Umney's Alley - 2007's Movie Log

A Year in Film: 2007

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What follows are my OCD attempts to list and rate every movie I watch in any given year. (I've done the same for my year's reading in the book log.) Given that I watch some relatively obscure films, I've set it up so that the film title links to the IMDb page for the film so you can get more information easily.

Starting in 2009, I began assigning out star ratings (out of five stars) to films I've watched. Five stars is equivalent to an A, 4½ to an A-/B+, four to a B, and so on.

12-30	Natural Born Killers	The nice thing about watching an Oliver Stone film is the way he doesn't need little things like nuance, subtlety, or understatement. I know that's why some people like him, but ultimately, this just left me irritated, since most of the stylistic flourishes feel excessive and pointless. I get the point of the film, that it's a satire; I don't really see how anyone could miss the point, as the film's about as subtle as a nuclear bomb. Understanding it, though, doesn't mean that I liked it much, since it had little interesting to say, Stone's directorial method left me exhausted and fed up, and the film's characters are all universally flat and despicable, with no depth or interest to speak of, and played so far over the top that you can't even see the beginning. Maybe it's just my dislike of Stone (who's made one good movie ever, so far as I've seen), but I really, really didn't like this at all.
12-30	An Unreasonable Man	An engrossing and interesting look at a man who was once revered and has since seen many of his most ardent supporters turn on him viciously. There's no doubt that this is a pro-Nader film, designed to defend him, but there's still a lot of time spent with even the harshest critics of his presidential runs; while Nader gets the last word, there's no denying that both sides are heard. More than anything, though, it's a fascinating look at exactly what one man, who had few connections and average money, can really accomplish, and an infuriating and enraging polemic on our political system.
12-29	Buffalo '66	The best thing I can say about this is that it granted me a deep appreciation for all the time in my life that I don't spend watching this movie. It's not just the slew of unlikable and unsympathetic characters; it's the painfully implausible story, the grotesque and shrill caricatures passing for real people, the grating and irritating dialogue, and more. Honestly, I'm thinking hard, and apart from a couple of novel cinematic moments (that tellingly don't fit in with anything at all in the film), there's not really a thing I liked about this.
12-28	The Cider House Rules	Years after all the hype and hoopla have died down, I finally went and saw this, and was transported back to a book I loved by a really great movie. Lasse Hallström has always felt like a bit of a hack to me, but he does a remarkable job with this, juggling so many threads and keeping the viewer involved in all of them. It would be easy for the film to devolve into cheese or become too manipulative (after all, it is a movie about unloved orphans), but the movie has a good sense of humor, strong characters, and a nicely involved worldview. Caine's performance is excellent, and deserves the award it won, but the rest of the cast is strong as well, truly bringing Irving's generous, cynical, touching world to life.
12-28	The Wrong Man	A unique and compelling piece of work from Hitchcock, who turns all his suspense building tools to tell the story of a man accused of a crime he didn't commit. Hitchcock's famous story of his encounter with police as a child hangs heavy over the picture, and the atmosphere of dread, hopelessness, and paranoia is remarkably done. It loses a bit of focus by the end; while Miles's depiction of the damaged wife is remarkable, it begins to slow down the film a little too much. That being said, it's a unique effort from Hitch, and a remarkably involving (and strangely unsettling) one as well.
12-27	I'm Not There.	As the guys from Spinal Tap pointed out, "There's a thin line between clever and stupid." I'm not saying that I'm Not There is stupid, but it's a maddeningly uneven film. At times, I felt like I was watching a revolutionary work of art, something unlike anything I'd ever seen before; other times, I felt like I was watching one of the most pretentious, self-important student art films I'd ever seen. A day later, I'm still not entirely sure what I thought of it, other than I've never seen anything quite like it. When it works--say, most of Franklin's story, and through much of Bale--it's incredible. When it doesn't--the truly shitty "music video" sequence--it's terrible. But in its own way, it's an incredible accomplishment, and even thought it didn't always hit its mark, I admired what it attempted to do, and loved much of the attempt. (However, watching Walk Hard the day before did ruin big chunks of this for me, in that as inventive and unique as this is, it still sticks to some aspects of the music biopic, and runs way too close to Dewey Cox sometimes.)
12-27	Juno	A weird variation on this year's trend of great openings and lousy endings, Juno spent the first fifteen minutes or so really convincing me that I would hate it. With self-consciously "quirky" dialogue, aggressively "indie" music, and too much twee for its own good, I was resigned to a miserable 96 minutes. But a funny thing happened about thirty minutes in: the movie began to peel back those layers, exposing a funny, sweet, touching heart and reality underneath that I didn't expect, using that indie dialogue to expose its characters' fears and insecurities. By the end, I was in love with the movie, and its characters had gone from contrived to convincing and endearing. The cast is uniformly excellent; though Page is (rightfully) getting all the acclaim, it's J.K. Simmons who really stuck out to me, playing one of the most realistic and touching "parent figures" in a teen movie that I've seen in a long time. The conversation between he and his daughter about relationships is one of my favorite scenes from this year, and it comes in a great little movie that really surprised me.
12-27	Wordplay	Slight but engaging and entertaining documentary about crossword puzzles, their makers, their fanatics, and the people who compete in tournaments over them. The movie manages the rare task of making the act of watching someone do a crossword completely engaging; with interesting discussions, a good sense of humor, and some thoughtful points, the first half really explores the "why" of the passion for crosswords, and the second half brings out a ton of drama over watching people panic for clues. It's really a fun movie.
12-26	Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story	The trailers to this really looked horrible, so it was with some trepidation that I went to see this. I'm so glad I did, because this was completely hilarious. Owing more to Airplane! and Young Frankenstein than Walk the Line, this is a gag-a-minute type of movie, and one of those where it doesn't really matter if one falls flat, because another is behind it. Making the movie more entertaining, though, is Reilly, who plays the role straight, adding a touch of humanity to even the goofiest scenes. It's far, far better than the trailers depict, and there were numerous times that I was laughing until tears rolled down my face. If you like a good genre spoof, you really should give this a shot; it's ruined music biopics for me for a long time (something that would come back to haunt me the next day).
12-26	Dracula (1979)	Overlong even at under two hours, acted poorly even with a stellar cast, dully shot throughout, and ultimately just stunningly dull, there's really nothing positive I can think of to say about this movie. I was interested to see Langella's widely acclaimed version of the Count, but while there are interesting nuggets of character in there, they're drowned out by everything else in the film, creating an echo chamber of mediocrity and boredom.
12-26	As You Like It (2006)	You can't blame Branagh for everything that's wrong with this, but he's definitely not helping matters. To be fair, the play isn't one of Shakespeare's best works; it feels a little rambling and lacks some focus. But it doesn't help when the acting is merely serviceable, the staging dull, and the setting...the setting. There's nothing inherently wrong with modernizing or moving a Shakespeare play; the best (say, 2000's Hamlet) do so in a way that not only emphasizes the themes of the play, but puts them in a new context that plays with new ideas. But shifting the action of this play to Japan seems to serve no real purpose other than to add ninjas to the opening sequence. No Asian actors, no new ideas, just a Japanese setting that adds nothing to the play. It's a pretty colossal disappointment, and this is coming from someone who loves most of Branagh's Shakespeare work.
12-21	The Holiday	It wasn't the painful and miserable experience I had heard it was, but please don't take that as an endorsement. It's not bad, that's true, but it's far from good; it's just completely and totally unremarkable. There's not really a single interesting or involving moment in the film, and not a second of it that rings true in any way.
12-21	The Pledge	What begins as a police procedural becomes something far more complex and fascinating by the end. Penn's directing has grown immeasurably between The Crossing Guard and this, and the stronger visual sense and better sense of pacing really help this work. But it's really Nicholson who holds everything together; rather than playing himself, as he too often does, he gives a layered and nuanced performance of a man driven by obsessions he can't fully admit to. The ending is beautifully constructed, and the climax is set up to leave a lot of questions unanswered. It's not for all tastes - it's slowly paced, very open-ended, and more philosophical than thrilling - but I really liked it.
12-20	The Weather Man	What I expected was a generic Hollywood comedy about a man who rediscovers the meaning of life; what I got was something far more interesting, complicated, and satisfying. The film almost plays like a tragedy in reverse, as a man who has screwed up everything about his life finds himself trying to make things right. There's no happy Hollywood ending; in fact, the progress made is pretty small. But I think that's part of what I liked so much about it - the way it dodged big theatrics in favor of character development, strong writing, and a good sense of pacing. The family dynamics are compelling, with the parent/child relationships being about as richly done as I've seen in a film in some time. With some welcome and brilliant doses of dark, dark humor, a big heart, and great performances, it's a shame this didn't get more attention when it came out.
12-19	I Am Legend	Although it's a pretty far cry from the book, the first two acts of this are so damned good that it more than makes up for the changes. For the first hour to hour and a half, this is a riveting one man show. There's a stunning atmosphere of isolation and eerie desolation, and the visuals are really amazing. But it's really Smith's show, and he does a really remarkable job, playing Neville as a man attempting to survive, but with far more psychological damage and much less grip on his sanity than he thinks. It's a powerful couple of acts, culminating in a strangely powerful scene with, of all things, a mannequin. And then, there's the third act, which abandons all that amazing atmosphere, loneliness, tension, and isolation in favor of a far more upbeat and optimistic ending than the movie has set itself up for. It's not just that they change the ending of the book; it's that the movie isn't true to itself. That being said, the first two acts really are amazing, and it's a testament to their quality how much the lousy ending really made me mad. See it for the incredible sensation and immersion in the daily life of the last man on Earth, and savor Smith's outstanding performance as that isolation takes its toll. Just leave after the dock scene, and you'll be happy.
12-16	Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale	What a great finale to the series. It wasn't the constant barrage of insanity that the show had--there was nothing that matched that David Bowie number or Ian McKellen's acting lessons, for instance--but that was more than made up for by the heart and soul that was poured into it. The gags that were there worked wonderfully, but the finale was far more dramatic and even heartbreaking than the rest of the series, and it shifted into that gear as if it had been born to do so. Jensen just about walks away with the special; she brings a pathos and sadness to the part that I was totally unprepared for, and it's such that even a hilarious scene (like her apartment shopping) has me both cackling with laughter and deeply saddened at the same time. But it's Gervais's stunning monologue towards the end that truly gives the special its bite and power - an acid-tongued, poison-filled rant at celebrity and the tabloid press, one that represents a lot of what the show's always been about. A wonderful, wonderful finale to a sadly under-rated and under-watched show.
12-15	For Your Consideration	The more Guest I see, the more mixed my feelings toward him. Part of what I loved so much about Guffman and what made Wind such an excellent film was Guest's effort to not only accurately re-create that which he parodied, but his strong affection for his characters. Best in Show does this quite well. For all the failed gags (and the first section of the film has a few that get old quickly), the strong characters and the sense of immersion in the dog show world more than make the film entertaining. Of course, what pushes it over the edge into a masterpiece is the dog show itself--or, more accurately, Fred Willard's insane and completely inappropriate commentary for the show. (Here's how good it is: if they would let Willard commentate, I would watch a real dog show.) All of those strengths, then, make the complete failure of Consideration all the more depressing. The gags are incredibly unfunny and shrill; the characters are not only unlikable, but it's clear that Guest has nothing but contempt for them, and yet he wants us to feel for them; the plot obvious and dull...there's really not a single good thing to say for the film. Here it is in a nutshell: if your film has Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, and (especially) Ricky Gervais in it and it's still not funny, you've got some serious problems. (Admittedly, Gervais does get the one line in the film that cracked me up. Still, one line does not a funny movie make.)
12-15	Best in Show
12-14	Lord of the Flies (1963)	The annual semester showing to my students. It's the one movie that I show that I always find myself watching, and I love the way my initially skeptical students ("When was this made?" "It's in BLACK AND WHITE?" "Old movies are dumb!") always get more and more involved, and by the time that fateful feast happens, the room is awfully silent. It's a phenomenally effective adaptation of the book, and uses its low budget magnificently; the lack of effects doesn't make the violence or the story any less horrifying, and the effect this has on my high school students testifies to that.
12-9	Alpha Dog	Watching this, one can't help but be reminded of Larry Clark's Bully, another film based on the true story of a group of suburban kids who end up murdering someone. However, Alpha Dog is an infinitely superior film, if only for eliminating Clark's constantly voyeuristic and unsettling gaze at all that prepubescent flesh on display. What's more, for the comments that felt that the film had nothing to say, I found there to be lots of strong subtext, ranging from a theme of absentee parenting to the disparity between "music video" violence and life. It's a tough watch, and ends up feeling bleak and hopeless, but I'm not sure that a movie about this case should be a hopeful one. The acting is strong throughout, with Timberlake giving a surprisingly gripping performance. Definitely better than its reputation suggests, and an effective film in many ways.
12-8	The Great Escape	The first two hours of this are a really great movie, one that succeeds despite some major flaws. A lot of the characters come out a bit flat, to say the least, but when the escape plan is so fascinating, the ingenuity so intriguing, and the shots of all the activity so interesting, it's hard to complain. The post-escape section of the film, though, really tends to drag on for a bit too long, especially given the ending; there could have been some plentiful pruning in there. That being said, it's a rousing success for the most part, and the fact that it feels about forty minutes too long and doesn't have any strong characters and still is so well regarded is something of a triumph in of itself.
12-7	Sleepaway Camp	A terrible, terrible movie, but a really great time at the movies. This was part of the Belcourt's midnight movies series, and between the thirty minute reel of horror and exploitation trailers and a really fun (and viciously heckling) crowd, I had a really fun time. The movie? It's pretty bad in almost every respect; the acting is hysterically bad (although nothing tops the aunt at the beginning), the "plot" nonexistent, and the kills ludicrous. That being said, that last shot is really kind of creepy in some way I can't quite identify (to say nothing of the bizarre twist that almost everyone knows) - that face should be laughable, but it's really not. Anyways, fun times out, which is all I asked for.
12-2	Hud	A very solid film about the new West, fathers and sons, and one incredibly cold-hearted bastard. It's fascinating to watch Newman play Hud here; though he's meant to be a villain and a scumbag, Newman's charisma seeps through, which makes the character work - if he wasn't somewhat appealing, the film would ring false. That's not to undersell the rest of the cast, all of whom turn in excellent, finely nuanced performances. The story is simple enough, concerning itself with the relationship between an old cattle rancher, his son, and his grandson, but it's the script that makes this so engrossing, giving some great lines and some meat to the characters. Well acted throughout and beautifully shot, it's a film that's probably not as well known or regarded as it maybe should be.
11-23	Home for the Holidays	Half re-watched this while I read a book. It's fun to have a Thanksgiving movie that brings some much needed cynicism to the holiday season, and watching the family interact at a spectacularly disastrous meal is a lot of fun. Ultimately, though, it all feels a little pointless; you're left wondering if there was a reason for the film, or just a meandering trip through a holiday? The romance is pretty unconvincing, and ultimately it's hard to really care about anyone in the movie. Still, some fun scenes, and Downey (as usual) steals the show.
11-21	The Mist	Getting one solid Stephen King horror adaptation a year is lucky; getting a second is just icing. But getting one of the best King horror adaptations to date? Even better. Darabont handles the material so well it puts a lot of people to shame; so few people seem to get that adapting King means maintaining the horror, the atmosphere, and the characters, but all of them survive perfectly into Darabont's hellish nightmare. The monsters are doled out perfectly, and the obscuring mist is used for magnificent effect, leaving much to the imagination. Darabont reveals himself to be capable of surprising bursts of gore, and the film's ending (which, as a warning, makes Se7en look like a laugh riot) reveals a vicious cynicism that I didn't entirely expect. Mixing Lord of the Flies with the borderlands of Lovecraft, Darabont has done King proud, and made a great monster flick.
11-21	No Country for Old Men	I was hoping that the Coen brothers would return to form. What I got wasn't just a return to their past accomplishments; what I got may be their best film to date. From a technical perspective, it's hard to imagine there being a better film this year--it's rare to see anything this tightly edited, shot, written, and acted. There's not a wasted second of film, not a spare word to the story, and even the minimal (to the point of almost being absent) score only underscores the perfection of the film. The acting is uniformly superb; honestly, whether you're discussing Brolin (who's seriously having an amazing year), Bardem (one of the most chilling villains in recent memory), or Jones (who does something I'd almost forgotten he could do: act, instead of playing himself), you're talking Oscar-worthy work. The film captures McCarthy's tone perfectly, mixing violence and a world-weary outlook with the Coens' signature black humor, and the resulting film is a flat-out masterpiece. If you call yourself a film fan and don't see this, you don't deserve the label.
11-18	Beowulf (IMAX 3-D)	If you're going to see this, go see it in 3D, preferably the IMAX version. It's obvious that Zemeckis wanted the film to be seen that way; every shot is jaw-droppingly composed to take advantage of the extra dimension, culminating in a final battle that would be superb even without the 3D; with it, it's the best action sequence of the year. So how's the rest of the film? Hit and miss. The acting is pretty uneven; it feels like Zemeckis is suffering from George Lucas Syndrome, and over-relying on his effects to save the film. To be sure, the effects are amazing - the visuals throughout the film are stunning, and the water/reflection techniques are beautiful. It's just that the film itself isn't that interesting; Gaiman brings an interesting (and surprisingly solid) variation on the legend, but none of the acting pushes the film into truly memorable territory. As a visual spectacle, it's worth every penny, and it may be the best visual spectacle of the year; as a movie...well, you could do worse, but you could do a lot better, too. (And a special mention of the Grendel fight, which depicts a naked Beowulf fighting the monster, and uses the Austin Powers method to keep it PG-13. The effect is laughable, and really kills what should have been a scene for the ages)
11-17	The Baxter	Clever concept notwithstanding, this is mostly a swing-and-a-miss shot at parodying the conventions of the romantic comedy. The idea is to tell the story from the point of view of that "other guy" in every romantic comedy, the one ditched at the end. The problem is that these "other guys" aren't interesting enough to hang a whole movie on, and Showalter is no exception. There are some clever moments here and there, most notably a scene-stealing priceless supporting role by Peter Dinklage, but ultimately, this just drags a lot and doesn't shine as much as you would hope it does.
11-17	Tsotsi	An interesting, if not entirely successful, story about a South African thug who finds himself reassessing his life after carjacking a car that contains an infant. The film is beautifully shot, and the performances are all great; it's just that the film is more than a little manipulative, and I agree that it lets its hero off a little easy. Ebert said that it's not so much that he becomes good as that he stops being actively evil, and while that's a fascinating (and more realistic) way to write the character, the film still wants to push him into redeeming himself, and as such downplays a lot of what he's done in the past, softening him a little too quickly. Still, the performances are strong throughout, and the film dodges easy answers and trite solutions for the most part, which I admired.
11-16	Before the Devil Knows You're Dead	A solid piece of melodrama masquerading as a heist picture. It's good to see Lumet in form still after all these years, and he keeps the proceedings tense, leaping back and forth through time, looking at all sides of the situation. Essentially what you have is a family melodrama set into motion by a robbery gone terribly wrong, but it's a damned good melodrama, filled with some phenomenal moments and great acting. Hoffman, of course, steals the film, turning in some of his best work to date, but there's no member of the cast who can be faulted, from Hawke's panicked looks to Tomei's earnest (and frequently naked) wife. It's a shame, then, that the last five minutes are so bad; they really feel like a betrayal of how great the rest of the film is. It's almost a bad enough ending to make me not want to recommend it, but that would trivialize so much that's great about this. All I can say is that if it ended just a couple of minutes earlier, it would be a masterpiece.
11-15	The Assas- sination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford	I honestly can't believe that this is a major studio release. From the awkward title to the long running time (just shy of three hours), from the focus on character development over action to the thoughtful, meditative pacing, this is about as far from Hollywood as you can get. And so, no, it won't appeal to everyone. But I was riveted for every gorgeous frame of this, and found myself wishing it would never end. The characters are fully realized, coming to life in fascinating ways. Pitt is the big name, and his portrayal of James is electric, but it's really Casey Affleck's (and Robert Ford's) movie and story, and he creates a intriguing, deeply flawed person who finds himself lost when rejected by his idol. The film touches on ideas about fame, death, love, family, the West, and also plays as an incredibly involving and deeply heartbreakingly sad character drama. And from a technical perspective? If there's justice, Roger Deakins should be penning his Oscar speech for his cinematography work; there's not a frame of the film that doesn't stun visually. Nick Cave's haunting score adds a somber, elegiac feel to the proceedings, and really resonates with the film. I can't recommend it for everyone, but I also can't recommend it enough; it's so rare that a work of cinematic art like this comes through the studio system, and I wish it was getting the recognition and fame it deserved.
11-12	Tideland	I'm glad I watched this before I saw Gilliam's pissy intro to it, which sets a bit of an off-tone for the film. That being said, I'm still not sure what I think of it entirely. It reminded me a lot, with regard to theme, of Pan's Labyrinth, in that both films are concerned with children using their imagination to cope with and understand the nightmarish world they live in. Curiously, though, despite Gilliam's predilection for fantasy scenes, Tideland largely eschews them, instead focusing its attention on the real world--something which becomes, under Gilliam's surreal eye, just as terrifying as any nightmare. The film is remarkably bleak and hard to take sometimes, but in Gilliam's own way, he's made a fascinating fairy tale that, while clearly from the perspective of an innocent, is very much for adults.
11-12	Romper Stomper	I've heard this compared to American History X a lot, but this is really far closer to A Clockwork Orange, with its immersion in the world and perspective of an amoral, violent, hate-fueled gang. The movie is so immersed in the skinheads' world that it lacks any sort of moral judgment, making the film somewhat of a disturbing experience; to its credit, however, it avoids simple explanations or changes of heart, choosing simply to observe coldly the gang's actions. It's a fascinating film, and even here, Crowe is galvanizing; it's not surprising at all that he became such a film star.
11-12	Clockers	An outstanding urban drama by Spike Lee that lays some of the groundwork for the masterpiece that is The Wire. Like that show, Clockers is ostensibly about a crime, but uses that as a jumping-off point to cast a critical eye at the world it finds itself in. Rather than easy answers and stock villains and heroes, Lee (and writer Price) create a vivid, heartbreaking environment where there are good choices, and where everyone simply struggles through as best as they can. There are a couple of weak points, most notably a slightly overbearing soundtrack at times, but in general this is an outstanding work by Lee, showing a maturity and thoughtfulness that he's not often given credit for.
11-11	Tell Me You Love Me	An interesting, if ultimately draining and dreary, attempt to make a "realistic" show about relationships, complete with graphic sex, numerous problems, and the most Pyrrhic Hollywood ending imaginable. I can't say that the show was bad; I admire what it attempted to do about showing the very real issues that show up in relationships. However, the lack of humor, the frequently toxic atmosphere, and the lack of characters I cared about it almost made it a chore to watch, not something I looked forward to. I think it's easier to admire than like, because while I respect what it did, I certainly didn't like it very much.
11-11	To Live and Die in L.A.	Maybe I just had to see this in 1985 to appreciate this, but this is far from the forgotten gem I've been told. In fact, it's just laughably bad and hilarious. I give the film props for giving some authenticity to the actual counterfeiting procedure, but the fact is that they squander that by having the most incompetent cops this side of Reno 911, as murders happen while they sleep, suspects fool them with transparent ruses, and they frequently forget to monitor suspects who have guns. There are a couple of surprising moments, but honestly, the film is terrible, with much of it making no sense, and the rest being so over-the-top as to be absurd (the famous chase scene gets laughable around the time everyone in L.A. starts pulling guns on our heroes). And what the hell was up with that last shot of the truck pulling into the field? Like I said, maybe I'm missing something, but this wasn't good; it was just awful, but at least it was pretty hilarious throughout, even if unintentionally.
11-3	Saw IV	You know, the Saw movies continue to be a guilty pleasure of mine, and I get a lot of crap for it, but when they're this enjoyable, how can they not be? Someone compared them to a modern Friday the 13th series, and I think that's probably a good comparison - it's a series designed around a couple of staples (twisty plots and Rube-Goldberg-by-way-of-Satan devices), and it does those well. Are there flaws? Oh, god, yes. The acting is serviceable at best, and the writing is pretty awful at parts. So why watch them? In the words of the AV Club, the series is "either stupidly clever or cleverly stupid"; between the infernal traps and the plots designed to fake you out, the Saw movies know what their audience is there for, and they deliver, even if it's in a ridiculous way. Combine that with the fact that the writers have gone out of their way to tie the movies together, showing far more care with the mythology than one would expect, and you have one of the most consistently entertaining thriller series out there. Are they great cinema? No, and they may not even be good cinema. But I love the plots, love the toying with audience expectations (I seriously think that they understand better than almost anyone the language of cinema and how to toy with their audience by manipulating that), love the traps, and love the absurdity of them all. And, hey - as an origin story, it's a hell of a lot better than Hannibal Rising.
11-3	American Gangster	A really strong American crime epic, driven by a pair of fascinating characters. The film follows both Frank Lucas, a black man climbing to the top of the heroin game in the 70s, and Richie Roberts, an honest-to-a-fault Jewish cop who ends up working to bring Lucas down. The thin line between cop and criminal is almost a cliche, but the film breathes fresh life into it, as Lucas becomes more likeable and Roberts more flawed. There are some great moments, and some really strong acting throughout, but what really makes this is the strong evocation of the time period. Combine that with a great raid sequence and some fascinating conversations at the film's end, and you have a really great piece of cinema for the year. Well worth the time to see.
11-3	Dazed and Confused	Now this is how you do a slice-of-life teen movie. It's obvious, now that I've finally seen this, how much it influenced movies like Superbad, but this is its own unique creation. Yeah, it's funny in parts, but I wouldn't call it a comedy; it's more of, well, a "slice-of-life", following various characters through one evening and watching what they do. There's no real plot to speak of, and nothing critical happens, but that kind of thing is what Linklater is so good at, and working with this many characters,, he creates a memorable and believable world that I found myself really enjoying. Yeah, nothing happens...but that's the joy of this one. Likeable characters, fun performances, and sharp dialogue, not to mention a perfect eye and ear for the time period, all add up to something far richer, sweeter, and even more complex and moving than I expected.
11-3	The Puffy Chair	It's a character-driven indie film, but not a very good one. The concept seems strong enough, but the characters are so meandering that the incidents along the way that drive the plot are jarring and forced. What's more, the end of the film doesn't ring true at all; it's as if they went out of their way to give it a "non-Hollywood" ending, regardless of whether it fit the film or not. I wasn't real impressed, but maybe I'm missing something.
11-2	Dead Alive	Man. It's been years since I saw this, and while I remembered it was gory, I forgot just how gory it was. The phrase "buckets of blood" doesn't even begin to touch on this. Dead Alive isn't for the faint of hart, but for splatter flick fans, it's a treasure chest of delights. The gore is insanely inventive and over-the-top, the gags (with a nice mixture of verbal and slapstick) fly fast and furious, and the finale makes use of more appliances and tools in incredible ways, including...well, let's just say it's something you might never have thought of being in a zombie movie, but it makes for a grisly, "five gallons of blood a second" finale that's equal parts horrifying and hilarious. What a great flick.
10-28	Elizabethtown	It's rare that a film misfires so badly that not only do I not like it, but I really grow angry at the director. And yet, here I am, kinda pissed at Cameron Crowe for a) betraying my general love of his stuff and b) making such an awful, awful film. There's almost nothing that rings true, from Dunst's stunningly flat and undeveloped character to a ridiculously exaggerated Southern town to Bloom's ludicrous suicide method at the film's opening. But it takes the memorial sequence to really get pissed off. From the godawful "wacky" stand-up routine to a ridiculous band performance, it's truly awful, and turned my mild apathy and /or dislike to real hatred of the movie. The road trip is just icing. It's a real shame, because Crowe usually creates worlds that I love to be in; this time, I couldn't wait to leave.
10-28	The Matador	Proof that good, even great, performances aren't enough to save a film. The film is filled with great actors who do great jobs in this, from supporting roles (Baker and Hall) to the leads, but it's Brosnan's movie all the way, as he invests a stock character (a hitman losing interest in his job) with a magnificent life, making something generic into a memorable blend of sleaze, self-doubt, neurosis, addiction, and more. It's a shame that the movie around him isn't more interesting; as good as all the actors do, the story is beyond generic, with only a few sharp gags that work, and only really elevated by what Brosnan brings to it.
10-28	Save the Green Planet!	It takes confident direction to have your movie jump genres, but it takes a whole new set of balls to have your film just leap across the boundaries like they're not even there. Save the Green Planet! isn't like anything else I've ever seen. It's like someone took a kidnapping movie, a revenge drama, a slapstick comedy, a paranoia thriller, a horror film, and a sci-fi flick, threw them all in a blender, and filmed the result. That result is one of the most inventive, original, jaw-dropping things I've ever watched. I love watching movies that defy expectations and rules, and Save does that and then some. The story is alternately hilarious, horrifying, shocking, moving...look. I don't know that anything I can say can explain this one. I can say that it's not for all tastes, but if you've got an adventurous spirit, I don't know that I've seen anything quite like this. With respect for its characters, an incredible imagination, strong visual style, and a story that constantly goes in new directions, if you're up for it, this is a truly great movie experience.
10-27	The Science of Sleep	Whatever else I can say about it, I certainly can't say it was boring, and I can't say it wasn't original. I love Gondry's flights of fancy, and his dream sequences are unlike anything you've seen before, bringing a wonderful originality to the screen. If only the story held up. The film really feels like Gondry had a ton of ideas, but no real story to connect them, so he just threw them all in a blender and called it a film. The plot is meandering, at best, and while there's some interesting aspects to the central relationship, I don't know that any of them were ever explored. I didn't hate it as much as Maria did, but I think that's mainly because Gondry's visuals are so delightful. Apart from that, it's pretty much a gigantic mess, one focused on a character who becomes more petulant and irritating as the film goes on. I think it proves that Gondry has talent, but it takes focus (like what Kaufman brought to the table in Eternal Sunshine...) to make him great - or, in this case, coherent.
10-27	Lifeboat	Just what I needed as an antidote to The Last Boy Scout. It's pretty much the opposite in every way - only one set, very character driven, very thoughtful...and yet, wow, is it dark, even by Hitchcock standards. It's a great morality tale, and I love that it doesn't confine itself to one simple message. There's a lot going on here, and Hitch is too savvy a director to simplify things. There are a couple of false notes, but they're few and far between, and it's interesting to see the shift in the reaction to the film then (pro-German!) to now (American propaganda!). It's gripping, involving, and thoughtful, and contains some masterful sequences, most notably a stunning (especially given what's shown - nothing) operation and a sudden explosion of mob rule. Despite a couple of weaknesses, it's a great film.
10-27	The Last Boy Scout	Despite its 1991 release date, this is pretty much an 80s "buddy cop" movie par excellence, complete with excessive violence, rampant profanity, witty one-liners, and a semi-coherent plot. I can't say that the whole thing isn't well done, but ultimately it's all a bit wearying, even while certain sections work great. It's pretty much the ultimate popcorn picture, but it doesn't have as much fun as one might want; it's borderline unpleasant at times. The opening sequence is the perfect case - it seems to have nothing to do with the rest of the film, is never mentioned again...but shouldn't something like that come up again? I don't know. It's definitely not bad - too many good lines and the enjoyment level is solid - but it's ultimately just a little empty and soulless, even by the genre standards.
10-27	Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq	A powerful and understated documentary about the cost of violence in Iraq. The film is apolitical, to its credit - rather than framing this as a political debate on the war, the film focuses simply on the injuries of ten people who fought over there. Gandolfini is excellent as a "host" - rather than the obnoxious Barbara Walters empathetic gaze, Gandolfini stays off camera. This, in other words, is not a story about the war, or a story about a star talking about the war; this is the story of these soldiers. Their stories are powerful and draining; the filmmakers use, whenever possible, footage of the actual attacks, and pull no punches with the showing of the injuries. Yet, the film is not depressing; all have reacted differently, but the film is an effort to honor them and their sacrifices, not to wallow in the violence. It's a respectful, powerful tribute to, as Gandolfini put it, "real tough guys, not the kind I played".
10-27	The Wicker Man (2006)	I really feel like this is some bizarre, insane practical joke by everyone involved in this film. How else do you explain the spectacle of Nicolas Cage running around, screaming "BITCHES" while punching women in the face, or roundhouse kicking Leelee Sobieski, or (and I'm not making this up) knocking out a woman while he wears a bear suit? And that doesn't even get into the random appearances of a truck that keeps killing people, horrible dream sequences, a bicycle-jacking, what has to be an homage to Will Ferrell's character in Austin Powers (it's not, but it sure feels like it), and some of the worst acting I've ever seen, particularly from Cage. For the amount of talent behind this...man. I watched it knowing it was pretty insanely awful, but that doesn't even do it justice. This gives you a good idea, but really doesn't capture how completely and totally off the rails this whole movie is. As a thriller, or anything what it was supposed to be, it's a complete failure. As an insane black comedy, it's unintentional genius. This is the kind of thing Mystery Science Theater was made for, but really, this doesn't need any help to be as insane as it is.
10-27	Déjà Vu	I love a good time-travel movie, and this one, until the end, is a pretty fun one. Scientific explanations (of a sort) and limitations abound, and the whole thing is set up to make a sort of bizarre sense, and I like that about it--however absurd the explanations are, I love the effort that they made. It doesn't hurt that Scott lost a lot of the crap that made Domino so execrable, bringing a more coherent style that really brings some sections to life, none more notable than a bizarre chase that crosses both past and present. The last twenty minutes are a pretty big letdown, with the movie abandoning whatever internal logic it had to give itself a Hollywood ending, but, hey, for a Hollywood movie, it's a lot more entertaining than I expected. Nothing brilliant, but there are worse ways to waste a couple of hours.
10-21	Fast Food Nation	It's an A for effort, but in shoehorning in the infamous anti-big business piece of reporting into a fictional framework, Linklater ends up losing his way. There are some great moments, like the conversation with the hotel clerk, or Kristofferson's small role, and the whole thing does a good job of making the point that they wanted to make: that the big business model has changed society irrevocably, and not for the better. But the film meanders a bit too much into the characters' stories; they're not humanized enough to be more effective, nor on-point enough to keep focus. The whole thing is a bit of a muddled mess, but it makes some good points, and I admire the effort to get the message out to people. I just don't think it worked as well as anyone might have hoped.
10-21	The Nightmare Before Christmas (Digital 3D)	It seems like it's become trendy to hate this for the way the Hot Topic crowd has adopted and run with it, but I still love this. There's such a sense of gleeful anarchy and incredible imagination to the whole thing; it's hard not to just grin through it all. From the gallows humor (the first present always cracks me up) to the amazing production design, there's nothing about this that isn't a wonder to watch. As for the digital 3D? It's pretty spectacular. It's probably the clearest 3D I've had the privilege of watching, and it works beautifully with the film; while there are lots of amazing shots, the final showdown is pretty jaw-dropping. All in all, if you like this or you've (gasp!) never seen it, you owe it to yourself to check this out a) on the big screen and b) in the digital 3D. It's worth every penny and then some.
10-20	Monster House	Surprising in any number of ways. For one thing, it's a lot darker and creepier than I expected. It's not a Rob Zombie movie or anything, but it's definitely pretty horrifying for a kid's movie. The other surprise? Just how entertaining and fun it was. It drags a little toward the end, but this is way better than I expected. The animation is really well-done, with the house movements being more detailed than I'm used to seeing from too many CGI movies (Shrek, looking at you). The story is pure "Goosebumps", but it's well done, with some great voices and some nicely done scenes. A pleasantly surprising piece of entertainment. (I can't help, though, but wish I had been able to catch this in 3D. From watching it, I think that would have been pretty damned cool.)
10-20	Galaxy Quest	One of those rare homage/spoofs that actually surpasses the original material. I can't believe it took me this long to watch this, but what a treat it was. The movie has a great mix of some seriously funny comedy, great characters, solid action...and remarkably, it all works. Of course, most of this can be laid at the feet of the cast, who all acquit themselves nicely--Rockwell, Rickman, and Shaloub probably stole the movie away from the "leads", but this is pretty much ensemble work. Really fun, whether you're a Trek fan or not.
10-20	Gone Baby Gone	I'm probably biased because I loved the book, but I was really, really satisfied with this. I'm always happy when a film manages to raise interesting moral questions, and when I first heard about the movie, I was really dreading the softening of the material. Luckily, they didn't, and the film manages to be both a complex set of moral questions and a great crime drama. Between great performances (Harris and Freeman are getting the raves, and for good reason, but I thought Casey Affleck acquits himself more than well), Affleck's surprisingly solid direction, and a gripping, incredibly haunting story...I was just blown away, and would highly recommend it. As a new parent, I may have been more susceptible to its effects, but it's a devastating movie throughout, and its sense of pain, justice, and honor are fascinating, and the ending is morally complex, powerful, and will leave you thinking for quite some time. Probably one of the best films of the year, in my opinion.
10-13	Michael Clayton	It's rare that a title is so important to a film, but this one should prepare a viewer. If you're going into this expecting a legal thriller, you'll walk out disappointed. It's not that there aren't thriller elements--there are, and they're handled magnificently--but, as the title implies, the subject isn't the case, but the man in the middle of it. This is essentially a 1970s character study in the guise of a modern legal thriller, filled with moral shades of gray and well-drawn characters, and it's a great reminder of how solid those films could be. The film is packed with outstanding performances, from Wilkinson's deranged man of conscience to Swinton's rising star to Pollack's old pro, but it's Clooney's film all the way, and he uses his charm and charisma perfectly, depicting a man who should have it all but over the course of four days, finds himself reassessing the value of his life. It's an interesting film, and it's not for all tastes, but for those interested in a fascinating character study about a man trying to redeem himself after far too long, it's an excellent piece of work.
10-11	3:10 to Yuma (2007)	Excellent modern Western that reminds us all the great things about the genre: the morality plays, the interplay of sex and violence, the code of honor, and so much more. It's the strong, well-drawn characters that really make this work so well; it's nice to see a movie with so much character evolution and development, and even nicer to have one that assumes its viewers are smart enough to know why without explaining it in excruciating detail. Filled with solid performances (Bale and Crowe are excellent, of course, but Fonda and Foster are superb in supporting roles), a gripping story, and some great action, it's one of the best Hollywood movies you'll see this year. If you're a fan of Westerns, this is a must-see, but even if you're not, go see it anyway--it's well worth the time.
10-10	Halloween (2007)	Maybe it was all the complaining I heard, maybe it was lowered expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised at how effective and well done this was. Zombie brings his love of the genre to this, and it shows throughout, from some random cameos to a real sense of what makes a slasher film effective. Zombie definitely re-imagines the film, adding a childhood to Michael that doesn't quite explain him, but fills in some pieces. He doesn't make the mistake of overexplaining, but adds just enough to flesh out the character, and does it well, with a nice sense of black humor throughout. It's filmed great, the look of Myers is really well-done and intimidating, the mayhem intense...honestly, I was far more impressed than I expected, and if it didn't have the stigma of being a loose remake of a classic, I think horror aficionados would be singing its praises to the heavens instead of complaining.
10-10	The Kingdom	A pretty decent action film that thinks it's about a lot more than it really is. The film opens with a condensed timeline of our relations with Saudi Arabia, setting you up for a film that might, you know, actually deal with some of that. Instead, you get a pretty generic cop film that might as well take place in Team America's Burkaburkastan for all the importance the setting has. That being said, the action is pretty well done, and quite intense in places, the acting's not bad, and the story interesting enough. It's just nothing particularly deep. As an action/cop movie, it's above average; it just isn't as insightful as it seems to think, and ultimately it's just a very well-made buddy cop action movie.
10-9	The Brave One	For much of its running time, this is an interesting, thoughtful, well-made meditation on revenge, vigilante justice, and grief. Foster brings complexity, self-doubt, and a fine sense of character to her public radio host who finds herself going mad with grief after an attack that leaves her in a coma and her fiancee dead. Her descent into a self-appointed avenger is interesting, and the film does a great job of making the choices thoughtful and letting the viewer question themselves. It's a shame, then, that the climax torpedoes all of this so badly, and really ruins a lot of what the film works to do. Foster, as I said, is great, and Howard once again proves that he's an asset to any film he's in, really bringing his character to vivid, memorable life. But the poor choices of the climax really hurt the film irreparably.
10-8	Eastern Promises	A rich and thoughtful thriller that has far more going on in its head than first appears. The writer also wrote Dirty Pretty Things, and it's interesting to compare the two films: both are about immigrant subcultures living in London, and both films are fascinated by the way people are both attracted and destroyed by the promises of the new world. The film itself is a gripping, if remarkably subtle and low-key, thriller; of course, that low-key nature makes the explosions of violence all the more effective, including one fight that may be among the most intense I've ever watched. The film is anchored by two stellar performances: Mortensen brings remarkable depth and complexity to a stoic and silent man, and Stahl is both endearing and terrifying, all while never even once raising his voice. What makes the performances work so well is their economy; like the film, they're made up entirely of subtleties. The whole film is beautifully constructed, and richly layered; the more I think on it, the more impressed I am by everything about it.
10-5	Rollerball (1975)	An interesting, if fairly dated, 1970s sci-fi film, and I mean that in a good way. For a while, the 70s were a Golden Age for heady sci-fi; what they lacked in polish or timelessness, they made up for in ideas, thoughtfulness, and novelty. This one is a bit too long, and the point a bit muddled, but it's still a neat variation on 1984 and its ilk, and I think a good modernization could be made of it. Caan's character is a little flat, and the sections with him exploring the world are a little rambling; trim some of that, and you'd have a nice little anti-utopian movie going on here.
10-4	Hustle & Flow	Once you get past the pimp glorification (and, admittedly, it's not that hard to do; DJay, as played by Howard, is probably the nicest pimp on the planet), what you have is a surprisingly effective underdog story. With a keen ear for the rhythms of Southern black culture, a good set of characters, and some truly stellar recording session scenes, the whole thing works far better than I expected, and I got really involved in it. It should be utter formula, but the execution, from the acting to the writing to the directing, elevates it.
10-4	Idlewild	A stylish and sometimes interesting mess, but a mess nonetheless. Andre Benjamin has loads of charisma, so I'm not sure why exactly you would restrain him this much for a 1930s musical. As it is, the whole thing is so subdued and muted that it has almost no impact at all; even more so than usual, it's like watching a pretty good music video. I liked a lot of the music, but the thing just never really takes off, and never really works except in short bursts here and there.
10-3	The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie	Every so often, I'll watch a film and just have to admit that I have no idea what to think about it. This is one of those films. I'll admit to having seen no Buñuel, and maybe if I had seen more, I would understand this better. Ebert's explanation seems to imply that Buñuel simply enjoyed playing games, and whether they were on his characters or the audience, he didn't much care. The whole thing is interesting, but I can't quite figure out a point to it. Is it a satire on the upper classes? On himself? On his audience? And why? I'm pretty much at a loss all around. I'd love an explanation, but I'm not really sure that there is one.
10-3	Go	There's no denying that Go is one of those Pulp Fiction derivatives, with multiple storylines, pop culture saturated dialogue, and colorful characters. And, no, it's not as rich and rewarding as Tarantino's masterpiece. That being said, the sheer kinetic energy, fun stories, and the quirky (and black) humor all add up to a more than enjoyable time. It's nothing revolutionary, but in the land of QT clones, it's far above most of the rest.
10-2	The Fly (1986)	Probably one of the most bloody, disgusting films I've ever seen, and yet, calling it a "horror" film really isn't right. It's a uniquely Cronenberg kind of movie--obsessed with the flesh and its boundaries, and the plot revolves more around humanity and our obsessions than with cheap scares or slasher-movie violence. It's definitely a disturbing film, but it's closer a gruesome love story with hints of philosophic contemplation of death and science than to a traditional horror film. In other words, it's pure Cronenberg, for better or for worse--and given my penchant for the man's films, I have no complaints.
10-2	Edmond	Imagine Falling Down but more honest, vitriolic, intense, and more thoughtful (and without the disastrous Duvall side plot), and you might have Edmond, an early Mamet work that, while lacking a lot of the polish and depth he's known for, still brings a strong ear for dialogue and some fascinating ideas. The whole thing doesn't work--like Falling Down, basically every character apart from the main one is remarkably flat--but Macy brings such intensity, passion, and depth to the part that it more than makes up for the weaknesses. It's not a happy watch, but it's an interesting one, flaws and all.
10-2	Down in the Valley	A strange, incredibly unique film that clicked for me in some way I'm not quite sure I can explain. It's like some bizarre mixture of a Western, Taxi Driver, and a teen love story, and oddly, almost all the pieces seem to work, and fit together into a cohesive whole. The ending doesn't quite work as well as the opening, but the strong performances and just-fleshed-out-enough characters (particularly Norton, who once again proves his capabilities as an actor, swinging from charming to menacing to hopelessly lost seamlessly) really drove the whole thing beautifully. I don't know if I know what the point was, but as a sort of character study version of Scorsese's vigilante drama, I admired it and was completely drawn into the whole thing.
10-1	The Memory of a Killer	The concept--a hitman suffering from the onset of Alzheimer's takes on one last assignment--promised me something like a poor man's Memento, with some meditation on memory sprinkled throughout a twisty ploy and some action pieces. Instead, what I got was a generic police thriller whose central premise (the Alzheimer's) is only mentioned when needed for the plot, and used the rest of the time to suggest that the disease makes you live in a Tony Scott movie. The plot is decent, but nothing special, and while the performances (especially the main character) are strong, they're far better than the material deserves. It's not a bad film, but there's not a single memorable or truly unique quality about it, other than perhaps the sheer awfulness of the last scene.
9-30	Scoop	It's Allen, so you know it'll have some entertainment value, but this one was a decidedly lesser Allen work. While some of the jokes were funny, a lot more weren't, or just didn't really do anything. And the plot? Well, there were some moments of cleverness and some heart occasionally shown, but the whole thing just felt...I don't know, minor, somehow. The shift in tone at the end was jarring and ineffective, and while I like every main player, this just never really took off like I wanted. I enjoyed parts of it, and can't say it was bad, but it certainly wasn't what you would hope for from Woody Allen.
9-21	The King of Kong	A ridiculously fun, entertaining, and engrossing documentary that takes what sounds like a hilariously awful feud and makes something spectacularly involving out of it. The film concerns a years-long feud between two men over the high score on Donkey Kong. What results is a bizarre look into competitive video games, a world populated by some of the oddest figures imaginable, and one of the best underdog stories since Rocky and Karate Kid (both of which get their nods here). It's hard to explain why it's so good, but it's funny, enjoyable, and manages to make you really care about this ultimately pointless endeavor.
9-16	Akira	The rare "essential" film that really manages to be all it is promised, Akira is a fascinating, epic piece of science fiction with far more interesting subtexts than it first appears to. There are sections of the film that don't work--it turns a little action-heavy for a bit and loses its way for a bit--but the concepts and ideas about evolution, governments, psychology, and even cosmology by the end more than make up for any flaws. The animation is at times staggering, and the film is mature without ever falling into the excesses of so much anime. It really is an incredible work, and the ending is one of the more fascinating sequences I've ever seen in such a film.
9-16	Ghosts of Abu Ghraib	Upsetting, disturbing documentary about the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison. Kennedy does a mostly good job of focusing on the story and not letting her obvious liberal bias show too much, which is to the film's credit--it would have been far easier to demonize the soldiers who participated. Instead, Kennedy lets them speak for themselves, neither justifying not defending their actions, all the while looking at a system and a bureaucracy that all but demanded that such actions were taking place. It's an infuriating piece, and it highlights one of the reasons I hate this administration so much: it's an examination of the exact moment when America quit being the shining example of human dignity and prisoner treatment across the globe.
9-15	The Bourne Ultimatum	A great closer to the trilogy--and please, let it stay a trilogy for a while. The ending is perfectly done, answering just enough questions to satisfy while leaving enough to keep us intrigued. Ultimatum has probably the best action set-pieces of the series; between a stellar car chase in New York, a rooftop chase in Tangiers, and an absolutely stunning set of spy games in a train station, there's more than enough here to keep any action aficionado satisfied. But it's Damon as Bourne who really makes the series work, bringing an intelligence and depth that's rare for the genre. Back him up with a stellar cast, including Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, and a nice cameo as a doctor, and you've got a far above-average Hollywood action series that has more depth than it has any right to.
9-8	Mr. & Mrs. Smith	I went in expecting an action movie with a dash of romance; I got almost exactly the opposite, and I think I like it more as a result. I always love a movie that mixes genres, and I loved the way that this is a pretty standard romantic comedy played out against the background of an action flick. Scrapping the big showdown with the villains is an excellent choice; the movie's focus was the couple, and while little of the action was as gripping as it could have been, I think that worked in the movie's favor, letting the dynamics take center stage. Between the really great chemistry between Pitt and Jolie, Vaughn's really fun supporting turn, and a good sense of both humor and its characters, this is way more enjoyable than it has any right to be.
9-3	Darkman	A pretty entertaining, if more than a little over-the-top, comic book movie. Raimi's in full excess mode, and the energy and lunacy he brings to the film insures that the whole thing stays interesting. I don't think it all works, but more of it does than not; some of the scenes, particularly some of just Westlake, probably would have benefited from being a couple of notches dialed down. That being said, the character itself is pretty interesting, and I really liked the choices made in the final scene. The gleefully excessive style, the intriguing story, and some fun action all add up to a pretty good, but not great, entry in the genre.
9-2	Flight of the Conchords	A somewhat weak (and kind of a downer) finale notwithstanding, this was a complete treat from HBO that I never expected. The ads led me to expect...well, I'm not sure what, but it didn't really sell me on what I got. What I got was clever dumb humor--jokes that managed to both be incredibly silly and nicely clever, all while being resoundingly simple and fun. The songs were hilarious, the charisma from every lead remarkable, and the stories always enjoyable. It's one of the best comedies I've seen in a while, and I couldn't be happier that there's a second season of this to come.
9-2	Beerfest	After the execrable Club Dread, I was a little wary of watching another Broken Lizard movie, even with Super Troopers being as great as it was. Now, I'm just mad that I waited so long. This was absolutely hilarious, with a great mix of dumb gags and just plain surreal humor (the deer shot is brilliant). Sure, the story is ludicrous, but it's a lot of fun to watch, and it never really loses steam throughout. It's maybe a tad long and could be pruned, but the actors are having fun and the humor is rampant enough to make the whole thing pretty enjoyable. After all, name me another movie obsessed with beer drinking that also features numerous jokes and references to Das Boot. All in all, nice to see these guys back in form.
9-2	The In-Laws (1979)	Completely hilarious story about two men whose children are about to get married when one's job as a CIA operative draws the other one into a major conspiracy. What really makes this soar is the spectacular chemistry between/perfect performances by Arkin and Falk, both of whom pitch everything perfectly. With Arkin's priceless reactions (watch his face during the dictator conversations) and Falk's gleefully deadpan delivery of some truly bizarre lines (his story about tsetse flies may be on of my favorite movie stories in history), I was cracking up throughout. By the time you get to Libertini's bizarre dictator, the whole thing is just a bucket of insanity, and a complete treat. Off-the-wall, absurdly funny, and perfectly acted, this is probably high on my list of great comedies.
9-2	Silent Movie	A decent but not great effort from Brooks. It's not as bad as some of his recent output, but it's nowhere near the genius of the Saddles/Producers/Frankenstein holy trilogy. That being said, enough of the gags worked that I enjoyed it, and it's all done with such love and joy that it's hard not to have a good time. It's no an unqualified success, but it's a pretty good time to watch, and anything with Marty Feldman can't be all bad.
8-31	Death Sentence	To use my friend Ryan's rating system, this is "a bad movie that I liked anyway". While Wan's become a much better director since Saw, but subtlety still isn't his strong point. Between a ridiculously overbearing soundtrack and a closing action sequence that pushes past violence into absurdity, this is pretty over the top. And yet...Bacon is too good for the material, and brings out some interesting sides to his character (particularly in a comment about "chaos", which really brings out a nihilism it's rare to find in a Hollywood film), and Goodman makes a background character into something more effective and chilling (particularly in his conversation with Bacon). What's more, the movie's never boring, and I can't say I wasn't entertained. It's not real consistent, and it's pretty absurd in sections, but there are some great moments, and while the execution is a bit weak, the ideas are solid, if a bit hamhandedly lectured to the audience. Like I said, a "bad movie I liked".
8-24	Superbad	It wasn't as rich, as layered, and as emotionally fulfilling to me as Knocked Up was, but I wonder if that's not a function of my age more than a comment on the movie. If I was still in high school, that might be reversed...regardless, it's still a great time at the movies. VERY rated-R, but the humor is hilarious, not edgy for its own sake, and it springs from the characters, not from contrivances and plotting. It's not often you get a teen movie this funny and this interesting, and I enjoyed it greatly, laughing so hard at points I know I missed even more great jokes. Just more reason to see it again sometime. Besides, you can go see it to see what my friend Jim will be like when he's a cop!
8-12	John from Cincinnati	The latest show from David "Deadwood" Milch, and...hell. I don't even know. It's wildly uneven, with some amazing acting (Ed O'Neill and Luis Guzman were the standouts to me) being undercut by some truly awful by Shaun and Cissy Yost. For every gripping storyline and mystery, there was another that didn't work (again, Shaun and Cissy Yost). But, man. When it clicked--for instance, John's stunning "sermon" at the end of episode six, or the creepy and unsettling bar scenes with Barry, or the opening of the final episode--the show soared in a way that nothing else on television has done before. It's flawed, but ambitious; the characters are rich, but the "main" family is annoying; the writing is sharp, but the mystery unclear. It's a contradictory and often frustrating show, but it was unlike anything else on television, and when it worked, it was stunning. It definitely wasn't for all tastes, and I doubt we'll see a season two, but I really loved it for what it was.
8-12	Duck Soup	It's been a long time since I saw this, but I remembered it being funny. I had somehow forgotten, though, just how batshit insane it was, and the fact that it really is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen, packing more laughs in its 64 minutes than a lot of movies do in 2 hours. From Groucho's perfect line readings to the silent mirror scene, from the wicked and trenchant satire to the slapstick musical numbers, it's one of those rare movies where everything works. It's completely insane, almost incoherent, and really, really funny.
7-27	The Simpsons Movie	It's not flawless, and it may not attain the greatness of those early seasons, but it's still really entertaining. The plot is better than average, with more character-based subplots and the actors really given a chance to let their characters come to life. And, hey, I laughed pretty much throughout. It won't change the world, and it's not the greatest Simpsons episode (because it basically is just a long episode) ever (although it's easily the best animation they've ever had), but it's a lot of fun, the emotional subplots work a lot better and are treated more seriously than they have been in a while, and it's all quite entertaining.
7-25	The Age of Innocence	Far from my favorite Scorsese film, but from a technical standpoint, it's a remarkable achievement. The visuals are sumptuous throughout, and Scorsese's constantly moving camera brings the film to life in a way that's so subtle as to almost be unnoticed. The problem for me is that it's hard to get involved with the story. I don't think that's the fault of the actors, the writer, or Scorsese; as Ebert points out in an excellent review, the film is about characters who never allow their true feelings to shine through. And while I understand that intellectually, I never could bridge that to truly connect with what was going on. None of this is to say that it's a bad film; it's well-made, and it does exactly what it sets out to do. I just could never make myself connect to it, and couldn't enjoy it as a result.
7-24	The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother	I don't remember who recommended this to me, but I would really like them to tell me, so I can punch them in the stomach. I really like Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, and Marty Feldman, but not a one of them even comes close to saving this. Its overlong, even at 89 minutes or so, and I didn't find even one bit amusing. It tries too hard when it shouldn't, or is too subtle when it needs to be louder, and it doesn't make any sense, even by comedy standards. Maybe if I knew more about Holmes mythology I would like it more, but as it is, I was bored to death and was so far from laughing that I think I was actually owed comedy.
7-20	The Big Lebowski	At LebowskiFest. I was a bit worried about the crowd at first, as they seemed a bit more into chatting and less into the movie, but that stopped quickly, and it turned into a really great showing. There was a lot of cheering, and some affectionate line recitations, and just generally a really great experience. I liked the change in venue to the smaller yard this year; far more intimate. And, yes, it's still every bit as funny, no matter how often I've seen it.
7-17	Black Snake Moan	What a strange movie--and what a great one. The plot (about an old black musician who chains up a much younger promiscuous white woman to "cure" her) reeks of pure exploitation, but the movie has a lot more on its mind, investing its time to create rich, full characters, and let them dictate the plot. It's definitely unique, and I read a lot of people who complained that the motivations aren't spelled out, but that's what sold me on it. I liked the way the movie just let the characters be, and let the actors hint at things going on beneath the surface. What emerges is a rich and oddly touching story about redemption, which is not what I expected, but I appreciated it all the more. Even if you have your doubts, the movie is worth it just for Jackson's performance; as much as he gets cast as "angry black man", it's nice to be reminded what a stellar actor he can be, and here he brings intensity, thoughtfulness, sadness, and all of his 58 (!) years into a really outstanding performance.
7-17	Saw III	No one is ever going to mistake the Saw series for high art, or even great movies, but they're like fun B-thrillers; with twisty plots, theatrical traps, and Tobin Bell's "Dr. Phil from Hell" Jigsaw masterminding things, I've enjoyed all of them, even while laughing at how over-the-top and absurd they all are. So it was kind of a nice surprise to see Saw III try to actually juggle some interesting ideas about forgiveness, vengeance, and whether Jigsaw's "find yourself" traps really do anything they've set out to accomplish. It's all awash in some ridiculous gore (honestly, I'm pretty shocked that this got an R rating), and the final plot twists, as always, are half clever, half stupid, but I admire it for trying to rise above being an excessive genre pic and do something different. It's easily the best of the three, and the story about the man coming to terms with the death of his son is actually pretty fascinating. Sure, it's still a pretty ridiculous movie, but it deserves credit for stretching a bit.
7-16	Idiocracy	A stinging, vicious satire that takes aim at the lowest common denominator of society and hits pretty damn well. Luke Wilson plays a thoroughly average soldier who gets frozen for five hundred years; when he thaws, he's the smartest person on the planet by a longshot. The film doesn't always work--the plot gets muddled, and the setup takes a bit too long--but when the focus turns to 500 years of dumbed down society, the results are pretty hilarious, and yet oftentimes a bit saddening, too. The gags come pretty quickly, and while they don't all work (or just get old), enough do to keep the film moving, and keep me laughing, at least, even while I recognized that a lot of this was just way too familiar. With a government reduced to rock concerts and empty yelling, TV shows like "Ow! My Balls", and reading being derided as for "fags"...you know, if anything, I think Judge was optimistic setting this at 500 years down the road. I think it's a lot closer than that.
7-14	The Empire Strikes Back	Had not seen this in forever, but when I stumbled across it on HBO, I found myself watching the whole thing. Familiarity has definitely dulled some of the impact and fun--between countless viewings, incessant quoting, and my fixation on LEGO Star Wars games, I could pretty much recite the plot and way more of the dialogue than I thought. But it's still enjoyable, and the last duel is still epic and incredibly exciting. I may not be a die-hard fan of the series, but it's hard not to find yourself getting involved again, no matter how many times you've seen it, and it's hard not to remember how much better the new trilogy would have been if someone other than Lucas had written and directed it.
7-14	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	In IMAX 3D. A really strong entry in the series--probably the second best overall, above Goblet and below Azkaban. For all the complaining about what was removed, the adaptation does a great job of stripping the story down to its plot, while allowing the characters to flesh themselves out. Sure, there are some scenes I missed, but the strong cinematic sense and the comfort the actors have started to feel in their characters really allowed the whole thing to come to life. Staunton is flawless as Umbridge, bringing to life both her cruelty and her facade of civility perfectly. And the final battle of the book is one of the best scenes of the series (and the 3D was used to GREAT effect there, making the battle even more engrossing). As a film, it's a great adaptation and another sign that after the rocky start thanks to Columbus, the movies have finally come to life on their own.
7-13	North Country	Caro's direction and some of the performances (Theron, McDormand, and Jenkins, mainly) really elevate this story of a woman fighting against discrimination; without them, the script frequently falls into Lifetime movie levels of characterization. In addition, the movie really falls apart in the third act, particularly in the courtroom scenes, which rocket over the top and get pretty absurd. Also, for a movie that seems so intently against the idea that a woman's sexual past affects whether she was harassed or not, this really pretty much ends by judging the case based off of Theron's sexual past. Conflicted, no? Still, the performances are strong, and Caro's naturalistic direction really gives this a lot more impact and power than the script earns, and really makes up for the shortcomings. On whole, the movie is powerful, but it's definitely weakened by a lackluster plot and characters.
7-12	Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World	I have to say, despite the horrible title and trailers, I really enjoyed this. Of course, a lot of that can be laid at the feet of Brooks himself, who brings such great comic timing and inflection to everything he does. Even the stand-up routine he does in New Delhi here is funny, albeit in an incredibly indirect way--the routine itself is horrible, but his desperation and panic makes it funny on a whole different level. As a look at America's inability to relate to much of the world, the movie works on all sorts of levels; as just a comedy about a comedian trying to do something great but failing miserably, it works too. It's not Brooks's best, but it's still enjoyable, and there are a lot of great laughs in here.
7-12	Mr. Wonderful	The only thing interesting about this is how a director with such stunning work in his future (Anthony Minghella) and such a good cast (including yet-to-be-famous appearances by Luis Guzman, Vincent D'Onofrio, an incredibly skinny James Gandolfini, and more) could make such a dull, uninvolving movie. The plot takes forever to get where we all know it's going, and it's not really much fun getting there. The characters are lifeless, the storyline dull and unbelievable (particularly the required dramatic turn at the end)...really, Ebert summed it up best in his review: "I sometimes wonder exactly how stupid the moviegoing public is thought to be, by the executives who approve the filming of stories like this...This is a film for the moviegoing impaired."
7-11	The Drowning Pool	Sequel to the wonderful Harper, but it's far less successful. Newman is still charismatic, but the plot in this one meanders and is far less interesting, and the whole movie is just not fun enough. There are bursts of joy here and there, but on the whole, this lacks the life, humor, and strong characters that made Harper so great. I didn't find the plot hard to follow like a lot of people did, but it's certainly not all that interesting, and when you're not involved or invested in the solution to a mystery...well, that's pretty much the end, isn't it?
7-11	Twin Falls Idaho	A love story heavily inspired by David Lynch is the closest I can come to describing this surreal, sad, haunting feature about a woman who becomes involved in the lives of two conjoined twins. The film does a great job of both giving us a window into the twins' lives as well as making them full, ordinary characters, and the end result is a strange, oddly touching love story, of sorts. The camerawork is nice throughout, with some vibrant work, but overall the whole thing recalls the vaguely dreamlike work of Lynch, without plunging into the surreal madness he often brings with him. I really was impressed by this; to take such a strange premise and make it work so well is all too rare.
7-10	Higher Learning	Mostly effective portrait of a college campus as incoming freshmen navigate the new world of race, gender, and sexual politics, and attempt to discover themselves. The movie's more effective in quiet moments than in the overarching plot, which veers a bit too much toward the melodramatic, and loses some of the nice human touches that dominate the film. Still, it has a lot to say beyond the ideas of race, and features some interesting relationships and characters that really do come to life (even Rapaport, who makes what could have been a one-note character into someone flawed and tragic). It's not entirely successful--the climax really derails the film a bit--but it's interesting, and nicely thoughtful.
7-10	The Winslow Boy (1999)	I'll confess, the idea of a G-rated period piece from David Mamet is...well, it definitely doesn't fit what the man usually does. But it doesn't keep this from being as good as it is. It takes some getting used to--at first, it's jarring to have a movie about a trial where the trial (and its outcome) is entirely kept off-screen, but it allows Mamet to focus on the characters and the inter-personal dynamics that fascinate him, and make the movie "about" far more than its plot would suggest. The last line is wonderfully done, and culminates a series of fulfilling scenes which have more romance in them than most "romantic comedies" ever come close to. It's a far more interesting than I expected, and one I liked a lot.
7-9	Everything is Illuminated	I was really worried about adapting a wonderful book to the screen, but I have to say, for all the cuts to the book (the past section is entirely gone, and a late-film revelation is softened a bit), the result is an oddly effective film, mixing the humor and emotion of the book very well. It takes a sure hand to direct a film from slapstick comedy to a powerful and quiet ending, but Schreiber succeeds, and brings an interesting visual eye to the film as well. I think that softened revelation I mentioned hurt the film a bit, but the more I think about it, the more I think the movie's version works, and brings a whole new set of questions with it. This is the way more adaptations should be done: capturing the spirit of a book, and staying as true as they can while following their own vision. A wonderful and underrated film.
7-9	American Dreamz	About as subtle as being hit in the head with a sledgehammer, and almost as enjoyable. It's got about as much bite, humor, and intelligence as a MadTV sketch, and it's about as entertaining--that is to say, not at all. The performances are really too good for the film, with especially Grant bringing some depth to his character, but the script's characters are so one-dimensional, the plot so contrived, the point so bludgeoning, that the film can't be redeemed by any of the talented actors. Heck, I even agree with some of what the film is trying to say, and I still hated it. It's sad; there's probably a great satire to make about American Idol, politics, and America's obsession with stardom, but this sure as hell isn't it. Maybe we should all just go watch The King of Comedy again. Anything's better than this.
7-9	The Notorious Bettie Page	A muddled but still interesting look at a decidedly cultish figure. Mol does a great job bringing Page to life, capturing a sense of fun, humor, and simultaneously being provocative and innocent, but the movie around her just doesn't quite work. It's not the fault of the actors, all of whom do a good job, but mainly of the script and direction. Why film in black and white, except the Miami scenes? Is the film focused on Page's life, or her religion, or on the pornographic industry in the 50s? The problem is that the film doesn't know the answers to any of these questions, and so the whole thing seems a bit pointless, as though it doesn't know quite why it's telling the story. Still, it's an interesting and mostly well-done film, and the story itself is captivating enough (combined with Mol's great performance) to really make the movie well worth the watching.
7-8	The Ringer	I almost feel like this could have pushed the envelope a bit more than it did, but I understand that with such a sensitive premise--a man desperate to pay off a debt fakes a mental handicap to win the Special Olympics--it would be a tough sell. But it keeps this from being quite as memorable as it could have been. Still, the movie has far more heart and sense of affection than you might expect, and I feel like the review comparing it to Murderball in terms of its matter-of-fact dealing with the developmentally disabled is right on. It's not a masterpiece, but it's pretty hilarious in parts (the "Stavi wave" about killed me, and Ebert is dead-on in his assessment of Brian Cox: "[He] demonstrates why he is not only in every movie made, but deserves to be."
7-8	Over the Hedge	While it's nice to see a Dreamworks movie that doesn't overly rely on pop-culture jabs and topical references, this still isn't quite as funny as you might hope, or as successful. That being said, it's still pretty fun entertainment, with a few great gags, some nice voice work (Nolte, to me, is a standout as the homicidal bear), and a good sense of what it wants to do, without getting too full of itself. Add a soundtrack by the brilliant and under-appreciated Ben Folds, and you've got a fun, if nothing special, entertainment. (Side note: while the caffeine payoff was pretty great, did anyone else notice that it seemed like a direct lift from the Futurama episode "Three Hundred Big Boys"?
7-3	Transformers	There is really no good reason why this should be as entertaining as it is, but there you go. What's unexpected is just how fun this movie is; LeBouf and the writers both bring in more humor than I expected, and while the results may be a little goofy at times for the die-hard fans, for a casual one like me, it really allowed me to enjoy the movie, knowing that it wasn't taking itself too seriously. But in the action sequences, the whole thing really comes to life. Really, this movie only had to deliver in one area--giant robots making stuff go "boom"--and it does so in flying colors. Not to say it's perfect--it's a tad overlong, and the last battle is a bit incoherent at times--but the good energy, strong CGI, surprisingly decent characters, and some seriously incredible action scenes really make the whole thing work. It's about as much fun as I've had at a summer action flick in a long time.
7-2	Troy	For about the first hour, this actually works pretty well, with a lot of energy, some good to decent acting...and then, gradually, you just begin to realize how empty and hollow the whole thing. O'Toole, Cox, Gleeson, and Bana pretty much make the movie worth watching, but Bloom sucks the life out of the movie, leaving me asking why the movie seems to be on his side at all, as whiny, pathetic, and selfish as he is. The action gets duller and duller, and Pitt--who I generally like--just never really gets a handle on his character. Combine that with the excising of most of the importance of the gods, and characters that want to be both epic and human...it just can't decide what it wants to be, and it doesn't do any of it well enough. For every good scene (O'Toole and Pitt's conversation is the standout of the film), there's a lot more that just drag or lack any convincing power. Oh well.
6-30	Ratatouille	In which Pixar proves to me that they may be the most consistently delightful and flawless studio producing today. While it's not as funny as most Pixar films, what really sets Ratatouille apart is the story. No Pixar film has hurt for character, but the investment in the characters here really involves you, and I loved the way that even the villains, particularly Ego, became so fleshed out and interesting. The visual design is wonderful, but it's the "camera" movement that really staggers--the bobbing and swaying, combined with the beautiful visuals (this really can't be said enough: the animation is jaw-dropping--the bar is raised even higher than it was, and that's saying something) constantly made me just break out into a smile. No studio is making as great family entertainment that works for adults like Pixar, and this is just another great success for them. It's a complete joy of a film, and I can't recommend it enough. It's beautiful, funny, touching, and almost flawless.
6-29	subUrbia	I taped this out of curiosity about Bogosian's writing; I got more excited when I saw that it was a Linklater film. The end result works more often than not, but the stage origins weight heavily on it. It's very, very talky, and while the dialogue is sharp and the actors really great, there comes a point where you just want something--anything--to happen. It's not quite boring; the talents involved both in acting out and writing the script are too good--but it definitely drags, until an ending which seems to cut off just when things are finally starting. It's not a failure; the acid wit is well done, and it's interesting as almost the flip-side to Slacker, which seemed to glorify the lifestyle here being condemned. But it's definitely slower than it should be, and feels a lot longer than it is.
6-28	Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon	The short version that most of you will read: this is a funny, clever, smart, and really enjoyable horror film. Imagine a documentary crew following around Michael Myers before Halloween starts, and you would have this. It simultaneously sends up and embraces all the cliches, staples, and goofiness of the slasher film, and it has a blast doing it. Yeah, the last half hour becomes what it's been mocking...but like Adaptation, it's the right ending, even if it doesn't fit. That's the point, though, right? Anyways, I wrote a long piece about it, if you care--it's up over here. Seriously, though--if you're a slasher fan, get out and rent this.
6-28	The Descent	One of the best, most effective, creepiest, and most unnerving horror films I can remember seeing. The movie makes excellent use of its darkened cave setting, letting the sounds and visuals just outside of the light really work on our mind. Long before anything even starts to really happen, the tension is already ratcheted WAY up, so by the time...wel,, just go and see it. I'll just say that the whole thing kept me tense, a little freaked, and I jumped a whole lot. My only gripe: really not understanding why the original British ending was cut for American audiences. (Obviously, don't click unless you've seen it.) It's all implied anyways...still, that being said, this is a great horror movie--one of the best in many years.
6-25	Sólo Con Tu Pareja	Alfonso Cuaron's directorial debut is a decent romantic comedy more interesting for its subtext than anything really going on. The surface story--about a man juggling his lovers when he receives some devastating (and false) news--is okay, but the attempts to go into slapstick never really work and the ending is just too over the top to really work. There's a dream sequence midway through that's pretty entertaining, but in general, the movie is more interesting as almost a comedic look at the AIDS crisis that still takes it seriously.
6-23	Henry & June	You would think that the film that inspired the creation of the NC-17 rating would be more interesting. Instead, what you get is a wandering, aimless story filled with shallow characters who never really change, a lackluster script that seems more in love with itself than good writing, and some seriously terrible acting (it's hard to know whose method is worse, Richard Grant's "let me read the cue cards as flatly as possible" or Thurman's "Am I from Queens or conquering mental retardation? No one will ever know"). Even the much-touted sexual content is dull and monotonous. It's just not a very successful movie; really, Eyes Wide Shut did this more successfully, thoughtfully, and stylishly.
6-22	1408	I was surprisingly happy with this. Even when it gets a bit over-the-top by the end, it's anchored by Cusack's great performance--hell, most of the movie is pretty much a one-man show, and he does quite ably in it. There are definitely some flaws (the whole laptop thing was pretty weak, especially given the room's antipathy toward electronics), but the emotional core of the story was strong, and most of the scenes were genuinely creepy enough that the whole thing worked. I liked that the effects, for the most part, were pretty practical; it was nice to see a horror movie grounded more in its talent and effects than CGI and over-plotting. A good adaptation, too, with a lot of the best lines from the book kept in and most of the changes being for the better (the daughter was a good addition). Overall, far creepier and more effective than I expected, and the flaws, while present, are not so bad that they derail the film. One of the better King adaptations in a long, long time.
6-22	Ragtime	I feel as though I'm missing something, what with all the Academy Award nominations and the generally strong reviews, but this really didn't do anything for me. It's not bad in any way, just nothing special at all. It's obvious it's condensed from a large book, as a lot of the plotlines either disappear or go nowhere; hell, the first half hour of the film is pretty much entirely unnecessary. If it was intended to be a mosaic portrait of an age, they should have let Altman make it (the original plan!); as it is, by stripping it to one plotline, it's a decent but wholly unremarkable film that seems to have little message and little point.
6-21	The Hills Have Eyes (2006)	Far better than it has much right to be, but not an unqualified success. Aja maintains his reputation as a horror director to watch, bringing tension and atmosphere to almost every scene, most notably during the assault on the trailer, which becomes one of the tensest and most frightening sequences I've seen in some time, or during the descent into the village, which stays eerie and unsettling throughout. Adding to that, Aja brings a rare talent to horror movies--a strong visual sense, which really makes the movie. Unfortunately, it runs out of steam a bit by the end, and by the last twenty minutes loses a lot of the momentum and tension that made the rest so good. Still, it works more often than not, and it's nice to find a horror movie that remembers how to build some atmosphere.
6-20	Scarface (1983)	The whole thing is a bit big, bloated, and more than a tad excessive, but as my friend Adam pointed out, it's probably supposed to play out that way. And, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea that the whole thing is set up to be the anti-Godfather, with all the glamour and glorification stripped away and replaced with ugly violence and horrible people. I feel like it was a bit overlong, and the very white cast all playing Cubans was a bit odd, but I think I'm actually coming around to liking it, or at least understanding what it was going for.
6-18	Harper	A really fun detective movie that both emulates and subtly mocks the conventions of old film noir detectives. Newman really makes the movie work, bringing both quick wit and know-how to the part, while making the character his own. The story is typical noir stuff, with double-crosses, femme fatales, lots of bad people, and lots of lies. You've seen movies like this before, but when they're well made, fun to watch, well-written, and entertaining, it's hard to complain too much. An above-average example of the genre.
6-17	The Break Up	I have to give this credit, I suppose, for trying something different--for starting a film at the end of a relationship, and letting the characters deal with the fallout. But it's like it's two different films, and neither works all that well. The comedy part is pretty unfunny throughout, with even the affable Vaughn hardly getting a laugh, and the "humor" being more extreme awkwardness than anything else. And the drama part? Well, it works better, but it's undermined by the "comedic" section, which fails to set up the characters so that the dramatic section can work. I liked a couple of the scenes near the end, but the movie feels like it wants to be a more down to earth War of the Roses, without realizing that that movie worked because it was over-the-top, and you never had to like the characters. The Break Up wants its characters to be both cruel and likeable, and by trying to do both, neither works. The characters never come to life like they should, and the whole film falls a bit flat.
6-16	Knocked Up	This is the kind of movie that gets me labeled as a snob. How, you ask? Because how can I ever take a generic, over-plotted, contrived romantic comedy and enjoy it when there are romantic comedies this rich, this wonderful out there? Rather than having some ridiculous plot, this tells a down-to-earth story, with believable and rich characters, and lets the humor develop organically from the story, rather than writing the plot around setpieces. And what's more, rather than forcing the emotional scenes, Knocked Up lets the characters earn their redemptions, their pathos, and the affection we are supposed to feel for them. It's a believable, incredibly funny, wonderfully sweet, great little romantic comedy that surpasses every limitation of the genre. I loved it, and I think it's easily my favorite film so far this year.
6-15	4 Little Girls	An excellent documentary by Spike Lee about the 1960s Birmingham church bombing that killed four young African-American girls. What could have been a depressing and downbeat look at the case actually comes out almost optimistic, although it's incredibly sad and occasionally furious throughout. By focusing not only on the social situation, but also on the families and friends of the victims, Lee gives them a life that they were denied, and also reminds us not only how far we've come, but also how far we have to go. It's not a happy film, but in some ways, it's a hopeful one, although it's tempered with a realist's feelings about the issue. Lee reveals that he really is an excellent documentary filmmaker--in some ways, this and When the Levees Broke are the best films he's done.
6-15	Twist of Faith	A haunting and heartbreaking documentary about a firefighter who moves into a new house with his family and finds himself living five houses down from the priest who molested him as a child. There are moments where you find yourself feeling as though you're seeing too much, and wondering why this man is filming his own life so intimately, but in the end, all of that footage creates a devastating portrait of the long-term effects of sexual abuse, one more vivid and in-depth than much I had seen before. In addition, it becomes a scathing indictment of the Catholic churches continued insistence that they could not be to blame. Touching on the changes in himself, his faith, and his family, though, it's the firefighter and his grappling with his past that make this so powerful and leave such an impression.
6-13	Swimming Pool	I didn't really like this as much as I expected to, especially after all the good things I had heard about it. In many ways, it seemed as if it were just trying to be more clever than it was, and it all felt pretty empty by the end. I feel as though I was missing something from this movie, some essential part that made everyone rave about it. Yes, lots of nudity; yes, an odd final "twist" of sorts; yes, there was a story, even if it seemed largely elliptical in nature, but did it all add up to anything really? I feel as though it didn't.
6-13	Panic	Somehow, I had assumed this was a comedy before I saw it; it's definitely not, but once I got past it being not what I expected, I liked it a lot. It's a nice character study that manages to take its concept (a hitman in a bit of a midlife crisis wants to leave behind the family business) and escape the shadow of The Sopranos to become a really well-done character study. Macy, of course, is excellent, bringing a warm humor to the scenes with his son, and the right amount of dignity and depression to every scene. But it's Neve Campbell who's a nice surprise, taking a supporting role and really bringing it to its own life. And, of course, there's Sutherland, who becomes a truly monstrous father figure. In a lot of ways, this actually reminded me a little of the Salinger stories I just read, in that so much was kept in the mind of the characters, and left for the viewer to infer. I like that.
6-13	A Nightmare on Elm Street	There are definitely some major flaws in this, and not all of them can be chalked up to some bad aging of the whole film (although the overly synthesized music and the moms that all look identical can be). The acting stumbles a bit, and the ending doesn't entirely make much sense. That being said, the idea itself is a neat one, and I almost wish someone could remake this with some more budget and some better time for the story--the apparent fact that none of these children were ONLY children is a neat one, and one I wish could have been explored. (On that remake idea: you know, this would be a fun movie to give to the guy that did The Cell, one of the most interesting visual movies I've seen.) Anyways, not bad, with a lot of promise, but it ultimately just falls a little flat.
6-12	Hostel: Part II	I'm a bit on the fence about this one still. On the one hand, it seemed to drag a bit, and the ending lacked the moral punch to the gut that the first one had. On the other hand, there were better characters, and a more interesting exploration of the organization itself. And while I originally felt like there weren't as many interesting ideas in this one, the more I think on it, the more I realize that Roth has some interesting fun with gender, capitalism, and human nature going on in here. It may not be as tense and gripping as the first one, but it may be a better-made film, in some ways, and it's definitely interesting if only for the look behind-the-scenes. The movie may not be as tense and horrifying, but the commentary it seems to bring up is more than disturbing enough. And, yeah, there's that last scene... which, honestly, really is pretty shockingly funny. I don't know. I'm going back and forth, but I think I'm leaning toward liking it, although in a very different way than the first.
6-10	The Sopranos	I'm kind of mulling over a long thoughts entry about the finale (the short version: the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that it's a perfect and fitting end to the show, and that the last scene is phenomenal), but let me talk about the season as a whole: a really strong finish to a really strong show. Maintaining that perfect balance of family/Family, all the while never compromising just how truly horrible these people were, Chase made a tragedy without catharsis--just a stunning portrait of a complicated, deeply flawed man and his life. As a whole, the final season was great, with some really shocking stuff, but more than that, a tight understanding of itself and its characters. Whether you want to see it as an exploration of America, morality, psychology, family, or careers, the simple fact is, they all work, and that's part of what made the show so incredible. It will be missed.
6-4	Running Scared (2006)	Honestly, it's been a few hours, and I'm still not even sure what I thought of this. I'll say this--it certainly was never boring, and I kind of admired the way it embraced its own insanity, going for broke rather than capping itself with anything resembling restraint. The film is just levels and levels of insanity, all with a vicious edge, and none more unsettling than a very strange family midway through the film that ends up sticking with you far more than anything from this movie should. I can't say that it was good, necessarily, but it had an intensity and energy to it that I couldn't help but get involved with it, even through the unnecessary (and somewhat baffling) coda to the film--but, hey, the pacing is so rapid that you hardly even have time to notice the plot holes as you barrel over them. And I can't help but remember that family, and all the weirdness of the scene, and really get impressed with the sheer level of tension there (watch the shadows for some really strange things going on)...I don't know, really. It certainly was something; I'm just not sure what.
6-4	Brick	I'm a sucker for a good gimmick movie, but what separates a fun film from a good one is whether that gimmick can surpass its own novelty and let the film come to life on its own (Memento is one of the best examples of this I can think of), and this more than succeeds. The concept of a film noir high school film is initially intriguing enough to pull you in, but as you get exposed to the sharp writing, the great acting, some nice camerawork, and the involving story, you realize that you're accepting this as real, and that somewhere along the line, it went from a gimmicky concept to a really gripping film. There's something of the bleak nihilism of noir in a lot of high school students, and I loved the way the warring factions become those cliques everyone remembers. What I didn't expect was the great humor (not only the dialogue, either; the breakfast scene served by an oblivious mother is hilarious) and some real emotion in the ending. A really unique and entertaining film.
6-3	28 Weeks Later	When the word came out that none of the original cast or crew were returning for this, I was let down, given that I really liked the first film. Then the trailers hit, and between them and the strong word-of-mouth, I decided to give it a shot. I'm damned happy with that decision. From an incredible opening to the complete pandemonium of the second half, this in some ways outdoes the original, with a novel take on things (not often you get to see the reconstruction after a zombie movie), and a phenomenal sense of terror and tension throughout. There's a lot more action and a bit less character to this than Days, but it's gripping as anything, and frightening as hell in parts. It's also the rare pro-military zombie film; as someone pointed out, the military are the only ones who don't fuck up the situation here. Tense and disturbing, and a far-better follow-up than I even dared to hope for.
5-27	Bug	A warning: the ads sell this as a balls-to-the-wall horror movie, and it's not that. That's not to say that it's bad (it's not) or that it's not scary (a little, though "disturbing" is really the better word), it's just telling you that this is far more cerebral, psychological, and comic (in a really, REALLY dark way) than the ads really let on. Really, it's hard to say more without giving away more than you should know, and the best comparison I can make is that it is what another movie I saw this year should have been but failed. (I won't say it, because really, Bug is more fun if you don't know the destination, but if you must know what movie this is a better version of, click here.) It is a slow, unsettling descent into full-blown madness, and while it may not be what it's advertised as, it's still gripping, fascinating, and completely nightmarish by the end. Not for all tastes, but really great by me.
5-27	Waitress	There's admittedly a lot of heart and earnestness to this movie, and it makes you feel kind of bad to not like it. And yet, I really didn't, mainly because Shelley made the mistake of confusing "quirks" with "characters". There's not really a single fleshed-out real character in the movie (Andy Griffith comes closest, but doesn't quite succeed), and, as a result, the plot just feels nudged along, rather than organic. There are some good lines and moments, but the bad characterization just really ruined it for me.
5-26	Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End	And so it all comes to an end, in a three-hour finale. A lot of people seemed to find it either confusing and/or too long; I found it neither, and loved every second of it. There's a nicely twisty plot, great dialogue, a nice touch of the surreal (Jack's re-introduction has got to be one of the weirdest scenes in a mainstream movie in some time), and tons of great action (the whirlpool battle hinted at in the trailers is pretty stellar). And, once again, the movie is elevated by performances, with Rush stealing every scene he's in, Nighy bringing heart and soul to a tragic villain, and Depp doing what he does best. It's completely over-the-top, excessive, and ridiculous, and I loved every second of it.
5-26	Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl	Before heading out to finish the trilogy, I was reading up on the first two, and realized that I remembered almost none of the first movie, and decided to re-watch it. It's still one of the best popcorn flicks in years (even though I'm in a minority that liked the second and third ones even more), anchored by Rush and Depp, both of whom bring a gleeful insanity and anarchy to what could have been a dull, run-of-the-mill studio summer film.
5-5	Spiderman 3	Before it came out, I was incredibly excited to see this. Then, the first reactions came out, and they were so negative that my expectations dropped. So where does it fall? Well, it's not the masterpiece that I hoped, but it's far from the trainwreck that the reviews and comments would seem to imply. Yes, it had some serious misfires in it (the "dark Tobey" sequence is comedic when it needs to be serious, a couple of hokey points including amnesia and a ridiculously deus ex machina butler), but they don't ruin the film for me. Do they keep it from attaining the perfection of Spiderman 2? Definitely. But it's hard to call the movie a failure. It's just not up to the standard of the last film. With action sequences this stellar (with a weight, heft, and impact all too rare in comic movies), strong acting by every lead (the rapport between Parker and Osborn remains strong, and Church/Grace bring interesting depth to their villains), and such stellar themes, the movie works more often than it fails; it just loses its way a bit. It's still good, though--on par with the first, I'd say.
5-1	Vacancy	Good, but not great B-movie about a bickering couple who find themselves in a hotel run by a murderous sociopath. There are enough nice touches to make this more than just an homage to Psycho (I liked the stuffed birds everywhere), nicely modernizing the story (what if Norman Bates had technology?) and there's not so much a sense of horror so much as some quiet dread. That hurts the film a bit, too; it never really hits the full-blown terror I think it's aiming for, but it kept me involved and does a pretty great job spinning out the story without making any of its characters seem like idiotic horror movie heroes. It's nothing special, but it's a lot better than it has any right to be, and as a genre pic (one that eschews the recent torture/gore trend for suspense) and nothing more, it does the job quite well.
4-30	All About Eve	Classic old movie that takes a bit too much time to get going, but is pretty satisfying when it does. I think the framework could have been jettisoned pretty easily, and the narration wouldn't be missed too much if it was tossed, and I think both would have made the developing plot all the more enjoyable. Davis gets most of the acclaim, and rightfully so, for her performance, but to me, the stand-out scene of the film is that vicious and nasty confrontation in the hotel room right near the end, in which all is laid bare and the real fangs come out. Not a bad movie in any way, but I think it's one that always going to be more enjoyed by the industry than those of us outside of it, which is why Sunset Boulevard, with its more universally applicable ideas (and better direction) seems to have aged better.
4-28	Hot Fuzz	Saying that this is for cop movies what Shaun of the Dead was for zombie movies should be enough for anyone, but in case it's not, let me spell it out. This is a complete joy of a film--a simultaneous send-up and gleeful embrace of action movie cliches, and one that manages to both be hilarious and completely exciting. Frost and Pegg once again make a great duo, playing off of each other perfectly and bringing out the humor with sometimes no more than a great face. The story is really great, but it's the affection the movie has for the genre and the sheer fun of it all that makes it probably my favorite movie I've seen all year. The whole thing is great; the last 30 minutes are bliss. If you like John Woo movies, or movies like Bad Boys II , and you don't see this, you won't ever believe how much you're missing out. I can't remember laughing this hard and having this much fun in a long, long time.
4-28	The Getaway (1972)	Solid piece of entertainment, mainly thanks to Peckinpah's interesting direction. There's nothing ultimately brilliant here; it's a heist movie and a chase movie, with some great setpieces (the one in the train was my personal favorite of the batch). Some of my enjoyment was dulled by Peckinpah's again bizarre feelings toward women--Ali McGraw gets slapped around and seems to enjoy her selling of her own body (metaphorically), and that doesn't even begin to touch Sally Struthers's rather extreme case of Stockholm Syndrome. Apart from those, though, it was a lot of fun.
4-23	Lake of Fire	Tony Kaye apparently spent over 15 years filming this examination of every facet of the abortion issue, and it shows in every frame. From the stunning black and white cinematography, the lovingly designed credits/captions, the powerful (if occasionally overbearing, one of the very few flaws of the film) music, this is clearly a labor of love. What makes it so remarkable, though, is not just the dedication, but the complete non-partisan nature of it, the way Kaye lets representatives from each side simply speak, with no judgment being passed by him as a director. What results is an intelligent, powerful, haunting examination of not just the issue of abortion, but of all the victims--from the unborn to the women to the murdered clinic workers, Kaye finds time to mourn each of them. This is not a film for the faint of heart; Kaye spares no details, all the while never feeling exploitative. It may be one of the saddest films I have ever seen, simply for the pervasive realization that these two sides are simply not listening at all to each other, and the closing 20 minutes, which follows one woman to and through her abortion, strip the issue down to an intensely personal one. This is one of the finest documentaries in years--don't miss it.
4-15	Rat	If Spike Jonez and Charlie Kaufman did a family film, you might have this. The basic story? A family gets quite irritated when the father comes home late from a pub and turns into a rat. Yes, irritated--not surprised. The movie is like some absurdist comedy version of Kaka, where no one is surprised by the transformation and everyone pretty much reacts matter-of-factly, resulting in some absolutely hilarious scenes (the medical checkup is a riot, but the exorcism tops it). The whole thing is just gleefully bizarre, and really, really funny; the acting is perfect--never working too hard for a joke or emphasizing the weirdness of any of it (the standout being Kelly's intellectual uncle); it's the mundane tone the film has that really brings out the humor. Hard to explain, but really enjoyable.
4-15	White Hunter Black Heart	Eventually engrossing portrait of obsession, anchored in the guise of a Hollywood tell-all. It's a slightly fictionalized retelling of the filming of The African Queen (and I do emphasize "slightly"--it's pretty obvious who everyone is here), during which John Huston (here played by Eastwood) was more interested in killing an elephant than in shooting his film. Eastwood is initially jarring and distracting in his mimicry of Huston, but as the film goes on, you get more and more used to it and immersed in the film, as well as Huston's obsession. The final scenes of the film--almost dialogue free--are haunting, and pull the film to an excellent close. Far more fascinating and interesting than a "Hollywood True Story" should be, and that's thanks largely to Eastwood's strong direction and acting.
4-6	Grindhouse	I was really worried that this couldn't live up to expectations, but I left more than satisfied. Between the gory intensity of Planet Terror, the twisted brilliance of the fake trailers, and the spectacular car stunts of Death Proof, it's hard to think of a more entertaining three hours I've spent in a theater recently. Tarantino's segment is definitely the weakest; it's excessively talky, and while I like Tarantino's writing, it does drag the film down a bit. (Yes, I get that he's playing up that 60s/70s style of filmmaking, but as long as they're overly mythologizing the whole grindhouse experience, couldn't we romanticize out some of the talking?) That being said, the wait makes the payoffs even better when they get there, and make no mistake, they're all pretty amazing. On the other hand, Planet Terror is a complete blast--a high-octane kick-ass zombie flick with all the gleeful gore the genre demands, capped with a ghoulish black sense of humor. Add into that the hilarious trailers (Machete steals the show, but all four are great), and you have a hell of a time at the movies.
4-1	My Little Eye	Imagine the show Big Brother, only the people running the show decided to make the last episode into a horror movie, and you'd have something like this obscure little gem. The movie makes the most of its webcast gimmick, with every shot being from some different mounted camera in the house, creating a nicely voyeuristic feel (and exploiting that infamous "gaze" of horror movie fame). The first act sets the stage and the screws, the second act turns them (and turns them hard), and the third act brings out the blood and gore the genre demands. It's not flawless (the first reveal is a bit abrupt), but it's damned good, incredibly creepy throughout, and a nice satire/homage/use of reality TV, with an explanation and finale that leaves the perfect sense of unease. (Warning: do NOT read the Goofs entry on the main page of the IMDb entry. It gives away part of the ending, and the reveal for that ending is too perfect to screw up. Trust me on this one.)
3-31	Blades of Glory	It's a Will Ferrell movie, with all that implies. Little to no plot, lots of bizarre riffing, and some side-splitting gags. It's not as great as Anchorman (still the Ferrell gold standard, in my opinion), but it's still very funny, with one of the greatest chase scenes I've ever seen and a few brilliant visual gags involving mascots. But, you know, why are you reading this? If you've seen the previews, you know if this will appeal to you or not. It did to me, and I laughed pretty hard throughout. (Bonus points for avoiding the easy homophobia that could have been the central gag running through the movie; surprising, but in a good way.)
3-31	Reign Over Me	Pretty good drama about two old friends reuniting after one has suffered a terrible loss. When the movie moves away from that central story, it tends to sputter out--the patient subplot is just bizarre, and Smith never really has much to do as the wife. But when the focus remains on Cheadle and Sandler, both of whom give great performances, the movie becomes far more moving than it has any right to be. Sandler, especially, is a revelation, bringing a haunting sadness to his role I wouldn't have thought him capable of. In short, the acting by the two leads elevates this above where it should be, making a powerful and strangely affecting drama out of what should be a mediocre movie at best.
3-25	The Host	Before I saw this, I heard a lot of people saying that it opened and closed strongly, but really bogged down in the middle. So maybe it's because I was prepared, or that I expected worse, but it was a pleasant surprise to find myself loving the entire movie, and never feeling this bog I'd been warned about. This is a great monster movie, with an opening sequence that should be put on a shelf against anything Spielberg or others have done. Mix that with some fun characters, a plot with enough subtext to be interesting but not enough to overwhelm the story, a great dose of humor, and enough monster action to keep you tense, and you have one of the best monster movies I've seen in a long time. What a blast!
3-24	TMNT	I have no idea how someone unfamiliar with the franchise would feel about this, but if you grew up loving it (like Maria and I), you'll probably enjoy the movie. That sounds like I'm damning it with faint praise, which isn't my intention; it's a lot of fun, and much better than I expected. The story is nicely based in the characters, and the action, when it happens, serves the story, not the other way around. When it does happen, though, the action is nicely done--the fight sequences are great, with one on a rainy rooftop stealing the film. The animation is nice, the story more interesting than you might think, and all in all, it surpasses the cheap nostalgia pop to be something quite enjoyable. With a tone that strikes the perfect balance between the gritty seriousness of the original comics and the fun of the cartoons, this really should appeal pretty well to any fan of the show.
3-23	The Lives of Others	Excellent and involving drama that plays out like a German counterpart to The Conversation, with a bit more action. It's a solidly done thriller that ends up being about far more--about paranoia, state-sanctioned spying, lies, relationships, and more. I thought the main characters were fascinating, and the way the story played out from them, instead of the characters serving the story, really made the movie. With a nicely shifting plot and sense of sympathies, the movie kept me incredibly involved, and the final scene (particularly the last line) were everything that they should have been. A very assured debut for this writer/director--in his first feature, he accomplished more than some veterans ever manage.
3-23	The Eye	I actually enjoyed this a lot, despite it being a bit fragmented and not too perfectly paced. The film's three acts almost feel like separate films, and that keeps the movie from really taking off. That being said, there's a perfect air of dread, and some truly creepy sequences (the one in the elevator stands out); also, the final act is the perfect finale to the film. Not a masterpiece, but pretty damned good, with atmosphere to spare.
3-22	Zodiac	The first great film of the year: a compelling, engrossing serial killer film that's less interested in the titular killer than in the effect he had on and those who investigated him. This, in many ways, is the anti-Se7en, and it makes a fascinating companion piece to that film; more character driven, and more interested in details, it plays out like a 70s serial killer film. (In fact, if Se7en mated with All the President's Men, this would be the result.) The film isn't for all tastes--if you want a slasher film, or a Fincher technical show-off, don't bother. If you're interested to see the mechanics of a true serial killer investigation, the dead-ends, the long periods of time, the effects of obsession...yeah, it's that kind of movie. The acting is top-notch (with Downey and Cox both stealing the film, but everyone more than holding their own), but this is Fincher's baby all the way, and his ability to evoke mood, bring out tension, immerse in the details, and juggle time makes this an incredible success.
3-22	2LDK	A quarrel between roommates, both aspiring actresses working for the same part, gets a little out of hand. It says something when the chainsaw being put into play comes relatively early on in the fight, and things only get more over-the-top from there. A lot of fun, if this sort of thing is up your alley; I enjoyed it, and it definitely brought a nice sense of gallows humor to the whole proceedings (the bit with the power cord cracked me up). The length is just right--at 70 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome, and provides some sick fun.
3-22	A Tale of Two Sisters	Strange Korean horror movie that unfortunately relies on a slightly overdone twist for full effect. Nonetheless, the movie is mostly pretty effective; there is some nicely off-kilter camera work, and the strange story keeps you involved, and off-center enough to keep things tense. And, yeah, it definitely does a lot with the twist, in terms of setup and symbolism. it's just that, like I said, that ending's been done, and when you call most of it about ten minutes in, it can't help but hurt the film. Not bad, though.
3-21	Splendor in the Grass	Maybe it's just a low tolerance for melodrama, but I was incredibly bored with this. It doesn't help that the subject matter--at least the major sections, involving teen desires and promiscuity--feel more than a tad dated. The acting is all decent, and Wood is luminous in her part...but I just never got interested in any way.
3-21	Doctor Zhivago	An epic love story that works a lot better in the epic parts than the love parts. It's not as if the love story was Attack of the Clones bad, but the characters felt pretty formulaic, and ultimately worked better as movie characters than as people. The visual spectacle, though, as well as the travels through history, gave the film a bit more impact than it otherwise would have had, and there is some impressive production design (the ice house near the end is stunning). In the end, though, it was all pretty forgettable to me. Sacrilege, I know.
3-20	Midnight Run	It's incredibly rare to find a completely formulaic buddy-action movie that surpasses every limitation of the genre, but this one manages. The story concerns a bounty hunter who has to escort a mob embezzler across the country. Along the way, they go from hating each other to friendship. Pure formula...but the action is great, the characters likeable and involving, the story interesting and even a little moving. But in the end, it's the characters that really sell this one--by the end, you feel like you've spent the time with real people, not just screen-writer stock characters. Of course, that's due in no small part to the actors--De Niro reminds you that he once could be both hilarious and an excellent actor, and Grodin more than carries his own, bringing humor, heart and life to his role. And none of that even mentions Kotto, who really makes the best of a minor character. Nah, this isn't anything life-changing, but it's a complete blast, and one of the best of this genre. What a great flick.
3-20	Ordinary People	A moving and heart-breaking film about a family living in the aftermath of a terrible loss. As Ebert points out in his excellent review, what makes this work is that it avoids making the central incident into some sort of social exercise; rather, it uses it to explore the characters, letting their growth (or lack thereof) dictate the story, making something far more personal--and, as a result, more painful and emotional. The whole thing resonates deeply of truth, and I particularly liked the realism and honesty of the ending. An excellent drama, well-acted and made by all involved, and deserving of the acclaim it received.
3-20	Popeye	What a strange little film. If Altman's goal was to re-create the cartoonish atmosphere of the original Popeye cartoons, it worked, for the most part. I've never seen anything that so perfectly captured the essence of a cartoon, making a live-action cartoon. But that doesn't really save the movie--it's way too long, and the musical numbers don't really fit into the film. The acting is all great, with Williams, Duvall, Dooley, and particularly Smith really bringing their creations to life. But the whole thing just gets a bit tiring and irritating by the end. It's never boring, though--it's far too strange and bizarre to ever be accused of being boring.
3-19	Save the Tiger	A little overstuffed, overzealous, and just too sincere for its own good, but it all works thanks to--anyone surprised?--Lemmon, who creates a full, consistent character that fascinates, intrigues, and comes to full life on the screen. In fact, all of the actors do a great job, from his partner to the hitchhiker he meets, and especially the professional arsonist he talks to. But it's Lemmon who makes the picture work and overcomes its considerable weaknesses. I'm still not sure what the point of the whole thing was, but as a character study and a chance for good acting, it works perfectly.
3-19	The Prisoner of Second Avenue	Quite good comedy-drama starring Lemmon as a businessman whose life starts to fall apart. The film doesn't quite work--the story starts to feel a bit contrived, and the "resolution" doesn't feel as strong as apparently everyone involved in the story thinks it does. But Lemmon and Bancroft play their parts perfectly, and the balance of humor and melancholy works, for the most part. Besides, it's worth it for the ten second number that Lemmon sings and dances on his balcony at his upstairs neighbors.
3-19	The Out-of- Towners (1970)	Imagine Martin Scorsese's brilliant After Hours, only instead of Griffin Dunne, the protagonists are a shrill, obnoxious couple who end up creating/deserving most of what happens to them. That gives you a bit of an idea for this really grating and irritating movie, which really couldn't end fast enough. For something like this to work, you need a sympathetic main character, and when the wife ends up being about as tolerable as Janice on The Sopranos, and even the typically outstanding Lemmon can make his character anything less than odious...well, it says something when I just wished they'd die, doesn't it?
3-18	Dangerous Liaisons	Gleefully vicious and sadistic film about two pre-Revolutionary war French aristocrats who amuse themselves with the emotional and sexual torment of others (no physical pain, to be clear). Malkovich and Close bring such amoral joy to their roles that it's hard not to enjoy the movie, and overall, the whole thing plays out perfectly nastily...until things take a turn none of them expected, and a lot more truths are revealed than our puppet masters hoped for. It's upscale trash, for lack of a better term, and the actors all acquit themselves perfectly.
3-16	Zardoz	A giant floating stone head, Sean Connery with a ridiculously long ponytail and a red diaper, people in cellophane...and that's just the first ten minutes. There are some interesting ideas floating around here, but between the feeling that a handful of key scenes fell out of the film somewhere (leaving things occasionally quite hard to follow) and the incredibly high camp factor (a result of some horrible effects and some bad visual choices), it's hard to take this very seriously. The ideas are thoughtful, but it gets just bizarrely bad and melodramatic at points, and never quite works--it's just kind of silly. It's certainly odd, though.
3-16	Mo' Better Blues	A solid and engaging, if ultimately kind of shallow, tale of a self-absorbed jazz musician. Apparently Lee wanted to make the anti-Bird, a jazz movie free of the types of cliches he felt were ruining jazz movies. To a degree, he succeeds, as this feels more free-form and improvised, which obviously fits the material. Like usual, Lee gets great performances and has a great eye. The whole thing feels kind of empty, but it's definitely watchable, and pretty enjoyable. It loses its way a bit towards the end, but the last ten minutes have it regaining its footing nicely, coming together with the right ending. Nothing profound, but quite good.
3-14	The Lady Eve	A completely wonderful classic screwball comedy, anchored by Stanwyck's presence. This is not to short-change anyone else--Fonda is a brilliant sort-of straight man, and both fathers in the story are wonderful. But this is Stanwyck's movie, make no mistake; between the sexual tension she emits, the crisp line readings, the quick wit...she more than makes the film. One of those rare films that doesn't seem a bit dated; all the funny scenes remain funny, and there are enough classic lines (my favorite was the one about the couch) and setpieces (the card game is hilarious) to more than justify its classic status. A real treat.
3-14	Jungle Fever	A lot of great scenes, some solid acting, and a slew of fascinating, thoughtful ideas, but it never quite coalesces into a whole. Samuel L. Jackson's story, for one, is so compelling that it derails the film from the ostensible main plot of an interracial couple's trials and tribulations. It's almost as if the Jackson story should be a separate movie--and it could be. There are numerous other digressions, and while each is individually fascinating, it doesn't work as well here as it did in Do the Right Thing, which was much more of an ensemble piece, and much less plot-driven. All of that being said, I liked the movie quite a bit, and felt that it had a lot to say, and said it well. It just doesn't quite have the focus to be a great film.
3-13	Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia	A grim, nihilistic, deeply strange film that nonetheless rises far above its cult status to become an amazing work. I can understand its brutal critical reception--the film is bleak to the point of nihilism, and as the deeply fractured psyche of Bennie continues to shatter, the film gets to be stranger and stranger. And yet, the performances (most notably by Oates, but all are good) pull the film up, making it more of a statement about duty, violence, honor, and so much more. It's a pretty fascinating film, and in a way, despite its bleak worldview, it shifts Bennie from an anti-hero to a hero, without disclaimer, and that journey makes for compelling viewing. Definitely not for all tastes, but you'll not see much else like it.
3-12	Ichi the Killer	Well, that was excessive, to put it mildly. Buckets and buckets of gore abound in this bizarro Yakuza movie about...well, it's never quite clear exactly what. Someone is trying to knock off the major gangs, and he's using a peculiarly sadistic young man named Ichi to do his work for him. Miike brings a pretty grim black humor to the whole thing, and the gore is at various times disturbing and over-the-top comical, but I'm never really sure what the point of the whole exercise is. Is it unrestrained for the sake of unrestraint? Is there something more complex lurking beneath the surface of the twisted mind of Ichi? Or is Miike just a sick, sick man? Who knows. But, it was...well, it was a film, I can say that much.
3-12	Eight Men Out	Engrossing, involving recreation of the infamous Black Sox scandal in which players decided to throw the World Series. I've read some complaints that called it unfocused, but I loved it; I liked the way it simply immersed you in the story, and the way that no one--no one--comes out looking good. There aren't really any heroes here, only villains, and everyone pays the price. Some phenomenal acting (Cusack and Strathairn obviously are excellent, though I thought Lerner really made his character fascinating with so little to do) and a heartbreaking moment in history combine to make an excellent film.
3-10	Inland Empire	Honestly, I'm at a bit of a loss here. I don't have a clue what this movie was about, or what I was supposed to pull from those three hours. There were some parts that were hilarious, and parts that were unsettling...actually, a lot was unsettling, and disturbing, and frightening; Lynch has a knack for pulling unease and fear out of the strangest things, and he has that in droves here--who else could make a sitcom about rabbits with a laugh track so incredibly frightening? But I'll be damned if I know what any of this was about. I was so lost, in fact, that I'm hesitant to say if it was even good or bad. It certainly was a Lynch film, and his talent shines, even as we drift through his nightmarish brain, lost as to where we are or why we're there. I can't say I'd recommend it, but if you're a Lynch fan (and I am), you'll see it no matter what I say. Just be prepared for Lynch being the most experimental he's been since Eraserhead, and that tells you what you're getting into here.
3-10	300 (IMAX)	Exactly what I hoped for--a kick-ass, visually stunning action flick. Yeah, there are people who complain that this is pretty far over the top, that there's nothing realistic about it. Others say there's nothing of substance here. To those people, I say: no kidding. If you want a deep and profound meditation on war, this isn't your movie. If you want to see some stunning landscapes, brutal action, and manly men killing other men, this is for you. It's a comic-book action movie par excellence, and that's all I wanted out of it. By the time I left, I felt a little less manly, and considered running over to headbutt the ticket guy. I didn't, but it's that kind of movie. Fun stuff. (And, yeah. See it on the IMAX. Well worth the extra cost.)
3-3	Lantana	You know, ensemble films like Crash, Magnolia, any Altman film...they either soar, or crash spectacularly. Most often, like Babel, they simply sit, inert, hoping that the juxtaposition of their diverse stories will generate some sort of point. The best of these sorts of films--Magnolia, obviously, or most Altman films--work because of strong direction, but more than that, the film has a point, and each story works on its own, not simply as pieces in a puzzle. I say all this to say this about Lantana: it does none of that. The characters never come to life for me, with the possible exception of Rush; the stories are uninvolving; and the "hook", the mystery, is pretty weak. I don't know. Maybe I'm missing something, but I was left pretty unimpressed by this whole thing. I found it dull, uninvolving, and ultimately lifeless, despite its yearning to say something about relationships and sex.
3-3	Broken Flowers	Jarmusch films are pretty hit and miss with me (usually miss), but I decided to give this a shot despite my misgivings. I'm glad I did. I can't explain why I liked this so much--the plot could have easily veered into broad caricatures (and frequently did), and the film's lack of resolution made my wife yell "Well, that sucked" when it was done. But I really loved it, and I think a lot of it is Murray, who has become a wonderful minimalist actor. Although he says little, and rarely emotes, Murray has become capable of conveying so much in so little that his character's journey becomes a spiritual one, and a far longer one than we expect. With some great humor, beautiful scenes, and a nice gradual pacing, I really loved this anti-hero quest for knowledge and, in a way, a striving for a redemption that may never come. (It also reminded me that not enough films use Jeffery Wright to his full, amazing potential.)
2-24	Reno 911: Miami	I feel about this a lot like I felt about the Tenacious D movie. It's not a great film; the plot is scattershot, and a lot of the gags fall flat. But, if you like the characters and their style of humor, you'll enjoy this. I thought the whole thing was pretty funny; yeah, there are some missed gags, but the ones that hit do so spectacularly. With a couple of great cameos (my favorite being the best use of a professional wrestler ever), the typically hilarious improvised dialogue, and the typical Reno 911 insanity, I had a blast. Your mileage may vary.
2-24	The Number 23	This doesn't start off terribly--in fact, for about the first half, you get a bunch of interesting ideas floating around about madness and obsession. But, as always with these kind of movies, the ending is everything, and this ending is pretty amazingly bad and contrived, and the movie goes so far off the rails that it pretty much destroys all good will you had towards it. I can't blame Schumacher for this one; his directorial excesses aren't what kills this (though the endless shots of the dog get hilarious by the end)--it's the script. Which is a shame, because this could have been decent. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think the backstory might have made a pretty fascinating drama.
2-18	Extras	The second--and possibly even funnier, at least in points--season of the brilliant Ricky Gervais show about a movie set extra who finds himself improbably successful. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss some of the more low-key humor of the first season; with Gervais's character on the rise, the film became a bit more of a satire of success and popularity. That being said, it was still hilarious; with brilliant cameos (I would be hard pressed to decide if I liked David Bowie's bizarre song or Ian McKellen's secrets of acting more) and some truly side-splitting stories, this quickly became the highlight of my week. My only real complaint? I wish Gervais did shows that had seasons longer than six episodes.
2-3	The Queen	I was quite surprised to find how much I enjoyed and admired this film. I expected a stuffy, dull portrait of the royal family; what I got was an engrossing look at a clash of two very different cultures, and of a complete shift of a society. Anchored by Mirren and Sheen's strong performances, The Queen manages to alternately criticize and defend the British monarchy, doing justice to all the complexities and shades of grey that the issue necessarily contains. Far more fascinating and powerful than I expected, and much better.
2-3	The Day the Earth Stood Still	What's fascinating about this is the fact that, by all rights, this should be a forgettable cheesy B-movie. You have a flying saucer that lands, panic among the populace, an alien that escapes, a killer robot, some dated effects, painfully earnest dialogue...in other words, all the hallmarks of a 50s sci-fi B-movie. And yet, the movie may surprise you, becoming something more thoughtful, philosophical, and far more relevant today than one might expect. With a fascinating message, well-done drama, and a compelling story, this transcends the limits of the genre and becomes a far better film than it has any right to be.
2-2	Smokin' Aces	Not quite the film I expected, but I mean that in a good way. Yes, it's fun and completely over the top; yes, it's visually a treat...but the nice thing is that there's an undercurrent of something more serious and slightly mournful, and the ending (which seems to irritate many viewers) worked for me as adding an interesting dimension to the film. Carnahan argues that the film was in some ways inspired by the Iraq war, a fact which only makes it all more intriguing. The tone shifts wildly, and the story gets bizarre, so I can see why a lot of people wouldn't like it. Me? I thought it was a great combination of over-the-top action, blackest of black comedies, and some interesting dramatic touches, with a hint of social commentary. It's hard for me to judge a film for reaching too far, especially when it's this much fun.
2-2	Babel	I can't go so far as to call this a bad film; Iñárritu's direction is too good to make it a complete disaster. But with as good performances and strong visuals as he's capable of, the man needs to find a better writer to work with. Babel is overwrought, simplistic, and contrived, all of which could be forgiven, if the apparent message (based off of the title) of humanity's problems in communication were addressed. But they're not. For about an hour, the film seems like it might be good, but eventually every story becomes absurd, and the film continues on for far too long, all the while saying nothing. Ridiculously overrated.
2-1	Letters from Iwo Jima	One of the best films of 2006, not to mention one of the finest war films I've seen. The film's tone is elegiac and heartbreaking, stemming from its portrayal of the Iwo Jima battle from the Japanese perspective, from preparations to the final attack. The film pulls no punches, but neither does it overly Westernize the Japanese, instead allowing them to develop as individuals as much caught in events beyond their control as the American soldiers were. The film is powerful, affecting, and moving, and does a fine job not only of closing that gap between "us and them", but in portraying both the nobility and futility of war.
2-1	The Last King of Scotland	While the film itself isn't bad, it's mainly a showcase for the galvanizing and stunning performance by Whitaker, who captures both Amin's incredible charisma and his sociopathic cruelty and paranoia. Whitaker does such an incredible job, in fact, that the film suffers without him. And while a film like this needs an audience identification character, the Scottish doctor played by James McAvoy, while decent, ultimately becomes too much the center of attention. By the end, the film focuses more on his moral choices than Amin's genocidal reign, and the movie feels as though it's missed the point. That being said, as mentioned, the film is worth seeing solely for Whitaker's brilliant and terrifying performance.
1-21	Pan's Labyrinth	A magical and wonderful modern day fairy tale, with all of the wonder, horror, and deeper meaning that we loved about them when we were children. This is not made for children--not by a long shot. The film tells two stories: one, a little girl who finds a magical underworld, and two, her step-father, a brutal captain waging war against Spanish rebels fighting against a fascist government. The film succeeds on almost every level, with scenes both terrifying (the Pale Man is one of the scariest things I have ever seen) and beautiful (the closing monologue is magnificent). To explain it would be to ruin it. It is a wonderful film, and a beautiful experience--a fairy tale for mature, thoughtful audiences.
1-15	Big Trouble in Little China	I don't think anyone is going to argue that this is meant to be one of cinema's enduring classic masterpieces, but it's a damned fun B-movie. Between the giddy action, Kurt Russell's amiable channeling of John Wayne, and the realization that the big white man is just the dopey sidekick, this takes itself just seriously enough--that is, not at all. It's goofy, over-the-top, and very entertaining--what more can you ask for?
1-13	Snakes on a Plane	Maybe this was better in theaters, with an appreciative crowd. I didn't hate it, but it was far from good, whether you classify it as "so bad it's good" or "just plain good". There are some fleeting moments of genius (the snake leaping out of the barf bag was a treat), but for the most part, it just meanders, never gets very interesting, and overstays its welcome. It either isn't serious enough, or it's too serious, but either way, it just isn't that great. Now, you take Slither--that was a great b-movie horror comedy from last year. Not this.
1-9	The Rules of the Game (1937)	Not really what I expected, but still excellent. Its reputation preceded it, and led me to expect something much darker and crueler--at its original premiere, one man was so appalled that he tried to light the theater on fire to destroy the film. This was far more human (and as a result, more affecting and sad) than such actions would lead you to believe, but then again, this is a later, reconstructed version of the film, with apparently much added to make the characters more rounded. It's still a great movie; the camerawork throughout is wonderful, particularly during one long shot around the party. And the story is wonderful, exposing the brittle, shallow lives of the privileged as the world around them crumbled. It's almost a comedy of manners, except that a closer look reveals something far deeper, and far more complex--the hunting scene alone says more than many films do in their entirety.
1-7	Children of Men	About a week back, I posted my top ten movies of the year. I had not seen this yet, or else it would have been a very close number two, if not possibly number one. It's not just the intense, gripping action sequences, with their incredibly long takes and realistic, brutal take on war. And it's not just Cuarón's incredible creation of a truly post-apocalyptic world, filled with fascinating details and an atmosphere that permeates every detail of every frame. Yes, those contribute to the film's mastery, but in the end, it's the gripping story, and the way it works with those incredible technical achievements to create a powerful emotional impact, one that brought me to tears. An incredible film, and one of the best of recent years.

e-mail me at
clydeumney@gmail.com

page updated:
September 29, 2009