The Tree of Life (2011)

Perhaps the most interesting part of my experience watching "The Tree of Life" (besides the movie itself) was the utter quietness that fell upon the crowd after the credits began to roll. The previously boisterous group was now whispering, if not completely silent. I personally didn't want to say anything after seeing the movie, I just wanted to continue reflecting inward - because that's what this movie does. Malick's gorgeously shot meditation on the transience and insignificance of human life is on such a high level of cerebral and emotional comprehension that instead of merely throwing ideas at the viewer and hoping they stick, it pulls the things it wants to say out of the very soul of the viewer, allowing its philosophies to float and eventually take root. Though one could argue that the film is borderline gratuitous in its spiritual self-importance, the meticulous beauty of every single shot allows the film to never drift into languishing boredom. In a movie so structured around conversations with God, Malick has become God himself - he has created a timeless universe that despite its period implications, exists in its own realm, and has allowed his fascinating characters to simply exist. In short, it's a piece of art, the catalyst for important philosophical discussion, and a masterpiece.

10/10

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)

Yes, I did see this. Disclaimer: I watched it because my sister basically forced me too. At the same time, I went in willingly as I was actually kind of curious about the movie - and, not being truly familiar with Mr. Bieber or his music, I thought it would be at least fair to give the kid a chance. Color me pleasantly surprised - it turns out that Justin Bieber is actually extremely talented! Behind all the frighteningly obsessed fans and the glamorous production value, Justin is just a regular Canadian kid who worked really hard and got really lucky. The story is interesting enough, but as far as filmmaking goes the movie is acceptable at best. For its target audience I think it's obviously is a 10/10 - the director completely caters to the fanbase and that's fine. But for the rest of us it's a bit of sensory overload. Though the film touches on the more serious (and more interesting) aspects of Justin Bieber's career (such as the loss of childhood that all prodigies face or the pressures from fans) it never delves into the depth that it could, and that would create legitimately compelling cinema (not that it was going for that in the first place). It's no masterpiece, and I haven't been quite caught Bieber fever (*heh*) but it was interesting enough and its 1.3 on IMDb really is uncalled for.

5/10

Thor (2011)

The problem with a movie exceeding expectations is that it then warps your critique of that movie. Did I enjoy "Thor" as much as I did because it was a legitimately good movie, or was it just because it exceeded rather drastically my remarkably low expectations? Perhaps a bit of both. For me the most surprising aspect of the film was actually Chris Hemsworth's performance as Thor. The character Thor could have been so easily turned into a muscular lump of grunts and growls but Hemsworth nuances his performance with emotional ups and downs that turn Thor into one of the more interesting superheroes of recent memory. However, best in show easily goes to Kat Dennings who steals every scene she's in. The biggest problem I had with the movie was that it was far too reliant on CGI, which made it feel a bit artificial - for example, Asgard was not anywhere near as awe inspiring as it aspired to be because it felt so phony. Anyway, "Thor" is surprising - not brilliant or timeless cinema by any means but as a piece of entertainment it totally succeeds.

7/10

(It's tough for me to decide between a 6 and a 7. Hm)

Source Code (2011)

I'm not sure if it was the train-centric opening credits, the Herrmann-ian score by Chris Bacon, the enigmatic female performances from Vera Farmiga and Michelle Monaghan, or something else entirely; but while watching Duncan Jones's "Source Code" I could not help but be reminded of an Alfred Hitchcock film. "Source Code" is not really on the same level as most of Hitchock's filmography, but it wouldn't be difficult to imagine the king of suspense making a movie rather similar to it if he was still alive. Needless to say, the film is smartly, stylishly, and suspensefully put together (helped greatly by its brilliant minimalist structure) and makes for an extremely entertaining hour and a half. However, beyond that hour and a half, the film isn't particularly memorable, perhaps because it skirts around the philosophical questions that it seems to want to ask and never really asserts itself visually. The most lasting aspect of the film is, unsurprisingly, Farmiga's performance - unbelievably complex, gorgeously layered and quietly powerful, her eyes say everything the overall film fails to.

7/10

Inside Job (2010)

Any gripes I had with this film taking the Oscar away from "Exit Through the Gift Shop" dissipated shortly after I watched it. There's not much to really say about it besides the fact that it's so fascinating, so sharply written and so informative that it's impossible not to walk away feeling infuriated, and even a bit horrified. A testament to its greatness is that though I knew very little about the roots of the financial crisis going in, I now feel like I know everything there is to be known - the film's just that comprehensive. I'm not going to say I didn't get lost a couple of times, but overall the film does just what it sets out to do, allowing the facts to speak for themselves and intertwining interviews from all sides of the argument that simply strengthen the film's thesis. Finally, "Inside Job" should be considered the definitive example of documentary filmmaking's greatest technique - the "So-and-So declined to be interviewed for this film." I still like "Gift Shop" more as a film but it's obvious that "Inside Job" was the more important and relevant of the two and hopefully its winning raises awareness of the issues discussed in the film.

9/10

Black Narcissus (1947)

I've decided that now that Oscar season is over and 2011 has officially not yet given me a single movie that I want to see, it's time to catch up on some classics. So, if you have any suggestions, please mention in the comments and I'll almost surely watch what you suggest. "Black Narcissus" is a rather fascinating film that survives mainly because of its gorgeous cinematography. The colors are planned so well it's almost as if the movie is one hour and forty minute long painting, and some shots are just so breathtaking it's unbearable. The fact that the entire thing was filmed on a backlot in London is stunning when you see shots like the nuns ringing the bell on the cliff, or the panoramic looks at the "Himalayas". For the most part the acting is quite fantastic - Deborah Kerr's icy, yet vulnerable performance is absorbing and exhilarating to watch, and Kathleen Byron is a whirlwind in her final scenes. The story is paced somewhat strangely - the climax is fantastic but the lead up to said climax doesn't necessarily make sense. The script could have used more narrative focus though it's not bad enough to detract majorly from the rest of the amazing things happening in this film.

8/10

127 Hours (2010)

I think that one of the greatest testaments to the emotional power of this film is that I began sobbing about thirty seconds into the credits. Really, any film can make you cry with ease in the middle of it - just play some weepy strings and show an actor tearing up. It takes real skill to make a movie that affects one in such a way that even after the images on the screen are gone, the impact that they leave on a viewer can move one to tears. "127 Hours" is, then, one of the most powerful films I've seen all year. James Franco is so real, bending his natural charisma and charm and turning it into a powerfully layered realization of Aron Ralston. His eyes are so expressive, and considering that we rely on them to tell so much of the story, that's a great feature.

Not all of Danny Boyle's choices are necessarily convincing, but it's impossible to say that he doesn't take risks; and though some fail, others succeed with such gusto it's possible to overlook the others. The talk show scene, for example, was a directorial triumph made that much better by Franco. This sort of juxtaposition of jovial dialogue with the reality of a tense situation permeates the film and accentuates the suspense of every scene. Then there's the absolutely brilliant cinematography - just look at the way the colors start out so bright and then begin to lose their luster as the days pass and the situation becomes more hopeless. And then there's...that scene. Not gratuitous but still so, so effective. Perhaps the attempted message of society versus isolation isn't quite pulled off the way it wants to be, but as a complete unit this is a raw emotional experience, the likes of which I have not had in a very long time.

8/1o

Animal Kingdom (2010)

Everything you've heard about this film is true. In other words - Jacki Weaver is an absolute force of nature in this Australian family crime drama. Weaver's masterful juxtaposition of her character's corrupt intentions against her seemingly innocent and sweet persona is simply breathtaking to watch, and it's a performance that just keeps reminding you how great it is as the time goes by after you watch it. However, Jacki's brilliance also works against the film, since it seems to lilt a bit whenever she's not on screen. That is not to say, by any means, that the rest of the film is of poor quality - in fact, quite the opposite. It's a fine piece of cinema with a strong screenplay, good acting from the rest of the cast and subtle directorial choices that create masterful pathos. Though it may seem paradoxical, simply put, Jacki is so fantastic, so brilliant and so marvelous that even as good a film as "Animal Kingdom" is, it does not shine quite as brightly next to her.

8/10

The Other Guys (2010)

I thought that I had heard some good things about this movie, so imagine my surprise when it turned out to be utter garbaaaaaage. Really, it was just a huge mess. Not only was the script slightly homophobic and treated its female characters like crap, but it was also horrendously paced and chock-full of unbearably clunky dialogue, and the jokes rarely took off. Even the editing was noticeably poor. On the other hand, considering the atrocity of the script, Wahlberg and Ferrell are able to muster up some laughs and chemistry that kept the movie from being entirely unwatchable. There were also a couple of visually interesting scenes (the paper-flying-around-shoot-out and the shot-by-shot bar scene) that were like small little tiny faux-diamonds in a trash can. Ugh. What a waste of an hour and forty minutes of my evening. Skip this one.

4/10

A few thoughts on films I haven't yet reviewed

For some reason or another, there are a few movies from the year so far that I haven't quite been able to write a full fledged review about. So, here are just a few ramblings on said films. Enjoy!

Alice in Wonderland

It's soured in my mind since I saw it months ago. It had some interesting visual moments, but the 3D ruined it. Mia Wasikowska was a bit boring, but Helena Bonham-Carter kicks butt and steals the movie! (5/10)

Greenberg

I really like Noah Baumbach. "The Squid and the Whale" is one of my favorite movies (I wonder what that says about me...?). So, needless to say, I very much enjoyed this one. Many people have said that it's trying too hard to be "indie", and at times it definitely comes across that way, but ultimately it's really effective and charming. Greta Gerwig was stellar, Rhys Ifans was very, very good, and Ben Stiller was surprisingly fantastic. Anyway, quite good. (8/10)

The Kids Are All Right

This movie affected me on such an emotional level. It was so wonderfully genuine and though it's a bit quiet throughout, when it's over I realized how deeply I was touched by it. The ending is pitch perfect. Obviously, Julianne Moore and Annette Bening were BRILLIANCE. Just wonderful, and wonderful chemistry. Mark Ruffalo is as good as everybody says. Not exactly perfect, but it's very genuine. And a GREAT soundtrack. (8/10)

The Runaways

Okay, I really liked this one. I'm a big fan of musically-related movies, and I love the music of The Runaways, and the music/music culture aspect was handled perfectly. HOORAY FOR K-STEW! I'm not going to say she was brilliant or anything, but she was really good. And as you guys know, I care about her. Haha! On the other hand, Dakota...hm...not completely convinced. She was a little one note in my opinion. The supporting cast (and I'm not just talking about Michael Shannon, but also the rest of the Runaways) was quite fabulous as well. Stylish and fun, though nothing particularly deep or important. (7/10)

Well there you have it. Have you guys seen these films, and what did you think? As always, comments below! :)

I Finally Saw "The Social Network"!

I know, I know, I'm always behind everybody else. But, hey, I saw it a couple days ago, and I loved it! It lived up to the hype, and then some. It's intelligently written, witty and complex without being cold, it's thrilling and engrossing without losing the human spirit at its center. The ensemble acting is fabulous, Jesse Eisenberg gives his best performance since "The Squid and the Whale" and Andrew Garfield was just wonderful. So much heart. I also want to mention that Rashida Jones was lovely, in her teeny-tiny role. Besides that, I can't really say much more that hasn't already been said, except that I also found the score very, very notable. It was unique, interesting and modern - one of my favorites of the year so far. Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, go now, because it lives up...and this is going to sound cliche, but seriously, you'll never look at Facebook the same way again! Muahahaha.

9/10

Wendy and Lucy (2008)

Not much can be said about this film besides the brilliance of Michelle Williams as Wendy. After all, the story is rather limited - in so many words, it's basically Wendy screaming for her dog the entire time - yet, somehow, thanks to Williams and the director, Kelly Reichardt, it works so well. Williams is SO effin' good in this movie! Add her to the growing list of horrible Oscar snubs in 2008, because she gives one of the best performances of that year, if not the entire decade. She inhabits so completely this character - even the way she walks is brilliant. It's really remarkable, how wonderful Williams is. Also, I think something should be said for all the bit-part actors. I feel like in these one-man-show indie films, the supporting players are usually not that good, but in this film, they were all quite impressive! So, despite being somewhat limited, it works so, so well and everything feels so real. What an achievement.

9/10

Chocolat (2000)

For some reason, I was under the impression that I was either going to hate or be extremely disinterested in this film (I really need to stop having so many preconceieved opinions!). But, I was neither bored nor angry at this lovely movie! It's got a very solid, well-paced and well-written screenplay, the score is lovely (I'm ranking this year later this week) and overall it's just a delicious little morsel of a film. Plus, those sequences with all that CHOCOLATE...I cannot resist it. Juliette Binoche's performance is really wonderful - it's vibrant and vigorous, yet she's not afraid to show the uglier sides of her character and it's just magical. Judi Dench had the perfect blend of sass and emotion. Overall, it's a fluffy and delicious movie that I thoroughly enjoyed.

8/10

City Island (2010)

Like most movies about people with secrets, "City Island" was extremely frustrating, accenuated by the fact that neither the script nor the actors gave enough justification to why the characters were refusing to tell each other anything. Additionally, the ridiculous amounts of subplots were not really balanced well at all, especially not helped by the weird editing (the random scenes of the son with the fat women were not integrated well at all, even if they were some of the more interesting in the film). Emily Mortimer's storyline is the most compelling, because she also gives the best performance in the film - and it is a lovely performance. Ezra Miller was also very funny. Everyone else does just fine, not really doing anything original. The movie was entertaining enough for me not to despise it, but it's nothing new or really even successful in the family-dramedy genre and I was really just waiting for it to be over the entire time.

5/10

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Um, okay, so I honestly don't have much to say about this one. Like most movies based on an interesting true story, it makes me really want to find out more about the actual facts. Very Ron Howard, meaning pretty safe and predictable (direction wise). Though he definitely knows how to make tension...tense. The script was very obvious. Everything was just fine. Really, there was nothing wrong with this movie besides that there was nothing really right, either. The score was nice. Jennifer Connelly was...good, if not inconsistent. I give her props for doing so well with that ridiculous histrionic scene that she had. Not a bad movie at all, very interesting, everything was good, okay, whatever.

7/10

Tropic Thunder (2008)

This was easily one of the funniest movies I saw in a long time. Also, it was extremely creative - the way that it began with the faux-trailers was just brilliant, and though it's a narrative cop-out it works just perfectly. The entire cast works with each other perfectly, and Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise were definitely worth the buzz. Of course, sometimes I feel like the humor went just a bit too far over the top - when Ben Stiller was messing with the dead director guy's head, for example. I'm also just not the hugest fan of Stiller in general. Nonetheless, though this is no life changing work of cinematic magic, it completely achieved its goals as a crazy comedy with a cinephilic sense of humor.

9/10

Hostel (2005)

Um...yeah. So, usually my music festival compadres have better taste but this year everyone was all into "scary movies" so I was forced to watch this pile of garbage. Not only is there zero ounce of compelling plot, but the entire point of the movie is to SHOCK! and SCARE!, and though it's gruesome and bloody and violent and "disturbing", I was not once drawn in to the point where I was affected in any way. In fact, I found the movie more sad than anything. Why do I, or anyone else, want to watch innocent people getting tortured? There's not one single thing about that that's fun in any way. Not even in a group of overzealous music students.

On that note, I will say that I loved the little group of kids that was in the movie. So funny. Also, some of the technical features (art direction, and I liked the muted colors in the camerawork) were quite good, and the score was utilized well. I also sort of liked Jay Hernandez's "performance". But other than that, ugh. A complete waste of time, money and my attention span!

3/10

(that's so generous)

Now Playing: Shrek Forever After

There is really very little to be said about this movie. It was extremely enjoyable, though it wasn't quite as funny as the other three. Nonetheless! It gave me moments of extreme laughter, and it was a lot of fun to see. I almost want to say that it didn't quite feel like...the end of a series. There was something about the movie that just didn't seem...epic enough, I suppose. The real standout of this film was Walt Dohrn, who voiced Rumpelstiltskin - the best voice acting I've seen since Jennifer Cody in Princess and the Frog! I was shocked to see him also credited as "Head of Story"...that's really interesting. Anyway, he was just perfect in this role - whimsical, great comedic timing, over the top (which I love in voice acting), and just mind blowing. Anyway, I suppose I actually did say a lot about this movie...it's a ton of fun, not the best in the series by any means, but still nice and very cute. Incidentally, I was extremely disappointed by the smallness of Jane Lynch's role. ;)

7/10

Now Playing: Iron Man 2

Disclaimer: I didn't see the original Iron Man, and thus probably wouldn't have seen this one had it not been for an invite from some friends. That being said, it was enjoyable enough...but it wasn't really amazing or anything. The beginning dragged unnecessarily, sooo many courtroom/news scenes. My favorite part was the opening credits: Gwyneth Paltrow! Don Cheadle! Scarlett Johansson! Sam Rockwell!!! I had no idea Sam Rockwell was going to be in this, he always surprises me. I really like all those people, so it was nice to see them onscreen. The special effects were obviously great, and Johansson's ninja-type scene near the end was just awesome. Anyway, there's not much more that I really can or want to say about it - it wasn't a waste of time but it wasn't quite exciting enough.

6/10

No Impact Man: The Documentary (2009)

I'm totally an environmentalist, but at first the Colin Beaven and his wife seemed a little bit annoying. However, as the movie went along, you realize how really committed these two are - Colin to his project, Michelle to Colin. It was really inspiring, and it's great to see someone take their beliefs and basically become the opposite of a hypocrite. On a filmmaking level, it's not perhaps the most engrossing documentary, but it is nice because it's completely minimalist and doesn't force a lot of facts on you, which was a good choice. Instead of trying to educate about the environment, it chooses to just give you a picture of this family, which is far more successful. You can argue that the whole thing is just a publicity stunt, which even Beaven admits is partially true, but it's still a pretty amazing thing he did and though this isn't the most engrossing or groundbreaking doc it's interesting just based on its subjects.

7/10