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The Film of the Week

The WORD of the Week

Matthew 3:7-10

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Stupid Fact of the Week

There was only one civilian casualty during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg

30 December, 2008

Films I missed in 2008

10. Rachel Getting Married... Jonathan Demme hasn't had a solid slam dunk since the early 90's, but all accounts point to Anne Hathaway's strongest performance to date as a good reason to check this one out.

9. When Did You Last See Your Father?... This one flew pretty well under the radar and got quite mixed reviews. It also looks like one of those emotional pieces that could very well pass for a glorified Lifetime Movie of the Week. But Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth (in a father-son combo) are reason enough for me to want to give it a shot.

8. Happy-Go-Lucky... This feel-good award-winner looks like a pleasant departure from the norm. Plus it boasts another strong female performance (Sally Hawkins) that may get some love come Oscar time.

7. In Bruges... I've talked about this one before. I wasn't too thrilled after seeing the trailer, much to my disappointment as I do enjoy me some Farrell and Gleeson. However, after being assured by several friends that it is most worthy, as well as some Globe love and Oscar buzz, I am looking forward to viewing it.

6. Man on Wire... Most accounts peg this one as one of (if not the) best documentaries this year, and it's (already) 6 or so awards from various festivals seem to back up this claim.

5. Milk... With the ridiculously amazing cast list attached to this, I really wanted to place this higher on the list. However, with it only managing to scare up one (1) - count 'em, er "it", 1 - Golden Globe nod, I had to drop it down the list a bit.

4. Doubt... How can you go wrong with Philip Seymour Hoffman? or, for that matter, Amy Adams? Streep I could take or leave. Add on top of that major predictions of a supporting actress Oscar nod for Viola Davis (already picking up the Globe nod) and it seems, at the very least, a fine display of acting.

3. The Wrestler... Aronovsky is a terrific director. Rourke's leading performance is pretty much being universally praised as the one to beat this year. I also look forward to Tomei (as always), and, from what I have been told, a wonderful performance by Ms. Evan Rachel Wood.

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button... I'm a big fan of David Fincher. Although, ever behind, I still have not seen "Zodiac," a film that many said was snubbed by the Academy. And while many similar claims have been made throughout the years, it is undeniable that Fincher has released some great work to date and hasn't even one nomination from the Academy to his name. It would be great to see that change on this picture, and I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to hope for that this time around, as "Button" has received 5 Globe nods (Picture, Director, Score, Actor, Screenplay), and is perhaps the strongest candidate for a Screenplay award (behind the very capable pens of Eric Roth [Forrest Gump, Munich, The Good Shepherd] and Robin Swicord [Memoirs of a Geisha]), something that is frequently, though not always, followed by a Directing and/or Picture win.

1. Slumdog Millionaire... Danny Boyle is a risk-taking director, which usually results in something not-so-great ("The Beach," "Alien Love Triangle") or something brilliant, remarkable, and/or revolutionary ("Trainspotting," "28 Days Later"), but rarely anything in between. All reports on his latest film suggest that this may be - if not his best to date - one of the best this year, and certainly something to look for come Oscar (prediction) time.

Honorable Mentions:

- Australia... I love Baz Luhrmann and will see pretty much anything he makes. However, his latest is being hailed as a disappointment (and the box office receipts - to date making back only about 70% of the prod. budget - don't speak too highly either).

- Flash of Genius... I'm so upset that this didn't receive a better response. Greg Kinnear and Alan Alda in a true story of one man going up against the largest corporation in America... sure it sounds like it could have been a bit much (or, as noted above, a basic cable movie of the week), but it looked like it had some potential. The reviews were fair to decent, but apparently even that couldn't bolster its barely noticeable run at the box office.

- Frost/Nixon... I'm not super excited to see this one, even though I don't doubt that Ron Howard and his cast/crew "bring it" (as evidence by a well-rounded 5 Globe nods - Picture, Director, Actor, Screenplay, Score). However, I may have to bump one of my ten in favor of this, simply to compare Rourke's "Wrestler" lead performance with that of Langella as Nixon (the performance that many said, as far back as last year before his "Starting Out in the Evening" performance was "snubbed" by the Academy, would garner him a nod and possibly a statue).

- Che... (aka "Che: Part One" & "Che: Part Two", aka "The Argentine" & "Guerilla") Soderbergh's marathon of a biopic based on the life of Ernesto Che Guevara. I've been interested in this ever since hearing that Benicio Del Toro would be portraying Che himself, although since then I have heard everything from "his best performance to date," to "completely uninspired and lacking dimension." Hopefully I can find the time to watch and decide for myself.

Running long on words and short on time... on to the lightning round for the final three...

- Snow Angels... Rockwell, Beckinsale, NC School of the Arts Alum David Gordon Green ("All the Real Girls," "Pineapple Express"). Small town, indie flick. Looks interesting.

- Revolutionary Road... Yates novel, Mendes, Leo & Kate, lots of hype, don't think it'll live up, should want to see it more than I do.

- Defiance... True story, holocaust, Daniel Craig, Liev Shreiber, Russian accents. Bummed that preliminary reports are mild at best.

posted by Rockel @ 11:31 PM 0 comments

28 December, 2008

Rockel's Best

Top Ten Films I saw this year:

`10` - Burn After Reading
If I had seen more films this year, this probably wouldn't have made the list (hence it's #10 position)... however, as much as it is nowhere near the brilliance of previous Coen Bros. films (Fargo, Blood Simple, No Country for Old Men), it did have it's moments. Malkovich was terrific and Brad Pitt managed to pull off an over-the-top performance reminiscent of George Clooney in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (something Mr. Clooney himself couldn't duplicate in this past year's "Leatherheads").

`9` - Traitor
I love me some Don Cheadle. The content matter of this film was of the kind that so easily goes far too political or far too outlandish. This film managed to keep a simple, honest approach to the treatment of all religious and political material that you could actually get involved in the plot without feeling the need to analyse biases/bents. Very nice supporting performances by Pearce and McDonough helped as well.

`8` - Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. is rarely off his game, Jack Black really settles wonderfully into his element when given crazy physical-comedy roles, and Stiller is always at his best when his satirical characters catch even himself in the crossfire. Not to mention that the script was well above the pace of most recent comedy scripts, the supporting players were all wonderful, the cinematography and visual effects were great, and there were 2 (count them, 2) "surprise" cameos that paid out exponential dividends (I don't even know if there is such a thing as exponential dividends, but if there is, this is the very definition).

`7` - Synechdoche, New York
I saw this film on a whim one day as I drove by the movie theater and felt like a movie. I had heard about the film several months before and was intrigued, but knew very little about it. I struggled quite a bit trying to find the proper place for this film on my top 10. It is without a doubt one of the heaviest, most depressing films I've seen in recent memory. It's not something I'd necessarily recommend to a wide audience, unless you are a fan of Charlie Kauffman, in which case there's no way you should miss it. However, I decided to include it as it was one of the more engaging films I saw this year, and it had an amazing ensemble cast, headed by none other than Mr. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, whose portrayal of the main character (which one must assume Kauffman based heavily on himself, or an alter-ego type offshoot of himself), though monotonous at times, was quite powerful.

`6` - Iron Man
This movie was such a delight for me. Aside from it being thoroughly enjoyable, Favreau has long been one of my favorite talents whom I feel has been under appreciated by mainstream Hollywood. Had it not been for the ridiculous performance of the ever-mediocre Jeff Bridges, this very well could have been a strong top-5 contender.

`5` - The Dark Knight
Much of the criticism of this film dealt solely with an unfair comparison to it's predecessor, "Batman Begins." While "Begins" was an excellent film in it's own right (as well as a terrific rebirth of a series), "Knight" exceeded in ways I think "Begins" never did. My main criticism would be of Nolan and him allowing his title character to spend half of the film speaking as though he had laryngitis. Outside of that, the film moved well, was well written, and showcased some of the best supporting performances in years, most notably (in my humble opinion, although Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker was powerful) Gary Oldman in one of the best turns this year as James Gordon.

`4` - Redbelt
Is there a better writer today than David Mamet? For my money, no. As a side note, I just finished reading his most recent book, Bambi vs. Godzilla, which I highly recommend. But as to "Redbelt," Mamet delivers another winding, character- and dialogue-driven script that progresses slowly but steadily toward an exciting conclusion. And, as is always the case with Mamet films, every performance from the hero (masterfully played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) all the way down to the bit parts populated predominantly by Mamet regulars (Rebecca Pigeon, Ricky Jay, David Paymer), are top-notch. Although this most certainly is not Mamet's best work, I hold it far above the usual dramatic fare of today's films.

`3` - The Band's Visit
I was in no way expecting to be blown away when I saw this film, and I definitely was. It might be best compared to last year's "Little Miss Sunshine"... a feel-good, heart-warming, funny, sad, slice-of-life, comedy of errors meets indie travel film. This is perhaps one of the best directed films of the past year, achieving an honest simplicity while not dragging so much as to lose its interest.

`2` - The Counterfeiters
I have to admit that I really fell in love with this film. As someone who enjoys films that take a new and interesting take on events/genres/etc (as opposed to "falling into the trap" of a particular storytelling style), I was pleasantly surprised to see a holocaust film that preserved the historical authenticity of that horrible time without resorting to the traditional "holocaust film" scenes/gimmicks (as it wasn't necessary to tell the story). Aside from one small directorial choice that I heavily disagreed with (although, by the end of the film, it was relatively far from my mind, and therefore may not have been such a horrible offense), it was, to me, near perfection.

`1` - Young@Heart
I've written extensively on this film before, but I don't think it can be overstated. I'm not the type of person who treks to the cinema in search of sap with which to water the eyes, nor to discover the next "feel-good" hit of the year. "Young@Heart" manages to tell an engaging story while running the gamut of emotions, never landing too hard on the heavy, nor indulging too much in the sap.

Honorable mentions:

- War, Inc.
This got some pretty rotten reviews, and I can definitely see why. I saw it on a whim and enjoyed it, though not tremendously. I saw it a second time with friends (one of whom, after watching it, referred to it as "this generations 'Brazil'," which I will tell you is far too kind) and I think I may have been a little too hard on it with my first impressions. At it's most absurd, it's hysterical, however, it begins to drift away from the absurdity and by the third act is taking itself far too seriously, thereby ruining it. Still, one of the more interesting films this year. Perhaps that alone makes it worth considering

- The Foot Fist Way
A good, off-beat, slow, indie comedy (a la "Napoleon Dynamite") that launched the career of Danny McBride. If you were a fan of him in any of the Apatow films over the last few years (as Apatow love him and puts him in everything), I'd recommend checking this out. If you're in the mood for an offbeat comedy that's definitely off the beaten path, give it a shot.

- Step Brothers
Yeah, sure. Why not? John C. and Will Ferrell. Good times. Not "Tropic Thunder," but definitely funny. Plus, tons of extra content on the DVD as all good comedies should have (gag reel, line-o-rama, commentaries, etc.).

Coming up next, the top 10 (or possibly 15) films from 2008 that I have not yet seen, but definitely need to.

And then... What to look forward to in 2009.

posted by Rockel @ 9:49 PM 1 comments

27 December, 2008

2008 in Film (in Review), Part Two

Continuing...

[[February 2008]]

Many films that premiered this month I did not see... for good reason:

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert
Fool's Gold
Shrooms
The Eye
How to Rob a Bank
The Hottie and the Nottie
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Step Up 2 the Streets
Jumper
Penelope
Witless Protection (a film that has now [now that "2008" lists are being compiled] been named on at least 2 lists I've read as "The #1 Worst Movie of 2008")

Of those I DID manage to see, I certainly would not recommend:

Semi-Pro (Clearly not Will Ferrell's best work)
Strange Wilderness (Clearly not Happy Madison's best work)
Vantage Point (Not horrible, but far too much build-up with very nearly nil in the payoff department)

There were also quite a few "above-mediocre" films that may be worth looking into. These include:

- A zombie film: Diary of the Dead, the latest from zombie god Romero (probably the reason for its moderate success despite reports of sub-par offerings); a pseudo-zombie film: The Signal; a period piece with two fine females that everyone thought would do much better: The Other Boleyn Girl; and two films that despite garnering healthy reviews have both been disqualified from my "recommended" section: Definitely, Maybe, and The Spiderwick Chronicles (The former is disqualified as it is a "Chick flick," the latter because it is a childrens film).

For myself, I hope to see several films that I would encourage you to consider, though I am cautious enough not to recommend outright. Be Kind Rewind is on my radar because I am a huge fan of Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "The Science of Sleep"), as well as both Jack Black and Mos Def. It was received luke-warm at best and I do not anticipate greatness in the traditional sense, but Michel has his own unique way of bringing about enjoyment. Also, Charlie Bartlett, the indie film about a rich boy who "becomes the self-appointed psychiatrist to the student body of his new high school," achieved only mild acclaim (to put it lightly), but the casting of Robert Downey Jr. in the school principle role was enough to pique my interest. Finally, In Bruges, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson (two fine ol' Irish boys) as well as Mr. Ralph Fiennes, managed to fly pretty well under the radar, and I must say, upon viewing the trailer, I was not too terribly excited myself. This was, however, changed by an absolutely glowing recommendation from a friend coupled with the fact that this has now made at least 3 "best of" lists I've read for 2008 (keep in mind some of these lists are "the best 30..." or "the best 50...", but nevertheless...).

For the foreign-film-lover (or, rather, I should say, "foreign-language film lover"), your year is going quite well, as you now have 3 more worthy films to consider, in addition to last months Oscar nom. And once again, this (foreign) section ends the month, as it is the most impressive:

- City of Men (Brazil - "Cidade dos Homens")... I still have yet to see this film, and the only criticisms I recall from reviews were made in comparison to the amazing 2002 film "City of God" (directed by Fernando Meirelles, who produced "City of Men")... if the only thing lacking with a film is that it is not quite as good as "City of God," then I feel it is more than worth a watch.

- The Band's Visit (Israel - "Bikur Ha-Tizmoret")... I was working at Sony when one of there offshoots (Sony Pictures Classics) purchased distribution rights for this film. As such I was lucky enough to see a (free) screening of this much-lauded film. If you have not seen this film, you should. Although it didn't see a (being generous with the term here) wide release until February 2008, it did premiere in LA in '07, however it was ruled ineligible for consideration for a "Best Foreign Film" Oscar due to the fact that the film's dialogue is not "predominantly" in a language other than english. Good news for those of you who don't like subtitles! Even less reading required than your average foreign film. Plus it is quite easily one of the best films I saw this year (although it may have been '07 when I saw it, who knows).

- The Counterfeiters (Austria - "Die Falscher")... This was (another) one of the best films I saw this year, english or no. It was my pick (and, as it turned out, the Academy's pick) to win the foreign language film Oscar.

Alright, so this is getting long, and I'm beginning to run into the same films and the same reviews from when I last did this (sometime back in August I believe for DVD releases)... so I think for the next post I shall just compile a list of my ten, maybe twenty we'll see, favorite films from '08 and then move on to what's ahead in '09... I may also see if I can dig up "The Rockel 100": the list of my favorite films of all time so that I can update it and post it here for you (nothing wrong with checking out a good oldie every now and again)

posted by Rockel @ 7:12 PM 0 comments

26 December, 2008

2008 in Film (in Review), Part One

Alright, so '09 is almost upon us... I am very disappointed in myself for failing to 1) post anything in the last, what, month and a half, 2) post anything concerning the coming year in film, 3) post anything even mentioning this years approaching "Academy Awards"... I will do what I can in what remains of the year to remedy some of this...

...beginning with a look back at the last 12 months, as I was asked by several friends over the Christmas break for recommendations of what quality product they may have missed this year and I was unable to give a clear and concise answer.

Judging from my ever-expanding notes, this will not be concise... hopefully it will be (relatively) clear.

Come journey along as I ramble on about nearly every movie that came out this year. Those that I do not feel require comment or note of any kind will be left out, however, (as I watched far fewer movies this year than one might expect, living out her) I will include as many as possible (even those I have not seen) and provide whatever 2nd- or 3rd-hand accounts I can to aid you in finding something enjoyable when you next enter a video store.

Part One:

In January, 2008...

...we were treated to some of the worst movies the year had to offer, or at least so we thought, as the year had just begun (how little did we know), starting with One Missed Call (a terrible horor film) and First Sunday (a terrible comedy), and followed shortly thereafter by In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (a terrible fantasy), directed by the infamous 2-time Razzie award nominee Uwe Boll. Not to be left out 27 Dresses gave us the first horrible chick flick of the year, followed closely after by the substantially worse Mad Money. There was also bad suspence (Untraceable), bad spoof comedy (Meet the Spartans), bad indie-drama (The Air I Breathe), and bad action/adventure (Rambo) [Sorry, Doyle]. My good buddy J.J. Abrams didn't let me down either, serving up the nasuea-inducing Cloverfield, which, although dissapointing, seemed a perfect treat after the previous weeks of ungodly tripe.

...the Veggie Tales movie, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything saw a very limited release, and as such went unnoticed by much of the country (myself included).

...the first of several under-performing "modern war" movies (that is to say, movies that depict the dramatic/psychological effects of going to, or coming from, war as their main, if not sole, focus, as opposed to the great war films of yesteryear in which we were treated to breathtaking, if not somewhat macabre, visuals of actual warfare - the front lines, the trenches, etc.) opened. That being Day Zero.

...How She Move enthralled those who love modern dance movies ("Dance With Me," "Step Up," etc), and no one else.

...Cassandra's Dream delighted those who love Woody Allen movies, and no one else.

...Writer-director Mitchell Lichtenstein's feature debut, the horror-comedy Teeth, opened to rave reviews, despite the fact that the film's premise is the vagina dentata myth.

...the most well-received film was the Romanian film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, which received a "Best Foreign Film" Oscar nomination and collected the Palm d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

More to come in Parts Two and continuing.... sorry for just the one month this time, but I am still jet-lagging and getting settled back in out here on the left coast.

Merry (belated) Christmas to all! (and I won't say Happy New Year as I will definitely be posting more parts from this series before then)

posted by Rockel @ 7:34 PM 0 comments

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