Posts tagged film

Was anyone else let down by the ending of Flight? I really enjoyed all of the performances and the aforementioned landing of the plane was almost as intense as every scene in Argo; almost. Everything was done really well. Pacing, cinematography (that shot at the start with the cocaine blew me away), everything was pretty great and it was a solid film overall. 

Anyway, I was more than just a little let down by the ending of the film. Since this is an original piece and not based on a true story, surprisingly I know, I think they could have done more with it. Please tell me I’m not the only one that feels this way. 

If you don’t think Argo deserved what it got you didn’t see it. 

I got to watch this today, I was really surprised my little town got it. I was really impressed at how well Kathryn Bigelow told this story. It wasn’t ‘MERICA the movie. It wasn’t this blood-soaked revenge film. It wasn’t “liberal bias” as some might say. It was told by an onlooker that happens to be from the country that was wounded by the man the film circles around (and it does it so magnificently, but more on that later). This film was made as the final chapter in the War on Terror. I believe she wants this film to mark the end to a terrible era, whether it will or not. 

The aspect that most impressed me was that Osama Bin Laden’s face isn’t plastered all over the film. This isn’t Inglorious Basterds in the Middle East. He’s portrayed just as he was—a ghost, an omniscient being that scheduled the killings of many, many people.

The climax of the film is just…absolutely-nail-tearing-intense. You already know what happens. You know what happens the entire time but this part, you’re absolutely sure of what happens—but you’re still at the edge of your seat wondering if it’s going to happen. 

Zero Dark Thirty was filmed in such an enthralling way with a very solemn score that keeps the same steady rhythm throughout. While not being boring whatsoever on any front it keeps at this fast yet involved pace. At over two and a half hours, every scene is necessary. It doesn’t drag in anyway it isn’t supposed to. You see the monotony required in the search for Bin Laden. You can see it in the eyes of everyone involved but especially in Jessica Chastain’s, who most definitely deserves to win the award for Best Actress. 

I’m going to end this review now with simply saying that if you’re interested in seeing an incredibly realistic action thriller that stays as true to the real story as possible, then please go see this film. I swear the run time seems a bit long but every second is necessary for the story to be told. I didn’t even notice it had been the run time when we walked out of the theater because I was entertained for every passing second. This is right up there with Argo and Lincoln for me, it’s just that good. 

So, I didn’t get to see a lot of the movies I wanted to this year i.e. Killing Them Softly, Flight, Seven Psychopaths, Zero Dark Thirty, Holly Motors, and The Hobbit to name a few. So the list I posted isn’t complete since ya know, I didn’t get to see everything I wanted to. That being said, here are a few I wanted to still point out, even if they didn’t make the cut for my top 10:

• The Master (I loved the acting. Some of the best I’ve ever seen. I just didn’t actually care for the film as much as I had hoped.)
• V/H/S (It scared the shit out of me and kept me entertained—something that never happens with horror anymore.)
• Chronicle (This was a surprisingly great found footage movie. I loved how it was filmed and all of the different ways they used cameras. The story was pretty original and I thought it was exciting to watch it unfold.)
• Moonrise Kingdom (I really liked this movie and I enjoy what Wes Anderson makes. But I’m tired of every movie of his looking and feeling the exact same. It’s tiresome and actually becoming trite in my eyes. I just, I don’t know. I liked it, didn’t love it though.)
• Bully (This documentary made me feel things. Sad, sad things. It was overwhelming and eye opening. Incredibly important and I believe it should also be shown in every classroom in the world. It didn’t make the cut because I honestly forgot about it and I didn’t really want to put a doc in with the rest of the list.)

If I forgot anything else, I’ll probably post about it. But I think this is about it! Hope you guys enjoy my input, I had fun recounting what a great year this was for movies. Have a safe and happy new year!

10. The Avengers  dir. Joss Whedon. This was a perfect summer film. It brought together everything that a major blockbuster needs to be successful and took beloved characters to the big screen together for the first time in a way that may never be accomplished (so well) again. 

9. Lawless dir. John Hillcoat. Another, among many on this list, absolutely perfect summer film. It blended together a true story that was begging to be put on film and actors that were made for these roles perfectly. I love the cast, the story, the soundtrack (!!!), and just everything about this movie. Truly one of the best of the summer.

8. The Cabin in the Woods  dir. Joss Whedon. A horror movie that is much more than what’s on the surface and questions the very meaning of why we watch them in the first place. This one really boggled my mind and had me thinking long after it was over. Truly original and one of the best horror movies ever made. Period.

7. The Grey dir. Joe Carnahan. This one really surprised me. I went into it expecting a survival movie similar to The Edge and ended up with something much, much deeper. This was a phenomenal film that embodied nature, fear, acceptance of fate, and many other themes that aren’t touched on as often as they should be in film. The ending left people talking about it for weeks and I still get chills when I even think about what happens. If you haven’t seen this, please, do yourself a favor and enjoy it. 

6. Django Unchained dir. Quentin Tarantino. I grew up watching westerns with my father so I’ve always loved when anyone decides to do one right in this day and age. That being said, no one ever really does them right. Django is the exception. Tarantino put his usual spin of ultra-violence and jarring dialogue into this adaptation of the Italian film of the same title character. The spaghetti western style mixed with blacksplotation overtones was just what we needed to end the year with. DiCaprio knocked it out of the park, too. I still can’t get over how perfect he was. 

5. The Dark Knight Rises dir. Christopher Nolan. The final film in the Nolan Batman trilogy wasn’t the strongest of the three but you can’t exactly compare them. This was a triumphant piece of film and one of the largest undertakings I can imagine happening this year (they pulled an airplane apart in air!). Tom Hardy graces this list again as he plays Bane in this thrill ride of a film. I loved it. My draw dropped. I teared up. I was so proud to have witnessed such an accomplishment in film in my life time. 

4. Prometheus dir. Ridley Scott. To this day people point out “plot holes” and things “wrong” with this film. And to this day, I will argue with you. My mouth was ajar the entire film. The opening scene will always stick in my mind as one of the most beautiful and eye popping things I have ever seen. I will never shake that image. And several other scenes throughout the film. Ridley asked the questions we all ask every day. The big ones. Did he give an answer? Nope. Were you watching a sci-fi movie seeking guidance with your religious life? Why? This was a brilliantly told movie with perfect acting and I cannot wait for the sequel to be released and I can roll around in it’s greatness as well. This film was one of the greats in the sci-fi world. Right up there with Alien and 2001. This summer was a great one for sci-fi fans because of this film right here and…

3. Looper dir. Rian Johnson. Looper may be one of the most original films I have ever seen. It captures such an accurate view of the future right down to the way currency will undoubtedly change. Without being a tutorial on what to expect, like most films set in a near future situation tend to be, it is more of an incredible story that just happens to take place in the future. Time travel is a touchy subject as it can convolute the most basic plot but Rian Johnson seems to have mastered how to use it in storytelling already. Jospeh-Gordon Levitt does an outstanding job and you can barely even recognize him. I commend every part of this film. It was perfect. When I first saw it, I went back the following day and watched it again. I will watch it a thousand times when I own the BluRay. It was simply mesmerizing.

2. Lincoln dir. Steven Spielberg. This was one of, if not the most important films of the year. The themes at play in this film are just as relevant now as they were in 1865. This needs to be shown in every classroom in school at some point or another to fully show what happened in this time period and what it took to make it right. Daniel Day-Lewis completely absorbed this role, as usual, and became Lincoln. He fully deserves the best actor award at this year’s Oscar ceremony. This film deserves nearly all of the awards it can be given. The directing was perfect, the cinematography was beautiful, the entire cast was a joy to watch. For a two and a half hour movie that focuses on the passing of a bill with more talking than anything else, I didn’t even feel the time pass by. I think this is Spielberg’s masterpiece. If he were to never make anything else, I would be satisfied with this. I was more entertained by seeing this film play out than mostly anything else at the box office this year. Except…

1. Argo dir. Ben Affleck. Simply stated, this was the most tense I’ve ever been watching a movie. I can’t remember being on the edge of my seat like this with any other film I have ever seen. And the most impressive part? We already know how it ends. How do you craft such an exhilarating film about a true event that has already happened and still keep people wondering what will happen? Let Ben Affleck direct it, that’s how. This is his third movie. He’s three for three on making me go, “WOW. THIS IS AMAZING.” I could talk about Argo for literally an entire day and then want to watch it again. I was caught up in this film, hard. I knew I would love it because Ben Affleck has become my favorite director at this point but I had no idea it would be my favorite film of the year in a year that was absolutely perfect for movies. See this one, folks. It’s a blast. The words riveting and explosive don’t do it justice.

I just finished Milk for the first time and I’ve got to admit I teared up at the end. The face he makes when staring at the Opera house just tore me in half. I can’t watch that movie again, more than likely. Which sucks because I own it but oh well. I just don’t see it happening. It was wonderfully made and a phenomenal piece of art, I just don’t think i can go through that again. Jesus, tonight’s been a depressing night for movies. I need some levity. 

Sean Penn did an outstanding job in that film and entirely deserved that Oscar. The film hit closer to home since I live in a town that to this day remains as backwoods as considering homosexuals as lower beings and my best friend is, as you probably know, an outward homosexual. As much as he gets on my nerves and does stupid, stupid things; I love him to death and this just made me think about him and the struggles he must face on the day to day in this town and elsewhere in the world. I can’t fully imagine or understand what that is like and I never will. Man, I’d like a drink.

If you’re a fan of horror films and haven’t been impressed by anything lately, besides Cabin in the Woods of course, then you NEED to check this out. I was intrigued, scared, and engulfed by this film. 

As a horror anthology would have you assume, there are multiple found-footage films by multiple directors and all but one are amazing and original. I’m not a fan of one of the films, it was actually horrible and doesn’t ruin the movie but really holds it back from being perfect (you’ll realize the one I’m talking about if you watch this). 

But anyway, give this a shot if you’re into horror films of a different kilter than just the bullshit that seems to fill the mainstream around the months of September and October. I’m sure there’s a copy in your local RedBox so pick it up one night, watch it with some friends, have a blast, then regret it all when you have to go home alone. 

I’ve been waiting for this one all year. It’ll probably be the last film I see in theaters this year too (I have no drive to see The Hobbit and it kind of saddens me but then I’m like meh). But I digress.

Django! It was a blast! Simply put, it was the most fun I’ve had watching a movie in a while. The acting was great, story was well crafted, pacing was actually really well done for a movie that clocks over two and a half hours, and I loved the soundtrack and cinematography. Everything was great, nothing really deserves Oscar buzz other than maybe best ensemble (although I believe Lincoln will take that, deserving it too). Jamie Fox was a ton of fun to watch, I can tell he loved the role. Christoph Waltz was also a true joy to see on the big screen again. I hate that he’s stuck in these “Oh he’s a guy but he’s from Germany” roles because of his accent but I think Carnage shows him working past that pretty well. 

Overall, I think Django was one of the top ten best movies of the year for sure. Is it any Looper, Argo, or Lincoln? In my opinion, no. No, it is not. BUT. It’s still a phenomenal film. This has been an OUTSTANDING year for movies. Anyone who doesn’t agree with that statement hasn’t been paying attention or just doesn’t know how to have fun at the movies anymore. Ignore any negative press Django gets for use of the word “nigger” because…well this doesn’t even really need to be explained. You’re ignorant if you don’t understand the relevance of the word. But yeah! If you’re a fan of Tarantino’s other work, and I know you are, then you should see it! I loved it!

Someone with talent should create some There Will Be Blood valentines day cards.

“I look at people and I see nothing worth liking—but you’re an exception.”

“One night I’m going to come to you, inside of your house, whenever you’re sleeping, and I’m going to—give you some flowers.”

“I’ve abandoned my boy! I’ve abandoned my child! I abandoned my—discretion’s and I am ready to sleep with you.”

“I’m going to bury you, with love.”

“If you had a milkshake, I wouldn’t drink it. I would not drink it up—because it is yours.”

Imagine how different “There Will Be Blood” would be if there was a question mark at the end.

There Will Be Blood?