tháng 3 2011 ~ The Larsen Film Review

Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)

The 501 Must See movies book has been goal of mine for some time. The book is divided into 10 genres with 50 films each [plus 1] and the musical genre is the one I have seen the least in. Couple that with having seen very few of the musical/comedy golden globe winners I have decided to dedicate April to Musical Month.

Starting with a musical that is actually on a number of lists, Filmsite 100, 501 Must See Movies, in the National Film Registry, nominated for 4 Oscars, and the 1001 Movie Book this is a musical I've actually been looking forward to.

Set in the year before the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, the story revolves around Esther [Judy Garland] and her family [3 sisters, mother, father, and maid]. Dad is offered a job in New York and decided to move the family after Christmas. The preparation of leaving St. Louis is the focus of the film and how great the city is, is the theme for many of the songs.

I was probably a little harsh on the rating since it is the first of a month full of musicals that are sure to get worse. It wasn't bad, I just didn't love it. It was a little long at times, but the pace of songs was good.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037059/

What a fiasco... finding this film was nearly impossible, and with numerous versions it was quite confusing. This serial film was redone several times, the original being in 1914 with remakes in 1933, 1947, and 1967. The 1933 version was released in 12 episodes, the 1947 version was a feature length film just under two hours, and the 1967 version was originally released in Brazil made for TV and starred Pat Boone. The 1933 version is on VHS at my library, but this version was almost impossible to find. As part of the National Film Registry it is available in small chunks but even the full version that I found is incomplete. Only 4 or 5 of the episodes remain in their full ~30min versions. Several of the episodes are lost forever and only 8-12 minutes have been restored. The original had 20 episodes but only the European edition survived which is 9 episodes and what seems like portions of three others. It is all very confusing. Anyways I watched what I could find.

The first episode explains the background story. Pauline was left a fortune by her uncle, but she is not to have the money until she marries. Her guardian is left to hold the money until she is married, and she decides to have some fun before marrying her fiance Harry. Koerner (the Guardian, and bad guy) plots to kill her to keep the inheritance for himself. Each episode stars with a grand adventure and ends with a narrow escape. From being stranded in a hot air balloon, to lost at sea, to kidnapped by cowboys. The episodes start to get repetitive after the first three or four, so I'm not to disappointed that I have incomplete footage. There is little closure on the series also, and it seems that they were all left pretty open ended, much like a television series [if you didn't already know serials were the precursor to tv series that teens went to the theater to see weekly almost 100 years ago.]

It was ok, I would have been fine with 1-2 episodes, and watching 4-6 hours of silent footage is not really that fun. Check out the first episode if you can find it, and call it a day.

Vote: 5/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0004465/

This film actually finished a list for me, and it has been a while since I've finished a list. Just a film forum's top 100, but still. This film is also in the 1001 movies book, and one I was slightly interested in.

Directed by François Truffaut, who also did The 400 Blows, an imdb top 250 film that I enjoyed and is credited for starting the French "New Wave." The film stars Jeanne Moreau (Catherine), Oskar Werner (Jules) [best known for Fahrenheit 451], and Henri Serre (Jim).

The story goes that Jules and Jim became great friends, Jules being from Germany and Jim from France. They hit off their friendship in Paris and it is easy to assume that this might be a homosexual relationship. Never made clear in the film, maybe because that would be too extreme for 1962, or maybe because they were just friends. It is hard to tell and I'll let you assume for yourself. Anyways, they do chase girls around and the film moves pretty rapidly until Jim meets Catherine. As a friend Jim tried to tell his friend that this is the kind of girl that will never be happy with just him, but he doesn't care and they get married.

I better stop there because I will give away the whole plot if I say more. The film is really about the interaction between the three of them. It is full of different emotions, and will really make you think. I would suggest this to film buffs, or those aspiring to be one, like myself.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055032/

Now I just watched the original TRON just a couple years ago. I have to say that I didn't like it. I even gave it a 5/10 and remember dozing off a couple times during the "action" sequences. I really didn't even realize that Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner ("Tron") were brought back to do this sequel.

The premise of the film is that after 20+ years of Kevin Flynn [Bridges] disappearance his son find that he has been trapped in the alternate universe or the system since then. I was hesitant to give this film a chance. The first TRON flopped but had a cult following, and this one flopped to everyone surprise. I'm really not sure why people are surprised when sequels to cult films don't do well at the box office. Doesn't that mean they did a good job with it?

Maybe this will have another cult following, but I think it was a little too late. The Disney element makes it cheesy and the 3d element is frustrating. The acting from the son, Sam [Garrett Hedlund], and the girl [Olivia Wilde] were not great, and the plot was stupid enough to put you to sleep. Not worth your time, and the action scenes were very limited which was pretty surprising.

Vote: 4/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104001/

This was the biggest animated film of the year to not get any recognition from the Oscars or Globes. I actually got it confused for a while with Despicable Me, because it stars the villain. The background story was more entertaining for me on this one, but the overall film was much better in Despicable Me, largely due to the lead character's voice work.

With Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Ben Stiller, and Jonah Hill this is quite the cast. Problem for me sometimes is that the voice identifies the star more than the character and I can't "believe" that is how this character should sound. Ferrell was just annoying to me at times. The other big problem for me is that this was a kids movie. The other nominees were all animated film that appealed to all audiences. To me this was just for kids, with little to no adult humor. I found the jokes childish, but then again that is what I expect from Ferrell, and how I picture him most of the time.

It got a 3/5 on the KSF. Honestly I don't remember much that wouldn't be appropriate for little ones, but there is a lot of violence and people "die." Maybe you don't care about this with your children, but it bumped it from the tame 2/5 to a 3/5 which is still pretty low. Not a great or memorable animated film.

KSF: 3/5
Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1001526/

As I wrap up this Top 100 list from this random movie forum it has been very painful. Last Year and Marienbad and Solaris were the last two, and this one and Marienbad are only on this list. Not a lot of incentive to watch this one, since it is also a two and a half Hungarian film.

It is also my first Béla Tarr film. Tarr is a famous international director, and arguably the best that Hungary has ever produced. So it had that going for it. I was also aware that this film is slow ans artistic, so I was prepared.

The opening scene is strange, an interesting play in a bar where the audio seems to be greatly out of sync. I was sure this was a dubbed portion until I got further into the film, I'm still unsure what that was about. The music is fantastic, and the scene was artistic and beautiful [not something you hear me saying much in reviews]. I just loved when he left the bar and walked down the dark road. The plot is very basic but I feel that my conclusion about the film may be different than others [see the comments for the spoiler on this if you want]. The plot is that a whale exhibit is in town and the townspeople are in an uproar over the self titled "prince" who has been making speeches at the exhibit. The crowd turns to mob later in the film and it eventually picks up its pace. It is very slow at times, which fits the theme and my final conclusion.

Overall I really liked it, I didn't love it, and I really don't see myself watching it again. That is what keeps it from being an 8/10. So what is the title? Well the main character's uncle is a music theorist who believes that Andreas Werckmeister (who invented the music scale with 8 notes) was wrong and basically messed up how we listen to music. The lecture is part of the film, and difficult to follow, but interesting.

Anyways, look at the comments for spoilers.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249241/

Yay, I have my new worst film of the year. Winning in a landslide is an artsy film with NO plot whatsoever. The type that I loath because it does not go anywhere or mean anything, nothing memorable to boot.

The film starts in the middle of scene in a chateau, e.g. French castle. All I can guess is that this class of society takes long summer vacations at estates like this and the two lead characters start a conversation in which the guy starts trying to convince the girl they met there last year. Hence the title.

He then vividly describes their encounter which she denies, or has forgotten. That's all. Really. The whole plot. Two hours of him trying to convince her they knew each other and her saying that she doesn't know him. Rubbish.

Vote: 1/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054632/

Nominated for three Golden Globes and no Oscars, this Action/Heist/Comedy/Adventure film was actually pretty fun. Maybe this was rumor, but I think that Angelina Jolie mentioned in an interview when asked what male actors she would like to work with but have not had the opportunity Johnny Depp. This project was then put together.

The film definitely seems slightly haphazard. Going through a dozen directors with a "quick shoot" in Venice doesn't exactly lead to great film making. Given what it was it was pretty good though. There is actually some good chemistry between the two stars and even though I'm sometimes skeptical of Jolie she was pretty good in this.

I think this movie might have done better in the summer, it is more of a fun easy summer watch than a winter awards season watch. I would recommend this to Jolie and Depp fans.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1243957/

This film was picked by the AFI as one of their top 10 films of the year, which means it must have been a really bad year for American Cinema. That, and I have much different taste than this board.

The film stars Anthony Hopkins as an African American with skin so fair he has hidden his past and family and pretended to be Caucasian for most of his life. Ironically he is fired as a professor because of a misconstrued racial slur towards several African American students. He starts a relationship with a very messed up lady, Nicole Kidman, who has been abused and through hurtful relationship her entire life. The kind of sob story character that is perfect for Kidman's whining acting style. Ed Harris plays her ex-husband, a little nuts from active combat in the military, and his role and performance was the saving grace that kept this film from getting a 1/10.

I really don't have much more to say, this film was horrible. Based on a book that did work as a film. Main reason, Hopkins did not fit the role... at all. Plus I don't like Kidman to begin with.

Vote: 2/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0308383/

I'm not quite sure what I expected from this film, but it wasn't what I wanted or expected. The title, theme, and cast, even the opening scene in the classroom lead me to believe this was going to be a different version of Dead Poets Society. I was wrong, this film is all about Michael Douglas, and his character is just not interesting to me. The film won an Oscar for best song with Bob Dylan's "Things Have Changed" and was nominated for two others for screenplay and editing. It was also on the AFI Annual Top 10 List.

The film is centered around Professor Tripp [Michael Douglas] who has just impregnated the [married] Dean Sara [Frances McDormand]. He wrote a fiction book that was on the best seller list, but has not been able to finish his next work for years. His publisher, Terry [Robert Downey Jr.] is in town and wants to know how it is coming. His wife just left him and he is renting a room to a student Hannah [Katie Holmes]. To make things more complicated an odd student with a lot of talent, James [Tobey Maguire] is following him around.

The film is a dark comedy, more of a dram-edy because nothing is laugh out loud funny, and many of the funny things come at the expense of one of the main characters. I really wanted there to be more to this movie than following Professor Tripp around. A pothead professor living off the fame of a single best seller is not the kind of movie I can really get into. This film had more acclaim but I really liked Solitary Man a lot more [and I only gave that a 6/10].

Vote: 4/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185014/

I feel a little bad always giving Katherine Heigl film bad ratings. Honestly she isn't that bad, I just feel like she doesn't try very hard. Maybe because she can't do better and the director doesn't push her, I'm really not sure.

The problem with this movie is actually not Heigl at all, its Josh Duhamel. He sucked, sorry but he did. I didn't want him to win the girl in the end and I liked Sam the doctor [Josh Lucas] much better. Oops did I spoil the movie... well you can't spoil a predictable movie like this. In the first 10 minutes they go on a blind date and hate each other, from that point on you know they will get together in the end.

So what is this movie about? Well Holly and Eric (Heigl and Duhamel) get set up on a blind date by their respective best friends, who then get married. When their friends die in a car wreck Holly and Eric are named the godparents in their friends will. Honestly the script writer and director did a good job making this extreme circumstance seem plausible, and I commend them for that. I hated how this film turned out, and the cookie cutter romantic comedy with one unique twist is a typical Heigl film. It was an easy watch, and kinda fun, with a few sad parts and I don't regret seeing it, I just can't really suggest something this bad. If you see it on tv you might check it out.

Vote: 4/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1055292/

When there were five best picture nominees everyone talked about who was left off, the "6th man." Now with 10 nominees you have to look a little deeper to find the 11th man, and there is a group that believes that this film would or should have been on that list.

Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, it did manage a nomination for Jeremy Renner's [The Hurt Locker] performance. It was also chosen by the American Film Institute as a Top 10 American film of the year, maybe because The King's Speech is British and they couldn't pick it also. The film does have a really good overall cast, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, and Blake Lively all turned in good supporting roles and the film was just a fun watch.

The premise of the film is that the Charlestown neighborhood in Boston is known for generations of armed robbers. While robbing a bank they take a hostage Claire [Rebecca Hall] and Doug tails her to make sure she isn't talking to the FBI. He starts to interact with her and falls in love, but can he escape his lifestyle and friends?

Almost two and a half hours, but action packed so it never feels slow. It took me a while to get around to watching it knowing how much of a time commitment it was. When the director stars in his own film events work out a little to well for the character sometimes and I felt that some perfect sequences were a little much and kept me from giving this a 9/10. Very good, and worth adding to your watch list.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840361/

I have slowly been expanding the years of Oscar winners that I watch. This year I've pushed it back to 2000 which adds about 8 movies to my list of films to watch. This was the documentary winner in 2001 and definitely a motivation to look back further and further at documentary winners.

I'm sure you could make 100 different documentaries about subgroups of people from the second world war, but time is definitely running out on getting real interviews with survivors. This film has a very interesting topic and was done really well. The film talks about how Jewish kids in Germany and Poland were treated by classmates, then follows them through the beginning of the Nazi occupation. The Kindertransport was a system established by some Jewish Germans with the British government to allow Jewish children to leave Nazi occupied territory. Approximately 10,000 children were able to go to Britain into foster homes and halfway houses avoiding concentration camps.

It is one of those documentaries that will make you cry. Not many of these kids ever saw there parents again. The scenes where the parents had to watch their kids leave on trains knowing they might never seen them again was hard to get through. Some of the stories were very powerful and this one is worth checking out.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0248912/

It is hard to have any sort of idea what this film is about from the movie poster. I was expecting some sort of Joan of Arc girl in a boring overall film, which is probably why it took me a while to get around to this one.

The film starts in Columbia and ends up in America, picked by the American Film Institute as one of the Top 10 films of the year in 2004 with a single Oscar nominations for Catalina Sandino Moreno's leading performance.

The film is about a girl with fairly loose morals who works at a rose packaging factory in Columbia. She supports her mother, sister, and niece on her small income and when she finds out she is pregnant she looks for other means of making money. A friend of a friend she meets at a local dance puts her in contact with a man that pays her to smuggle drugs into the United States.

I found the plot and acting a lot more interesting that I was expecting going into this. There are scenes and events that will make this film memorable for me in the future. I liked it a lot, it is worth checking out, but it does warrant an R rating and is not for everyone.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390221/

A box office flop that only grossed $62 million for a film that cost $150 million to make. The only motivation I had for watching this was its Oscar win for best Makeup. Good makeup of course has nothing to do with the quality of the plot or acting, and with an imdb average of 6.0 that is really bad, especially when you consider there are some stars in this film.

Benicio Del Toro plays the main character, Anthony Hopkins plays his father, and Emily Blunt plays the girl he loves. The story follows the original pretty closely in some aspects. The cane being an omen, the gypsy presence, and the good guy getting cursed.

The leading characters had no chemistry and Hopkins wasn't scary one bit. It is rare for me to dose off during a horror film, bit this one was really boring. Don't waste your time.

Vote: 5/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780653/

I pretty much consider this this Soviet Union version of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Watched as part of several lists, most predominantly to finish off a forum groups top 100, but also on the 1001 Movies Book list. The film is directed by Andrey Tarkovskiy, famous Soviet director who also did Andrei Rublev and Stalker.

The film is about a space mission in the future where a small group of scientists have been sent to establish a base on a new planet. A strange haze comes over the vast ocean preventing them from landing and containing some form of alien life. The alien being is able to pull memories from the men on the station, bringing back the main characters dead wife.

Fairly odd, vague, and hard to find. This expensive 1970's Soviet film was very slow at over 2 and a half hours. It took me more than a few shots to finish because I kept falling asleep. I wouldn't suggest it.

Vote: 5/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069293/

So first of all I did not watch this in 3d, and the scenes that pandered to the 3D audience really weren't all that cool. It is pretty amazing that these guys are STILL doing this. Maybe I shouldn't admit that I've seen all the CKY videos and Jackass tv episodes, but if there is a guilty "guy movie" pleasure I get, it is from these stupid movies.

Let me say though, that this is the worst one yet on male nudity. I seriously could have done without all of that, especially the guy running around peeing on everyone. I do however love the practical jokes, and one of the opening scenes where they have a giant hand basically in an office break room knocking over unsuspecting people was really funny.

You already know if you will like a movie like this, if you liked the previous Jackass films this is pretty much the same thing.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1116184/

I've had a lot of luck finding American cinema at the library, but British cinema is another story. It hasn't been widely purchased in my system, which is understandable. So when I found the opportunity to check this one out I jumped at it. Much like "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" you are going to want subtitles for the "working class" British slang from the 60's. "Channel 4," a popular British television, made their top 100 and had this one in the top 20 so I thought it would be worth checking out.

The story is about a boy, not the best student in school, with a big brother who picks on him. He finds a falcon and checks out a book from the library to learn how to train it. It is a simple story that I found incredibly hard to understand (the dialogue).

I don't understand how this film can be on a "top" anything list. It was just ok, simple, boring, not really bad, but nothing memorable. It must have had some nostalgic value to the creator of the list, that is all I can assume.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064541/

When this was slated as the next Disney movie in 2009 I was lead to believe that the title was chosen to try and bring in a larger young male demographic. Rather than just titling it "Rapunzel," they chose Tangled with the idea of focusing on the leading guy "Flynn." Whether this is true or not, I do not know. All I know is that this is basically the next Disney princess movie, and they did a pretty good job with it.

The problem is that the original Rapunzel story really doesn't have a lot to it, so it seems like a lot of the story was adapted from this film. They did a good job of making it new and different than the other princess films, while still doing a good job incorporating a lot of songs. The bar scene and a few Mother Gothel scenes are the only thing keeping this from a 1/5 on the KSF rating. I'm sure you can skip them on the DVD to make this a good film for little ones.

The best character by far in the film for me was the horse. The facial expressions and attitude made a few scenes a lot of fun to watch. I'm a little shocked that this failed to get either a Golden Globe or Oscar nomination. There weren't as many animated films in 2009 than in 2008, but the best of this crop was really good.

I probably don't need to tell you to check this one out. If you like Disney animation you should be happy.

KSF: 2/5
Vote: 9/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398286/

Another example of a "Modern IMDB Top 250" film that was worth checking out. Missing all awards considerations and overlooked internationally this was actually a really good World War II film.

The entire film takes place in Nazi occupied Netherlands. The central character, the blonde on the poster, Carice van Houten, is found working at a school in Israel by a friend after World War II. A friend runs into her and asks her how she made it through the war, and we then go to flashback of all the events she went through. Almost a Forrest Gump of war survivors, she is involved in some any different events. Becoming a spy, running from the Nazi's, hiding in a house in the woods, befriending a Nazi officer, it has everything.

It was refreshing to watch a foreign film that was not from the usual countries, directors, or set of stars. Outside the box on the typical World War II theme, with a good cast and plot.

This one is worth checking out.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389557/

One of the last two movies for me to finish the AFI's Annual Top Ten lists from 2000-2010. This one was nominated for an Oscar (which the AFI seems to be in line with a lot), for Michael Caine's performance in a leading role. It is no surprise to me that he lost to Adrien Brody for The Pianist.

The film costars Brendan Fraser, an actor I have trouble taking seriously most of the time. I'm not sure if it is the tone of his voice, but he always seems hokey to me and it wasn't until Extraordinary Measures that I thought much of him. Do Thi Hai Yen plays the girl in this love triangle, and is the one on the movie poster.

The film starts with Caine's character identifying Fraser's character's body at a morgue, then talking to the police. Based in Vietnam before the start of America's involvement, at the time when the Soviets are are at war. The film focuses on these two men, a reporter from America, and the other from Britain. Starting out as a romance, and ending as a war/conspiracy movie, I just didn't see this one hitting a very large viewing audience. Those interested in the political side are already dis-interested after the romance lingers. Those who are coming for a good love triangle romance aren't going to get a worthwhile conclusion as this plot takes a back seat as the film progresses.

It was a very forgettable film, with little excitement, and not much reason to remember it. Probably better to pass on this one.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258068/

I happened upon this film by chance when looking for stuff about running at the library. Having just wanted Running Brave, I was looking for another good running movie. Sadly this movie had little to do with running, and more to do with not conforming to society.

I'm very glad that I found this one at the library and was able to watch it from DVD, because I found the optional English subtitles a requirement for the thick English accents. The film was a one of the main films in the early 60's British "kitchen sink" cinema, films where the leading character is an angry young man. Somehow Redgrave is billed first on the poster, even though Tom Courtenay is the leading actor and the man on the poster. Tom, now "Sir" Tom, plays a young man who is in reform school after robbing a store. With little reason for doing it than, "just because," he is the rebel star of the film. When he beats the favorite at the school in the distance race, the headmaster starts grooming him for an upcoming competition. Granted special privileges at the school for the talents, will our star us this to make a change? Or does he have something planned?

It was ok, and definitely a segment of cinema I'm not familiar with. I get too attached to film lists made by individuals, and branching out into areas of cinema that I have never seen was well worth it to me. Not a great film, but I'm glad I watched it.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056194/

It seems that the Oscar committee has to remind us that the Animated Feature category is not the Kids Movie category. Most years they pick an alternative animated film that was not warmly accepted by American families [even if there might have been a different film worthy].

This film is directed by Sylvain Chomet, who has been nominated twice previously. First for a short film The Old Lady and the Pigeons in 1999, and then for the feature film, The Triplets of Belleville in 2004. The film is foreign, but the subtitles consist of "hello," "thank you," and other nods and gestures. I don't think there were really more than a dozen lines that needed translation, and you could watch it without that if you wanted.

The film is about an aging magician who finds his profession becoming increasingly less popular. He loses his gigs to rock bands and is forced into more demeaning performances at weddings and in bars off of the stage. He meets a young girl, and takes her on an adventure.

The reality is that this film is slow, and you have to expect that from a film with no real dialogue. When you can get yourself prepared for that it really isn't that bad. The run time is a little over an hour and fifteen minutes so it isn't a big time suck, although that amount of time feels like two hours here. The story was intriguing for the first 30-45 minutes but I was bored at the end. The animation styling was fantastic, but I wanted something a little more memorable. I would suggest this one with reservations.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0775489/

This is a first for me. I watched this movie back in early November and forgot to blog about it. After spotting it on imdb and seeing that I had not voted for it, I couldn't find it in my blog and traced it back in my log files for when I watched it. Hopefully this doesn't happen frequently, but isn't a surprise since I'm usually a couple week behind on reviews lately.

The fact that I completely forgot about this one might tell you just how much I liked it. The film won the Razzie Award last year, for those that don't know what that is, it is the award for the worst movie of the year. Not only did it win the Razzie for the worst film of the year, it also won for worst director, screenplay, and supporting actor: Jackson Rathbone. It was nominated for worst couple, actress, and two others. I've never seen a film garnish so many razzie nominations and wins. So you can see how much this one was disliked.

I guess I still haven't commented as to what I thought. It reminded me of something a preteen would watch on cable television in the middle of the day. The acting was horrible, and you have to blame the director when it is EVERYONE. Dev Patel, the bad kid, was so bad it was impossible to remember that this was the same kid from Slumdog Millionaire. The other bad guy was played by Aasif Mandvi, previously of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, who came on the show weekly with political commentary filled with over the top sarcasm. Seeing him play a bad guy was impossible for me. He seemed to be constantly sarcastic, and I wondered, is he making fun of bad guys?

The lack of a substantial plot was overshadowed by the ridiculous martial arts build ups to the simplest tasks. Moving a small ball requires the same amount of effort as moving the ocean? It made no sense, and was painful at times. I am reviewing this four months late, and I can't remember what redeeming factors there were, sorry. Just don't watch this one.

Vote: 3/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0938283/
(Move to November 10th, 2010 after 1 month)

The 4th of the 5 Oscar documentary nominees for me. I'm very far behind on my blogging because I actually watched this a couple nights before the Oscars aired. Documentaries can be just as much about the director as they are about the subject matter, and Charles Ferguson's professionalism made this film easily the favorite this year. Ferguson directed No End in Sight, the 2007 documentary that lost the Oscar to Taxi to the Dark Side. I felt the voters got that completely wrong, and was glad to see Ferguson take the Oscar home this time.

First off, this documentary is about the financial meltdown and explains in layman's terms how everything went down. It was interesting to learn that after the cold war, a number of engineers that had been spending all of the efforts on nuclear defense shifted to the stock market, engineering ways to make money. The film takes a look at Iceland and why and how they went through a big crash. The real kicker for me was that Ferguson not only was able to get interviews with a number of important people, it was willing to ask hard questions. When they started in on how "complicated" these things were, he was quick to make it clear he understood and wasn't going to let them out easily. The graphs and charts were easy to follow and looked very professional.

I highly suggest checking this film out. I suggest pausing in the middle and taking a 5 minute break because at times it is like a two hour intense lecture with a lot of information. I needed a break to stay focused. I loved GasLand, but this one really deserved to win.

Vote: 10/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1645089/

I overlooked this film for a long time. Maybe because I only knew it was a Joaquin Phoenix movie, and through it was about some night club. It is actually a Crime Drama about the Russian mafia in New York with Eva Mendes, Mark Wahlberg, and Robert Duvall making a pretty strong cast.

Phoenix plays Bobby, a night club owner who has kept his family a secret from his business partners and friends. His brother and father are both on the police force, and through a series of events Bobby is forced to take sides after sitting on the fence.

The movie was ok, and just ok. Maybe I would have liked it a little better if I would have watched it when it came out. I just didn't really get into it. Wahlberg didn't really have a lot of screen time and I was bored with the Phoenix/Mendes scenes. They just seemed to unrealistic of a couple for me, and the plot was fairly predictable. I will give it that the action scene with the cars in the rain was pretty cool, and the sting operations not going exactly to plan made the film a little different. Just ok for me.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0498399/

This was actually a really cool martial arts film. Part of the imdb Modern 250 that I created last year, and one that I found at the library but actually watched over Netflix instant watch.

The film is a biography of "Yip Man," definitely with fictional elements added for dramatic effect. It starts before before World War II and focuses on the time frame of the war while China is occupied by the Japanese. The problem I have with a majority of martial arts films, is that the balance between plot and action is off. Either you go the Akira Kurosawa with a lot of plot, and little action. Or you go the Ong-bak direction where the action is fantastic but the acting and plot are weak.

This film had a really nice balance. The action scenes were spread well, the plot was balanced, and the characters had some depth. The villain wasn't all bad, just his henchmen. Ip Man was Burce Lee's martial arts master in real life, so it is a pretty cool story and worth checking out.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1220719/

I actually remember seeing a trailer at the movie theater for this film when I went to see There Will Be Blood at The Magnolia. I remember thinking... that looks awful, I hope no one puts it in there Top 10. So thanks a lot Roger Ebert, he put this in his Top 20.. so I don't have to watch it, but it definitely made me wonder if it had any redeeming qualities.

The premise of the film is that an Egyptian Police Band is scheduled to perform at a ceremony of an Arts Center opening in an small town in Israel. When one of the members has the name misspelled, they end up in the wrong town with no available transportation until the following day. A local shop owner, a 30-something single woman, takes them in for the night and finds friends to shelter the bad over night. The entire film is based on the different band members as they interact with the different locals.

Dull, slow, and quite uneventful. This international "slice-of-life" film was not my cup of tea and I could have done without it. I definitely wouldn't suggest it. Although better than what I expected, it wasn't far off.

Vote: 3/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1032856/

As my appreciation for artist film grows, my like of director Terrence Malick increases as well. Having watched Days of Heaven recently, I was looking forward to another one of his films. This film starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek is about a young man and his teenage girlfriend who go on a killing spree in North Dakota.

Sheen plays Kit, a twenty-something with little to no aspirations, who falls in love with a teenage girl. Spacek plays Holly, a plain girl, who is flattered that a twenty something would find her attractive. Holly thinks Kit is like James Dean and when her father breaks them up he loses it.

Living in the woods, breaking into people's homes, and running from the law, this is a pretty interesting film. Not for everyone, and it has its Malick slowness that you might not be used to. I liked it, but I didn't love it. A strong 7/10 but I just couldn't give it an 8.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069762/

One of the films on my new movie list "101 Action Movies to See Before you Die," this might be an example of this book not necessarily being the best action movies. Instead it might be more of a collection of different types of action movies, and this bank heist film has big stars. Starring Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges, Bridges was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role.

The film starts with Eastwood getting shot at while giving a sermon, and Bridges stealing a car off of a used car lot. The two run into each other and become friends. When Bridges learns Eastwood is a famous bank robber and begs him for the chance to do a job together.

For an action movie this was very very dull. The prep for their heist was slow and boring. The action scenes are sparse, short, and not really that exciting. I really felt like this one was a waste of time and understand why I had never heard of it before. Skip this one.

Vote: 5/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072288/

With over 450 posts now I think it is about time to add a search engine, check it out on the right panel!
P.S. - Don't forget you can search by "Labels" on the bottom of posts, and "Worth Watching" on the right panel.

December 28th, 2010 the Library of Congress announced their 25 selections to the National Film Registry [here]. Cry of Jazz, Electronics Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB, I Am Joaquin, Newark Athlete, Our Lady of the Sphere, Preservation of the Sign Language, Tarantella, and A Trip Down Main Street are all reviewed here. Several of 2009's selections have now shown up on youtube and dailymotion so I have managed to round up another dozen films. Again they are sorted by my highest to lowest rating. Maybe after a 7th post I'll look to put together a "Best of," but for now here is another small set. You can find any of these with a google video search, and the Library of Congress even has a channel on youtube now with most of the films from the previous LoC NFR posts.

I Am Joaquin (1969) [9/10]
... and I will endure. This is a powerful partially animated, partially live action film with narroration based upon a poem by Rudolfo Corky Gonzales. It is really good film with nice imagery and good message. Released during the Vietnam Conflict and including a message about the high number of Mexican Americans sent to fight. Very mcuh worth checking out.

Siege (1939) [8/10]
A powerful short film that was actually nominated for a documentary short subject Oscar. At the time the category was called the "one-reel" category and this film is narrorated by Julien Bryan. Bryan is a filmmmaker that spent three weeks in Warsaw, Poland during the German invasion in September 1939. This is an incredibly powerful little film that is worth checking out.

Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB (1967) [7/10]
George Lucas's student version of his 1971 feature length release THX 1138. Released when he was a student at The University of Southern California, this film has an Orwellian look to it. Set in a futuristic building with clean white walls, everything numbered and aligned, we watch a man basically just running through a maze. Escaping from the facility with speakers blaring, telling 1138 that he is entering different restricted areas. I thought this might be pretty cool, but it got really dull after 5-6 minutes. 15 minutes is a long time with no real dialogue or story.

A Trip Down Main Street (1906) [7/10]
I'm not sure if the submission to the Library of Congress matches the version I actually watched. The version I saw has some serious video issues with frames scrolling down vertically like something out of a Bugs Bunny Cartoon. The camera is fixed on the front of a Trolley car in San Francisco just before the 7.9 earthquake and subsiquent fires.

Cry of Jazz (1959) [6/10]
A discussion between white and black twenty somethings about Jazz and how this relates to Negro's in America. A very powerful and intense conversation that actually has the two sides yelling at each other at points. Uncomfortable in a good way.

Scratch and Crow [6/10]
Another 4 minute animated film. A lot better than Tarantella because it actually had some sort of storyline. The text made little sense with respect to what was going on though, and I just didn't get it. Maybe because I'm not a film student or artist. All I know is that it was difficult to focus on because the watercolors hurt your head with the constant changing frames.

Mabel's Blunder (1914) [5/10]
A 13 minute silent comedy, were Mabel and her fiance's schofer swap cloths so that she can spy on him. This is all fine until he starts making moves on him/her. A decent short slapstick comedy featuring Mabel Normand.

Tarantella (1940) [5/10]
A decent little animation by Mary Ellen Bute and Ted Nemeth. Only four minutes, artistic and with no real point. There is piano in the background but I didn't feel like the animation really was in tune with it. Just ok for me.

Newark Athlete (1891) [5/10]
Incredibily old and almost too short to comment on. At less than 30 seconds this is more proof that Dickson was able to make the film; not really worth watching at all.

Matrimony's Speed Limit (1913) [4/10]
The permise of this film has inspired a number of films I hate so much. The idea that a man will only get a fortune from his dead Aunt if he marries by noon the same day. Realistically this not only wouldn't happen but I find it really annoying. The pace is painfully slow and the plot consists only of what I just stated. Skip it.

Preservation of the Sign Language (1913) [4/10]
From imdb.com "George Veditz, one-time president of the National Association of the Deaf of the United States, outlines the right of deaf people to sign instead of speak." This isn't really much to watch, I have to say I honestly scanned it a few times because it was pretty dull as something to "watch."

Our Lady of the Sphere (1969) [2/10]
Directed by Larry Jordan, this is one of those 60's/70's animated shorts that probably requires drug usage to get anything out it. Short at just 10 minutes, but not short enough.

All said, a weak group 2/10 worth watching. I wouldn't recommend watching anything outside of the top 4 here.

Let me start by saying this has been one of the most difficult movies for me to rate in a long while. Repulsive, shocking, lewd, and downright outrageous can be hard to judge. So let me tell you a little about the film because the mystery of what it is about is the redeeming quality.

The film is about an over protective mother and father. They create a fantasy world for their children, sheltering them on their property with large fences and hedges on a back road away from the rest of the world. Teaching them vocabulary from homemade audio tapes. Only allowing them to watch home movies, and only listening to Frank Sinatra, who is supposedly their grandfather giving them messages about how much he loves them. The movie is beyond bizarre with incest, cruelty to animals, violence, and self inflicted violence.

If you want to watch a film like nothing you have ever seen, check this one out. This is definitely not for everyone, and I would caution just about anyone that the subject matter is out there. So why the 7/10? Because it is a movie I will never forget. Seriously. This film made a lasting impression, and has elements that are unforgettable. Watch at your own risk...

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1379182/

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