I love this version of this song - chills at 3:45. I could've used this song in high school. "All this pain, Stuffed it down -It's back again".
Continue reading this postWednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Best Films of the Decade 15-11
15. Master and Commander
Peter Weir's only film this decade had Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany on the high seas in the early 19th century fighting the French. A thinking man's action film, equally successful with action as it is with politics and philosophy. It's rousing and supremely intelligent and unlike any film in decades, exceeding those similar to it.
14. Traffic
Unflinchingly looks at many facets of the drug problem with 3 separate stories seamlessly combined by Steven Soderbergh. His color scheme for each separate story informs on the characters and their relationships. The actors are relaxed and charismatic and there's plenty of humor to relieve the tension and stress from all the depressing subject matter. Benicio del Toro gives the film its beating heart.
13. The Incredibles
After many frivolous lawsuits, superheroes are forced to live amongst common people and hide their special powers. Director Brad Bird has big ideas about individualism and how society's attempts to help often makes things worse inadvertently. There's also an interesting theme about collectivism tearing down the successful people in society to the level of the least common denominator. "When everyone's special, no one will be." The action scenes are exciting and inventive. Throw in the Midas Pixar touch, and you have the best animated film ever.
12. The Lives of Others
In 1984, a Stasi agent for the totalitarian East German government is forced to spy on a couple of artists who are a perceived threat to the state. As he eavesdrops on them, their artistic value becomes apparent and melts his cold exterior. The camera placement and movements are impeccable and the ending is one of the decade's best. As the agent, Ulrich Muhe shows all ranges of emotion proficiently.
11. Children of Men
Alfonso Cuaron took a simple apocalyptic tale about a childless future and applied uninterrupted shots, invisible CGI, and subtle activities and structures in the background to create a classic. Clive Owen was born to play Theo, whose tortured soul and passiveness guide us through the film. Cuaron uses music sparingly to devastating effect, best demonstrated by Theo's breakdown by the tree after Jasper dies.
16. A History of Violence
17. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
18. I'm Not There
19. Almost Famous
20. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
21. Finding Nemo
22. The Dark Knight
23. Sideways
24. Once
25. The Hurt Locker
26. Let the Right One In
27. Cinderella Man
28. Synecdoche, New York
29. Miami Vice
30. Punch-Drunk Love
31. Up
32. Lord of the Rings
33. Erin Brockovich
34. Michael Clayton
35. Lost in Translation
36. Inglourious Basterds
37. About a Boy
38. Public Enemies
39. Amelie
40. Collateral
41. Munich
42. Black Hawk Down & The Constant Gardner
43. Mystic River
44. The Aviator
45. Cast Away
46. The Wrestler
47. Gosford Park
48. Kill Bill
49. You Can Count On Me
50. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
51. 21 Grams
52. Ratatouille & WALL-E
53. Road to Perdition
54. Billy Elliot
55. The Royal Tenenbaums
56. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
57. Downfall
58. Hot Fuzz
59. The New World
60. Knocked Up
61. Inland Empire
62. United 93
63. Babel
64. Pan's Labyrinth
65. In the Bedroom
66. Monsters, Inc.
67. The Pianist
68. Batman Begins
69. 3:10 to Yuma
70. King Kong
71. In Bruges
72. No Direction Home
73. Intolerable Cruelty
74. Little Children
75. Gangs of New York
DVD and Blu-ray Releases 12/8/09
AK 100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa (Criterion)
The Cove
5 Fingers
Harry Potter 6 - #
Julie & Julia - #
Moonlight Serenade
Public Enemies - #, *
World's Greatest Dad - #
Lost: 5th Season - #
Click below for this week's Blu-ray release
AC/DC: No Bull
Alphabet Killer
Cyclops
Lower Learning
Red Mist
Sands of Oblivion
Walled In
While She Was Out
# - also on Blu-ray
* - Doctor approved
Song of the Day - Paranoid Android (live), Radiohead
Nice version of this epic song, sent along by Europpraiser.
Continue reading this postMonday, December 7, 2009
Best Films of the Decade 20-16
20. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The verisimilitude of the atmosphere, sets, costumes, and dialogue is better than I've ever seen in any Western - almost like taking a time machine back to the 1880s. Brad Pitt is much better than you expect and everyone else (especially Casey Affleck, who carries the whole film) is superb. Director Andrew Dominik lays down themes about fame, infamy, and notoriety expertly and uses glass (through window panes especially) to comment on how we view things (history, memory, heroes, etc.).
19. Almost Famous
Cameron Crowe may have completely lost his touch Apocalypse Now-style after investing his entire soul into this film, but at least this film exists. Music in movies can make or break a film and this film has the best source music of the decade. Led Zeppelin gave up 5 of their songs (a very rare event) to their personal friend Crowe. But it's the 2 Elton John songs that are in the best scenes. Every scene with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Frances McDormand is gold. Billy Crudup and Jason Lee will never be better. Neither will Kate Hudson, whom I seem to tolerate more than most. But it's Crowe who is the real star - his finest 2 1/2 hours.
18. I'm Not There
Before Heath Ledger and Christian Bale squared off in The Dark Knight, they both played Bob Dylan, as did Richard Gere and Cate Blanchett in Todd Haynes's unconventional biopic. Some of my favorite songs are fused with multiple tributes to the European art film. Easily the best biopic of the decade (and there were a lot of them). And all the "impersonations" that won Oscars don't begin to compare with Blanchett's performance. She gets the mannerisms and voice right, but also the soul and the meaning behind the words. Love her last look into the camera.
17. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Of all the wire-fu flicks, this film is the one worth revisiting the most because of the smaller, kinder, gentler moments. Director Ang Lee specializes in romantic films so his involvement in this is a curious one. The fight scenes are inventive, but it's the interactions between the characters (Lee's specialty) that have a lasting impact.
16. A History of Violence
A history of violence in America and also on film. The nature of violence and the men who use it is analyzed well by David Cronenberg, whose films tend to go either too violent or too weird to warrant a repeat viewing. Here, his hands are a little tied by a lurid graphic novel (which helps), but he still makes room to effectively evaluate the relationship between sex and violence. William Hurt's showy part got the Oscar nomination, but Maria Bello and Viggo Mortensen are equally good.
21. Finding Nemo
22. The Dark Knight
23. Sideways
24. Once
25. The Hurt Locker
26. Let the Right One In
27. Cinderella Man
28. Synecdoche, New York
29. Miami Vice
30. Punch-Drunk Love
31. Up
32. Lord of the Rings
33. Erin Brockovich
34. Michael Clayton
35. Lost in Translation
36. Inglourious Basterds
37. About a Boy
38. Public Enemies
39. Amelie
40. Collateral
41. Munich
42. Black Hawk Down & The Constant Gardner
43. Mystic River
44. The Aviator
45. Cast Away
46. The Wrestler
47. Gosford Park
48. Kill Bill
49. You Can Count On Me
50. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
51. 21 Grams
52. Ratatouille & WALL-E
53. Road to Perdition
54. Billy Elliot
55. The Royal Tenenbaums
56. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
57. Downfall
58. Hot Fuzz
59. The New World
60. Knocked Up
61. Inland Empire
62. United 93
63. Babel
64. Pan's Labyrinth
65. In the Bedroom
66. Monsters, Inc.
67. The Pianist
68. Batman Begins
69. 3:10 to Yuma
70. King Kong
71. In Bruges
72. No Direction Home
73. Intolerable Cruelty
74. Little Children
75. Gangs of New York
Song of the Day - Saeglopur, Sigur Ros
Another Europpraiser suggestion, this one has a pretentious band name AND song name. This is from the Fountain soundtrack I think. Gets good at 1:53.
Continue reading this postSunday, December 6, 2009
Paul Thomas Anderson's next film
The Coens have released 2 films since their Oscar showdown with Paul Thomas Anderson in 2007. Anderson has finally announced his new film - not sure if the script is done or shooting is planned as of yet but any news is good news. Here's a link. It appears Anderson's obsession with religion continues. Any intelligent discussion about religion is always welcome. Here's another link. By the way, the Coens are set to re-team with Jeff Bridges for their True Grit remake next.
Best Films of the Decade 25-21
25. The Hurt Locker
Take away the cliched psychiatrist and this would be even higher. All the other Iraq War films forgot to entertain by telling a good story with great characters. This one pays tribute to the troops while showing their flaws. It also gets in its political points subtly (thus more effectively). Jeremy Renner's complex performance carries the entire movie and director Kathryn Bigelow gives us shot after shot that feels fresh and unique. Give her the Oscar.
24. Once
2 unlucky- in-love musicians meet and fall in love, but existing commitments and responsibilities get in the way. It's refreshing to see adults act as such and I love Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's symbiotic relationship where they are much, much better together than apart. One of the best endings of the decade, and some of the best movie songs of the decade, led by "Falling Slowly".
23. Sideways
Thomas Haden Church is brilliant as the happy-go-lucky friend with a cheating heart. Paul Giamatti is exceptional as the troubled, underachieving Miles. They're fully realized characters - you can see Miles's entire life behind Giamatti's eyes. The humor and rapport is terrific and it turns surprisingly moving at the end when it needs to. I love titles that have multiple meanings. This one has at least 3.
22. The Dark Knight
The best film about America's response to 9/11.
21. Finding Nemo
What parents fear and hope for is perfectly illustrated in Andrew Stanton's father-son bonding tale. The colors are predictably vivid and startling and the story is expertly developed like everything Pixar does. The great sense of humor and hilarious supporting and throwaway characters are all there. What sets this apart from most of Pixar's output is Thomas Newman's affecting score and the emotional reunion.
26. Let the Right One In
27. Cinderella Man
28. Synecdoche, New York
29. Miami Vice
30. Punch-Drunk Love
31. Up
32. Lord of the Rings
33. Erin Brockovich
34. Michael Clayton
35. Lost in Translation
36. Inglourious Basterds
37. About a Boy
38. Public Enemies
39. Amelie
40. Collateral
41. Munich
42. Black Hawk Down & The Constant Gardner
43. Mystic River
44. The Aviator
45. Cast Away
46. The Wrestler
47. Gosford Park
48. Kill Bill
49. You Can Count On Me
50. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
51. 21 Grams
52. Ratatouille & WALL-E
53. Road to Perdition
54. Billy Elliot
55. The Royal Tenenbaums
56. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
57. Downfall
58. Hot Fuzz
59. The New World
60. Knocked Up
61. Inland Empire
62. United 93
63. Babel
64. Pan's Labyrinth
65. In the Bedroom
66. Monsters, Inc.
67. The Pianist
68. Batman Begins
69. 3:10 to Yuma
70. King Kong
71. In Bruges
72. No Direction Home
73. Intolerable Cruelty
74. Little Children
75. Gangs of New York
Song of the Day - One Day Like this, Elbow
Europpraiser has graced us with a few selections. This cool song from a pretentiously named band is first.
Continue reading this postWeekend Box Office: 12/4-12/6/09
Title/Gross/%Change/Total
1. The Blind Side: 20.4 mil / -49% / 129 mil
2. New Moon: 15.7 mil / -63% / 256 mil
3. Brothers: 9.7 mil / (-)
4. Christmas Carol: 7.5 mil / -52% / 115 mil
5. Old Dogs: 6.9 mil / -59% / 34 mil
6. 2012: 6.6 mil / -63% / 149 mil
7. Armored: 6.6 mil / (-)
8. Ninja Assassin: 5 mil / -62% / 30 mil
9. Planet 51: 4.3 mil / -58% / 34 mil
10. Everybody's Fine: 4 mil / (-)
Most of the new titles fell flat and everyone else took a big post-Thanksgiving hit.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Best Films of the Decade 30-26
30. Punch-Drunk Love
PT Anderson's dysfunctional love story about a lonely man with anger management issues and an oft-wronged lady who remains a hopeless romantic is the best directed romantic "comedy" ever. Bright colors that comment on character's inner workings, a symbolic keyboard, and intentional lens flares are just part of PTA's arsenal. Adam Sandler will never be as good as he is here- his best scene being in a Honolulu hotel room. The music by Michael Penn is sad, inspiring, lonely, and heartwarming all at the same time.
29. Miami Vice
The dialogue on the page shouldn't work (As Trudy says, "I ain't playin'"), but as delivered by Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, et al. and digitally filmed by Dion Beebe, it's like you're living in every scene. The R-rated violence is shocking at first for those used to the TV series, but this is not your father's Miami Vice. It's more realistic and urgent. It's also mostly void of humor, which probably hurt it at the box office. But Michael Mann only wanted to portray the drug trade and vice agents as they actually are. I can't think of a film this decade that improved more on repeat viewings.
28. Synecdoche, New York
Too smart for its own good and too challenging to be mega-accessible, Charlie Kaufman's script would have been better served by his former collaborator, director Spike Jonze, but there is far more going on here with respect to the human condition (life, death, relationships, struggles) than any other film this decade. Minutiae is evaluated in both huge and miniature sizes. Memories, consciousness, God, and love are creatively explored. It's like Kaufman is decades ahead of all of us, and trying to show us the way.
27. Cinderella Man
They do make 'em like they used to. People didn't want to revisit The Depression (Seabiscuit) or boxing (Million Dollar Baby) when this film rolled out in 2005. They missed an inspiring story about resilience and determination. Although Russell Crowe has been better elsewhere, Jim Braddock is a perfect addition to his movie star persona. Paul Giamatti steals every scene he's in (his Oscar is sitting on George Clooney's shelf). Ron Howard's direction shows some flair in the boxing scenes and rightfully stays out of the way in the family scenes. Thomas Newman's score is one of the decade's best.
26. Let the Right One In
Director Tomas Alfredson composes each shot so impressively that this vampire revenge flick grabs your attention by the throat and never lets go. But it wouldn't be this high on the list without a message of unconditional love that resonates. Teenagers with problems are a dime a dozen every month at the multiplex, but the way these teenagers express their emotions and use their strengths to succeed (and the way Alfredson's cold, vacant landscapes add to their cavernous souls) makes this a lasting experience.
31. Up
32. Lord of the Rings
33. Erin Brockovich
34. Michael Clayton
35. Lost in Translation
36. Inglourious Basterds
37. About a Boy
38. Public Enemies
39. Amelie
40. Collateral
41. Munich
42. Black Hawk Down & The Constant Gardner
43. Mystic River
44. The Aviator
45. Cast Away
46. The Wrestler
47. Gosford Park
48. Kill Bill
49. You Can Count On Me
50. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
51. 21 Grams
52. Ratatouille & WALL-E
53. Road to Perdition
54. Billy Elliot
55. The Royal Tenenbaums
56. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
57. Downfall
58. Hot Fuzz
59. The New World
60. Knocked Up
61. Inland Empire
62. United 93
63. Babel
64. Pan's Labyrinth
65. In the Bedroom
66. Monsters, Inc.
67. The Pianist
68. Batman Begins
69. 3:10 to Yuma
70. King Kong
71. In Bruges
72. No Direction Home
73. Intolerable Cruelty
74. Little Children
75. Gangs of New York
Friday, December 4, 2009
Best Films of the Decade 35-31
35. Lost in Translation
Director Sofia Coppola has an interesting touch: cutting scenes earlier than expected with shots that don't necessarily match, but work in the film as a whole. Bill Murray has always been great: quick with the one-liners, peerless with the comic timing, and a terrific physical comedian with his face and body. But save for a couple of scenes in Groundhog Day, he's never really shown his heart and soul before. Looking at this, you could gather he would have had an equally successful career going that way.
34. Michael Clayton
Terrifically smart dialogue delivered by a great cast and themes about modern morality and loyalty make this the best lawyer film of the decade. George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, and Tilda Swinton give stellar performances and first-time director Tony Gilroy directs like an old-pro.
33. Erin Brockovich
One of the best crowd-pleasing films of the decade with great, quotable one-liners and many sympathetic characters. The editing is phenomenal and Steven Soderbergh assumes his audience is smart by advancing the story unconventionally. Albert Finney and Julia Roberts are perfect together and Aaron Eckhart is charming - playing slightly against type. Roberts catches a lot of fanboy internet crap for winning the Oscar over Requiem for a Dream's Ellen Burstyn. But I've seen this film half a dozen times already and will never watch Requiem again.
32. Lord of the Rings
The first is the best overall, the second has the best ending, and the third has the most spectacular sequences and cinematography. Why do I feel like I'm leaving the target demographic and will only watch these films through my children's eyes in the future? Still, it's an amazing accomplishment by Peter Jackson et al., bringing the well-read books to life and doing them justice.
31. Up
Energetic and colorful, touching and funny, Pixar's latest takes a surprising subject (a senior citizen with a short bucket list), adds a fat boy scout, and throws in some talking dogs for one of their most heartfelt films. It's shocking that it works as well as it does since most of it sounds silly on paper. Then, there's a great message sprung on the audience at the end that encourages everyone to engage in life and invest time in other people. But that would keep me from great movies like this.
36. Inglourious Basterds
37. About a Boy
38. Public Enemies
39. Amelie
40. Collateral
41. Munich
42. Black Hawk Down & The Constant Gardner
43. Mystic River
44. The Aviator
45. Cast Away
46. The Wrestler
47. Gosford Park
48. Kill Bill
49. You Can Count On Me
50. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
51. 21 Grams
52. Ratatouille & WALL-E
53. Road to Perdition
54. Billy Elliot
55. The Royal Tenenbaums
56. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
57. Downfall
58. Hot Fuzz
59. The New World
60. Knocked Up
61. Inland Empire
62. United 93
63. Babel
64. Pan's Labyrinth
65. In the Bedroom
66. Monsters, Inc.
67. The Pianist
68. Batman Begins
69. 3:10 to Yuma
70. King Kong
71. In Bruges
72. No Direction Home
73. Intolerable Cruelty
74. Little Children
75. Gangs of New York
Song of the Day- Still Take You Home
Love the Arctic Monkeys' bendy new stuff, but that lead-off album is impossible to beat. Half-a-dozen of those tales of bars are post-punk perfection, but "Still Take You Home" captures the cocky, self-loathing lyrics, shot-of-adrenaline rhythm section, and undeniable hooks that put Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not on every decade best of list worth reading. This one's a Lawyer special.
Continue reading this postBest Films of the Decade 40-36
40. Collateral
A perfect film until Mark Ruffalo exits & pretzel logic is used to keep Tom Cruise in Jamie Foxx's cab. Foxx is better here than Ray and nobody does the crime film (modern or period) like Michael Mann. A great eclectic compilation of songs blends well with the evolving digital camera. Favorite brief scene: Camera following Ruffalo as Tom Rothrock's "Rollin' Crumblin'" plays on the soundtrack.
39. Amelie
A visual feast of colors highlights the unique look of the film, but it's the story of do-gooder Amelie (Audrey Tautou) helping everyone around her that gets your insides warm and cozy. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's fluid camera captures the naivete and innocence of Tautou beautifully.
38. Public Enemies
While Collateral stumbles toward the end, Public Enemies stumbles out of the block but hits full stride and doesn't look back when Texas Ranger Winstead (played with subtle tenacity by Stephen Lang) comes to the Midwest to help Melvis Purvis (Christian Bale) take down John Dillinger (Johnny Depp). Mann acknowledging that toughness and aggressiveness is sometimes needed in the field is jarring in the age of Obama. What seems appropriate behind the desks of college professors doesn't work in the real world.
37. About a Boy
It's contrived from the very beginning with an obvious message and a predictable plot, but somehow, some way, future hacks Paul and Chris Weitz create memorable characters that you identify with and root for. It probably has something to do with the witty script and the just-as-witty performance by Hugh Grant, whose misanthropy is very similar to mine. It's easily Grant's best performance, partly because it seems to be closest to his real life. Badly Drawn Boy's songs written for the film give it an added dimension and personality.
36. Inglourious Basterds
The use of propaganda (with film or otherwise) is surprisingly and amazingly explored by Quentin Tarantino. He's always had the talent, but didn't seem to have the discipline. Here, he delivers his most intellectually challenging and complex work. Christoph Waltz will be long remembered as Hans Landa. Too bad his character's actions in the final scenes were so uncharacteristically stupid. He would never let Aldo get the upper hand. But Tarantino bounces back with a brilliant, knowing last line. The dead character's image on the smoke is still a stunner - I'm shocked it hasn't been done before.
41. Munich
42. Black Hawk Down & The Constant Gardner
43. Mystic River
44. The Aviator
45. Cast Away
46. The Wrestler
47. Gosford Park
48. Kill Bill
49. You Can Count On Me
50. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
51. 21 Grams
52. Ratatouille & WALL-E
53. Road to Perdition
54. Billy Elliot
55. The Royal Tenenbaums
56. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
57. Downfall
58. Hot Fuzz
59. The New World
60. Knocked Up
61. Inland Empire
62. United 93
63. Babel
64. Pan's Labyrinth
65. In the Bedroom
66. Monsters, Inc.
67. The Pianist
68. Batman Begins
69. 3:10 to Yuma
70. King Kong
71. In Bruges
72. No Direction Home
73. Intolerable Cruelty
74. Little Children
75. Gangs of New York
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Best Films of the Decade 45-41
45. Cast Away
Tom Hanks gives one of the best male performances of the decade as Chuck Noland, the Fed-Ex worker stranded on a Pacific island for 5 years. I'm always shocked when I see the running time of 143 minutes. It feels at least 30 minutes shorter, mostly due to Hanks's commanding performance. Composer Alan Silvestri puts in career best work and this is Robert Zemeckis's best-directed film - gimmick-free, mature, and honest.
44. The Aviator
Does what every Oscar-baiting biopic should do: it informs, entertains, and challenges. Set against the backdrop of Howard Hughes's early adult life, Martin Scorsese shows the formation of the airline system and provides the second best Congressional hearings scene ever (hard to beat Frank Pentangeli). He also dabbles in CGI for a change with 2 of the best airplane wrecks ever captured on screen. Leonardo DiCaprio, Alec Baldwin, John C. Reilly, and Alan Alda contribute terrific characterizations - especially DiCaprio who's convincing as Hughes when he's in charge, when he's crazy, and everything in between. The decidedly open-ended last scene is refreshing.
43. Mystic River
The explosive Sean Penn leads an all-star cast (Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney) and Clint Eastwood's sparse, but symbolism heavy direction perfectly suits the story of 3 childhood friends going their separate ways as adults, each responding to a tragedy differently.
42. Black Hawk Down &
The Constant Gardner
Ridley Scott's fact-based account of the brief 1993 Somalia skirmish remains the best film about modern war. Technology can only take you so far. Somehow, Scott clearly shows the logistics of the entire operation and the all-star male cast (Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, Ewen Bremner, Sam Shepard, and Tom Sizemore) put a human face on the accidental battle. It's a technical marvel from the cinematography to the sound to the editing. Favorite moment: the look on Sizemore's face when someone tells him he shouldn't go back into the battle.
The Constant Gardner is another film I initially forgot and fits in best here since both of these films take place in modern day Africa. The plight of the black man is viewed through the eyes of white people. While the characters in Black Hawk Down are fighting for their own survival, here, Rachel Weisz is fighting for the survival of the local African people. Her passive green-thumbed husband (Ralph Fiennes) is forced to action, nicely leading to all kinds of reconciliations and revelations.
41. Munich
When it's good, it's superb. When it's bad, it's unintentionally funny. Trying to be a more positive person (No, really!), I choose to focus on the cinematography, dialogue, action, philosophical discussions, and acting. Let's just forget about the gooey sex scene and Spielberg's musical choices (never his strong suit) - although Daniel Craig singing "Papa was a Rolling Stone" is pretty great.
46. The Wrestler
47. Gosford Park
48. Kill Bill
49. You Can Count On Me
50. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
51. 21 Grams
52. Ratatouille & WALL-E
53. Road to Perdition
54. Billy Elliot
55. The Royal Tenenbaums
56. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
57. Downfall
58. Hot Fuzz
59. The New World
60. Knocked Up
61. Inland Empire
62. United 93
63. Babel
64. Pan's Labyrinth
65. In the Bedroom
66. Monsters, Inc.
67. The Pianist
68. Batman Begins
69. 3:10 to Yuma
70. King Kong
71. In Bruges
72. No Direction Home
73. Intolerable Cruelty
74. Little Children
75. Gangs of New York
Holiday Movie Releases - 12/4/09
Up in the Air
George Clooney is a frequent flying businessman who specializes in downsizing companies all over the country. A newcomer (Anna Kendrick) tries to end his existence by introducing video conferencing. Vera Farmiga also stars as Clooney's love interest. Getting some seriously great reviews and Oscar Buzz. It just won the National Board of Review's Best Picture award today. In limited release.
Armored
A group of armored security guards heist their own company, but things go awry when an unexpected witness turns up. Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, and Laurence Fishburne star. Directed by Nimrod Antal (Vacancy - one of the worst films of the past few years).
Everybody's Fine
Robert De Niro tries to improve his relationship with his children (Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell). Looks like a huge bore and we are well over a decade from when De Niro was relevant.
Brothers
Tobey Maguire gets captured while soldiering in Afghanistan and is presumed dead. When he returns, his brother (Jake Gyllenhaal) has moved in on his wife (Natalie Portman) setting up some family squabbles. Great cast and a great director - Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father, In America).
Serious Moonlight
Timothy Hutton is cheating on his wife (Meg Ryan) with Kristen Bell. When Ryan finds out, she ties him up and forces him to work on their relationship. Justin Long is a local gardner who complicates things. Cheryl Hines directs. Could be good enough with this talented cast.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The Fantastic Mr. Fox B+
In Theatres, Rated PG, 87 minutes
Wes Anderson’s foray into stop-motion animation pays off with his most enjoyable film since Rushmore. Many of Anderson’s trademark items, the 70’s-retro clothing, the onscreen text to label chapters and scenes, the daddy issues and his dynamite cast of players are all here, but for the first time since Owen Wilson left his writing team, his focus on minutiae seems quirky and fun, not myopic. This dispels the notion held by many (myself included) that the style was the problem. Not so. It just so happens that style is served up best in the animated realm where it can be counter-balanced by silliness and where less realism is expected.
Let’s start with the cast. Brilliant. George Clooney is perfect as Mr. Fox—a natural thief domesticated by his love for Mrs. Fox who's now languishing as a columnist for a local animal newspaper. He’s looking for one last score. Meryl Streep continues her crusade to win me over in this understated role as Fox’s spouse. She’s sweet, tough, smart, and a bit sexy, all while playing second fiddle to Clooney. The rest of the team is largely Anderson regulars. Jason Schwartzman is great as Fox’s nerdy, undersized, and unathletic son who’s been supplanted from the final heist for all those reasons by his yoga-practicing, super-athletic cousin played by Anderson’s brother, Eric. Bill Murray is also here along with Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Roman Coppola, and Wes himself.
The plot is straightforward. Fox is looking for some excitement and feels alienated from his true fox self. He’s born to steal livestock, but he’s now a hack writer no one reads. He decides to hit the local trifecta of farmer, chicken farmer, and distiller. When the farmers realize who’s stealing from them, they set out to destroy him, endangering not just the Fox family, but all the wildlife in the area.
The film itself starts at a gallup and doesn’t slow with the fun or the mayham until (predictably) the end of the second act and beginning of the third, where all of Anderson’s films bog down for me. Still, the down time was only ten minutes or so in this one. The look of the stop-motion is refreshing after the blitz of Pixar-perfect images in most of the recent animated work. What’s more, some of the scenes, such as one shot with a backdrop of falling water, are gorgeous. The score is excellent, with many of the characters having a theme song, a la Peter and the Wolf. The songs themselves, and in some ways the feel of the film, owe a significant debt to Disney’s classic animated Robin Hood. Overall, a great time at the movies. B+
*Note to parents: Unlike Wild Things, this one is a kids movie, with most the kids watching it when I was there enjoying it. The only real concern is the language. Instead of saying cuss words, the animals just say "cuss", but some of what they say you'll recognize as being pretty dirty.
Best Films of the Decade 50-46
50. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Shane Black really needs to write more since he's at the top of the game if you need a pulpy plot with hilarious dialogue and great anecdotes. Val Kilmer and Robert Downey, Jr. sink their teeth into the wordplay as only 2 old pros can. And Michelle Monaghan takes her star-making role and runs with it.
49. You Can Count On Me
A grown-up film that embraces discussions about faith, with one of the most honest representations of a priest on film (played by writer-director Kenneth Lonergan himself). It's also about all kinds of love - lust, unconditional, God's. And enough really can't be said about Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney and their breakthrough performances as siblings with a traumatic past. I just love the last scene with them on the bench and the way writer Lonergan alludes to the film's title.
48. Kill Bill
Uma Thurman has never been better, easily carrying over 3 hours of screen time on her back. She's amazing in the physical stuff, but equally adept during the second half as her motherly instincts take over. Not everything works, but Tarantino's energy and love of filmmaking is obvious in every scene. The first (Eastern) half is endlessly exciting, but my favorite sequence in the second (Western) half as Uma tries to get out of that grave. It works better if you fast forward through David Carradine's lengthy and lispy speeches.
47. Gosford Park
It looks stuffy and cold with 3 dozen people (mostly Brits) in full period costume, but the Oscar-winning script from Julian Fellowes (no relation to Brian) carves out a surprisingly number of specific characters with minimal screen minutes. Robert Altman made some bad films and a few overrated ones, but he is in complete control of the medium here. This is most evident by the lengthy sequence where Jeremy Northam plays the piano and the dozens of characters go about their business. They give each other glances, make quick snide comments, and reveal different sides of their characters. The sequence then has a terrific, plot-changing climax. It's an amazing juggling act by Altman. Throw in some themes about the class system, family relations, fidelity, and the silly nature of fame and celebrity and you have a great film - maybe Altman's best.
46. The Wrestler
Comeback of the decade Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei dig deep in every scene for every ounce of emotion. But what lands this one so high is Darren Aronofsky's direction. All the Christianity symbolism gives the film much more depth it first appears. And the camera treats Randy the Ram just like his fans do. All the visual references to childhood strengthen the aging themes. Finally, Randy and Cassady are 2 sides of the same coin - she's tired of using and abusing her body; he can't seem to quit.
51. 21 Grams
52. Ratatouille & WALL-E
53. Road to Perdition
54. Billy Elliot
55. The Royal Tenenbaums
56. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
57. Downfall
58. Hot Fuzz
59. The New World
60. Knocked Up
61. Inland Empire
62. United 93
63. Babel
64. Pan's Labyrinth
65. In the Bedroom
66. Monsters, Inc.
67. The Pianist
68. Batman Begins
69. 3:10 to Yuma
70. King Kong
71. In Bruges
72. No Direction Home
73. Intolerable Cruelty
74. Little Children
75. Gangs of New York
Song of the Day- Ohio
The husband and wife band Over The Rhine doesn't get half the love it deserves, partially because no one knows how to package them. I was reminded of this song when Paste put this album in their top 50 of the decade. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-c7ir1K_1Q And here is the rest of it.
Continue reading this postBest Films of the Decade 55-51
55. The Royal Tenenbaums
The first 30-45 minutes are perfect: quirky and funny with vivid colors and exquisitely designed sets. The opening sequence is perhaps the best of the decade. The second half of the film loses its narrative drive as the characters get bogged down in their neuroses and the audience realizes how unsympathetic and unrealistic the people they've been watching are. Still, it deserves to be on the list, if only for the "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard" sequence.
54. Billy Elliot
It wouldn't have made the list last year, but a 2nd viewing proved that Stephen Daldry did, in fact, deserve his Best Director nomination (for this film anyway) with excellent blocking and camera placement. It's very touching and honestly acted. And current personal experience makes this one hit awfully close to home.
53. Road to Perdition
Tom Hanks went against type which is respectable but a little distracting. Not surprisingly, his best moments are the fatherly ones with him quietly talking to his son. The late, great Paul Newman is perfectly cast as his surrogate father. The cinematography by Conrad Hall is unforgettable and Depression-era Chicago is recreated beautifully. This is my favorite Sam Mendes film. Favorite sequence: The "I'm glad it's you." scene - you know the one. Spoiler link.
52. Ratatouille and WALL-E
The message in Ratatouille is simple and appropriate for all ages: Live your life without limits and never let anything get in the way of your dreams. This enchanting tale reaches the sublime toward the end when a hardened food critic is transported back to his childhood. The kitchen scenes are brilliantly orchestrated by the best animated director ever - Brad Bird.
WALL-E was somehow forgotten during the original formation of the list and seems easiest to fit in here (but is probably a little bit higher). While Ratatouille focuses on individual achievement and excellence, WALL-E focuses on the collective, but their are flashes of individualism when the ship's captain takes on the computer. It's outlook and landscapes are surprising bleak for a kid's film. Much of the greatness lies in director Andrew Stanton's ability to make us care about 2 robots in love.
51. 21 Grams
As grim and depressing as dramas got this past decade - dealing with the loss of children, the loss of health, and the loss of religion. It's gritty and rough and a thoroughly wrenching experience to sit through. But that doesn't mean it isn't great. Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Benicio del Toro bring their beat-up characters to life. Melissa Leo didn't get her name very big on the poster, but she matches del Toro every step of the way.
56. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
57. Downfall
58. Hot Fuzz
59. The New World
60. Knocked Up
61. Inland Empire
62. United 93
63. Babel
64. Pan's Labyrinth
65. In the Bedroom
66. Monsters, Inc.
67. The Pianist
68. Batman Begins
69. 3:10 to Yuma
70. King Kong
71. In Bruges
72. No Direction Home
73. Intolerable Cruelty
74. Little Children
75. Gangs of New York
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