Here, for those who care, is my rough top 10 of the year, and a wee bit about them
1) Moon
For a debut, and in the genre of science fiction, Duncan 'Zooey Bowie' Jones crafted an absolute masterpiece. The film was written for Sam Rockwell, and he gives nothing but a fantastic performance that had me in awe for the whole film. A beautifully fresh, yet not noticeably unoriginal, science fiction film.
2) The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelows movie gives a shockingly stark view of modern warfare. Jeremy Renner's Sgt James is a fantastically arrogant man with guts to boot, a perfect character. Several fantastic scenes with magnificent cinematography all round.
3) Star Trek
I'm going to start by saying I don't like Star Trek. But J J Abrams reboot is well worth its salt. Chris Pine's Kirk is hilarious. And that opening scene has me blubbing every time I watch it.
4) Drag Me To Hell
Sam Raimi tearing it up when returning to horror. One of the few films I paid to see more than once at the cinema this year, due to the intense grip of it's atmospheric horror. Some laughs, plenty screams. Everything you could ever want in a horror.
5) Up!
Do I really have to explain this? Heartwarming, and Pixar's masterpiece (in my opinion)
6) Watchmen
The comic book movie to end all comic book movies. I'm talking specifically of the Ultimate cut, with everything from the amazingly crafted graphic novel adaptation in all of it's glory. Some slightly wooden acting, but barely noticeable behind Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earl Haley's amazing performances.
7) In The Loop
Malcolm Tucker: "Climbing the mountain of conflict"? You sounded like a Nazi Julie Andrews!
Malcolm Tucker: Does that not fit within your purview, Marie Antoinette? Why don't you just scuttle off back to fucking Cranford and play around with your tea and your cakes and your fucking horse cocks. Let them eat cock!
Nuff said.
8) District 9
I'm so glad that this wasn't the Halo movie. Sharlto Copley makes this film, and one of the characters of the year, in Wikus, the loveable South African council worker, forced to deal with alien relocation, and transformation. Such an amazing debut feature from Neill Blomkamp, look forward to seeing his work in the future.
9) A Serious Man
The Coen brothers have the opportunity to make any film they want, so they make a 'not autobiographical, promise' film about a Jewish community, and particularly one man's involvement in it all. Michael Stuhlbarg plays the amazing Larry Gopnik, who never seems to be able to finish a sentence. Perfectly crafted film about fate, karma, and all that jazz!
10) Zombieland
There was a toss-up for spot number ten, with Inglorious Basterds, Fantastic Mr Fox and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. And a few others. But Zombieland made it from it's ability to bring me a stupendously awesome zombie movie, which I always crave!
Honorable mentions to Christoph Waltz for Hans Landa, the Jew Hunter. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt's dancing. And Rush, for their contributions to I Love You, Man.
Before I start, I'd like to point out that I loved Juno. I watched it about 8 times in a week, once. It is hilarious, mostly due to Diablo Cody's ability to write snappy dialogue full of portmanteau words from the top of her head, and Ellen Page's ability to deliver them.
When I heard that Diablo Cody was writing a horror movie, and it would star Megan Fox (who's so hot right now...in both ways) I got a little excited. I envisaged a movie as sharp as Juno but those sharp words stabbing teenagers in the face/guts, and repeatedly.
What I got when I saw Jennifers Body was a movie as sharp as Juno but those sharp words stabbing teenagers in the face/guts, and repeatedly. Turns out it just makes for a worse movie than my head imagined.
Starring Amanda Seyfried, fresh from Abba butchering, as Needy, the ying to Jennifer's (Fox) yang. They are a pair of BFF's, they even have necklaces saying so, that attend school together but lead very different lives. Jennifer is a temptress who sleeps with a police cadet and pretty much anyone else, while Needy is a quiet nerdy girl with a quiet nerdy boyfriend Chip.
The film creates it's eponymous antagonist when she is put under a curse turning her into a maneater. Literally. After spooking Needy with her visceral vomiting, Jennifer freaks out the whole community of Devil's Kettle by leaving a string of half chewed bodies, making national news broadcast a cannibal is the loose, all the while a band that played the night Jennifer got cursed get slowly more famous (no prizes for guessing what happened there).
In fact, the statement in my last paranthesis applies to the whole movie. The plot is incredibly predictable, and the opening sequenuintaiteuins the last 20 minutes of the movie by showing you the fate of certain characters. There are some decent punches of dialogue, but I felt Diablo Cody had blown her load halfway through the movie and the Codyisms stop, or at least just stop being noticable.
I'd like to congratulate Diablo for her taste in music, with a Gallows poster adorning Jennifers wall, and Chip being obsessed with Motion City Soundtrack, but neither of the bands make it onto the soundtrack. Instead a mix of Florence and the Machine, and the fictional band Devils Shoulders signature American alt rock track filter out all respect I had in Diablos taste. I'm glad Diablo didn't leap on the chance to have Megan Fox dancing sexily to Nelly Furtado's 'Maneater'
though.
I'd not say Jennifers Body isn't worth seeing. I mean, it's not
Lesbian Vampire Killers, it's still a relatively decent horror movie,
and has some steamy lesbian scenes to keep people interested, and
plenty giggles. It's just not Juno meets Halloween as I hoped.
Here is a quote from Wikipedia: "it grossed more than $60.8 million in 17 days, surpassing the Dawn of the Dead remake to become the top-grossing zombie film in history". Nuff said? Maybe not.
I went to see Zombieland, honestly expecting a dull Shaun of the Dead rip-off, considering the blurb for the movie itself says the writers, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, were inspired to write the movie by Shaun of the Dead itself. What I got was a hilarious and frankly original zombie movie, which comfortably contends for my film of the year.
Zombieland stars Woody Harrelson and Jesse "I'm not Andy Samburg or Michael Cera, honest" Eisenberg, and tells the story of a road trip across America, aiming for Columbus' (Eisenberg) hometown. Along the way, Columbus and Talahassee (Harrelson) meet Wichita and Little Rock (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) in several locations, usually ending in the gentlemen being mugged. If you're wondering about the names, all characters are named after their home towns, they don't share first names in order to not care about each other.
The film has some fantastic ideas to put forward, my favourite being Talahassee's enjoyment in killing zombies, and also (as seen in the trailer) 'Zombie Kill of the Week'. It is a fantastic zombie movie, containing some incredible gore. Columbus' use of rules for surviving the zombie apocalypse are not overused, and you often forget them until the typical indie 'freezeframe with writing on the screen' is used.
Also, the amazing uncredited cameo doesn't quite make the movie, but it certainly adds interest to the slowest segment of film. There are also a lot of remarkabley guessable twists, and the ending is predictable. But on the other, larger, hand, there are plenty laughs, more than your average comedy at the moment.
This morning I watched Memories of Murder, a 2003 drama (dramedy in parts) about the murders of several young girls in South Korea. Directed by Bong Joon-Ho, better known for 2006's The Host, it is based on the true events of a spate of 10 similar murders in the late 1980's.
Firstly, I should point out I was directed towards this film by Edgar Wright, and as he described it as "criminally unseen", I felt I should check it out.
It stars Joon-Ho regular Song Kang-Ho, whom you may recognise as the father in The Host, or as a vampire in Park Chan-wook's Thirst. Kang-Ho absolutely commands the screen, putting in an unforgettable performance, going as far as including a fantastic drop-kick. The support cast is also phenomenal. Kim Sang-Kyung is excellent as the cold Detective Seo, and Kim Roe-ha gives an attention grabbing performance as the aggresive Detective Cho.
I can also not talk about this film without mentioning the cinematography. It is filled with stunning, silent long shots of the paddys, which are the site for some of the murders. There are lots of haunting shots of the detectives from afar, implanting a fear that the killer is constantly one step ahead, and almost definitely still on the prowl. One particularly memorable scene follows a girl walking along an overgrown path, with shots from all angles, providing instant paranoia. Another scene that spring to mind include a shocking violent outburst in a restaurant, which left me with my mouth gaping.
This is, without a doubt, an absolute masterpiece. I am shocked at myself for not instantly looking for it after seeing The Host, as I also love that film. Everything about Memories of Murder is fantastic, and it has rather fantastically smashed it's way into my favourite films of all time.
So I'm back...my *cough* hectic lifestyle has prevented me from blogging.
Also all ive watched for about two months has been Battlestar Galactica.
3D is back and it's no longer red and blue. It's now grey and blurry. And fantastic!
Monsters vs aliens is the first film I've seen in tru3D and it won't be the last. And I won't just ban obaviyt the 3D because it's an awesome film to boot. It's a cgi comedy about a team of imprisoned monsters who are called upon to defend earth against an alien threat. Among them are a blue brainless blob named Bob (Seth Rogan), a mutated cockroach genius (Hugh Laurie) and a 50-foot woman (Reece Witherspoon). The 5 monsters together bounce off each other excellently and constantly provide laughs. Backed up by a dimwit president and cliché army general, belly laughs come from all the characters quick and often. And unlike many childrens cgi movies (excluding pixar) it's not thin on adult material. It's nature being based on classic horror monsters means referential puns and set pieces provide a platform for adult enjoyment, as well as a few tit jokes. There's no cheesy love story, in fact it's very 'bros before hos' in it's morals.
I would recommend it to everyone, especially in 3D (there is nothig more satisfying than seeing a cinema full of people dodge a meteor), although there aren't many sequences that require 3D enhancement but it's alot of fun and worth the extra pound!
I haven't blogged this year yet, but I've watched many a movie over the festive period.
First up, I watched The Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky's latest outing. Starring Mickey Rourke and Evan Rachel Wood, The Wrestler is the story of an ex-'professional' wrestler who, twenty years after his popularity has waned, still performs at galas and demonstrations in school. He suffers a heart attack and is told he should no longer wrestle, and the film focusses on his attempts to lead a regular life.
Mickey Rourke is a mess, and this film is evident of that. His character, Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, is clearly a mirror into his own life of failing careers, depression but all covered with deep ambition to still be a star. This film is heavily emotional on Mickey Rourke's part, and was apparently hard to watch on set because watching Rourke breakdown in a scene was as hard as watching him breakdown in real life. It's a simple film, not much happens and there is no real overiding story to it beyond The Ram wanting to wrestle. The main emotion comes from Randy's relationship with his estranged daughter, and I hate to say it but Evan Rachel Wood's terrible acting ruins all the excellent acting Rourke throws at her.
Randy's story is paralleled by Cassidy's, an aging stripper who is heading towards retirement. Her situation opposes Randy's sense of feeling lost, as she has sorted her finances. Randy and Cassidy spark up a relationship in the oddest sense, it goes nowhere but you know they are there for one another, and despite what many people have said, I believed there was excellent chemistry between the pair of them.
Oscar nods and major hype is building up around this film, and rightly so. I'm not gonna throw the word masterpiece at it but it's a fantastic film.
The other film I watched and throughly enjoyed was The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. David Fincher, of Zodiac and Seven, has crafted this epic movie from a short story by F Scott Fitzgerald. It tells of Benjamin Button, a man who is born old and ages backwards.
Brad Pitt plays the eponymous character, and boy can that man act. This opportunity to act at all ages has blossomed him and given him the opportunity to really show off his skills in front of a camera. Supported by Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett, this film is wonderful. With lashings of Forrest Gump, this film is fantastic for everyone. A bit too much sex for the youngest audiences, maybe, is the only disappointing thing about the film, and I don't even have kids I want to show it too. This film deserves to be a staple viewing for anyone, in a 'You haven't seen The Goonies/Scarface?' kind of manner. (I'd like to point out I haven't seen Scarface. Or The Godfathers.)
I urge everyone to see this film, I'm not going to give you a synopsis as it's nigh on three hours long. He ages backwards, that's it. It's wonderful. If you can, take a lass or a bairn. It's romantic, it's funny, it's dramatic and it's just AWESOME. I love love love this film.
Eden Lake is a 2008 british horror movie and it is without a doubt on of the most shockingly fantastic horror movies I've ever seen. British horror is on the up again. Hammer ruled the screens but then we started churning out utter shit, handing the torch to the masters of horror in America, the Carpenters and Cravens, but we've recently been drilling it back. Creep and The Descent were fantastic shockfests, and arguably started a revolution in British horror and now we're riding high again.
Eden Lake is about a young couple who decide to go camping by a resevoir that is soon to be turned into an upmarket estate. They begin arguing with a gang of teenagers that are terrorising other local children but the argument turns bloody.
The horror that follows is some of the grittiest and most disturbing I've ever seen. The use of children as antagonists certainly causes this but the ruthlessness and fantastic acting that they boast is another major player in my enjoyment of this film. It ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to cliché but there is nothing wrong with that in horror, and it constantly remains scary. It blends classic 'chased by a bad guy' horror with the gorno of this century, with brutal scenes of torture.
If you like horror, watch Eden Lake, it's nasty.
Finally, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen's newest film. This film is famous as 'the film Scarlett Johannsen and Penelope Cruz get lesbian' in, but I feel it is, not a lot, more than that.
Over the last 10 or 15 years, Woody Allen has made some shit. Some REAL shit. Considering his past in crafting some absolute masterpieces, he has dropped in standard drastically. This film is a great offering, a rare great offering, from him. 2005's Match Point was probably his last good, but before that there was nothing. He's certainly on the rise, I hope.
It tells the story of two friends who travel to Spain for a break, but both spark relationships with a brooding painter who has a torrid past with a fellow artist. Not much beyond that, really. The film is made by Penelope Cruz, she plays Maria Elena, the ex-wife of Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem's artist), who has in the past tried to kill him. She is hilarious and aggresive at the same time, and puts in a magnificent performance. Scarlett Johannsen is her usual dry self as Cristina, not particulary good, but reasonable, and Rebecca Hall is Vicky, a neurotic bride-to-be who happens also to be in love with Juan.
The film is short and trundles along at an odd pace, holding you in one place long enough to get comfortable, but then bolting through time and shifting positions again. It's wonderful in it's presentation of the relationships between the 4 protagonists, but it's also sloppy in it's ability to stick to it's thoughts. The choppy feel makes it hard to care about the relationships, which is never good in a film about romance.
