I missed "Winter's Bone," "Uncle Boonmee," "Enter the Void," "127 Hours," "Somehwere," "Four Lions," "A Prophet," "Restrepo," "Inside Job" and that Joan Rivers thing. Oh, and "Yogi Bear." Yeah.
Then again, if the rest of the year's movies were any indication ... I'll be alright without those for a while.
2010 was a pretty meh year for goin' to the movies. People payed billions to see Downey Jr. and Depp act like dick-heads. Again. Angelina Jolie failed to be the least bit interesting. "Twilight Saga: Eclipse." That came out. "Harry Potter" too. Again. And between January of last year and this year, every comic/old show/video game you liked was turned into a crappy movie.
But hey, there's always solid gold to be found. I did see a few cool things. So, here's my annual list.
As always, questions, complaints and recommendations are very much appreciated in the comments.
And now, in reverse alphabetical order (how's that for creative listing!?).
Damn, Tony Scott! You made your first movie that I can openly, admittedly enjoy! AND! I did not get a headache from it! But for real, this movie was like gangbusters. A fast, furious high-concept actioner about a runaway train and the two unassuming dudes who try to run it down, "Unstoppable" was a new kind of old-school action: 80s nostalgia piece. Taking the few good parts of Cannon films, Cosamatos movies and Konchalovskiy's "Runaway Train," this was a manly set-piece spectacle. Even Chris Pine sounds cool when he's all like, "Let's run this bitch down!" By applying Scott's spasticity to his simplest plot to date (we gotta stop this train!) you wound up with this year's purest, most potent action.
BREAKS ARE OUT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQLx43Y0IL0
Speaking of pure and old-fashioned, The Coens' "True Grit" was perhaps their least ironic, most sincere effort to date. Actually, it doesn't even feel like a Coen film, which is just fine. Although it's dressed up and played out as an archaic western, "Grit" was a performance piece featuring terrific, showy actors doing some fine work. Between Matt Damon's insecurely masculine La Beouf, Hailee Steinfeld's intrepid and un-irritating Mattie Ross and of course, the Dude Bridges' smelly, soused and sensational interpretation of the already notorious Rooster Cogburn, these guys were totally watchable. "Grit's" a blustery, character-driven revenge melodrama.
You are not going. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31NsT7wyi_Y
Easily David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin's most accomplished (and confident) efforts to date, "Social Network" is this terrifically zeitgest-y take on my (our) generation. Part docu-drama ("All the President's Men") and part college painting ("The Paper Chase"), "Social Network" was this really sharp, witty observation of modern communicative behavior, in all forms. I've seen this three times now, and the best part is the discussion and subsequent inability to get a sure handle on what the hell really happened in the movie. I'm still not sure what it all meant, but I am still intrigued. Brilliant talkey.
Ooh! I saw this last May at the Music Box at my brother's insistence ... what a solid, little unpretentious foreign comedy. "Mid-August Lunch" is my ultimate nightmare, somehow rendered hysterical. Middle-aged bum Gianni is living quietly, peacefully with his mother, when out of the blue, he's left responsible for three more, demanding elder women in his apartment. As a premise, I'm breaking out in a cold sweat. As a micro-comedy, it's simple, sincere, and a revelation of quirky moments and understanding others. Gianni Di Gregorio wrote, directed and starred in "Lunch" and is delightfully subtle with his silly premise.
"King's Speech" is totally that second (now possibly first) placed film at the Oscars that's really quite good. No, screw that. It's better than good. "King's Speech" is like all the best parts of "Breaking Away" and "The Queen" happily mingled together into a sprightly, sterling period piece about communications. And so what if The Guardian said the facts were rubbish? What matters is Colin Firth is a tremendously affable interpretation of King George VI, a man capable of great things, set back by the pitfalls of being royalty, along with his painful stutter. Even if you don't know the history (or believe it, seeing as this is a fancy drama), you will believe that George (and Firth) could prevail. Moving.
Oh, Bertie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9qCLPkRYGk
See, I put this list in some kind of alphabetical order, because I didn't feel like being accused of Nolan fanboy-dom ... I mean, this might have made #1 ... But seriously, "Inception?" WOWZAS!!! On a technical spectacle level, "Inception" is a film that makes you realize that big summer fare can still amaze and impress on a grand scale. Featuring rotating hallways, impressive Hans Zimmer music, international intrigue, crisp photography and flying French debris, "Inception" has the superlative, presentative quality of a finely tuned and calibrated clock. All of this, of course, compliments Nolan's creative clockwork of a story about guilt, loss, obsession and what we can achieve when we dream. Some have likened the film to an extended metaphor about filmmaking ... I prefer to think of this as a hard-working act of originality. A fight for good ideas. True inspiration. Pure creation. Landmark entertainment. The kind of movie, that gladly reminds me of why I still dig going to the movies.
Big time sensuality! Oh man, did you know that Tilda Swinton was the modern Lady Chatterly of Milan? Swinton plays Emma Recchi, the matriarch of a textiles family empire, looking for something more in her mid-life. Something. Anything. It doesn't matter what it is, but what does happens to Emma sure feels real. And important. And breathtaking. A sensual awakening about one woman's need to break out, "I Am Love" was a bold romance of a high caliber. Food. Clothes. Sex. Romance. Literature. Shrimp! All of this and more bring out one woman's passion, for, well ... life! A colleague called it pretentious. OK. Uhh, maybe you meant portentous? Eh? Eh? Shut it, this is a sumptuous tale.
Happens to me all the time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoFXGWohMWc&feature=channel
Polanski's such a little weirdo. So, of course, who knew he'd be in his awkward element with a political thriller? Complaints I've accrued from others had to do with the film being either too cynical, gray or mean-spirited. Well, see, it's not the story about a ghost writer and the sketchy former prime minister that he's working for that intrigues me. It's the way the entire film plays out. There's this consistently odd, off-kilter feeling to Polanski's film that captivates and confuses in the best ways possible. Polanski snares you right in. You never know what the hell is actually happening, or who's up to something, but damn if it isn't fun to get lost with "Ghost Writer.
OK. Awkward enough. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BffiWd2xH4
Oh Banksy, you punk. In 2010, documentaries got such nice press, dealing with a range of important topics like education, big business and Joan Rivers. But man, for my money, Banksy's "Exit Through the Gift Shop" was the most important of them all. Was it real? Was it not? Who gives a rat's (see picture)? The whole point of the film was to re-assess that wonderful question: What the hell is art? Within 90 minutes, Banksy's exploits of the street art give you more on popular art and the public, critical response than several years of Art 21 ever will. Fast, funny, and really thoughtful, "Exit Through the Gift Shop" was this year's most entertaining non-fiction (maybe) film.
Free on Hulu? So Banksy! http://www.hulu.com/watch/206459/exit-through-the-gift-shop
I feel kinda creepy just talking about this movie, yet, I must share. Now a Best Foreign Film nominee at the Oscars (thank you AMPAS validation!), "Dogtooth" is, uh, hard to describe. Titillating, disgusting and kinda freaking funny, "Dogtooth" is about three siblings and the off-the-rails parenting that shapes them. Two daughters, one son. They are not allowed to leave the home. They call an armchair "the sea." Flowers are "zombies." Incest is a meaningless, graphic curiosity. And the oldest daughter is actually negatively influenced by videos snuck in like "Rocky" and "Flashdance." And no, that's still not saying a whole lot. But, know that "Dogtooth" is odd and unique, and an indescribably fascinating family study.
Better than your family parties, I'm sure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLOy4_tzXHY
Thanks again for reading this year!
- Blake Goble, The Contemporary
4 comments:
Where's Tron?
I looked again and still didn't find it.
Oh, do shut up Nowak.
Using Gascony, houses for sale The french language are very close by to assist you to sets http://www.dopimmo.com/immobilier-ventes-maison-a-vendre-pa-1_3.html among vacation interest rate and then insight.
Post a Comment