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’ 4^th 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.

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.

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

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

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!

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

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 25^th 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

BEST OF 2002

GANGS OF NEW YORK – Mating Scorsese’s operatic tale of tribal warfare in Civil War era Manhattan. Maybe the last film of its kind: grand, epic, and shot on non-virtual sets. Scorsese creates a kind of prequel to his Mafia Trilogy focusing on the colorful Irish gangs of the period and, in the process, gives us his greatest individual character since Travis Bickle; Bill “the Butcher” Cutting. A beautiful, brutal masterpiece; often unfocused but always fascinating.

SOLARIS – A remake that’s better than the original. Hypnotic, subtle, and thought provoking. George Clooney gives his best dramatic performance in Steven Soderbergh’s meditation on love and loss. A film of intellect, beauty and economy, Solaris doesn’t pander to anybody and will surely be ignored for it. But, man… it’s good!

THE NINE QUEENS – Fabian Bielinsky’s debut film reads like an Argentinian David Mamet con-game caper. Unlike Mamet though, The Nine Queens takes place on the planet Earth. The characters are believable, the directing style is confident but unassuming, and the plot twists all actually make sense. A clever and thoroughly entertaining film with some wonderful performances by Ricardo Darin and Gaston Pauls. Another of the series of great Latin American films to come up in the past couple of years.

ABOUT SCHMIDT – Who’d have thought that “Dear Ndugu,” would turn out to be the funniest line of the year? A funny and touching character study of an aging Midwestern shlub searching for the meaning of life. Jack Nicholson gives one of the best performances of his career in Alexander Payne’s luxuriously-paced follow up to Election.

ADAPTATION – Neither comedy nor drama, Spike Jonze’s second film is – more than anything else – a meditation on the creative process. Or is it the world’s shortest screen-writing class? I’m not really sure. But this bizarre little film is utterly original and completely unpredictable. With the best Nick Cage performance in years, Adaptation is a post-modern treat I’m dying to see again. And if, like me, you’ve always wanted to see Meryl Streep trip on hallucinogens, this is your chance.

INSOMNIA – Another remake; this time of a film I happen to love. Well it works just as well in this version. What’s more Christopher Nolan even made some improvements adding both ambiguity to the story and clarity to the ideas. Robin Williams does some of his best work as a very reasonable killer and Al Pacino is outstanding as the morally challenged cop trying to catch him. The ending was a bit contrived, but almost inescapable.

FRAILTY – The best Stephen King movie, Stephen King had nothing to do with. Bill Paxton’s confident directorial debut is a serial killer film, a horror film and a super-hero film wrapped in a tight film noire package.  It all works amazingly well. Paxton’s performance as the loving father/homicidal demon slayer is among his most subtle and Matthew McConnehey continues to do good supporting work. This smart and unusual thriller also contains one of the best process (inside car) shots in movie history.

Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN – I wish my Spanish were better so I could appreciate the obviously sharp dialogue. Regardless, this road / coming-of-age movie by Mexican director Carlos Cuaron is a real gem. Energetically told, wonderfully acted, and utterly unpredictable, this film also happens to have some genuinely erotic moments. All in all, Mama is the kind of movie Hollywood should have been making in the ‘80’s instead of Porky’s.

LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS – Weaker than Fellowship, Peter Jackson still pulls off a hell of a movie. This is a darker (literally) installment and the darkness of the film itself is a bit oppressive; I missed the scope, variety and magic of Fellowship. The story, this time is split into three parallel lines of action, so the momentum often gets lost, but the brilliant Gollum alone is worth the price of admission. And, if that’s not enough, Helms Deep is the grandest single battle scene in movie history. One more to go.

GANGSTER #1 – This stylish British gangster flick at times feels like an homage to Performance. But Paul Bettany’s turn as the brutal, style-obsessed thug is utterly brilliant. This is the arrival of a major actor; a perfect example of a single performance elevating the entire film to a higher level. Oh yeah, and there’s also the most brutal torture sequence since Reservoir Dogs. See it with someone you love.

SIGNS – Another genre bender from M. Night Shamalayan. This time Bruce Will… I mean Mel Gibson and family fight off an alien invasion. Sure there’s enough holes in the plot to strain spaghetti, but the pace and the performances are dead-on and the movie has some genuine scares. Shamalayan has an uncanny ability to make big stories intimate and his mastery of film suspense is often breath taking.

SPIDER MAN – OK, this has obviously been a weak year for film. But Sam Raimi’s Spider Man is so assuredly told and so faithful to the comics, I just couldn’t resist it. Sure the CGI stuff is weak, but the story is intimate and involving and the actors do nice character work. This is the most sincere comic book adaptation since Superman 1 in ’76.

24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE – Freakishly entertaining and often hilarious take on the Manchester music scene of the 80’s and ‘90s. See it.

FAR FROM HEAVEN – Surprisingly funny and insightful take on the repression of the 1950’s suburbia. Beautifully shot, wonderfully acted by all, and stylistically reminiscent of the era without being beholden to it.

THE BELIEVER – Audacious and challenging. If you’re not offended by some of it, you’re not paying attention. But all in all, a monumental film about the modern Jewish experience.

THE PIANIST – An amazingly engaging film. This low-key story of survival brilliantly captures the period and the horror of the Holocaust without resorting to cheap pathos. Adrien Brody is phenomenal.

                                               

SHOULD HAVE BEENS

MINORITY REPORT – Another ‘serious’ sci-fi flick from Steven Spielberg is way stronger than A.I.. In fact, after the first 20 minutes I thought that this may be one of the best films I’ve ever seen. But by the time it was all over, I was sure it wasn’t. Once again, Spielberg’s desire to end on a high note betrays him, the film and the audience. Like AI, the film’s final act feels like a tacked-on cop out, virtually negating the accomplishment of what preceded.

ROAD TO PERDITION – Frankly a disappointing adaptation of a brilliant graphic novel, Sam Mendes’ film is still quite effective. Beautifully shot by Conrad Hall and nicely acted by the entire cast, Road to Perdition is, nonetheless, bogged down by the clichés of the gangster genre. If they stuck closer to the source material it would have been a classic.

STAR WARS II – Technical brilliance abounds as George Lucas goes fully digital. That, unfortunately, also pertains to the acting, script and pacing. If you suspected that Lucas forgot how to work with actors this installment removes all doubt. The effects and the action sequences rock; everything else stinks to high heaven. Except Yoda, of course.

PANIC ROOM – Not a bad film so much as a mediocre one. Thus, a huge step backwards for director David Fincher.

PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE – The mass hypnosis that seemed to affect the entire critical community has finally worn off. This is a massive stinker unworthy of all involved. Even Adam Sandler.

SCOOBY DOO – Who’d have thought this would suck?

BEST OF 2001

A WAKING LIFE – Hands down, the best film of the year! Richard Linklatter’s sequel (of sorts) to Slacker is brilliant on so many levels, it would take hours to even begin to dissect. Suffice it to say, A Waking Life is a film about the workings of the human intellect told through combining pseudo-documentary footage with mind-blowing animation. The movie is almost impossible to describe and it may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but for those who are sick of Hollywood pandering and cliché, A Waking Life is an exhilarating, boldly original head-trip. A film I can’t wait to see again and again.

MOULIN ROUGE – If pure originality were the only criteria for great filmmaking, Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge would probably be considered one of the greatest films ever made. Unfortunately, a formulaic plot and some really awkward pacing bog it down severely. Still, Moulin Rouge is a wildly original picture that takes immense chances. The musical numbers are as stunning as anything Hollywood has ever produced; and the art direction and cinematography are pure genius. This is gutsy filmmaking that pays off so richly on the visual and stylistic end, that it’s easy to forgive its missteps. Enjoy it over a glass of absinthe.

LORD OF THE RINGS – I never read Tolkien’s opus, so I don’t have any pre-conceptions about what this film is “supposed” to be like. What it is like is stunning. Peter Jackson seems to have mastered the art of integrating special effects into an engaging story. Except for a slow first hour, this epic cooks with multi-dimensional characters, breathtaking action, and unforgettable visuals. This is grand-scale filmmaking that (ahem) dwarfs any other film this year. I’m already looking forward to the next installments.

MEMENTO – O.K., this is unquestionably a gimmick movie. So what!? I’ll take an engaging gimmick versus a dull cliché any day. And this story about a man with memory loss told backwards is a hell of lot more effective than most of what passes for suspense these days. Christopher Nolan’s Memento succeeds in being the best true film noir in recent years, and that’s saying something for a rather crowded genre. It’s a film about identity, destiny, and life’s purpose told in a way that often confuses, but never loses its audience. An instant classic.

BATTLE ROYALE – First of all, I don’t even think this film was released in 2001. Second, it’s never been released in this country – theatrically or on video - and probably never will be. Why? Because it’s offensive, violent and vicious. A satire of reality television, teen soap operas, and the education system; Battle Royale gets major kicks out of crossing lines and pushing buttons. Juvenile delinquents are forced to kill one another for survival on a booby-trapped island. Lord of the Flies meets Survivor with automatic weapons… one of the best films you may never get to see.

THE TAILOR OF PANAMA – A bit of a long shot here, but I’m a huge John Boorman fan. A poet of the male psyche, Boorman finds a perfect balance between humor and suspense in this John LaCarre spy yarn. The script is smart, the pace is fast, and Pierce Brosnan gives a great performance as a nasty version of James Bond. What never ceases to amaze throughout the proceedings is Boorman’s perfect control of the medium.

OCEANS ELEVEN – A “super movie”. The kind of film they used to make in the ‘60’s with Steve McQueen and James Coburn, but have become impossible in this day due to out-of-control egos and salaries. It took George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh to pull this unbelievable cast together and it’s a gas from the first frame to the last. Fun in the very best sense of the word… and the heist itself is way more involving than any of the other heist films to come out this year. It’s good to know that Hollywood can still make escapist entertainment at this level of craftsmanship.

MADE – Jon Favreau’s directing debut and follow-up to Swingers is superior in almost every way. This is a pure character film with Favreau and Vince Vaughn bickering their way through the New York underworld. Forget the plot and enjoy the writing and improvisation. A loose and energetic film that deserved more attention than it got.

BLACK HAWK DOWN – The best Ridley Scott film in years. Both brutal and exhilarating, Black Hawk Down traces every minute on the battle of Mogadishu in what may be one of the longest and most relentless sustained action sequences in film history. Light on jingoism and heavy on action, Scott’s film is a flawlessly executed meditation on modern combat. The film took some criticism for making Samalis faceless. I say; let the Samalis make their own version of the battle… this one is for us, and it makes Saving Private Ryan look like a Woody Allen film.

THE ROYAL TENNENBAUMS – The slickest comedy of the year. Wes Anderson gathers a brilliant cast capped off by Gene Hackman at his disarming best. This is quirky stuff, but it has a lot of heart, some big laughs, and – like all the best comedies – genuine emotion. This film will grow in stature with subsequent viewings; it’s layered, nuanced, and well written. Another classic in the making.

A BEAUTIFUL MIND – Sure it’s over-rated. And once the central gimmick is resolved, Ron Howard’s bio of Nobel winner John Nash becomes just that; a standard bio. One can also take exception with the factual inaccuracies of the third act… but screw it! This is an assured, smart movie with a brilliant central performance by Russell Crowe (if he doesn’t win an Oscar for this, I’m throwing out my copy of Gladiator). Oh yeah, and Jennifer Connely is the most beautiful woman on the planet.

BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF – I enjoyed this French confection way more than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. A hybrid of Hammer horror flicks, “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, Hong Kong chop-saki, and a dash of both Oliver Stone and Scooby Doo… Brotherhood is surprisingly engaging for most of its running time (about 20 minutes too long if you ask me, but that’s OK). The action rocks, the cinematography looks good, and the plot doesn’t pander to the dumb-ass. This may not appeal to everybody, but it’s a film that, on its own terms succeeds beautifully. I wish the French would make more of this kind of stuff.

AMORES PERROS - Alejandro González Iñárritu skillfully weaves three related tales connected by a car crash. The film is almost dizzying in its style and the performances shine all around. But it’s the direction that really shines as Iñárritu casts his magic with amazing confidence and breathless energy. Here is a talent to watch.

SEXY BEAST – One of the slickest, most original gangster flicks to come out of England - or any country - in many years. Jonathan Glazer directs a tale of a retired gangster (the awesome Ray Winstone) bullied back for one more heist by a high-ranking psychopath (Ben Kingsley in the film’s showiest, most surprising turn). Kingsley got all the press, but all the performances shine. Pay special attention to Ian McShane as a Godfather with some serious secrets and a unique sense of justice. A terrific genre film with some real surprises and a sense of humor that turns out to be the biggest surprise of all.

FILMS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE LIST, BUT WEREN’T VERY GOOD.

A.I. – Here’s a prime example of why great directors shouldn’t collaborate. A drawn-out, self satisfied mess; A.I. doesn’t know what the hell it’s about. Is it a fairy tale, a parable on family love, or a meditation on religion? Nobody seems to know; certainly not Spielberg. Sure, the film looks great, but is utterly unbalanced in tone and philosophy. A kid’s movie that no kid can hope to understand or even sit through. If you want to explore issues of artificial soul, watch Bladerunner or some select episodes of Star Trek TNG. Let’s just be thankful that Stanley wasn’t alive to see this fiasco.

PEARL HARBOR – It’s fashionable to rank on this film, but come on! Did they not read this script? This is pure soap opera crap! The attack itself if brilliantly executed, but the rest of the film is a lumbering mess. And Ben Affleck’s performance deserves special mention as one of the worst of the century (“Somebody get me to a plane!”). And the saddest thing is after September 11, we could have really used an intelligent film about Pearl Harbor.

VANILLA SKY – Cameron Crowe’s cover version of the Spanish original is slick but kind of pointless. (Remakes never deserve as much praise as original films anyway.) Actually Vanilla Sky is entertaining. It moves along nicely, is shot beautifully by John Toll, and has some nice work by Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell and Cruise himself. But by the time it’s all over and the big surprise is finally revealed, one essentially wonders what the whole point was. And anybody who thought this film was too complicated must have dosed off or something, because it’s ridiculously straightforward. All in all, one of Crowe’s weakest efforts to date, yet still surprisingly watchable.