THE HURT LOCKER – There’s a breed of combat film that makes grand statements about the nature of war and the human condition. And then there’s Kathryn Bigelow’s HURT LOCKER that just puts you smack in the middle of the action and lets you figure it all out for yourself. Following the exploits of Bravo Company – an elite bomb disposal unit in Iraq – and it’s volatile new Sergeant (Jeremy Renner) as they follow him further and further out on the edge of what most of us would consider sanity. Bigelow’s film completely eschews politics and presents Iraq as a chaotic and surreal death-scape that proves to be unmanageable for some and irresistibly addictive for others. The Hurt Locker is tense, immersive, and completely breath-taking; an instant classic of the combat genre and maybe the first great film about the Iraq War.
INGLORIOUS BASTERDS – Pound for pound, the year’s top film. Clever, unexpected, and - for a genre picture - utterly original. Quentin Tarantino’s finest film since Pulp Fiction and possibly his smartest. Read my full review and see Inglorious Basterds.
FOOD, INC. – I do not tend to like activist documentaries, but this one – directed by Robert Kenner – is a doozy. Lifting the veil off food conglomerates, if this film doesn’t blow your mind on some level, you may not have one. From its clever opening titles to its ‘organic manifesto’ closing credits, Food, Inc. is a tight, beautifully shot documentary and a real ‘must-see’ for anybody who eats.
12 – Nikita Mikhalkov’s re-working of Sydney Lumet’s 12 ANGRY MEN is nothing short of brilliant. Mikhalkov transplants the action to modern Russia and achieves results that easily rival the quality and impact of the original. Putting his ‘cross-section of society’ jury in a school gymnasium, and intercutting the men’s various takes on the crime with flashbacks to the accused boy’s childhood in the Chechnya war, the film is startling in its currency and completely original in spite of being a re-make. A great film by a true master.
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER – By presenting a young couples’ doomed relationship using William S. Burroughs’ “Cut Up” technique, first time director Marc Webb may not re-invent the romantic comedy, but he certainly breathes unexpected new life into it. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel play the charming couple whose 500-day relationship gives the film its title, and they both give wonderful, grounded performances that elevate the movie even higher. Like young love, 500 Days Of Summer breaks your heart a little, but it also fills it with joy and hope.
UP IN THE AIR – I’m not going to go on and on about how good this Jason Reitman film is: you’ve heard all the hyperbole. I will say it’s a smooth, funny, very well acted picture that’s both classic in feel and current in theme. An excellent comedy/drama; sharply written and expertly directed.
DISTRICT 9 / AVATAR – I’m combining these two very different sci-fi films because they have something significant in common: they are both extremely flawed, yet still have enough going for them to earn a place among the year’s top movies. District 9 starts out brilliantly, as a ‘mockumentary’ about alien refugees in a Johannesburg ghetto. The first hour is as original a film as you’re likely to see and its political metaphor is both biting and smart. Sadly, the film abandons its own gimmick, settles into standard action flick territory, and loses a huge amount of weight. By the final showdown with a giant robot suit, I got the feeling that I was watching a film that’s been almost completely compromised.
And speaking of giant robot suits, the ending of AVATAR is very similar both in terms of hardware and in terms of undermining some of its preceding brilliance. In Avatar, the brilliance comes mainly in the visual variety; this is one of the most stunning films I've ever seen... especially in 3D. Unfortunately, the characters and the story are not in 3D. There’s no denying James Cameron’s incredible technical achievement; he really has ushered in a new era in filmmaking. And beyond that, Cameron has a deep understanding of how to integrate special effects in ways that are organic to the story. Sadly his writing skills have grown incredibly stale. The film moves from one cliché to the next until it becomes almost laughable. Add some hokey use of music and a total lack of three-dimensional characters and you end up with a severely flawed film. Yet, as pure movie going experiences, both District 9 and AVATAR are amazing and deserve acknowledgement.
STAR TREK - Almost a direct opposite of Avatar and District 9, JJ Abrams’ STAR TREK re-boot offers very little by way of originality, but serves it all up with high energy, humor and excitement. Recasting the original Enterprise crew with a sharp, charismatic young cast, Star Trek accomplishes something very rare in big Summer movies: it nails its target perfectly. Sure, the plot makes very little sense (especially anything having to do with the Romulans), but none of that matters because virtually every moment of the film is filled with wonder, adventure and optimism. And that’s exactly what Gene Roddenberry intended. The years best ‘Popcorn Movie’.
A SERIOUS MAN – The Coen Brothers’ most personal film and their funniest in years. Closest in tone to Barton Fink, but with an autobiographical, Yiddish twist. A Serious Man plays out the biblical story of Job in a deadpan, Buster Keaton style. It’s funny, thoughtful stuff with a typically Jewish punch line: If you think you have it bad now?, it could always get worse.
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG – After years of increasingly bad CG Animation, seeing this was like a breath of fresh air. I loved every minute of this classic 2D retelling of the old fairy tale. If you’ve been waiting for a film to sit on the shelf next to Little Mermaid and Beauty And The Beast… the wait is over. Here it is. Vintage Disney animation and a new classic.
GOMORRAH – A cross between City Of God and Traffic, Matteo Garrone's Gomorrah tracks the poisonous effects of institutionalized crime on modern Neapolitan society. The film, shot in a dead-pan neo-realist style, is unlike any traditional gangster film; completely sidestepping the intrinsic romanticism of the genre in favor of showing the corrosive power of crime and the blurring of lines between criminals and citizens. Don’t expect satisfying resolutions, but this film will stick in your brain for a long time.
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN – May be the best film I’ve seen all year: this Swedish vampire flick makes all the other vampire movies this year seem silly by comparison. Director Tomas Alfredson creates a creepy landscape around Oskar, the brutalized 12-year old protagonist who falls in love with Eli, an ancient bloodsucker in a body of a 12-year old girl. Original, austere and genuinely disturbing LET THE RIGHT ONE IN infuses new blood into a genre that has been (ahem!) undead for decades. A must see.
Better Than You Were Led To Believe:
THE WATCHMEN – The extended DVD cut is the way to go here. A longer, more detailed version improves on many of the problems I had with the theatrical release (read my full review). It’s still far from a perfect adaptation, but it holds up well on repeated viewings thanks to the density and the minutia Director Zack Snyder brings to the table. And though it’s wildly uneven, Watchmen has moments of movie magic and pure brilliance that I’d put up against anything I’ve seen this year.
I LOVE YOU MAN – 2009’s best comedy. This ‘bromance’ starring the always reliable Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, is very funny, but also balanced and true to its characters. I liked the way director John Hamburg actually tells a story instead of piling jokes one on top of the other. I Love You Man works as a film and that’s not an easy task to pull off. I loved it.
PUBLIC ENEMIES – Michael Mann’s take on the depression era folk hero John Dillinger is tight, engaging, and has a sense of immediacy very rare in most action films these days. Johnny Depp gives a solid performance and I was surprised by how effective the digital cinematography was to the overall experience. A good film that’ll hold up very well on home video, though as far as Dillinger bio-pics go, I still prefer the John Milius DILLINGER with Warren Oats from 1973.
IN THE LOOP – I was initially put off by the shaky-cam aesthetic of this broad political satire from director Armando Iannucci. But as it progressed, I got hooked by the sharply profane script and the terrific cast that includes David Rasche, Steve Coogan, and the always awesome James Gandolfini. Sure it feels a bit like the British Office, but the inside look at the political jockeying in the run-up to the Iraq War is completely original and relentlessly clever. And one more thing: In The Loop is consistently hilarious, especially if you enjoy English ‘humour’ of the driest variety.
FUNNY PEOPLE – There was so much to like about Judd Apatow’s character study that I can almost forgive a weak 3rd act, in which Apatow basically creates a trite and unnecessary subplot for his wife. Both Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen do some of their best work here and the writing is often hilarious, but that 3rd act really sabotages the picture and the whole thing (like most Apatow’s films) is about 30 minutes too long. Good rental.
TERMINATOR: SALVATION – I had no desire to see this prequel to the Terminator films and judging by the weak box office, few people did. So going in with extremely low expectations, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this story of how John Connor met Kyle Reese. The action is solid and intense, the references to the previous Terminator films are clever, and the performances (especially by Avatar’s Sam Worthington, who’s the literal ‘heart’ of the story) are uniformly strong. Most surprising of all though, is the degree to which Director McG succeeds in making this post-apocalyptic combat film, feel like a real Terminator movie.
CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE – Mark Naveldine and Brian Taylor’s sequel to a wacked out original from ’06, is one of the stupidest, most offensive films I’ve seen in a long time. But if one is willing to accept the fact that that’s exactly what it means to be, Crank 2 can be a whole lot of fun. Watch it with a big grain of salt.
GI JOE – The epitome of brainless fun. I won’t waste your time with faint praise, but if you ever catch this on cable, you may be surprised by how goofily enjoyable this cartoon adaptation actually is.
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE – Ignored by audiences and crucified by critics, this 3rd attempt to bring Marvel Comics’ vigilante psycho to the big screen is easily the best; though that’s not saying much. What I can say is that PUNISHER: WAR ZONE is a surprisingly solid shoot-‘em-up that harkens to the genre’s ‘80s glory days. Director Lexi Alexander isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel here, but she succeeds admirably at making a solid B-level action film that also gives us The Punisher that feels right.
BRUNO – Is it as good as Borat? No. Does it replay the same joke over and over again? Sure. Did I laugh my butt off? You bet.
Not As Good As Should Have Been:
WOLVERINE - If it is possible to consider fictional characters as personal friends, then Wolverine and the original crew of the starship Enterprise would certainly qualify. It’s an interesting coincidence that two of this summer’s biggest films, released within a week of one another, highlight these exact characters and their origins. X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE is an example of how not to do it. I’ve always liked Hugh Jackman as an actor, but he’s a weak Wolverine and this is a weak film; giving an origin story to a character least in need of an origin. The comic book Wolverine always worked best as a mysterious figure with a shadowy past. Now that they’ve given him a back-story, Wolverine’s mystique has been completely drained, leaving nothing but an empty tank top.
THE BAD LIEUTENANT: N.O. - First of all, why is it called The Bad Lieutenant?, since it has nothing to do with the Abel Ferrara original from ’92. Second, the Lieutenant, as played by the predictably wacky Nicholas Cage, is not actually that bad, just severely drug crazed. Director Warner Herzog brings some surrealist touches and stages several very strong scenes, but none of it really adds up to anything and the film plays like a much too basic crime drama. I did like the ending, though, and would strongly recommend this film to anyone who has ever liked the work of Warner Herzog.
THE HANGOVER – Not bad, by any means. I just didn’t laugh all that much. Maybe it was me or maybe it was a generational thing (though my parents loved it). Either way, I judge my comedies on how much I laugh, so here we are.
UP – Don’t hate me, but I just wasn’t that enamored with this latest bit of Pixar ‘critic nip’. Sure I wept like a baby in the first 10 minutes, but once the film settled into its main storyline, I found myself strangely disconnected from the characters and the action. It’s probably better than Cars, but not by much.
ADVENTURELAND – One would think that a movie about a Lou Reed obsessed Liberal Arts geek coming of age in the mid ‘80s would be right up my alley. Not so much, actually. Greg Matolla’s follow-up to Superbad isn’t a bad film, just a very bland one; light on both ideas and laughs. And it feels slight even on the small screen.
THE INTERNATIONAL – Another example of a film that’s not aggressively bad, just inconsequential. Director Tom Tykwer tries to tap into our anti-Big Bank sentiment with this spy thriller, and comes up way short on thrills. Clive Owen broods a lot, but never finds a character that I related to, and the film just lumbers along without ever finding a voice or even a single sequence that stayed with me for more than 5 minutes. And the big action set piece at New York’s Guggenheim Museum, that’s supposed to be so impressive, is actually just plain silly; a transplant from the Transformer movies, plopped in the middle of what’s - up to that point - a ‘serious’ geo-political drama.
Crap:
THE PROPOSAL – Considering that I like both Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, I was actually surprised by how much I loathed this cliché ridden piece of hokum. Not funny, romantic or even a little amusing, you should turn this proposal down.
2012 – Another serving of ‘apocalyptic porn’ from the genre’s reigning king, Roland Emmerich. And if you thought The Day After Tomorrow was lame, wait until you see this turkey. Not even the usually crowd-pleasing scenes of mass annihilation make any sense here… and all the performances are uniformly terrible. I was actively rooting for everybody to die and, in this too, I was disappointed.
PLANET 51 – A one-joke movie. And the joke isn’t funny. This is the kind of computer animated garbage that our kids are subjected to on a monthly basis, and I’m just sick of it.
TWILIGHT – Simplistic, predictable, and painfully boring; Twilight made tons of money but brought nothing new to the vampire genre. On top of that, I felt zero chemistry between stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, whose longing glances compiled a solid 20 minutes of the film’s running time. By the time it reached its silly final showdown, I wanted to drive a stake through my own heart.
DUPLICITY – I hated this film so much, that I had to stop watching it. That’s right! I admit that I didn’t watch the whole thing. And I don’t care. It’s almost stunning that a collection of talent like director Tony Gilroy, stars Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Tom Wilkinson, and Paul Giamatti (!), can end up with a film this awful, but they did. How? Well, first of all the script sucks. Second, the pacing is way off: this should be a snappy battle of wits instead of a repetitive collection of scenes strung together with no feeling for a greater whole. Third, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen have zero chemistry. Zero (I know, I know… CLOSER was great, but that film was not about chemistry). And I’ll even go a step further and ask: what the hell is wrong with Julia Roberts, anyway? She’s been consistently terrible lately and I’m sick of her half-baked performances in film after film. And based on her recent track record, I’m not the only one who feels this way. But back to Duplicity… did I mention that I hated it?
On DVD:
TRANSSIBERIAN – Director Brad Anderson (The Machinist) brings his inner Hitchcock to a tightly wound thriller set (and shot) on the Trans Siberian railway. Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer play an American couple using travel to save their marriage. Obviously things go very bad, but in a unique and fairly shocking manner. In fact, there was very little I was able to predict in this suspenseful story where nothing and nobody are quite what they seem. And while we’re in Russia…
1612 – I found this Russian historical epic/ fantasy adventure charming and highly entertaining. Director Vladimir Khotinenko is playing comfortably in a ‘Hollywood epic’ sandbox, but he also imbues 1612 with a wild sense of adventure and a good deal of humor. Ultimately, the film is too much of a mixed bag; trying to cram history, fantasy, homage to everything from Lord Of The Rings to Zorro, and a good deal of nationalistic propaganda into a film that feels bloated and overly long (even though it’s only a little over 2 hours). Still, 1612 is a very fun ride and, in its own way, as exotic as all those Chinese period pieces seemed a decade ago.
THE WOLVES –From 1971, Hideo Gosha’s little-seen gangster masterpiece should be appreciated for two reasons. First, it stars the great Tatsuya Nakadai at the height of his game. Second, The Wolves with its 1920’s setting and the blending of the Samurai and the Yakuza genres is one hell of an entertaining picture. Surprisingly witty, brilliantly convoluted, engaging and beautifully acted. And though I know it represents a popular sub-genre of the Yakuza cinema, and contains most of its conventions, The Wolves feels fresh and original. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
LA HAINE – French director Mathieu Kassovitz’s stylish and sharp socio/political diatribe from ’95 is easily his best film. A story of 3 ‘multi-cultural’ friends out to avenge their buddy’s brutal murder at the hands of the police feels like a cross between Jim Jarmusch and Gillo Pontecorvo; and the cast, that includes Saïd Taghmaoui and Vincent Cassel, is uniformly excellent. Sure, its politics are often silly and dated, but La Haine is a raw and wonderfully artistic film I was glad to discover.
BODY OF LIES – A fairly sobering and occasionally breathtaking spy film that focuses on the Terror War’s secret battlefields. Director Ridley Scott knows how to direct both the action and the actors and here, he creates a Middle Eastern environment that’s far more believable than in films like The Kingdom. Leo DeCaprio and Russell Crowe are both terrific, but Mark Strong as the head of Jordanian intelligence, steals the movie. A good action flick as well as a smart and even insightful examination of a conflict most of us don’t fully understand.
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (THE DIRECTOR’S CUT) - I had some major issues with the theatrical release of Kingdom Of Heaven. With its 'thin' hero, an excessive attention paid to political correctness, and a plot that barely made sense, Ridley Scott's film was a choppy mess. Now we know why. The studio forced him to cut a whole hour of the sprawling epic, and this basically destroyed the film's integrity. Thankfully, Scott seems to be one of the few directors in Hollywood who has the pull to 're-visit' his old films and release them on DVD in a form that he finds satisfactory. And while I'm often critical of re-editing existing art, in this case the second-guessing is both justified and worth the effort. The Director's cut of Kingdom Of Heaven is so much better than the theatrical cut, it basically represents another film altogether. Addressing almost every problem I had, this 3-hour version is thoughtful, sprawling and genuinely epic. And though it's still hard to categorize Orlando Bloom's performance as a success, it's filled out in ways that certainly give his character motivation and gravity he was sorely missing before. Of course, the real star here is Ridley Scott with his amazing visual style and attention to period detail; given room to breathe, the film delves into plot-points and ideas that work to shore up gaping holes in the narrative that essentially destroyed the theatrical cut. Kingdom Of Heaven, in this new version, is a movie that engulfs you in its beauty and majesty and demands to be re-evaluated. It's a terrific film!
MIAMI VICE (THE EXTENDED CUT) – Again, when revisiting Michael Mann’s ’06 film version of his ‘80s TV series in this ‘extended edition’, I found a lot I liked about the film. This cut, of course, is not nearly as extensively different as Kingdom Of Heaven, just some extended scenes and a new opening. Yet the new, more leisurely pace works very well here; accentuating the detail of Mann’s very specific vision and creating a sense of place and paranoia that struck me with far more impact. Or maybe it just plays better on the small screen. Either way, Miami Vice is a better film than I originally gave it credit for.
I’d also like to give a special note of thanks to Netflix for making sure I’m unable to complete my list in a timely fashion. Since I’m a non-professional film critic and have neither the time nor the finances to see every film that hits the screen, I’m aware that there are several fine films that I have not included on this list (The Hurt Locker for example). And though some of these pictures have been on DVD for at least a month, Netflix refuses to ship them to me without subjecting me to a “long wait” or even the dreaded “very long wait”. Thanks again, Netflix; I guess my 8 years of loyal membership doesn’t entitle me to timely rental.
ã Andre Shane 2010
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
BEST OF 2008
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE – Let me just start by saying that this has not been a good year for great films; even the very best pictures had massive flaws I’ll discuss in more detail shortly. Which is why this surprising little gem from director Danny Boyle may be the year’s best film overall. There were films I enjoyed more, but none that seemed to work more skillfully or efficiently in pure cinematic terms. And the credit goes almost entirely to Boyle, who weaves this Dickensian story of Indian street urchins, into a dizzying concoction of pure movie magic.
IRON MAN – While there were few truly great films in ’08, it did prove to be the year when movies that generally aim low, turned out to be far better than anybody could have ever expected. Jon Favreau’s Iron Man got the ball rolling with it’s clever mix of high-tech superhero action, subtle character work, and corporate intrigue. All the while crafting one of the very best comic book adaptations ever and making it all seem effortless. Robert Downey’s turn as Tony Stark, an egotistical genius who discovers his ‘heart’ and becomes a heroic super weapon, is just a pure pleasure that reveals new facets with every viewing.
DARK KNIGHT – If Iron Man exceeded all expectations; Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight simply changed the nature of what these expectations should be. With this sequel to the excellent Batman Begins, Nolan has taken a quantum leap in terms of framing the ‘superhero’ film as meaningful modern myth. The film starts as a dead-serious crime picture and goes from there to become an unblinking meditation on terrorism and what it means to confront it. This is dense, intelligent filmmaking and Dark Knight obviously struck a chord with audiences everywhere in spite of being disturbing and dark. But hey, they didn’t call it Light Knight.
TROPIC THUNDER – Pound for pound, one of the funniest movies in years. Ben Stiller’s outrageous Hollywood satire spares no bile for every link in the chain of mainstream film production. The film does lose some steam in the third act, but the laughs never really let up; they just change in intensity. And all the performances are terrific; especially Downey (again) as an overly ‘committed’ Aussie thespian, pathologically incapable of breaking character.
WALL-E – Probably not as perfect as some claim, Andrew Stanton’s sci-fi opus is, non-the-less, a beautiful film. Lyrical, funny and unusually structured, this is ‘serious’ science fiction that continues (and maybe exceeds) Pixar’s run as the trailblazers of 3D Animation. Masterful.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON – Let me start off by saying that this film has some problems (starting with one of the most passive protagonists in movie history). It’s also very long and could have been trimmed by at least 20 minutes by removing elements that were flawed or superfluous in the first place. Still, David Fincher’s narrative ambition and directorial vision overcome most of these problems. At the very least, I found Benjamin Button to be one of the most emotional films of recent memory and, I believe, one that will grow in stature with time.
THE WRESTLER - Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler is a hypnotic and wildly entertaining character study of an aging Resslin’ star, Randy “the Ram” Robinson. Mickey Rourke - who I’ve always considered one of the best actors of his generation - gives a performance that should win him an Oscar. And even if the film itself – in its Rocky-directed-by-Jahn Cassavettes squalor - falls a bit short, Rourke’s subtle, charming, heartbreaking and intensely physical work is what awards are meant for. Much is being made of the parallels between the actor and the character, but I bought the Ram on his own terms. Sad, funny, vain and always completely convincing both in and out of the ring, Rourke knocks this one out of the park; it’s the best acting I’ve seen all year. Certainly the most interesting.
REDBELT - The years’ second great ‘fight’ film; David Mamet’s Redbelt is engaging and original. Chewitel Eljifor is an ‘actor to watch’ these days and he’s awesome as a Jiu Jitsu master forced by his own code of honor to return to the prize ring. Mamet walks a fine line between using genre conventions and undermining them at the same time; crafting what may be his most accomplished directorial effort to date.
VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA – Woody Allen has been ridiculously hit-or-miss in the past 10 years. What’s interesting about this year’s effort is how sloppy it is, and yet how enjoyable and resonant it turns out to be. The rambling, loose romantic comedy shouldn’t really work, but it does. Allen seems to revel in a lack of structure and simply lets the characters lead the story, without getting in the way with forced jokes and contrived situations that have been so annoying in so many of his recent films. And the entire cast is excellent, without exception; light, unforced and crazy beautiful. Plus, any movie set in Barcelona can’t be bad.
ROCKNROLLA/THE BANK JOB – A British Gangster double feature. Guy Richie’s return to form Rocknrolla, continues and actually improves on the formula he created in Lock Stock and Snatch and features a whole heap of great-ish performances from a fine (but down-to-earth) cast. This is easily Richie’s best film, despite the noticeable absence of his usual lead, Jason Statham. Statham, of course, is the star of Roger Donaldson’s Bank Job, which takes a Rubix Cube approach to a real-life bank caper from the early ‘70s, and emerges as a clever and constantly surprising crime classic. Smoothly weaving a heist film with a spy film, The Bank Job delivers on both fronts. And Statham delivers his best performance as an out-of-his-depth crook who discovers that he may be the best swimmer in the water.
Better Than You Were Lead To Believe:
THE FALL – You’ll probably laugh at some of the acting and dialogue in this Tarsem Singh labor of love, but you’re unlikely to see a more visually stunning film. See it HiDef to truly appreciate the beauty of its digitally un-enhanced, old school cinematography and gorgeous art direction.
APPALOOSA - Ed Harris’ neo-classicist Western won’t win any originality kudos, but its solid structure and subtle acting – specially by Viggo Mortensen – made it an enjoyable experience that, unlike some other recent Westerns, remained true to the genre. Some aspects of the film did not work (I’m talkin’ to you Rene Zelwegger and Jeremy Irons), but its positives outweigh its negatives.
IN BRUGES – This quirky crime drama about two Irish gangsters laying low in Belgium has generated a big fan following and deserves it. With fine performances and an idiosyncratic attitude, In Bruges is one of the more original crime films to come out in the past few years. I didn’t buy some coincidental elements of the plot, but the movie as a whole is solid and affecting.
VALKYRIE - Brian Singer’s drama about the plot of overthrow Hitler in 1943 is just too damn dry to be a “good movie”, but it’s still a solid exercise in suspense featuring some fine acting from an excellent cast, and a real sense of tension courtesy of Singer. The film also reveals some very interesting aspects of the plot that were completely new to me. Overall, Valkyrie is a strong suspense film that never manages to rise above the machinations of its own plot, though it’s still very much worth seeing.
HELLBOY II – Not as great as some other comic book films this year, Hellboy II still thrills as a wildly imaginative fantasy feast. Guillermo Del Toro’ has really come into his own as a storyteller, and he uses this confidence to create a superior-in-every-way sequel that delights and entertains every step of the way. I can’t wait to see it again.
THE INCREDIBLE HULK – It’s definitely the weakest of the major superhero movies of 08, but The Incredible Hulk is a lean, mean and very watchable re-boot (after Ang Lee’s pretentious bore-fest) with a good cast (led by Edward Norton) and fun Hulk action. Most importantly, director Louis Letterier actually seems to understand the character and that’s half the battle.
FORBIDDEN KINGDOM – I enjoyed this Kung Fu fantasy that paired Jet Li and Jackie Chan for the first time. There’s nothing new here, but what’s on screen is handsome and entertaining; a sort of martial arts version of The Purple Rose of Cairo. I also liked the fact that the film is not overly violent, so the kids can enjoy it too.
KUNG FU PANDA – I appreciated the care and respect this film pays to Zen philosophy, while creating a world that makes sense and providing real laughs. The voice work (specially by Dustin Hoffman) is also pretty outstanding. If you want groundbreaking, see Wall-E. But for sheer entertainment, this is the best animated film of the year.
CLOVERFIELD – I don’t want to say too much about this modern take on ‘the giant monster’ film, but I really respected the confidence the filmmakers brought to what could have been a lame gimmick: Blair Witch meets Godzilla. Cloverfield is a fast and thrilling ride that, once it starts, never lets go. Simply put, a perfect little ‘first person’ exercise that stays true to itself to the bitter end.
SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO – Takeshi Miike is one of the world’s most prolific and uneven auteurs. This half western/ half samurai film is one of his very best. Set in a crazy East Meets West world, it’s a remake of both Yojimbo and A Fistful Of Dollars, which pays homage to both films and genres while maintaining it’s own uniquely wacky vibe. There are some unquestionably strange choices here (like having the entire Japanese cast speak in broken English), but the movie is a fast, action-packed little ride that has the feel of a cult classic.
Not As Good as Could Have Been
QUANTUM OF SOLACE – I found it entertaining and gave it a decent review, but nobody is gonna place this among the best James Bond films. I guess that’s what happens when you strip an old franchise of every ounce of its charm and originality, leaving it with nothing but a bare-bone plot and sadistic action that feels like a copy of a copy. Let’s hope that the next 007 adventure brings back at least some of the things that have made James Bond so enjoyable for almost 50 years.
BURN AFTER READING – There’s a lot to enjoy in this Coen Brothers’ follow-up to the Oscar winning No Country for Old Men. But fine performances from a great cast and solid comedic situations can’t overcome the feeling that this is a trifle: just a lot of goofiness that amounts to very little and never manages to make any kind of point. I guess mocking the superficial, dumb-beyond-believability characters that they themselves created, just seems too easy for filmmakers as talented as the Coens; it’s beneath them.
TELL NO ONE – The critics loved this French suspense film. I found it silly, contrived, sappy and boring. The plot, which is eventually laid out in a punishingly long exposition sequence, did make sense in the end. I just didn’t care, because everything leading up to it was so utterly ludicrous.
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL – …proved to be a prophetic title, since I instantly forgot this bland romance from Judd Apatow and gang. Many critics lauded this film as “modern classic”, but I just didn’t connect with all the self pity of the main character. Certainly not a ‘bad’ movie, just not a very good one; specially compared with some of Apatow’s other recent efforts. Mainly, I didn’t laugh very much.
GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF HUNTER S. THOMPSON – There’s some great stuff in this wildly uneven documentary that traces the writer’s life, career and recent suicide. Still, polemics got in the way and resulted in a missed opportunity that failed to live up to its subject’s brutal honesty. Roul Duke deserved a better documentary. Still worth checking out for Thompson fans, though.
SHINE A LIGHT – Martin Scorcese’s concert documentary captures an obscure little band called The Rolling Stones. I’m sure most of you have never heard of this group or seen any documentary or concert film about them. If by some miracle, there exists such a documentary, I would recommend it over this bloated, un-inspired recording of a band that should have retired 20 years ago. The I-Max cinematography by Bob Richardson is beautiful, but the film is as disposable as any Stones album released after ’82.
BOLT – Somebody must have thought this premise clever, but I found it aggressively mediocre and quite boring. And speaking of ‘boring’…
A TALE OF DESPEREAUX – What a snoozer! Just glacially slow with clunky sub-plots and pointless characters. My kids were looking forward to this, but even they were disappointed.
WANTED – There’s actually a lot I liked in this wacky actioner from Russian director Timur Bekmambetov (NIGHT WATCH/DAY WATCH). Like the whole first act, and James Macavoy, and some crazily imaginative action scenes. But Wanted substitutes’ the edge of its graphic novel source, for plain brutality… and packages it all into a pedestrian structure that does not fit. And ultimately, the whole thing just collapses under the weight of its own stupidity. I don’t mind suspending disbelief, but I refuse to surrender my whole brain.
AUGUST – Actually, this drama about the bursting of the Internet Bubble does feature a really strong lead performance by Josh Hartnett. And it’s always a treat to see David Bowie’s acting work. But the film overall is a bit dull and monotonous and it’s attempt at ‘Wall Street’ depth just falls short.
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRISTAL SKULL – Though not the turkey that everybody believes it to be, this ‘too-little, too-late’ 4th installment of the battling archeologist series, failed to re-capture anybody’s enthusiasm for the material. Harrison Ford is on his game, but Spielberg appears less than inspired and Lucas continues his horrible 90s streak of not understanding the heart of his own creations. In retrospect though, let’s be honest, all the Indiana Jones films after Raiders never really rose above the occasionally amusing mediocrity.
Bad:
SPEED RACER – An almost painfully bad film, that seems to delight in physically torturing the audience. I saw it in IMax and it was hideous looking, which is almost unheard of for a mainstream Hollywood film these days. Gaudy, slow, pointlessly hokey, and very badly written; this attempted blockbuster seemed beneath everybody involved, especially the audience. Just an awful effort from the Wachawski brothers, who appear hell-bent on proving that The Matrix was indeed a fluke. If there was a worst film this year, I did not see it. And if another movie ever made my head ache more, I do not remember it.
IGOR – This is the kind of thing you occasionally have to sit through when you have little kids. Mediocre concept, weak execution, pedestrian voice work, and ugly animation. A film so lame, I completely shut it out of my mind until something reminded me of it. I didn’t want to be reminded.
SMART PEOPLE – Dennis Quaid schleps his way thru this barely competent examination of
American academic intelligentsia, demonstrating his own limits as an actor along with the perils of miscasting. Even the usually dependable Thomas Hayden Church can’t save this dreary mess. Forced and painfully unfunny.
RAMBO – I don’t know who was clamoring for this, but Stallone apparently made money on the opening weekend alone; so good for him. Sure it’s probably better than Rambo III, but that’s not saying much. With an almost pathological lack of plot and an annoying over-reliance on digital blood FX, the ‘80s relic stacks up a huge body count without being engaging on any level. On top of that, the film looks and feels as though it was shot for the USA network. Pure sap.
CATCH AND RELEASE – A romantic comedy with Jennifer Garner and Kevin Smith that’s neither romantic nor funny. A film so weak at the script level, it’s a wonder anybody imagined it could ever work.
THE STEP BROTHERS – The film where Will Farrell’s shtick officially runs out. This takes the ‘man-child’ act as far as it can go and (though John C. Reily has some nice moments), it’s way further than we should ever have allowed it. The ten-minute premise stretched to nearly two hours is excruciating in its desperation and sloppy in execution. Let’s just move on, shall we?
See it on DVD
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD – Brad Pitt just scored a Best Actor nomination for Benjamin Button, but his greatest performance was actually in this overlooked masterpiece from last year. Writer/Director Andrew Dominick’s gorgeous, poetic meditation on celebrity, paranoia and loyalty (among other things), was easily the best picture of last year and is better than anything that came out this year too. An extraordinary film that some find slow, but I feel is absolutely hypnotic in a way that recalls Kubrick and Tarkovsky.
LE DOULOS (‘62)/ LE DEUXIEME SOUFFLE (SECOND WIND) (‘66)– These two films from French master Jean Pierre Melville, came out on DVD last year and both are great crime films. Jean Paul Belmondo stars in the tricky Le Doulos, while the awesome Leno Ventura takes the lead in the tense heist thriller Second Wind. Both films are tight and engaging, and both films show off Melville’s incredible ability to present detailed and complex action without much dialogue or affectation.
LA NOTTE (’62) – Michaelangelo Antionioni’s rumination on marriage may not be everybody’s ‘cup’, but I found it fascinating and beautiful. With Jeanne Moreau and Marcello Mastroianni as a couple dealing with success, death, and infidelity, you are watching some of the best European talent of the era doing what they do best: suffering, gazing longingly, and smoking. If classic Euro Art Film is what you are looking for, try this one.
Andre Shane - 1/09
BEST OF 2007
BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD – Sidney Lumet is well into his ‘80s, but his new crime drama is full of youthful energy and inventiveness. It’s also completely un-cynical, which makes it fairly unique in today’s Hollywood. Philip S. Hoffman is great as always, but it’s Ethan Hawke’s ‘loser brother’ character that’s the film’s major surprise. Also, Marissa Tomei is HOT. You’ll see.
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – My favorite film of the year. Artistic, but not pretentious, deep but accessible, moving yet funny and never maudlin. Julian Schnabel’s brilliant, largely first-person account a 42 year-old man trapped in his paralyzed body by a stroke is powerful and utterly original; a rear mix of Art Film and emotion. Great acting, unique cinematography by Chicago’s own Janusz Kaminsky, and a perfectly calibrated soundtrack combine to make a great film that also happens to be a real work of art.
EASTERN PROMISES – David Cronenberg’s Russian Mob drama set in London is not perfect. Yet it’s so engaging and covers so many themes that I have to put it on this list. Plus, Viggo Mortensen gives a great performance; speaking good Russian and peeling layers of a complex character only to reveal an even more enigmatic skin underneath. Above all, Cronenberg’s film captures the milieu better than any previous American film about the Russian émigré culture, and that’s an accomplishment.
KNOCKED UP – The year’s best mainstream comedy. Funny and honest, Judd Apatow’s summer hit was hilarious both times I watched it. And it’ll probably still play when I watch it again down the line.
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Yeah, it’s a downer and yeah, it takes such a drastic left turn that most “normal” moviegoers probably hated. And the film’s pugnacious refusal to provide resolution for anything is challenging even for me. But I loved the ride and NO COUNTRY made me think for days; the kind of thinking that flows from depth, rather than a lack of clarity (more on this later). The Coen Brothers take amazing chances here, and for the most part succeed in their goal. It’s a film about disillusionment that thrives on disillusioning its audience. The Oscar nominations just came out as I’m writing this, and I predict this picture will lose. Nobody likes being disillusioned.
ONCE – The year’s most lovable film. There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can create music and those who wish they could. ONCE caters to both groups. It’s also a beautiful love story, done in a very simple way. There are hundreds of films made every year with similar budgets (super low) and the same resources (none). Most of them don’t work. This one does. Spectacularly. And the music’s pretty great too.
SWEENY TODD – I think Tim Burton has finally found his ideal genre in the musical. This is more of an opera, really. And Burtons’ visual panache is perfectly employed to tell a story that is as funny as it is brutal. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter do fine acting and singing, and for a musical this is one tight movie. Not for the squeamish due to an almost endless parade of throat-slitting / artery bursting action, but a terrifically entertaining film overall.
ZODIAC – For a film where virtually nothing happens, David Fincher’s ZODIAC is one intense ride. Beautifully paced, shot and art-directed, this police procedural traces years of various individuals who become obsessed with the pursuit of the 70‘s Bay Areas Zodiac Killer. I have reservations about some of the cast, but the film is so incredibly tense and engaging, I found it hard to resist.
300 – So few films hit their intended marks with the precision of 300; a homerun of a movie. It almost shouldn’t work. But it does spectacularly. Ultimately though, what’s the point of even talking about its merits or shortcomings; 300 has already entered the national subconscious. It’s talked about, lampooned, imitated, villainized and worshipped. Mission accomplished.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – I’m critical of this film, yet its still on my Best list. Why? Because PT Anderson’s tone is so perfect and his pacing so terse, that it’s hard to deny that this is major American filmmaking. I stared in awe for three hours and the long running time flew by. An almost hypnotically engaging film And yet…
Not as good as you were led to believe
THERE WILL BE BLOOD - …I’m bothered by the film’s blank slate approach, it’s refusal to commit to ideas that should have been explored. It’s ‘come as you are’ ethos is rare in Hollywood cinema, but there’s an almost pathological lack of real characters here. And it’s a fine line between leaving things vague and just plain failing to competently present ideas; the film is ripe with muddy storytelling and that annoyed me and left me cold for the film overall. Daniel Dey Lewis does create a relentless, primal lead character who’s certainly interesting, but to me he had little depth and an anachronistic amount of self-awareness. I was even bothered by his Bill The Butcher as played by John Houston approach. BLOOD’ll win the Oscar this year, but it will not become the Citizen Kane of our generation. Masterpiece? I don’t think so.
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Ridley Scott’s period piece about the rise and fall of Frank Lucas, The Harlem Godfather is good. Very good, actually. Fast, engaging, and clever in its use of two parallel genres. Yet I didn’t love it. And nobody I talked to loved it. Whatever that magical ingredient that makes a good film, great… it’s not here.
THE GOOD GERMAN – This pantomime of 1940’s film techniques probably seemed like a clever idea to director Steven Soderberg, but it plays contrived, artificial, and anachronistic. And George Clooney makes you appreciate just how much charisma the old-time movie stars actually had. An interesting, but failed experiment.
THE GOOD SHEPARD – Not that good, and not a single sheep. Director Robert DeNiro’s chronicle of the creation of the CIA is so dry it’s almost ready to snap. A bland movie about a bland man; and the kid who plays Matt Damon’s son, is one of the worst casting decisions in the history of the movies. Seriously. THE GOOD SHEPARD has its moments, but not enough of them.
3:10 TO YUMA – It’s a shame when something that starts so good has to turn so bad. This western re-make starts out strong, but ends in such a stupid manner, that the entire film falls apart. Sad, because the performances by Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, and Ben Foster are all top notch.
THE LOOKOUT – Another interesting concept that doesn’t quite take off. If it weren’t for Joseph Gordon Levitt’s fine performance, this could be a made-for-TV movie. Good acting all around, actually. But the cast can’t rescue what eventually de-evolves into a very standard and far-fetched heist picture.
SUPERBAD – Maybe it’s just outside my demographic, but I found SUPERBAD to be medium mediocre. There are some big laughs here, but mostly it’s just goofy and uneven in tone. Definitely the loser of the KNOCKED UP vs. SUPERBAD debate.
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Is it me, or is anybody else bothered by the fact that these films have no plot? It worked in SUPREMACY, but here it all seemed so contrived and vague. Still a good film, but there’s nothing going on upstairs and let us not pretend that there is.
Better Than You Think
ALPHA DOG – Nick Cassavetes’ true crime story revolves around a bunch of young gangsta’ wannabes. Most characters here are despicable, but the film manages to find something to relate to within every one of them. And just when you think its glorifying the lifestyle these punks lead, the film pulls the rug out. Solid cast led by wonderful performances by Emile Hirsh, Justin Timberlake (don’t laugh, he’s very good), and especially Ben Foster. Excellent rental.
ENCHANTED – Just a sweet family film. Clever and funny and right on target. And Amy Adams is… enchanting.
BEOWULF – This is an amazing visual feast; especially in I-Max 3D. But it’s also a lot smarter that you’d imagine, which is probably why audiences didn’t warm to its message of the corruptive affect of power. A strange mix of populist eye candy and art house introspection.
SUNSHINE – Danny Boyle’s ‘serious’ sci-fi film about a mission to re-ignite the dying sun isn’t quite 2001, but it is a beautifully shot and challenging film. Critics complained about it losing its course in the third act. I say, that was the whole point of the film.
THE KINGDOM – Peter Berg’s thriller takes place in Saudi Arabia, but it’s really just a straight up “fish out of water” police procedural. Tight, exciting, well acted, and nicely shot; The Kingdom keeps its politics to a minimum and delivers on the thrills. A top-notch modern action film.
SHOOT EM UP – A parody of an action film. Silly on almost every level, but so fun and so inventive in its outlandish action scenes, that if you don’t expect brains, you may enjoy it as much as I did.
SPIDER-MAN 3 – A solid and exciting third installment of Sam Raimi’s web-slinger franchise. It has very goofy moment. So do the first two films! But overall, a fun capper to a terrific action trilogy.
RENNAISSANCE – It’s an animated Bladerunner set in Paris. The story is forgettable. But the look of the film is brilliant and that’s the only reason to see it. It’s enough.
Crap
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE – If you LOVE Beatles music… put on a CD. This occasionally hilarious mess, won’t add anything to your appreciation of the legendary band. And it may actually subtract something.
GRINDHOUSE – Two crappy films for the price of one. What a deal! Look, I love Tarantino and really respect Rodriguez’ can-do work ethic; but this homage to bad cinema (complete with fake trailers and missing reels) is, in fact, bad cinema. A nearly un-watchable movie. PLANET TERROR has its moments, but DEATHPROOF is just stunningly awful. Time to leave post-modernism behind, boys, and make something original. Just a thought.
TRANSFORMERS – It made tons of $$$, so what do I know!? I know a badly constructed movie though; and this is one of those. Why anybody would want to revive this property in the first place is a mystery to me. Why Michael Bay inserted the goofy White House section is an even deeper mystery. If you must see it, just watch the last 30 minutes. Trust me, you won’t be too confused about the plot.
SHREK THE III – I was never on board with this fairly unoriginal series, but the second film had a certain charm. That’s nowhere to be found in this lame sequel. SHREK III is just a complete turkey.
OCEANS 13 – You know, I actually found myself enjoying it while I watched it. Then, 11 minutes after it ended, I started to hate it. And 2 minutes after that, I forgot it. You know what would be cool: if all these great actors just came over to my house, busted my kids’ piggy bank, and simply took the money it cost me to see this nonsense. Besides, there’s something nearly insulting about the concept that the audience is supposed to enjoy a film simply because millionaire movie stars enjoyed making it.
On DVD
THE BLACK BOOK / ARMY OF SHADOWS – Two excellent films in similar settings: the Nazi resistance movement during WWII. See both films and think about how time alters our views of certain events.
SOME ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
TRENDS I DON’T GET
In the past few years, two film series have made billions and have left me scratching my head in amazement. I think the Harry Potter films are incredibly boring with some terrible kid acting and lame scenery chewing by English thesps. The fact that any grownup can be into this hokum is way beyond my own – not insignificant – geekiness. Yet Harry Potter seems like a work of genius next to The Pirates Of The Caribbean , a trio of films with basically no rudder. I have no problem with Pirate films (Hey, I own the Errol Flynn Collection), but this is just stupid. I mean, sure, there’s some cool visuals here, but none of it makes a shred of sense… which makes it impossible to connect to the characters. And I’m so tired of the endless accolades heaped on Johnny Depp’s ‘I’m drunk, I’m high, I’m gay, I’m Keith Richards’ performance. It’s not that great. Really.
THINGS THAT ANNOY ME
About a month ago Ridley Scott put out another “Deluxe” version of his masterpiece Bladerunner. This one containing like three different edits of the ’82 distopia touchstone. Now this is one of my favorite films ever and I’m sick and tired of Scott continually messing with its integrity. Bladerunner was pretty great in its original theatrical release, but Scott had to put out the Director’s Cut. OK, it was better, but not THAT much better. And this new package is just ridiculous! Do we really need to see all the scenes that never made the cut, edited back into an already luxuriously paced film? NO. And to add insult to injury, now Scott is going around telling me how I should interpret the film. Apparently Dekkard is a Replicant! Wow. Thanks, Ridley for clearing it all up for me! This is either a case of unchecked artistic masturbation gone berserk… or the most cynical commercial release of the year. Leave it alone, Ridley!
BEST OF 2006
The Departed
Martin Scorcese’s returns to contemporary crime drama with this re-make of a Hong Kong gem from 2001. The result is a smooth and incredibly entertaining potboiler with acting that is – across the board - simply phenomenal.
The Prestige
Christopher Nolan gives us this Rubick’s Cube of a film about dueling Victorian magicians. In the hands of a less talented director, all the twists could have gotten tiresome, but Nolan makes it work. And the cast is top notch. I kept thinking about it for days.
United 93
Not soon enough for this brutal dissection of that tragic day. Director Paul Greengrass uses unknown actors and real participants to incredible affect. And like reality, the film swings from slow banality to unbearable suspense. The overall effect is one of the most viscerally exciting films ever made. The only ‘must-see’ film this year.
The Proposition
This Australian western is as brutal as it is tender. It’s also full of great performances. Danny “John’s son” Huston is particularly brilliant as a sadistic-yet-poetic brother of a man sent to murder him (played by the nearly as great Guy Pearce). Written and scored by the brilliant Nick Cave, this is a classic western by any standard.
The Matador
A small film. But a damn fine one with great lead performances and a premise that never becomes prey to it’s own predictability. One of the best “men’s films” you’ll see this year.
Match Point
Woody Allen’s best “drama” to date. This re-working of A Place In The Sun moves at a fast clip in the first act, slugs a bit in the second, but redeems itself in the third with discipline and unpredictability. Allen’s best film since the late ‘80s.
Borat
This movie was so funny, I’m still remembering new laughs a month later. I’m not sure what Sacha Cohen is trying to say here, but it’s pretty hilarious watching him say it.
Murderball
This doc is so dramatically potent it makes most narrative dramas seem like sitcoms. And believe me, considering the fact that Murderball is about quadriplegics, it’s not at all depressing, See it. Seriously.
Little Miss Sunshine
This year’s entry in the “wacky family” sub-genre of indie cinema will not be winning any originality awards. Still it’s a solidly written, wonderfully acted, funny and extremely entertaining picture that succeeds on every front it tackles.
Brick
For my money, probably the most original film noir since Bladerunner. This high school potboiler starring the amazing Joseph Gordon Levitt, rocks both visually and in terms of its unique and funny black-as-night script. Cult film alert.
Martin Scorcese’s returns to contemporary crime drama with this re-make of a Hong Kong gem from 2001. The result is a smooth and incredibly entertaining potboiler with acting that is – across the board - simply phenomenal.
The Prestige
Christopher Nolan gives us this Rubick’s Cube of a film about dueling Victorian magicians. In the hands of a less talented director, all the twists could have gotten tiresome, but Nolan makes it work. And the cast is top notch. I kept thinking about it for days.
United 93
Not soon enough for this brutal dissection of that tragic day. Director Paul Greengrass uses unknown actors and real participants to incredible affect. And like reality, the film swings from slow banality to unbearable suspense. The overall effect is one of the most viscerally exciting films ever made. The only ‘must-see’ film this year.
The Proposition
This Australian western is as brutal as it is tender. It’s also full of great performances. Danny “John’s son” Huston is particularly brilliant as a sadistic-yet-poetic brother of a man sent to murder him (played by the nearly as great Guy Pearce). Written and scored by the brilliant Nick Cave, this is a classic western by any standard.
The Matador
A small film. But a damn fine one with great lead performances and a premise that never becomes prey to it’s own predictability. One of the best “men’s films” you’ll see this year.
Match Point
Woody Allen’s best “drama” to date. This re-working of A Place In The Sun moves at a fast clip in the first act, slugs a bit in the second, but redeems itself in the third with discipline and unpredictability. Allen’s best film since the late ‘80s.
Borat
This movie was so funny, I’m still remembering new laughs a month later. I’m not sure what Sacha Cohen is trying to say here, but it’s pretty hilarious watching him say it.
Murderball
This doc is so dramatically potent it makes most narrative dramas seem like sitcoms. And believe me, considering the fact that Murderball is about quadriplegics, it’s not at all depressing, See it. Seriously.
Little Miss Sunshine
This year’s entry in the “wacky family” sub-genre of indie cinema will not be winning any originality awards. Still it’s a solidly written, wonderfully acted, funny and extremely entertaining picture that succeeds on every front it tackles.
Brick
For my money, probably the most original film noir since Bladerunner. This high school potboiler starring the amazing Joseph Gordon Levitt, rocks both visually and in terms of its unique and funny black-as-night script. Cult film alert.
Better Than You’d Think
Rocky Balboa
Yo, it’s not art, but who cares! Stallone basically re-makes the first Rocky film and it still works. A sentimental and affecting diversion with Sly (honestly!) doing Oscar caliber work: That’s a very special, quintessentially American character that he created, and when handled with heart – like this time – he’s hard not to love.
Yo, it’s not art, but who cares! Stallone basically re-makes the first Rocky film and it still works. A sentimental and affecting diversion with Sly (honestly!) doing Oscar caliber work: That’s a very special, quintessentially American character that he created, and when handled with heart – like this time – he’s hard not to love.
Hard Candy
Two person plays don’t usually translate well to film, but this thriller works quite well cinematically. Patrick Wilson and Ellen Page give great performances and director David Slade expertly manipulates audience identification and expectation. The film looks great too.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Another interesting modern noir. A bit too post-modern for my taste actually, but the performances at the center by Robert Downy and Val Kilmer are pure charm.
Lady Vengeance
Park Chan-wook’s final installment of the Vengeance trilogy got some horrible reviews and it certainly does meander, but it also has the best pay-off of the entire trilogy and if you stick with it, it’s visually beautiful, moving and emotionally rewarding.
Hostel
Hey, want to see a nasty little film about European sex trips and torture? This one is good.
Over The Hedge
My favorite cartoon this year. I see all these films with the kids and this is the only one I’d recommend to adults. It’s a pretty funny satire of our food culture and has the best voice cast ever. Seriously.
Domino
This material is so trashy, that Tony Scott’s trashy style fits it perfectly. It’s a perfect alchemy of trash. And Mickey Rourke is great.
Not As Good as Should Have Been
Two person plays don’t usually translate well to film, but this thriller works quite well cinematically. Patrick Wilson and Ellen Page give great performances and director David Slade expertly manipulates audience identification and expectation. The film looks great too.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Another interesting modern noir. A bit too post-modern for my taste actually, but the performances at the center by Robert Downy and Val Kilmer are pure charm.
Lady Vengeance
Park Chan-wook’s final installment of the Vengeance trilogy got some horrible reviews and it certainly does meander, but it also has the best pay-off of the entire trilogy and if you stick with it, it’s visually beautiful, moving and emotionally rewarding.
Hostel
Hey, want to see a nasty little film about European sex trips and torture? This one is good.
Over The Hedge
My favorite cartoon this year. I see all these films with the kids and this is the only one I’d recommend to adults. It’s a pretty funny satire of our food culture and has the best voice cast ever. Seriously.
Domino
This material is so trashy, that Tony Scott’s trashy style fits it perfectly. It’s a perfect alchemy of trash. And Mickey Rourke is great.
Not As Good as Should Have Been
Miami Vice
Michael Mann’s movie version of his ‘80s TV show, tries so hard to make us forget the show ever existed, it purges itself of every ounce of soul, charm and style that was obviously the reason Miami Vice was popular in the first place. Dry as a bone and instantly forgettable. Though not aggressively bad, Miami Vice is engaging while you watch it, but leaves you with nothing to 'hold on' to.
Cars
OK, I’m officially jumping off the Pixar bandwagon. This NASCAR themed re-make of Doc Hollywood (what… did they not think we would notice?) is the animation studio’s weakest offering to date. Sure, it’s beautiful to look at, but the story and the characters are derivative and boring. Maybe it’s just easier to identify with animated animals or fairy-tale monsters, than with a talking car with giant eyes in the windshield. Not my cup.
Thank You For Smoking
This satire starts sharp and then turns into Jerry McGuire (no offense to JM, which I actually like a lot). Aaron Eckhart is good, but the film undermines itself with a childlike desire to seem “nice”. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I sure was disappointed.
Night Watch
This Russian vampire epic has some awesome and unique visuals, but it drags and meanders, even introducing parallel plot lines that make the whole thing impossible to comprehend or enjoy.
Good Night and Good Luck
What a self-important, instantly forgettable snoozefest! And Clooney seemed so loose and fun on his first film! See it for your insomnia.
Xmen III
You know, it’s not that bad. Really. The first two X-Men films are overrated. Honestly.
Superman Returns
Not a bad film, just a disappointing one. Bryan Singer left the above X-Men franchise to re-start Superman and has, in the end, done a fairly mediocre job of it. Some FX are great, but the film seems to have misplaced a bit of its giant budget on something other than what’s on the screen. And the script is a notch or two below pedestrian. Sad.
Casino Royale
I wasn’t going to mention this latest 007 vehicle on my list at all, but when it started popping up on some mainstream Best 10 Films of 2006 lists; I couldn’t remain silent. Perhaps the critics have gotten so used to horrible Bond films (like the last two Brosnan bombs), they’re ready to heap accolades on one that simply doesn’t suck. Look, Casino Royale starts well and has a good concept behind it. Hell, it even has moments of brilliance, but overall it’s uneven and slow, with one of the weakest third acts in the history of the franchise. Hands down, the most over-rated film of the year!
Crap
Michael Mann’s movie version of his ‘80s TV show, tries so hard to make us forget the show ever existed, it purges itself of every ounce of soul, charm and style that was obviously the reason Miami Vice was popular in the first place. Dry as a bone and instantly forgettable. Though not aggressively bad, Miami Vice is engaging while you watch it, but leaves you with nothing to 'hold on' to.
Cars
OK, I’m officially jumping off the Pixar bandwagon. This NASCAR themed re-make of Doc Hollywood (what… did they not think we would notice?) is the animation studio’s weakest offering to date. Sure, it’s beautiful to look at, but the story and the characters are derivative and boring. Maybe it’s just easier to identify with animated animals or fairy-tale monsters, than with a talking car with giant eyes in the windshield. Not my cup.
Thank You For Smoking
This satire starts sharp and then turns into Jerry McGuire (no offense to JM, which I actually like a lot). Aaron Eckhart is good, but the film undermines itself with a childlike desire to seem “nice”. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I sure was disappointed.
Night Watch
This Russian vampire epic has some awesome and unique visuals, but it drags and meanders, even introducing parallel plot lines that make the whole thing impossible to comprehend or enjoy.
Good Night and Good Luck
What a self-important, instantly forgettable snoozefest! And Clooney seemed so loose and fun on his first film! See it for your insomnia.
Xmen III
You know, it’s not that bad. Really. The first two X-Men films are overrated. Honestly.
Superman Returns
Not a bad film, just a disappointing one. Bryan Singer left the above X-Men franchise to re-start Superman and has, in the end, done a fairly mediocre job of it. Some FX are great, but the film seems to have misplaced a bit of its giant budget on something other than what’s on the screen. And the script is a notch or two below pedestrian. Sad.
Casino Royale
I wasn’t going to mention this latest 007 vehicle on my list at all, but when it started popping up on some mainstream Best 10 Films of 2006 lists; I couldn’t remain silent. Perhaps the critics have gotten so used to horrible Bond films (like the last two Brosnan bombs), they’re ready to heap accolades on one that simply doesn’t suck. Look, Casino Royale starts well and has a good concept behind it. Hell, it even has moments of brilliance, but overall it’s uneven and slow, with one of the weakest third acts in the history of the franchise. Hands down, the most over-rated film of the year!
Crap
V For Vendetta
Another nail in the coffin of the Wachawski Brothers’ once-promising career. This adaptation of Alan Moore’s fine graphic novel is so goofy in it’s forced parallels to current events, it seems like it was written by an idealistic, yet slightly retarded ten-year-old. Add to that un-inspired cinematography, derivative art direction, sleepy acting and a glacial pace… and you have one of the most laughable “event movies” of recent years. C For Crapatta is more like it!
Another nail in the coffin of the Wachawski Brothers’ once-promising career. This adaptation of Alan Moore’s fine graphic novel is so goofy in it’s forced parallels to current events, it seems like it was written by an idealistic, yet slightly retarded ten-year-old. Add to that un-inspired cinematography, derivative art direction, sleepy acting and a glacial pace… and you have one of the most laughable “event movies” of recent years. C For Crapatta is more like it!
Scoop
Woody Allen follows his best in years with a resounding return to crap comedies. This one, with him and Scarlett Johansen, and Hugh Jackman (this guy is like in ten films this year!), is among his worst ever. EVER.
Pirates of the Caribbean 2
What am I not getting here? I mean: I love freakin’ Pirate movies! Flynn, Lancaster, Power. Fun stuff! But this series is so lame to me… and boring too. It’s not even interesting to make fun of. And can everybody please chill out about Johnny Depp’s performance; it wasn’t that great to begin with and it’s even worse the second time around. Obviously, I’m totally out of step with the movie-going public on this one.
The Family Stone
This insufferable piece of family hokum should be burned. I don’t even know why I loathe this film as much as I do, but it honestly made me want to puke. I hate it! Despite of some very talented actors who all suck in this cinematic bowel movement.
Video Picks
Syriana
If topical films are your cup of tea, this Oscar contender from last year is well worth your time. Stephen Gaghan’s episodic and broad perusal of the Oil racket is fascinating and brilliantly acted all around. It’s not perfect, but it’s sharp and impossible to ignore.
The Passenger
This existential masterpiece by Michaelangelo Antonioni stars Jack Nicholson when he was just an actor; before he became JACK! And Jack talks about this and much more on the rare commentary track that is an essential part of this new DVD release
Woody Allen follows his best in years with a resounding return to crap comedies. This one, with him and Scarlett Johansen, and Hugh Jackman (this guy is like in ten films this year!), is among his worst ever. EVER.
Pirates of the Caribbean 2
What am I not getting here? I mean: I love freakin’ Pirate movies! Flynn, Lancaster, Power. Fun stuff! But this series is so lame to me… and boring too. It’s not even interesting to make fun of. And can everybody please chill out about Johnny Depp’s performance; it wasn’t that great to begin with and it’s even worse the second time around. Obviously, I’m totally out of step with the movie-going public on this one.
The Family Stone
This insufferable piece of family hokum should be burned. I don’t even know why I loathe this film as much as I do, but it honestly made me want to puke. I hate it! Despite of some very talented actors who all suck in this cinematic bowel movement.
Video Picks
Syriana
If topical films are your cup of tea, this Oscar contender from last year is well worth your time. Stephen Gaghan’s episodic and broad perusal of the Oil racket is fascinating and brilliantly acted all around. It’s not perfect, but it’s sharp and impossible to ignore.
The Passenger
This existential masterpiece by Michaelangelo Antonioni stars Jack Nicholson when he was just an actor; before he became JACK! And Jack talks about this and much more on the rare commentary track that is an essential part of this new DVD release
BEST OF 2005
CRASH
The best film of the year. Funny and insightful on many levels, Paul Haggis’ Altmanesque meditation on American racism achieves what so few films like this achieve. It’s fast, tight, and paints its characters in short, precise and often devastating strokes.
BATMAN BEGINS
The one comic book movie that, in my opinion, comes closest to capturing the emotional power of the “super hero”. Christopher Nolan gets the mood and the performances just right and the script is smarter than normal for this kind of material. Better than the Spiderman films.
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
The kind of film John Ford would have made; or Eastwood in the 70’s. David Cronenberg’s little (nothing fancy here, folks) film adaptation of a mediocre graphic novel is so straight-forward, it’s like a rapier to the brain. A modern Western with bite and a whole lot of subtext.
2046
Wong Kar-Wai’s loose sequel to IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE is hypnotic, visually stunning and occasionally slow. Personally, I found this episodic appraisal of a wounded womanizer in late ‘60s Hong Kong to be consistently more interesting, if somewhat less lyrical, than the original. Beautiful film.
GRIZZLY MAN / BOB DYLAN: NO DIRECTION HOME
In an age where every goofball with a video camera is spewing his politics onto the public, these documentaries by Werner Herzog and Martin Scorcese offer fascinating glimpses into the lives of unique individuals. Both films create their palates mainly from existing footage and both films manage to achieve real art instead of just empty polemics.
BROKEN FLOWERS
Jim Jarmush is certainly not everybody’s cup of tea. His slow, extremely stylized films often seem like they don’t have a point. But they usually do and this is one of his best. Billy Murray continues his career re-invention with a quiet, subtle performance as a man looking for a future by revisiting his past. A wonderful indie picture.
SIN CITY
I’m including this only for its unique style. I’ve never seen anything like Robert Rodriguez’ visualization of Frank Miller’s pulp comics. The film is incredible from a visual perspective, but…
Not As Good As Should Have Been
SIN CITY
… it brings virtually nothing to the pathos and impact of the original material. Sure, there’s some good acting here, but overall the film just leaves you kind of empty, like cheap Chinese food or pedestrian pulp fiction. And the anthology structure didn’t benefit from the fact that all three main stories had exactly the same theme.
MUNICH
First of all: this film is good. Real good. Great look, great direction, great acting across the board. Yet, the whole thing is so intellectually light-weight, it just feels like a lost opportunity to really explore the Arab/Israeli conflict. Instead, Steven Spielberg gives us a populist adventure in the vain of BLACK SUNDAY or RONIN with screenwriter Tony Kushner’s intermittent lofty speeches taking place of real ideas. Entertaining but frustrating film.
WALK THE LINE
Good, but not great. The two lead performances are phenomenal, but again, the film just doesn’t have the big payoff. Not as good as RAY.
KING KONG
Memo to Peter Jackson: Editing. Try it.
Sorry, there’s not 3 hours of story here! The ape was wonderful, but the subplots. Please! Who cares about some kid on the ship?! And was it me, or did some of the FX look really lame? And why would anybody bookend one great action sequence (the dinosaur fight) with two other (much lamer) actions sequences? Less is more, Peter. Less is more.
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
How can you make a film about the Crusades and manage to say absolutely nothing about today’s world? Ask Ridley Scott; he managed it brilliantly. Orlando Bloom sleepwalks through a role that would have surely made a star of a more deserving actor. The film’s ignorance of history is laughable, but it sure looks pretty.
STAR WARS 3
Well, now we can all get some rest. Now that we know how Anakin turned Darth, life can go on as though this whole era between the end of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and the summer of 2005 never happened. Oh, the movie? It was OK. Loud. Beautiful on DVD. Would have been so much better in the hands of a better director.
LAYER CAKE / I’LL SLEEP WHEN I’M DEAD
A couple of over-rated British gangster films. Layer Cake is the better of the two, but if you want the real deal, see SEXY BEAST or LOCK STOCK.
WAR OF THE WORLDS
Not a bad film, just a mediocre one. Tom Cruise runs around a lot. Lots of people get vaporized. Tom Cruise and Boston(???) survive with minor bruising.
FANTASTIC FOUR
Craptastic Four.
CHICKEN LITTLE
Craptastic Five.
BETTER THAN YOU’D THINK
CHARLEY AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Sometimes (rarely, in all honesty) Tim Burton finds perfect material. This is it. In all ways, a superior film to the fondly remembered, but frankly crappy, Gene Wilder original. Great visuals, solid laughs, and some unique musical numbers. It’ll make you crave chocolate.
MILLIONS
This Danny Boyle family film got seriously lost in the shuffle, but if you’re a fan of TRAINSPOTTING, this film is it’s kid-friendly companion piece. Inspired and inspiring.
NARNIA
Another terrific family film. Andrew Adamson brings some classic (slower) rhythms to this adaptation of a CS Lewis classic, and it all comes together wonderfully. Proving once again that suspense is better than endless and pointless action (yes, you Peter Jackson).
LORD OF WAR
OK, this isn’t the most original picture. But Andrew Niccol’s “how to” of international gun dealing is brisk, entertaining and thoughtful. Maybe I’m just a sucker for Ukrainian immigrant stories, but despite its obvious similarities to films like GOODFELLAS and BLOW, LORD OF WAR somehow manages to feel pretty fresh.
THE ISLAND
OK, nobody’s going to be calling this Michael Bay sci-fi adventure “a masterpiece” in the future, but as far as old-school (late 80s / early 90s) big budget Hollywood product goes, it’s pretty fun. Likable stars, a fairly clever – if derivative – script, and world-class production values, add up to a surprisingly entertaining escapism.
DVDs
OLDBOY
A great Korean film by Chan-Wook Park. This was one of the best video releases of ‘05 and a must-own disk for fans of cinematic crime and weirdness. An ingenious revenge thriller with shifting protagonists and images that are brilliant, brutal and unforgettable. Rent it.
WALK ON WATER
This Israeli film by Eitan Fox may not jive with your political sensibilities, but its cool concept and razor sharp intellect will win you over. A real star-making lead by Lior Ashkenazi doesn’t hurt, either.
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT
A great genre bender from the guy who directed AMELIE, Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Audrey Tautou is back, but this cinematic “great novel” is not sweet or overly sentimental; just a visual feast of a movie. Don’t worry about the convoluted plot, just watch the magic.
LE SAMOURAI
This classic gangster flic directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and starring Alain Delon is finally out on DVD… and it’s the quintessence of cool. Not fast, not bombastic; just smart, suspenseful, and, again, super-cool.
(With apologies to the Department of Redundancy Department)
LONE WOLF AND CUB collection
And speaking of samurai… if you’re an action fan you’ll love this 6 part series produced in the early ‘70s. Also known as The Babycart Assassin (aka Sword Of Vengeance, aka Shogun Assassin) these films are some of the best action / martial arts films ever produced and have been unavailable in this country up until last year. Check them out; you won’t regret it.
SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGANCE
Another film from Korea’s Park. Interesting ideas that simply don’t jell. Definitely worth the rental, but OLDBOY is better.
BEST OF 2004
KILL BILL VOL. 2:
The second installment of Q.T.’s Kung Fu revenge epic is less action-filled that Vol 1., but is superior an almost every other way. A true Tarantino film as opposed to being an homage to some other genre. Great dialogue, great performances and David Carradine in a brilliant, Oscar-worthy tour-de-force.
SPIDERMAN 2:
Another superior sequel; Sam Raimy makes a leaner, faster, smarter film that also has more heart and more action than its predecessor. Seamless blockbuster entertainment at its finest.
THE INCREDIBLES:
One of the best superhero movies ever. Period. Brad Bird pulls it all together for an exhilarating ride that manages to be funny and thrilling, without sacrificing brains or pandering to the kiddies. The best film of the year.
INFERNAL AFFAIRS:
This Hong Kong export is not an action film. It’s a taut crime drama in the mode of Michael Mann’s best work. Wicked plot, smooth execution, nice cinematography, and some of the best Chinese actors in the business doing their best work. Looking forward to the Scorcese remake.
SIDEWAYS:
Alexander Payne’s rumination on pre-middle age is funny, sad and truthful. Not quite on the level of his previous two films, but a treasure that will probably gain stature on subsequent viewings. All four lead performances deserve Oscar nomination.
THE BOURNE SUPREMACY:
The finest contemporary action/spy flick since Frankenheimer’s RONIN. Relentlessly exciting on just about every level. Matt Damon does it all and I bought it all.
THE AVIATOR:
Not the smartest film Scorcese’s ever made, but his most purely entertaining since GOODFELLAS. Dicaprio shines as Howard Hughes and the rest of the cast and crew (specially cinematographer Bob Richardson) bring a high polished sheen to a classic Hollywood effort.
BEFORE SUNSET:
Another great sequel in a year filled with them. A heartfelt follow-up to Linklatter’s BEFORE SUNRISE finds our heroes in Paris, talking some more. I’m looking forward to the next installment.
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND:
It’s a Charlie Kauffman film, which almost automatically means it’s the year’s most original movie. Funny, trippy, and often heart-breaking. Just see it.
HERO:
One of the most sublimely beautiful films I’ve ever seen. Zhang Yimou shows an amazing affinity for the marital arts genre; creating an instant masterpiece. Great concept, great action, and genius cinematography by Chris Doyle. Probably the best Kung Fu film ever made whether you agree with its politics or not. Really.
DIRTY PRETTY THINGS:
Not too many people saw this Stephen Frears drama about immigrant workers unearthing some evil doings in a London hotel. It’s a shame because this is a thoroughly engaging mystery with wonderful lead performances and real emotion. You know it’s good, when you don’t mind the plot holes.
BETTER THAN YOU’D THINK
OPEN WATER:
So many of these “cheapie” indies are more hype than anything else. This one delivers the goods. A lean, brutal suspense drama that really puts you through the ringer. Nice DV cinematography and a great ending. See it with a diver you love.
KING ARTHUR:
This film got screwed by the studio in the editing and the marketing, but the DVD ‘Director’s Cut’ brings all its Seven Samurai meets Apocalypse Now grandeur into focus. An original piece of work with a strong Clive Owen lead performance holding it all together.
CLOSER:
What I call “a bad date movie”. A real ‘actor’s piece’ where beautiful people say and do cruel things to the ones they love. Mike Nichols goes back to his Carnal Knowledge heyday with this dark four-character play. Great acting, specially (again) by Clive Owen.
SHRECK 2:
Brainless fun, but much better than the original. Thanks in large part to Antonio Banderas’ Puss’n Boots. Fun for the whole family.
DAWN OF THE DEAD:
A great re-make. Good cast and great zombies bring the thrills and some good laughs.
THIRTEEN GOING ON THIRTY:
A charming retread of the BIG formula and, for my money, a better film all around. Jennifer Garner is luminous as a 13 year old who jumps into her future “rich bitch” self. Good nostalgia, if that’s what you’re looking for.
MAN ON FIRE:
A rarity; a good Tony Scott film. Denzel Washington is great as a grizzled alcoholic bent on revenge. Not everything here works, but it’s all incredibly watchable and engaging from start to finish.
MASKED AND ANONYMOUS:
The critics took a giant crap all over this Bob Dylan project, mainly because they didn’t get it. Like the best Dylan songs, this film asks a lot of questions and answers none of them. But I found it endlessly interesting, often funny, occasionally insightful and quite original. A must see for any BD fan.
TROY:
I’ve re-evaluated this film on second viewing. There are some great, totally original action sequences here, but also some very strong acting moments (specially by Eric Bana and Peter O’Toole) along with a dynamic narrative, a stellar cast and great art direction. Not a perfect film by any means, but a solid historical epic that benefits from repeated viewing.
WORST THAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN
Alexander:
An embarrassing turkey for everybody involved. It almost seems like all these talented people at the bottom of their game here. What the hell happened? I’ll tell you what: massive ego, an excessive budget, and too much partying. The year’s biggest failure by far.
Collateral:
The most over-hyped film of the year. A movie not as bad as it is disappointing. The story is familiar (is it a remake of The Hitcher?), the cinematography ugly, and the characters act inconsistently in order to serve the lame plot devices. There’s also some terrible use of music. Michael Mann’s worst film to date.
The Ladykillers:
The Coen Brothers’ worst film. Not cute, not clever, not funny. A waste of a great cast.
The Terminal:
Who thought this would work? Tom Hanks doing another unconvincing accent in a movie that never rises above ‘cute’. A metaphor for “America” that never rings true. Another in a string of uninspired, mediocre films; Spielberg seems intent on dismantling his own reputation.
Van Helsing:
They throw every monster at you and I still couldn’t stay awake. Proof that no amount of noise and flashy FX can save a lame film. Let’s hope there’s no sequel.
Zato Ichi, The Blind Swordsman:
Some critics were impressed; maybe they should see some real Zato Ichi films. Nothing actually works in this Takeshi Kitano “re-thinking” of the classic Japanese character. Are we supposed to be impressed by trans-gender characters or the anachronistic dance numbers? And when the only serious action takes place in a tacked-on flashback, you know there’s a problem. O yeah, (spoiler alert), according to Kitano, Zato Ichi only pretends to be blind! OK, and Wonder Woman is actually a guy.
BEST OF 2003
The 25th Hour
The Last Samurai
LOTR: Return of the King
American Splendor
Owning Mahoney
The Italian Job
Man On The Train
The Shape of Things
Finding Nemo
Brother Bear
In America
Laurel Canyon
Kill Bill Vol. 1
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