On this the 29th day of December, 2008, I am here to report that last night I watched my 100th film in the theater and have no accomplished the goal I set out to complete way back in 2005. I never again will have to force myself to watch a movie just to get the numbers. I don't need to worry about seeing 9 films a month or if I fail in one month have to worry about seeing 12 films in a month. The final four which I have yet to write reviews for because I've been extraordinarily lazy this past week or so are
Slumdog Millionaire - a charming and competent but not great film, the music was a lot of fun
Milk - Acting superb, Milk's homelife kind of boring. One of those important stories that I think needs to be told that somehow manages to be a very underwhelming film
Curious Case of Benjamin Button - honestly, I still am not entirely sure about this one. I liked it, just not sure how much or why.
Valkyrie - Well some times you end on a high note, sometimes you watch a Tom Cruise suck fest.
And finally some truly meaningless statistics:
Films Remaining: 0
Days Remaining: 3
Average Number of Films per Day to achieve goal: 0
Average Number of Films per Week to Achieve Goal: 0
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Let the Right One In
To say that Let the Right One In is one of the best vampire movies I have ever seen probably doesn't distinguish it that much. I mean there isn't exactly a long list of incredibly well done vampire films out there. (I fully expect an objection from Brad on that). Still beyond Murnau's Nosferatu, I can't think of a vampire movie I really enjoyed. (And truthfully that film underwhelmed me since I had already read Bram Stoker's Dracula). But what makes it remarkable is not that it is a good vampire film but rather that it is a surprisingly deep, intimate, sad and yes charming love story.
Oskar is a lonely boy. He lives with his mother and faces pretty disturbing abuse from one of the school bullies. When we meet him he is pantomiming a revenge sequence. He sees a strange night arrival through his window. The next night as he plays alone he meets Eli. She immediately warns him off from being his friend. To be sure a strange warning. As we continue to follow what happens to Oskar, each night Eli returns and they begin to connect in a strange way. There really isn't much that isn't well done here.
The film doesn't play with the vampire rules formula as many films do. Vampires can not go out in sunlight for instance. There is no explanation of how Eli became a vampire or how exactly her helper/slave?/relative? came to the job he holds in the film. There isn't really any expository dialog because the reality is one doesn't find a lot of expository dialog in real life. But that just made the film more intriguing. The unanswered questions make the story more interesting.
As I said there is a sad loneliness in Oskar and an equally sad loneliness in Eli. And their romance is equal parts first young love and completely sincere largely non-sexualized love. All this to a rather abysmal backdrop of a snowcapped Swedish town. It isn't just a story of a sad little boy or the story of a sad little girl, or just the story of a vampire or even an innocent love story. Its all of these things quite beautifully mixed together. And frankly I was charmed by it.
This isn't to say the film doesn't know how to show some teeth (no pun intended) when it needs to. There is a fair amount of blood, death and spontaneous combustion. All done well. I would honestly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of vampires, profoundly beautiful love stories and introspective looks at the outcasts of life. If you are a fan of all three, well sir or madam, I think you just hit the jackpot.
Oskar is a lonely boy. He lives with his mother and faces pretty disturbing abuse from one of the school bullies. When we meet him he is pantomiming a revenge sequence. He sees a strange night arrival through his window. The next night as he plays alone he meets Eli. She immediately warns him off from being his friend. To be sure a strange warning. As we continue to follow what happens to Oskar, each night Eli returns and they begin to connect in a strange way. There really isn't much that isn't well done here.
The film doesn't play with the vampire rules formula as many films do. Vampires can not go out in sunlight for instance. There is no explanation of how Eli became a vampire or how exactly her helper/slave?/relative? came to the job he holds in the film. There isn't really any expository dialog because the reality is one doesn't find a lot of expository dialog in real life. But that just made the film more intriguing. The unanswered questions make the story more interesting.
As I said there is a sad loneliness in Oskar and an equally sad loneliness in Eli. And their romance is equal parts first young love and completely sincere largely non-sexualized love. All this to a rather abysmal backdrop of a snowcapped Swedish town. It isn't just a story of a sad little boy or the story of a sad little girl, or just the story of a vampire or even an innocent love story. Its all of these things quite beautifully mixed together. And frankly I was charmed by it.
This isn't to say the film doesn't know how to show some teeth (no pun intended) when it needs to. There is a fair amount of blood, death and spontaneous combustion. All done well. I would honestly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of vampires, profoundly beautiful love stories and introspective looks at the outcasts of life. If you are a fan of all three, well sir or madam, I think you just hit the jackpot.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
An Affair to Remember
Each year as a supposed "treat" to the countless supporters of a certain local indie theater, the show a couple of films for free. These classic films are supposed to satisfy our appetite for the great films of the past so that for another year it can subject me to the worst in Roger Corman or Lucio Fulci 80s Horror dreck. Suffice to say the whole treat angers me but I can't exactly refuse to go out of protest since I would then miss a cinematic classic. I'll just bitterly complain about the whole thing where they will never know about it. I hear that's how things get changed.
This year's treat was An Affair to Remember. The 1957 classic starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Despite a questionable set up (I mean the cheating not the romance on a boat) this film quickly charms you into submission. Grant and Kerr are wonderful on screen together and you start rooting for them quickly. She doesn't love the man she is with so why shouldn't she pursue love with this new guy? And he has been aimlessly wondering for years between women looking for the one who will finally cause him to fall in love.
The two agree to meet in six months if they still care about one another on top of the Empire State Building. As you might expect from a romantic comedy, something comes up that prevents our lovers from reuniting and much of the remainder of the film is concerned with following them as they try to live their lives. Suffice to say it would take a rather heartless person not to be moved by the final scene between Kerr and Grant. Spoiler alert: It has a happy ending.
You really come out of it with a smile on your face and Grant and Kerr are personable and have great screen chemistry. You really can't miss with this for a nice pleasant romance.
This year's treat was An Affair to Remember. The 1957 classic starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Despite a questionable set up (I mean the cheating not the romance on a boat) this film quickly charms you into submission. Grant and Kerr are wonderful on screen together and you start rooting for them quickly. She doesn't love the man she is with so why shouldn't she pursue love with this new guy? And he has been aimlessly wondering for years between women looking for the one who will finally cause him to fall in love.
The two agree to meet in six months if they still care about one another on top of the Empire State Building. As you might expect from a romantic comedy, something comes up that prevents our lovers from reuniting and much of the remainder of the film is concerned with following them as they try to live their lives. Suffice to say it would take a rather heartless person not to be moved by the final scene between Kerr and Grant. Spoiler alert: It has a happy ending.
You really come out of it with a smile on your face and Grant and Kerr are personable and have great screen chemistry. You really can't miss with this for a nice pleasant romance.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
The Best...so far
I can't say with any certainty that this list won't change. Since there are any number of movies I yet want to see before the end of the year but of the 94 films I saw in theater this year these were my favorites (discluding the older films I got a chance to see on the big screen or the films that were technically 2007 releases).
Synecdoche, New York - best film I saw all year, have seen it five times, it gets me ever time, it gets deeper with each viewing. Stand out performance by Hoffman as usual but also great performances from Dianne Weist and others.
The remaining films are in no particular order:
Encounters at the End of the World - a Herzog documentary is always an experience (see: Grizzly Man) and this one is no exception. The way in which it delves into those deep eternal questions and reflects a variety of answers none of which is THE answer is quite beautiful and sublime. One of the high points for a year of documentaries
Man on Wire - You will be sucked in by Phillipe Petit and his drive to accomplish his dream even at the expense of loved ones and friends. Very compelling.
Gonzo - you don't even have to be a fan of Hunter S. Thompson to find this film about him and his unique contribution to history. There is also a heartfelt anger from his ex-wife that his suicide was not strength but weakness.
Moving Midway - History as local history has never been so intimate and compelling. It also combines history of film and ties a white family to its black relatives who were descended from slaves. This all to the back drop of watching the feat of moving an old plantation from one location to another.
Frozen River - two words: Melissa Leo. She stuns you in the opening minutes and never stops the whole movie.
Edge of Heaven - surprisingly moving and intricate story about various German Turkish people as the struggle with everything from religious persecution to family problems.
Vicky Christina Barcelona - more like a series of vignettes than a full movie but each one is fascinating to watch. The manner in which Woody Allen breaks up the narrative with a narrator to advance the story was effective on me and I typically hate voice over.
Special Mention: Reprise
I can't say this was my favorite because I was somewhat critical of it when I saw it but I've been coming back and thinking about it several times in the past few days and wishing I could see it again. I suspect I liked it more than I thought I did.
Synecdoche, New York - best film I saw all year, have seen it five times, it gets me ever time, it gets deeper with each viewing. Stand out performance by Hoffman as usual but also great performances from Dianne Weist and others.
The remaining films are in no particular order:
Encounters at the End of the World - a Herzog documentary is always an experience (see: Grizzly Man) and this one is no exception. The way in which it delves into those deep eternal questions and reflects a variety of answers none of which is THE answer is quite beautiful and sublime. One of the high points for a year of documentaries
Man on Wire - You will be sucked in by Phillipe Petit and his drive to accomplish his dream even at the expense of loved ones and friends. Very compelling.
Gonzo - you don't even have to be a fan of Hunter S. Thompson to find this film about him and his unique contribution to history. There is also a heartfelt anger from his ex-wife that his suicide was not strength but weakness.
Moving Midway - History as local history has never been so intimate and compelling. It also combines history of film and ties a white family to its black relatives who were descended from slaves. This all to the back drop of watching the feat of moving an old plantation from one location to another.
Frozen River - two words: Melissa Leo. She stuns you in the opening minutes and never stops the whole movie.
Edge of Heaven - surprisingly moving and intricate story about various German Turkish people as the struggle with everything from religious persecution to family problems.
Vicky Christina Barcelona - more like a series of vignettes than a full movie but each one is fascinating to watch. The manner in which Woody Allen breaks up the narrative with a narrator to advance the story was effective on me and I typically hate voice over.
Special Mention: Reprise
I can't say this was my favorite because I was somewhat critical of it when I saw it but I've been coming back and thinking about it several times in the past few days and wishing I could see it again. I suspect I liked it more than I thought I did.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Waiting it out
Patience is a virtue I'm pretty sure I don't have. My hands are shaking from the desire to complete the final six movies of my long (seemingly interminable) goal to see one hundred movies in one year. To those who think that isn't so difficult you may be right but I'm not a full time film reviewer and time and money are both considerable costs to consider. Since 2004 when I first realized that I had come within 25 or so films of the elusive 100, I have been trying to attain said magic number. Now with victory all but assured (and I suppose due to my confidence destined to fail), I want each of the final six to be worth the price of admission.
Here is what I'd like the final six to be but since a fair number of them are only limited release and most of my time this month will be in cities that never get limited release films, I may have to settle for slightly less.
The Wrestler - The Fountain may have been one of the biggest pieces of indulgent auteur crap I have ever seen but Aronofsky also made Requiem for a Dream which in terms of the relating the harsh reality of drug use, I've seen few better pieces of evidence. It was not a movie for one emotionally durable enough to watch utter personal destruction. And the man who made that film, in my opinion, can probably deliver on an emotional story of an aging "wrestler". Plus Mickey Rourke by all reports gives one hell of a performance. Add Marisa Tomei who pleasantly surprised me last year in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and I'd say my interest is peaked.
The Brothers Bloom - Rian Johnson's first film was the amazingly good update of noir films in a modern day high school (Brick) starring the continually impressive Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Second films have of course a certain notoriety of not living up to the promise of the first, still I'm giving it a chance.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - This I can't entirely explain. I've never been that keen on David Fincher as a director. Brad Pitt is generally disparaged as an actor but there have been several times in his career that he took on serious roles that genuinely impressed me. Most recently his turn as Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was frankly quite good (a claim I know a few will contest).
Revolutionary Road - Just reading the description this sounds like its right up my alley. Sam Mendes is hit or miss with me but Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet is a pretty undeniable acting duo. And how can you look at the below image and not get goose bumps? Are you heartless? (Apologies to all those without cinematic hearts)
Doubt - Basically because of Philip Seymour Hoffman who never fails to perform. Meryl Streep will no doubt be amazing as well.
Gran Torino - Last year, Eastwood released two films, the much maligned Flags of Our Fathers and the much better received Letters from Iwo Jima. I saw the latter and thought it was okay. This year Eastwood released the much "blahed" Changeling and soon this film. Oh and I didn't see any other film that looks to be released this year that had any real interest for me.
I should say this list is of future releases and I am definitely interested in seeing several films that have already been released that have yet to come to this area.
And I can only assume a series of seemingly random yet wacky events will occur in the next few weeks which will prevent me from accomplishing my goal. You know because Fate can be a bastard that way. Although I am somewhat looking forward to a period in my life that eerily resembles a sitcom. For the record: Synecdoche, New York? Seen it five times now. Is it that good? to me? Yes.
Here is what I'd like the final six to be but since a fair number of them are only limited release and most of my time this month will be in cities that never get limited release films, I may have to settle for slightly less.
The Wrestler - The Fountain may have been one of the biggest pieces of indulgent auteur crap I have ever seen but Aronofsky also made Requiem for a Dream which in terms of the relating the harsh reality of drug use, I've seen few better pieces of evidence. It was not a movie for one emotionally durable enough to watch utter personal destruction. And the man who made that film, in my opinion, can probably deliver on an emotional story of an aging "wrestler". Plus Mickey Rourke by all reports gives one hell of a performance. Add Marisa Tomei who pleasantly surprised me last year in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and I'd say my interest is peaked.
The Brothers Bloom - Rian Johnson's first film was the amazingly good update of noir films in a modern day high school (Brick) starring the continually impressive Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Second films have of course a certain notoriety of not living up to the promise of the first, still I'm giving it a chance.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - This I can't entirely explain. I've never been that keen on David Fincher as a director. Brad Pitt is generally disparaged as an actor but there have been several times in his career that he took on serious roles that genuinely impressed me. Most recently his turn as Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was frankly quite good (a claim I know a few will contest).
Revolutionary Road - Just reading the description this sounds like its right up my alley. Sam Mendes is hit or miss with me but Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet is a pretty undeniable acting duo. And how can you look at the below image and not get goose bumps? Are you heartless? (Apologies to all those without cinematic hearts)
Doubt - Basically because of Philip Seymour Hoffman who never fails to perform. Meryl Streep will no doubt be amazing as well.
Gran Torino - Last year, Eastwood released two films, the much maligned Flags of Our Fathers and the much better received Letters from Iwo Jima. I saw the latter and thought it was okay. This year Eastwood released the much "blahed" Changeling and soon this film. Oh and I didn't see any other film that looks to be released this year that had any real interest for me.
I should say this list is of future releases and I am definitely interested in seeing several films that have already been released that have yet to come to this area.
And I can only assume a series of seemingly random yet wacky events will occur in the next few weeks which will prevent me from accomplishing my goal. You know because Fate can be a bastard that way. Although I am somewhat looking forward to a period in my life that eerily resembles a sitcom. For the record: Synecdoche, New York? Seen it five times now. Is it that good? to me? Yes.