The Descendants and The Muppets

The Descendants

There are few modern directors who I admire and enjoy as much as Alexander Payne. Before The Descendants, he only made 4 movies, but they add to quite a considerable achievement. After warming up with the very funny satire Citizen Ruth (1996), Payne perfected his comic timing in Election (1999), one of the best movies of one of the best years in modern cinema. He then added more humanity and heartbreak in About Schmidt (2002), and created another winner with the almost-great comedy-drama Sideways (2004).

After a 7 year hiatus, he's back with The Descendants, which is picking up great reviews and a lot of Oscar buzz. I'm sorry to say that it is, while definitely worth seeing, my least favorite of his films.

I came away from The Descendants thinking it was very enjoyable but also feeling let down that it was not more terrific. It's a comedy-drama (definitely leaning more towards the drama) about Matt King (George Clooney), a wealthy lawyer in Hawaii whose wife is in a coma. He then finds out she had been having an affair and, accompanied by his two daughters, vows to find this man.

There are so many great things about The Descendants that I'm still trying to figure out why I didn't like it more. As he did with Omaha in his first 3 movies, and with Santa Barbara in Sideways, Payne does a great job of providing an authentic setting with the Hawaii of this movie. It's beautiful, yes, but also a little odd and rough around the edges. It feels like a place where people really live. The cast is also uniformly excellent. Clooney is as good as ever, and the supporting performances are strong. Shailene Woodley is believeable and prickly as Clooney's troubled teenage daughter. My personal favorite was Judy Greer, who shows a lot of depth and emotion in just a couple key scenes.

So why didn't I like it more? To me, it seemed to be milking the sentiment a little too heavily, and I didn't feel like we quite got inside the characters enough to become fully invested. It's not giving too much away to say that Matt's wife is in a coma throughout the movie. What was she like? How did she act? We get clues, but don't really know. And yet she is a key part of most of the emotional scenes. I also felt like the subplot, about selling a piece of land in Hawaii, didn't quite connect enough to the main story or have enough emotional heft on its own.

All of this is not to say skip the movie. By all means see it. Alexander Payne is a talented director and there are many things to like about this movie. It just didn't meet by admittedly sky-high expectations.

Grade: B-

The Muppets

If there's a movie from the past few years where I smiled more, I don't know what it is. My wife, friend, and I saw this movie at 7:30 on a Friday night. The theater was probably about about 80% folks in their 20s and 30s. Are we a tad nostalgic?

The Muppets completely plays on the nostalgia of its older audience members. The concept of the movie is that the Muppets are now washed up (except for Ms. Piggy, now a Vogue editor), and have to come back together to save their old theater. Yes, the old "let's put on a show" plot, which the movie acknowledges with a gigantic wink.

The human friends of this movie are Jason Segal and Amy Adams. They are so wide-eyed, wholesome, fun, and game, that they fit right in with the Muppets. There is also an endearing new Muppet, Walter, who is the brother to Jason Segal's character.

It's hard to remember all the parts that made me smile and laugh, but they were plentiful. The movie struck just the right tone between sentiment, corny humor, and modern in-jokes. If you love the classic Muppet movies, you will definitely need to see this. It perhaps has a few too many plot points that don't get tied up as well as they should, but that's a small quibble for such an enjoyable movie.

Grade: B+

Midnight in Paris and An Appraisal of Woody Allen

Midnight in Paris

I'm a pretty huge Woody Allen fan. Few moments in movies give me such a sense of pleasure as that basic white on black title sequence, usually paired with a lovely bit of classic American music. Yes, Woody repeats himself quite a bit, but when he's good, he's such a perceptive chronicler of relationships and human failings and when he's not THAT good, I still enjoy the signature rhythms and humor.

Which brings me to Midnight in Paris, his new film which opened this year's Cannes film festival. The main star of Midnight in Paris is certainly the city of Paris, or at least an idealized dream version of it shared by any appreciator of artists. This movie is a love letter to that city. Owen Wilson plays Gil (or really, you know, Woody), a neurotic writer who is engaged to marry a spoiled woman (Rachel McAdams) with horrible conservative parents. Through a magical occurrence, Gil is transported back to the Paris of the 20s, where he interacts with the Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Dali, and many others.

Midnight in Paris is a very charming film, if not quite in the top tier of Allen films. The sections set in the past are wonderful. The actors did a great job of portraying historical characters- I especially liked Corey Stoll as Hemingway, Alison Pil as Zelda Fitzgerald, and Adrien Brody as Dali. The modern day scenes were fun, but also a little too familiar. McAdams' character is so obviously wrong for Gil, the movie loses some tension it could have had. This movie does have an incredibly charming ending. It's predictable, yes, but in that way that makes it the best way the movie could have ended. I also think Owen Wilson might be the best surrogate Allen character we've seen in a long time. With the London of Match Point, Vicky Christina Barcelona, and now Midnight in Paris, I think Woody has found a lot of magic in Europe.

Grade: B+

Trailer #1

Midnight in Paris

— MOVIECLIPS.com

Ranking Woody's Films

By my count, I've seen 26 Woody Allen films, some several times and some only once and long ago. Here's my personal rankings (with thoughts on the top 10), with the caveat that it's been awhile since I've seen some of them.

1. Annie Hall (1977). Simply one of my favorite movies ever. I don't think there's a better or funnier movie about love found and lost. Just about every scene is classic.

2. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985). A heartfelt love letter to the movies. I love the elements of fantasy and sadness that Allen brings.

3. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989). The best of "serious" Woody, although there are funny parts too. Bleak and powerful.

4. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). Another film that is just about perfect. So many engaging characters and so much to say about relationships.

5. Husbands and Wives (1992). The movie released after the Woody scandal. It's definitely interesting viewing (especially Woody's character's almost affair with a college student), and also bitterly funny and biting. Judy Davis gives an amazing performance.

6. Sleeper (1973). My favorite of the early pure comedies. A futuristic satire that's fall on the floor funny.

7. Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008). While Penelope Cruz (justly) got a lot of attention for her fiery role, I also feel this movie was a tad underrated. Breezy, sexy, and funny.

8. Another Woman (1988). Quite serious and very good. It's about a woman eavesdropping on a psychiatrist's sessions, and it's riveting.

9. Match Point (2005). This murder story, almost free of comedy, is reminiscent of Hitchcock and a total departure for Woody.

10. Manhattan (1979). Many people's favorite Allen movie, but I've never loved it quite as much. Still, a love letter to Allen's city with gorgeous cinematography and great performances,even if Mariel Hemingway's 17-year-old love interest induces a little queasiness with Allen's later history.

And the rest.....

11. Bullets Over Broadway (1994)

12. Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)

13. Midnight in Paris (2010)

14. Love and Death (1975)

15. Small Time Crooks (2000)

16. Everyone Says I Love You (1996)

17. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (1972)

18. Bananas (1971)

19. Sweet and Lowdown (1999)

20. Interiors (1978)

21. Radio Days (1987)

22. Broadway Danny Rose (1984)

23. Mighty Aphrodite (1995)

24. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2009)

25. Deconstructing Harry (1997)

26. September (1987)

Another Year, Rabbit Hole, and Catfish.

My goal before the Oscars (coming up February 27th!) is to see all the movies nominated in the "Big 8" (Picture, Directing, Acting, and Screenplay categories). I have now seen Rabbit Hole (Actress award) and Another Year (Original Screenplay), and have tickets to see Biutiful (Actor) at a foreign film nominee fest. Then it will be done!

Also, if I have any readers who have seen all 10 Best Picture nominees (or will by the weekend of the Oscars), I cordially invite you to join me for a co-blog ranking the films and leaving a few brief thoughts. I already have about 5 participants, and the more the merrier. The form will look something like last year's, but with more voices. If you're interested, leave me a comment!

Another Year (2010)

Another Year starts with a cameo by the great Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake, Dolores Umbridge in the fifth Harry Potter). She plays a woman in consultation with a doctor and social worker who is just completely, totally sad. She rates her life as 1 in happiness and can't locate any happy moments in her life. We never return to her character in the movie, but her presence haunts the film and lays out the issues we will explore. What is happiness? What makes some humans so happy and others so miserable? How is life so unfair? In the hands of the brilliant director Mike Leigh, the audience knows we'll be in for a memorable array of characters to help us consider these issues.

Another Year focuses on a charming and happily married late-middle-aged couple, Tom and Gerri, played lovingly by Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen. They talk, cook, work in their garden "allotment," and spend time with their well-adjusted adult son. The drama (and comedy) in their movie comes from the train wrecks of human beings who surround them: Ken, an obese friend who drinks and smokes too much; Ronnie, Tom's taciturn brother who undergoes a tragedy; and, most memorably, Mary, Gerri's insecure, pathetic, yet somehow compelling co-worker. Lesley Manville is absolutely astonishing in this role. I think the movie's Oscar campaign made a major snafu in campaigning her in the crowded Best Actress race. She could easily be classified as supporting, and I think she would have made it in the Supporting Actress category.

Another Year is a kind of companion piece to Leigh's wonderful Happy-Go-Lucky (2008), which starred Sally Hawkins as Poppy, an irrepressibly happy young woman who cheerfully makes it through all life throws at her. Another Year moves Leigh's concerns from young adulthood to later life, and adds a lot more melancholy. It starts slowly and casually and moves towards deeper and sadder issues. I especially loved the final chapter (Winter) that pushes the audience to confront buried emotions. If I have a minor quibble with the movie, it's only in the dichotomy of its characters. They have some truly happy characters, some truly miserable ones, and very little in between. I think characters who changed more during the course of the film would have given even more food for though.

Another Year is the kind of movie I love, one that focuses on characters over plot and gives the audience time to truly commit to its characters.

Grade: A-

Rabbit Hole (2010)

For a movie about a dead child, Rabbit Hole is admirably restrained, keeping histrionics to a minimum. What it does have is a quartet of lovely performances. Aaron Eckhart and Oscar-nominated Nicole Kidman are equally good at portraying a couple (Becca and Howie) clashing over how to deal with the death of their young son. Howie prefers to fixate, remember, and talk about a future family. Becca prefers to dig in to tasks and not discuss things with her husband. Kidman is especially brave in her performance, not being afraid to present a cold character to the audience. The always-great Dianne Weist is also affecting in her relatively few scenes as Becca's working-class mother who also lost a son. Miles Teller is wonderful in his role as the driver of the car that killed the child. He and Becca end up starting a sort of friendship, and this was probably my favorite part of the movie.

Rabbit Hole is a movie that I liked and appreciated without really loving. I loved the performances and I definitely was moved at many scenes in the film, but I felt like the directing and cinematography were a little by-the-book. For movies about loss, I prefer the kind-of hushed realism director Todd Field brought to In the Bedroom (2001) and Little Children (2006). It' s definitely worth seeing for the performances alone, though, and for its unorthodox portrayal of grief and healing.

Grade: B

Catfish (2010)

I'm going to be a bit coy in my review of Catfish, since the surprise and suspense is the best part of this movie. Catfish is a documentary about a New York photographer who becomes friends online with an 8-year-old artist and her family. That's all I'll say about the plot. Trust me that it's strange, engrossing, and interesting the whole way through. Definitely see it, and don't read about it before you do.

There have been some concerns about the veracity of the filmmaking, and I do share some of these concerns myself. Were scenes staged? Were the characters revealing all they knew, or playing up the suspense? I think these are legitimate concerns when looking back at the film, and they do keep me from calling it a "great" documentary.

See it, though. It makes an excellent companion piece to The Social Network in its look at how social networking has changed our world.

Grade: B+

True Grit, Animal Kingdom, and Musical Notes

True Grit

In my (achieved) goal to see all the Best Picture nominees by nomination morning, I caught True Grit last Sunday. I'll start off by saying that I am a huge Coen Brothers fan. They are modern directors with a true vision and a distinctive style. They pick a theme and they go with it and put their own twist on it, whether it be film noir (The Man Who Wasn't There), revisionist Western (No Country for Old Men) or personal purging of their past (A Serious Man). With True Grit they've done something quite different-they've made what I think is easily their most "straight" film, a Western in the traditional sense of the word. In my mind, this has both its advantages and disadvantages. Many scenes have a kind of classic power in that you almost feel like you're watching an image that is already iconic. The stakeout on the roof, Mattie in the cave, Rooster carrying Mattie, and several other moments feel very "classic." On the other hand, this fidelity to the Charles Portis novel and the Western genre leaves a little less room for the Coens' spark. I enjoyed the movie the whole way through, but only at times did I feel the familiar Coen brothers touch.

The three lead performances are all quite strong. As we know from Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges played falling down drunk and washed up quite well. If his performance as Rooster Cogburn seems a little less revelatory than last year's, I still can't think of another actor I'd rather see in the role. Matt Damon brings an enjoyable deadpan humor to his role as the Texas Ranger LaBouef. And Hailee Steinfeld really has the lead role (despite what Oscar said giving her a supporting nod) as Mattie Ross, the 14-year-old looking to avenge her father's killer. She has to speak in an old-fashioned cadence and carry herself with determination, and she pulls it off very well and plays very well against her co-stars. The one performance I didn't really like was Josh Brolin as the villain Tom Chaney. He felt like caricature with very little depth, and this made him seem too weak in his scenes with the more fully developed characters.

True Grit has a very good beginning, taking its time to set up the characters of Mattie and Rooster. The middle of the movie is also very entertaining, but again felt reminiscent of many westerns before it. What makes the movie memorable is a truly spectacular last 15 minutes or so, including a poignant epilogue which moves into the characters' future. The Coen brothers are, as usual, served with wonderful cinematography by the great Roger Deakins. Perhaps my favorite part of the movie is the poignant and evocative score by Carter Burwell, which digs into classic American hymns. It's too bad it was disqualified for the Oscars, but take a listen below.

Overall, I applaud the Coens for creating a beautiful film that has great fidelity to both its source material and film history. If it doesn't quite place in the rank of my favorite Coen Brothers films (that would be Fargo, No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man, Raising Arizona, and The Big Lebowski), it's still a great addition to their filmography.

Grade: B+

Animal Kingdom

Seen by probably 1% of the folks who saw True Grit, this is a small and gritty crime film from Australia which has mostly been covered for its great Supporting performance by Jacki Weaver, who managed to snag a Best Supporting Actress nomination.

Animal Kingdom follows a 17-year-old (James Frecheville) whose mother dies. He then goes to live with his uncles, a notorious and wanted group of criminals, and his grandmother. The most interesting part of the movie is the family interplay, specifically with the mother of the criminals, who watches over her boys like a viper over her brood. Weaver gives a great, surprising, and nuanced performance as the mother. I also loved Ben Mendelsohn as the most vicious of the brothers. I thought James Frecheville was a bit too passive in the lead role, but there's a lot of interesting things going on around him. The movie started off a little slowly, but it had a great final third with many surprising twists and turns.

If you like crime movies, I'd definitely recommend seeking Animal Kingdom out.

Grade: B

Musical Notes

When going over my favorite surprises yesterday, I didn't mention the Best Score category. Take a listen to these 5 scores. Aren't they so enjoyable? I'm an especially big fan of The King's Speech and The Social Network. I'm really pulling for a Social Network win. How cool would it be for Trent Reznor to win an Oscar?

Blue Valentine & Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Blue Valentine

You know a movie is great when it sticks with you, haunts you, when you can't get the characters out of your head. Ever since seeing Blue Valentine on Sunday, I've been thinking about the incredibly sad story of Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) a whole lot. I can't remember the last time a movie was so heartbreakingly real and true without ever once going over the top. It's sad, yes, but the kind of sad you feel glad to have witnessed. Something about the relationship of these two characters strikes you as unflinchingly honest and beautiful, even in their worst moments.

The movie is split between the present day, when Dean and Cindy are going through a period of crisis in their relationship, and about 6 years earlier, when Dean and Cindy were beginning their relationship. When I had read about the movie, I imagined that the earlier scenes would be all sweetness and light and the later scenes incredibly sad. It doesn't play out that way at all. Just as many sad event happen in the earlier scenes, but the difference is the relationship between the two characters. The early scenes are infused with a sense of connection and care and the later scenes show the fissure that has occurred.

I can't say enough about the two central performances. With this performance following his spectacular turns in Half Nelson (2006) and Lars and the Real Girl (2007), I think I can confidently name Ryan Gosling my favorite modern actor. He is so charismatic, natural, and unique in his performance as the more outgoing and aggressive one in the relationship. He feels entirely like a complete person, and not at all like a character type. Michelle Williams plays a quieter character, and in some ways her challenge may be even greater. She has such an uninhibited naturalism in this role, she also makes her role deep and affecting. There is one crucial scene in the movie that is absolutely gripping, thanks in large part to her performance. If there's any justice in this year's Oscar race, both actors will be nominated for their roles.

Blue Valentine has gotten a lot of press for it's initial NC-17 rating, later changed to an R. I'm frankly confused at the initial rating. Sure, there's some sex and a bit of nudity, but nothing more than many other mainstream R movies. I think the ratings board couldn't handle the emotional truth of the movie. If you want to see highlights of emotionally truthful acting, you should see it as soon as possible.

Grade: A

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

If there's a relationship movie that's the opposite of Blue Valentine, Scott Pilgrim might be it. I happened to see them a day apart, which made for an interesting contrast. Director Edgar Wright pulls out every video game, comic book styling he can throw in to the movie to show the story of a young band member (Michael Cera playing.....wait for it.... the EXACT SAME character he always plays, although I guess he's good at it) who has to fight the "Seven Evil Exes" in order to win the love of his crush.

I was with this movie for about the first 45 minutes or so. There's a great supporting cast you'll recognize from lots of movies, and the stylishness of the movie is fun to watch. After a while, though, I really wanted to feed the movie some Ritalin. The fights get a bit redundant, and I can't say I ever felt any emotional connection to the characters. If you're a comic book/video game enthusiast, you may appreciate this movie more than me.

Grade: C+

Winter Break Catch-Up: The Figher, The King's Speech, and many more

With a two-week winter break (and a bout of sickness before that), I tend to do so much watching of movie that I have little time to blog. Preparing for my end-of-year wrap-up, I'm trying to catch up on a lot of 2010 movies. Here's some longer notes on The Fighter and The King's Speech (look for both to rack up the Oscar nominations) and some short notes on my Netflix views.

The Fighter

The Fighter is a traditional boxing movie with a twist. It is an up-by-the

bootstraps tale of a weak fighter (Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg), who, through some training and determination, makes it to a big fight. The difference, however, is how little the movie is really about the boxing. Director David O. Russell, who made Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees, uses the boxing story as a chance to take a sociological/tragic/humorous look at Ward's extended, highly dysfunctional family, especially his crack-addict brother and sometime coach Dicky, played in a remarkable performance by Christian Bale.

Micky is initially managed by his mother, played brashly by Melissa Leo. She is constantly followed by a throng (7?) of his sisters decked out in early-90s trashy outfits. Things start to change when he starts a relationship with a local bartender (Amy Adams) who encourages him to stand up to his family.

The performances are all great. Mark Wahlberg is the least colorful of the main characters, but he still manages to imbue his character with heart and sympathy. Christian Bale is simply astonishing in his crack-addict role, and I'll be very surprised is he doesn't win the Supporting Actor Oscar. I also loved Amy Adams in an atypical role for her. She's the best she's been since her revelatory role in Junebug, one of my favorite movies ever.

The Fighter is the kind of movie where I cannot find much to quibble with at all. Perhaps there were times when mom and sisters threatened to go over-the-top, but it also made the movie so much fun. Nevertheless, it doesn't quite rise to the level of greatness to me, although individual scenes do achieve that power. Perhaps the sports-movie story arc is too familiar, but as much as I enjoyed the movie, it didn't hit greatness for me. A well-made, extremely well-acted, and very entertaining movie that will do very well Oscar nomination morning.

Grade: B+

The King's Speech

While The King's Speech is a very different movie than The Fighter, I have many of the same feelings about it. A somewhat familiar genre (royalty drama), great performances, highly entertaining, well made, and yet not quite transcendent.

The best reason to see this movie is the absolutely masterful performances by Colin Firth (as King George VI) and Geoffrey Rush (as his speech therapist Lionel Logue). The movie starts a little slowly, as we see the Duke (he later becomes king) hobbled by his stutter and pitied by his royal family. As soon as the two men meet and begin their sessions, however, the sparks in the movie start to fly.

The core of the movie is really about friendship. In a world where royalty and commoners were kept apart, but where a vicious war was about to unite the country, here is an example of what friendship can achieve. A late scene in the movie of Rush standing by as Firth gives a speech is truly beautiful.

Director Tom Hooper crafts The King's Speech expertly, filming the whole movie in a sort of muddy War-era England. He wisely keeps the action on the main relationship in the movie, while giving us glimpses of the rest of the royal family.

As with The Fighter, I don't have much to criticize in this movie, but neither did it achieve greatness for me. I've heard a lot about the Best Picture race boiling down to The King's Speech vs. The Social Network. While it's certainly plausible The King's Speech could pull it off, I would have to put my money on The Social Network. You can already ink in your ballot for Best Actor, though. Colin Firth will be on stage.

Grade: B+

Other notes.....

Since I've been busy viewing, I'll try to keep my notes quick. I've been especially trying to catch up with some prominent foreign and documentary films.

Cairo Time

A very pleasant surprise. This movie is sort of a Lost in Translation set in Egypt. The principal characters are Juliette (Patricia Clarkson), an American traveling to meet her husband, and Tareq (Alexander Siddig), her husband's colleague who joins her for her journey through the city. This movie is definitely worth seeing for Clarkson's performance alone. She is that amazing. Her character arc is slow and gradual, but Clarkson is such a masterful actress you can feel each moment of change so beautifully. Candian director Ruben Nadda has made a very impressive movie. For those who want movies with a lot of plot, you probably won't like it. For those who are into atmosphere and acting, however, I definitely recommend it.

Grade: B+

Easy A

Another pleasant surprise, and it also has a great performance by Clarkson. Emma Stone is fantastic as Olive, a whip-smart teen who gets mistaken for a slut and has some fun with her classmates. She also has some really cool parents played by Clarkson and Stanley Tucci. This movie was definitely reminiscent of 80s John Hughes movies (it even acknowledges its debt with a little montage) in a good way. Of course elements are predictable, but it was really fun to watch, and I think Emma Stone is on her way to stardom.

Grade: B+

Everyone Else

If you know me as a blogger, you know I love quiet character studies. In fact, they're one of my favorite genres. Even so, this German movie tested my patience. This story of a disintegrating relationship between a young German couple was well-acted and interesting for a while, but it gradually grew tiresome. The stakes in their casual relationship didn't seem that high, so I eventually lost interest.

Grade: C

Exit Through the Gift Shop

I don't want to say too much about this movie, because the less you know about it the better. It's about the street art (or grafitti) movement and many of the folks involved. It's made by Banksy, the British graffiti superstar and focuses on another fascinating character. If you're into art, or street art, or self-delusional people, watch it. It's on Netflix's Watch Now.

Grade: A-

Mother

This Korean thriller was funny and atmospheric and I admired a lot about it. Kim Hye-Ja is excellent as the mother of a mentally challenged young man accused of murdering a young girl. Something about this movie didn't quite click with me, though. The mystery gets a little overly murky. It's the kind of movie I can see others loving, but it just wasn't quite my taste.

Grade: B-

Mother and Child

This movie from director Rodrigo Garcia (who directed the excellent movie Nine Lives and created the excellent HBO series In Treatment) is about the scars of motherhood and adoption. It's kind of one of those "we're all connected" movies (think 21 Grams, Babel, Crash), so if you like those you'll probably be intrigued. The lead actresses (Annette Bening, Naomi Watts, and Kerry Washington) are all excellent in tricky roles that have to be both sympathetic and yet a bit off-putting. Samuel L. Jackson and Shareeka Epps (who was sensational as the young teen in Half Nelson) also provide strong support. It's good, but it's filmed a bit like a TV show. If it had some more filmmaking aplomb, I think it would have been stronger. It's good, though, and worth checking out.

Grade: B

Restrepo

This documentary follows a company of soldiers as they work in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan. This documentary was extremely eye-opening for me in getting an inside view of what life in wartime is like. You get both the good (the friendship, sacrifice, and strength of the troops) and bad (masculine energy run amok, a certain callousness to deaths of Afghan civilians and soldiers). Perhaps a little longer than it needs to be, but very strong.

Grade: B+

Soul Kitchen

Turkish-German director Fatih Akin made The Edge of Heaven, one of my favorite movies of 2008. His movies usually involve the stresses and opportunities of a cross-cultural Europe. In Soul Kitchen, he turns the same theme to comedy, as his Greek protagonist tries to turn a dump of a restaurant into a great dining experience. This movie started out really strong, but I thought it focused too much on the relationships outside the restaurant and not enough on the fascinating interplay of the food, cooks, and patrons in the restaurant.

Grade: B-

Watching again.....

As I've been sharing my favorite movies of the year with others, I've had the chance to watch some of my favorites of the year again. Winter's Bone and The Kids Are All Right looked even better on a second view, so much so that I think I'll change my grades to solid As and drop the minus. Toy Story 3, which I originally gave an A, absolutely deserves it. It's absolutely terrific.

Black Swan & 127 Hours

The last two movies I've seen in the theater are both about sacrificing your physical self for various reasons, whether those reasons are for survival or artistic perfection. One is my favorite of the year and the other is also a must-see.

Black Swan

This has been my most anticipated movie of the year ever since I saw the electrifying preview, and it did not disappoint one bit. Director Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler) is one

of the most interesting and passionate director working today, and this is another remarkable addition to his resume. What is it? A ballet movie, a psychological horror film, a dark fairy tale, and a depiction of the depths of the artistic process. In my view, it succeeds brilliantly on all accounts.

I want to convey all the things I love about this movie without giving too much away, so I'll try to convey my passion without too many spoilers. I love how this movie builds from a quiet and meditative start to a deranged, passionate, violent, and out of control final third. Arono

fsky builds tension and dread so expertly in this movie, I'm astounded. Between The Wrestler and Black Swan, I think it's fair to call Aronofsky the master of looking unblinkingly at the extremes the human body can be exposed to.

All of Arronofsky's skill and passion would be for nothing if he didn't have the perfect actress at the center of this movie. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think there's a scene that doesn't contain Nina Sayers, played by Natalie Portman. Portman, who trained over a year for this role, is perfect as Nina. Her ballet skills are stunning, and she completes a remarkable character arc. I'm calling it now-I think she'll win the Oscar. My second-favorite performance is by Mila Kunis as Lily, the rival/enemy/friend (?) to Nina. She is the perfect foil throughout the film, and she had to learn ballet as well. Barbara Hershey and Vincent Cassel are also excellent in key roles.

Black Swan is getting quite a rousing critical reaction, and of course is facing some inevitable backlash. The criticisms I've heard are that it's a thin story, overly melodramatic, or too campy. What I love about it is that Arronofsky doesn't shy away from the melodrama, or the camp. He embraces it and it makes the movie that much more strange and wonderful. Perhaps you'll disagree, but it's definitely one you'll want to discuss on the way out of the theater.

Grade: A (My favorite of the year so far)

127 Hours

Speaking of body mutilation, here comes 127 Hours, by director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) and actor James Franco. I'm guessing most readers know the central dilemma and outcome of this movie, so I won't worry too much about spoilers.

For a movie about a man stuck under a rock, 127 Hours has a considerable amount of energy. I love how Boyle leads up to the central accident. In no more than a handful of minutes,

we immediately get to understand the energy, adventurous spirit and recklessness of Aron Ralston.

Once he's under the rock, it's up to James Franco to carry the movie. Much like Natalie Portman in Black Swan, this movie lives or dies with Franco's performance, and he does a terrific job.

[Spoiler Alert-if you don't know much about the movie]. One question to ask is why you would possibly want to sit in a theater and watch a man saw off his own arm. By the time I got to the scene, I was ready to watch it. I knew it was coming, I felt Ralston's desperation, and I just wanted to see it. In a way, it's a really beautiful scene. Ralston has a remarkable yearning for life, and I take my hats off to him for doing what he had to do to survive.

127 Hours was fascinating, superbly acted by Franco, and visually interesting. I wanted a little bit more about Ralston's character, though. This movie has some parallels to Into the Wild, and I felt that movie had a greater emotional depth to it. I really liked 127 Hours, but it's not a movie I'd go back to again and again.

Grade: B+

Other 2010 Movies

How to Train Your Dragon

This was a huge hit, both critically and commercially, so I guess I was expecting a bit more. I liked the dragon, mostly because he kind of acted like my cat. The main character was also charming. I just think the whole thing was a little too heavy on the action sequences and not especially original.

Grade: C+

The Girl Who Played With Fire

My favorite of the Stieg Larrson books, but I didn't like this movie as well as the first one. It just doesn't give the emotional depth to Lisbeth that is so interesting in the books. I'll still see the last movie on DVD, though.

Grade: C+

The Town and Fair Game

The Town

Is working-class, Irish Catholic South Boston one of the most ubiquitous movie locales of the past decade or so? It's not hard to see why. Tribal loyalties, drugs and violence, an ethnic enclave slowly changing, and one of the best accents in the country. Add to the already crowded Southie team Ben Affleck's second directorial effort, The Town. It's a worthy addition to the field.

The Town is a perfect example of a really well-made genre movie. Its plot is fairly simple. A group of bank robbers (led by Doug, played by Ben Affleck) rob a bank and take a hostage during the robbery (Claire, played by Rebecca Hall). In order to make sure the hostage doesn't remember them, Doug checks up on Claire and they of course start a relationship. What elevates this story is some really great performances and some truly engaging chase and robbery scenes. I'm not usually a huge fan of Affleck's, but he was very strong in this movie. I think he could have used a bit more of a harder edge, but all in all I liked him. I absolutely love Rebecca Hall in everything she's done (especially Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Please Give), and she does a very nice job adding depth to a somewhat underwritten character (think Minnie Driver in Good Will Hunting). The best performance in the movie is given by Jeremy Renner as Jem, the extremely violent and unpredictable friend to Affleck's character. Renner, who was so astonishing in The Hurt Locker, proves himself as an actor again. I wouldn't be surprised to see another Oscar nomination for him. Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite are also terrific as always in limited roles as older members of the crime community.

So how does The Town stack up compared to its Boston forbears? It doesn't have the air of epic tragedy you got from Mystic River, nor the audacious violence and energy of The Departed, so I wouldn't put it in the company of those two great movies. I do think it's a bit stronger than Affleck's previous Boston movie, Gone Baby Gone, which I also liked but didnt' seem as cohesive. Affleck is a capable director who knows how to tell a good story and shoot a great action sequence. My biggest problem with the film is probably the ending. I loved the almost-ending (to avoid spoilers, I'll just say involving Rebecca Hall on the phone), but thought the scene after that was a bit hard to believe (Rebecca Hall in her garden plot).

In a year that's looking a little weak for 10 Best Picture nominees, I even think The Town, which has been a hit, has a chance at a Best Picture nomination. It's solid entertainment, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Grade: B+

Fair Game

If you asked me my favorite performance by an actress during the past decade, I'd probably say Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive. If you asked me my favorite by an actor, Sean Penn's turns in Mystic River and Milk would certainly rank high. Give me a movie starring Watts and Penn, and I'm there.

Fair Game is the story of the Valarie Plame/Joe Wilson saga. For the first hour, the movie was terrific. It follows Plame's actions as a CIA agent, Wilson's trip to Niger to investigate uranium tubes, and how the Bush administration's thirst for war led to vicious backstabbing. The first hour of the movie is gripping, intense, and brings back the anger so many of us felt in the nation's rush to war.

The last 45 minutes of Fair Game deals more with the fallout from Plame's outing as a CIA agent, especially the effect on the couple's marriage. This material felt a little thin to me, and I don't think it lived up to the first hour. We still care about the characters, mostly because of the very strong performances.

Fair Game is the a movie that is engaging and highly watchable, but doesn't stand out as great. I don't see it playing much of a role in the Oscar race this year.

Grade: B

The Social Network.... and a few thoughts on other films

The Social Network

Give or take Inception, The Social Network is perhaps the "buzziest" movie to come out so far this year. It comes to us with ecstatic reviews, zeitgeist appeal (who's not on Facebook now?), and a truly talented director (David Fincher) and writer (Aaron Sorkin) combo.

The movie does not disappoint. From first frame to last, The Social Network is a highly engaging, suspenseful, and fascinating character study of a man (boy?) who is a bit of an enigma. It's easy to leave the movie and come out with very different feelings about Mark Zuckerberg. Villain, hero, tragic hero? The movie never really pulls it out for either side. Personally, I fall in the anti-hero side, but I'd love to hear from those who disagree.

The most accomplished part of the film is the highly literate script that moves quickly and tells us just about everything we need to know without being expository. I also loved the intense music by Trent Reznor and the performances by Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield. I've always liked Jesse Eisenberg in his earlier performances (Rodger Dodger, The Squid and the Whale, Adventureland), but goes beyond his previous performances here. He plays Zuckerberg as an obsessive, socially delayed, ambitious, and somewhat pathetic. I don't think he ever cracks a smile in the whole movie. Andrew Garfield, as Zuckerberg's partner, also gives a very good performance as the most sympathetic character in the movie. I also really enjoyed Justin Timberlake's performance as the flashy and charismatic creator of Napster.

As much as a I really really liked the film, it doesn't quite tip the scales to love for me. It was a lot of fun, and very interesting, but it's not a movie I would go back to again and again. It's being talked up a lot as an Oscar frontrunner, but I don't quite see it winning the whole thing at this point. It will certainly do well in nominations, but I don't think the older Academy will push it over for the win. It's still one of the most engaging and exciting movies of the year.

Grade: A-

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2010)

As a fan of the books, I was excited to see how the Swedes adapted Stieg Larsson's characters to the screen. What I found was a long movie that was consistently watchable but still didn't add some of the important details of the books. It was fun to watch, but I think mostly because I knew the characters from the books. Noomi Rapace gives a good performance as the title character, but she didn't quite fit my image of Lisbeth Salander. I wanted someone even edgier and stranger, and in the movie she came across as semi-normal. It was fun to watch, though, and I'm sure I'll see the next two.

Grade: B-

Babies (2010)

So this was kind of cute, but also pretty tedious after 80-some minutes. No narration, no explanation, just a film comparing four babies. I think maybe some Werner Herzog-like narration would have kept me more interested.

There were several scenes where the babies interacted with cats that I loved. I would have liked it better if it was called "Cats" and just had a few scenes of babies. What does that say about me?

Grade: C

Why Children of Men is a Masterpiece

Have you ever been blown away by a film, but only on a second viewing? This recently happened to me with Children of Men. I saw the movie a few years ago and I admired it quite a bit. When I watched it last week though, it completely overwhelmed me with its brilliance and emotional impact. Whereas before I didn't include it on my Top 10 of 2006 list, I honestly think it's now my favorite movie of that year.

Here's a few reasons why it's brilliant.....

1. The Cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki. There is not a wasted shot in this entire movie. It's often easy to make beautiful vistas look beautiful, but here Lubezki has to engage us in a movie that is ugly both emotionally and physically. There are several bravura sequences: The opening sequence, the car chase that ends in a killing, and the entrance into the immigration camp. In several of these sequences, Lubezki tells the whole story in a single shot. Check out the clip below to see what a master he is.

Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

2. Clive Owen. There are many modern actors who work at being chameleons, slipping into roles with new accents and new tricks for each role. Clive Owen strikes me as more of a classic Hollywood actor. He plays a similar archetype in the movies, a world-weary observer of those around him (Closer, Gosford Park). Within each role though, he finds new depths. I think Children of Men is perhaps his best performance, showing a man who has built up a shell and how that shell is gently cracked.

3. The Uncompromised Vision. I can't imagine that director Alfanso Cuaron wasn't pressured to make this story more palatable to Hollywood audiences. I'm glad he stuck to his guns. There are several instances where major characters disappear from the story, and these lend a shocking power to the movie. He also has the strength to throw in just enough gallows humor to keep the viewer from being entirely overwhelmed.

4. The Political/Religious Allegory. I'm not always one for allegories in movies, since they can too often just be obvious or devoid of any true meaning. Here's one who's allegory works on many levels. Politically, the world depicted in Children of Men is realistic enough that I can imagine it happening if world events take a certain turn. The immigrant-bashing, homeland security, and general hopelessness seem all to real, yet you're not hit over the head with it.

I tend to like Christian allegories even less in movies. If I watch "The Green Mile" and notice that Michael Clarke Duncan's character is a Christ figure, does that illuminate anything about either the movie or faith to me? No. In Children of Men, I truly connected with its central premise of the first "child" being born into a viscous world in need of hope. Watching the character of Kee have a child in a dingy abandoned apartment, I couldn't help but think how sanitized the Christmas story has become. Children of Movie is the rare movie that actually made me think about religious ideas in a new and complex way.

I'm so glad I took the chance to watch this movie again. Do any of my readers have similar stories? Movies you liked the first time but grew into your favorites?

It's Been Way Too Long

All right loyal blog readers, if you've been anxiously awaiting my next post, here it is. I'm a month into the school year and I'm finally finding some time to write.

You might think that I had plenty of time to blog during my summer vacation. I watched plenty of movies, however, probably an average of 5 a week throughout the summer, but I somehow never got caught up on the blogging (perhaps I just decided to watch more movies rather than blog....)

I'll blog a bit on my movies from 2010, and very quick notes on others I've seen.

2010 Views

Shutter Island

I guessed the plot twist in this movie, so that kind of made me lose interest in it. Stylistically it has a great old Hollywood feel and Leonardo was quite good, as were Mark Ruffalo and Patricia Clarkson in a very small role. Well-directed, atmospheric, yet it all felt very familiar.

Grade: C+

Prodigal Sons

This movie is about a transgender woman returning to her high school reunion in Montana. Plenty of material, right? That's actually only the start of this very engaging film. It delves into mental illness and (believe it or not) Hollywood history. Definitely worth seeking out-it's on Netflix Watch Now.

Grade: B+

I Am Love

Beautiful and a little strange. The always incredible Tilda Swinton stars as a Russian-Italian woman who finds love in the Italian countryside with her adult son's best friend. This movie tells a melodramatic story with very little dialogue and an intense dedication to the physical beauty of the scene. I really enjoyed seeing it in the theater, but I'm not as sure it's a movie that will hold up as well on the smaller screen.

Grade: B

City Island

Very charming ethnic family comedy with Andy Garcia as a put upon dad whose family has a whole lot of secrets. I didn't quite buy the subplot with the son who was into fat women, but the rest of the movie was a lot of fun to watch.

Grade: B

The Ghost Writer

Roman Polanski's latest film is about a journalist (Ewan McGregor) who is hired to ghostwrite the autobiography of a disgraced British politician (Pierce Brosnan). Pretty good through the first half, but I found the revelations and denouement of the movie a little unsatisfying.

Grade: C+

Very short thoughts on other films (grouped by grade)

A

The New World (2005)

Wow. This movie was spellbinding and absolutely gorgeous, I'm not quite sure how I missed this one. The story of John Smith and Pocahontas is told with a you-are-there feeling and with a true sense of discovery. This movie was slightly divisive in its reception, and it's probably not for all tastes, but I think it's a masterpiece.

A-

Spirited Away (2001)

I'm not usually a big fan of anime, but the rapturous critical reputation of this film led me to it. I wasn't disappointed. A sort of "Wizard of Oz" tale in a traditional Japanese bathhouse. Very beautiful, strange, and haunting.

Raising Arizona (1987)

Hadn't seen this one in a while. I actually saw it outdoors in Minneapolis with the closed captions on, and it really highlight the brilliant Coen Brothers dialogue. Hilarious.

Day for Night (1973)

One of the best movies about making movies, this Truffaut film is about a French production team making a not all that great movie. The scene where the director remembers stealing "Citizen Kane" photos from a local theater is one of my favorite scenes ever. Charming and poignant.

L'Enfant (2005)

Another gem from the Belgian Dardenne Brothers, who make movies about those living in the underbelly of modern Europe. This one's about an immature young father and the choices he makes. Very moving and expertly made.

B+

The Gleaners and I (2001)

French documentary about those who glean, be it crops, trash, or art. Very contemplative and thought-provoking. Made me think about modern life in a new way.

The Maid (2009)

Chilean film about a maid with an intense loyalty to her family, and an intense hatred of the new maids. Dark, funny, and also a bit touching. Definitely worth a look.

B

Margot at the Wedding (2007)

My least favorite of Noah Baumbach's movies (after The Squid and the Whale, Greenberg, and Kicking and Screaming), but still worth a look for the hyper-articulate dialogue and the great performances by Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh as fairly unlikable sisters.

Friends with Money (2006)

To repeat myself, my least favorite of Nicole Holofcener's movies (after Please Give and Lovely and Amazing), but still entertaining look at modern female lives. Jennifer Aniston is pretty good, and the other women (Frances McDormand, Catherine Keener, and Joan Cusack) are very good.

The Best of Youth (2006)

I'd heard really great things about this 6-hour Italian miniseries, so I have to say I was a little disappointed. It follows two brothers from the 1960s to the present day. Many of the subplots are very moving, but it moves a little too fast through time.

High Art (1998)

Director Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right) made her debut with this movie about a young woman (Radha Mitchell) who falls in love with a drug-addicted artist (Ally Sheedy). Sheedy and Patricia Clarkson (as her German lover) are phenomenal in the movie, and the movie is quite engaging, but it doesn't quite add up to a great film.

B-

Paranoid Park (2008)

Director Gus Van Sant seems to switch between relatively commercial films (Milk, Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester) and Arty with a capital A films (Elephant, Latter Days, Gerry). This is definitely one of the arty ones. About a young skateboarding teen who accidentally commits and then covers up a crime. I really liked the portrayal of teenagers who actually look and act like teens, and not like 22-year-olds, but the elegaic scenes of skateboarding got a tad long.

C

Ballast (2008)

I usually like slow, character-driven dramas, but this one was real slow and mumbly. About a family in the Mississippi delta dealing with a suicide, the movie kind of rambles along with its characters, and never truly reveals that much about them, at least to my eyes. Kind of similar to George Washington (2000), but not nearly as good.

Toy Story 3 and Inception

Toy Story 3

So on the hottest day of a very hot DC summer, I hauled my butt to an air-conditioned movie theater, put on some 3-D glasses, and treated myself to Pixar's latest triumph.

I'm a huge fan of the Toy Story films. The subject matter, toys who come to life, are just so inherently funny and poignant at the same time. Who hasn't had feelings of guilt about toys you stopped playing with? My only question was, could the Toy Story franchise mine similar themes and still produce a great movie.

Yes, yes, and yes. Toy Story 3 was absolutely terrific. When the toys get sent to a daycare center, there are all kinds of new adventures and toys to add to the fun. The movie has a lot of fun riffing on prison movies during this section. The good thing about Pixar movies, though, is they never (or rarely) let the action sequences get in the way of the emotions and the character development (a lesson they could teach to Incpetion-see review below).

And a word about the ending. I honestly cannot remember the last movie where I cried so much. The ending of this movie is just so perfect and tender and poignant and beautiful. I'm pretty sure just about everyone in the theater was crying as well, except perhaps the children. If you haven't seen Toy Story 3 yet, see it. I'm pretty sure it's my favorite of the year thus far.

Grade: A

Inception

For the past several months, as the Incpetion buzz continued to build, I've been trying to avoid reading reviews and watching previews for Inception. I knew the general concept going in, but I left most of the movie surprise me, and I'm glad I did.

Most of you have probably seen it. It's about dreams, and people who go into dreams. Most of the movie takes place in these dreams. Figuring out the layers of dreams, particularly in the last half of the movie, gets to be a whole lot of fun. While there are probably a few aspects I missed, I also wouldn't say it as overly difficult to follow. Director Christopher Nolan came up with a very fun concept for the movie, and he shoots the many many action and dream sequences with much style. The visuals are absolutely astonishing in several moments of the film. I particularly liked the street that became a box in one of the initial dreams.

The area where the movie was lacking for me was in emotion and character development. Most of the emotion has to do with Leonardo DiCaprio's character and his feelings for his wife (Marion Cotillard). These two are both very good actors, and I think Cotillard wins for best acting of the film, but we don't get into their lives very much. And the other main characters, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page? We know next to nothing about them. It seems almost a waste to put two such likable young actors in the movie and not give them more of an emotional range. I would have liked a few more moments where the film slowed down and let the characters' personalities take center stage.

This is not to say that I didn't enjoy this movie. I really really did. It was long, but I was engrossed the whole way. I also do want to see it again to luxuriate in the details that Nolan put in the script. I just don't think it lives up to his best films, Memento (one of my very favorite movies) or The Dark Knight.

Grade: B+

I'm Back!: Review Round-Up

I've taken a bit of a break from blogging since the frenetic and exciting Oscar season, but that doesn't mean I've taken a break from movies. I'll write some quick thoughts on the movies I've seen since then. A few 2009 catch-ups, a few rewarding rewatches, and a few older movies that were new to me.

2009 Catch-Ups

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Director Wes Anderson and I have been going through a sort of rocky relationship. I loved loved loved Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. Then came The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which I hated. All the sudden his cleverness and attention to artistic detail seemed to become overly fussy and overly precious. Then The Darjeeling Limited, which I didn't hate but met with a gigantic shrug. It didn't exactly bore me, but it also didn't seem to contain any genuine emotion.

This is all a leadup to Fantastic Mr. Fox, and I'm happy to say that Wes and I are on solid footing again. While it's not as good as Anderson's best, the animated form certainly suits him. The puppets are absolutely gorgeous, the voiceover talent perfect (especially Clooney in the lead), the score memorable and the story very sweet and moving without becoming too cutesy. It's light, it's fun, and I really enjoyed it. What's next, Wes?

Grade: B+

Food, Inc.

This movie (nominated for Best Documentary last year) is basically a mash-up of the books Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. I've read both books, and the movie really didn't give me any new information not included in the books. It was also interesting that the movie made the industrial organic (Earthbound Farms) into heroes, where Pollan had a much more nuanced view of them in his book.

That said, I think this movie gives a good overview of the food industry for those who may not have read the books. I would have preferred something more in-depth, but it was an easy movie to watch.

Grade: B-

A Prophet

This highly acclaimed movie was France's entry for Best Foreign Language Film last year. Tahar Rahim plays a young illiterate Arab man named Malik sent to a French prison who rises through the ranks of Corsican organized crime to become something very powerful. Almost the whole entire 2 1/2 hour movie deals with life in prison for Malik. As long as the movie is, it is riveting the whole way through. Rahim's performance is outstanding, and you are with his character the whole way through, even when his moral choices become quite questionable. Director Jacques Audiard tells his story with great care and with the occasional avant-garde flourish that gives the movie a touch of magic.

As well-crafted as this movie was, there was a small part of me that wanted just a bit more. More of Rahim's soul, more of his backstory, more to care about. Still, this is definitely a movie worth seeing.

Grade: B+

Rewatches

The Dark Knight (2008)

I actually appreciated this movie a lot more on its second viewing. Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker is even greater than I remember. Plus, director Christopher Nolan creates a world that is consistently dark and refuses to play on the sometimes irritating jokiness of past Batman movies. While I think the movie is a bit overlong, and has one climax too many, this is a superhero movie with a dark soul and a lot to think about.

Grade: A-

You Can Count on Me (2000)

I love this movie, plain and simple. The family dynamics independent film is one of my favorite genres, and this one is great. Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo, two actors I adore, turn in two of the best performances of the past decade in this movie as a brother and sister reconnecting. Ruffalo is Terry, the screw-up who crawls back to the small town he grew up in. Linney is Sammy, the put-together (but not really) single mother who cares so deeply for her son and brother that it hurts. It's a small, delicate, and delightful movie about family bonds that doesn't disappoint. If the final scenes don't put a lump in your throat, check your pulse.

Grade: A

New Views

The Daytrippers (1996)

I caught this 90s independent comedy mostly because of the cast. Parker Posey (I'll watch her in anything), Stanley Tucci, and Hope Davis. It was fun, but also a little disjointed and a little too infected by quirkiness. It's about a woman (Hope Davis) who takes along her family to go confront her husband in Manhattan when she finds a suspicious note. It also made me realize that many indie films seemed to mature into more cohesive movies in the 2000s.

Grade: C+

Let the Right One In (2008)

If you see one movie about teenage vampires, please see this instead of Twilight. This Swedish movie is about a 12-year-old boy who meets his neighbor, who just happens to be a vampire. The movie doesn't waste much time showing us how this young vampire lives. It does take a while to figure out who to root for and who to root against in the movie. The movie has just about the right amount of gore to be exciting and scary without being over-the-top. The movie plays a lot with adolescent anxieties in the movie. It also has a really terrific ending. Horror is definitely not my favorite genre, but this is one worth checking out (it's on Netflix's "Watch Now").

Grade: B

The Prestige (2006)

If you see one turn-of-the-century movie about magicians, I would recommend this one over The Illusionist, starring Edward Norton. The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan, pits Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale against one another as dueling magicians who are always trying to one-up one another with the tricks. The magic is fun to watch, the performances are good (by Jackman, Bale, and Scarlett Johannson), and it has a nice twist ending. What the movie lacks is emotional investment. You are interested in the story, but don't really care about the characters.

Grade: B-

And then there was one: The Blind Side

The Blind Side

As an avowed Sandra Bullock non-fan, and a moviegoer not drawn to inspirational sports movies, I found myself in the unlikely situation of buying a ticket to see The Blind Side in the theater. What brought me there? It's place in the Best Picture and Best Actress race. Now that I've seen The Blind Side, I've seen all 10 nominees before Sunday night's ceremony.

First, the good, and I'm a bit surprised to say it. Sandra Bullock as Leigh Ann Touhey. After seeing this movie, I'm actually not upset that Bullock got an Oscar nomination. As the tough-as-nails rich Southern mother who takes in a large African-American boy to her home, Bullock imbues the role with the right amount of sass and heart. Strutting around in her tight designer

clothes and telling everyone off, from the drug dealers in the projects to her high-society friends, Bullock makes the role funny and believable without going too over the top. That said, this performance would not make by Top 5 of the year, and I do think it's a shame that she seems to be on the road to the win over Meryl Streep, Carey Mulligan, and Gabourey Sidibe. The first half of the movie is actually a fairly good retelling of a true story as we get to know the characters. This is also a good tearjerker, and I'm not surprised it's been a big hit across the country.

Now for my qualms. First, aside from Sandra Bullock, the acting was pretty sub-par. Quinton Aaron, who plays Michael Oher, is all silence and small smiles, but there is little depth or subtext to his performance. For a movie about this boy, it almost seems we hardly get to know him. He is far better, however, than the young Jae Head, perhaps the most annoying child actor I have seen in a very long time. He plays Leigh Ann's son, and the movie tries to knock the audience over the head with his cuteness.

My biggest problem with the movie was its underlying theme. It's almost impossible to watch this film, about a large young African-American with educational difficulties, and not think of Precious. In Precious, Precious is assisted by her teacher and her education in finding her liberation, but in the end the audience has little doubt that it comes from her own soul. In The Blind Side, everything seems to be done for Michael Oher by Leigh Ann Touhey, as if he is incapable of making his own decisions. While I'll give the movie some slack since its a true story, its continuation of white savior cliches definitely rubbed me the wrong way. It doesn't help that the neighborhood Michael comes from, and the people in it, are portrayed in the most stereotypical "ghetto" images imaginable.

So what I was left with was a star vehicle for Sandra Bullock that indisputably tells a story with a lot of goodness and heart in it. The movie containing this performance and story, however, is fairly artless and plays on some dangerous stereotypes. A Best Picture nominee? Not on my ballot.

Grade: C+

Global Glimpses: A Secret in their Eyes & The White Ribbon

Living in DC, I'm fortunate enough to take in the screenings of the foreign films at the National Geographic headquarters. This is the third year I've gone, and I caught two of the movies: The Secret in their Eyes (Argentina) and The White Ribbon (Germany).

The Secret in their Eyes

This Argentinian film is about Benjamin Esposito, a man writing a novel about a brutal rape and murder case that was closed 25 years earlier. Interspersed with the main story is the unrequited love between the man and his boss, Irene. The movie explores the meaning of justice and what it means in the corrupt Argentinian system of the time.

The movie was enjoyable to watch, but I expected a bit more from it. Rather than a complex story, it was basically a police procedural with a little added social commentary. Certain moments stretch the limits of plausibility, especially an interrogation scene. While the movie ends on a strong note, it gets there much too quickly, jumping around all kinds of plot points to get there. There is another reading of the film that makes it a bit more interesting, but I think the filmmakers could have done more with the ending. The lead actors in the film were all excellent, and there is an absolutely riveting tracking shot midway through the movie showing an exciting chase. Overall, an engaging and interesting movie, but not a great one.

Grade: B

The White Ribbon

Here's the great one. The White Ribbon is a story of a German town in 1913, told in stunning black-and-white, and telling a riveting and disturbing story. While the movie was fairly long, I wasn't bored the whole way through.

The movie concerns a set of violent acts that come upon this town. As the movie goes along, we get to know many of the citizens of the small town. Some, such as the young schoolteacher and the nanny to the baron, are full of youth and goodness. Others, particularly the doctor and pastor, are full of character flaws which infect the town.

Many of the main characters in this town are the children, and I've never seen a better group of child actors. Much of the point of the movie is how the behavior and values of the adults are transferred on to the children in this town. As I said, this movie takes place in 1913 in Germany, so travel 25 years into the future and imagine what place in history these children will take..... That said, I don't think director Michael Haneke is making a simplistic morality tale. He makes you think about what children take from their surroundings and when innocence ends. In typical Haneke fashion (he made the brilliant but ambiguous Cache in 2005), The White Ribbon does not end with easy resolution. As a great director and provocateur, he forces us to draw our own conclusions about many of the events of the film. In a traditional film, you get the answer and leave it at the movie theater door. In The White Ribbon, you are guaranteed to talk about it for long afterward. I'm a bit disappointed I already published my Top 10 list, because The White Ribbon would easily make the Top 5.

Grade: A

I'm really struggling with my thoughts on what will win the Foreign Language Oscar. In the past few years, many critically-acclaimed films that are slightly offbeat (Pan's Labyrinth, Waltz with Bashir) have been pushed aside for more traditional narratives. Will they recognize the filmmaking qualities of The White Ribbon despite its unconventional narrative? The enjoyable narrative of A Secret in their Eyes despite its somewhat lightweight familiarity? Or perhaps the widely acclaimed crime drama A Prophet despite its violence? I can see them going any way this year.

Reviews: Crazy Heart, The Hangover, Humpday, Summer Hours

I've spent DC's recent "snopocalypse" catching up on some 2009 films, some better than others....

Crazy Heart (2009)

Jeff Bridges is on his way to a Best Actor for this one, and it's easy to see why. He is in almost every frame of the movie, and his performance is perfect. He's Bad Blake, a washed-up (albeit talented) country music singer who has jettisoned human connection for one-night stands and alcohol. He begins to see a different path when he meets a young music reporter (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

For anyone who saw The Wrestler, the outlines of this movie will be VERY familiar. While The Wrestler connected more viscerally with the viewer's emotions, this movie is much more pleasant to watch. Maybe I just like music a bit more than professional wrestling. While there is a good share of heartache, there are also some really sweet moments and the music is terrific. I had a bit of a plausability problem with the age difference in the central relationship, but Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal are good enough actors to make me believe.

Grade: B+

For your viewering pleasure, here's the central song from the movie:

The Hangover (2009)

After winning the Best Comedy award at the Golden Globes, I have to say that I was fairly disappointed in this movie. While it's buddy-comedy and guy-talk dialogue bring to mind the films of Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up), this movie doesn't have the sweetness of the characters in this movie. There are some really funny moments (Mike Tyson's scenes being my favorites), but also some really weak scenes (tasers, Chinese gangsters). The cast is pretty good, and great in the case of Zach Galifianikis as the dim-witted brother-in-law. His lines were almost always hilarious. I wish the movie was just written with a bit more wit.

Grade: C+

Humpday (2009)

A prime example of the new "mumblecore" astehetic, low-budget, talky indie movies that focus on personal relationships. While I was a bit down on Medicine for Melancholy, I liked this one a lot. It's about two friends who decide to go ahead and perform in an explicit art project together. While the movie sounds titillating, it's a lot more "naked" about the emotions of the characters than about their actions. The three main actors are great, and the movie is simultaneously awkward and fascinating to watch. Definitely recommended.

Grade: B+

Summer Hours (2009)

This French movie is about three adult children arguing over their mother's estate, filled with artistic treasures. Do they keep the estate for their children to enjoy, or do they sell it for the money? That's pretty much the plot of this very French film. The movie is abou

t modernization, globalization, and what families lose in the process. It starts beautifully, giving the viewer 30 minutes where we understand both the beauty of the estate and the relationships of the mother and her children. The middle of the movie is a bit of a let-down, as the characters talk of their plans for the villa. The ending of this movie is both heartbreaking and beautiful, as the grandchildren have a last hurrah at the estate. Lots to think about, but I wish it had gone a little deeper in the relationships in the film.

Grade: B

Reviews: Bright Star, Lorna's Silence, Whip It

A Woman's World

Due to the critical success of Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), the awards/box office success of Sandra Bullock, and the prominence of films like Precious and An Education in the Oscar race, 2009 has been widely touted as a step forward for women.

I've recently caught up with three 2009 films that focus on women, 2 of which are my women directors. While these 3 films got almost no Oscar attention (despite one costume nod), what do they have to add to this conversation?

Bright Star (2009)

Director Jane Campion's Bright Star tells the story of the romance between Romantic poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, his neighbor who falls quickly in love with both this young artist and his poetry. This movie is nothing if not a poem of its own. It's filled with images that suggest poetry and metaphor. Some of my favorites include Fanny and John communicating through a wall, Fanny and her young sister creating a roomful of butterflies, and John Keats lying in the top of a tree. Along with these gorgeously photographed images is a beautiful score and the best costumes I've seen in a long time. The costumes aren't superfluous either. Designing clothes is young Fanny's artistic endeavor, and the movie takes it seriously as the way she contributes beauty to the world.

This movie belongs to Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne. In a movie with, it might be said, a rather slight plot, her emotional transformation takes center stage. She begins the movie young, sarcastic, and hostile to poetry. As she falls in love with John, we can see her entire being opening up. Ben Whishaw (one of the Bob Dylans in I'm Not There) is also very good as Keats, although his performance does not require as much transformation. I also loved Paul Schneider in his supporting role as Charles Brown, Keats' poet friend who is possessive of his friend's artistic integrity in the face of love.

As in her landmark film The Piano (1993), Campion has the courage to tell her tale firmly from the female perspective. She also uses every aspect of the film to suggest the emotional undercurrent. If you require a movie with a lot of plot or high drama, this is probably not one for you to see. It took me perhaps the first 20 minutes or so to really get into the mood and style of the story. Looking back, though, the emotional content of the movie comes through clearly, and I would love to watch its images and story again.

Grade: A-



Lorna's Silence (2009)

The Dardenne brothers, from Belgium, specialize in a hyper-realistic style of movie about those who live on the margins in modern-day Europe. Lorna's Silence follows this pattern. The movie details the life of Lorna, an Albanian woman living in Belgium who wants to open her own snack bar. With the help of local mobsters, she agrees to marry a Belgian drug addict to get citizenship. Then, in turn, she can marry a Russian who wants his own citizenship.

The first half of the movie follows Lorna's relationship with Claudy, the drug addict. What starts as a business transaction morphs into something else, a way for her to help someone in need. This section of the movie is quite good. I fully bought the developing relationship between the two and wanted to follow these two wherever they would go.

The film takes a turn towards another direction about halfway through. I found this turn to significantly decrease my engagement in the movie. That said, the movie does recover for a very powerful ending that is can be construed as both a triumph for Lorna and incredibly sad. The movie is worth seeing, but if you are looking for a good introduction to the Dardenne brothers, I recommend their movie La Promesse (1996). I saw it more than 10 years ago, and I can still remember its power.

Grade: B-

Whip It(2009)

The directorial debut of....wait for it.... Drew Barrymore is an exercise in girl power. And really, there's not better place for girl power than in the world of roller derby. Ellen Page plays Bliss, a Texas teenager whose mom (Marcia Gay Harden) wants her to win beauty pageants. On a trip to Austin, she discovers roller derby, fakes her age, and signs up.

The movie is very similar to other movies you've seen where young people follow their passions against the will of their parents (Bend it Like Beckham specifically comes to mind). From the first half hour, you could probably predict about 3/4 of what is to come in the movie. Nonetheless, the actors do their best to enliven the precedings. Page is good, and I especially liked Marcia Gay Harden as her mother. She is able to bring some sympathy to a role that would be easy to caricature. I also liked Kristen Wigg as a motherly figure on the roller derby team, and Juliette Lewis as a rival roller girl (put her in more movies please!). The movie is marred by one of the most inane love stories I've seen in a long time, complete with a terrible love scene set in a pool.

Should you see it? If you go in with low expectations, there are some fun moments and the cast gives it their best shot. But there are also a lot more movies that are more worth your time. Sorry Drew, but based on this film, a great director you are not.

Grade: C