Some recent films

I have been downloading/going to the movies a bunch lately and figured it was about time that I updated this blog. Here is a list of films that I have seen recently with ratings and my brief feelings about them.

These three films were all directed by really great directors of varying careers. One more experienced than the other two by almost a lifetime, but the other two standing very strongly in the competition of my mind, and in my opinion they both made better films.

Up in the Air - I saw this in theaters when it first got its wider release. I really enjoyed it the first time I saw it but felt that the pacing was a little off. On my most recent second viewing I must say I enjoyed it more and feel like the film works perfectly. A great cast with Clooney, Kendrick, and Farmiga as the leads and some great supporting performances namely Danny McBride. The soundtrack is great as well with few actual pieces of score. Namely "Help Yourself" by Sad Brad Smith. The film is as everyone else has said "very timely" in that it deals with the loss of jobs that have been occuring in this country with the current economic downturn. Honestly, I wouldnt be suprised if this picked up the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay (it already won a BAFTA for that), but I would be surprised if it won best picture against other films such as Inglorious Basterds, The Hurt Locker or Avatar. 9/10


Shutter Island- I am very sure that most people are aware of what this film is. It is the new Scorsese-DiCaprio mashup except this time Scorsese is going into mostly unfamiliar territory (besides his stint in Cape Fear). I was really surprised by this film. The trailers for it and for most other smarter/edgier films in this genre make it seem like its going to be full of jump out of your seat moments. Fortunately, Scorsese does not go the cheap route by throwing stuff in front of the screen, but creates an atmosphere that is more frightening than that. I saw it twice in three days and must admit that the second time was even better (which was also my experience for "Up in the Air".), although the first time was not bad at all.
A standout performance from Leonardo DiCaprio who has really come into his own in this film. Mark Ruffalo was as good as he can be, but the supporting performances from Ben Kingsley, an 80 year old Max Von Sydow, and a devastating performance from Michelle Willams as DiCaprios wife were all really great. The score features some really great standout tracks. A couple being "Fog Tropes", "Symphony No.3", "Quartet for Piano and Strings in A Minor", and "On the Nature of Daylight". The look of the film (U.S. Marshals outfits, Cars, Interiors and exteriors of buildings on the island) and the cinematography were both pulled of very well. The CGI elements that were used in DiCaprios "waking nightmares" worked very well for me. Without giving too much away, the film ends brilliantly in a typical horror genre fashion but done with such elegance that only an experienced director such as Scorsese could pull it off. 8/10


Un Prophete- This has to be the defining and best of all French crime films ever made. This is no Goddard take on crime ("Band of Outsiders" etc.) it is gritty, raw, and real. The story is about a 19 year old Parisian who gets sent to jail for an unknown reason for six years. He starts out illiterate, and with no one on his side. Through the coming months and years he builds friendships and works his way up to the top of the jails gang world all while becoming literate. When I saw this movie it made me recall two great foreign crime films that were released last year "Gomorrah" and "Revanche". The way the film was shot was excellent. You felt as if you were actually there, and in on the action and everything. But that does not necessarily make you feel all that comfortable. This film tackles alot of really rough stuff primarily murder. Although, it is not without some considerable remorse because the main character seems to be haunted in sorts by a man he murdered. I have yet to see the main contender for Best Foreign Film this year ("The White Ribbon" by Michael Haneke), but I have a feeling that this film has a very good chance of making and impact this year. My highest approval 10/10.

films that i have watched recently that are worth watching

fish tank 9/10
the hurt locker 8/10
an education 8/10

MY TOP TWENTY FILMS OF THE PAST TEN YEARS

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Adaptation (2002)
Punch Drunk Love (2002)
Mystic River (2003)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
The Proposition (2005)
Little Children (2006)
The Departed (2006)
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Tell No One (2006)
There Will Be Blood (2007)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Zodiac (2007)
The Reader (2008)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Revanche (2008)
Up (2009)
Moon (2009)
Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Moon

I had been meaning to see this film for a while. I was really pumped when I heard it was going to come to the theatre I was working at, but alas I moved home a week or two shy of them getting it. I mean come on what can go wrong Sam Rockwell playing two different versions of the same character and a hard science fiction script and direction from the space oddity himself's (David Bowie) son Duncan Jones.
Moon is not your typical science fiction film ... but thats a good thing! Most science fiction films these days aren't really anything worth watching (they generally border on action films in that they are poorly written, produced, and acted). Considering the fact that Moon was made on a 5 million dollar budget is astounding! Most films (even terrible ones) are made with budgets that easily triple and quadruple that figure. For example, the new Sandra Bullock movie which is a completely straightforward drama about a big kid from a troubled home that plays football cost 30 million dollars to make!
Moons story in a nutshell is about Sam Rockwells as Sam Bell and his last two weeks in a base on the moon while mining for a new energy source (Helium 3). Mind you he has lived on this base two weeks shy of three years! He also has a wife and a daughter back on earth! Everything seems to be going smoothly, but certain events occur and Sam Bell begins to lose it once he saves a person that looks identical to him from a crashed moon rover ... and thats just the beginning of the movie! Kevin Spaceys voice for the robot Gerty is also a really great contribution to the film and perhaps a homage to HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Back to the budget here, 5 million dollars went such a long way with this film. The landscapes of the moon are breathtaking. The entire film was shot on a soundstage and I have no idea how they pulled this off. You get to see Sam Bell do moon skips on the surface of the planet, huge moon rovers driving around and knocking up debris, and the oh so intimidating Helium 3 harvesting machine. This really makes me question where all of the money goes in these big Hollywood productions? The special effects for the moon are great, the acting is top notch, the score is fantastic ... and it cost 2/3rd's the cost of an average Hollywood drama!
I also just downloaded the fantastic score soundtrack composed by Clint Mansell. I must admit the score is a rarity these days in that I really enjoy going through the whole thing and just enjoying the beauty of the music. This is a first in a while (for new scores that is) besides Johnny Marrs score for There Will Be Blood.
Overall, Moon is a complete knockout. It's pretty much the best movie that I have seen that was released in 2009. I will be extremely annoyed if this movie is overlooked come awards season (Golden Globes and especially Academy Awards since there are now 10 best picture nominees). I give Moon my utmost approval with a 10/10.

Naked

Watch it.
Mike Leigh Directs.
David Thewlis Stars.
It is a well shot, well acted, well scripted, well scored film.
9/10

Where the Wild Things Are

Two days ago I saw Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are. Granted I havent been to the theater alot since I moved back to NJ (no more free movies! and also another reason why I havent touched this blog in months), but I was willing to drop down the $10.50 it cost at my local theater to see it. I have always been a big fan of Spike Jonze whether it be The Beastie Boys "Sabatoge" music video to "Being John Malkovich" to my favorite film of his "Adaptation"(one of the only movies that Nicholas Cage has ever been good in), and one of the all time best skate videos "YEAH RIGHT!".
This is the most beautifully filmed movie i have seen so far this year. Jonze had a vision and I think he succeded in every way possible. He took Maurice Sendacks landmark childrens book and turned it into something better than the source material. With giant live action wild things that are like three or four times the size of a muppet and even more gigantic sets I feel like Spike went all out on this one. The landscapes are breathtaking, the characters were all complex and on different levels from eachother, the mood is dark and not really something that kids would enjoy (which I found out the hard way by sitting in a theater full of crying and screaming babies!). The soundtrack from Karen O and the Kids is also fantastic (check out "Capsize" its pretty sweet).
Overall, I found this to be a profound movie and I would recomend it to anyone who can appreciate the childrens book, Spike Jonzes directing, great cinematography, and a beautiful story. But due to the extremely annoying children in the audience, and a pace that dragged down the story at times I give the film an 8/10. I am sure that after a few more viewings (especially without babies in them) I will appreciate the movie alot more.

Film Noir

Recently I have been watching a lot of the sub genre film noir. Basically film noir involves certain lighting techniques, but the term also encompases dark subject matters with crime and gangsters, private detectives etc. The past two films that I have watched have been "Le Cercle Rouge" and "Blast of Silence". Both films are well made under their circumstances. "Le Cercle Rouge" is a high caliber French heist film with a great script, actors, cinematography, and soundtrack. Written and Directed by one of the masters of the French New Wave Jean Pierre Melville his style and genius shines throughout the film. The characters in it are cooler than cool particularly Alain Delon as Corey. Another great performance comes from Gian Maria Volonte, who played the major villians in the first two Man With No Name films (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More). The theme of everyone coming together in "The Red Circle" (Le Cercle Rouge) by chance more than once is an amusing concept. "Blast of Silence" on the other hand obviously deals with a lower budget but was written, directed, and acted by Allen Baron. For 1961 this film is very impressive. The story is very dark for its time and their is a really great jazz soundtrack. The setting of Harlem is also quite stunning to see in all of its 1960's glory. Allen Baron really delivers on all three major levels in this film ... it is not one to miss for film noir fans!

LE CERCLE ROUGE (bande-annonce)
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