I closed out 2010 with a look back on the films that made up the year, but here are the films I’m looking forward to in the first quarter of 2011, January through March. Unfortunately, the movie calendar doesn’t start to get exciting till March.
January –
The Green Hornet – I’m approaching this with cautious optimism. Sure it could end up being mostly forgettable, but Seth Rogan in a genre shift, the great Christoph Waltz back in villain mode and visionary director Michel Gondry, the stars may align on this one.
February–
Unknown – I get a distinct Frantic meets Taken vibe off of this one, but both were tight thrillers and I’m a Liam Neeson fan, so we’ll have to see where this one goes. The inclusion of Diane Krueger is also enticing.
March–
Rango – Gore Verbinski re-teams with his Pirates of the Caribbean crew and star to bring us this interesting animated feature.
The Adjustment Bureau – It’s a sci-fi thriller with a great cast in Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. It could be a modest hit, but the trailer looks good.
Apollo 18 – A smallish sci-fi flick from Spanish director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego. It’s another “found footage” style film, but handled right, it could be the best of the sub-genre.
Battle: Los Angeles – This looks like the film that 2010’s Skyline wanted to be, but didn’t because it was horrible every step of the way. Mature sci-fi has seen a resurgence over the past few years and I’m hoping this keeps the tradition alive.
Paul – The comedy giants from both sides of the pond join forces for this geek-tastic film. Simon Pegg & Nick Frost team up with Seth Rogan and director Greg Mottola (Superbad and Adventureland).
Sucker Punch – I get the feeling that I stand in the minority as far as Zack Snyder goes, but I’m a big fan of the guy. He’s one of the most visually exciting directors around, he has tight plots, great characters. He’s just had the misfortune of adapting properties with built-in fan bases (Dawn of the Dead, 300, Watchmen) that didn’t like HIS vision. So I’m excited for his first original work.
These were the films that struck a cord with me in 2010, that I enjoyed for various reasons. Before the list, some Honourable Mentions, just missing the top 10: The Losers, Tron: Legacy, Easy A, How To Train Your Dragon, The Crazies, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows prt 1, Iron Man 2, Catfish, The A-Team, Tangled
10- The Town (Directed by Ben Affleck; Starring Ben Affleck, John Hamm, Jeremy Renner and Rebecca Hall) Even after Gone Baby Gone, I wouldn’t have pegged Affleck as a director who could deliver. But here we are. He’s 2 for 2. He was able to get some great performances out of some terrific actors, and he even elevated his game in front of the camera. We get a tight thriller that excites every step of the way, and pushes Jon Hamm more and more into super stardom.
9- Black Swan (Directed by Darren Aronofsky; Starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel) One thing that can be said about Aronofsky’s films is that they are an experience. And he comes off his gut wrenching look at professional wrestling by taking a look at the New York Ballet scene, and how the drive to be the best can drive one mad. We experience the descent Portman’s Nina goes through, in her best performance to date.
8- The Fighter (Directed by David O. Russell; Starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale and Amy Adams) Say what you will about Russell, his films tend to be love or hate, but this one is hard to hate. His last pairing with Wahlberg produced Marky Mark’s best performance, add in the drama of a boxing story (which I’m a sucker for) and the almost always great Bale and Adams, it’s a winner.
7- Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Directed by Edgar Wright; Starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Chris Evans) It was easy to miss and dismiss this film as being too esoteric, too targeted, too Michael Cera being Michael Cera (again). But what you missed with this film is one of the most strikingly original romantic comedies, and for once, Cera playing his type works in the film’s favour, as it contrasts with his adversaries. Wright consistently delivers some of the most finely crafted films, even if they are genre films.
6- True Grit (Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen; Starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Brolin) My approach to this film is how I approach most remakes. If they bring something new to the table, or can stand on their own merits, then there’s nothing wrong with them. The Coen brothers bringing their dark humour and bleak sensibilities to the classic (which is actually a readaptation of a book, rather then a remake of a film) western, and Bridges continues with a late career resurgence in both quality and popularity. Of particular note, young Hailee Steinfeld, with the gravitas and talent not normally seen in someone so young, and holding her own against the likes of Bridges, Damon and Brolin.
5- Let Me In (Directed by Matt Reeves; Starring Chloe Moretz, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Richard Jenkins) Like True Grit, Let Me In is less of a remake (of the 2008 Swedish film Let The Right One In) and more of a readaptation of the original novel, and it loses none of the haunting beauty of the original. It’s a disservice to compare the two, as both are fascinating. The two children, who were both about 13 when the film was being made, carry the film, and handle the roles better than some actors with twice the age and experience. Reeves is an emerging voice in genre cinema, and made an indelible impression.
4- Toy Story 3 (Directed by Lee Unkrich; Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack) Pixar has been on a 15 year hot streak since the first Toy Story in 95, and I’m not ashamed to say that this brought a tear to my eye (several tears, actually). Pixar never compromises story for spectacle, one thing other animation houses (including Pixar parent, Disney) have struggled with. But they are first and foremost storytellers, and give the fans who grew up with Woody, Buzz & crew a great final, closing chapter.
3- Kick Ass (Directed by Matthew Vaughn; Starring Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Mark Strong) The superhero genre reached critical mass and market saturation with the powerhouse of The Dark Knight and Marvel Studio’s ambitions Avengers plan, but 2010 belonged to a nerdy guy who just wanted to do good. Not since Edgar Wright’s Hott Fuzz has a film so thoroughly skewered the conventions of the genre, yet lived entirely within the confines of the conventions. Moretz delivers her first great performance of the year, and coupled with Let Me In, she should be a lock come Oscar time, and I’m looking forward to more from her for years to come.
2- The Social Network (Directed by David Fincher; Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Armie Hammer and Justin Timberlake) Fincher works from a script by the great Aaron Sorkin, a story that they both acknowledge is both a fictionalized and sensationalized account of mostly true events, but sometimes what actually happened needs to be jazzed up a bit. Eisenberg is the best emerging talent, breaking through in 09, and hitting his stride in ’10 to bring excitement and energy to Zuckerberg and the start of Facebook.
1- Inception (Directed by Christopher Nolan; Starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page and Tom Hardy) I’ve seen critiques of this go both ways, but in earnest, Nolan does the near impossible: Combines the spectacle to to appease mainstream audiences, but he actually has a complex plot, interesting characters, and compelling dialog. I’ve been following Nolan for 10 years, and he’s a filmmaker who will consistently deliver. And the cast, what a phenomenal ensemble cast he put together, especially the always pleasing Cotillard.
Not on the list because I have yet to see them:
127 Hours, The King’s Speech, Winter’s Bone, Exit Through The Gift Shop, Waiting for Superman
It’s been several months since I’ve done the movie blog, while I sorted out some things in real life, and worked on revamping it so it wasn’t just movie reviews. I wanted to do features and contemplations (one sided discussions). I made a promise to myself and friends that I would make a return to the blog in October, but I wanted to ease myself back into it, and not just go full force with reviews and what not. So I’ll be rolling out a few non-review posts over the next few weeks, then get back to actual reviews come November.
To get me back into the swing of things, it’s a meme I’ve seen on a few movie blogs, and while I wasn’t tagged, I did see it, and think it interesting. Name 15 directors who have shaped the way I view films. And here they are, in alphabetical order. Keep in mind, I’m a child of the late 80s and early 90s, so that’s where most of my picks lean, when I started getting into movies. And this isn’t a list of favourites, just ones who influenced me (though they all are amongst my favourites)
Mel Brooks – Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles – He’s such a force in comedy. He constructed these amazing parodies, but unlike the referential parodies of today, the jokes were born out of the script and the story, so it was all self-contained. And he never lost sight of his primary goal… make the audience laugh.
Frank Capra – It’s A Wonderful Life – Call him schmaltzy if you will, but he did it well. There was always an earnestness, an honesty to his films.
John Carpenter – The Thing, Halloween – There was always something understated about his films, and he knew how to build the suspense, and not lose the audience.
Amy Heckerling – Fast Times At Ridgemont High – While John Hughes (more on him later) tended to present high school in more of a fanciful way, Heckerling kept it rooted in reality. While you could relate to Hughes’ characters, you were Heckerling’s.
Alfred Hitchcock – North By Northwest, Rear Window – A lot of what we view as cliche today, he perfected. He’s a director that still surprises me, no matter how many and how many times I’ve seen his movies.
John Hughes – The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – There was more to the dialog than there was to the characters. It became more important what was being said than who exactly was saying it, and that’s what spoke to me and audiences, that they’re feelings and emotions and experiences were being represented.
Sergio Leone – A Fistfull of Dollars, Once Upon A Time in the West – These were the first Westerns that I remember watching, and he cemented my idea of what a Western was.
Sidney Lumet – 12 Angry Men, Network – There’s a precision every step of the way in his films, and he expertly captures great performances.
John McTiernan – Die Hard, Predators – He came along during the Golden Age of the action genre, and became the best of the era.
Robert Rodriguez – Desperado, Sin City – He’s one of the “Big 3” (as I call them) that really got me into cinema. He’s always been about doing his movies his ways, which I’ve always admired.
Martin Scorsese – Taxi Driver, Mean Streets – When I first started exploring more of cinema after I initially got hooked by the “Big 3,” Scorsese was one of the first who I really got into.
Kevin Smith – Clerks, Mallrats – The 2nd of the “Big 3” on the list, I was immediately blown away but what I saw in Clerks, and was 12 at the time I saw it (in ’97) and I would say was a real turning point for me. The spark that ignited the fire.
Steven Spielberg – Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – Spielberg had this knack for capturing the imagination that many tried and failed to duplicate. He really is a one of a kind director.
Quentin Tarantino – Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill – Last of the “Big 3,” I started watching his, Smith’s and Rodriguez’s films all at around the same time (about 12 years old), and that trifecta, seeing what they could do, that they were making their own films they way they wanted, got me hooked on movies and it spiraled out of control from there.
Robert Zemeckis – Back to the Future trilogy – Much like Spielberg, he had a knack for capturing the imagination, but it a different, more fun way. I’ve seen BTTF dozens, if not a hundred times since I was a kid, and I still watch it with the same wide eyed wonderment.
I had to hold off a bit wait to catch up with the limited releases to finally make their way up to Marquette, and I knew there were a couple flicks coming to DVD in early January that I wanted to see, so I waited to complete the list. But I think that I’ve seen all I’m going to see of 2009 for a while, so I’ll go ahead and lock in my Top 10 of 09 now. In order, 10 to 1:
10) Moon
Moon encapsulates what I envision to be “adult sci-fi.” Sure, there is something to be said about the big action adventure sci-fi that dominates the box office. But while those films put the heavy focus on the fiction half, Moon and films like it (recently Children of Men and Sunshine) never forget the science half. And Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie) in his directorial gives us a riveting, minimalist psychological thriller. Sam Rockwell delivers one of the best performances of the year.
9) Where The Wild Things Are
Spike Jonze’s take on Maurice Sendak’s classic book is gloriously realized love story with childhood. He perfectly captures what it’s like to be a kid, and how an active imagination is how they (we) cope with things we’re not fully ready to cope with. Max Records’ performance is one of the finest given by such a young performer.
8 ) The Hangover
The Hangover was a movie where it was a group of very funny and very talented people got together and made a solidly funny movie that connected with people. It didn’t rely on marquee names or some kind of gimmick. It was enough to just be funny. It’s turned Zach Galifianakis into one of the most in demand comics and Bradley Cooper into a household name.
7) Zombieland
Zombieland was an exercise in entertainment. It was a genuinely funny film with a cast that fit together perfectly. You’re not going to find a message in the film. But you will find a point. That point? Have a good time. Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisinberg and Emma Stone are pitch perfect, the cameo from Bill Murray is an unexpected delight, and the film finds that perfect blend of action, horror and comedy.
6) Up
If someone were to come back from the future and tell me that eventually, Pixar makes a bad film, I wouldn’t believe them at all. When you go to a Pixar film, you know you’re getting quality animation, a well told story, and a joy ride of entertainment, and Up is no different. Five minutes in, I’m in tears. On an animated flick. The folks at Pixar are master storytellers.
5) Inglourious Basterds
While Abrams’ Star Trek wasn’t fully deserving of the “slick” label, Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds certainly is. I said in my original review that I would have been more likely to pay attention in eleventh grade history class had Tarantino written the textbook. It’s pure escapism with a knowing hint of schlock, but that’s what makes it so good. And German actor Christoph Waltz, as the pure evil SS Col. Hans Landa, gives one of the top 10 performances of the decade.
4) The Hurt Locker
Not just in reality, but in the movies, the Iraq War hasn’t been the success people were hoping. It’s failed to catch on with movie audiences the way Vietnam and WWII did. But it just need that one film to really pull into focus. Leave the politics aside, and just show the war. The combat. The bomb techs. And Kathryn Bigelow perfectly captured it. It’s one of the most intense cinematic experiences of the year. Jeremy Renner’s star making performance as SSgt. William James, a bomb tech in Iraq is full of the machismo we’ve come to expect in war movies, but there’s a subtlety to him that won’t hit you till the end.
3) Star Trek
Whoever said mainstream, big budget adventure flicks can’t be good, J.J. Abrams has something to say. Abrams acknowledges and respects the legacy of the Star Trek franchise, and gives it an update for the dawning of a new generation. I wouldn’t say it’s a “slick update,” but more of just an update. He brings the old school adventure spirit into the new and evolved world of sci-fi, translating it perfectly. And above everyone else, the young, mostly green, cast had the daunting task of filling the shoes of these iconic characters and the icons who originally played them. And once the dust settled, Chris Pine is Kirk.
2) Up In The Air
At times both comical and poignant. Jason Reitman’s best film to date is an amazing showcase for what highly talented people can do when they come together to make a film that is just all around good. George Clooney has never been better, Vera Farmiga shows that when given the chance, she can shine, and Anna Kendrick gives a breakthrough performance that should earn her an Oscar nomination and more film offers for a good several years. Jason Reitman is becoming the Pixar of well scripted dramadies, can he make a bad movie?
1) District 9
When I first saw the trailer for District 9, I was hooked, but I didn’t know it was to become the film that I ended up loving so much. It was such an intelligent film that looked at an otherwise standard sci-fi plot device (aliens come to Earth) through a more pragmatic and realistic lens. Newcomer Sharlto Copley gives one of the most engaging performances, of any genre, of the year, and Neill Blomkamp set himself up as one of the premiere sci-fi auteurs of the generation.
It’s been about a year and a half since I did my top 100 of all time list. And I felt it time to revisit it for a few additions and revisions.
Now… in the midst of compiling the list, I neglected Closer, and slipped it into the 30’s, pushing everything back one spot, bumping The Longest Day out of the top 100 (much to the chagrin of my dear old dad).
Since then, I’ve felt compelled to move a film up (it was criminally low, despite it’s strong showing in the Top 20), and make three additions.
So… the first addition was Zodiac to #79, between North by Northwest now at #80, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, at #77, and bumping Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair out of the top 100.
Since the remaining changes affect only the top 20, I’ll post that list. Changes in red
1 – The Godfather 2 – Pulp Fiction 3 – It’s A Wonderful Life 4 – Sin City 5 – Donnie Darko 6 – Dazed and Confused 7 – The Godfather II 8 – Nosferatu 9 – Rear Window 10- Jaws 11- Shawshank Redemption 12- Beauty and the Beast 13- The Dark Knight 14- Casablanca 15- Clerks 16- Requiem for a Dream 17- American History X 18- WALL-E 19- Citizen Kane 20- Ocean’s 11 (2001)
Now, the first change is I moved Dazed and Confused to #6, bumping The Shawshank Redemption out of the top 10. I did some reflection, and considering all that the film really does mean to me, I had to bump it up.
The second changes came with the addition of last year’s The Dark Knight and WALL-E. The Dark Knight, no matter how you look at it, is one of the most finely crafted films of all time. With some of the finest performances put to film. But since this is a list of my FAVOURITE films, it didn’t pull higher rank, because I also added personal connection to films. And WALL-E, just a beautiful film. I stare in awe at what they can do.
They bumped Die Hard and Fight Club out of the Top 20, Young Frankenstein and The Big Lebowski out of the Top 50, and Chinatown and Halloween out of the top 100, placing The Dirty Dozen at #100.
I would like you to keep in mind, that while this has altered, these are all 5 star films in my book. Hell, you’d probably have to go all the way to the bottom 100’s (nearing 200) before we hit 4.5 star films. Based on the sheer amount of films I have seen in my life. So far I have seen 42 different films in theatres this year alone (actually it’s closer to 50, when I add the award season ’08 releases I had to wait till Jan/Feb to see). So yeah… there’s that.
You can flip to my archives in Dec. 07/Jan. 08 to see the full list as originally posted. For those reading this on FaceBook, go to http://www.brodiemanfilm.blogpsot.com.
So I figure that now that we’re at the half-way point of the year, I’d do a catch up, the Top 20 films of 2009 so far. In doing so, I came to a realization. 2009 has been a down year for movies. Maybe we’re finally dealing with the ramifications of the 2007/08 WGA Strike. Or maybe it’s just taking a while to get going. The second half of the year looks good though, with (all links go to trailers) Zombieland, Public Enemies, Inglorious Basterds, Funny People, District 9, Where The Wild Things Are, Avatar (no trailer available) and Sherlock Holmes.
In most case scenarios, real life tends to prove the movies wrong. From sound/explosions in space, to lit cigarettes igniting a gas spill. But what about when movies are correct? Here’s a list of movies proven correct by the real world.
7) Brad Pitt + Angelina Jolie = Sexiest couple in the history of the world
We all know that Angelina Jolie is the sexiest woman EVAR! And Brad Pitt is the sexiest man EVAR! Putting them together in a movie is one thing. That’s just good marketing. Which is why Mr. and Mrs. Smith was such a success. Oh yeah, they’re also damn fine actors. But those two shacking after making the movie up is an explosion of sexiness that this world was not entirely ready for. And their kids? Holy crap. They’re gonna be so good looking, that to look upon them will induce face-melting the likes we haven’t seen Raiders of the Lost Ark. Just watch this scene. Even when they’re kicking each others asses it’s hot. And it gives way to a wicked hot sex scene. It’s a tame sex scene, but still hot.
6) J. Dawson was a real dude. Told rich chicks he was an artist so he could see them nekkid.
There were many surprises to come out of the film Titanic. Did you know that the ship was real? And really did hit an iceberg? News to me. But more so, there was a real J. Dawson who died on the real Titanic. Still no word on whether he did the nasty in the steamed up backseat of a Renault.
5) Distilled Urine- Nutritious! Delicious! Full of Electro-lytes
Time really told on this one, and it could have been devastating to the plot of Raiders of the Lost Ark had it gone the other way. But luckily for Spielberg and crew… Nazis were dicks.
3) Scott Peterson in Chryo-stasis
We all remember that overlooked gem of an action flick known as Demolition Man. Simon Phoenix, the baddest mother f***er in 1993 gets frozen in a chryo-prison, in hopes for reanimated rehab sometime in the future. So does the cop who caught him, Mr. John Spartan. In 2030, he’s unleashed on the Utopian society known as San Angeles. After going on a murder/death/kill spree, Phoenix decides to unleash the baddest of the bad also in Chryo-prison. You have to overlook the fact that he sets Jeffrey Dahmer free, even though he died a year after the flick was released. Because if you look on the screen with the list of criminals he’s setting free, we see Scott Peterson. Now, in 1993, it was impossible to know that 10 years later Scott Peterson would kill his wife Laci and their unborn baby, but he did. Proving Sylvester Stallone right.
2) Bob Fosse is a psychic- predicts own death 8 years prior to following through with it.
Bob Fosse, one of the hardest working guys in show biz back in his time, directed big budget, Academy award winning/nominated Hollywood movies. But that was his side job. His real job was directing/producing/choreographing/costuming/designing/starring in/ushering big budget Broadway musicals. And after all that… he still found time to pop pills, smoke like a fish, drink like a chimney and have more sex in one night than Paris Hilton has before breakfast. So in 1979, he felt it was necessary to write/direct/produce his own semi-autobiographical film, All That Jazz with Roy Scheider playing the role of Joe Gideon (Fosse). SPOILER ALERT! Gideon dies of a heart attack from all that work, pills, booze, sex and cigarettes. 8 years later, Fosse kicks the bucket, also because of work, pills, booze, sex and cigarettes. Creepy. How’d you like that… to predict your own damn death.
1) San Dimas High School Football does, in fact, rule!
As you may recall, the primary focus of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure was the fact that they had to give a history report, which is why they were traveling through time in the first place. Well, the last half of the flick is cut with scenes of other students giving their oral reports. One of the students was a football player. He was struggling. So gain the favour of the crowd, he calls out “San Dimas High School Football RULES!!” Are we supposed to take his word for it? Up until last year, yes. But then this happened. Undeniable proof that San Dimas High School football is the best ever!
The Empty Theatre 
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