Running Tally - Part 11

November was kind of a crummy month in general but in terms of movie seeing, it was pretty productive. I added 9 to the tally which brings me just 6 short of my goal with a mere 31 days left. I just have to find six mildly interesting films between now and New Years and I will never have to strive to see 100 movies in a year again. Overall it has been good for the movies. Even the films I didn't like were still pretty damn good. Only two films were outright disasters in my opinion. And in addition, and renewing my sapped strength was the best film of the year, the odd yet powerful Synecdoche, New York. I rambled in my praise but let me just say I saw it four times in as many days. And I'll see it at least once more before year's end no doubt. Let's take a look at November in the movies:

Rachel Getting Married - despite some powerful performances I was underwhelmed by this film. It could have risen above and beyond. I was also a bit exhausted by the long and unnecessary love fest moments.

RocknRolla - Not as fresh as his first brit gangster films and in fact highly derivative but nevertheless there was a certain amount of charm and likability to the film. Diverting if nothing else.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno - at times really funny, at times a little to explicitly gross for me. Overall a charming film in the Judd Apatow new style of gross out comedy/sweet romance.

What Just Happened - disaster of a parody of a Hollywood producer played by DeNiro. Though slightly refreshing to have him not play a tough guy, the film just failed to deliver anything interesting.

Quantum of Solace - Jason Bourne should be Jason Borne and James Bond should be James Bond. I didn't think that after Casino Royale but after this mess I think the new direction might be a mistake. Maybe its just not being done well. CGI was laughable, laughable.

Transporter 3 - admittedly a guilty pleasure, not a good film by any stretch of the imagination.

JCVD - not a great film by any means but definitely had its odd moments. Somewhat intriguing self reflection by an aging b movie action star.

Happy Go Lucky - (review forthcoming) still haven't decided on this one, may need to rewatch.

Synecdoche, New York - how many ways can I say best film I've seen all year? Late in the movie a man playing a priest at a funeral gives a monolog that floors me every time.

"Everything is more complicated than you think. You only see a tenth of what is true. There are a million little strings attached to every choice you make. You can destroy your life every time you choose. But maybe you won't know for twenty years! And you may never ever trace it to its source. And you only get one chance to play it out. Just try and figure out your own divorce...

And they say there's no fate, but there is, it's what you create. And even though the world goes on for eons and eons, you are only here for a fraction of a fraction of a second. Most of your time is spent being dead, or not yet born. But while alive, you wait in vain wasting years for a phone call or a letter or a look from someone or something to make it all right, but it never comes. Or it seems to, but it doesn't really.

So you spend you time in vague regret or vaguer hope that something good will come along, something to make you feel connected, something to make you feel cherished, something to make you feel loved. And the truth is is, I feel so angry! And the truth is, I feel so fucking sad! And the truth is, I've felt so fucking hurt for so fucking long and for just as long, I've been pretending I'm okay, just to get along!

I don't know why. Maybe because...no one wants to hear about my misery...because they have their own. Well, fuck everybody. Amen."

That is the movie in capsule. The scene is cathartic. That scene makes a pretty great movie a unbelievable movie.

And so November ends pretty good. But what you really all came to see. Meaningless statistics.

Films Remaining: 6
Days Remaining (As of December 1): 31
Average Number of Films per Day to achieve goal: 0.19
Average Number of Films per Week to Achieve Goal: 1.2