I know, I know, I haven't posted in a while, and while I could spend this whole post apologizing like a sappy baby or whorey housewife, I'm going to instead put my guilt to good use and write a super funny column to remind you all while you started reading these in the first place. That is if there is anyone still here to listen....
Hello?...
Echo??!
Oh well. As you loyal followers know, this is going to be a movie some day. This will be the part of the movie where the Amy Adams/Radcliff character will be whining that no one loves him or follows his blog right before he is sky rocketed into super stardom. *Crosses fingers*. In the movie version, I'll write in a love interest who leaves me so: 1. Extra drama! 2. It looks like I actually get some as opposed to just sitting at home on my leather couch having fake lover's quarrels with my bitch cat.
I guess what I'm saying is stay tuned! I may not post often, but I will make it. Just like Amy Adams.
Onto what you're all here for. My rant against the worst of the worst in all of the entertainment land. Next we have a movie so bad that Zac Efron dropped out. And yeah, that's the Zac Efron who starred in a movie about playing baseball with his ghost brother. But if your expectations aren't low enough already get ready to drop them further as we take a look at this wretched trailer.
So some teens engage in a whole bunch of D activities, namely: Drinking, and Driving and Dying. Naturally then, the pastor/fogarty buzz-kill character, decides to ban the most vile of all D activities; DANCING!!!!!!! "We cannot be absent from our children's lives." Based on the context, my interpretation of this is that, lets call him Pastor Bob, is really not in favor of dropping your kids off at ballet practice.
After that introduction of this movie's excuse for a plot, we introduce our hero: Young Hot Troubled Teen (YHTT)! He comes on a bus from some bigger place and he's sent here to his simpleton, small town family for being so young and hot and troubled. Next we meet 'Tudey Hot Country Girl (THCG). She's got a 'tude. Then YHTT runs into UCBFF (Ugly Country Butt FF [you can infer that last part]). You can tell they're going to be best friends because they say insulting things about each other's accents. We are introduced to these character's names here, but I forgot them already. I think the UCBFF's was cliche and stupid though...
Then YHTT gets invited and subsequently challenged to an absurdly professional looking dance conglomeration with all the local ethnic teens giving it their all. THCG thinks he can't handle it but he sure proves her wrong by dancing all up on her... right in front of her dad. dun Dun DUN!!! She gets a firm talking to. I have to say something about this 'actress'. You know you should keep your day job when you're taking acting cues from Miley Cyrus.
We then get super plot download with Young Hot Troubled Teen getting called 'Trouble' by Miley's dad and getting in trouble with the law. This causes him to get mad, throw a 2x4 through a window, and vigorously angry-dance in an old warehouse alone. Still, with all that adversity, he will not give up the fight to legalize gay dancing.
Then, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, 'Tudey slut rips off her shirt in church to reveal her pro-dancing embroidered undergarments. This gets YHTT all fired up and he decides to preach at the pastor. In church. About how this is their time. Time to do what? Act like a Disney Channel Original Movie idea reject apparently. Shortly there after the montage begins that shows what a great time this movie is going to be. I can almost here the deep voiced narrator guy. "It has dancing! It has hot sluts! It has hot heads fighting!" Speaking of the hot heads, I loved the, "I'm not here to dance," line. Get it? Because it's a dancing movie? But they're 'bout to do some good ole fashion wrastlin'!
Then, as if it couldn't descend into the trenches of ridiculousness and poor writing any further, there's a scene where Miley tries to kill herself. BY GETING HIT BY A TRAIN! Why? Her life isn't just worth living without dancing! Also, busses explode after being rammed into each other! Also, line dancing!
Now I think anyone with two eyes and brain can see that this particular movie about dance is just about the worst, most idiotic trash invented since... well... the Smurfs movie. But I'm going to be a little controversial and say, I have a hard time taking any movie seriously that tries to make dancing important. "This is our time!" Really? I can't hear this line without imagining the low life, would-be victim of Natural Selection, who wrote it huddled in their parents basement eating KFC. Does anyone else realize that this plot doesn't even make sense anymore?! Sure, in the 80s when overly religious people and cults ruled most of Texas, someone could get away with banning dancing. Now it would make national news and the perpetrators would be sent to Guantanamo.
This is the world we live in. Steve Carrell leaves The Office and they don't have the decency to put the us out of our misery and cancel the show. Now, even though Zac f***ing Efron had better sense than to do this movie, and it still somehow got made. People spent, roughly the yearly budget of a small country on this trash heap while people are dying in Africa. I hope you're happy film makers. Because of this movie, in my eyes, you're roughly on par with Idi Amin or some like war criminal responsible for genocide.
Soupy Twist.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Gaaaahhhhh Twitter! (Update!!)
Second suggestion was a home run. I am now @misseriposition. I know. Pretty great right? Thanks Ben! NOW EVERYBODY FOLLOW ME!!!! I've made it easy. Over ------------> on the side bar I've posted a twitter feed. All you have to do is click the Follow me on Twitter button either ------> or <------- and you will be set to jet! Thanks again to all both of you who played and to the eventual winner!
If you were already following @radcliffmisseri, I don't think you need to refollow me, but just make sure you sign up for mobile updates so my tweets go straight to your cell phone immediatly! This goes for new followers too! What's the point if you don't get my tweets at the speed of android??
Now I have to get in the habit, get over my gag reflex, and tweet* to entertain you all! Here I go...
Soupy Twist
*The italics indicate nausea.
If you were already following @radcliffmisseri, I don't think you need to refollow me, but just make sure you sign up for mobile updates so my tweets go straight to your cell phone immediatly! This goes for new followers too! What's the point if you don't get my tweets at the speed of android??
Now I have to get in the habit, get over my gag reflex, and tweet* to entertain you all! Here I go...
Soupy Twist
*The italics indicate nausea.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Best Films of 2010: #2-1
I had totally planned on giving these a week after my last post, but then no one really guessed right so I wanted to give people a chance to get it right, but no one did and then I lost momentum and got busy and here we are. I feel like you all have had enough ado over the past four months, so without further of it heeeeeere they are...!
#2. Toy Story 3
Yes, I know I was being deceptive when I listed it as the Best Animated film of the year on this list, but just because it's animated doesn't mean it's not a terrific film. In this case it is the capstone on an almost perfect trilogy. At least the closest thing to a perfect trilogy we are going to get in modern film. This was Pixar at it's best. I would be so bold as to say that Ratatouille, Wall*E, Up, and Toy Story 3 are the absolute best four sequential movies any film studio has ever put out. Each one unique and brilliant in its own way. You look at any other animation studio active today, what are their films about? Birds with OCD, cartoonish villains who grow a heart, crappy spin offs of popular characters from other crappy series, and two dimensional love (and that has nothing to do with whether you need 3D glasses or not). What is Toy Story 3 about? It's a meditation on growing up. The loss of childhood. That's deep stuff. This is the difference between Pixar films and other animated movies. Pixar creates films. And I say that with all the pretension and snobbishness you all mock me rightfully for. But its also true. And thus it deserves this revered place on the list.
#1. Blue Valentine
No one who knows me that well is surprised at this. It's so dark, so realistic, so depressingly emo that it had to find its way to my Number One. Well I like all of those things for a reason. They make for some terrific films. This one is so unflinching, so gritty, so beautiful in its dark way. It's more than a film, its a picture of these people's lives. It has some of the best performances of the year and the way it's shot is not only unique, but it adds to the story. This movie moved me in a way that most don't. That's why it tops this list. This is the kind of thing that I respond to as a movie-goer. Maybe that makes me weird. But in any case this is top tier film making.
Best Actress: Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
I went back and forth between her and Natalie Portman for a really long time. At one point I was going to tie them and list both of their attributes. But after really thinking about it, it has to be Michelle. Natalie won her Oscar. She has been rewarded. Her performance was pretty incredible no doubt. But Michelle was perfect. The way that her performance evolves over the four years that elapse. She's the same person, but you can see the years on her face. That's not the type of acting that can be taught in a class. That pure, lived in, talent. Williams is one of our most promising young actresses. Here's to hoping her career is long and varied.
And that's it. Time to start writing next years! Maybe I'll get it done in time if i start now... except I haven't really seen any good movies... hmm...
It's a good night from me...
#2. Toy Story 3
Yes, I know I was being deceptive when I listed it as the Best Animated film of the year on this list, but just because it's animated doesn't mean it's not a terrific film. In this case it is the capstone on an almost perfect trilogy. At least the closest thing to a perfect trilogy we are going to get in modern film. This was Pixar at it's best. I would be so bold as to say that Ratatouille, Wall*E, Up, and Toy Story 3 are the absolute best four sequential movies any film studio has ever put out. Each one unique and brilliant in its own way. You look at any other animation studio active today, what are their films about? Birds with OCD, cartoonish villains who grow a heart, crappy spin offs of popular characters from other crappy series, and two dimensional love (and that has nothing to do with whether you need 3D glasses or not). What is Toy Story 3 about? It's a meditation on growing up. The loss of childhood. That's deep stuff. This is the difference between Pixar films and other animated movies. Pixar creates films. And I say that with all the pretension and snobbishness you all mock me rightfully for. But its also true. And thus it deserves this revered place on the list.
#1. Blue Valentine
No one who knows me that well is surprised at this. It's so dark, so realistic, so depressingly emo that it had to find its way to my Number One. Well I like all of those things for a reason. They make for some terrific films. This one is so unflinching, so gritty, so beautiful in its dark way. It's more than a film, its a picture of these people's lives. It has some of the best performances of the year and the way it's shot is not only unique, but it adds to the story. This movie moved me in a way that most don't. That's why it tops this list. This is the kind of thing that I respond to as a movie-goer. Maybe that makes me weird. But in any case this is top tier film making.
Best Actress: Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
I went back and forth between her and Natalie Portman for a really long time. At one point I was going to tie them and list both of their attributes. But after really thinking about it, it has to be Michelle. Natalie won her Oscar. She has been rewarded. Her performance was pretty incredible no doubt. But Michelle was perfect. The way that her performance evolves over the four years that elapse. She's the same person, but you can see the years on her face. That's not the type of acting that can be taught in a class. That pure, lived in, talent. Williams is one of our most promising young actresses. Here's to hoping her career is long and varied.
And that's it. Time to start writing next years! Maybe I'll get it done in time if i start now... except I haven't really seen any good movies... hmm...
It's a good night from me...
Yeeeeaaahhh.....
Well it's been nearly four month since I posted last which is pretty disgusting if you ask me. At least I left it on a cliffhanger eh? Lol... yeah I just laughed out loud at my own rambling and pathetic attempt at justification. Anyway lets pretend that that was the season finale and now we're coming back for a fresh season of Misseri Loves Company. I don't have school taking over my life anymore. I work a lot (big surprise) but that just gives me more material to write about. To be quite honest I felt very uninspired for a very long time. All of my reviews were sounding the same and I had a hard time being clever. If you have ever tried writing something without being inspired to do so, you know how difficult it can be. But, I want to be back! I have a couple things that I feel I have something to say about and can hopefully say it in a funny way. I know you guys have been waiting for me to write again, and truthfully if it weren't for you, I would have no reason to. You guys are amazing and I love that you get pleasure out of my words. I hope I haven't lost you all. I will try to be a better blogger. I'm sure that Julie from Julie and Julia went through rough patches too, but she still got to be in a movie with Meryl Streep so I'm holding onto hope! If you don't get the Julie and Julia reference read this.
Random thought! If I were to set up a twitter account where I would post short, hopefully funny, quips would you follow me? Would that be something that would whet your appetite for more Misseri Loves Company? Keep you over until the next post maybe? Let me know. The thought has crossed my mind, but I do this for you so it is up to you. I promise they would be funny. Let me know.
Now onto writing. I will be shortly be posting my best two pictures of last year (finally) as well as my pick for Best Actress. Just to get them out of the way. Then I will start on a couple subjects I feel very strongly about, so expect some good stuff! I will deliver it. Comment about the tweeting and come back to me my readers! I will try not to let you down again!
Soupy Twist
Random thought! If I were to set up a twitter account where I would post short, hopefully funny, quips would you follow me? Would that be something that would whet your appetite for more Misseri Loves Company? Keep you over until the next post maybe? Let me know. The thought has crossed my mind, but I do this for you so it is up to you. I promise they would be funny. Let me know.
Now onto writing. I will be shortly be posting my best two pictures of last year (finally) as well as my pick for Best Actress. Just to get them out of the way. Then I will start on a couple subjects I feel very strongly about, so expect some good stuff! I will deliver it. Comment about the tweeting and come back to me my readers! I will try not to let you down again!
Soupy Twist
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Best Films of 2010: #4-3
Sorry for the delay peeps. I had a stupidly busy weekend is the excuse that first comes to mind. Is it true? Probably not. But it doesn't matter, because that's the one you're getting. I also had a really hard time trying to figure out in which order i really wanted to put my top for it. I was also dealing with regret over not putting True Grit higher. I'm a very fickle creature. So, I just decided on something and I'm going with it. My #1 never changed or was even challenged but 2-5 are pretty interchangeable so take the numbers by their names with a grain of salt.
#4. Rabbit Hole
I adore movies that are about the human condition and the way we deal with things. Not our reactions, but what's deeper. The way that what happens in our lives effects our souls, and changes and moves us. It's very subtle and it is very hard to make a movie about it, because people never change drastically. It's a process. People never get over the death of their child quickly in one fluid motion. It is a day to day burden they must carry for the rest of their lives. That's what this film is about at it's core. Dianne Wiest makes an incredible speech on this subject and I couldn't possibly sum it up any better so here it is:
This is a film about deep, life altering emotion. It is that emotion and those experience that link us together as humans and I find that quite beautiful. For that reason, and because it did it so damn well, this film is beautiful too.
#3. Inception
This makes the list, not because it's a huge blockbuster or garnered large success and popularity. It makes this list because it can be a huge popular blockbuster success and never sacrifice story or performance or originality. It gave us a story and didn't beg us to keep up or hold our hand. It whipped around corners and into tunnels and dared us not to have our brains strapped in. It's the kind of film that requires, not simply encourages, second and third viewings because of its complexity and intelligence. It is a spectacularly well made film that is also a blockbuster and besides Nolan, I can't think of any director who can still pull that off. It is easily one of the best films of the year and is one of the few films that deserves its immense popularity.
Best Actor: Colin Firth, The Kings Speech
What a pleasant surprise Firth has become as an actor. From being perfectly fine in a decade or two worth of romantic comedies to giving back to back Oscar worthy performances in two excellent films. Firth was my pic for Best Actor last year in A Single Man, a sad and beautiful film that starred Firth as a gay man in the 50s who's lover had just died. It was one of the best films of last year, and Firths performance anchored it. This year he's my pick again for this very different and equally impressive role as King George VI of England. It is a film about his journey to overcome his debilitating stutter and lead the UK into WWII. He is riveting in it. Not for a second did I believe he was faking his stutter. It was flawless. But that's not why he deserves this award. You can have a flawless stutter and still give a terrible performance. Under the stutter, Firth is exceptional. I never would have expected 'that dude for those movies with that fat Renee Zellweger" would garner this much respect from me. He earned it.
Runner up: Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Alright that's all for today folks. I'll be back soon with my last two Best Picture picks as well as my pick for Best Actress. Anyone who wants to guess and gets all three of them right in order will receive a reasonable gift of their choosing, but up to something like $20 so lets have those guesses!!!
#4. Rabbit Hole
I adore movies that are about the human condition and the way we deal with things. Not our reactions, but what's deeper. The way that what happens in our lives effects our souls, and changes and moves us. It's very subtle and it is very hard to make a movie about it, because people never change drastically. It's a process. People never get over the death of their child quickly in one fluid motion. It is a day to day burden they must carry for the rest of their lives. That's what this film is about at it's core. Dianne Wiest makes an incredible speech on this subject and I couldn't possibly sum it up any better so here it is:
This is a film about deep, life altering emotion. It is that emotion and those experience that link us together as humans and I find that quite beautiful. For that reason, and because it did it so damn well, this film is beautiful too.
#3. Inception
This makes the list, not because it's a huge blockbuster or garnered large success and popularity. It makes this list because it can be a huge popular blockbuster success and never sacrifice story or performance or originality. It gave us a story and didn't beg us to keep up or hold our hand. It whipped around corners and into tunnels and dared us not to have our brains strapped in. It's the kind of film that requires, not simply encourages, second and third viewings because of its complexity and intelligence. It is a spectacularly well made film that is also a blockbuster and besides Nolan, I can't think of any director who can still pull that off. It is easily one of the best films of the year and is one of the few films that deserves its immense popularity.
Best Actor: Colin Firth, The Kings Speech
What a pleasant surprise Firth has become as an actor. From being perfectly fine in a decade or two worth of romantic comedies to giving back to back Oscar worthy performances in two excellent films. Firth was my pic for Best Actor last year in A Single Man, a sad and beautiful film that starred Firth as a gay man in the 50s who's lover had just died. It was one of the best films of last year, and Firths performance anchored it. This year he's my pick again for this very different and equally impressive role as King George VI of England. It is a film about his journey to overcome his debilitating stutter and lead the UK into WWII. He is riveting in it. Not for a second did I believe he was faking his stutter. It was flawless. But that's not why he deserves this award. You can have a flawless stutter and still give a terrible performance. Under the stutter, Firth is exceptional. I never would have expected 'that dude for those movies with that fat Renee Zellweger" would garner this much respect from me. He earned it.
Runner up: Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Alright that's all for today folks. I'll be back soon with my last two Best Picture picks as well as my pick for Best Actress. Anyone who wants to guess and gets all three of them right in order will receive a reasonable gift of their choosing, but up to something like $20 so lets have those guesses!!!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Best Films of 2010: #6-5
I'm pretty sure I missed a day but hey who's keeping count really. This whole weekend has been a blur to me. I've been awake for 33 hours currently so I can't promise this will be completely compredable... is that a word? ... I think that might be Spanish. Oh well. You get the picture. Case in point if you will. Speaking of case in points, I'm going to make a horrible segue into the countdown.
Let it begin.
#6: The Social Network
Now I said a whole lot of nice things in last post about the script of The Social Network. It is without a doubt the best script of the year and that certainly aids it significantly in being one of the best films of the year. In addition to the script, however, this film has a whole armload of things going for it. Let's start with David Fincher's direction. It's dark and moody. It sets the tone for the whole film. He understands that the dialogue is the action in this film and shoots that to full effect. Next we have the spectacular performances. Now, like Michael Cera, Jesse Eisenberg is often criticized as playing the same character over and over again. Also, like Cera, Eisenberg broke out of that in a huge way this year in this film. Yes, he still speaks rapid-fire and yes he's still quite dorky, but here he's also disinterested, sarcastic, mean, and awesome. Mark Zuckerberg is a killer role and Eisenberg knocks it out of the park. Andrew Garfield has some great moments throughout the film, Justin Timberlake makes me forget that I pretty much hate him he's so good in this movie, and finally we have Armie Hammer who played both Winklevos twins in this movie thanks to a little technical wizardry. He gives two great performances. And even beyond the performances we have the score. What a wonderful score it is. Composer Trent Reznor should also expect a Oscar come February and it is more than well deserved. Overall The Social Network is an exceptional film that, under risk of sounding cliche, kind of defines our generation. At least it's this and not Repo Men
#5 True Grit
I can't say enough about this film. Or maybe I just can't say it well enough. Now I am no connoisseur of Westerns, in fact I have seen only a handful, but this is by far and long the best western I've ever seen. First of all it places you in the Old West. I immediate felt like I was watching something authentic. This is achieved by the sets, costumes, accents, etc but a large part of this is the dialogue. It sounds like what I would imagine those in the Old West to sound like, but at the same time it never looses the Coen's sense of humor. How can oddball obscure, and Old West lingo go together? Incredible writing that's how. I would easily say that this film has the runner up for Best Adapted Screenplay. The Dialogue is superb. This is also a highly beautiful film, taking full advantage of New Mexico's landscape. Cinematographer Roger Deakins is a master at what he does and he's in full form here. The score adds a lot too. It is simply old hymns played on piano that accompany this film but sometimes simple is better and it, too, helps add to the authenticity of the picture. The acting is superb from everyone. Jeff Bridges is great as the usually drunk Rooster Cogburg. Matt Damon and Josh Brolin add two more terrific characters to their repertoires. The revelation here is Hailee Steinfeld as the girl Matty Ross. She's really the star of the film. It's her story. The Coens are splendid film makers. This further proves that they can leave behind their own signature brand of film and just make a spectacular genre picture. In the end that's really what this is. Just a spectacular Western, which is something we rarely get anymore.
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Not to cheapen this win for Mr. Bale ( he's an avid reader of this blog and I know he'll be just ticked by this), but this is an incredibly weak category this year. There were few, if any, supporting male performances that really stuck out. Not that Bale wouldn't have won if there were such performances, but this just made the decision process all the easier. Bale has always been a chameleon. He has not only changed his appearance, but he's morphed his body for every role he's been. In The Fighter he is a charismtic drug addict who believes he should be the only one helping his brother to victory. He is riviting. He is odd, and loud, and goofy, and you can't keep your eyes off of him. It's a spectacular performance to add to a spectacular career. I don't know how he can continue to go up, but I have no doubt that he's going to.
Runner Up: John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
The only other male supporting performance this year that really connected with me was this one. Hawkes is electric in this role. He's the kind of character actor that you never realize is in everything until they explode in something. This is his explosion.
Best Supporting Actress: Barbara Hershey, Black Swan
This was by far the hardest one to choose for me, but I settled on Barbara Hershey. She's is incredible in this role. So clearly emotionally abusive and manipulative with the guise of love. She plays it perfectly. She's dark and scary. She does love her daughter, but almost too much. She's the villain of the film. Or is she? How much of what we see of her is how she really is and how much is Nina's perception? Is Nina this damaged because of how controlling her mother is or is her mother this controlling because she knows how damaged Nina is? The film doesn't give us an answer. What it gives us is an incredible and terrifying performance from a fantastic actress.
Runner up: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit and Leslie Mannville, Another Year
Steinfeld really isn't a supporting performance. She's lead. But she wouldn't have made my lead list and she's so terrific she deserves to be cited somewhere. Mannville has the difficult task of taking someone innately annoying and off-putting and making her human. This is much more difficult than it sounds. It's easy to take a character like that, pump them full of cliches and play it. Sitcoms can do that. Children on the Disney Channel can do that. Mannville creates someone who we all know and lets us see beneath the vail to the broken person underneath. We even understand her to an extent. We feel for her. It's a pretty tremendous piece of acting.
Well that's it. Come back soon for the next post which will include by picks for Best Actor and Best Actress. Until then,
Soupy Twist.
Let it begin.
#6: The Social Network
Now I said a whole lot of nice things in last post about the script of The Social Network. It is without a doubt the best script of the year and that certainly aids it significantly in being one of the best films of the year. In addition to the script, however, this film has a whole armload of things going for it. Let's start with David Fincher's direction. It's dark and moody. It sets the tone for the whole film. He understands that the dialogue is the action in this film and shoots that to full effect. Next we have the spectacular performances. Now, like Michael Cera, Jesse Eisenberg is often criticized as playing the same character over and over again. Also, like Cera, Eisenberg broke out of that in a huge way this year in this film. Yes, he still speaks rapid-fire and yes he's still quite dorky, but here he's also disinterested, sarcastic, mean, and awesome. Mark Zuckerberg is a killer role and Eisenberg knocks it out of the park. Andrew Garfield has some great moments throughout the film, Justin Timberlake makes me forget that I pretty much hate him he's so good in this movie, and finally we have Armie Hammer who played both Winklevos twins in this movie thanks to a little technical wizardry. He gives two great performances. And even beyond the performances we have the score. What a wonderful score it is. Composer Trent Reznor should also expect a Oscar come February and it is more than well deserved. Overall The Social Network is an exceptional film that, under risk of sounding cliche, kind of defines our generation. At least it's this and not Repo Men
#5 True Grit
I can't say enough about this film. Or maybe I just can't say it well enough. Now I am no connoisseur of Westerns, in fact I have seen only a handful, but this is by far and long the best western I've ever seen. First of all it places you in the Old West. I immediate felt like I was watching something authentic. This is achieved by the sets, costumes, accents, etc but a large part of this is the dialogue. It sounds like what I would imagine those in the Old West to sound like, but at the same time it never looses the Coen's sense of humor. How can oddball obscure, and Old West lingo go together? Incredible writing that's how. I would easily say that this film has the runner up for Best Adapted Screenplay. The Dialogue is superb. This is also a highly beautiful film, taking full advantage of New Mexico's landscape. Cinematographer Roger Deakins is a master at what he does and he's in full form here. The score adds a lot too. It is simply old hymns played on piano that accompany this film but sometimes simple is better and it, too, helps add to the authenticity of the picture. The acting is superb from everyone. Jeff Bridges is great as the usually drunk Rooster Cogburg. Matt Damon and Josh Brolin add two more terrific characters to their repertoires. The revelation here is Hailee Steinfeld as the girl Matty Ross. She's really the star of the film. It's her story. The Coens are splendid film makers. This further proves that they can leave behind their own signature brand of film and just make a spectacular genre picture. In the end that's really what this is. Just a spectacular Western, which is something we rarely get anymore.
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Not to cheapen this win for Mr. Bale ( he's an avid reader of this blog and I know he'll be just ticked by this), but this is an incredibly weak category this year. There were few, if any, supporting male performances that really stuck out. Not that Bale wouldn't have won if there were such performances, but this just made the decision process all the easier. Bale has always been a chameleon. He has not only changed his appearance, but he's morphed his body for every role he's been. In The Fighter he is a charismtic drug addict who believes he should be the only one helping his brother to victory. He is riviting. He is odd, and loud, and goofy, and you can't keep your eyes off of him. It's a spectacular performance to add to a spectacular career. I don't know how he can continue to go up, but I have no doubt that he's going to.
Runner Up: John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
The only other male supporting performance this year that really connected with me was this one. Hawkes is electric in this role. He's the kind of character actor that you never realize is in everything until they explode in something. This is his explosion.
Best Supporting Actress: Barbara Hershey, Black Swan
This was by far the hardest one to choose for me, but I settled on Barbara Hershey. She's is incredible in this role. So clearly emotionally abusive and manipulative with the guise of love. She plays it perfectly. She's dark and scary. She does love her daughter, but almost too much. She's the villain of the film. Or is she? How much of what we see of her is how she really is and how much is Nina's perception? Is Nina this damaged because of how controlling her mother is or is her mother this controlling because she knows how damaged Nina is? The film doesn't give us an answer. What it gives us is an incredible and terrifying performance from a fantastic actress.
Runner up: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit and Leslie Mannville, Another Year
Steinfeld really isn't a supporting performance. She's lead. But she wouldn't have made my lead list and she's so terrific she deserves to be cited somewhere. Mannville has the difficult task of taking someone innately annoying and off-putting and making her human. This is much more difficult than it sounds. It's easy to take a character like that, pump them full of cliches and play it. Sitcoms can do that. Children on the Disney Channel can do that. Mannville creates someone who we all know and lets us see beneath the vail to the broken person underneath. We even understand her to an extent. We feel for her. It's a pretty tremendous piece of acting.
Well that's it. Come back soon for the next post which will include by picks for Best Actor and Best Actress. Until then,
Soupy Twist.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Best Films of 2010: #8-7
"When is modern science going to find a cure for a woman's mouth?" -Dr. Spaceman
And on that note lets dive right in!
#8. Black Swan
Black Swan is insane. Seriously. There's really no other way to sum it up. It's a psycho trip into the mind of a very naive and damaged girl. Nina, played by Natalie Portman in a spell-binding performance, is a girl in a woman's body. Coddled and emotionally abused by her mother, she spends all her time dancing. She is a terrific dancer. Technically perfect. So, when her company decides to stage a production of Swan Lake, she is an immediate choice to play the sweet, virginal White Swan. But she doesn't have the inner fire to play the White Swan's evil twin, the Black Swan. This is when Nina's dark journey begins. It's a haunting, frightening and enthralling journey, and due to Darren Aranofsky's effective hand-held direction we are placed right in the middle of it. Natalie Portman is flawless here. She's in nearly every scene and she completely carries the film. Barbara Hershey gives a terrific and terrifying performance as Nina's mother. The rest of the cast is strong as well. A couple weak points toward the end are the film are forgiven and forgotten quickly, but other scenes stay with you for days. This is like a horror movie for the mind made by a terrific film maker and it is thoroughly effective.
#7. Catfish
This will likely be my most controversial pick for anyone who saw it. This small documentary was released this fall with one of the most enticing trailers I have ever seen. This trailer has been the center of much scorn heaped upon the film. The claim is that it was false advertising. This is incorrect. Yes, the trailer may be slightly misleading, but it does not misinform. This is a true documentary. Everything on screen happened. This is not, as people believe, a film about the dangers of modern technology and internet relationships. This is a meditation of humanity and how we deal with lonliness. The lengths we go to and the lies we tell ourselves to hide how we feel when our lives doesn't transpire the way we wanted. The last forty minutes of this film are some of the saddest, most poingnant, most fascinating, and most touching moments I've ever seen in a film. I felt this way because I am a deep fan of real human emotion and this movie displayed it to me. It is much more than just a a story of someone who claims to be someone their not online. This is the story of someone who hides behind lies so they don't have to face the depression of the truth. This is wholly human and this narrative is wholly powerful.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
The script for this kinda-true story zings, mesmerizes and captivates for the duration of this two hour film. Aaron Sorkin, the writer, is the true star of this movie which is saying A LOT for a movie directed by David Fincher, scored by Trent Reznor, and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Spiderman and Justin Timberlake. The Social Network is likely going to win the Oscar for Best Picture (among a slew of others) and that is all because of this script. That's not why its winning this award. It wins this one for the dialogue. Wicked fast and razor sharp. Sorkin is a master at wordplay and he outdoes himself here.
Best Original Screenplay: Christopher Nolan, Inception
No one who saw a movie this year could disagree with this pick. The brainchild of Christopher Nolan who spent ten years developing this script. It paid off. This project is wholly original and overwhelmingly complex. The feature is a jigsaw puzzle being put together piece by piece. It is wildly inventive and profoundly moving at the same time. Nolan is about the only director living who can still make blockbuster films that are awards contenders as well. His films are suffused with creativity and humanity yet still find time to blow stuff up in style. He's one of the greatest working today and clearly one of the greatest writing too.
Tomorrow will bring two more picks on down the list. Also I will list my picks for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Catfish is available on DVD. I suggest you rent it.
And on that note lets dive right in!
#8. Black Swan
Black Swan is insane. Seriously. There's really no other way to sum it up. It's a psycho trip into the mind of a very naive and damaged girl. Nina, played by Natalie Portman in a spell-binding performance, is a girl in a woman's body. Coddled and emotionally abused by her mother, she spends all her time dancing. She is a terrific dancer. Technically perfect. So, when her company decides to stage a production of Swan Lake, she is an immediate choice to play the sweet, virginal White Swan. But she doesn't have the inner fire to play the White Swan's evil twin, the Black Swan. This is when Nina's dark journey begins. It's a haunting, frightening and enthralling journey, and due to Darren Aranofsky's effective hand-held direction we are placed right in the middle of it. Natalie Portman is flawless here. She's in nearly every scene and she completely carries the film. Barbara Hershey gives a terrific and terrifying performance as Nina's mother. The rest of the cast is strong as well. A couple weak points toward the end are the film are forgiven and forgotten quickly, but other scenes stay with you for days. This is like a horror movie for the mind made by a terrific film maker and it is thoroughly effective.
#7. Catfish
This will likely be my most controversial pick for anyone who saw it. This small documentary was released this fall with one of the most enticing trailers I have ever seen. This trailer has been the center of much scorn heaped upon the film. The claim is that it was false advertising. This is incorrect. Yes, the trailer may be slightly misleading, but it does not misinform. This is a true documentary. Everything on screen happened. This is not, as people believe, a film about the dangers of modern technology and internet relationships. This is a meditation of humanity and how we deal with lonliness. The lengths we go to and the lies we tell ourselves to hide how we feel when our lives doesn't transpire the way we wanted. The last forty minutes of this film are some of the saddest, most poingnant, most fascinating, and most touching moments I've ever seen in a film. I felt this way because I am a deep fan of real human emotion and this movie displayed it to me. It is much more than just a a story of someone who claims to be someone their not online. This is the story of someone who hides behind lies so they don't have to face the depression of the truth. This is wholly human and this narrative is wholly powerful.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
The script for this kinda-true story zings, mesmerizes and captivates for the duration of this two hour film. Aaron Sorkin, the writer, is the true star of this movie which is saying A LOT for a movie directed by David Fincher, scored by Trent Reznor, and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Spiderman and Justin Timberlake. The Social Network is likely going to win the Oscar for Best Picture (among a slew of others) and that is all because of this script. That's not why its winning this award. It wins this one for the dialogue. Wicked fast and razor sharp. Sorkin is a master at wordplay and he outdoes himself here.
Best Original Screenplay: Christopher Nolan, Inception
No one who saw a movie this year could disagree with this pick. The brainchild of Christopher Nolan who spent ten years developing this script. It paid off. This project is wholly original and overwhelmingly complex. The feature is a jigsaw puzzle being put together piece by piece. It is wildly inventive and profoundly moving at the same time. Nolan is about the only director living who can still make blockbuster films that are awards contenders as well. His films are suffused with creativity and humanity yet still find time to blow stuff up in style. He's one of the greatest working today and clearly one of the greatest writing too.
Tomorrow will bring two more picks on down the list. Also I will list my picks for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Catfish is available on DVD. I suggest you rent it.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Best Films of 2010: #10-9
Well here it is. The Best of the Best of 2010 Countdown. Part 1. I'll start my Best films of 2010 here with #9 & 10 as well as start my list for the 'Bests' in the other categories. I've been putting this off for long enough so, I figure I'll just put chisel to stone and start counting them down.
#10. City Island
A sweet film about a family in the small fishing village of City Island on Manhattan. It's a great film that can take a completely overused cliche and make it both funny and new, and City Island achieves that. In every awful romantic comedy movie, one or both of the characters have some bad secret that they just can't let the other one know like; My huge book store is the reason your small quaint one is going out of business or; I told you I didn't go to that strip club with my friends but I really did or; I didn't want to admit it but that sexy doctor totally wants me and I totally know it but i think i'm a decent person so i would never admit that to you or myself. Anyway it's bad writing. It's a ploy to create plot to drive the story forward to some kind of eventual happy conclusion. The odd thing about City Island is that it does this, but not in a contrived, cliche way. It's funny and it's feels like something that an actual family could do. The dad played by Andy Garcia doesn't want to tell his wife he goes to acting classes. She assumes he's having an affair. They both 'quit' smoking so they hide it from each other. The daughter is a stripper. The son is a chubby chaser. Everyone has a secret and it all comes to a head at the end, but instead of behaving like over dramatic two dimensional characters, this family behaves like people. Terrific performances by Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer and the rest of the cast bring some very touching moments as well as some very funny ones too. This was a small surprise, but it turned out to be quite a treat.
#9: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
This under-appreciated gem dropped just in time for my birthday this year. I saw this movie four times in theaters. Four times. I've never seen a movie that many times in theaters. Ever. It helps that I got in for free I suppose but still. Wildly inventive, sharply witty, unexpectedly action packed, deeply romantic, hilariously funny, and overwhelmingly original. This movie has everything. Michael Cera makes quite the comeback in my book after a slew of poorly executed movies that had him playing George Michael Bluth over and over again. He's not George Michael here. It's a new character, a new performance and once again shows how funny and fresh this actor can be. Mary Elizabeth Winstead gives a star making performance as Ramona, the girl who's just a little to captivating for her own good. It's easy to discredit Winstead here as just playing some disinterested hipster chick with a dry sense of humor but she does so much more than that. She's subtly wounded and it comes out in her performance in the most remarkable ways. The supporting cast is as colorful as one comes. Whip smart dialogue and unparalleled, inventive direction both from Edgar Wright of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame combine to turn this into a uniquely original experience which is something that can be said for about 1% of the films made per year. This is a film that deserves an audience.
So there are my first two picks. Successors will follow. Now I'm counting down my bests in other categories. Today I give you my pick for.....
Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3
Is anyone who actually saw an animated film this year surprised? How to Train Your Dragon had its moment of goodness (not quite greatness) when it wasn't being awful and all Dreamworks like. I didn't waste my time on Despicable Me but Evil Villain gets a family and learns corny lessons... there I just saved you two hours of your life. Go swimming or something. I don't even remember anything else that came out. You think that's a good sign? OH Tangled! Blah. Mish mash from other, more successful Disney princess films in the past. Nothing new or creative. Toy Story on the other hand completed a trilogy in a fashion that has never been done before. As always Pixar transcends animation to give us real human stories and emotions. This movie was never about Toys. This series never was. What this movie was about is childhood and how it feels when someone starts to leave it behind. This movie resonated with anyone who has ever been a kid with a favorite toy. That toy, though we didn't realize it at the time represented our childhood and still today when we think about that toy we get a twinge of nostalgia and longing. We wish, if for just a moment, that we could go back and play with that toy as a kid again. When anything was possible. When no adventure was too great for the two of you to take on together. It also resonates with any parent who has ever had to pack up their child and take them to college. This movie tackles all these deep, human issues while still being a kids movie and does it with humor and grace. What other movie can boast that this year? Or any year? Toy Story will go down as the one of the greatest trilogies in cinema history and it deserves it fully.
Well that's it. Check by soon for #8-7 in the countdown and my pics for the Best Adapted and Original Screenplays of 2010. Until then,
Soupy Twist.
#10. City Island
A sweet film about a family in the small fishing village of City Island on Manhattan. It's a great film that can take a completely overused cliche and make it both funny and new, and City Island achieves that. In every awful romantic comedy movie, one or both of the characters have some bad secret that they just can't let the other one know like; My huge book store is the reason your small quaint one is going out of business or; I told you I didn't go to that strip club with my friends but I really did or; I didn't want to admit it but that sexy doctor totally wants me and I totally know it but i think i'm a decent person so i would never admit that to you or myself. Anyway it's bad writing. It's a ploy to create plot to drive the story forward to some kind of eventual happy conclusion. The odd thing about City Island is that it does this, but not in a contrived, cliche way. It's funny and it's feels like something that an actual family could do. The dad played by Andy Garcia doesn't want to tell his wife he goes to acting classes. She assumes he's having an affair. They both 'quit' smoking so they hide it from each other. The daughter is a stripper. The son is a chubby chaser. Everyone has a secret and it all comes to a head at the end, but instead of behaving like over dramatic two dimensional characters, this family behaves like people. Terrific performances by Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer and the rest of the cast bring some very touching moments as well as some very funny ones too. This was a small surprise, but it turned out to be quite a treat.
#9: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
This under-appreciated gem dropped just in time for my birthday this year. I saw this movie four times in theaters. Four times. I've never seen a movie that many times in theaters. Ever. It helps that I got in for free I suppose but still. Wildly inventive, sharply witty, unexpectedly action packed, deeply romantic, hilariously funny, and overwhelmingly original. This movie has everything. Michael Cera makes quite the comeback in my book after a slew of poorly executed movies that had him playing George Michael Bluth over and over again. He's not George Michael here. It's a new character, a new performance and once again shows how funny and fresh this actor can be. Mary Elizabeth Winstead gives a star making performance as Ramona, the girl who's just a little to captivating for her own good. It's easy to discredit Winstead here as just playing some disinterested hipster chick with a dry sense of humor but she does so much more than that. She's subtly wounded and it comes out in her performance in the most remarkable ways. The supporting cast is as colorful as one comes. Whip smart dialogue and unparalleled, inventive direction both from Edgar Wright of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame combine to turn this into a uniquely original experience which is something that can be said for about 1% of the films made per year. This is a film that deserves an audience.
So there are my first two picks. Successors will follow. Now I'm counting down my bests in other categories. Today I give you my pick for.....
Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3
Is anyone who actually saw an animated film this year surprised? How to Train Your Dragon had its moment of goodness (not quite greatness) when it wasn't being awful and all Dreamworks like. I didn't waste my time on Despicable Me but Evil Villain gets a family and learns corny lessons... there I just saved you two hours of your life. Go swimming or something. I don't even remember anything else that came out. You think that's a good sign? OH Tangled! Blah. Mish mash from other, more successful Disney princess films in the past. Nothing new or creative. Toy Story on the other hand completed a trilogy in a fashion that has never been done before. As always Pixar transcends animation to give us real human stories and emotions. This movie was never about Toys. This series never was. What this movie was about is childhood and how it feels when someone starts to leave it behind. This movie resonated with anyone who has ever been a kid with a favorite toy. That toy, though we didn't realize it at the time represented our childhood and still today when we think about that toy we get a twinge of nostalgia and longing. We wish, if for just a moment, that we could go back and play with that toy as a kid again. When anything was possible. When no adventure was too great for the two of you to take on together. It also resonates with any parent who has ever had to pack up their child and take them to college. This movie tackles all these deep, human issues while still being a kids movie and does it with humor and grace. What other movie can boast that this year? Or any year? Toy Story will go down as the one of the greatest trilogies in cinema history and it deserves it fully.
Well that's it. Check by soon for #8-7 in the countdown and my pics for the Best Adapted and Original Screenplays of 2010. Until then,
Soupy Twist.
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