Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Edgar Wright)
A great time, but I found the film's overwhelming ironic detachment a bit much, and robbing the audience of a true emotional stake wrt the relationship between Ramona and Scott. More to come. Stellar supporting cast. Cera's Scott is anonymous and a somewhat vacuous black hole at the center of the film, regardless of whether or not that is the point.
The Official Review Thread of 2010
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Mister Tee
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Yeah, Sabin, your memory's failing you. Damien, Dennis Bee, and to a lesser extent Sonic, were the primary dissenters from a rare general consensus here.Damien wrote:No, not I. I thought it was foolish sentimental slop.Sabin wrote:I recall you liking that film.But despite some occasional nice flashes of humor, the narrative becomes both cliched and incoherent and with all the running around in an apocalyptic landscape, the film ultimately devolves into a hip -- but equally lousy -- version of Children of Men.
No, not I. I thought it was foolish sentimental slop.Sabin wrote:I recall you liking that film.But despite some occasional nice flashes of humor, the narrative becomes both cliched and incoherent and with all the running around in an apocalyptic landscape, the film ultimately devolves into a hip -- but equally lousy -- version of Children of Men.
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
But despite some occasional nice flashes of humor, the narrative becomes both cliched and incoherent and with all the running around in an apocalyptic landscape, the film ultimately devolves into a hip -- but equally lousy -- version of Children of Men.
I recall you liking that film.
"How's the despair?"
Patrik, Age 1.5 (Ella Lemhagen)
Swedish film about a gay couple trying to adopt a baby and ending up with a 15-year-old homophobic delinquent insteas is sentimental, occasionally unnvincingly melodramatic, and predictable. It also has sequences involving societal homophobia which don't seem to ring true in a progressive country like Sweden (maybe I'm being naive here?). And it has, for reasons unknown, some really bad 70s music (Three Dog Night, America). Still, the movie is so filled with a gentle sweetness, as well as warmth and likable characters that I found it ultimately hard to resist.
6/10
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Daybreakers (The Spierig Brothers)
One is immediately struck by how stylish the film is and how cool it looks. But it doesn't take long to realizie, distressingly, that visual elan is about all it has going for it, and even that becomes wearisome. It's unfortunate because there's a good concept at the basis of the picture -- with most of the world now vampires, they're running out of humans to provide blood for them -- one which allows for socio-metaphors such as the real-world evils of multi-national pharmaceuticals and the immorality of the inequitable distribution of resources.
But despite some occasional nice flashes of humor, the narrative becomes both cliched and incoherent and with all the running around in an apocalyptic landscape, the film ultimately devolves into a hip -- but equally lousy -- version of Children of Men.
Sad to see an actor of Ethan Hawke's stature stuck in such a piece of junk -- this is his worst movie other than that SIdney Lumet thing from a few years back. And I adored Claudia Karvan in High Tide two decades ago -- how sad that when I see her for a second time, it's in this.
3/10
Swedish film about a gay couple trying to adopt a baby and ending up with a 15-year-old homophobic delinquent insteas is sentimental, occasionally unnvincingly melodramatic, and predictable. It also has sequences involving societal homophobia which don't seem to ring true in a progressive country like Sweden (maybe I'm being naive here?). And it has, for reasons unknown, some really bad 70s music (Three Dog Night, America). Still, the movie is so filled with a gentle sweetness, as well as warmth and likable characters that I found it ultimately hard to resist.
6/10
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Daybreakers (The Spierig Brothers)
One is immediately struck by how stylish the film is and how cool it looks. But it doesn't take long to realizie, distressingly, that visual elan is about all it has going for it, and even that becomes wearisome. It's unfortunate because there's a good concept at the basis of the picture -- with most of the world now vampires, they're running out of humans to provide blood for them -- one which allows for socio-metaphors such as the real-world evils of multi-national pharmaceuticals and the immorality of the inequitable distribution of resources.
But despite some occasional nice flashes of humor, the narrative becomes both cliched and incoherent and with all the running around in an apocalyptic landscape, the film ultimately devolves into a hip -- but equally lousy -- version of Children of Men.
Sad to see an actor of Ethan Hawke's stature stuck in such a piece of junk -- this is his worst movie other than that SIdney Lumet thing from a few years back. And I adored Claudia Karvan in High Tide two decades ago -- how sad that when I see her for a second time, it's in this.
3/10
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
Eccentricities of a Blonde-haired Girl – Manoel de Oliveira
The amazing de Olivieira keeps going on at 100 years old and wonderfully so (although he may be slowing down a little, as the film is only 64 minutes long).
A wonderful little jewel of a film, it plays like a highly accomplished short story. A wry look at romantic obsession and self-delusion, its one-hour running time is filled with marvelous small moments that are fraught with meaning. Understated as it is, it's nevertheless big emotionally, and compassionately and humorously speaks volumes about human nature, particular the tendency towards obduracy. Very nicely acted -- the lead actor, Ricardo Trêpa, is the director's grandson.
8/10
Edited By Damien on 1281510504
The amazing de Olivieira keeps going on at 100 years old and wonderfully so (although he may be slowing down a little, as the film is only 64 minutes long).
A wonderful little jewel of a film, it plays like a highly accomplished short story. A wry look at romantic obsession and self-delusion, its one-hour running time is filled with marvelous small moments that are fraught with meaning. Understated as it is, it's nevertheless big emotionally, and compassionately and humorously speaks volumes about human nature, particular the tendency towards obduracy. Very nicely acted -- the lead actor, Ricardo Trêpa, is the director's grandson.
8/10
Edited By Damien on 1281510504
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
Eclipse -- David Slade.
Unfortunately it's not as over-the-top romantic as New Moon, it still is a film to be cherished because it’s a big budget 2010 movie that treats love as a Big Deal and the emotions of those in love seriously, kindly and unflinchingly – albeit with an occasional moment of wry humor. The fights between different vampire covens are not nearly as compelling as the expressions of emotion and passion coming from the three leads, but the vampire and werewolf stuff is still pretty cool. The pacing tends to be on the sluggish side, though. Musically, Howard Shore is not up to Alexander Desplat’s high standard.
Kristen Stewart and RPat are hot. Taylor Lautner not so much.
6/10
Unfortunately it's not as over-the-top romantic as New Moon, it still is a film to be cherished because it’s a big budget 2010 movie that treats love as a Big Deal and the emotions of those in love seriously, kindly and unflinchingly – albeit with an occasional moment of wry humor. The fights between different vampire covens are not nearly as compelling as the expressions of emotion and passion coming from the three leads, but the vampire and werewolf stuff is still pretty cool. The pacing tends to be on the sluggish side, though. Musically, Howard Shore is not up to Alexander Desplat’s high standard.
Kristen Stewart and RPat are hot. Taylor Lautner not so much.
6/10
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
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Big Magilla
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It's Ewan McGregor week for me.
The Ghost Writer
We know Roman Polanski is paranoid and with good reason, but while the suspense holds up, the outcome is disappointing.
The thriller stars Ewan McGregor as a writer hired to rewrite the manuscript of an ex-British Prime Minister patterned after Tony Blair now embroiled in an international controversy involving the CIA.
The resolution of the mystery has to do with hidden information in the original manuscript which the CIA is aware of. Why then don't they doctor it or even better, destroy it? This is no Parallex View or 3 Days of the Condor and it certainly isn't another Chinatown.
McGregor does well enough but the best acting is done by Pierce Brosnan and Olivia Williams as the ex-P.M. and his wife. The rest of the cast inlcuding Tom Wilkinson and Kim Cattral has little to do.
Gorgeous cinematography with European locations filling in for rural Massachusetts and New York is a long shot for an Oscar nomination.
Grade: B
I Love You Phillip Morris
Still not released in the U.S. but on DVD in Region 2, this film basically follows the same plot lines as The Informant! in which a con man reminisces about his past. The difference here is that the con man is gay.
Jim Carrey does well enough in the lead, but like most of Carrey's performances it's only surface deep. Ewan McGregor as the lover he meets in jail is better. Also with a nice performance by Lesley Mann as Carrey's ex-wife. Has its moments but it's not award worthy.
Grade B-
The Ghost Writer
We know Roman Polanski is paranoid and with good reason, but while the suspense holds up, the outcome is disappointing.
The thriller stars Ewan McGregor as a writer hired to rewrite the manuscript of an ex-British Prime Minister patterned after Tony Blair now embroiled in an international controversy involving the CIA.
The resolution of the mystery has to do with hidden information in the original manuscript which the CIA is aware of. Why then don't they doctor it or even better, destroy it? This is no Parallex View or 3 Days of the Condor and it certainly isn't another Chinatown.
McGregor does well enough but the best acting is done by Pierce Brosnan and Olivia Williams as the ex-P.M. and his wife. The rest of the cast inlcuding Tom Wilkinson and Kim Cattral has little to do.
Gorgeous cinematography with European locations filling in for rural Massachusetts and New York is a long shot for an Oscar nomination.
Grade: B
I Love You Phillip Morris
Still not released in the U.S. but on DVD in Region 2, this film basically follows the same plot lines as The Informant! in which a con man reminisces about his past. The difference here is that the con man is gay.
Jim Carrey does well enough in the lead, but like most of Carrey's performances it's only surface deep. Ewan McGregor as the lover he meets in jail is better. Also with a nice performance by Lesley Mann as Carrey's ex-wife. Has its moments but it's not award worthy.
Grade B-
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anonymous1980
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THE GHOST WRITER
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton, Tim Preece, James Belushi, Eli Wallach.
Dir: Roman Polanski
One of the drawbacks of being a filmmaker with films like Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby in your resume is that any subsequent film you do will be unfairly compared to them and even if you make a very good film, it may be seen as a disappointment. But I wouldn't call this film a disappointment because it's not as good as Chinatown, it is still a pretty solid film with mostly solid acting all-around. I loved the Alexandre Desplat score.
Oscar Prospects: Deserves Original Score and Adapted Screenplay citations.
Grade: B+
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton, Tim Preece, James Belushi, Eli Wallach.
Dir: Roman Polanski
One of the drawbacks of being a filmmaker with films like Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby in your resume is that any subsequent film you do will be unfairly compared to them and even if you make a very good film, it may be seen as a disappointment. But I wouldn't call this film a disappointment because it's not as good as Chinatown, it is still a pretty solid film with mostly solid acting all-around. I loved the Alexandre Desplat score.
Oscar Prospects: Deserves Original Score and Adapted Screenplay citations.
Grade: B+
Wild Grass (Alain Resnais)
I think I might like this film a little more were Alain Resnais not completely insane. I adore silly tug-of-wars between prospective lovers, and here he has two very good ones. André Dussollier's Georges Palet and Sabine Azéma's Marguerite Muir. Her wallet is stolen, he finds it, and he becomes obsessed with her. There is a vaguely noir-ish touch about a wallet being akin to almost discovering somebody's identity and what does one do with this? She gets her wallet back and then he begins to stalk her. She is put off by this and wants him to leave her alone. Almost immediately after he relents after a series of gross embarrassments and outbursts, she all-but devotes herself to him unconditionally. The two essentially go through a marriage without being together, and in this dynamic I greatly enjoyed the film. Resnais (and his actors) succeed incredibly well at selling this meta-lark as though it is Every Love Story, both parenthetically meta and entirely emotional. Both Marguerite and Georges have resilient fantasy lives, the former as a pilot, the latter possibly as a serial killer. Which one is real? The fantastical past or an inner-life recalled from film or memory? Both seem to be colliding to boiling point, and, when they meet over a cup of coffee, the film achieves something incredibly beautiful. A Movie Love.
And yet beyond this dynamic existing, I don't think Resnais does anything interesting with it. There are myriad meta-touches such as recalling the 20th Century Fox music and flashing FIN on camera during a climactic embrace, and I suppose it's rather pointless to debate the point of such indulgences. I found none to speak of and they entirely pulled me out. For a film of sometimes pleasingly languished pacing in which the weight of the world is placed upon incredibly mundane details, the final act is utterly weightless and the finale would leave you confounded had you still the energy. The Movie Love Resnais aims to realize feels both aching and flippant, which may be the point. It's a miasma of half-baked ideas and wholly-realized mise-en-scene. This is a gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous film. This cannot be stated enough. The earliest sequence with Marguerite losing her wallet is one of the lovely things I have seen in ages. The rest of the film lies in its wake as if Resnais cannot make up his mind as to what he is making.
It's entirely worth seeing for the surfaces and for the ultimately vestigial evocations of Movie Love.
I think I might like this film a little more were Alain Resnais not completely insane. I adore silly tug-of-wars between prospective lovers, and here he has two very good ones. André Dussollier's Georges Palet and Sabine Azéma's Marguerite Muir. Her wallet is stolen, he finds it, and he becomes obsessed with her. There is a vaguely noir-ish touch about a wallet being akin to almost discovering somebody's identity and what does one do with this? She gets her wallet back and then he begins to stalk her. She is put off by this and wants him to leave her alone. Almost immediately after he relents after a series of gross embarrassments and outbursts, she all-but devotes herself to him unconditionally. The two essentially go through a marriage without being together, and in this dynamic I greatly enjoyed the film. Resnais (and his actors) succeed incredibly well at selling this meta-lark as though it is Every Love Story, both parenthetically meta and entirely emotional. Both Marguerite and Georges have resilient fantasy lives, the former as a pilot, the latter possibly as a serial killer. Which one is real? The fantastical past or an inner-life recalled from film or memory? Both seem to be colliding to boiling point, and, when they meet over a cup of coffee, the film achieves something incredibly beautiful. A Movie Love.
And yet beyond this dynamic existing, I don't think Resnais does anything interesting with it. There are myriad meta-touches such as recalling the 20th Century Fox music and flashing FIN on camera during a climactic embrace, and I suppose it's rather pointless to debate the point of such indulgences. I found none to speak of and they entirely pulled me out. For a film of sometimes pleasingly languished pacing in which the weight of the world is placed upon incredibly mundane details, the final act is utterly weightless and the finale would leave you confounded had you still the energy. The Movie Love Resnais aims to realize feels both aching and flippant, which may be the point. It's a miasma of half-baked ideas and wholly-realized mise-en-scene. This is a gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous film. This cannot be stated enough. The earliest sequence with Marguerite losing her wallet is one of the lovely things I have seen in ages. The rest of the film lies in its wake as if Resnais cannot make up his mind as to what he is making.
It's entirely worth seeing for the surfaces and for the ultimately vestigial evocations of Movie Love.
"How's the despair?"
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anonymous1980
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SALT
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schrieber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl, Andre Braugher, Olek Krupa.
Dir: Philip Noyce.
This film is pretty much an amalgamation of many, many similar action-thriller-chase-spy films like the Bourne movies and The Fugitive. The only difference of course is the gender of the protagonist, a woman in this case. As spy of the title role, Angelina Jolie delivers a pretty damn good performance which elevates the otherwise unremarkable and at times silly script. The film is overall entertaining but ultimately far from amazing.
Oscar Prospects: If it turns out to be a VERY weak year for actresses, Angelina Jolie might have an outside chance at Best Actress but even in a weak year, that's pushing it.
Grade: C+
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schrieber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl, Andre Braugher, Olek Krupa.
Dir: Philip Noyce.
This film is pretty much an amalgamation of many, many similar action-thriller-chase-spy films like the Bourne movies and The Fugitive. The only difference of course is the gender of the protagonist, a woman in this case. As spy of the title role, Angelina Jolie delivers a pretty damn good performance which elevates the otherwise unremarkable and at times silly script. The film is overall entertaining but ultimately far from amazing.
Oscar Prospects: If it turns out to be a VERY weak year for actresses, Angelina Jolie might have an outside chance at Best Actress but even in a weak year, that's pushing it.
Grade: C+
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anonymous1980
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INCEPTION
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, Tom Berenger, Dileep Rao, Lukas Haas, Pete Postlethwaite, Talulah Riley.
Dir: Christopher Nolan.
I try to lower my expectations significantly but goshdarnit, this film is simply one of the best of the year. Writer-director Christopher Nolan crafts what's probably his masterpiece (yes, I like it better than The Dark Knight and I like The Dark Knight a lot). A marvelous, complicated film may be filled with plot and expository dialogue but even then, the film grips you with its thrills, visuals and the central human drama involving the character of Leonardo DiCaprio. This film felt like a feature length, action movie version of a section of Luis Bunuel's The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeousie. And to me, that's a wonderful thing.
Oscar Prospects: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound and Best Sound Editing are all within reach. Maybe Supporting Actress for Cotillard?
Grade: A-
Edited By anonymous on 1279385252
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, Tom Berenger, Dileep Rao, Lukas Haas, Pete Postlethwaite, Talulah Riley.
Dir: Christopher Nolan.
I try to lower my expectations significantly but goshdarnit, this film is simply one of the best of the year. Writer-director Christopher Nolan crafts what's probably his masterpiece (yes, I like it better than The Dark Knight and I like The Dark Knight a lot). A marvelous, complicated film may be filled with plot and expository dialogue but even then, the film grips you with its thrills, visuals and the central human drama involving the character of Leonardo DiCaprio. This film felt like a feature length, action movie version of a section of Luis Bunuel's The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeousie. And to me, that's a wonderful thing.
Oscar Prospects: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound and Best Sound Editing are all within reach. Maybe Supporting Actress for Cotillard?
Grade: A-
Edited By anonymous on 1279385252
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anonymous1980
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PREDATORS
Cast: Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Laurence Fishburne, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Danny Trejo, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali.
Dir: Nimrod Antal.
This film's greatest sin is that it's pretty much a derivative (the original Predator) of a derivative (which is in itself is pretty derivative from Alien). However, for what it is, it's pretty damn solid entertainment. Although Adrien Brody is not QUITE convincing as someone who's supposed to be badass military guy, he does try his best. The supporting cast is also above average especially Laurence Fishburne who was fun to watch in his smallish role.
Oscar Prospects: Maybe for Sound Editing.
Grade: B-
Cast: Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Laurence Fishburne, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Danny Trejo, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali.
Dir: Nimrod Antal.
This film's greatest sin is that it's pretty much a derivative (the original Predator) of a derivative (which is in itself is pretty derivative from Alien). However, for what it is, it's pretty damn solid entertainment. Although Adrien Brody is not QUITE convincing as someone who's supposed to be badass military guy, he does try his best. The supporting cast is also above average especially Laurence Fishburne who was fun to watch in his smallish role.
Oscar Prospects: Maybe for Sound Editing.
Grade: B-