feels Mighty strange to declare it so — nearly as strange as it feels to take it: i’m on sabbatical til fall movie season.
enjoy the oscars (most predicatable of last decade)! if you want to talk predictions or results or any other film shtuff, drop me a Direct line. i’ll be Thrilled to rap about it All. simply away from the scene, in private reflection for a bit. and studying.
missing the rigors. missing You. truly, always….
…or rather, your assignment, should you choose to accept it….
is to see all of last year’s top films while this year’s dreck is shuffled in and out of multiplexes before march 7 academy award telecast.
true winter is where/when movies go to die, so don’t waste your time & money on the book of eli, leap year, legion, etc. get out to support the smaller, quieter pics from 2009 that have earned critical accolades. lots already available on dvd, too.
all the Major guild and critics’ distinctions have been handed out (only DGA remains before next tuesday’s announcement of oscar nominees), so you should have a good idea of what you feel is worth paying for and what’s not. and if you could use some guidance, check my backlog entries for reviews on All the tops.
so get thee ready for oscar season. it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
last wide release for all academy award qualifiers:
the last station –
adapted from book about final months of leo tolstoy’s life. legendary christopher plummer, Only choice for lead role, portrays ailing icon with equal parts wit & wisdom. as his wife, helen mirren gets prime material, will see most critical attention. onscreen themes hazy. attempt to interweave subplot actually detracts from story of interest. reliable character work from paul giamatti and james mcavoy.
hazy: C+
each film, to meet academy award eligibility requirements, saw limited release in dec. they expand nationwide this month.
crazy heart –
casting this spot-on pays dividends. jeff bridges earns his fifth career oscar nomination, and should win. He sho nuff looks authentic Country and sounds great on stephen bruton & t-bone burnett’s chart-worthy score. colin farrell, too, surprises with tight vocals in subtle supporting showcase. maggie gyllenhaal seals deal, doling out timely doses of redemptive tenderness. despite many chances to go astray, story stays true right on through.
authentic: B+
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a single man –
fashion designer tom ford’s keen sense of style gave him big leg up in directorial debut. He brings underwhelming source material to rich, textured life. not simply beautiful film, a film moved by Beauty. graceful camerawork, elegant editing, lush score. colin firth’s repressed grief is painfully palpable — his most deeply emotional work yet. script does have some overly syrupy moments, and i could sure do without Dreamy ending.
palpable: A-
it’s complicated –
much respect for writer/director nancy meyers’ commitment to contemporary grown-up themes and strong female leads. this distinctly adult romcom naturally proves great playground for master of all genres, meryl streep. her chemistry with alec baldwin — he in comfortably smarmy 30 rock form — carries pic. supporting characters, however, are woefully one-dimensional. breezy, less than sophisticated humor is seemingly order of day for complex issues of women of a certain age demographic. drawbacks, as with strengths, have become myers staples.
breezy: B
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sherlock holmes –
turns out director guy ritchie is right fashionable fit for latest holmes update. his familiar action slo-mo and flashback clue reveals (very CSI) suit savant-style incarnation of notoriously idiosyncratic sleuth. film is crisply shot, briskly paced, witty, rollicking buddy pic adventure. robert downey, jr.’s sherlock & jude law’s doctor watson antagonize and spar like siblings, indeed at times even calling each other brother. no great surprise, then, that ladies would be so left out. watson’s fiancee is flat-out ostracized by our hero, while rachel mcadams does her best to stay afloat in thankless role.
rollicking: B+
the lovely bones –
understandable that production would generate much hype since peter jackson is something of iconic director. perhaps he’s grown best suited to event movies, cuz pic is misguided series of head-scratchers. the barefooted one reportedly removed himself from FX process, and it shows; they’re certainly not top quality. to appeal to wider audience he chose to not show vital (violent) parts of story; result feels geared only toward teen girls. must be disappointment to fans of book, cuz film coulda been so much more.
misguided: C-
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avatar –
money well spent. resonate with the themes or not, this is undeniably Awesome cinematic achievement. virtually all writer/director james cameron’s post-titanic years have been devoted to technologies that make avatar world visually incredible — or rather, totally credible. here is sci-fi universe fully realized, clarity & thoroughness a la tolkien. Huge strides in motion capture and Seamless CGI dazzle. i do vibe with themes, so despite couple groaner story moments, i was greatly moved. time will come when pic and its technology will seem quaint. to date, in this world, there’s never been anything like it.
A is for Awesome
nine –
movie version of forgettable broadway musical based on legendary italian film about fictional legendary italian film director. too much lost in translation(s). does pay proper respect, visually, to source material, yet with A-listers in every role, more like glossy perfume ad than appealing story. production numbers, although stagey, are sexy. fergie’s stands out — fiery with hot chair choreography. among myriad lovely ladies, marion cotillard shines brightest, honorable mention for penelope cruz. slick editing, often breathtaking cinematography, but really, how exciting is pic about writer’s block? protagonist isn’t relatable, or even sympathetic, to begin with. at one point he wonders about appeal of his past work, musing Whatever it is, it’s not my scripts. same can be said of director rob marshall. he makes pretty pictures.
glossy: C+
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the young victoria –
with plenty of recent cinematic attention on british queens, finally due focus on monarch with longest reign. and hers is, it turns out, a fascinating and rather romantic tale. emily blunt (mouthful of impeccable/anachronistic dentistry) is charming choice, creates thoughtful, layered portrayal. most importantly, she proves perfectly accessible during every stage of her maturity as royal. pic is history lite, to be sure, and that serves filmmakers and audience alike.
accessible: B-
invictus –
when you get right down to it, this is a sports movie. never would have made it in america but for nelson mandela storyline, of course, cuz it’s about rugby. that said, director clint eastwood does admirable work of getting audience sufficiently inspired, and not in that typically gooey sports movie fashion (a couple songs, however, are simply Atrocious). invictus means, essentially, ‘unconquered,’ and clear parallels are drawn between mandela’s indomitable spirit, the world cup team, and the state of the south african union. in short, pic strives to be history lesson, political testimonial, and personal motivator.
parallels: B+
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everybody’s fine –
pic based on 1990 italian film that i’ll be sure to stay away from. frankly stunned at involvement of so many name actors. i’m sure once robert de niro signed on (Why?), all others simply fell in line to work with legend. script is bad, direction ponderous. could just as well be titled everything’s depressing, or everyone’s a miserable liar. on plus side, i do feel filmmaker’s heart is in right place.
stunned: D
brothers –
based on acclaimed danish film, hollywood version pairs tobey macguire & jake gyllenhaal with natalie portman (in her first outright Adult role). terrific supporting cast, too (even kids), so acting is strong throughout. director jim sheridan gives pic intimate feel, enhancing david benioff’s sharp script, simmering with emotional turmoil. lives in somber-land, dives headlong into histrionics. Not feel-good hit of season.
simmering: B
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…and by popular demand:
the blind side –
actually might be feel-good hit of season. paint-by-numbers script presents true story, requires no knowledge of sport it showcases. sandra bullock drives proverbial bus with veteran blend of class and sass. who woulda thunk two biggest successes of her career (back-to-back, no less) would land in 2009? playing her husband, tim mcgraw — still finding legs as screen actor — comes off a little stiff, a lotta bland. fine for tv viewing, will make a dandy rental.
paint-by-numbers: B
up in the air –
big late-breaking news: movie opens dec 4, and national board of review (first major group to announce end-of-year awards) has just named pic best of ‘09. distinction, too, for adapted screenplay, and stars george clooney (actor) and anna kendrick (supporting actress). director jason reitman is on three-film win streak, hits new high with savvy contemporary rom-com. third act split of leads too abrupt; not as harsh a letdown as preachy testimonial wrap-up. buzz kill on otherwise grade A effort.
otherwise: A-