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Entry #29
I was really busy this fall and rarely had time to watch movies, so I decided to try to catch up during the past few weeks. I love late December/early January for movies - it's when many of the best films gets rolled out (to sneak them in for Oscar consideration). I'm still not caught up, but here's what I've seen recently:
1. No Country For Old Men
I've always liked the Coen brothers, and based on the reviews, I had high expectations for this film - and it met them. It's so well-done and intense that I think I went an hour without swallowing. If Javier Bardem doesn't win the Oscar for his role, it's a conspiracy. My only complaint was the ending - I get it, but didn't the Coen brothers already mine that same territory with Fargo?
2. Juno
I liked this film a lot - it was heartfelt and funny. However, I wasn't big on Juno's "too-cool-for-school" dialogue - everyone else felt like real characters, but her extended "clever" riffs seemed like something out of a sitcom. Still, Michael Cera had some of the most hilarious lines in recent memory. And how amazingly cool were Juno's parents?
3. Michael Clayton
George Clooney is awesome, and this movie, a sort of Jerry Maguire reimagined as a thriller featuring lawyers instead of sports agents, was riveting. I loved Tom Wilkinson as the superstar lawyer pushed over the brink, and the final scene (in the hotel lobby) has to make the list of the all-time great movie confrontations.
4. Away From Her (DVD)
This movie, about an older man whose wife develops Alzheimer's disease, was so incredibly sad in parts that I couldn't breathe, but it never does cheap tugs on your heartstrings. It's a beautiful tribute to love and the human condition by Sarah Polley (the hot girl from the Dawn of the Dead remake). If you rent it (and you should), be prepared with kleenex.
5. Atonement
I was skeptical of what I thought would be a big, sprawling British war romance story. Instead, I got caught up in it (it's not simply a romance story), and the final scene, which caught me by surprise, really ties it all together and makes you appreciate the movie's title. I also liked how we kept getting to see scenes from two different perspectives - neat technique.
6. Blade Runner: Final Cut
I'd never seen "Blade Runner" in any form, so I was excited to see what is talked about as the definitive version, the way Ridley Scott wanted it. Considering that it came out in 1982, the film's visuals were far ahead of their time - but the story itself struck me as a pale, watered-down version of the book upon which it's loosely based. I was underwhelmed - I guess if I would've seen it 25 years ago, it would've left more of an impression.
7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
This true story of a man who suffers a stroke and can thereafter only blink his left eye is simply amazing. It's so easy to feel sorry for yourself - but Jean-Dominique Bauby, who had every reason to want to die, instead finds a state of grace and actually writes a book about his experience. This film makes you reset your perspective and will leave you awed at the things we human beings can overcome.
8. No End In Sight (DVD)
If you're like me, this documentary about the mishandling of the USA's occupation of Iraq will make you want to hunt down Donald Rumsfeld and kick him in the balls. Their lack of preparedness, combined with their blithe disregard for facts and expertise that didn't suit their purposes, really shows you the Bush inner circle's true colors. How could any potential terrorist see our government's callous behavior in this movie and NOT hate us?
I still need to see There Will Be Blood, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, Rescue Dawn, Into The Wild, In The Shadow Of The Moon, The Savages, and Persepolis before I deem myself "caught up" on movies in 2007. Fortunately, my wife got me Netflix for X-Mas, which is way handier than I'd realized.
If I had to pick one movie as my favorite of 2007, it would be The King of Kong (see my review here). The worst movie I paid money to see last year was Ghost Rider - god, it was awful in every way.
(Below, Javier Bardem in "No Country For Old Men" - one of the all-time most unsettling film roles.)
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