Top Ten Films of 2009

I know, I know, it's the end of 2010 so I should be listing this year's best.  The problem is there are still too many films I have yet to see, so I'm starting a new tradition.  Before the New Year I will list the top ten best films of the previous year.  So before the clock strikes midnight let's go. 

Honorable Mentions
A Serious Man, Fantastic Mr. Fox, (500) Days of Summer, Where the Wild Things Are & Moon

10. Un Prophete (A Prophet)
  9. The Messenger
  8. The Brothers Bloom
  7. Star Trek
  6. Coraline
  5. El Secreto de Sus Ojos  (The Secret in their Eyes)
  4. District 9
  3. Avatar
  2. The Hurt Locker
  1. Up

127 Hours (2010)

Based on Aron Ralston's memoir, director Danny Boyle's new film tells the horrific and inspiring true story of a man trapped in a ravine, arm jammed against a boulder.  In what could have been a very good but bland film is instead full of cinematic mojo, celebrating life and a human's complex mind.   James Franco hit a home run in his portrayal and guaranteed himself an Oscar nomination, demonstrating such a wide range of emotions that in someways his performance ellipses the surrealistic style of the film.   I would say its only flaw is that Boyle tries too hard sometimes.  I loved the editing techniques applied through out but toward the climatic moments I would have liked if he had just stayed with the documentary style.   Overall a really good film that everyone should see.  Grade: A-.

Spoiler:  Okay, I know most know what Aron had to do to escape his entrapment but I still consider it a spoiler.  I have to applaud Boyle on how he handled the detaching feat:  gross but not over the top and very accurate and believable.   While watching the movie I kept trying to think of how I'd get out of that situation and every idea I came up with Aron would try it.  It really was hopeless.  Ultimately I'd like to say I would have been able to break the two bones in my arm and amputate it as he did, but I would have probably fainted from the pain and gone into shock.  What an incredible man. 

The Graveyard Book (Novel) by Neil Gaiman

A review is basically an long drawn out adjective and yet for something this good no list of positive praises can account for the mastery of this work of fiction.  Mr. Gaimen proves to us all again why he's one of the best storytellers of his generation (or any generation).  A riff on Kipling's The Jungle Book, this series of stories about Nobody Owens, boy raised by ghosts of a Graveyard, escalates to a pitch-perfect conclusion.   It's advertised as a Children's book (for young readers) but it's really just a great book for anyone who loves to read and loves stories of mystery, magic and adventure.  Grade: A

Moulin Rouge (1952)

John Huston's biography about the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, famous for his posters advertising the Moulin Rouge saloon as well as his paintings of dancers and circus performers.   Nominated for Best Picture in 1952, it dramatizes the story of a deeply tortured soul who uses alcohol and a biting wit to avoid companionship and love.  I didn't know much about Toulouse-Lautrec before last night, having only seen prints of his paintings and recognizing his name.  I didn't know for example that he had a genetic deformity causing his legs to stop growing when he was a kid.  Huston expertly keeps the story moving and Jose Ferrer is excellent as the title character.  I especially love how they colored the film so it had the same hues as Toulouse-Lautrec's work and thought everyone involved with the art production did great work.  There were a few times where Huston blocked the actors, when they are seated or standing next to each other, to avoid looking at each other.  They'd stare ahead giving the audience a stagy profile famous for daytime soap operas .  I didn't care for these moments although I suspect it's to demonstrate how detached the characters are; to me it looked stylized and unnatural.  Regardless it's a solid film that hasn't aged at all.  Grade: A-      

I'll Be Seeing You (1944)

A rather dull movie about a woman meeting a soldier on the train while visiting her uncle, aunt and niece for the holidays.  The dramatic point of the entire movie hinges on her secret and if she should tell him or not.  Ginger Rogers and Joseph Cotton save the picture from being a complete waste of time and there are a few humours bits tossed in.  Shirley Temple is a teenager and her acting is kind of annoying, although her character isn't that interesting to begin with.   Grade: B-

Spoiler: Her secret is that she's a prisoner and was given a temporally release for the holidays.   Because Cotton's suffering from shell shock she doesn't want to tell him because she assumes it would upset him.  What makes up 85 minutes of drama could have been tossed in the first 20 mintues of a better film, where they deal with his shell shock and work around her prison sentence.  lt would have made for a less melodramatic story with real ideas behind it.   Oh well, I'm sure in the 1940s a woman sent to prison for manslaughter was risky enough.

This is the last of the Christmas movies I'm reviewing this year and I'm hoping Netflix has more available next December.  I was disappointed that Babes in Toyland (Laural and Hardy) wasn't available and that Holiday Affair was also a long await. 

air vol 2: Flying Machine (Comic book) by G. Willow Wilson

As non-superhero comic book series go, air is turning out to be inventive, weird, confusing, and loads of fun.  I wouldn't call it fantastic or say it's as addictive as other series I've fallen for but I'll certainly be looking forward to the next volume.   In this second volume our heroine, Blythe, begins to develop her abilities as a Hyperpract by delving into Zayn's past by actually living it.   I must admit that I'm not really following the pseudoscience of symbols as technology and consider it the weaker part of the story.  I'm hoping that some new characters emerge too, since Amelia Earhart's arrival no one new has  come along of interest.  Also we need another bad guy, two-face-clone Benjamin Lancaster's presence was sorely missed.  If you like comic books and want to read something different, think Lost meets Alice in Wonderland meets Alias (without Sydney Bristow).  Grade: B+    

Meet John Doe (1941)

Frank Capra's first Christmas movie before It's A Wonderful Life, Cary Cooper plays a down-on-his-luck, baseball pitcher playing the role of John Doe, everyman and inspiration to a nation, as written by Barbara Stanwyck.  It amazes me that these two performers made this movie the same year they did Ball of Fire (one of my favorite comedies, where Stanwyck and Cooper shine like the true talents they were).  It's kind of a parable in away on how the corrupt can hijack a good ideal, a brave and wonderful truth, and use it for power and gain influence over the meek.  A vaguely disguised modern retelling of Jesus and all the hooey devoted to milking his goodwill.  I also love how a very democratic, liberal film can tie in Christian ideas.  It's like the Tea Party of today except the followers want to help people instead squash health care and other programs that do just that, help.  Oh no, my review just became political, I better stop there.  Only time will tell how I rank this film years from now, and if it will someday make my top ten Christmas movie list, but as for now I was mesmerized by it.  Grade: A

Top Ten Best Christmas Movies

Since it's Christmas Eve, I thought I'd take a moment and list my top ten Christmas Movies, along with a few honorable mentions and three rotten apples that people should avoid as much as possible.  Being the first list of many on this blog, let it be stated now and forever that lists are subjective and constantly evolving, but a fun way to discuss film. 

Top Ten Best Christmas Movies

10. Joyeux Noel (2006)
Inspired on a true World War I story, this is a beauitful movie with real magic and thought behind it.    It's surreal that such an event once could happen. 

9. Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
A fake Martha Stewart type who doesn't even know how to cook must throw a real Christmas Dinner for her boss to keep her job.  Comedy ensues. 

8.  Gremlins (1984)
Cute critter spawns ugly troll-like creatures to wreck havoc on Christmas.  There's not a better holiday monster movie out there.

7. Scrooged (1988)
Okay, there really isn't a bad Christmas Carol movie.  The Albert Finny one, the George C. Scott version, the Muppets musical and of course the original 1951 film all are deserving to be on this list, except my favorite take on Dicken's story is this one starring Bill Murphy.  It's dark and funny and full of surprises.

6. Bad Santa (2003)
I'm convinced that this was inspired on Dan Aykroyd's drunk portrayal of Santa from Trading Places.  It's such a nasty, evil and sardonic film.  God, I love it.  Kudos to Billy Bob Thornton. 

5. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
This film blew me away.  It is one of the best love stories out there that take place around Christmas. 

4. Elf (2003)
Will Ferrell hits comic gold with this extremely clever and wacky film that plays tribute to claymation Christmas specials of old.  It almost makes me want to have a plate of syrup flavored spaghetti. 

3. Christmas Vacation (1989)
We watch this movie every year.  (It's actually on right now as I type this.)  It always makes me laugh, whether if I'm watching it or repeating lines from it days later.  Chevy Chase is pitch perfect as the Griswold patriarch trying to fashion the perfect Christmas for his family. 

2. A Christmas Story (1983)
Another classic we watch every year.  Has there ever been a more epic hero's journey than Ralphie's quest for his Red Ryder's BB gun?  Relateable no matter when you were born, this is the Christmas comedy that all others dream of copying. 

1. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
A perfect film that inspires, makes you laugh and reflect on all that's great about the world. 

Honorable Mentions
The Dead (1987) - Huston's farewell film.  James Joyce will never be represented better
Die Hard (1988)  - Bruce Willis' action adventure a top a skyscraper.  Yippy Xmas for us all.
Home Alone and Home Alone 2 (1990 &1992) - Farce so well done is always deserving a nodd.

The 3 Worst Christmas Movies

1. The Santa Clause (1994)
Parts of this film work but as a whole the story unravels like a badly knitted Christmas sweater.  

2. Four Christmases (2008)
An Anti-Christmas movie that makes you hate the holidays and never want to see a Vince Vaughen movie again.  Yet maybe that's a good thing.

3. The Polar Express (2004)
I'll admit when I saw it the first time on the big screen I was entertained, probably because I love the book that it's based on and I admire what Zemeckis was attempting to do.  But upon a second viewing I was shocked at how bad this movie really is.  All the characters look weird with those unconvincing eyes and badly rendered facial expressions and while I love Tom Hanks having him play all the characters was just a horrible idea.  Just read the book instead.

Tron: Legacy (2010)

An average story about a son reuniting with his long lost father set in one of the most impressive worlds I’ve seen on the big screen since, well, last year (I mean come on, Avatar was fantastic).  Eye-popping spectacle like this is well-worth seeing on the big screen.  The neon highlights and empty blacks took my breath away.  It’s especially exciting to see how they paid tribute to the original film while expanding upon this new version of the Grid.  If only the story wasn’t so flat.  It needed more variety or perhaps another subplot to pump the story up a few notches.  I’m not declaring it bad or boring; it just needed another character to add drama to the mix.  Maybe someone else helping the Flynns besides Quorra, a character that never seemed to become her own.  Was she a love interest for Sam or a sister?   I couldn't tell.   And while Jeff Bridges was brilliant playing Flynn (seamlessly based on the original character, I might add) I would have liked it if he had found a way to play Clu somewhat better. Not that the writers gave him much; come on guys, a speech before an army, did you not learn from Morpheus' horrible speech in the second Matrix film?  But to be fair the writing is pretty good, if a little stuffed with back story.  It starts off with a sort of "how did we get here montage", where we learn that Father Flynn made a technology empire and then disappeared, leaving his son, Sam, orphaned and wondering what happened to his father.  All of which was unnecessary since this information is implied in scenes to come.  Later the older Flynn tells us (yes, tells instead of shows) how he created the Grid with Tron and Clu and how he was on the verge of a great breakthrough.  All great information but none of it really that dramatic.  I'm not saying it could have been cut but I wish the filmmaker and screenwriters (television writers, by the way; isn't that telling?) would have come up with a more active approach.   Besides these story flaws, it's a good time at the movies.  At the end, even as I sat there underwhelmed by the story, I craved another chapter to this world.   If there is to be a Tron 3, I welcome it, but I do hope the writers learn from their mistakes a second time around.   Grade: B+.           

A Nous la Liberte (1931)

With a splendid plot about a two prisoners, the one that escapes and becomes super rich and the other one that falls helplessly in love with a girl that doesn't want him, Rene Clair's comedy acts as musical and silent film all wrapped in one.  It's amusing that's for sure, but I won't declare it as a laugh out loud romp.   Still, it was will worth watching, and I recommend it for those who love old films.  Grade: B+

It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - Revisited

This is the third time I've seen this film.  I've always wanted to own it so I purchased it on Blu-Ray and watched it with my wife who hadn't seen it.  I'm still buzzed.  They don't get much better than this.  As perfect a film as they come, masterpiece really is the best way to describe it.  Upon this third viewing I was surprised by how funny it was.  The high school dance/pool scene had me laughing really hard, and I knew what was coming.  James Stewart's reluccancy to visit Mary after she comes home from college still makes me giggle.  I always remembered the darker elements of the film but forgot how skillful Capra was at balancing the humor with the drama.   This is probably why you care about George so much when he's at the crossroads and thinking about ending it all.  You've seen his likeable side so when he begins to act like a jerk it's impossible to hate him.   He's relateable and like a mirror makes you think of yourself, forces you to reflect upon your own life, and how important a piece you are to so many around you.  Then like a tidalwave the most feel-good ending that might have ever been filmed falls upon you.  I loved this movie so much I want to see it again.   Grade A+

Note on the Blu-Ray:  Why Blu-Ray for a black and white movie you ask?   Simple, it was only three dollars more and I might own a screen bigger than the one I have someday and so I consider it an investment.  Both the Blu-Ray and DVD come with two versions of the film: the black and white original and the colorized update.   I have no intention of watching the colorized one.  When it comes to film I don't consider myself a purist but in this regard I guess I am.   It just seems silly to watch a movie with fake colors when the depth and lighting of the black and white is so impressive.   Maybe I'll check it out, watch a few of my favorite scenes, but I'm one of those crazy guys that loves black and white and would enjoy seeing more new films made that way.       

Holiday Inn (1942)

As Christmas fast approaches I decided it would be fun to watch a few seasonal films I hadn't seen yet.  This was the first one and it's a wonderful film.   Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire have terrific chemistry and Irving Berlin's music is top notch.    The plot centers around a crooner and a dance man competing for the love of a woman.   The crooner, Crosby, owns an inn that has a show on every holiday of the year.   The dance man, Astaire, needs a new partner and is eyeing Crosby's gal.  Why is Crosby worried?  Because Astaire stole his last fiancee.  Over all a pleasant film well worth watching, during the holidays or not.  I'll save the remake, White Christmas, for next year.  Grade B+

Spoiler:  But a warning: one holiday isn't so great.  For Lincoln's birthday Crosby and company perform in black face and no matter how hard I tried to not let it it bother me it did.  It's offensive.  I wouldn't say it ruins the film but the scene dissolves away the magic from previous numbers and it took me awhile to get back into the story.  Ironically the hit song that originates from this musical is "White Christmas"; it's like a punchline to a bad joke.  I hope I don't think of minstrel shows every time I hear that hit song on the radio.  As a historic document, this film shows how far we've come but it's still hard to believe such extreme racism once was so commonplace and accepted.

Oz (Season 2; 1998)

The brutal world of Ozwald Penitentiary is back in its second season and it’s an improvement.   This part of the HBO drama ran in the summer of ’98 and twelve years later watching it on DVD I think it has aged a lot better than the first season which felt stagy and a little overwritten.   This time around the writers really hit their stride and crafted 8 excellent episodes.   I loved the complex character growth going on with the principals and how they expertly weave all their stories together with ease.   O’Reilly’s cancer fight, obsession over Dr. Nathan and the introduction of his brother drew me in as much as Beecher and Schillinger’s war, which is the story line that keeps me coming back.  God I hate that Nazi.  I am really hoping Beecher somehow finds a way to bring Schillinger down.   

Spoiler:  The only part that that lost me was Simon Adebisi’s transformation from dangerous junkie killer to crazy shaman.  I just didn’t believe it, although Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is truly remarkable to watch and is still the best character of the show.  Grade: A-     

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

I could write forever about movies like these.  Not that there’s much going on worth writing about but big event movies such as this one represent all that’s bad about Hollywood.  But whoa, don't assume that I hated it, I didn't.  It’s actually an entertaining adventure film that succeeds at doing what it intends to do.  But that’s about it.  Mr. Bruckheimer, always the showman, invested a lot of Disney’s money to produce a generic movie that most of us will forget about in a few weeks.  Sure the set pieces are wonderful, if a little cliché and stereotypical, and the performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton are fine, but there’s nothing really special about the whole endeavor.   You can tell that a lot of work went into making this movie and Mike Newell does a good job with an average script but when I think about how great this film could been I cringe. I guess it could have been worse considering the source material was a video game (which I confess I’ve never played) but there are so many promising elements that the writers could have exploited for a better experience.  Raiders of the Lost Ark this film will never be, but it could have been.  More time devoted to character development would have helped.  True, some narrator (who never is hear from again) tells us some exposition and we have a scene where Dasten's brothers find him goofing around in a friendly fight when he is supposed to be at their side preparing for war, but I wouln't call that very extensive.  Perhaps some more thought into the paradox of time travel vs. destiny, considering destiny is mentioned in the first part of the film.  Or is that too high brow for a summer movie?  One big problem I find is with the endless parade of repetitive fight sequences, which I admit are cool for the first few exchanges, but after while it’s clear they don’t add to the plot.  We watch our hero escape one group of soldiers, hopping from building to building parkour style only to have to escape another bunch of soilders in another city.  Cool, yes, but some of it could have been cut without effecting the story.   I find it strange too that Hollywood still casts movies as if it’s 1950.  Am I the only one who found it ironic that in the behind the scenes featurette on the Blu-Ray the production designers kept stressing authenticity when the casting director selected actors without Middle Eastern decent?  No wonder foreigners hate American.  What a refreshing change it would have been to watch a movie like this one without a white actor or actress anywhere on screen.  I’d be insulted by this whitewash but I know the motivation is purely monetary, not racial; modern movies need bankable stars to find funding to get made, even a film like this one.  This is not going to change any time soon.  The CGI work was on par with other blockbusters of late, looking more like a video game than real life.  Moments like these always make me wish the director would have decided to use another visual technique instead.   Still when you ignore all of this and let yourself go with it, it's good escapist fun.   Just don't expect anything more then that.     Grade: B.

Spoiler: a bit about predictability.  I saw how this entire movie would unfold as soon as it became clear that we were talking about time travel.  Yet I can’t devalue the movie because of this.  Certainly we knew Dasten would be given a second chance but it’s what I, the audience member, wanted to see happen.  I want him to win the girl’s hand and save his brothers’ lives.  Any other ending would have been too hard to swallow.    

Hiroshima mon amour (1959)

As a work of art, director Alain Resnais succeeds on many levels with this film.  It’s a beautiful mosaic composed of memorable imagery brilliantly edited together.  Certainly a montage dealing with the aftermath of a nuclear bomb is important, and a reason alone to experience this film.  Emmanuelle Riva and Eiji Okada are excellent as lovers on the verge of an emotional breakthrough.  I especially loved their scenes in the hotel room before he has her open up about her first lover back in France.  Unfortunately the stylized narration (from famed writer Marguerite Duras) drags the film down and left me incapable of caring about these characters.  I struggled to stay captivated and felt like I was reading more than watching a movie.  (Obviously knowing French might have helped with this, which is why if I view this again someday I plan to listen to a dubbed version, which I usually abhor.) Still for a film with such a promising concept and setting, I expect more.  I’ve read many glowing reviews of this film, calling it a cinematic poem, a masterpiece that redefined the language of film and so on.  For me, it was just a beautifully bland blend of memory from two underdeveloped characters.  Grade: B-

Resnais’ next work Last Year in Marienbad (L'Année dernière à Marienbad) was also a success in its day and is praised as a classic with many film lovers.  I have previously seen this film as well and must state that I don’t look forward to seeing anymore more of this director’s work.   Last Year of Marienbad makes Hiroshima Mon Amor seem like a thrill ride in comparison.  In the end, while I love invention and experimentation with narrative, a story needs to make me care about its characters.   I need to look forward to see what will happen.  Themes are great but without story one is left with just poetry.  If I wanted to read some poetry I’d pluck one of the many books of poems from my bookshelf and read. 

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)

The unique Werner Herzog never ceases to impress me with his ability to craft a story that can crawl up into my psyche and leave me bedazzled.  Based on the true story of the Foundling of Nuremberg, Kasper Hauser spends his childhood locked away in a dungeon to then be left on the street to fend for himself by his mysterious keeper.  He can't speak, can barely walk, and knows nothing of the world.  The film moves along at a subtle pace that's just perfect for a seemingly simple story.  But it's the questions the film evokes that prove how complex this film really is.  When the film ended I was left emotionally and intellectually piqued.  Everything about this film is special.  Bruno S. seems as if he was born to play the role of Kasper.  Such a simpleton could have been easily misinterpreted, comical even.  Yet Bruno masterfully finds balance and creates a character that will haunt me for a long time.  I don't know how Herzog does it.  He captures images that live.  Even just some wind blowing through a field of grass is magical or Kasper looking at his reflection in some water inspires.  Grade: A

The Sundowners (1960)

I can see why this film was nominated for best picture.  What a wonderful film!  Robert Mitchum is fantastic in it, maybe my favorite performance of his that I've seen so far.  Deborah Kerr impressed me too, although I've yet to see her in anything that she was horrible in.  Delightful and unpredictable, I'm surprised that The Sundowners isn't touted more as an American classic.  It's about a Australian family on the move with the sheep drover father loving their wandering lifestyle and his wife and son who dream of owning a farm some day and settling.   They befriend an Englishmen played with wit and charm as you'd expect from Peter Ustinov and find themselves working on a sheep ranch to make extra money.  Never boring or melodramatic, the director, Fred Zinnermann, eases the story along at a steady pace letting the characters bloom on screen.   It's a film that's aged well and I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for a western that's not your typical western.  Grade: A