(A Belated) Top 10 of 2009 January 31, 2010

This is about four weeks belated, but, as they say, “Oh well.”

And with a new year starting, an old one comes to a close. Some films from 2009 have settled in my mind over the last few weeks (or months) as great, and other have faded. That is truly the test of a film’s strength. So here is the Top 10 of 2009.

1. The Informant!

Steven Soderbergh has been very prolific lately, and despite the shallow ‘The Girlfriend Experience’ released earlier this year, he also directed ‘The Informant!’. This film manages to deal so well with deception, family issues, mental health issues, and even moral dilemmas — all in the most creative of ways. Credit is also obviously due to the great screenplay (by Scott Z. Burns), the book (by Kurt Eichenwald), and an excellent performance by Matt Damon.

2. An Education

This is a cute, touching film about a girl who discovers a bit about life and a lot about herself through her relationship with an older man. It is wonderfully made, but the film belongs to Carey Mulligan. Read more writing by me on the film here.

3. Avatar

This is the most entertaining film of the year. Yes, the script has problems, but those are more than compensated for. The visuals are unlike anything seen before (in 3D — I will admit the visuals may disappoint in traditional 2D) and, despite some writing flaws, we do still care about Pandora, the Na’vi, and the characters. And now that it’s the highest grossing movie ever, James Cameron has much to celebrate.

4. A Serious Man

A sad, humorous film about a normal man who has more than his share of troubles. The Coen Brothers pose some interesting questions about ethics, faith, and logical reasoning in their newest success. Read more writing by me on the film here

5. Coraline

When I started this list about 2 months ago ‘Coraline’ was the film to beat. This says two things: First, that 2009 was a relatively weak year for films (which is true), and second, that animated films outside of the Disney/Pixar realm have come a long way. Coraline is a cute, bratty girl who learns a thing or two, but the way she learns it is unique and visually stunning. And at times, very cringe-inducing.

6. The Hangover

Now this is a funny movie. There are no tricks or gimmicks. It was funny in theaters, and funny again on DVD. I’ve always liked Todd Phillips’ work (even critically panned ones, like ‘Old School’ or ‘Road Trip’), but here he hits a high point. There is not a full moment to be had.

7. The Hurt Locker

This is a gripping film, a great thriller, and should not be categorized as a “war” film because this is hardly about the war. This is not the perfect film many critics lead us to believe it is (the characters only have a three-point arc and some scenes are nothing more than anecdotal), but it is carefully crafted and very entertaining. Read more writing by me on the film here.

8. Fantastic Mr. Fox

It seems I’m spamming this post with “entertaining” and “creative”, but I promise that they are justified. Wes Anderson and frequent collaborator Noah Baumbach have made a fun film that can be enjoyed equally by children and adults. It was a great year for animated films.

9. The Cove

This is a documentary that doubles as a thriller and, in the end, a horror film. The second act of the film has problems with pacing, but that may just be because my brain is used to traditional films and I’ve only seen a few dozen documentaries. While maybe only the 9th best film, it is the most important and everyone should see it.

10. Inglourious Basterds

I am including this film simply for Tarantino’s effort. It was bold, but I don’t think the film is the masterpiece so many are pegging it as.

And there you have it. 2009 was a year of a few greats, many goods, and a plethora of awful movies. Bring in 2010.

Great Film Clips: Adaptation. January 29, 2010

Oh, Adaptation., how I love and loathe thee.

This is a great movie. As a whole it is good, and as a study it is outstanding. But there are flaws I cannot overlook on my third or fourth viewing.

However, one of those flaws is definitely not the story seminar. Charlie Kaufman’s brother Donald recommends that he attend a story seminar. At this point Charlie has written some great material, including ‘Being John Malkovich’, but he is stuck, so he goes. The seminar is led by Bob McKee, played by the great Brian Cox (who is consistently underrated as a great actor).

Now, as with all of the great film clips I post, the scene will be much more effective if you have seen the whole movie. But let me tell my fellow artists, ‘Adaptation.’ is about writing, and not only this clip, but the whole film, can be a lesson. Notice how when McKee says, “God help you if you use voice-over in your work, my friends. God hep you. That’s flaccid, sloppy writing. Any idiot can write voice-over in narration to explain the thought of a character,” the voice-over in the movie itself (Adaptation.) stops completely. It is totally self-aware, and for that reason, it is both smarter than 90% of the films ever made and worth a watch by every person who enjoys quality cinema.

And how about when Brian Cox tells off Nic Cage in one of the best condescending monologues of all time?

Many people have seen Charlie Kaufman’s work. ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ is a popular favorite. That is a good film. But to really get an experience, one should either watch ‘Being John Malkovich’ or ‘Adaptation.’. Both are completely excellent and both should be considered required viewing.

The Road (a review with spoilers) January 24, 2010

In ‘The Road‘, there are scenes of horror, scenes of hope, scenes of awe, but it still lacks that extra emotional tug that the book provides. John Hillcoat and Joe Penhall do get a gold star for their effort to film a Cormac McCarthy novel, though.

One could call this a horror film. It is set in a destroyed America, which in itself is horrific, but when the Man and Boy find a house and are looking for food, it could be a scene from any of the great horror films. They are starving and we have heard of the cannibals. In the house the Man finds a locked cellar, and “It is locked for a reason,” he says. It must be something important. And so he explores and they find prisoners that are starving, pale, and almost zombies. These prisoners are the food being kept for the cannibals.

So when they find another locked hole later the Boy is naturally scared, but this time it is a fallout shelter with large quantities of canned foods. The scenes in the shelter are some of the film’s best.

The determination of the Man to ensure his son’s survival is touching. Early in the film a soldier (for lack of a better term) taking a piss in the woods, away from his group, sees the Man and the Boy hiding. The Man tells him to leave, and the soldier pulls a knife and holds it to the Boy’s throat. There is no negotiation and no hesitation as the Man shoots the soldier in the head with one of his two bullets, which are the only two things left to protect them in the world.

The Boy, for all of his ignorance, has a heart and “carries the fire”. But the Man has logic, reason, and survival so high on his list. The only thing that may rank higher is the occasional look of happiness on his son’s face.

There are more great moments and visions, like the firing of a flare gun or the sight of boats and a city skyline, both completely destroyed. For these great scenes, but for a lack of touch at the end, the film will get: 3/4 Stars

In Hindsight… January 20, 2010

In hindsight, I like ‘A Serious Man‘ a lot more than when I first finished the film. It is a funny and great thing how movies by Joel and Ethan Coen do that.

The film itself is so good because it puts a logical, everyday man, like so many of us (or maybe woman) into everyday situations where we too would make the same choices as Larry Gopnik. He often responds rationally and logically to the ridiculousness of the outside world, and the world tells him that he is wrong. No one can say that they have not felt the same before.

And that final scene, oh, wow. What a powerhouse, maybe the final two scenes, one where Larry gets a phone call and the final one with his son. Between the visuals of the oncoming phenomena and the soundtrack, is there a more haunting scene this (last [2009]) year?

Great Film Clips: Playing Cards in ‘The Sting’ January 18, 2010

I just finished watching ‘The Verdict’, a good film, and I was reminded of one of Paul Newman’s best performances: Henry Gondorff in ‘The Sting‘.

This is a great movie, and while the final payoff is everything the film promises, a scene I keep coming back to is when Newman and Redford take on Doyle Lonnegan, luring him in to their trap. The tension is so high here, and yes, we know that the film has a ways to go, but we see Newman fumble with the deck, as well as set up by Lonnegan to be cleaned out. The joy of this scene is how even we, the audience, are caught by surprise at the end, just like Lonnegan. We don’t know how Henry Gondorff does it, but we cheer for him all the way.

(I could not find the scene in its entirety online, but between these two clips you will can re-live most of the experience. Obviously there are some spoilers, but nothing that would ruin the movie. I wish we saw more of the setup in these clips.)

And click this link to watch the meat and potatoes, which is not able to be embedded. Trust me, it’s worth the watch.

Waiting on 4 Stars January 12, 2010

2009 has closed and I have seen most of the films that I want to see, and almost all of the films I need to see. Being in South Korea has delayed this process a bit, but it has occurred nevertheless.

One thing that I have noticed is that I am still waiting for at least one amazing release for 2009. I don’t think it is too much to ask for just one. Sure, there have been plenty of good films, but they have all lacked that little extra zzingh to make them great. It also doesn’t help that we had a phenomenal and a good year before (2007 had The Savages, Zodiac, No Country for Old Men, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, There Will Be Blood–2008 had WALL-E, Revolutionary Road, Slumdog Millionaire, and In Bruges. All of these are great films).

At least from the list of serious award contenders, let me give a short round-up:

The Hurt Locker: 3.5/4 – Great, but lacking an emotional core.
Avatar: 3.5/4 – Superb entertainment, but a bit too predictable.
Invictus: 3/4 – Means well, but seriously? Yawn.
Up in the Air: 3.5/4 – Good, and Anna Kendrick deserves praise, but lacking the aforementioned zzingh.
Precious: 2/4 – Don’t get me started. This uses every gimmick in the book, is painful to watch, and ends up exactly how you expect.
A Serious Man: 3.5/4 – Love the Coens. This is good, but not their best. They will never best Fargo.
Fantastic Mr. Fox: 3.5/4 – Entertaining. A good flick. Nothing spectacular.
An Education: 3.5/4 – Carey Mulligan deserves every award there is, but the film doesn’t deliver on all the levels it promises.
The Cove: 3.5/4 – Great, and more than anything, important, but a bit lackluster in the middle.
Inglourious Basterds: 3.5/4 – It would be nice if the Basterds were actually in this disorganized movie.
District 9: 3.5/4 – Yet again: Good, but with a predictable outcome and message. I want something unexpected!
500 Days of Summer: 3/4 – Give me a break. Starts good, has some good scenes, but ultimately corny.
Up: 3/4 – Has its moments but hardly up to Pixar quality. Barely places above ‘Cars’.
Star Trek: 3/4 – How is this a serious awards contender? Popcorn flick.
The Hangover: 3.5/4 – Great comedy, but still has a few problems.
Julie & Julia: 3/4 – Meryl is good, but not a good movie at all.
Coraline: 3.5/4 – Very enjoyable.

I realize my comment became more bitter as I got to writing. Oh well.

With all of this said, if I had to pick the best films of the bunch, it would be ‘An Education’, ‘The Hurt Locker’, and ‘Avatar’. I can support any of those three for the win. But is it asking too much to be wowed? I should think not.

Carey Mulligan in ‘An Education’ January 10, 2010

Oscar season is quickly approaching. Having seen almost all of the nominees, I can now speak on some favorites to be nominated or to win. I will make official predictions once the list of nominees is revealed, but for now, Best Actress belongs to Carey Mulligan in ‘An Education’.

She gives a great performance in a good film (3.5/4 Stars). What is so special about her performance is that she has a sweet naivety when she is with David (Peter Sarsgaard), but among her peers something very interesting goes on: She is much more well-read and cultured than any of them, but they are still more mature in their life decisions. Jenny (Mulligan’s character) thinks she has it figured out, how to beat the system of work and boredom, but can a 16 year-old girl really have it all figured out? There are always angles to be missed. As we age we see pitfalls more clearly and can sidestep them in time, but for Jenny, she thinks she can just cruise along. Really, she’s floating, and has to fall eventually.

As I try to be vague and avoid spoilers, instead, check out a great FYC poster and the trailer after the cut.

Trilogy of the Decade January 6, 2010

Listing top films of the decade is a requirement for all serious critics, and I will do a slight variation soon. But I feel there is also a top trilogy of the 2000s. To qualify, all three films must have been released between 2000 and 2009. With those criteria only two trilogies really stand a chance, and I’m going to pick the one you probably don’t expect.

The Jason Bourne Trilogy is the trilogy of the decade. Individually they are all three great films, but, unlike most trilogies, the story gets better as it goes along. Tony Gilroy and Paul Greengrass, as well as a couple others, have adapted Robert Ludlum’s novels into not only a great action trilogy, but an emotional journey for Bourne himself.

A Quick Note on ‘Avatar’ January 6, 2010

Having finally seen ‘Avatar‘, the cinematic experience of 2009 (whether you like to admit it or not), I have a few quick quips.

Firstly, the world is astoundingly creative. Pandora is a joy to explore, and it must be explored in 3D. Seeing this film in traditional 2D is like watching ‘The Wizard of Oz’ not in black and white, but with a blindfold.

Secondly, yes, the plot is nothing new. It could almost be called cookie-cutter. But it is a well-done version of the traditional story, and as I said above, is worth seeing for the experience alone.

3.5/4 Stars

Great Movie Scenes of the Decade January 2, 2010

Year-end lists are tough, so naturally decade-end lists are tougher. Instead of a list of my top films for the decade, I’ve compiled notes on 50 51 of my favorite movie scenes from 2000-2009. Please keep in mind a few things:

A) Most of these movies have many great scenes. I simply picked ones that are either my personal favorite or ones I feel encompass the film as a whole in the best way a mere one scene can.
B) I mean the scene in which these events take place, not just the small moment I write about. The leading up to (through foreshadowing), right before, and right after are to be considered as well.
C) These are not my top 50 films of the decade. Do not take this list as such. If I made such a list, I’m sure somewhere between 50-80% of the list would be the same, but that’s a topic for some other time.
D) These are in no particular order, other than the first, which may very well be my favorite.

If you have seen these films, I hope you will enjoy remembering these moments as much as I do. If you have not, I urge you to take the time to do so. There is much to be felt.

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Graysmith looking Arthur Leigh Allen in the eye at the end of ‘Zodiac’

When Jack gives “directions” to some tourists to the “Louvre” in ‘2 Days in Paris’

Battle of Carthage recreation in the Coliseum in ‘Gladiator’

Jake Sully flying through the Floating Mountains on Pandora in ‘Avatar’

Cady meeting the Plastics in ‘Mean Girls’

Climax of ‘Oldboy’ in Woo-jin’s penthouse

The gathering of the crew in ‘Ocean’s 11’

WALL-E playing in space with EVE using the fire extinguisher in ‘WALL-E’