Phew.
So far, I've pretty much just gone through the last year recapping movies I thought were good. Now I get to do the format I wanted in the beginning, which is comment on movies/movie happenin'/movie industry as I see them/it. Which is much, much better as it's just not a list of reviews.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Thoughts on 2007: Once (AKA the best film of the year)
That's right. Best film of the year: Once.
Walking into the film I had heard some nice things, but that was mostly about the music. What unfolded was nothing short of a small miracle, which counts as a definite miracle in film terms. Admittedly, there's no way to accurately describe this movie, as it's not really a sum of its parts.
For starters, it was shot on video for 100,000 dollars in Ireland, and thus features practically none of the technical capabilities that almost every Hollywood film takes for granted. That's never been something I've especially cared about, but it makes the beautiful moments in the film all the more remarkable. And Once has too many beautiful moments to count. Not beautiful shots mind you. Just quietly beautiful moments. The kind that exist between two people trying making a connection.
Don't misinterpret that. This ain't no cheesefest. God no. Far from it. I've seen so many movies that deal with "two lonely souls" trying to make a connection, but those are always movie moments, and movie lines in movie worlds. It's the real ones that get me. There's no way to describe them. They're the kind of moments that make your heart swell up. There isn't even a hint of their construction. The kind that radically alter to your disposition (they seem so incredibly rare this day in age and the only thing that I can think of like it is most of the events of "The Wire" and that's a tv show). And like life, Once plays out a series of moments captured with an incredible poignancy....
God. The more I write about the more I don't like what I'm saying about it.
So I'll make it simple: this might be the most beautiful film I've ever seen. And yes, the second it finished I went out and bought the soundtrack at the record store across the street.
Recommendation: Highest possible. For everybody no matter what kind of movies you like.
Walking into the film I had heard some nice things, but that was mostly about the music. What unfolded was nothing short of a small miracle, which counts as a definite miracle in film terms. Admittedly, there's no way to accurately describe this movie, as it's not really a sum of its parts.
For starters, it was shot on video for 100,000 dollars in Ireland, and thus features practically none of the technical capabilities that almost every Hollywood film takes for granted. That's never been something I've especially cared about, but it makes the beautiful moments in the film all the more remarkable. And Once has too many beautiful moments to count. Not beautiful shots mind you. Just quietly beautiful moments. The kind that exist between two people trying making a connection.
Don't misinterpret that. This ain't no cheesefest. God no. Far from it. I've seen so many movies that deal with "two lonely souls" trying to make a connection, but those are always movie moments, and movie lines in movie worlds. It's the real ones that get me. There's no way to describe them. They're the kind of moments that make your heart swell up. There isn't even a hint of their construction. The kind that radically alter to your disposition (they seem so incredibly rare this day in age and the only thing that I can think of like it is most of the events of "The Wire" and that's a tv show). And like life, Once plays out a series of moments captured with an incredible poignancy....
God. The more I write about the more I don't like what I'm saying about it.
So I'll make it simple: this might be the most beautiful film I've ever seen. And yes, the second it finished I went out and bought the soundtrack at the record store across the street.
Recommendation: Highest possible. For everybody no matter what kind of movies you like.
Thoughts on 2007: No Country For Old Men
Enough has been said elsewhere, but I'll add one thought. I can't remember the last time I was actually happy with a "best picture" winner... oh yeah... last year with The Depahted... I meant before that... yeah that's right The Silence of the Lambs. You feelin' me.
Thoughts on 2007: There Will Be Blood
In 1999, Magnolia was my favorite movie ever. That was almost 10 years ago and it actually feels like it. When I go back and watch the film, it's certainly not the same. Maybe my tastes have changed and I've matured, but I am constantly aware that there was something deeply profound about that experience at time. It was perfect for that very moment, when I was a high school kid looking for a kind of new look at the world. Sure, I had seen Boogie Nights a few years earlier and liked it, but i didn't "get it" the way I did just a few years after. For In 1999, I worshipped PT Anderson and thought he the next coming of Aslan.
Now in 2008, I'm a borderline adult. My tastes are more muted. I like sharp and economical screenwriting. It's kind of the perennial neo-classical vs. romantic literary comparison and I find myself more like the prior. Before this year, PTA defintely kept his streak as a romantic (how else does one explain Punch Drunk Love). After those four wonderfully personal films, he set off to make an period Oil epic based on an Upton Sinclair book with Daniel Day Lewis. Yikes. Had PTA grown up too?
In short? Yes... but he's still punk at heart. And the results are fascinating.
There Will Be Blood manages to be both exacting and loosely constructed at the same moment. It's rife with singular focused moments of detail in a wide rolling sea. It's also an uncompromising character study. A lot has alredy been said in that regard, but I just wish to speak briefly on the matter of the film's ending . [ENTERING SPOILER WORLD] When we have that final jump forward in time and see the summation of the life pursuits of Daniel Plainview, we get just that. Once during the film, he speaks of his desire to get away from people and ends up doing that very thing. He secludes himself within a mansion with only butlers and therefore goes batshit insane. He has completely severed his emotional connection with his son and goes so far as to tell him that he never loved him. A lot of people took this as a final statement fact and that bothered me quite frankly. Daniel clearly loved H.W. in that crotchety old school dad way and while there was definitely some self-serving stuff in there (the "this does me good" line), it was still a genuine thing. The problem stems from the fact that Daniel doesn't especially like the feeling. He doesn't know what to do. Love and conscience corrupt his ambition. So Daniel sets himself on a quest to rid himself of the things that dilute the purity of his ambition. And with that ending, he succeeds... or to put it in his words "I'm finshed" [END SPOILER STUFF!]
The other thing I wanted to mention is something I find to be unique of PTA. In many of his films, a character repeats a line over and over again, only every time the line has different meanings. For There Will Be Blood, the baptism scene is out-and-out lesson messner-ism. It's a fascinating scene and the one I couldn't wait to see again.
A tremendous film. Some people might find it boring, but that's okay. I don't think this is a flick for everyone.
Oh yeah and that Daniel Day guy was pretty good too.
Recommendation: Must see. I feel like an old friend has just done something grand. This was also my brother's favorite film of the year whatever that means.
Now in 2008, I'm a borderline adult. My tastes are more muted. I like sharp and economical screenwriting. It's kind of the perennial neo-classical vs. romantic literary comparison and I find myself more like the prior. Before this year, PTA defintely kept his streak as a romantic (how else does one explain Punch Drunk Love). After those four wonderfully personal films, he set off to make an period Oil epic based on an Upton Sinclair book with Daniel Day Lewis. Yikes. Had PTA grown up too?
In short? Yes... but he's still punk at heart. And the results are fascinating.
There Will Be Blood manages to be both exacting and loosely constructed at the same moment. It's rife with singular focused moments of detail in a wide rolling sea. It's also an uncompromising character study. A lot has alredy been said in that regard, but I just wish to speak briefly on the matter of the film's ending . [ENTERING SPOILER WORLD] When we have that final jump forward in time and see the summation of the life pursuits of Daniel Plainview, we get just that. Once during the film, he speaks of his desire to get away from people and ends up doing that very thing. He secludes himself within a mansion with only butlers and therefore goes batshit insane. He has completely severed his emotional connection with his son and goes so far as to tell him that he never loved him. A lot of people took this as a final statement fact and that bothered me quite frankly. Daniel clearly loved H.W. in that crotchety old school dad way and while there was definitely some self-serving stuff in there (the "this does me good" line), it was still a genuine thing. The problem stems from the fact that Daniel doesn't especially like the feeling. He doesn't know what to do. Love and conscience corrupt his ambition. So Daniel sets himself on a quest to rid himself of the things that dilute the purity of his ambition. And with that ending, he succeeds... or to put it in his words "I'm finshed" [END SPOILER STUFF!]
The other thing I wanted to mention is something I find to be unique of PTA. In many of his films, a character repeats a line over and over again, only every time the line has different meanings. For There Will Be Blood, the baptism scene is out-and-out lesson messner-ism. It's a fascinating scene and the one I couldn't wait to see again.
A tremendous film. Some people might find it boring, but that's okay. I don't think this is a flick for everyone.
Oh yeah and that Daniel Day guy was pretty good too.
Recommendation: Must see. I feel like an old friend has just done something grand. This was also my brother's favorite film of the year whatever that means.
Thoughts on 2007: JUNO
In retrospect, it was critical I saw this flick a month before it's release. It was before the hooplah and the over-love and backlash, and I didn't know much about it. All I had heard was that Fox Searchlight was marketing it as "this year's Little Miss Sunshine!" Guhhhh. Nothing could lower my expectations more given my unfathomable utter hate for that celluloid barf bag (I dare not even give it the dignity of "movie")
The comparisons aren't totally unfounded. To put it simply, Juno contains everything I pretty much hate about most independent comedies... but there was a catch: I loved it anyway. Who knows, maybe I loved it not in spite of these qualities but because it was the first time these qualities had a kind of real life-resonance. It's true, people in high school liked to be weird. I was the idiot who wore dumb colored glasses. So yes people, Juno has a hamburger phone and carries around a pipe. And usually these are precisely the kinds of details that often drive me nuts cause the filmmaker is ostentatiously trying to cram them in for the audience's perceived enjoyment (or they're trying to copy Wes Anderson and doing a shitty job). Luckily, the quirky details are just there for Juno herself. It's a movie about a girl who tries to be quirky in her life and suddenly has to deal with a crushing reality. It's that kind of understanding that makes a colossal difference.
Jason Reitman deserves most of the credit. Sure Ellen Page could nail the lines with veracity, but Reitman actually captures an even tone of this sucker and it could have been all over the proverbial map. I recently went back and read the screenplay and let's just say, it didn't sound 1/40 as good on the page as it did in the movie. Bravo to the next of kin. He seems to get it and this is a huge step forward for him after his satirical debut. Much like that other pregnancy comedy I loved this year, Juno's got a kind of honesty underneath the bubble gum pop tongue twister speak (my friend Puddy put it best "just so you're aware, a film with the line "Honest to blog?" just won an Oscar for writing) there's a carefully textured emotion and even psychology. That's right, Juno's actually got some character study going on. Sure, it's nothing compared to the magnum opus of Daniel Plainview (what could be?) but it's there. And that matters bunches.
Recommendation: High. So to everyone of the blacklashers out there why don't you ditch the tude dude, and get with the macgruff grammar train. Remember, it's okay to like stuff.
And here's a good review by someone who's less cynical then me:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/REVIEWS/712130303
The comparisons aren't totally unfounded. To put it simply, Juno contains everything I pretty much hate about most independent comedies... but there was a catch: I loved it anyway. Who knows, maybe I loved it not in spite of these qualities but because it was the first time these qualities had a kind of real life-resonance. It's true, people in high school liked to be weird. I was the idiot who wore dumb colored glasses. So yes people, Juno has a hamburger phone and carries around a pipe. And usually these are precisely the kinds of details that often drive me nuts cause the filmmaker is ostentatiously trying to cram them in for the audience's perceived enjoyment (or they're trying to copy Wes Anderson and doing a shitty job). Luckily, the quirky details are just there for Juno herself. It's a movie about a girl who tries to be quirky in her life and suddenly has to deal with a crushing reality. It's that kind of understanding that makes a colossal difference.
Jason Reitman deserves most of the credit. Sure Ellen Page could nail the lines with veracity, but Reitman actually captures an even tone of this sucker and it could have been all over the proverbial map. I recently went back and read the screenplay and let's just say, it didn't sound 1/40 as good on the page as it did in the movie. Bravo to the next of kin. He seems to get it and this is a huge step forward for him after his satirical debut. Much like that other pregnancy comedy I loved this year, Juno's got a kind of honesty underneath the bubble gum pop tongue twister speak (my friend Puddy put it best "just so you're aware, a film with the line "Honest to blog?" just won an Oscar for writing) there's a carefully textured emotion and even psychology. That's right, Juno's actually got some character study going on. Sure, it's nothing compared to the magnum opus of Daniel Plainview (what could be?) but it's there. And that matters bunches.
Recommendation: High. So to everyone of the blacklashers out there why don't you ditch the tude dude, and get with the macgruff grammar train. Remember, it's okay to like stuff.
And here's a good review by someone who's less cynical then me:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/REVIEWS/712130303
Monday, March 3, 2008
Thoughts on 2007: Knocked Up
I'm an unapologetic Apatow Fan. Not that I would have anything to apologize for, dammit.
I feel like a lot's happened since Knocked Up was released. A lot of my commentary about the rise of Apatow now seems defunct, but that's okay. Simply put, the dude makes a kind of comedy's I really like/appreciate/relate to. Freaks and Geeks. Undeclared. The 40 Year Old Virgin. All stuff with the same sensibility. Their "raunch" comes less from the frat world, or teens sneaking around trying to see girls in their underwear, and more from guys dishing forth the most (bad?) language. And it's great. It's believable. And best of all it's relatable. There isn't too much of a science to it. It's honest, it's crude, it's reference-y without ever seeming too clever (the key to nailing a reference is simple people, either give the actor a moment like they had to think of it or deliver the line with a kind of "real life performance"... you know, the way anyone does in reality.
Anyway, oh yeah, my point! Not that I had one. Apatow's work succeeds by seeming human and Knocked Up was the most human feature to date. We haven't seen a repeat of Freaks and Geeks quality yet, but that's okay. And I won't lessen the value of Knocked Up by saying it's "surprisingly sweet" or something of that ilk. Because I found it surprisingly poignant. That's a pretty lofty word to describe a movie that talks about pubic hair getting on poop, but fuck it... I'm calling this duck a duck. I've seen a ton of those comedic pregnancy movies and I didn't like any of them (that I can remember right now). Yet I connected with this one. Why? Sure, I was a total sucker for the ending pics of the cast and crew with they' babies. It tugged at my heart and here were all these people. None of them were ready for parenthood, least of all probably Judd Apatow. But that's okay. Parenthood is acknowledging your lack of preparation. That means you care and are already leagues ahead of other parents. This movie gets that. It also has the courage to admit your going to shit yourself in front of total strangers.
Honesty! It's where it's at!
Recommendation: Extremely High. VERY FUNNY.
I feel like a lot's happened since Knocked Up was released. A lot of my commentary about the rise of Apatow now seems defunct, but that's okay. Simply put, the dude makes a kind of comedy's I really like/appreciate/relate to. Freaks and Geeks. Undeclared. The 40 Year Old Virgin. All stuff with the same sensibility. Their "raunch" comes less from the frat world, or teens sneaking around trying to see girls in their underwear, and more from guys dishing forth the most (bad?) language. And it's great. It's believable. And best of all it's relatable. There isn't too much of a science to it. It's honest, it's crude, it's reference-y without ever seeming too clever (the key to nailing a reference is simple people, either give the actor a moment like they had to think of it or deliver the line with a kind of "real life performance"... you know, the way anyone does in reality.
Anyway, oh yeah, my point! Not that I had one. Apatow's work succeeds by seeming human and Knocked Up was the most human feature to date. We haven't seen a repeat of Freaks and Geeks quality yet, but that's okay. And I won't lessen the value of Knocked Up by saying it's "surprisingly sweet" or something of that ilk. Because I found it surprisingly poignant. That's a pretty lofty word to describe a movie that talks about pubic hair getting on poop, but fuck it... I'm calling this duck a duck. I've seen a ton of those comedic pregnancy movies and I didn't like any of them (that I can remember right now). Yet I connected with this one. Why? Sure, I was a total sucker for the ending pics of the cast and crew with they' babies. It tugged at my heart and here were all these people. None of them were ready for parenthood, least of all probably Judd Apatow. But that's okay. Parenthood is acknowledging your lack of preparation. That means you care and are already leagues ahead of other parents. This movie gets that. It also has the courage to admit your going to shit yourself in front of total strangers.
Honesty! It's where it's at!
Recommendation: Extremely High. VERY FUNNY.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thoughts on 2007: Hot Fuzz
I liked Shaun of the Dead. But I loved Hot Fuzz.
For most people it's other way around. Sure I like zombie movies and all, who doesn't? But being a child of the late 80's and 90's made me part of that special generation who were slathered up with high-cost action movie nonsense. And it was kinda fun. I'm glad to see that Edgar Wright thinks so too. He took that love of the high octane action movie and transported it into his sleepy little home town. It's the kind of thing every little kid imagined, walking down their suburban street fighting off bad guys with two guns blazing. It's a fun idea and and Wright pulls it off with the kind of seriousness needed to make it work. It's a tiny wonder in that way. What's more is that the film works as many genres. It's a tense murder-in-the-manor mystery, it's an out-and-out comedy, it's a satire, it's a horror piece, it's an turbo-charged thrill ride, it's a hyphen-laden-description, and it's bloody as all hell... It just so happens to be all those things at once. It doesn't genre hop, it genre blends. It's all stirred into one delicious goo of pulp movie that earns it's originality from it's devotion to it's subjects. Counting their work on Spaced it would seem that Pegg, Frost, and Wright are on a muthaf'in roll. Can't wait for more.
Oh yeah, and it has the best Jump kick ever.
And oh yeah yeah, don't miss a great cameo (look at her eyes)
Recommendtion: DAMN SKIPPY. [turns screaming and fires gun into the air]
For most people it's other way around. Sure I like zombie movies and all, who doesn't? But being a child of the late 80's and 90's made me part of that special generation who were slathered up with high-cost action movie nonsense. And it was kinda fun. I'm glad to see that Edgar Wright thinks so too. He took that love of the high octane action movie and transported it into his sleepy little home town. It's the kind of thing every little kid imagined, walking down their suburban street fighting off bad guys with two guns blazing. It's a fun idea and and Wright pulls it off with the kind of seriousness needed to make it work. It's a tiny wonder in that way. What's more is that the film works as many genres. It's a tense murder-in-the-manor mystery, it's an out-and-out comedy, it's a satire, it's a horror piece, it's an turbo-charged thrill ride, it's a hyphen-laden-description, and it's bloody as all hell... It just so happens to be all those things at once. It doesn't genre hop, it genre blends. It's all stirred into one delicious goo of pulp movie that earns it's originality from it's devotion to it's subjects. Counting their work on Spaced it would seem that Pegg, Frost, and Wright are on a muthaf'in roll. Can't wait for more.
Oh yeah, and it has the best Jump kick ever.
And oh yeah yeah, don't miss a great cameo (look at her eyes)
Recommendtion: DAMN SKIPPY. [turns screaming and fires gun into the air]
Thoughts on 2007: Black Book (Zwartboek)
I've always really liked Paul Verhoeven. His earlier dutch career was marked with blisteringly vibrant films highlighted by Turkish Delight and Soldier of Orange. His style showed off a unique combination of frank sexuality, violence, and a thorough examination of moral ambiguity. But what made those films so engaging was his ability to ingrain these themes within his constantly compelling narratives. He tried his luck in Hollywood and thrived with wonderfully weird science fiction films like Robocop (hyperviolent!), Total Recall (grotesque!) and the most underrated film ever in Starship Troopers (satire-iffic!). He even threw in a couple way-more-fun-then-they- should-be sex thrillers with Basic Instinct and Showgirls. Then his experience with Hollowman nearly ruined his career and left him so bitter he said "fuck this shit." and went back to Holland.
His negative experiences apparently strengthened Verhoeven's resolve to commit to making truly interesting films again. The resulting Black Book is a resounding affirmation of that commitment.
Blackbook is many things: it's a WWII film, an action/suspense film, a relationship film, and it's a great mystery too. These elements combine seamlessly into a singular story with an inspired by real-events basis.
A great way to put the accomplishment of Black Book in perspective is to compare its thematic elements with Verhoeven's earlier work Soldier of Orange. They both explore the exact same themes only S.O.O. does it through the use of epic scope and an ensemble of characters (this character is the patriot, this character is traitor, etc). But in Black Book every character has different kinds of loyalties that are meshed into one story and fits consistently into the development of our heroine's arc. It's pretty remarkable and a sign or great storytelling.
Still, Black Book is undeniably a powerful Holocaust film. I feel odd talking about it like it's a genre, because I don't think that is an appropriate way to critique it. The Holocaust never deserves to be lowered to the status of "genre", but certainly deserves the regard of "subject". The aforementioned power comes from the way we get lost in this intricate WWII suspense film, and then really have the compelling moment come at the very end when we see that it's secretly been a Holocaust film all along. Trust me this isn't giving anything away, it's more abstract that that. See… CAUTION, THEMATIC SPOILER: After an entire life spent showing her resolve Rachel/Ellis finally breaks down asks, "When will it ever end?" A few scenes later we get a stark reminder that it never really has. END SPOILER.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Thoughts on 2007: Michael Clayton
I admit that I probably overvalue Michael Clayton. This is the result of years of actually trying to write screenplays, where the thing you really start to appreciate is true professionalism. This was a smart movie. It had great economical rhythm, a balance of character, an introverted seriousness, a visceral score and use of sound, an honest to goodness acting performance from George Clooney, a complete reinvigoration of tired genre, even some lofty aspirations, and a touch of the divine introspective. It's a rare feat and something I truly appreciate after years of figuring out how hard it is to write a compelling mainstream flick... It's hard.
So ignoring all those technical and sound reasons that I just lathered over, I'm going to just mention the two things that I felt elevated the film above that "normal movie" stuff. First off we have what I lovingly refer to as the opening "asshole" speech. Not an "opening asshole" but a speech at the opening referring to birth out of an asshole. It's a symbolic gesture representing the entire legal paradigm and comes out of the mouth of a bi-polar Tom Wilkinson. I don't think many movies would start off with such a raucous statement, but Tony Gilroy and co. understood the intrinsic value of doing so. You don't hide your ambition in a movie, especially when your ambition is your strength. That's the exact attitude that makes PT Anderson such a good artist. And luckily Gilroy knew when to employ that tactic. Second, they take a legal drama and drop a hint of the collective unconscious in there. It's not labored, it's not even the point, but it is a point and it saves a characters life. Maybe it's even what spurs on a climactic decision. Either way, I loved it's inclusion.
Recommendation: Very High. The rest of the movies I still have to review for 2007 are what I would consider "Favorites" of the year. And never will you find such a convincing argument against fighting the tide of corporate domination than this, that really isn't trying to make a point of anything... and maybe thus succeeds.
So ignoring all those technical and sound reasons that I just lathered over, I'm going to just mention the two things that I felt elevated the film above that "normal movie" stuff. First off we have what I lovingly refer to as the opening "asshole" speech. Not an "opening asshole" but a speech at the opening referring to birth out of an asshole. It's a symbolic gesture representing the entire legal paradigm and comes out of the mouth of a bi-polar Tom Wilkinson. I don't think many movies would start off with such a raucous statement, but Tony Gilroy and co. understood the intrinsic value of doing so. You don't hide your ambition in a movie, especially when your ambition is your strength. That's the exact attitude that makes PT Anderson such a good artist. And luckily Gilroy knew when to employ that tactic. Second, they take a legal drama and drop a hint of the collective unconscious in there. It's not labored, it's not even the point, but it is a point and it saves a characters life. Maybe it's even what spurs on a climactic decision. Either way, I loved it's inclusion.
Recommendation: Very High. The rest of the movies I still have to review for 2007 are what I would consider "Favorites" of the year. And never will you find such a convincing argument against fighting the tide of corporate domination than this, that really isn't trying to make a point of anything... and maybe thus succeeds.
Thoughts on 2007: Zodiac
I'd argue this film isn't a film. It's more of a document, a piece of journalism, or a true non-fiction film without being a documentary.
And it also happens to be absolutely riveting.
My knowledge on the subject of the Zodiac murders was spotty at best, but still, unlike Hollywoodland, I found the "unsolved" nature of the crime to give the film a kind of immediacy, as it was not confined by the shackles of inevitability.
I recommend this film highly to anyone looking for an alternative to the traditional format, yet told with impeccable perfection.
And it also happens to be absolutely riveting.
My knowledge on the subject of the Zodiac murders was spotty at best, but still, unlike Hollywoodland, I found the "unsolved" nature of the crime to give the film a kind of immediacy, as it was not confined by the shackles of inevitability.
I recommend this film highly to anyone looking for an alternative to the traditional format, yet told with impeccable perfection.
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