Rock and Reel

Nostalgia Goes Digital: Turning Back Time in the Films of David Fincher »

Digital cinema and nostalgia go hand in hand in David Fincher films. The director has used these powerful tools to recreate the past, but nostalgia has historically refused to surrender in his work.

Top 10 Movies of 2010

Ed Gonzalez of Slant Magazine, perhaps my favorite film critic, has this incredible ongoing project in which he updates his top 10 films for each year from 1920 to the present. I am in the process of doing this myself. I actually have lists for every year, but there are unfortunately some years I have only seen a movie or two. As a result, I’m going year by year in reverse chronological order and posting lists only if I’ve seen 10 movies I truly like. This means that I have to have given it an 8/10 or higher on IMDb. I’ve already posted a list for 2010, but I’m doing it again for the sake of this project and also because my list has changed quite a bit. I’m going by Ed’s rules: Everything is based off the IMDb year except for 21st century films, which are categorized according to U.S. theatrical release. These lists are always subject to change. I will include links to any reviews I’ve written.

1. Let Me In (Matt Reeves)

2. A Prophet (Jacques Audiard)

3. Somewhere (Sofia Coppola)

4. Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy)

5. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Edgar Wright)

6. The Social Network (David Fincher)

7. The Ghost Writer (Roman Polanski)

8. 127 Hours (Danny Boyle)

9. Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance)

10. True Grit (Joel and Ethan Coen)

Updated: December 29, 2011

2011 Academy Award Nominations

Last year I correctly predicted 12 of 20 winners. Hopefully I do better this year. I have made predictions in 21 of the categories this time, only excluding the short subjects. Once again, I also present by personal votes.

Actor in a Leading Role

Prediction: Colin Firth in The King’s Speech

Personal Pick: James Franco in 127 Hours

Actor in a Supporting Role

Prediction: Christian Bale in The Fighter

Personal Pick: John Hawkes in Winter’s Bone

Actress in a Leading Role

Prediction: Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Personal Pick: Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right

Actress in a Supporting Role

Prediction: Melissa Leo in The Fighter

Personal Pick: Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit

Best Animated Feature Film

Prediction: Toy Story 3: Lee Unkrich

Personal Pick: How to Train Your Dragon: Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois

Art Direction

Prediction: The King’s Speech: Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Judy Farr

Personal Pick: Inception: Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat

Cinematography

Prediction: True Grit: Roger Deakins

Personal Pick: The Social Network: Jeff Cronenweth

Costume Design

Prediction: The King’s Speech: Jenny Beavan

Personal Pick: True Grit: Mary Zophres

Directing

Prediction: The King’s Speech: Tom Hooper

Personal Pick: The Social Network: David Fincher

Documentary (Feature)

Prediction: Inside Job: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

Personal Pick: Exit Through the Gift Shop: Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz

Film Editing

Prediction: The Fighter: Pamela Martin

Personal Pick: 127 Hours: Jon Harris

Foreign Language Film

Prediction: Biutiful: Mexico

Personal Pick: No Opinion

Makeup

Prediction: The Wolfman: Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

Personal Pick: No Opinion

Music (Original Score)

Prediction: The King’s Speech: Alexandre Desplat

Personal Pick: The Social Network: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Music (Original Song)

Prediction: “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3: Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Personal Pick: “I See the Light” from Tangled: Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Glenn Slater

Best Picture

Prediction: The King’s Speech: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers

Personal Pick: The Social Network: Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Cean Chaffin, Producers

Sound Editing

Prediction: Inception: Richard King

Personal Pick: Inception: Richard King

Sound Mixing

Prediction: Inception: Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick

Personal Pick: The Social Network: Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten

Visual Effects

Prediction: Inception: Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb

Personal Pick: Inception: Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Prediction: The Social Network: Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin

Personal Pick: The Social Network: Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Prediction: The King’s Speech, Screenplay by David Seidler

Personal Pick: Inception: Written by Christopher Nolan

Top 10 Movies of the Year (Plus Random Reviews)

I present my tentative list. Although I still plan to see Blue Valentine and Somewhere, among others, I doubt I’ll have a chance to do so before the end of the year. A Prophet was the best movie I saw in 2010, but I decided to exclude it because of its 2009 release date in France. Besides, Jacques Audiard’s crime epic is in a class of its own compared to the other movies of the year. Past blog entries with my thoughts on some of the films can be found here and here.

1. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Edgar Wright)

2. The Social Network (David Fincher)

3. The Ghost Writer (Roman Polanski)

4. 127 Hours (Danny Boyle)

Director Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire is style over substance, a film that hides its lack of anything to say with a hyperkinetic aesthetic more fit for a music video than a story about poverty in India. Boyle puts his stylistic strengths to great use in 127 Hours, a movie that manages to take a life-affirming true story and present it with brutal honesty, a sense of humor and filmic energy. James Franco’s performance as Aron Ralston, a self-isolated adventurer who survives 127 hours at the bottom of a narrow canyon with his arm jammed under a rock, is both beautifully emotional and grippingly visceral. There are moments when Boyle’s stylistic flourishes border on excessive, but ultimately the playfulness of the filmmaking matches the protagonist’s life outlook and vivid imagination. An aching sense of nostalgia and a sense of hope for the future keep Aron going, and these revelatory flashbacks are what make this movie more than just an edge-of-the-seat survival tale. A lot of very good movies make me excited about going to the theater. This is one of the few that left me feeling happy to be alive.

5. Inception (Christopher Nolan)

6. True Grit (Joel and Ethan Coen)

This brilliantly-executed Western admittedly lacks the ironic Coen brothers touch. From a narrative standpoint, it’s relatively straightforward by their standards, but that does not make it any less impressive. The film doesn’t focus on cruel landscapes like their cold masterpiece No Country For Old Men but rather the worn and peculiar faces of the West. Jeff Bridges once again proves himself to be one of our greats as the mumbling, drunken U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn. But perhaps even more impressive is Hailee Steinfeld as 14-year-old Mattie Ross, the girl out to avenge the death of her father. While No Country For Old Men was an uncompromisingly violent thriller, True Grit is a character-driven drama. Cogburn and Hailee are strikingly different in many ways but also spiritual siblings with a shared sense of determination, or perhaps stubbornness. The storytelling and character development are at the forefront here, proving that the Coens are in fact capable of writing great linear stories. (Click here for list of all of their features.)

7. Let Me In (Matt Reeves)

Confession: I have not seen Let the Right One In. But Matt Reeves’ take on the tale of young vampire love is great in its own right, sweet yet haunting. Chloe Moretz once again proves herself to be a great talent as Abby, the bloodthirsty but somehow lovable vampire. The young actress manages to capture the aged sadness of her character’s spirit and also the girlish sweetness of the body she is trapped in. The atmosphere here is mostly understated, making the violent scenes in the film feel all the more pronounced. And there are several memorable images: Abby’s reaction to walking into a home uninvited, a POV shot during a car accident and pools of blood forming in a school swimming pool. What makes this movie so tragic is its look into the world of broken homes and bullying. In today’s social climate, the film can possibly be seen as an indictment of harassment based on sexual orientation. (Keep in mind the way in which Abby asks young protagonist Owen if he would still like her if she wasn’t a girl.) The Swedish version has been canonized as a contemporary classic, and I truly hope this apparently overlooked gem stands the test of time.

8. Tangled (Nathan Greno and Byron Howard)

Disney’s best feature since Aladdin, this delightful take on Rapunzel really impresses with its sincerity and charm. It’s the artistic comeback the studio thought it had with last year’s traditionally animated The Princess and the Frog, a fine but not great effort. The 3D is superfluous, but the combination of admirable performances from Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore, gorgeous computer animation and several genuinely funny moments makes this a near classic. Also, the sequence with the birthday lanterns is breathtakingly beautiful.

9. Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese)

10. The Crazies (Breck Eisner)

Additionally, here are reviews of movies I have seen since my last update. And yes, they are listed from favorite to least favorite. Keep in mind, these are NOT the runner-ups for my top 10.

Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik)

I probably need to see this again. In this atmospheric mood piece, Jennifer Lawrence’s Ree Dolly goes on an eerie journey to find her missing father in the Ozark woods. Her investigation allows the film to examine rural drug violence, broken families living in poverty and a young woman’s determination against all odds. Director Debra Granik does a masterful job of establishing a sense of dread and danger bubbling just under the surface, but the film’s slow burn admittedly feels paced a bit too carefully at times.

The King’s Speech (Tom Hooper)

As far as the performances are concerned, you can’t ask for anything more from this film. Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter all give masterful performances. The interaction about Firth and Rush as student and teacher, king and subject is full of wit and social insight. Where the film occasionally suffers is with its script, full of Oscar night-ready one-liners. (“Why should I waste my time listening to you?” “Because I have a voice!”) And although the film does a fine job of positing the king’s speech impediment as a personal obstacle, it is much lazier in examining rhetoric as a tool to mobilize the masses. The use of a newsreel about the Third Reich towards the end of the film says too little too late, draining the titular climax of larger significance. In any case, I’m nitpicking because this really is a good film, essential viewing for Firth fans.

Jackass 3D (Jeff Tremaine)

I can’t admit to being a huge fan of the Jackass franchise, but the gang’s latest effort is truly the best use of 3D since Avatar. I wouldn’t go so far as Jon Stewart, who compared Johnny Knoxville and company to silent comic genius Buster Keaton, but the way these guys sacrifice their bodies (and any shred of dignity they still have left) is strangely artful. These guys exploit 3D as the cheap gimmick it usually is and create a hysterical collection of sketches.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (David Yates)

Not quite as good as Order of the Phoenix or Prisoner of Azkaban, but still pretty solid. The fractured storytelling of this entry in the series highlights the loss of direction for the characters. School no longer exists as the organizing principle of their life. They are out in the open, left to face all of the trials that come with facing reality. There is a sense of emotional honesty throughout the movie, most poignant when Harry and Hermione awkwardly dance together. This scene is indicative of the movie because it exhibits the true chemistry between the actors after nine years of these movies, yet it stands out compared to the viciously cold atmosphere of the rest of the movie. The movie pulls no punches with its most intense scenes, including a run-in with Voldemort’s serpent Nagini. The tale of the Deathly Hallows is gorgeously told through animation, and although well-executed, this scene feels a bit out of place. I can’t personally imagine another way that this story could have been told, but the sequence nonetheless feels too tidy in a movie that’s otherwise jarring. Also, Helena Bonham Carter continues to be psychotically brilliant as Bellatrix Lestrange, overshadowing the younger actors in the film. When she is onscreen, I can’t help but wish that the adult actors could somehow play a bigger part in the film. And of course, the ending: Part I probably could not have concluded any other way, but it still feels so abrupt. The film attempts to go out with a big bang but doesn’t really succeed. It’s a cliffhanger reliant on a villain absent for almost all of the film, set up to have little no cathartic payoff.

TRON: Legacy (Joseph Kosinski)

There isn’t much to say here. This 3D extravaganza is pretty stupid, but it’s a lot of fun. The action sequences in the grid are intoxicating, making up for the fact that the script poorly attempts to establish a grandeur mythology full of existential questions. I just can’t imagine this movie being worth the time if it’s not in IMAX 3D.

Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)

Not the worst movie of the year, but this pretentious half-dull, half-crazy effort is easily the most overrated and a true disappointment. This movie should have been officially titled BLACK SWAN, as it does absolutely everything in broad strokes. The movie is constantly scratching for some deeper meaning under the surface of its wild theatrics, but it ultimately comes up empty. Sure, it tackles technique versus passion in art, showbiz paranoia and the psychology of a creator, but never in way that allows viewers to actually think or ask themselves questions. Natalie Portman’s performance is impressive, but it’s mostly so in the context of what she’s already done. She stuns with her intensity and physicality, a side of her we haven’t really seen before, but the character on the screen has no depth. Now, I’ll admit: the final act of the film is great. It delves into a nightmarish vision that is valuable in and of itself for its technical prowess. However, the chaos only comes after an hour or so of exposition that suffers from poorly fitting Cinema verite aesthetic and forgettable supporting performances. Aronofsky’s latest is middlebrow trash that does an admittedly good job of disguising itself as art-house beauty.

Love and Other Drugs (Edward Zwick)

Anne Hathaway proves two things with this strange movie: 1) she’s really comfortable being naked onscreen, and 2) she can really act. Her turn as a Parkinson’s Disease patient is moving and surprisingly not condescending. Additionally, she and co-star Jake Gyllenhaal have tremendous chemistry, and they look great on the screen together. Unfortunately, just about everything else about this movie is disastrous. It has no sense of tone whatsoever, mixing elements of “gross-out” humor, frankly sexual romantic comedy, heavy disease drama and the list goes on. The film is at its best when it deals with the complexities of relationships, benefiting from the strength of the leads, but even then it doesn’t do anything substantial.

2010 Movies So Far (Updated)

Before the 2010 summer movie season, I made a ranked list of the year’s movies I had seen. I updated the list with the movies I’ve seen in the past five months.

1. A Prophet (Jacques Audiard)

2. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Edgar Wright)

This cultural mash-up is easily the most fun I had in a theater this year. Its incessant use of cultural references taps into how the adolescents of this generation filter its understanding of the world through rock music, video games and sitcoms. This movie depicts what it is to be young but moves past mere nostalgia, resulting in an original cinematic experience. Because of its ambitious attack-the-senses aesthetic, it gets a bit unwieldy at times, and the narrative fumbles a bit towards the end of the movie. However, it stands as Edgar Wright’s most moving and best movie. Yes, I’d take it over Hot Fuzz any day.

3. The Social Network (David Fincher)

The Citizen Kane of the 21st century? Really? Critics have suggested this movie is a new classic, and it is nearly great, but they only do the movie a disservice with the lazy comparisons. Sure, there are similarities between Fincher’s latest and the motion picture most often referred to as the Greatest of All Time. Both are told from multiple perspectives, including those of the people betrayed by the central characters. They both depict a character attempting to compensate for personal shortcomings by expanding a communication network. But Fincher’s movie does not have the same gut level punch of Orson Welles’ masterpiece. Instead, it’s an experience akin to watching something slowly burn or feeling something slowly crawling under your skin. People rejected The Social Network before giving it a chance because it was “the Facebook movie,” but it is about more than just a website. It is about the inability of young people to connect. Jesse Eisenberg’s chilling performance as Mark Zuckerberg gives us an antihero to simultaneously love and hate, a misguided college student alone in a crowded room, a character who trades real relationships for ambition and success. If this is the movie of a generation, it is not because it is the best movie of its time, but rather because it understands how our generation is caught up in quest for the American Dream at the expense of ever being able to feel something truly real.

4. Inception (Christopher Nolan)

This mind-bending science fiction thriller got everyone, including myself, excited about the possibility of big budget movies to an almost absurd extent. Although I’m more hesitant that I was before, I stand by my assertion that this is Nolan’s best movie. This movie did not have particularly interesting characters other than Leo’s Cobb, but it has a certain narrative cohesion that The Dark Knight lacks. (Nolan’s admittedly very good Batman movie falls apart in its last half hour, and I can’t believe I bought the ridiculous and nauseatingly-shot surveillance system.) That said, I have been too afraid to watch this movie a second time. The film spends much of its time explaining itself, I wonder if a repeat viewing would simply be a bore.

5. The Ghost Writer (Roman Polanski)

6. Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese)

7. The Crazies (Breck Eisner)

8. Hot Tub Time Machine (Steve Pink)

9. How to Train Your Dragon (Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders)

10. Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich)

Yes, I cried at the end of this movie. No, this was not nearly as good as everyone suggested. This sequel was a solid last bow for the characters we have come to know and love for the past 15 years. Its examination of friendship and growing up was moving, but at the same time, I felt like Pixar was attempting to tack on its now-signature sentiment (executed genuinely and beautifully in Up) to the narrative formula of the film’s predecessors. (Andy doesn’t love us anymore! Fighting among the toys! We get ourselves out of the mess! Andy DOES love us!) Just as I wonder if my attachment to The Return of the King has more to do with the cumulative effect of being the last in the series than actual quality, Toy Story 3 might be a movie we look back on with skepticism in a few years. After all, many of the new characters were charming, but this film succumbed to the bigger-is-better philosophy that almost all sequels now subscribe to.

11. The Switch (Josh Gordon and Will Speck)

Jason Bateman does neurotic better than Woody Allen has in years as the central character of this movie. It has a terrible premise, but it’s a smart and warm romantic comedy about the ever-changing dynamic of relationships. It asks questions about family in a sincere and honest way and is, most importantly, driven by well-written characters. Two other things: the kid is adorable, and Jennifer Aniston isn’t awful, which she is in just about every other movie she’s in.

12. Please Give (Nicole Holofcener)

This movie is mostly a complex examination of liberal guilt and infidelity. Think of this as the antidote to the cultural poison that was The Blind Side. It is fully aware of its characters’ flaws but at the same time cares for them as human beings. What royally pissed me off was the end of the film, a capitalistic fist in the air that was out of place.

13. Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton)

14. Waking Sleeping Beauty (Don Hahn)

15. Iron Man 2 (Jon Favreau)

This sequel was really dumb, but it was a lot of tongue-in-cheek fun. The machinery overload is a bit tiring in the last act, but there is something to be said of just how Big this movie is. Also, I’m not sure how I felt about this being more of a prequel to The Avengers than a sequel in a series. While it was exciting to see the team come together, it mostly felt like shameless pandering to the comic book nerds.

16. Greenberg (Noah Baumbach)

17. The Runaways (Floria Sigismondi)

18. Despicable Me (Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud)

I have little to say about this movie other than the fact that it was completely underwhelming. Steve Carell was great as the voice behind Gru, but the story was unmemorable. The movie inorganically shifts between overly self-aware cuteness and unfunny slapstick. There are some great moments of sincerity in the last few minutes of the movie, but by then, I just wanted it to be over so I didn’t feel bad for dosing off.

19. Kick-Ass (Matthew Vaughn)

20. A Nightmare on Elm Street (Samuel Bayer)

This is a completely unnecessary remake. It takes a drastically wrong turn with the bizarre explanation of Freddy Krueger’s past as a pedophile. It goes from soulless but occasionally entertaining to offensively facetious with its last-minute revelation of Mr. Krueger’s past. Wes Craven’s original was a near masterpiece, and to see it butchered so thoroughly makes me sad.

21. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (Zack Snyder)

This movie is an odd mix of Lord of the Rings, Avatar, 300 and owls. It’s surprisingly amusing for what it is, but it takes itself far too seriously. All of the battle scenes are done with the same slow motion pretention that characterizes director Snyder’s previous films (Watchmen and, yes, 300). The dialogue is unbearable, and it’s embarrassing to hear the voices of Helen Mirren and Hugo Weaving coming out of animated owls. This train wreck is sometimes so severe it’s impressive, but no one should willingly subject themselves to this garbage.

22. Easy A (Will Gluck)

Emma Stone is a delight, and she certainly deserves a leading role to show off her vicious snark and wit. Too bad this material isn’t nearly good enough for her. This movie is constantly sneering and winking at us with its know-it-all humor to the point of being condescending. It’s all paced with such a lack of energy that I was wondering if a laugh track had been removed. The video chat story framing device was an opportunity to examine how teenagers use technology to turn their lives into tall tales, but it’s handled with no critical bite. There’s a scene in the movie in which Stone wishes her life was an ‘80s movie, even lifting clips from The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. I couldn’t help but think to myself, “I wish I was watching those movies instead.” But no, this film is not John Hughes. It’s not Say Anything. Hell, it’s not Clueless or Mean Girls, and it’s most definitely not Election. It’s trash.

23. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (Woody Allen)

When I saw the trailer for this film, I thought it had the potential to be comprehensively mediocre. I was wrong. It was downright terrible. Unfortunately, my least favorite movie of the year was made by my favorite filmmaker, Woody Allen. While the narration in Vicky Cristina Barcelona was a delicate touch to a playful movie, the voiceover here is obnoxious, trying desperately to explain everything that happens. Woody has often been accused of being a tell-not-show filmmaker, antithetical to the art form, but I have always defended his films as humanist endeavors embracing both cinema and literature. This feels like Woody Allen has completely forgotten what a movie is supposed to be. There are so many interlocking stories, that none of them receives any real attention. None of the characters are given any depth, with all their thoughts reduced to grand actions and the words of an omniscient storyteller. The titular tall dark stranger is Death. Looks like Woody Allen’s career has passed away.