Liz's blog

Academy Awards nominees, 2013

I can’t believe it’s that time of the year again! Here are my thoughts on this year’s Oscar nominees (last year’s post is here).

Best Picture
Amour
Argo
Django Unchained
Les Misérables
Life Of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Silver Linings Playbook

9 nominees this year and it sure is a very fine selection of very good films. Michael Haneke’s Amour is a somewhat surprising inclusion, proving that the momentum built in Cannes hasn’t disappeared -it certainly underlines the relevance of the biggest film festivals for award season. Another proof of that is the fact that Beasts Of The Southern Wild, a Sundance favourite, is included in the list and clinched nominations in the major categories. This year’s heavyweight dramas include Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty, which have been frontrunners as soon as they were in the works. Clearly both the presence of a great director and actor (Spielberg and Day-Lewis; Bigelow and Chastain) on such serious subject matters was bound to draw attention from critics and academies alike. My personal favourite in the list is Argo, but without a Best Director nomination, I’m afraid the chance of seeing it win Best Film is pretty close to zero. Silver Linings Playbook, this year’s “little movie that could”, is a very strong contender because it is the only film with nominations in all the major categories (and those include the acting categories, which is really rare). So I have a feeling that the Academy really really loved it, and it’s a Weinstein Company film, so you never know. It might pull an upset, although it would be literally upsetting to see a dramatic comedy win over more important films such as Lincoln, but that’s just my opinion. Life of Pi is also very clearly popular with the Academy, as it has nominations in the major categories as well, but my guess is that it will sweep the technical categories and not much else. Django Unchained and Les Misérables are the somewhat ‘wild card’ entries (I say wild card but really, if there was a film this year tailor-made for the Oscars, it really is Les Misérables). If there were only five Best Film nominees, I have an inkling they wouldn’t have been included at all.
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2012 review

Finally, an update! I must apologise for posting this so late, but the end of the year wasn’t very kind to me in terms of work, and it was impossible to find the time to write. But as 2013 is off to a better start, here is finally my top 15 for the best films of 2012 (you can view last year’s top 15 here):

1. The Dark Knight Rises, directed by Christopher Nolan
2. Argo, directed by Ben Affleck
3. The Descendants, directed by Alexander Payne
4. Moonrise Kingdom, directed by Wes Anderson
5. Looper, directed by Rian Johnson
6. Camille redouble, directed by Noémie Lvovsky
7. Anna Karenina, directed by Joe Wright
8. Seeking a Friend For the End of the World, directed by Lorene Scafaria
9. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, directed by Tomas Alfredson
10. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, directed by Peter Jackson
11. We Bought a Zoo, directed by Cameron Crowe
12. Brave, directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman / ParaNorman, directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell
13. Promotheus, directed by Ridley Scott
14. Skyfall, directed by Sam Mendes
15. John Carter, directed by Andrew Stanton

Honorable mentions: De rouille et d’os (gorgeous but too depressing to make it to the actual top 15), Les Saveurs du Palais, Frankenweenie, J. Edgar.

I know, I know. I’m biased, I can’t judge objectively, I’m such a Chris Nolan fan that I can’t help putting him on top. But the truth is, for all its flaws, The Dark Knight Rises is still the film that I felt was most exciting this year, most well put together, even though yes it is far less a finer film than the two predecessors. But still, in terms of what I’m looking for when I step into a movie theatre, The Dark Knight Rises comes very close to what I expect. And that’s not even taking into account the HUGE expectations of following up the masterpiece that is The Dark Knight. I won’t deny that the film has shortcomings, but overall, with its spot-on directing, layered characters and technical aspects (cinematography, editing, score and such), to me The Dark Knight Rises is definitely the best film this year.

My second choice is Ben Affleck’s Argo. It’s just the perfect blend of historical reconstitution as well as captivating storytelling. From the opening scene -a real stroke of genius, until the end credits, Argo is just quality entertainment. Without taking itself too seriously nor neglecting the political undertones, it’s one of those rare films that strikes the right balance between thriller and drama, and those are just my favourite kind of films. And I have to say that Ben Affleck’s directing is nothing short of impressive; clearly he’s proved he is a truly worthy director. I can’t give him enough praise for the skills displayed in Argo.

Rounding up my top 3 is Alexander Payne’s the Descendants. There’s something intrinsically personal about Alexander Payne’s directing and to me, it just really hits very close home. Maybe it’s just the way he shoots the scenery, maybe it’s these tragicomic situations his characters always find themselves in, I don’t know, but there’s just something about his films and his screenplays that I completely adore and adhere to. My fourth pick, Moonrise Kingdom, directed by Wes Anderson, also gets its main strength from the fantastically whacky screenplay but I’ve also singled it out for its director’s very personal sensibility, which really appeals to me. I admire Wes Anderson’s artistic integrity and it really is the sign of a great director when one can simply look at a single frame and recognise the master at work behind. Sitting at number 5 is Rian Johnson’s Looper, and a well-deserved spot it is for a film that is clearly very conceptual and should really be recognised for its originality, but also for pulling off what is perhaps the most difficult storytelling device, time travel. Not only did he choose to focus on the characters rather than the (amazing) universe he created, he also has a very good sense of pace -which means that he doesn’t stretch his story for too long, and knows how to alternate action scenes with more intimate ones, and that is a real gift.

I usually just stop here when commenting my top 15, but since I’ve been very behind my reviews and I haven’t reviewed these films, I’d like to say quick words about each of these.

My sixth pick is a French film, Camille redouble. Noémie Lvovsky, as an actress and director, really did an amazing job on this film because it turned out to be one of the most touching and sweetest films I’ve seen this year. Here time travel is given a diametrically opposed definition to that in Looper, but in the end, none of it matters except for the characters and the heart she put into it. Number seven is Joe Wright’s gorgeous Anna Karenina. For its aesthetics alone, this film ranks higher up than it should. Not to say that its screenplay isn’t any good, in fact it is quite excellent, but the film is overwhelmingly beautiful and for that alone, Joe Wright displays astonishing and masterful directing skills. Okay, next, we have Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, which you know, seems to be your traditional rom-com. Well, it really isn’t, and the charisma and chemistry pulled off by Steve Carell (in yet another brilliant dramatic performance) and Keira Knightley makes it all incredibly believable. The characters are just really endearing and the screenplay is a little gem. Number 8 is Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which is a dense, unbelievably rich patchwork of a film. Its cinematography and production design is superb, the cast is one of the best assembled in a long time. But it is a bit emotionally dry, despite Gary Oldman’s outstanding, subtle performance. Closing up the top 10 is Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit (I won’t even bother with the subtitle because I’m so pissed about the whole three movies thing). Pete Jackson is still the masterful storyteller he was back when he made Lord of the Rings, and that’s a fact. The Hobbit is by all means solid entertainment, but it lacked that particular depth and beauty that made The Lord of the Rings so special.

Finally, at number 11, I picked We Bought a Zoo, directed by Cameron Crowe. It’s an unusual choice for sure, I think it might have been much too sentimental and too much of a tearjerker for some people, but I’ve decided against my better judgement because I thought it was just very genuine in what it was trying to say. I’m very inclined to Matt Damon, yes, and I thought his performance was one of his best. But I loved the film entirely for its honesty and its lack of pretentiousness. Up next we have two animated features, Pixar’s Brave and Focus Features’ ParaNorman. I couldn’t choose between either of them because the former is graphically superior but the latter has a better screenplay. I have to admit that Brave was subpar regarding Pixar’s usual standards, but it’s only because they’re so high that I felt that way. Otherwise it is a perfectly good film, and so is ParaNorman, which is surprisingly scary but also one of those animated films which in fact targets an adult audience, so that it was just downright enjoyable and well-made. The next film on the list is (Sir) Ridley Scott’s Promotheus. I had issues with this film when I saw it and I still do. On one hand I can’t help but admire the directing which was just brilliant but on the other hand I can’t forget how poor the screenplay is, even though its level of complexity still sends my mind reeling with questions. If only the characters were a little more polished (if they all had the same treatment than David, the android), it would have been such a great film… But still, I don’t think anyone but Sir Ridley could have salvaged this, and he still did a tremendous job as far as directing is concerned, so it still is superior entertainment than what we see elsewhere. Okay, so at number 14 I’ve chosen Sam Mendes’ Skyfall. This is going to be quite an unpopular opinion -I enjoyed Skyfall, I really did, it is very good entertainment, with great rhythm and characters, but it doesn’t quite encompass the James Bond spirit as I see it. I know it was very relevant and well-directed and overall good, but I can’t help thinking that this is not what James Bond is about, even if there were little nods to the franchise. But the choice of Javier Bardem as Silva was just amazing and Thomas Newman’s score, of course, made it all even better. Finally, the last film of my top 15 is John Carter, directed by Andrew Stanton. I think I must be going crazy because I really don’t understand the backlash against it -it almost bankrupted Disney, got its CEO fired, the marketing campaign was awful… Fine, but the film is awesome and I really enjoyed it? I guess it’s one of those instances where I just don’t understand why the film wasn’t more successful. If people had given it a chance, they would have seen that it is old-school, pure entertainment, that could have easily been made in the 70s and the 80s (that’s one of the highest compliment I can give out to a film). Yes, John Carter is magical, and you haven’t been that immersed in a universe since Avatar. Its characters fit certain kinds of stereotypes but the screenplay is much more subtle and much more fun than you’d imagine. In fact I was tempted to rank it higher than that, even though in all objectivity, I really couldn’t, but if you can, give this film a try, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Well that’s it for 2012! And as usual, a quick top 5 of the performances of the year:

Actors
1. Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Dark Knight Rises
2. George Clooney, The Descendants
3. Matthias Schoenaerts, De rouille et d’os
4. Steve Carrell, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World / Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
5. Michael Caine, The Dark Knight Rises / Javier Bardem, Skyfall

Actresses
1. Keira Knightley, Anna Karenina, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World / Marion Cotillard, De rouille et d’os
2. Anne Hathaway, The Dark Knight Rises
3. Alicia Vikander, Anna Karenina
4. Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
5. Emily Blunt, Looper / Noomi Rapace, Promotheus

The end of yet another year! 2013 promises to be another exciting year in films for sure. Stay tuned for my comments on the Oscar nominations, and once again, sorry for having taken such a long blogging break!

The Dark Knight Rises

Here we are, the most anticipated film of the year (a spoiler-free review, as usual).

It’s hard to say whether I can actually be objective in reviewing this film; needless to say, Chris Nolan is one of my favourite directors and I cannot properly describe what his films mean to me.
That being said…

The final chapter in the Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, is everything you would expect from Christopher Nolan: tortured characters, sophisticated storytelling, heart wrenching action. The fascinating thing with this Batman trilogy, overall, is that things are never as simple as they seem –Batman’s always been dwelling somewhere between darkness and light, learning to fall in order to, that’s right, rise again.

The first obvious thought on this film is that, being the last movie, the action is nothing short of bombastic. Christopher Nolan held nothing back; in how each action scene unfolds, whatever its setting, in or outside of Gotham, the action scenes are much louder and oddly enough, even more compelling than they used to be in Batman Begins or The Dark Knight. It’s not necessarily a bad thing; but it does mean that Rises lacks somewhat in complexity and depth when compared to its predecessors. It doesn’t mean that the film doesn’t have plenty of heart –it has swelling, emotional moments, mostly thanks to Alfred; but it is most definitely less complex than The Dark Knight, especially in the themes it’s trying to explore and the characters, with lesser layers or possibilities of interpretation as well. Whereas The Dark Knight was both ambiguous and unconventional, Rises has a sheer, brutal force to it, just like its villain Bane, which is why it may seem like an inferior movie to its predecessor.

Notwithstanding these comparisons, Rises remains a spectacular film, a very worthy conclusion to Chris Nolan’s trilogy. By now, Chris Nolan is in complete control of his movie, whether in terms of rhythm or visuals –he guides the audience exactly where he wants it to be, almost like a magician able to pull off any kind of illusions for the sake of entertainment. It still works, and it works perfectly; Chris is simply too good of a director to let the viewer down, or leave anything to chance. Every shot feels as deliberate and carefully thought out as it always has –except for these massive action sequences, which, as I’ve said, almost feel like he’s letting go of his perfectionist usual self. Rises may feel less intimate than the two previous films, but it still is a directorial achievement by any standard. As for the screenplay, the medley of intricate characters works very well indeed: the usual suspects such as Bruce, Alfred, Gordon and Fox; and the newcomers: Bane first and foremost, Selina Kyle, John Blake and Miranda Tate.

Staying true to Chris Nolan’s desire to ground Gotham in reality as much as possible, Catwoman’s name is never mentioned; on the contrary, Selina is a burglar who steals from the wealthy because she has to –a heroine for the 99%, of some sorts. The Dark Knight Rises isn’t exactly successful as a social commentary but it does touch upon the current themes of social injustice and corrupt institutions, even if it only treads very lightly on those, and less successfully so than in The Dark Knight.

Just as successful a character as Selina, Bane is a functional villain because he cannot be reduced to what appears to be his main characteristic: his physical force. As is often the case with Chris Nolan, when Bane’s backstory is revealed, one can’t help but feel a slight tinge of sadness and unease for this character, who turns out to be, like so many before him, not what he seems. All Batman villains share their strands of extremism –Bane isn’t an exception there, but he’s perhaps more likeable than any other villain before; not quite as charismatic as the Joker, but almost as impressive.

Surprisingly enough, John Blake, in the form of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, makes for an incredibly touching character. Although his own backstory is revealed quite quickly, perhaps even too early on in the film, there’s just something appealing in seeing a normal cop trying to do normal things, in an abnormal world –or how to be, following Harvey Dent’s words, a decent person in an indecent world. Finally, Miranda Tate’s pivotal role certainly is a nice twist (although it is getting more difficult in this age of Internet fans and speculation), even if Marion Cotillard brings little to the role, which in itself is quite well-written.

Now for our favourite heroes: Bruce is still as tortured as when we first met him almost ten years ago; he still can’t mend his personal wounds, which have gotten somewhat worse since he endorsed the Batman persona. Alfred, who clearly bears most of the emotional weight of the story, still has to take care of him and protect the Wayne legacy as much as he can. Their head-on confrontation is a painful thing to watch –perhaps one of the most powerful scenes in the movie, despite the presence of some hefty action scenes. By now, we’ve all grown very fond of the relationship between these two characters; it represents the emotional core of these Batman movies perhaps, more than anything else. Commissioner Gordon is still a reliable, comforting presence, as he always has been; to me, he’s as much a hero as Batman in these stories. Although he may have taken questionable decisions, Gordon is still fundamentally a good person, as flawed as any human could be. In all this madness, it really is important to have these supporting characters –Gordon, Alfred and Fox as well, to help keep continuity but mostly, to keep this universe grounded in characters that feel real.

It would be tempting to take Christian Bale’s ease with this role as granted, but it really should be recognised: how he’s infused this double role as Bruce and Batman with charisma throughout three entire films is an achievement. Gary Oldman and Michael Caine are similarly brilliant in their own respective roles; Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway are equally successful at making their characters quite memorable (despite the presence of a few gimmicks on both sides). Joseph Gordon-Levitt, bursting with charisma as well, brings a certain amount of sincerity to his character that’s quite remarkable.

I’m almost used to saying this but photography, editing and art design all impeccable. It can’t hurt to repeat that once again, Wally Pfister, Lee Smith and Nathan Crowley have all respectively built this universe that is so very hard to let go of; similarly Hans Zimmer’s thunderous score sends us back to the early days of Bruce as Batman while being reinterpreted for this final instalment.

It’s the finality of this chapter then, which, in the end, makes the emotions overflowing. The idea of not going back to Gotham as envisioned by Chris Nolan is an incredibly hard idea to accept. It would have been preposterous to have more and more films set in this particular universe, and yet… It’s difficult to adjust to the idea that Chris Nolan won’t revisit these characters, these places, these people. Thank you, Chris, for making this decade’s superhero films a little bit smarter, a little bit more human, a little bit more relevant than any other. But more than anything thank you for never underestimating the audience’s intelligence, and for setting the standard higher, higher than anyone else, for everyone else to follow.

Academy Awards winners, 2012

Here are my comments on this year’s Academy Awards winners (the 2011 post is here).

Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Congrats to the The Artist‘s team, for a very, very brave film, which probably didn’t have too much trouble gathering a broad consensus within the Academy. All the films up there are quite deserving (I haven’t seen Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close or War Horse) but I guess the Artist had this magical element to it: the nostalgia, the neverending devotion to cinema, the characters, the humour and the emotions. A fully expected and deserving winner then.
Michel Hazanavicius’ speech when he won this was incredibly sweet! And I loved producer Thomas Langmann’s tribute to his dad -French director Claude Berri. Aww. His high-five with Harvey Weinstein when he won also spoke volumes -he’s done it again!

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Academy Awards nominees, 2012

It’s that time of the year again! Here are my comments on this year’s Oscar nominees (the 2011 post is here).

Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

The Artist has been the clear contender for this category for a long time now and will probably win the coveted prize. Well done for them! And the Weinstein Company shall rejoice for having grabbed this gem before anyone else. Regardless, it is a deserving winner, so no more Weinstein-related grumpery from my part!
There’s always that tiny little doubt that Hugo may pull an upset, much like the Departed did a few years ago. Although it grabbed more nominations than the Artist, it still won’t win the prize: the numerical advantage is nothing if the film isn’t nominated in the main categories, and Hugo isn’t. Hugo strikes me as the kind of film that is revered and beloved by the Academy but simply hasn’t got the momentum to actually win. Same goes for the Descendants, which I look forward to seeing. As for the other nominees, the sheer inclusion of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, a Scott Rudin-produced, Stephen Daldry-directed Oscar vehicle, says it all really. I’m sure it is a good film, but I am also sure it was included because Rudin and Daldry have all the right friends at the Academy. The nod for the Tree of Life is welcomed though, if only for getting the recognition it finally deserves. Midnight in Paris and Moneyball are also two worthy nominees. As for War Horse, I haven’t seen it, but its early Oscar buzz might have killed its chances, oddly enough. The kind of anticipation generated by a filmmaker like Steve Spielberg is both a blessing and a curse. ALSO, the Help looks desperately tiny in this category of heavyweights.
And somehow people were still hoping that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 was going to make it to that category, as it is the last of the HP saga, but it really isn’t Oscar material and shouldn’t be.

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2011 review

Here is my top 15 for the best films of 2011 (the list from last year is here):

1. The Tree of Life, directed by Terrence Malick
2. Drive, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
3. Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese
4. The Artist, directed by Michel Hazavinicius
5. Midnight in Paris, directed by Woody Allen
6. The Ides of March, directed by George Clooney
7. Source Code, directed by Duncan Jones
8. Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky / True Grit, directed by the Coen brothers
9. The King’s Speech, directed by David Hooper
10. Moneyball, directed by Bennett Miller
11. Contagion, directed by Steven Soderbergh
12. Never Let Me Go, directed by Mark Romanek
13. Rise of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Rupert Wyatt / The Adventures of Tintin, directed by Steven Spielberg
14. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, directed by David Yates
15. Carnage, directed by Roman Polanski

Honorable mentions: The Adjustment Bureau, Super 8, The Debt.

So yep. I’ve already reviewed most of these films so I won’t repeat myself but… I don’t think any film has made more of an impression on me than Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life this year. Just the sheer beauty of it but not just. It’s mostly that incredible, tangible way it connects with our experiences and our memories. So many people have called it prententious and unintelligible and god knows what. Yet I still want to believe that Malick was trying to genuinely share something with us, perhaps a recollection of his own childhood amidst wider and more philosophical reflections. I mean, it’s almost like everyone was too focused on the dinosaurs and the creation of the universe to mention that ultimately this is the story of a family, the story of a childhood and… I’ve never, ever seen a childhood depicted with such accuracy and poetry as that. To create that kind of intimacy with the viewers with just a camera is really… it’s almost a miracle and yet Terrence Malick (and DoP Lubezki, let’s not forget that) pulled it off, in a manner that seems so effortless and instinctive. It really is a directorial achievement. Of course it’s not a movie you would watch with friends on a Saturday evening -or watch and watch again, but does it really matter? What matters is the emotions, the instantaneity of it, the way it addresses each viewer’s personal issues and in that particular case, memories. I really do think that’s what makes the Tree of Life such an experience. It’s that same surreal, subjective flow of emotions that emanates from Days of Heaven in my opinion. No film comes any close to the Tree of Life this year in terms of aesthetics, that’s true, but also in terms of raw emotions and poignancy.

My second pick is Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive. I’ve reviewed it already but there’s just something very incredibly refreshing about seeing a film like Drive nowadays -which despite its violence and the ‘shock value’ of it, still manages to convey a lot without too many dialogue or cumbersome  subplots. I’ve seen it twice and enjoyed it thoroughly the second time (always a good indication), and there’s an unconventional aspect to it which sets it apart from other films, too. I disagree with the fact that the film is “cool”, however, which is basically a shell of an adjective. I didn’t like Drive because it was cool, I liked it because it was well-directed and recognised that some things are just best left unsaid.

The third film is Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. It really surprised me in many ways (a little bit like Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris actually) and it was imaginative while still being very touching, so that’s all I ask for when I enter a movie theatre. But also because Marty is in love with his craft, and that is something we can all understand as cinephiles. So to have combined both storylines, that of Hugo’s and George Méliès’, was a very unexpected but pleasant surprise. My fourth pick, Michel Hazavinicus’ The Artist, has to be recognised for its originality but once again, I want to emphasise that it wasn’t just that -it’s all the references and the way the characters brim with joy and then it gets a little bit more complex than that and it’s all very incredibly emotional when you weren’t really expecting it.  Finally, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris proved us wrong if we thought Woody had lost his flair for the kind of comedy only he could have written -inventive, inspired and of course, hilarious.

That’s it for my comments on the top 5!
Last but not least, a quick top 5 of the performances of the year:

Actors
1. Ryan Gosling, Drive, The Ides of March
2. Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
3. Jean Dujardin, The Artist
4. Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life, Moneyball
5. Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (it IS a legitimate performance,  HELLO!)

Actresses
1. Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, the Help, the Debt
2. Natalie Portman, Black Swan
3. Jodie Foster, Carnage tied with Viola Davis, the Help
4. Kate Winslet, Carnage, Contagion
5. Carey Mulligan, Never Let Me Go, Drive tied with Elle Fanning, Somewhere, Super 8

Voilà! It’s a wrap for 2011. But 2012 is really, really promising: if all else fails, Christopher Nolan will always be there to offer yet another masterpiece. Yes, I know, I haven’t seen The Dark Knight Rises yet, but you can bet it will take the first place of my top 15 in 2012, it’s just how logic works.

2011, part 2: the year in review

As promised, here are my thoughts on the films I’ve seen since… August. It’s a long read, but I’ve tried to keep it short, so brace yourself!

* Rise of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Rupert Wyatt. An unconventional blockbuster, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a great success, especially in terms of character development. It relies heavily on the brilliant, brilliant interpretation of Caesar by Andy Serkis (who deserves Oscar recognition in all honesty). Simply put, Rise succeeds where Avatar couldn’t: it uses motion capture to its full potential while retaining a particular focus on the evolution of its main character. It’s entertainment with brains and smarts –the best kind, then. All in all, a very pleasant surprise, and an example for future summer blockbusters to look up to.

* Super 8, directed by JJ Abrams. I have always had a very soft spot for JJ Abrams and I’ve always thought of him as a master storyteller although he is quite a young director. Super 8 is a pure product of nostalgia –which seems to infuse and burst through every frame. It’s a movie about kids, and childhood, and growing up; everything you would expect at first, but it has a lot of heart, although the initial premise is more about mystery and suspense. And it really delivers in terms of pace and action. A huge chunk of it is inspired by Spielberg’s earlier films: if you’re a fan of those, chances are you will enjoy Super 8.

* Melancholia, directed by Lars Von Trier. It’s been often said that Melancholia is one of Von Trier’s most accessible film but let me disagree with that statement. I have never fallen asleep while watching a film in a movie theatre but I missed the last five minutes of that one. I know, I should be ashamed of myself, but what can I say? Either Von Trier is not good enough at holding the viewer’s attention or Melancholia is simply not interesting. Either way, I have to say I am quite astonished at all the excellent critics for this film and the Financial Times claiming it is the film of the year etc. Because this film is close to insufferable. Literally devoid of emotions, although the suffering of the main character is very obvious and in-your-face. It’s a film about depression, I get it, but there’s just no possible emotional connection with the character whatsoever, even though Kirsten Dunst’s performance is quite impressive. And Charlotte Gainsbourg’s character did not fare any better. I understood that she was scared and wanted to be protective of her son but little else. And despite the contrived beauty of the images, the references were, once again, a little bit too much in-your-face (Justine is Shakespeare’s Ophelia. GEDDIT?). And all wrapped up in a sort of tangible pretentiousness. So a big no from me on that one, although I did like Dogville a lot, I unfortunately cannot say the same from this one.

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I’m still alive, haven’t given up on blogging yet!

But I apologise for not updating it in so long, I promise I will try to update my reviews during the Christmas break (yeaaaah right). But my very good excuse is that I haven’t seen most of the films I’ve wanted to see this end of year (most prominently, the Artist, the Help, Carnage, etc.), so I’m waiting for the opportunity to catch these soon and report back here.

In the meantime, today was the announcement of the Screen Actors Guild nominations, which do not have the most interesting categories in my opinion (Director, Cinematagrophy and Score) but still give good indication of what’s happening in this year’s awards season. Once again the Weinstein Company is all over the place, which is never a good sign. But a few surprises here and there nonetherless. I predict the quality of this year’s race won’t be as good as last year’s but there’s still plenty of time until March.

Until then folks…

2011 so far: the year in review

So yeah. I should be ashamed of myself. AND I AM.

But really my latest entry is four and a half month ago so it’s not that long?

So I’ve decided to come up with a quick and efficient way of reviewing all the films I’ve seen since the beginning of the year –not by awarding rates or stars or anything, but by writing five-lines review. What do you mean it’s still lazy?

Here we are.

Okay so January was pretty meagre.

* Somewhere, directed by Sofia Coppola. Disliked it in its entirety. The pretentiousness of it all makes unbearable and it is literally impossible for the viewer to empathise with the main character. As shallow as it pretends to be deep, it is void of emotions, except for a few scenes which allow Elle Fanning to display her talent. Harris Savides’ photography saves the day. But really Sofia, stop with the minimalist bullshit, we get it.

* How Do You Know, directed by James L. Brooks. A film that goes from the overly dramatic to the oddly comedic in seconds, without ever really working. Acting performances are top notch (I went to see this for Paul Rudd, who I adore) but there’s little substance for them to get going. Formulaic directing and screenplay amount to what I’d call a mediocre film.

February was off to a good start:

* The King’s Speech, directed by Tom Hooper. Although in hindsight the thought of this film beating the Social Network at the Oscars still disgusts me, it remains thoroughly enjoyable, a fact largely due to the fantastic performances of its two lead actors, Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Well-intentioned as he may be, director Hooper falls short of expectations, although both the art and costume design are impressive. But there’s no denying that the film is funny, moving and endearing: probably what Academy voters were looking for, then.

* Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky. As disturbing and astoundingly beautiful as you expect it to be, Black Swan is the very embodiment of its director’s tortured mind and filmography. Visually arresting, executed with impeccable precision, it is Aronofsky at its best. But the wide array of psychological issues at stake here makes it suffocating, sometimes too intense for its own good. And also includes horror elements which are sickly surprising and hard to watch. It is a wonder Natalie Portman made it out alive. Portman herself is utterly convincing, costume design by Rodarte is absolutely beautiful.

* True Grit, directed by the Coen brothers. Yet another immensely successful Coen film, True Grit is a remarkable entry in the modern western genre. Dialogue is excellent and sharp and the characters are simply delightful. Hailee Steinfeld, in a breakthrough performance that no viewers will forget, brings a much-needed humanity to an otherwise rather dry universe. Jeff Bridges is cast to perfection, and supporting players are also very good (Matt Damon, Josh Brolin). All in all, a grand entertainment with a lot of heart and plenty of laughs.

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2011 Academy Awards Photopost

Ladies and gentlemen, here’s the Oscar photopost for this year.

Picture credit: Yahoo!Movies | Empire Online | MSN Movies | Yahoo!France | Vanity Fair.
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The winners // Pressroom

Best Film
The King’s Speech (presenter Steven Spielberg; producers Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Gareth Unwin)

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