Ref: Mulhern
Leaving me no time again, B! *shakes fist*
#1 Drive
Excellent, excellent, excellent. From the opening sequence that takes a clever turn to the slow darkening of the action, Drive keeps the viewer captivated until its conclusion and leaves room for debate later. Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan share a powerful relationship that doesn't need explication. An excellent soundtrack underscores the action. Although I would have probably cringed less at a more caper-esque version of this film, I wouldn't trade the finished product for anything.
That's all, folks! Just under the wire!
26 February 2012
2011 Movies: #2
Ref: Mulhern
#2 Stuck Between Stations
B and I caught this film on a whim during the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival this year. An hour-plus wait in line for day-of tickets was well worth it for a great show (plus a Q&A session with some of the actors and, for B, some post-show hobnobbing). Stuck Between Stations captures the magic of an instant connection years in the making against the backdrop of late-night Minneapolis. Everyone on the small cast is excellent, but the bulk of the story is admirably carried by Zoe Lister-Jones and Sam Rosen, who was also seen in last year's local film Four Boxes.
Catch it, if you can!
(p.s. Oscar pre-show viewers, mustachioed Bradley Cooper?!?!)
#2 Stuck Between Stations
B and I caught this film on a whim during the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival this year. An hour-plus wait in line for day-of tickets was well worth it for a great show (plus a Q&A session with some of the actors and, for B, some post-show hobnobbing). Stuck Between Stations captures the magic of an instant connection years in the making against the backdrop of late-night Minneapolis. Everyone on the small cast is excellent, but the bulk of the story is admirably carried by Zoe Lister-Jones and Sam Rosen, who was also seen in last year's local film Four Boxes.
Catch it, if you can!
(p.s. Oscar pre-show viewers, mustachioed Bradley Cooper?!?!)
2011 Movies: #4 & 3
Ref: Mulhern
It's distracting trying to blog and critique the red carpet at the same time. Nonetheless, I'll try...
#4 The Descendants
I regret missing this one thus far and will have to catch it before it finishes its theatrical run.
#3 The Artist
Splendid! The Artist is a loving homage to silent movies that is delivered with a few unexpected and delightful surprises. The storytelling is fresh (for those of us who didn't grow up with silent movies) and enjoyably diverting. What a wonderful stateside introduction to Jean Dujardin, France's George Clooney, who is able to both play the classical bold but romantic hero and poke fun at himself while doing it. (And, of course, Uggie the dog is excellent.)
It's distracting trying to blog and critique the red carpet at the same time. Nonetheless, I'll try...
#4 The Descendants
I regret missing this one thus far and will have to catch it before it finishes its theatrical run.
#3 The Artist
Splendid! The Artist is a loving homage to silent movies that is delivered with a few unexpected and delightful surprises. The storytelling is fresh (for those of us who didn't grow up with silent movies) and enjoyably diverting. What a wonderful stateside introduction to Jean Dujardin, France's George Clooney, who is able to both play the classical bold but romantic hero and poke fun at himself while doing it. (And, of course, Uggie the dog is excellent.)
2011 Movies: #7, 6 & 5
Ref: Mulhern
#7 Tree of Life
I think I missed out not seeing this one in theatres just for its sheer beauty. Yes, the story doesn't seem to go much of anywhere, but it does so in the most airy, fantastic, brilliant visual way. The young boys do a great job of natural, unself-conscious interaction in front of the camera, and Chastain and Pitt convey their complex relationship through interludes of quiet side-by-side existence combined with the occasional outbursts of passion.
Also, there are dinosaurs!
#6 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
(Mulhern, refer to this cinematic masterpiece by its proper name!) My mother saw the first couple of movies in the Harry Potter franchise... and then saw this one. "At first I didn't really know what was going on," she said, "but I got the hang of it." That's an understandable reaction from a part-time viewer- HP2 picks up with virtually no exposition, other than a brief recap - it's like you stepped out from HP1 for a brief intermission and have now returned minutes later for the action-packed lengthy conclusion.
Everything is fast-paced and hangs pretty closely to its origin text, Rowling's final installment in the Harry Potter saga. Without giving it all away, it's fair to assume that you'll laugh, cry and bid farewell to the world of Hogwarts satisfied.
#5 Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
I'm familiar with ATCQ now, due in full to Mulhern. I've heard some/most of their music and know much of the group's backstory, but I'm nowhere near as passionate as B. Still, I very much enjoyed Beats, Rhymes & Life. The documentary was accessible for super-fans and interested parties alike, with a look at the history of the group, its successes and struggles, with plenty of music mixed in.
#7 Tree of Life
I think I missed out not seeing this one in theatres just for its sheer beauty. Yes, the story doesn't seem to go much of anywhere, but it does so in the most airy, fantastic, brilliant visual way. The young boys do a great job of natural, unself-conscious interaction in front of the camera, and Chastain and Pitt convey their complex relationship through interludes of quiet side-by-side existence combined with the occasional outbursts of passion.
Also, there are dinosaurs!
#6 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
(Mulhern, refer to this cinematic masterpiece by its proper name!) My mother saw the first couple of movies in the Harry Potter franchise... and then saw this one. "At first I didn't really know what was going on," she said, "but I got the hang of it." That's an understandable reaction from a part-time viewer- HP2 picks up with virtually no exposition, other than a brief recap - it's like you stepped out from HP1 for a brief intermission and have now returned minutes later for the action-packed lengthy conclusion.
Everything is fast-paced and hangs pretty closely to its origin text, Rowling's final installment in the Harry Potter saga. Without giving it all away, it's fair to assume that you'll laugh, cry and bid farewell to the world of Hogwarts satisfied.
#5 Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
I'm familiar with ATCQ now, due in full to Mulhern. I've heard some/most of their music and know much of the group's backstory, but I'm nowhere near as passionate as B. Still, I very much enjoyed Beats, Rhymes & Life. The documentary was accessible for super-fans and interested parties alike, with a look at the history of the group, its successes and struggles, with plenty of music mixed in.
25 February 2012
2011 Movies: #9 & 8
Ref: Mulhern
#9 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Unlike B, I went into this movie having read all the full Millennium trilogy, albeit a couple of years ago. He gets some things wrong and some things right in his recap of the story, which indicates the difficulty of conveying the nuances of a complex, (sometimes too) detailed novel on film. At the same time, the film's comparative streamlining of Steig Larsson's text cuts out some overly-lengthy exposition and brings additional intensity to the narrative.
Rooney Mara experienced an extreme transformation to prepare for this role, among other things getting pierced in about nine different places (including her ears, which weren't previously pierced), and she embodies Salander admirably. Daniel Craig is also good, although his investigative character isn't much different than others he has played before. The landscape is especially evocative, mirroring the isolation and bleakness of our imperfect protagonists. One warning: the violence is extremely explicit, so much so that two people walked out of the showing we attended.
#8 Moneyball
I did not read Moneyball, but I understand that the text itself doesn't have much in common with the movie; while the book details how moneyball is played, the film is more about conveying how moneyball was developed. I knew the basics of the story but no details going in, and I was happily entertained by the inside baseball tale.
Well-written and well-acted, the movie makes the statistician's science behind player selection understandable and the manager's art of making a deal interesting. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill have a great rapport, the grizzled coaching staff members show the appropriate amount of skepticism at the ideas of Hill's young upstart character, and the players add (for the most part) a nice dash of levity and authenticity.
#9 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Unlike B, I went into this movie having read all the full Millennium trilogy, albeit a couple of years ago. He gets some things wrong and some things right in his recap of the story, which indicates the difficulty of conveying the nuances of a complex, (sometimes too) detailed novel on film. At the same time, the film's comparative streamlining of Steig Larsson's text cuts out some overly-lengthy exposition and brings additional intensity to the narrative.
Rooney Mara experienced an extreme transformation to prepare for this role, among other things getting pierced in about nine different places (including her ears, which weren't previously pierced), and she embodies Salander admirably. Daniel Craig is also good, although his investigative character isn't much different than others he has played before. The landscape is especially evocative, mirroring the isolation and bleakness of our imperfect protagonists. One warning: the violence is extremely explicit, so much so that two people walked out of the showing we attended.
#8 Moneyball
I did not read Moneyball, but I understand that the text itself doesn't have much in common with the movie; while the book details how moneyball is played, the film is more about conveying how moneyball was developed. I knew the basics of the story but no details going in, and I was happily entertained by the inside baseball tale.
Well-written and well-acted, the movie makes the statistician's science behind player selection understandable and the manager's art of making a deal interesting. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill have a great rapport, the grizzled coaching staff members show the appropriate amount of skepticism at the ideas of Hill's young upstart character, and the players add (for the most part) a nice dash of levity and authenticity.
24 February 2012
2011 Movies: #10
Ref: Mulhern
#10 Beginners
"Are we married yet?" asks adorable dog Arthur of owner Oliver. Alas, Arthur, if only it were that easy. Hal was married once, but his life didn't have any vigor. It was only after he began again that he was able to find really meaningful love and a new zest for living.
We see this film's characters as beginners in different ways throughout the non-linear story: Hal/Andy and Oliver/Anna begin to know each other as romantic partners; Hal begins anew as an active and proud member of the gay community; Oliver begins to experience a world without both his parents; Anna begins to reimagine her role in her complicated relationship with her father; Arthur begins his new life with Oliver (sustaining some separation anxiety from his past). It's a testament to the strong storytelling that these beginnings and snippets of experience are exactly what help the movie feel complete.
#10 Beginners
"Are we married yet?" asks adorable dog Arthur of owner Oliver. Alas, Arthur, if only it were that easy. Hal was married once, but his life didn't have any vigor. It was only after he began again that he was able to find really meaningful love and a new zest for living.
We see this film's characters as beginners in different ways throughout the non-linear story: Hal/Andy and Oliver/Anna begin to know each other as romantic partners; Hal begins anew as an active and proud member of the gay community; Oliver begins to experience a world without both his parents; Anna begins to reimagine her role in her complicated relationship with her father; Arthur begins his new life with Oliver (sustaining some separation anxiety from his past). It's a testament to the strong storytelling that these beginnings and snippets of experience are exactly what help the movie feel complete.
2011 Movies: #11 & 11 (tie)
Ref: Mulhern
Talk about two films separated by extremes..
#11 Bellflower
In the first corner, we have Bellflower, the independent, low-budget, artistic, fractured, question-prompting film. Mulhern hit the nail square on the head on his review here. Bellflower boasts a unique story and an innovative way of visual storytelling. I loved the slow shift from the bright yellow watercolor impressions of new infatuation to the stark black-grey images of confusion, depression and desperation. Although portions of the film left me cringing - when it went dark, it went dark - the overall impression it left was impressive indeed.
#11 Crazy, Stupid, Love.
And in the second corner, we have Crazy, Stupid, Love., with its celebrity powerhouse cast and storyline that feels both fresh and familiar. To indulge my love of horrible humor, I crazy stupid loved this movie. The relationships between the characters felt realistic and exaggerated at the same time - you couldn't see some of the things happening to you specifically, but you could see them happening. Strong performances from all the actors, with special kudos to Ryan Gosling because, let's face it, he deserves his own tag.
Talk about two films separated by extremes..
#11 Bellflower
In the first corner, we have Bellflower, the independent, low-budget, artistic, fractured, question-prompting film. Mulhern hit the nail square on the head on his review here. Bellflower boasts a unique story and an innovative way of visual storytelling. I loved the slow shift from the bright yellow watercolor impressions of new infatuation to the stark black-grey images of confusion, depression and desperation. Although portions of the film left me cringing - when it went dark, it went dark - the overall impression it left was impressive indeed.
#11 Crazy, Stupid, Love.
And in the second corner, we have Crazy, Stupid, Love., with its celebrity powerhouse cast and storyline that feels both fresh and familiar. To indulge my love of horrible humor, I crazy stupid loved this movie. The relationships between the characters felt realistic and exaggerated at the same time - you couldn't see some of the things happening to you specifically, but you could see them happening. Strong performances from all the actors, with special kudos to Ryan Gosling because, let's face it, he deserves his own tag.
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