Adventureland & Duplicity

It's my current quest to catch up on all the notable (read: at least somewhat critically admired) movies of the first half of the year, now that many are out on DVD. Here are my quick thoughts on a couple of them.

Adventureland (2009)

The movie stars Jesse Eisenberg (who plays a sort of older, less pretentious version of his The Squid and the Whale character) as a Ivy League-grad who ends up working at an amusement park the summer after he graduates. He of course falls in love with a beautiful girl (Kristen Bell of, yes, Twilight, and she's good in this. The movie gets a lot of things right, including the period details. It really look and feels like 1987. I also thought the sense of early-20s ennui and searching was also well done. It's the kind of movie that's really pleasant to watch, very likable, but not necessarily one I'll go back to. I think it just lacked a certain umph for me. And I did have a little bit of a complaint about the ending. I'm kind of a stickler for endings, so a good one can probably make me overpraise a movie, and a bad one can make me knock it down a notch. The ending wasn't terrible, but it was predictable and cliched after a movie that seemed pretty natural and organic.

Grade: B

Duplicity (2009)

Those who enjoyed Michael Clayton (as I very much did) will probably also enjoy director Tony Gilroy's Duplicity. It riffs on many of the same formats and ideas, including jigsaw-puzzle construction and a cynical look at corporate culture. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen are a lot of fun as a couple with a relationship we try to figure out throughout the movie. Do they love each other? Are they scheming with or against each other? They're working for rival drug companies, who have a nastiness that intentionally recalls the Cold War. Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti are great as the presidents of their respective companies. This movie is a bit of an homage to Hitchcock, Charade, and other movies of the past where the mood and sexual tension were just as important as the plotlines. The plotlines do get a bit convoluted here, but I enjoyed trying to figure everything out. The movie doesn't have any characters with the depth of George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, or Tom Wilkinson's characters in Michael Clayton, so Duplicity doesn't end up meaning as much to the viewer in the end. I like Tony Gilroy, though. I like the way he makes movies aimed at adults, not teen boys, and he makes the audience do a little work.

Grade: B+

Gran Torino & In the Heat of the Night

Gran Torino (2008)

I found myself torn about Eastwood's 2008 melodrama. There is so much I admire about Eastwood's contemporary directing work. The willingness to deal with emotion, the restraint of his filmmaking, and the way he lets his stories unfold.

Unfortunately, I had some problems with the story and script, particularly in its attitudes towards race. While the movie is about a sort of reconciliation between Eastwood's racist old man and his Hmong immigrant neighbors, the movie kind of promotes a "good minority/bad minority" scheme. Also, is it just me or is Eastwood getting a little lazy in his growling performances? Worth a look, but definitely not up to the level of his earlier dramas Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby.

Grade: B-

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

One of the best books about movies I've ever read is Pictures at a Revolution, which uses the lens of the 1967 Best Picture race to look at a defining turning point in American film. In 1967, the police/race relations drama In the Heat of the Night beat two much better groundbreaking films, Bonnie and Clyde (one of my favorites) and The Graduate and two much worse films, the dated Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and the much-hated Doctor Doolittle.

Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger are terrific as a northern Philadelphia cop who helps a Southern cop solve a murder in a racist and sleepy Southern town. After reading Pictures at a Revolution, I have a better sense of how incendiary certain moments are, such as when Poitier slaps a racist white man (see video below). The racial tension in the movie is still palpable, the performances are great, and the cinematography by the great Haskell Wexler gives a modern look to the film. Unfortunately, the murder story is frankly pedestrian and often left me bored. An interesting film for historical reasons, but no longer a great one.

Grade: B

The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker

Yesterday I saw the much-heralded The Hurt Locker, and I was not disappointed. It's a tense, edge-of-your-seat, thought-provoking war movie.

A lot of what I liked about it are the things it didn't do, that war movies are prone to do. It didn't give a huge cast of characters, confusing the audience. Instead, it focused (mainly) on the 3-member bomb squad and their interactions. It didn't have a lot of shots of people on the home front reading letters and getting phone calls. In fact, it's not until halfway through the movie that we know anything of the backgrounds of the characters. The one extended segment in the U.S. was powerful precisely because the points weren't belabored earlier in the movie. It doesn't make cheap political points, on either side of the coin. I would argue that showing the reality of war inevitably makes a political point, but it doesn't hit the viewer over the head.

There are great performances in this movie by the two leads, Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie. The cinematography is great, and the movie is seriously suspenseful and engaging. One minor caveat I had is that I didn't really like the ending. It actually could have ended in about two different spots before the last scene and been a better movie. But that's a small criticism for a great movie. Expect to see it on many end of the year top 10 lists, and probably on Oscar's 10-deep Best Picture roster.

Grade: A-

Coraline

Coraline (2009)

While I'm a bit sad I missed Coraline in its 3-D glory on the big screen, I was definitely glad to catch it on DVD. It's directed by Henry Selick, and I'm a fan of his past work on The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach.

The best part of Coraline is definitely the visuals. The movie has meticulous animation, and I think it would take several viewings to truly appreciate all that is within each frame. The story is also delightfully creepy. When watching the movie, I was reminded of Alice in Wonderland and Pan's Labyrinth. It's about a spunky preteen who finds a passage into an alternate world (where everyone has very creepy button eyes) that quickly turns from idyllic to horrifying.

I also liked how Coraline didn't feel the need to be overly heartwarming. While I appreciate the real emotion Pixar puts into its movies, I was pleased that Coraline chose frights and visual splendor as its main goals. While I enjoyed the transitions between the real world and the alternate world, there were a few moments where I thought the pacing seemed a bit off. That's a minor quibble, though, for a movie that was a lot of fun.

Grade: A-

Wizards and Romances: Harry Potter and 500 Days of Summer

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

To preface my review, I should say that I am a Harry Potter fan, thoroughly enjoy the books, but am not, perhaps, a "super-fan". I have read all the books once, seen all the movies once, and may read the books again one day. By the time the movies come out, I have usually forgotten most aspects of the books so I am not unduly upset if something is changed or different than I imagine it. I was so-so on the first two movies (a little too kiddie and conventional for my taste), but enjoyed 3-5.

So, as the fan I am, I heartily enjoyed the new movie, perhaps the best of the series so far. The 2 1/2 hour movie mostly focuses on three things: the rise of the Death Eaters, Harry's attempts to get information from the new Defense of the Dark Arts Teacher Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), and, of course, adolescent romance involving all of the leads. The movie felt about the right length to tell the stories without getting overlong or overtruncated.

I loved the set design and cinematography of this movie. Everything is shot in blues and grays, and Hogwarts seems scarier than it ever has before. The last 20 minutes or so of the movie are truly scary, and show that Harry Potter has grown up. The adolescent romance also provides a nice antidote to the darkness. The young actors perform well, and I loved the addition of Jim Broadbent (Topsy-Turvy, Iris, Moulin Rogue). Alan Rickman and Michael Gambon also continue to be great in their key roles. The only reason that I don't grade Harry Potter higher is its limitations as a movie apart from the books. Without reading the books, I think the movies can only go so far as cinematic art. While I'm sure they are still enjoyable to follow as a film series, I think much of the emotional connection audiences bring to the films is from their devotion to the books (and, in this movie, knowledge of how the series will end).

Grade: B+

(500) Days of Summer

I was very excited to see this movie, since the buzz and reviews have been almost entirely positive. Here are my thoughts....

The good:
-First and foremost, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He is absolutely wonderful in this movie, and I nominate him as the next John Cusack. This is good since the movie is told from his point of view. He gives the audience a good entrance into the story.
-The style. The movie adds in musical numbers, foreign film parodies, animation, and split-screens. More often than not, this adds to the enjoyment of the movie.
-The format. I (mostly) liked seeing a relationship between two people distilled into certain days, and it was nice to have the counter handy on screen for the audience.

The bad:
-Summer. I'm kind of iffy on Zooey Deschanel (cute yes, a great actress I don't think so), but her character in this movie is very hard to understand. She is charming, yes, but what makes Josh obsess over her? It's a problem since the main arc of this movie is how much Josh learned from his relationship with her.
-The forced quirk factor. The Ikea shopping, the cute wisecracking sister, the greeting cards. It was all a little forced and artificial. A lot of times this quirk got in the way of real insight or emotion.

Verdict:
-I'm glad I saw the movie, I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a great future in the business, and there is definitely some talent behind the camera. On the other hand, many elements were too familiar and trite to be affecting in any way. Will I ever see this movie again? No. If I want to see a great movie about how a person grows through a relationship, I'll watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Annie Hall for the umpteenth time.

Grade: B-

Top 10 Retrospective: 2004

Runners-Up: Hotel Rwanda, The Incredibles, Super Size Me


10. Dogville: Nicole Kidman stars (wonderfully) as Grace, a woman on the run who attempts to take refuge in a small Colorado town. Provocative director Lars Von Trier creates a sadistic inversion of Our Town, and it contains many chilling scenes, including an ending that I think is probably a bit over-the-top. Nevertheless, a terrific cast and a lot to think about and debate in this movie.



9. The Aviator: Martin Scorsese's biopic of Howard Hawks has great cinematography and art direction to evoke old Hollywood. Maybe a little overlong, but it's saved by a fascinating lead character, a good performance by Leonardo Dicaprio and a great one by Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn.

8. Closer: Obviously a filmed play, but a gripping one. The central foursome is great (especially Clive Owen and Natalie Portman), in this bitter movie about love gone wrong.

7. Finding Neverland: A poignant movie about J.M. Barrie and his creation of Peter Pan. Old-fashioned in a good sense, with lots of uplift and tears.

6. Kinsey: Like The Aviator and Finding Neverland, another biopic about an interesting man, this time the groundbreaking sex researcher (played by Liam Neeson), his research, and his relationships with his wife (the great Laura Linney) and staff. Evokes the time of the 1940s and 1950s perfectly, and contains plenty of contemporary relevance.

5. Sideways: A movie about relationships, wine, and finding something that has meaning in your life. Wonderfully written and directed by Alexander Payne. After Election, About Schmidt, and Sideways, I can't think of another American director with three such strong movies in a row.



4. Million Dollar Baby: Clint Eastwood's mournful drama about boxing and relationships. For me, this movie actually improved on a second viewing. Great storytelling and a strong directorial vision keep this movie gripping until the final emotionally overwhelming moments.

3. Maria Full of Grace: A naturalistic, humanistic, and nail-biting suspenseful movie about Maria, a Colombian woman who becomes a drug mule to the United States. Catalina Sandina Moreno earned an Oscar nomination for pitch-perfect performance.

2. Before Sunset: Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy reprise their roles from the great Before Sunrise and make a movie that adds notes of maturity and regret to the original movie. If you haven't seen Before Sunrise, see that first and then see this. I guarantee you'll be itching for the next installment (2014??).

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Movie of the decade? Definitely one of my favorite movies. I've seen it multiple times and I love it more every time. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are perfect, the script is absolutely brilliant, and there isn't a scene I would cut or change. I love it.

Summing Up: Aside from my top few spots, I think this was a pretty weak year in the movies. While I enjoyed all the movies, I can point to significant flaws for every movie beyond my Top 3.

A Brief Break from the Movies....

Even though I run a movie blog, I have a dirty secret. Sometimes I like TV better than movies, and not only because it's often easier to find 45 minutes than 2 hours in a day. There are certain things it can do better. At its best, it can portray more nuanced characters and build more complex storylines than traditional films are able to do. So here are a few of my thoughts on contemporary TV.

Shows I've seen (almost) all of and loved....

The Wire: Hands down, without a doubt, my favorite TV show and I think one of the greatest works of modern media. This series started as a look at cops and criminals of Baltimore's drug trade, but it grew into so much more. A look at the crises facing modern American cities. I love all the seasons, but the peak for me was Season 4, which focused on urban schools. I could talk about this show for hours....



30 Rock: One of the only shows where I find all of the lead cast members (Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer) almost equally hilarious. My vote for the best comedy on TV right now. Guaranteed for some crack-up moments.



Arrested Development: A hilariously out-there show with another batch of excellent characters. Of course, with a show this good, not enough people watched it and it went off the air.



Six Feet Under: Ah, the crazy, messed-up Fishers. After watching this family of morticians for five seasons, I feel I know every dark secret they've hidden, and I still love them. Not the most consistent show in quality (a couple plotlines went a little overdramatic even for the Fishers), but still a wonderfully dark, funny, emotional show with truly memorable characters.



The Office: Another comedy that uses its great writing and cast to triumph. Since the quality lagged over the last season, perhaps this shouldn't be on my "loved" list, but this show is still capable of brilliance. I just hope it makes a good recovery this coming fall.

Shows I've watched some of, and my thoughts on them....

The West Wing: I don't know where I was, but I never even saw one episode of this when it was on. I'm almost done watching the first season, and I'm really enjoying it, particularly Allison Janney and Rob Lowe. Not as groundbreaking as some of the HBO series, but still a lot of fun to watch.

In Treatment: This show about a psychiatrist (Gabriel Byrne) and his patients is a quiet show that consists almost entirely of therapy sessions. Each season takes a look at four of his clients, and his own relationship with his psychiatrist (the wonderful Dianne Wiest). The watched the first season and was usually fascinated. The only plotline that didn't really suck me in was the bickering married couple. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to Season 2 when it comes out on DVD.

Friday Night Lights: I'd heard this was good, so I've been watching it on Netflix's "Watch Now." The first season was surprisingly compelling, since I have little to no interest in high school football. This show has some great young actors, though, and a superb performance by Connie Britten. I've seen two or three episodes of the second season, and I'm a little worried about where it's heading (soap opera territory?). I'll keep watching though.

Veronica Mars: Kristen Bell's high-school girl detective is a lot of fun. Witty, funny, and engaging. The first season was much better than the second, but I'm enjoying the third right now. Three seasons were it for this show.

Battlestar Galactica: The overwhelming acclaim caused me to check the first season of this show out, even though I'm not usually a fan of Sci-Fi. I liked it, but haven't quite fallen in love yet. I will probably check out the second season soon.

Big Love: HBO's plural marriage drama. The first season was good, the second season very good, and I'm looking forward to watching the third. The wives are the best part of the show. All three actresses are great at their roles.

Project Runway: The only reality show I watch, and its great. Great characters, Tim Gunn is great, and a competition that actually has to do with talent. I've seen the first 4 (?) seasons.

Weeds: I watched the first two seasons, but I have little desire to continue. I think I got bored and stopped caring about the characters....

Show I know I should see, but haven't yet....

Mad Men: Not sure why this hasn't made it to the top of my Netflix queue yet. Huge acclaim and interesting subject matter. I hope to see the first season soon.

Readers, any other shows I should check out?

Quick Notes on.....

I'll be leaving soon for a week-long vacation (and the blog will probably be quiet), but I wanted to get a few notes in on some recent viewings.

Coming up end of July/beginning of August: I hope to see and write about The Hurt Locker and (500) Days of Summer, two movies I've heard great things about, AND Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

To Die For (1995)

Gus Van Sant's dark comedy was the critical breakout for Nicole Kidman, and she is very very good. She portrays a vapid, soulless, minor-league newscaster who is willing to do anything (including sleep with and manipulate her high school student) in order to get to the top. The acting in this movie is very good. Kidman is spectacular and I also really loved a young Joaquin Phoenix as a somewhat dim-witted high school student. Fun to watch, but not particularly deep or the kind of movie that stays with you for a long time.

Grade: B

City Lights (1931)

Perhaps Charlie Chaplin's most famous movie, and rightly so. The story of a homeless man (Chaplin's famous "Little Tramp") who falls in love with a blind flower-seller. This is a silent film in the best sense of the word. It relies on physical comedy and the emotions of the actors and very little on the title cards. As you watch Chaplin fight (literally in a hilarious boxing scene) against the powerful forces in society, you are guaranteed a smile on your face. The ending of this movie is simply sublime.

Grade: A

George Washington (2000)

A completely unique film. This movie follows the young and mostly African-American residents of a depressed town in North Carolina. It begins with a series of scenes of these children talking to one another, and their dialogue is funny and poignant. A great dramatic event occurs in the movie, but the movie is not really about the event. Its about children growing up, and facing heartbreak, and the ways their characters are developed as they adjust to the realities of their life. The cinematography is stunning and is able to make beautiful images out of a mostly bleak landscape. This movie is definitely not plot-drive, and can truthfully be described as "slow." I succumbed to its lazy rhythms, and was transfixed by the young characters and their plight. I also loved how it shows the lives of characters we rarely get to see on screen. A haunting and quiet gem.

Grade: A-

Goodbye Solo and the "Neo-Neo Realism"

Goodbye Solo (2009)

Yesterday I saw the best movie I've seen in a theater so far this year- Goodbye Solo. It's by Iranian-American director Ramin Bahrani, whose movie Chop Shop made by top 10 list last year. His past two movies (Chop Shop and Man Push Cart, which I hope to see soon) concerned immigrants living in the shadows of New York City. Goodbye Solo is set in Winston-Salem, NC, where Bahrani grew up, and it tells a similarly naturalistic story. The movie is about Solo, a Senegalese cab driver who begins a relationship with William, a bitter old man who becomes one of his passengers.

Solo is married to a Mexican woman and is a good father to her daughter. He is also friends with Caucasions, African-Americans, and other African immigrants. One of the wonderful things about this movie is how multiculturalism is simply presented as it is lived, and not as a plot point or an easy way to a moral. The movie is deeply moral, I believe, but not moralistic. The viewer is never sure where the movie is going, and there are many scenes and surprise and delight. The last 10 or so minutes are absolutely riveting and beautiful. There are a few clunky plot devices and characters that could use a little fleshing out, but these flaws are overcome by the beauty and simplicity of the filmmaking. They manage to be both sad and hopeful. This movie is just leaving theaters, but should be on DVD before too long. I urge you to check it out.

Grade: A-

In reading other review of Goodbye Solo, I came across an excellent article by A.O. Scott about the "Neo-Neo Realism" in American films. The article concerns the advent of a naturalistic style of American independent filmmaking. These films are not about the quirkiness of their characters, and they are often done without a conventional scores. Examples that I have thoroughly enjoyed included Bahrani's films as well as Wendy and Lucy and Half Nelson. What is so great about many of these movies is that they portray lives of everyday Americans in a dignified way. With each of these films, I felt that I was seeing people who really existed, and people I had never really seen in films before. I'm thrilled at this new trend in American cinema, and I certainly hope it continues.

Top 10 Retrospective: 2005

Runners-Up: Pride and Prejudice, Murderball, The Squid and the Whale

10. Good Night, and Good Luck: George Clooney's stylized, smart, entertaining movie about red-baiting in the 1950s.

9. Match Point: Woody Allen goes abroad (to England), drops the comedy (mostly), and provides a taut, engrossing thriller. This was his best in a decade, and is even fun for people who don't usually like Woody.

8. Nine Lives: Probably the least-seen movie on my list. This film is a loosely interwoven series of vignettes about women and their lives. The great cast includes Robin Wright Penn (in the best section), Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, and Sissy Spacek.

7. A History of Violence: David Cronenberg's violent, gripping, sometimes strange film. It looks at how much we can leave our past actions behind, and how much they remain. Great performances from Viggo Mortenson, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and William Hurt.



6. Brokeback Mountain: Perhaps slightly overrated but still a landmark film beautifully directed by Ang Lee and containing Heath Ledger's shattering lead performance.

5. The Constant Gardener: A moral drama, a thriller, and engrossing the whole way through. Frenando Meirelles (City of God) is a great director and he gets great performances from Ralph Fiennes and Oscar-winning Rachel Weisz.

4. Crash: Unfairly maligned by some critics (especially after its Best Picture win), I think this is a marvelously put together, dramatized (in a good way) movie that sheds significant light on modern race relations.

3. Cache: In this movie, someone is stalking a French couple's residence. Why? This French movie from director Michael Haneke takes its time answering, and its answers are surprising, political, and troubling.

2. Capote: Biopics are not my favorite type of movie, but if they could all be like Capote they might be. Instead of showing us Truman Capote's life, this movie details the research and writing of In Cold Blood, the novel about a murder in rural Kansas. Philip Seymour Hoffman is astounding and the movie creates a nuanced, troubling picture of this great writer.

1. Junebug: If someone asked me what type of movies I liked, I might just say "movies like Junebug." Junebug got some attention (and an Oscar nomination) for Amy Adams' terrific performance, but it deserved even more acclaim. It's about a young, urban Chicago couple who go to visit the husband's family in rural North Carolina. A beautiful, funny, and deeply moving film about family. If you haven't seen it, see it. Now.



Oscar Best Pictures Nominees: Crash (winner), Brokeback Mountain, Good Night and Good Luck, Capote, Munich.

Sum-up: A solid year in filmmaking, although not one of the very best of recent years. A varied top 10-list, with an unusually large number of movies that are in some sense "thrillers" (Cache, The Constant Gardener, A History of Violence, Match Point).

2008 Catch-Up: Frost/Nixon, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Tell No One

Even though we're halfway through 2009, I took the Independence Day weekend to make it through a few notable movies from the past year, two Best Picture nominees and a foreign film that had a large degree of success and good reviews in the States. So without further ado, my much overdo thoughts on......

Frost/Nixon

Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon consists of the story of somewhat "lightweight" interviewer David Frost (Michael Sheen) securing, preparing for, and conducting a television interview with the disgraced ex-President (Frank Langella). A lot worked about this film. It moved quickly and did a good job of portraying the two leads. Frost is a man in a bit over his head who finally finds a way to step up to the plate. Nixon was an undeniably smart man who is also extremely self-delusional. Watching their match-up does provide some nice sparks.

Despite the strengths of the film, I kind of left the film thinking I should have felt more. The Queen, a somewhat similar story also starring Michael Sheen and penned by the same screenwriter (Peter Morgan) went deeper into the dynamics of power and tradition than this film does. Frost/Nixon feels fun, and like it wants to be important, but I'm not really sure that it is that important. Michael Sheen does a very nice job as Frost. I'm a little torn on Langella's performance. He does disappear into his character, but at times I felt it was more of a stunt than a true performance. Overall, it's an entertaining film but not a great one, and certainly didn't deserve it's Best Picture nomination.

Grade: B

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a movie of tremendous technical skill, a fascinating premise, and some great scenes. As you probably know, it tells the story of a man who ages backwards (Brad Pitt) and his love for a woman named Daisy (Cate Blanchett). There are definitely some great sequences in the film. I liked Benjamin's early days, where he was taken care of by Queenie (Taraji P. Henson). I also liked his friendship/love affair with a British matron (Tilda Swinton). The ending of the movie was also engaging. It's also put together beautifully by David Fincher in a way that guides you through the many periods of the 20th-century.

From my intro, you were probably waiting for a "but," and here it is. It's not that emotionally engaging. Part of that has to do with Brad Pitt. While moviegoers enjoyed watching him turn beautiful, he never really dug into the character to the extent where I was truly cared about him as a person. The idea of the story is beautiful and sad, but I never quite connected it to the actual human emotions of the characters. It's also flat-out too long. If you're going to make a 2 hour and 40 minute movie, you need to provide more of an emotional hook for the audience.

Despite my qualms, I do recommend the film. The technical skill is something to marvel at, and I've known people who were quite moved by it. It just didn't quite hit me where it could have.

Grade: B

Tell No One

This French thriller was a very enjoyable movie. It concerns a man whose wife is (apparently) abducted and murdered. Eight years later, he gets video and emails saying she is alive. What is happening? How could she have been identified at the morgue and yet still alive?

The movie follows these plot points (and complicates things much further) as it goes along. It's definitely not a lazy movie. It causes the viewer to think and piece things together as they watch it. If the plot twists are implausible (and they are), it's forgivable because the movie is put together in a sparse and non-sensational way. It could be a model for many American films on how to show suspense without talking down to your audience. A fun movie.

Grade: B+

Classics from Abroad: La Dolce Vita & The Earrings of Madame de....

Classic Foreign Films

While I consider myself a cinema aficionado, I realize I have some holes in my resume. I try to keep up with new films, and I've seen a lot of classic American films, but my viewing of world cinema is lacking a bit. I've recently come upon a great website called They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?, which compiles critics lists to list the top 1,000 films of all time and the top 250 films of the 21st century. In looking at the all-time list, I realize that I have a lot of catching up to do on foreign films. So I hope to plug some of those holes this summer. I start with two classics I was glad to catch up with.....

La Dolce Vita (1960)

Federico Fellini's groundbreaking and provocative movie follows Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni) as he travels around a rapidly changing Rome. This episodic film (broken into more or less seven parts) shows the ways that the traditions of the past are being thrown aside for modern hedonism. The movie is lots of fun to watch, but also has an air of emptiness and sadness. It's a long movie, and I must say that I found some episodes more engaging than others. In almost every segment, however, there is a moment of transcendence where Fellini causes the viewer to think about life and culture and how everything is changing. I don't think this is quite as good as 8 1/2 (regularly cited as a 10-best of all time), but it's definitely worth a look.

Grade: A-

The Earrings of Madame de..... (1953)


I had read about this movie and wondered what led to its acclaim, as it plot sounds rather ordinary. It's basically about a spoiled General's wife in France who falls in love with an Italian diplomat, and the usual fallout ensues.

Once I started watching the movie, however, I was absolutely enthralled. Max Ophuls is considered the master of the tracking shot, shots that follow characters for extended time and throughout several locales. Several modern acclaimed tracking shots have been in Goodfellas, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Children of Men, and Atonement. Almost every shot in this movie is a work of art. The cinematography carries the viewer through the story and lends an air of gracefulness and emotion to every single frame.

The actors in this movie are also remarkable, especially Danielle Darrieux in the title role. She inhabits the soul of a woman falling in love so well that, by the end of the movie, you are so fully entrenched in her struggle that your heart breaks with her. A great film and I hope to see some more movies by Ophuls soon.

Grade: A

Big Oscar News

Whoa.....

Today the Academy announced that they would be expanding the list of Best Picture nominees to 10 each year instead of 5.

There were actually quite a few changes in the Academy's early years. In the Academy's first year (1928), there were only 3 nominees. Then 5 for a few years. Then 10 until 1943. Then 5 from 1943 until now.

So this is obviously a ploy to get more commercially successful films nominated and create more interest in the Academy (The Dark Knight snub from last year).

Here, for example, is the line-up from last year

2008

Nominated:
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Milk
The Reader
Frost/Nixon

My guess for the next 5:
The Dark Knight
Wall-E
Doubt
Revolutionary Road
The Wrestler

Hmmm, it would have been a much more diverse list.

And my guesses for 2007

Nominees:
No Country for Old Men
Juno
There Will Be Blood
Atonement
Michael Clayton

My guess for the next 5 (This year was a bit harder, with 2 clear runner-ups and some rather blind guesses).
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Into the Wild
Sweeny Todd-??
American Gangster-??
Ratatouille-??

This year was a bit harder, with 2 clear runner-ups and then some guesses.

Anyway, big news and it will make Oscar predicting quite interesting for 2009.

Top 10 Retrospective: 2006

Runners-Up: Inside Man, Volver, United 93, Children of Men, Jesus Camp,

10. A Prairie Home Companion: Robert Altman's swansong, and a fitting one at that. Beautiful performances and a poignant view of love and loss. Garrison Keillor and Altman prove a winning combination. Bonus points for some great musical numbers.



9. Half Nelson: Ryan Gosling and young Shareeka Epps give remarkable performances as a drug-addicted teacher and the young student who befriends him. What I loved about this movie is how nuanced it's view of the characters are. Gosling may be a drug addict, but he is also a committed teacher.



8. The Queen: A movie about Queen Elizabeth may sound boring, but Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen (as Tony Blair) and director Stephen Frears make it funny, intelligent, and thoughtful. A fascinating look at an intersection of two types of power, and of modern politics with tradition.

7. Borat: If you can stomach the satire, it's absolutely hilarious. I can't remember another movie since this where I laughed (or squirmed) this much.

6. Babel: A multinational cast and crew brings a story of global connections. While not every story is equally great (I found the storyline in Japan interesting but somewhat tangential), the entire movie radiates passion and emotion in its storytelling. There may be times when it goes over the top, but it's affecting and powerful nonetheless.

5. Little Miss Sunshine: The key to a great comedy is great characters, and Little Miss Sunshine delivers. Pushes the quirkiness and zaniness to the max without verging into annoyance.

4. Pan's Labyrinth: Director Guillermo del Toro mixes childhood fantasy with violent political conflict and delivers something quite unique. Blurs the line between fantasy and reality until we're not really sure what to think.



3. Little Children: Probably the most overlooked movie of the year, Oscar nominations for Kate Winslet (Actress) and Jackie Earle Haley (Supporting Actor) aside. A much more humane, less condescending film of suburban alienation than American Beauty. Director Todd Field followed up his masterful In the Bedroom with another movie of quiet power.



2. The Departed: Scorsese's energetic, violent, funny, thoughtful, suspenseful double cat-and-mouse thriller. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, and Vera Farmiga all turn in great performances. With all this great acting, a great script, and Scorsese back in top form, I can even forgive Jack Nicholson's hammy moments.

1. The Lives of Others: A deeply moving German drama about making moral choices in a totalitarian environment. Suspenseful and always engaging, a great film.


Sum-up:While it provided a wide variety of entertainments, 2006 was certainly not the best of recent years. I thoroughly recommend every movie on this list, but most of them lean more towards the "very good" rather than the "great."

Pete Seeger: The Power of Song

Pete Seeger: The Power of Song

So, based on this documentary and everything else I know about him, I think Pete Seeger is one of the most wonderful people alive and a true American treasure. The movie lovingly follows Seeger's life from childhood to singing with Woody Guthrie, to his time with The Weavers, to his blacklisting, to his revival, to his environmental activism. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about the style or content of the movie, but it gives a great sense of Pete, his life, and his passion and activism. It's an inspirational story of a man who never let commerce get in the way of his belief and passion.

Grade: B+

Here's a nice version of Pete doing "Guantanamera":

Top 10 Retrospective: 2007

While I have come somewhat recently to movie blogging, that doesn't mean I don't have an extensive collection of movie related lists and documents that I've kept over the years. So, I thought I would periodically look back at some recent years in cinema to give a taste of my favorite films......

Best of 2007

Runners-Up: Michael Clayton, Knocked Up, Eastern Promises
Most Overrated Movie: Juno. I really really don't like this movie, and I am still dumbfounded as to how much acclaim it got.

10. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Beautifully shot and crafted movie of a man in a coma who writes a book using only his eye. Somehow manages to be inspiring rather than depressing.



9. I'm Not There: If not for the one step too avant-garde Richard Gere sequences, this would probably place higher. A meditation on the many facets of Bob Dylan. Cate Blanchett is terrific of course, but Heath Ledger also gives a great performance. Not for all tastes, but I found it fascinating.

8. Lars and the Real Girl: I was surprised at how much I liked this movie. The premise sounds a touch too indie, but the filmmakers make a poignant story about human goodness from the material. Between this performance and Half Nelson, I believe Ryan Gosling can do no wrong.



7. There Will Be Blood: Strange, terrifying, at times confusing, and always fascinating. P.T. Anderson is a great filmmaker and he creates a strange set of characters and landscapes that tie to our own culture. Daniel Day Lewis gives one of the best performances in modern film. The only reason it's not in the top 2 or 3 of my list is because of the misjudged final minutes.

6. Ratatouille: Absolutely charming Pixar film about a rat who can cook. Rat Remy and food critic Anton Ego are two great characters in this film. Probably even more enjoyed by grown-ups then kids.

5. Atonement: One of my favorite books, and the movie didn't disappoint me. Director Joe Wright makes the material fast-paced and creates an emotional pull that lasts through the movie.

4. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days: Absolutely riveting Romanian film about a young woman helping her friend secure an illegal abortion in the Communist-era Romania. At every moment, you feel like you are in the room with these characters. A thriller, a political movie, and a movie that raises important moral questions.



3. Once: A small gem of a film and the perfect modern musical. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova play musicians who connect for a few days.

2. No Country for Old Men: A masterpiece of acting, pacing, cinematography, writing, and everything else under the sun. One of the most intense thrillers I've seen, and gives you a lot to ponder. Easily one of the Coen's best.

1. Into the Wild: Sean Penn directed this true story of the cross-country journey of Christopher McCandless (played by Emile Hirsch), a young college graduate who throws conventional life aside and connects with others on his way to Alaska. A road movie with heart, soul, and conviction.



Sum-Up: I think 2007 was a great year for film, one of the best in a long time. What I really loved is how so many of the year's films really worked to package compelling ideas in very specific directorial visions.

Up Review & Best of Pixar

Up (2009)

In today's cinematic marketplace, is there any better bet than having a good time at a Pixar movie? I don't really think so, and Up is no exception.

The first 15 minutes or so of Up are some of the greatest Pixar moments put to film, rivaled, I think, only by the opening vision of Wall-E. It starts with a delightful opening in the 1930s where Carl meets Ellie. They are two children with a love of adventure and we see them meet cute in an abandoned house full of adventure. It then moves on to a wordless montage that shows their subsequent life together in a beautiful and heartbreaking way. It is truly masterful filmmaking.

After the opening, we are left with Carl Frederickson as a proverbial grumpy old man (nicely voiced by Ed Asner). The rest of the movie, as you probably know, centers on his trip to Paradise Falls with a young boy scout. When they get to Paradise Falls, they are joined by an exotic bird and a talking dog....

I found the movie slowed a bit during their initial moments in Paradise Falls. After the masterpiece of the film's opening moments, it seemed inevitable that things would become a bit more mundane. Indeed, there are moments when Up reverts to standard (if enjoyable) action movie theatrics. By the end, though, we thoroughly care about the characters and are left with at least two more tear-jerking scenes.

Up has been getting some rave reviews, and it is definitely enjoyable with some truly great moments. To me, it doesn't reach the heights of Ratatouille or Wall-E, but few movies do. It's still better than 90% of movies out there, and I continue to commend Pixar for dreaming big and blessing filmgoers with such unique visions.


Grade: B+

Top 5 Pixar Films

The release of Up has led many bloggers to an appraisal of Pixar's canon, so I thought I'd join the group. The only one of the 10 I haven't seen is Cars, and I don't have a desire to. It's been a while since I've seen some of these, but here is my ranking as of now.

Runners-Up:

Good, but I didn't love them: A Bug's Life, The Incredibles
Very good but didn't quite crack the top 5: Finding Nemo, Up

5. Monsters, Inc.: Most underrated? It came out the same year as Shrek, but is so much better. Great premise and great characters.

4. Toy Story: Launched the Pixar empire with an inventive script, great characters, hilarious humor, and honest sentiment. A landmark.

3. Ratatouille: Arguably the most "conventional" Pixar film, but perfectly done. The scene where food critic Anton Ego tastes Remy's dish is one of the best Pixar moments ever.



2. Toy Story 2: Even better than 1. The addition of Jessie also added a much-needed female presence too often missing from Pixar. I can't wait for Toy Story 3 next year.



1. WALL-E: Destined to become an all-time classic. This funny, cerebral, dark film shows how far Pixar pulled animated film.

How about you? What did you think of Up? What's your favorite Pixar?

It's Here- Supporting Actress Smackdown 1992

To regular followers of the blog, you'll notice my plethora of 1992 viewings over the past several weeks. Now, head on over to Stinkylulu's site and check out how other movie fans and I graded the performances....

Judy Davis, Husbands and Wives
Joan Plowright, Enchanted April
Vanessa Redgrave, Howards End
Miranda Richardson, Damage
Marisa Tomei, My Cousin Vinny


I'm very glad to participate in this Smackdown, as 1992 was an awakening year for me in my taste for movies and the Oscars. The 1992 ceremonies (held in 1993) were the first Oscars I can remember watching. As a 12-year-old at the time, I had seen few movies aside from Aladdin that were nominated, but I loved the spirit of competition present in the ceremony. By the next year, I was already watching religiously and had persuaded my parents to let me see the R-rated Schindler's List before the ceremony. A lifetime love (and obsession) began.

Now to the Supporting Actress race. It was definitely a shock when Marisa Tomei won, and there were even rumors of an error in reading her name. What do I think happen? Well, I think Joan Plowright and Vanessa Redgrave appealed to much of the same constituency and split the voters. Miranda Richardson, I think, was never really in the hunt because her movie was probably off-putting to many viewers. So we come to Judy Davis and Marisa Tomei. Judy Davis was terrific, respected, and should have won, BUT she was in a Woody Allen movie in the year of the Soon-Yi scandal. Perhaps the voters weren't quite ready to reward a performance in an Allen film, no matter the level of performance. So they were left with Tomei. A young, breakfout star. Check. A funny and scene-stealing performance. Check. Looks good while accepting the Oscar. Check. A strange choice at the time, but now that we have seen her performances in In the Bedroom, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, and The Wrestler, it seems the Academy has vindicated itself. As you'll see at the smackdown, it's not my choice but its certainly not a bad one.

Review Round-Up

Here are some quick thoughts on movies I've seen in the past couple weeks....

The Garden (2009)

This documentary follows a 14-acre community garden in South Central L.A. It was created after the L.A. riots, and was lovingly tended mostly by the Latino community. When the man who sold the land to the city wants it back, a backroom deal occurs which sells him back the land at a ridiculously low price. The movie pits the grassroots farmers and their defenders (who come to include numerous Hollywood celebs) against the shady financial dealings of urban politics. The struggle is moving, and it's a consistently interesting documentary. One flaw (which may not be the filmmakers' fault), is that we never really see or understand the man who got the garden in the first place. The movie also glosses over some of the internal politics of running the garden.

Grade: B

Wendy and Lucy (2008)

Filmmaker Kelly Reichardt, who made Old Joy (2006), returns with another minimalist tale of a drifter in the Pacific Northwest. Wendy and Lucy stars Michelle Williams as Wendy, a woman who has left Indiana and is traveling to Alaska with her dog Lucy. We don't get much back story on why she has traveling, but there is definitely the sense that there is more at stake than simply work. Much of the movie concerns Wendy's struggle to find Lucy when she is lost.

When I saw Old Joy, I appreciated the sense of disillusionment with modern America that Reichardt portrayed, but it also was so plotless that it was difficult to fully invest in the film. With Wendy and Lucy, I think Reichardt has really hit her stride as a filmmaker while making her point just as powerfully. The movie definitely won't appeal to those who bore of contemplative movies, but there is a sense of dramatic momentum and character development that I found riveting. Michelle Williams does a superb job in the title role, and all the supporting actors and actresses in small roles portray a true naturalism. The movie also ends with one of the most beautiful scenes I've seen in a long time. This movie was truly a miniature gem, and I can't wait to see what Reichardt will do in the future.

Grade: A-

Howards End (1992)

The last (and best) of my 1992 Supporting Actress screenings. The best movie of the Merchant-Ivory team (A Room With a View, The Remains of the Day). An absolutely superb cast (Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter) plays out E.M. Forster's drama of class conflict in early 20th-century England. The movies follows the intersections of the three families: the upper-class Wilcoxes, the artistic middle-class Schlegels, and the lower-class Basts. Forster's point, I think, is to show the ways that people of disparate ways are or aren't able to connect with one another. Some characters (such as Vanessa Redgrave's Mrs. Wilcox and Emma Thompson's Margaret Schelgel), have a natural sensibility to connection, while others, such as Anthony Hopkins' Henry Wilcox, are unable to see beyond their own circumstances. This movie is pitch-perfect and beautiful in its depiction of a world gone by, and also consistently dramatically compelling. A great film.

The great Vanessa Redgrave was nominated for Supporting Actress in the film. She opens the film in a great wordless title sequence, and appears in several more scenes during the first 45 minutes of the movie. She does a wonderful job at portraying an ethereal woman of great kindness and quiet passion. While she is gone for much of the movie, her presence lives on and continues to play an important role.

Grade: A

More Supporting Actress Screenings: My Cousin Vinny and Enchanted April

In preparation for StinkyLulu's upcoming blogathon http://www.stinkylulu.com/2009/05/supporting-actress-sundays-for-may09.html#links, I watched two more of the nominated movies. If you'd like a view of the nominations, here is a montage put together by Alex from Alex in Movieland, another blogathan participant:



Enchanted April (1992)

Pleasant movie about four very different women in WW1-era England who regain some life while sharing an Italian villa. Frothy, entertaining, and a little poignant at the end. Not incredibly deep and the character arcs are a little thin, but fun to watch.

Joan Plowright was nominated for her role as the middle-aged dowager who (re)opens herself to life and friendship while at the villa. Plowright plays her role well, but it does feel she could do this role in her sleep. On another note, one of the leading roles is played by Miranda Richardson. After being somewhat disappointed by her work in Damage, I was very impressed by her portrayal here.

Grade: B

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

This movie has the mark of many late-1980s/early-1990s comedies: lazy directing, by the book cinematography, and a predictable plot. It follows Joe Pesci as a novice lawyer who goes down to Alabama to help out a cousin wrongly accused of a crime. Marisa Tomei joins him as his working-class, very New York girlfriend. The movie is fairly entertaining and the final courtroom scenes are quite funny.

At the time Tomei won the Oscar, many were appalled. Looking back, though, Tomei really does give a great performance. Perhaps her later performances in In the Bedroom and The Wrestler are influencing me, but I see the same fierce intelligence and empathy in this same role. While it is a broadly written role, Tomei rarely overplays it.

Grade: C+