April 2013
1 post
25 tags
Top 10 Movies of 1966
1. Blowup (Michelangelo Antonioni)
2. Persona (Ingmar Bergman)
3. The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo)
4. Masculin Feminin (Jean-Luc Godard)
5. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Sergio Leone)
6. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Mike Nichols)
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7. The Hawks and the Sparrows (Pier Paolo Pasolini)
8. Daisies (Vera Chytilova)
9. Black Girl (Ousmane Sembene)
10. Kill,...
March 2013
1 post
23 tags
Top 10 Movies of 1975
1. Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick)
2. Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet)
3. Jaws (Steven Spielberg)
4. Nashville (Robert Altman)
5. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman)
6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones)
7. Love and Death (Woody Allen)
8. Je tu il elle (Chantal Akerman)
9. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest...
February 2013
2 posts
30 tags
85th Academy Awards: Predictions and Personal...
Previous (skipping a year): 83rd Academy Awards
UPDATED: Correctly predicted 15/20, winners marked with asterisks below
Best Picture
Prediction: Argo*
Personal Pick: Beasts of the Southern Wild
Directing
Prediction and Personal Pick: Steven Spielberg for Lincoln
Actor in a Leading Role
Prediction: Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln*
Personal Pick: Joaquin Phoenix in The Master
Actress in...
4 tags
Side Effects (Steven Soderbergh, 2013)
Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects tells a stupid story with irritating (sometimes offensive) plot turns, yet it somehow works. This enjoyably trashy tale of intrigue is visually slick, hypnotic with its cold edits and shallow-focus digital cinematography. Much to my relief, the movie doesn’t demonize prescription drugs but rather explores how manipulative characters capitalize on...
January 2013
6 posts
14 tags
Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow, 2012)
The first time I watched Zero Dark Thirty, I was mostly impressed, particularly with its skillful plotting and the direction of the suspenseful set pieces. But as I thought more about the film, I became increasingly troubled by it, not necessarily because of its much-debated depiction of torture but due to its thin characterizations and odd mix of reportage and fictionalization. A second viewing...
21 tags
85th Academy Awards: Below-the-Line Nominees
I already tackled the major categories. Here are my thoughts on (most of) the rest! In sum, I am super glad Les Miserables didn’t get cinematography or editing nominations, and it’s also nice to see the Academy recognize the stellar craftsmanship in Snow White and the Huntsman. I’m really disappointed about the Original Score nominees, and WOW, The Dark Knight Rises got nothing.
...
30 tags
85th Academy Awards: The Nominees
Here are some of my early morning thoughts on the major Oscar categories, most of those announced by Seth MacFarlene and Emma Stone this morning. (Their routine had a bunch of actually funny jokes, not typical for what’s usually a dull ceremony.)
For the most part, the shortlists for the major prizes are unsurprising. It should be noted that Silver Linings Playbook was nominated for the top...
3 tags
This is 40 (Judd Apatow, 2012)
Judd Apatow’s This is 40 is a funnier, more mature film than the writer-director’s Knocked Up, but it’s still not a good movie. Film benefits from stronger leads Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, somehow bringing warmth to the incessant fights of their characters. This time, the humor feels more organic, grounded in the drama of the story rather than a distraction. Still, it’s an...
4 tags
I Heart Huckabees (David O. Russell, 2004)
I Heart Huckabees is the rare American indie with narrative and visual quirks that function as key thematic devices rather than empty affectation. The entire ensemble successfully matches the manic rhythms of David O. Russell’s direction and writing, but Mark Wahlberg particularly stands out. He captures both the leftist rage and the heartache of his character with ease. It’s...
7 tags
Promised Land (Gus Van Sant, 2012)
Promised Land too bluntly presents the fracking facts and simplifies its character’s emotional arc with an eye-rolling romance. And yet, I enjoyed the film for the most part, thanks to nuanced performances by Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, John Krasinski and Hal Holbrook. Although the movie is told from the oppressor’s perspective, it truly engages with issues like the economic...
December 2012
21 posts
30 tags
Top 10 Movies of 2012
It’s obvious that most films are, simply put, stories told visually. But what’s interesting is how the very act of storytelling plays a role in many of the year’s best films. In Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, our nation’s most beloved president often halts the momentum of the film’s action by telling tangential anecdotes, often to the frustration of his cabinet...
5 tags
Les Miserables (Tom Hooper, 2012)
If Les Miserables gets anywhere near cinematography or editing Oscars, let’s barricade Hollywood Boulevard outside of the Dolby Theatre. Everything in front of the camera is spectacular: the sets, the costumes and the ensemble cast. It’s a shame that it’s all shot and edited with no sense of composition, continuity or space. The cinematic syntax is as sloppy as it gets. Russell...
4 tags
Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino, 2012)
As Woody Allen suggested in Love and Death, sex without love is an empty experience, but as empty experiences go, it’s one of the best. The same could be said of Quentin Tarantino’s cinema without substance. The weakest in a strong body of work, Django Unchained is still an impeccably crafted and invigorating blood fest. The first act has incredible momentum, but the film dramatically...
7 tags
Not Fade Away (David Chase, 2012)
David Chase’s Not Fade Away has all of the creative energy of a debut feature, despite the director’s decades of TV experience. His film approaches the ’60s and its music affectionately but modestly. Instead of merely relying on its cultural references to ingratiate the audience, the low-key drama focuses on its complex characters, showing how rock music shaped their lives...
14 tags
My 2012 Picks: Directing
These would be my picks if I could vote for the Oscars. (And to clarify, these are not my predictions.) Films have to be eligible for Academy consideration, which excludes most foreign films and other independent productions. These will be updated up until the nominations are announced on January 10. Click titles for links to my reviews.
This will be my final post in this series. I figured...
3 tags
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (John Madden, 2012)
The jokes are often obvious, the depiction of India is condescending, and everything ties up just a little bit too neatly. But damn, this charmed the socks off of me. The film works thanks to the incredibly strong ensemble, with each actor lending a deep sense of humanity to his or her thinly written role. John Madden’s direction is also impressive. He carefully crafted the film with a...
21 tags
My 2012 Picks: Actor and Actress in a Leading Role
These would be my picks if I could vote for the Oscars. Films have to be eligible for Academy consideration, which excludes most foreign films and other independent productions. These will be updated up until the nominations are announced on January 10. Click titles for links to my reviews.
Actor in a Leading Role
Jean-Louis Trintignant in Amour
Matthew McConaughey in Killer Joe
Daniel...
4 tags
Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow, 2012)
Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal once again demonstrate they are incredibly skilled at crafting engaging, journalistic stories but not so much at developing characters. As in The Hurt Locker, character psychology is shallow and perfunctory, inconsistently explored throughout the film but aggressively asserted in the final shots. For the most part, I saw the film as politically...
5 tags
Amour (Michael Haneke, 2012)
Amour is the sort of movie that makes me want to stop watching movies and spend some time with actual people. If there’s any humanism to be found in Michael Haneke’s film, it’s in the faces of Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva. Their performances are rich, drawing us in even if the film pushes us away. Otherwise, although the film has profound moments of honesty, it is...
15 tags
My 2012 Picks: Film Editing and Music (Original...
These would be my picks if I could vote for the Oscars. Films have to be eligible for Academy consideration, which excludes most foreign films and other independent productions. These will be updated up until the nominations are announced on January 10. Click titles for links to my reviews. These two categories were grouped together because a) they both create continuity across shots and b) they...
5 tags
Anna Karenina (Joe Wright, 2012)
Sarah Greenwood’s production design is impeccable, and Joe Wright’s theatrical presentation fascinatingly foregrounds the beauty of this artifice. Unfortunately, the movie is otherwise emotionally distant, unable to transcend its familiar material. Melanie Oliver’s editing feels rushed, with shots clipped a few beats too early. Instead of energizing the film or elliptically...
14 tags
My 2012 Picks: Cinematography and Visual Effects
These would be my picks if I could vote for the Oscars. Films have to be eligible for Academy consideration, which excludes most foreign films and other independent productions. These will be updated up until the nominations are announced on January 10. Click titles for links to my reviews. These two categories were grouped together because many Academy members seem to conflate the two when...
23 tags
My 2012 Picks: Actor and Actress in a Supporting...
These would be my picks if I could vote for the Oscars. Films have to be eligible for Academy consideration, which excludes most foreign films and other independent productions. These will be updated up until the nominations are announced on January 10. Click titles for links to my reviews.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Ben Whishaw in Cloud Atlas
Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln
David Strathairn in...
13 tags
Skyfall (Sam Mendes, 2012)
Regression is the name of the game here. It’s relatively harmless in some cases and problematic in others. Sam Mendes’ Skyfall might be one of the most entertaining tentpole blockbusters of the year, packed with thrilling action set pieces that are incredibly and coherently staged (unlike the nauseating Quantum of Solace). But it is all in the service of a story that’s obsessed with...
15 tags
My 2012 Picks: Writing (Adapted and Original...
These would be my picks if I could vote for the Oscars. Films have to be eligible for Academy consideration, which excludes most foreign films and other independent productions. These will be updated up until the nominations are announced on January 10. I determined the relevant individuals myself, so please excuse any errors. Click titles for links to my reviews.
Adapted Screenplay
The Avengers...
13 tags
My 2012 Picks: Sound Editing and Sound Mixing
These would be my picks if I could vote for the Oscars. Films have to be eligible for Academy consideration, which excludes most foreign films and other independent productions. These will be updated up until the nominations are announced on January 10. Although I checked with For Your Consideration listings as much as possible, I mostly determined the relevant individuals myself, so please excuse...
11 tags
Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell, 2012)
In 2008, I was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder, a slightly milder form of the more widely known condition. And several years prior to that, another professional mentioned I might have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, again, a less intense version of the better-known OCD. The Bipolar diagnosis came more as a relief than a surprise or disappointment. I’m guessing most of my...
14 tags
My 2012 Picks: Art Direction, Costume Design,...
These would be my picks if I could vote for the Oscars. Films have to be eligible for Academy consideration, which excludes most foreign films and other independent productions. These will be updated up until the nominations are announced on January 10. Although I checked with For Your Consideration listings as much as possible, I mostly determined the relevant individuals myself, so please excuse...
4 tags
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Peter Jackson,...
No DVD sets are more widely cherished than the Lord of the Rings extended editions. These three films might be the only contemporary cinematic epics that audiences wanted to be even longer. These savvy packages satisfied that hunger. We wanted more time in Middle Earth and more information about the fictional universe, so we sat through three intensely long director’s cuts for more footage and,...
6 tags
Flight (Robert Zemeckis, 2012)
Flight boasts one stunning set piece, a devastating scene inside the cabin and the cockpit of a nosediving plane. Except for this key scene, Robert Zemeckis’ return to live-action filmmaking lacks the technical wizardry for which he is known, and instead, it details the messy aftermath of the incident, one man’s struggle with alcoholism. Thanks to a powerful performance by Denzel...
5 tags
Bernie (Richard Linklater, 2012)
If Woody Allen’s mockumentary Zelig took an “academic” approach to its shifty subject, Bernie examines Jack Black’s title character sympathetically and intimately, with a true sense of local flavor. Using faux interviews, it’s a story by and, in large part, about a community. Like Black’s performance, the film is a chilly mix of charm and deviousness. The...
November 2012
5 posts
6 tags
Addendum: Life of Pi (Ang Lee, 2012)
I’m basically never compelled to add anything to my “reviews,” not because I take a Kaelian stance on movies or find my writing to be flawless upon reflection, but because I simply don’t feel it’s worth the trouble to address something minor that maybe two or three people might notice. While I think that my original post of Life of Pi is still mostly representative of...
11 tags
Life of Pi (Ang Lee, 2012)
The visual effects in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi are so impressive, they should silence critics of computer-generated imagery. The best shots are stunning, marked by a fascinatingly paradoxical mix of incredibly lifelike realism and awe-inspiring artifice. More importantly, director Lee approaches the relationship between a shipwrecked boy and tiger with sensitivity and dramatizes their adventures...
10 tags
Lincoln (Steven Spielberg, 2012)
When a respected actor tops a biopic of a historical figure, the narrative and direction often work to simply highlight the central performance as much as possible. Sometimes, we are stuck with a dull surrogate who provides the lens through which we see figures such as Marilyn Monroe or Leo Tolstoy. The fascinating thing about Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln is the way it challenges these...
11 tags
The Sessions (Ben Lewin, 2012)
Ben Lewin’s The Sessions is never as challenging or engaging as it could be, yet it is much franker and funnier than one might expect from a premise that so easily lends itself to a cloying adaptation. Though the film is visually unremarkable, the performances and the fascinating intersections of sex and faith, body and mind make for an entertaining celebration of life. Refusing to take itself...
7 tags
Wreck-It Ralph (Rich Moore, 2012)
Wreck-It Ralph hits theaters the same week that Disney sealed the deal to acquire LucasFilm and its Star Wars franchise. It is probably a coincidence, but it is indicative of the company’s love affair with recognizable brands. To be sure, they still produce and distribute quality entertainment (as seen with their Pixar and Marvel releases), but the company’s prioritization of franchise building...
October 2012
5 posts
6 tags
Cloud Atlas (Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer and Andy...
Three hours and (at least) six different stories – a slave will be whipped, an old man will be stuck in a nursing home against his will, and clones will be terminated. A man’s religious faith is undermined, a woman’s determination is rewarded, and couples are torn apart. And in 172 minutes, Hugo Weaving will appear as an Asian, a woman and the Devil. Cloud Atlas has all of this and more, but...
4 tags
Within Our Gates (Oscar Micheaux, 1920)
Oscar Micheaux’s Within Our Gates might introduce too many characters in its short running time, but this masterful work addresses character psychology and larger social issues in such a provocative way. Film’s use of editing to visualize interiority is inspired, offering rich insights into complex characters. Micheaux isn’t content to simply focus on racism on an individual...
7 tags
Argo (Ben Affleck, 2012)
Argo has its fair share of suspense, but it delivers no surprises. Ben Affleck’s largely entertaining thriller boasts a spectacular, gripping final act, but the film refuses to dig deeper than its surface pleasures. Well-researched depictions of ‘70s Hollywood and intelligence intrigue will certainly have older (and old-at-heart) audiences feeling nostalgic. And while I admittedly geeked out...
7 tags
Tabu (F.W. Murnau, 1931)
Like Sunrise, Tabu tells a simple love story, but F.W. Murnau trades expressionism for poetic ethnography, capturing rituals, lives and locations in Bora Bora. The film acknowledges modernity without rendering it a simplified evil. Tabu is also a truly visual experience, abandoning intertitles except for a few introductory passages and diegetic text. Floyd Crosby’s cinematography stuns...
7 tags
There's No Business Like Show Business (Walter...
The fine but unremarkable There’s No Business Like Show Business mostly presents Irving Berlin numbers of varying quality, but it also depicts the familial struggles of its characters. Fox’s first CinemaScope musical, the film doesn’t always make the most of its widescreen photography, excepting the impressive “globe-trotting” “Alexander’s Ragtime...
September 2012
12 posts
4 tags
Hard, Fast and Beautiful (Ida Lupino, 1951)
Ida Lupino’s Hard, Fast and Beautiful takes a sophisticated look at the dark side of sports, focusing not on the rising tennis star but rather the familial discord brought about by success and greed. Voice-over narration, thoughtful staging and an icy performance by Claire Trevor make the selfish, ruthlessly ambitious mother a fascinating central character. The uncompromising ending is still...
25 tags
Top 10 Movies of 1951
1. Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock)
2. Early Summer (Yasujiro Ozu)
3. Diary of Country Priest (Robert Bresson)
4. Alice in Wonderland (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske)
5. A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan)
6. The River (Jean Renoir)
7. The Day the Earth Stood Still (Robert Wise)
8. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder)
9. Hard, Fast and Beautiful (Ida...
7 tags
Anatomy of a Murder (Otto Preminger, 1959)
Anatomy of a Murder sometimes drags and proves more tedious than complex, but Otto Preminger’s film fascinatingly embraces digressions and non-drama as aspects of the litigation process. In the courtroom, James Stewart is pitted against George C. Scott, providing an impressive acting showcase for greats of two different generations. The movie is concerned with shades of grey, uninterested in...
23 tags
Top 10 Movies of 1959
1. The 400 Blows (Francois Truffaut)
2. Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder)
3. North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock)
4. Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks)
5. Pickpocket (Robert Bresson)
6. Shadows (John Cassavetes)
7. Sleeping Beauty (Clyde Geronimi)
8. Floating Weeds (Yasujiro Ozu)
9. Anatomy of a Murder (Otto Preminger)
10. Good Morning (Yasujiro Ozu)
See Also: Top 10 Movies of...
5 tags
Yi Yi (Edward Yang, 2000)
“Can we only know half of the truth?”
Eight-year-old Yang-Yang asks this profound question about an hour into the Taiwanese film Yi Yi. The young boy is wondering about the limits of human perspective, how every person only sees the world through his or her own eyes. His solution to this problem is simple – photography. He takes pictures of the backs of numerous heads, hoping to show people...
5 tags
4 1/2: A Summer of "Breaking Bad"
Note: this post contains spoilers.
Before this summer, I had never seen a single episode of Breaking Bad. But over the course of the last few months, I watched every episode in order, including the latest mid-season finale. While I normally don’t write about television I felt compelled to express some of my thoughts. But what I intended to be one comprehensive post might turn out to be a series...
5 tags
The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012)
Before its release, Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master appeared to be many things: a critical assessment of Scientology-esque cult, an examination of post-war reassimilation, a visual treat shot on 70mm film and an acting tour de force pitting Joaquin Phoenix against Philip Seymour Hoffman. The movie delivers on all of these levels, but it defies easy categorization and is much greater than the...
3 tags
Battle Royale (Kinji Fukasaku, 2000)
Vapid, nihilistic nonsense, Battle Royale is never as clever, exciting or moving as it seems to think it is. It offers typical teenage insecurity as insight, and the movie manages to touch upon but never really say anything about oppression, delinquency and (somehow) violence. It’s visually unremarkable and intellectually bankrupt, a bloodbath that serves only to entertain and hardly even...
3 tags
Samsara (Ron Fricke, 2012)
Samsara manages to stay mesmerizing and captivating for the entirety of its running time. Ron Fricke beautifully composed the high definition images, heightening the poetry of the people, places and things depicted. The film examines the seeming contradictions and paradoxes of the world: how humans destroy earth and how earth destroys humans, our beautiful rituals and our most vicious vices.
