them, in order, on the side of page with the new ones having an asterisk. As you can see, many of them are toward the top. I already told you about "The Savages," but even better was "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." It lived up to its reviews. Many of the stretches are simply marvelous. I'd also highly recommend "Lars and the Real Girl," "Control," "The Hunting Party" and "Starting Out in the Evening." And as highly uneven as it was, "I'm Not There" had moments of, if not genius, then at least a reasonable facsimile. "Walk Hard" wasn't as good as the other two high-profile Apatow productions of last year, but it was frequently very, very funny. And while "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" was a bit of a disappointment to me, it, "King of California" and "Things We Lost in the Fire" were all at least passable. Even by far the worst, the bipolar train-wreck of a film that is "Romance and Cigarettes," had a delightful performance by Kate Winslet.
So hey, the year's looking up. I'll probably see at least another 10 or so movies. "Persepolis," "In the Valley of Elah," "This is England," "10 Canoes" and, for sheer curiousity's sake, "Southland Tales" are all on the list. What else do you think should be?
Friday, June 6, 2008
Movie No. 9: "Baby Mama"
I had a bad feeling at the start of "Baby Mama." The first 15 minutes are everything that Tina Fey's comedy "30 Rock" usually isn't: stale and really poorly paced. It seemed sloppy and flabby, in need of scenes trimmed a few seconds earlier and laughs that hit a bit harder -- or at all.
Then Amy Poehler entered the picture.
Poehler plays the trashy surrogate to Tina Fey's well-put-together corporate executive on the rise. The film is mostly about them becoming friends during the pregnancy, with a few predictable (and one rather surprising) twist thrown in along the way.
"Baby Mama" isn't a great film, but the interaction between Fey and Poehler makes it a watchable one. The SNL vets play off each other well, and with the exception of a couple of lines from Dax Shepard, most of the laughs come when the film's stars are sharing the screen.
It lacks the sharpness of a film like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," but as a matinee or a night curled up on the couch after it is released on DVD, it should offer a suitable amount of entertainment. C+
Then Amy Poehler entered the picture.
Poehler plays the trashy surrogate to Tina Fey's well-put-together corporate executive on the rise. The film is mostly about them becoming friends during the pregnancy, with a few predictable (and one rather surprising) twist thrown in along the way.
"Baby Mama" isn't a great film, but the interaction between Fey and Poehler makes it a watchable one. The SNL vets play off each other well, and with the exception of a couple of lines from Dax Shepard, most of the laughs come when the film's stars are sharing the screen.
It lacks the sharpness of a film like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," but as a matinee or a night curled up on the couch after it is released on DVD, it should offer a suitable amount of entertainment. C+
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Movie No. 8: "Iron Man"
There's a lesson to be learned from "Iron Man." You don't cast Paul Walker when you can get Robert Downey Jr. You don't cast Jessica Alba when you can get Gwyneth Paltrow. You don't cast Ice Cube when you can get Terrance Howard. Their performances, especially Downey in the title role, help make "Iron Man" into a very good summer blockbuster.
While the casting of Downey in a superhero film might have initially raised some eyebrows, the role fits him like a glove (as perhaps well it should, given the actor's past and the harder-living aspects of Tony Stark's personal life). He imbues Stark not only with a charisma and quick wit that the public persona need but also with a good deal of humanity. Downey makes the character's transformation moving and believable as the weapons dealer's eyes are opened to the destruction that his life's work has wrought.
Perhaps the only complaint is that the action scenes weren't all that inventive or exciting. A film like "Spider-Man 2" worked both in and out of costume, but nothing here even approaches that film's train showdown. Still, though, it is not a bad effort. Not by a long shot.
B+
While the casting of Downey in a superhero film might have initially raised some eyebrows, the role fits him like a glove (as perhaps well it should, given the actor's past and the harder-living aspects of Tony Stark's personal life). He imbues Stark not only with a charisma and quick wit that the public persona need but also with a good deal of humanity. Downey makes the character's transformation moving and believable as the weapons dealer's eyes are opened to the destruction that his life's work has wrought.
Perhaps the only complaint is that the action scenes weren't all that inventive or exciting. A film like "Spider-Man 2" worked both in and out of costume, but nothing here even approaches that film's train showdown. Still, though, it is not a bad effort. Not by a long shot.
B+
Friday, May 23, 2008
Drum roll please ... The top 10
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."
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."
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+
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