Movies
Referencing now: Fall TV Preview
Seen:
International(Bollywood, French & Asian films)
Brit miniseries & Hallmark romance
Television:
Western:By genre
Asian dramas:Rated
Movies Seen 2010:
A Moment to Remember – very traditional plot particularly in the second half but the intense chemistry and superb acting from film icons Jung Woo Sung and Jeon Ji Hye lift this above the average Korean tearjerker, and there were moments of great writing, particularly in the leads’ offbeat first meeting and the magnificent build-up to their first kiss. The ending was emotionally off-center, providing an odd moment of hope in a film which should have owned its status as a weepie
American History X – one of the most difficult films to watch I’ve ever seen, but I loved the last hour to death. An unflinching portrayal of racism and violence in America, as well as a great brotherhood story. Brilliant ending that rocked me to my bones and filled me with rage, despair, and a deep admiration
An Education- well-acted, pitch-perfect little film, though somehow fails to quite reach the resonance it was attempting at. Not Oscar-worthy, but worth watching
And When Did You Last See Your Father?- an unhappy, poorly-written, and pointless film – one of my biggest disappointments of the year
Avatar- thin on plot, as expected, but the latter half in particular is an excellent action-packed sci-fi/fantasy epic. A bit Star Wars, a bit Dances with Wolves, and a bit Fern Gully, it’s not great cinema (the plot and dialogue are deeply derivative) but is a great cinematic effort(the special effects are as dazzling as promised but neither overwrought nor overwhelming, blending seamlessly with the film to create a visually immersive experience)
Catch and Release – low-budget and highly forgettable
Can’t Buy Me Love – mediocre but mildly entertaining 80s flick starring Patrick Dempsey
Crows Zero – brilliant Japanese fight film with stunning cinematography. A cross between Matrix and Fight Club.
Crows Zero 2 – the first half an hour was slightly dull set-up, but after that it was as brilliant as the first if not more so. Frelling brilliant.
Charlie’s Angels – Should have been a mindlessly fun action flick, but the “Angel” mythology and endearing lead actresses are mired in poorly shot action sequences, cheesy one-liners, and zero plot. Kill Bill did female empowerment better.
Confessions of a Shopaholic – surprisingly well-written and adorable chick flick, funny and fast-paced with good performances and chemistry between Isla Fisher(not to be confused with Amy Adams though there’s certainly a resemblance here) and the always dependable(and sexy) Hugh Dancy
Easy Virtue – not quite the light-hearted social satire/romance I was expecting, thus turned out to be a faintly bleak but oddly perceptive and memorable film about the meaning of love and family. An entirely unexpected but lovely romance between two lonely people underpins it
Eclipse – it’s really quite wonderful how bad these movies are. Decent soundtrack
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past-uneven and disappointing, and misses all its emotional cues. Avoid
Gran Torino- raw, bitter, and brilliant. 5/5
Iron Man 2 – enjoyable in the same loosely plotted, unabashedly overblown comic book/superhero way as the first. Robert Downey Junior makes the film.
Sherlock Holmes -heavy-handed directing and an often incoherent plot is balanced out by great production, good acting, and chemistry between the three main leads. A good action film if you’re not looking for Sherlock Holmes. Something of a travesty if you are
Hot Tub Time Machine – surprisingly coherent and well-thought for its genre, but still ultimately remains a (very) raunchy comedy. ugh.
Infernal Affairs – With better editing and a surer director’s hand, this could have been a brilliant, Godfather-esque film. Even with uneven directing and editing, it’s still beautifully shot and well-acted.
I’ve Loved You So Long – brilliant. Just brilliant
Keith – this dark teen romance starring Jesse McCartney and based on a Ron Carlsson short story was unexpectedly profoundly moving. By turns sharply bitter, understated, and warmly funny, it builds to a magnificently resonant conclusion. Highly recommended
Kill Bill – kind of awesome, not least on the level of seeing America finally do an unadulterated revenge story. Also an interesting blend of genres with part of the movie filmed as a Japanese anime. Main drawback is that it’s stomach-churningly violent and gory (and one particular fight scene goes on far, far too long).
Kill Bill 2 – more of the same, though had one particularly stand-out stomach-turning moment
Kites – this multi-cultural, multi-lingual film (languages include English, Spanish, and Hindi) fails by trying to also join the film styles of the three different cultures it represents. An uneasy mash-up of Spanish telenovela, Bollywood romance/musical, and American gangster film, Kites tries to be too many things at once and thus fails at all of them. Not even the amazing cinematography and a surprisingly good performance from Shahid Kapoor could save this melodramatic mess. The sweeping Bollywood style falters without the music or witty dialogue to shore it up, the gangster parts are convincing but feel wildly out of place, and the dialogue and lovers’ interactions, so necessary to provide a convincing heart to this incoherent film, are lifted straight from the soapy, cliched lines of a telenovela. Avoid – this was not just a rather bad film, it was also a boring one (please don’t take this as a representation of Bollywood – it is most decidedly not).
Metropolis – revived and recut sci-fi classic, though in truth it’s more of a dystopia film. A little uneven and rather disappointingly failed to delve into most of the ideas it presented about government and religion and technology, choosing instead to focus on the romance
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist – I thought this would be a film about two teenagers going on a journey of musical discovery and ultimately love. Sadly, the title is the only creative thing about this unoriginal, immediately-forgotten trifle. As the final failure in a film with “playlist” in the title, even the soundtrack was dull
Pyaar Impossible – light-hearted and wonderful. A delicious romantic comedy
Remember Me
Some Kind of Wonderful – standard John Hughes fare, though a little more uneven than usual and the male lead isn’t the greatest actor. Mary Stuart Masterson gives it her best, however
The A-Team – awesomeness from start to finish
The Back-Up Plan – it’s all about the shtick in this hugely uncomfortable film which sets out to place its characters and audience in as many shocking, awkward, pregnancy-related situations as possible in an apparent attempt at humor. I’m not going to say it’s not entertaining – mere shock value is enough for that – but unless this type of humour is your thing, avoid at all costs
The Breakfast Club – this seminal John Hughes film is even more brilliant that you’d expect. Loved every second of it.
The Other Guys – shtick humour, little to no action, unsympathetic characters. A ribald farce that attempts to satirize…something…but does so with little charm or ease. A pity, because both actors are wasted in this. I walked out halfway through
The Princess and the Frog – sweet if unexceptional. Less saccharine/bland than I was expecting but still not nearly approaching the musical depth or flair for characterization of Disney’s earlier films
The Royal Tenenbaums- wacky but somehow very awesome in a Wes Anderson kind of way. Gwyneth Paltrow is brilliant, and a perfect ending.
The White Countess – a spare, lovely film. Rather slow in the first half but gives way to a deeply tender love story in the second, and a moving, pitch-perfect ending. Merchant Ivory at its assured best.
Transformers 2- more explosions, more Megan Fox running around in a low-cut tank top being useless, more cheesy Shia LaBeouf-led awesomeness. I can’t decide whether I love or hate Transformers
When in Rome – the only good thing about this mediocre, slightly frenetic film was Kristen Bell. It was entertaining enough for me to watch the whole thing and not get bored, but not much beyond that. Slight characterizations and madcap escapades substitute for a plot