Well the Oscar season has officially begun. I saw "The Informant!" over the weekend and it was one of the absolute best films I've seen this year. A very welcomed sign, because while there have been some truly great films released this year, including "Up," "Inglourious Basterds," "In the Loop," "Humpday," and "The Hurt Locker,"it seems like it has been a slightly weaker year so far than usual. The months between January and May (never a prime time for great releases anyways) barely housed a single film I enjoyed, let alone one worthy of a best of the year list. But there is much coming out this fall to get excited about, and while I hope to write up detailed reviews of some of them in the future, I thought in the meantime I would repost my Best Films list from last year, just to give you an idea of how strong last year was and what this year has to measure up against. So check out this list. Nearly all these films are now available on DVD and if you're looking for a great film to watch, you can't go wrong with any of them. Enjoy.
1. Wall-E -One day, Pixar will make a film about a puddle of mud. We will all see it, and it will be excellent. Andrew Stanton’s ode to life was the most joyously poignant and beautiful film of the year. Pixar films often accomplish this, but rarely do they start in and use such a bleak, depressing backdrop. Rarely have there been funnier physical comedy, or a more touching love story, than the one that these wordless, metal objects created.
2. Man on Wire -I was more moved by this film than I was by any post 9/11 tribute to the Twin Towers. The fact that nobody in the film ever acknowledges the future of these towers in the film only makes it all the more powerful. This documentary was more thrilling than any heist movie and was a satisfying and recognizable portrayal of the idea of obsession with a dream.
3. Happy-Go-Lucky -Mike Leigh’s story of optimism seemed to get shrugged off as too flighty and light by many, but Sally Hawkins’ Poppy isn’t just an excuse to giggle. Poppy may look on the bright side of life, but she doesn’t shy away from dealing with the pain and sadness she encounters. Just watch the scene with Poppy and the homeless man to see why Hawkins deserves an Oscar for her performance. Her scenes with the wonderful Eddie Marsan are hilarious and heartbreaking. And think about it. How often do you see a film featuring numerous scenes between a man and a woman, without ever acknowledging the possibility of the two characters becoming romantically involved?
4. The Wrestler -It’s not over hyped. Mickey Rourke deserves an Oscar for this career defining performance. Darren Aronofsky, usually a director who will take a small scene and fill it with digital effects and complexities, has made a small, simple film that is unrecognizable from his other films. Taking a profession that is all performance and stripping it of all its luster left a film that was starkly simple, real, and sad, but never boring.
5. In Bruges -Considering that playwright Martin McDonagh is notorious for not creating a loose end unless it’s neatly tied up, this film didn’t have a single moment that was expected or routine. A perfect blend of humor, tragedy, violence, and beauty. McDonagh’s dialogue crackles in every scene and the performances by Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes are in complete harmony with it and one another. Here’s hoping McDonagh has a long film career ahead of him.
6. Synecdoche, New York -Charlie Kaufman’s film of mirrors is so complex and bizarre that you could probably ask five people what it was about and get five answers. What makes it a great film is that they’d all be right. The perfect ensemble, led by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, seems to be game for anything, so even some of the more questionable plot points in the film come across as thought out, decisive, and fully committed to the world that Kaufman has created.
7. Frost/Nixon -A phenomenal adaptation of a play that already felt like a tight, brisk film. Peter Morgan’s writing is enough for the film and historical meeting to speak for itself, but it is backed by Ron Howards concise direction and true knowledge of television and the era, and also the terrific performances by Frank Langella and (the constantly overlooked) Michael Sheen. This film is so entertaining and gripping, it almost makes you forget about its importance and real life significance. Almost.
8. A Christmas Tale -This lovely French film couldn’t have less to do with Christmas, but nothing like a holiday to bring a family together to examine all their relationships and inner emotions. The beauty of this typically familiar story is that every scene that you expect to see in film takes place off-camera. What we’re left with is all the seemingly insignificant moments that are actually what best displays the characters’ true feelings and motivations. Superb performances from Catherine Deneuve, Anne Consigny, and Mathieu Almaric.
9. Milk -This might have just been another typical serviceable but standard biopic, if it were not helped by the powerhouse performances (led by a never better Sean Penn), the smart and simple direction by Gus Van Zant, and the sheer power of the subject matter, that because of the recent election climate, never felt more topical or relevant. I had no idea who Harvey Milk was until my senior year of high school. Hopefully, because of this film, people won’t have to wait so long to know who he was and what he stood for.
10. The Dark Knight -Yes. It’s a little too long. It’s not perfect. But I couldn’t possibly leave off what might just be the greatest super hero film ever made. Batman and his plight have never had a bleaker or darker setting and struggle. Christopher Nolan wisely took this heroic character completely outside of the fantasy world and set him in the real world. We could finally see what our world might be like with a true hero in it, and its brilliance is that it shows more problems caused by his presence than actual success. Many ethical questions were raised by the film, and Nolan had the balls to not present easy answers to them. And of course I must mention Heath Ledger, who not only redefined the character of The Joker, but also redefined the notion of a villain altogether.
Honorable Mention: The Bank Job, Burn After Reading, Encounters at the End of the World, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Gran Torino, My Winnipeg, Rachel Getting Married, Waltz With Bashir.
Special Award For Summer Movies: Some of the best films of the year were released on over 3,000 screens and intended for the summer masses. Iron Man, Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Kung Fu Panda, and yes, even Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull were a refreshing change of pace from the usual giant change of pace from the usual giant robot garbage we’ve been subjected to in recent previous summers. These films didn’t quite make my list, but any of them easily could have.
This next list of films also didn’t quite make my top ten, but they are all great films that you may not have heard of. I consider it my duty to make you aware. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
Bigger, Stronger, Faster -Chris Bell’s fantastically entertaining documentary managed to take an issue that I didn’t really care one way or another about (steroid use) and captivate me for every minute of it.
Four Months, Three Weeks, Two Days -From Romania, which is becoming the new film capital of Europe, this intense, stark, depressing look at a woman’s limited options when she has an unwanted pregnancy is difficult to watch but truly excellent.
The Hammer -One of my favorite comedies of year barely even got a release. Adam Carolla drew from his own life to create a deeply personal, independent, romantic comedy about a loser getting one last chance to chase his dream of becoming a boxer. Like “The Wrestler,” but much funnier. One of the most quotable films of the year with some of the funniest one-liners I’ve heard in some time.
My Winnipeg -One of my absolute favorite films of the year. Guy Maddin’s beautiful, funny film is part documentary, part love letter, part Freudean nightmare. His use of black and white imagery is like watching a modern silent film, and his use of music brings to mind a night at the ballet.
The Promotion -A nice, simple comedy that takes what would ordinarily be an absurd, cartoon-like premise, but treats it in a realistic way with characters reacting irrationally, but in a manner people actually would in that situation.
Sangre De Mi Sangre -This film was so under the radar, even I didn’t know it had been released. This film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2007, under the better title “Padre Nuestro.” It’s a fantastic cat and mouse story of a Mexican immigrant in New York looking for his father, and the criminal who steals the boy’s identity, and his father as well. Deserves to find an audience on video.
Snow Angels -David Gordon Green’s stunningly beautiful film deals with horrible tragedy, but manages to be sweet, even uplifting, as we see the people around the events reacting to them by trying to find love of their own. Nobody seemed to see this. That’s the real tragedy.
Son of Rambow -This fantastic family film was released on the same day as “Iron Man,” so it also got lost in the shuffle. I love this delightful, innocent fable about kids making their own movie. Captures a time when a PG movie wasn’t stupid or condescending.
Speed Racer -An absolute mess of a film. I only include it here because it’s not as bad as people say. Too long, confusing, and ridiculous at over 2 hours, but a lot of fun nonetheless. Had it been a brisk 80 minutes there would be little to hate here… other than Emile Hirsch.
Tell No One -Probably the best thriller I saw all year. So many twists and turns that it’s impossible to predict them all. Keeps you guessing until the very end.
Timecrimes -The first feature by Nacho Vigalondo was not as groundbreaking or original as I had heard, but still a fun, low budget sci-fi film nonetheless. After seeing Nacho’s short films, I still eagerly anticipate to see what he can do with feature films.
Towelhead -This overlooked film was sometimes a bit heavy handed and over the top. Can life really be this horrible for a teenage girl? But it is absolutely worth seeing for the performances of Peter Macdissi and Aaron Eckhart.
And now… The Worst Films of the Year. Now this is only based on what I’ve seen. I try not to subject myself to bad films. Had I seen everything, I’m sure the honor would go to “Meet the Spartans” or “Disaster Movie.” These were my least favorite films of the year.
1. Mama Mia -A horribly made film by a first time director (Phyllida Lloyd) who had no idea what she was doing. Everything went wrong here. The lighting, the choreography, the ADR, the continuity. Every time the camera started to move I prayed for Lloyd’s career. This kind of thing usually isn’t my cup of tea, but I saw the play and didn’t totally hate it. It worked for what it was. This was just a failure in every way. Lloyd hoped that by making it look like everyone on screen was having so much fun that, in turn, the audience would have fun as well. You know you’re in trouble when Meryl Streep interrupts the end credits to ask “Do you want it? One more song?” and then proceeds to sing regardless of what the audience screams back.
2. The Love Guru -This might have been funny twenty years ago. Mike Meyers’ sense of humor is so dated that he can’t get a single laugh from his core audience who has done a lot of growing up since Austin Powers.
3. My Blueberry Nights -Even arty films can be garbage. Wong Kar Wai’s English language debut looks stunningly beautiful. If only his actors (and I use the term loosely when talking about Nora Jones), never actually opened their mouths. This film got more laughs than “The Love Guru.” But this wasn’t supposed to be a comedy.
4. Cloverfiend -This wasn’t a bad idea for a movie. It just fails in execution. A handheld camera may have added realism, but nothing else. If this had been made by a film student for $2000, I could forgive it. This was made by a major studio. To see a better example of this kind of film, check out “The Host.”
5. Bottle Shock -This film about Napa Valley wines versus the French was written by four screenwriters. You can tell that each one took a different part of the film to write and then they were all put together without any care for if the stories worked together. They didn’t.
6. The Other Boleyn Girl -A period piece with no beauty, script, or decent performances. Trying to turn Henry VIII’s life into a soap opera would be better suited for… well apparently not for TV either.
7. Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist -Did you hate “Juno?” You’ll love it after you see this garbage. If this talented, young cast were playing their own ages, it might have worked better. But I’ve never met a teenager who was anything like any of these kids. I know I took it too seriously, but this film doesn’t even work as a fantasy.
8. The Wackness -Most of what I said in the entry above applies here as well. I love Ben Kingsly, but just because you have him smoking pot and hanging out with a teenager, doesn’t mean you have enough for a whole movie.
9. Australia -Making a romantic epic shouldn’t be hard. Simple love story against a beautiful backdrop. If Hugh and Nicole had just done that you might have had a movie. Instead we got something about cattle suppliers competing with each other and constant references to “The Wizard of Oz.” This movie tried to be funny when it should have been serious, and tried to be serious when it should have been over.
10. Wanted -Not a horrible film, but a horribly stupid film. If so many friends of mine didn’t like it I could forgive it. However… a magic loom, people? A MAGIC LOOM? And calm down, people. This isn’t the first time Morgan Freeman has said “fuck.” This was successful so expect a sequel. Unfortunately the film killed off every character who was halfway interesting. Now we’re stuck with James McAvoy.
(Editor's Note: I had not yet seen "Sex and the City" and "The Reader" when I originally made up this list. Both films would be very high on my "worst" list.)
-Johnny Pomatto
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