Top 15 of 2009!

Originally, I had planned on doing a mere Top 5 of 2009 but looking at all the films that have come in this year, it proved too difficult to narrow it down that much. So, I boosted it up to a list of my Top 15 favorite films of the year. This list might be controversial because it's not the BEST films of the year, it's my favorite.

Before we start, I must give a list of films I HAVE NOT SEEN but films that if I had, would have probably made it on the list. Those films are:
-Drag Me to Hell
-In the Loop
-Big Fan
-Fish Story
-Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
-Zombieland
-A Serious Man
-Bronson
-An Education
-Precious
-The Messenger
-The Road (I must read the book first)
-Invictus
-Crazy heart
-Fish Story

I know there are many movies on that list, but that should give you an answer to why some films are missing from this list.

Also, it's interesting to see coincidences on my list, which were purely accidental. Three science fiction films back to back, two teen angst films back to back, three "kids" films in the top ten, and two "war" films in the top five, and two George Clooney films SAY WHAT.

Also, some films I will list will have no explanation along with them, either I've already reviewed them, or they've shown up on some list or what have you.

15. Sherlock Holmes: One of the most entertaining movies I've seen, it would be higher if we didn't get the more entertaining films on the list.

14. Funny People: I still stand by this film as a great film, drama and comedy. I see the complaints people give it but I ignore them and will heavily enjoy owning it on DVD (thanks Max).

13. 500 Days of Summer

12.Lymelife: I'll probably give this film a full review but you should really seek this film out. It's an angst ridden film, but angst not just from teens but from adults. It's a film that shows the kids acting more adult than the adults. It's a little indie film that deserves attention.

11. Adventureland: I love this film. See it, but don't expect an uproarious comedy. This and Lymelife were swapping each others places for a while and I figured that this was just more entertaining, with Lyme being more disturbing.

10. District 9: If I see this film again I think I'll enjoy it more but as of now it's kind of distant with me, like I'm already remembering the sour parts. I still do love the movie.

9. Moon: SEE MOON.

8. Star Trek

7. Up

6. Fantastic Mr. Fox: Full review coming for this, it's a great Wes Anderson film. Inventive, charming, and quite entertaining.

5. Away We Go

4. Where the Wild Things Are

3. Inglorious Basterds: this had the number 1 spot for a while and it's a film I must see again because the film does have flaws but the more I remember it the more I love the hell out of it.

2. Up in the Air

1. The Hurt Locker: A film that I personally haven't given enough recognition. It's a fantastic, fantastic film that puts war films to shame and shows characters we haven't necessarily seen before.


HAPPY 2010!!!!

Movie Review: Up In The Air.

Jason Reitman has slowly been slowly creeping up on the front of directors to watch. With Thank You For Smoking and Juno, two films worthy of their praise, Reitman has shown us what he can do in a minimal body of work. With Up in the Air, Reitman has solidified the claim of one of the most important directors today.

Air focuses on Ryan Bingham, a man who's job it is to fly all around America and fire the people whose company doesn't have the stomach to fire. Spending the majority of his life on the road and on a plane may seem unappealing and unlivable but Ryan loves the life he leads; a life of solitude, loneliness, and without relations.

His life of isolation quickly becomes threatened when Natalie Keener (relativley newcomer Anna Kendrick) enters his companies life and suggests the idea of firing people via web cam. Now Ryan, and the audience, finds this method without dignity and a cold inhumane way to go about the expulsion of an employee. Ryan's boss (Jason Bateman) decides to send Natalie off with Ryan on the road to see what Ryan does. Along the way Natalie sees Ryan's disconnected life, his bizarre relationship with fellow frequent traveler Alex (The Departed's Vera Farmiga), and how Ryan's job affects the people he is firing.

What's interesting about the film's opening is that we see several people's reaction to being fired. They are all heartbreaking and real in an unsettling way. This is because all of these people are not actors, they are real people who really got let go because of the economic situation (another reason on why this film is so relevant). They were brought in by the filmmakers who posed as documentary directors and asked around America for people, who have been recently fired, to come in and talk to an "interviewer" as they would want to talk to the person who has let them go. This is why these segments are so powerful and raw and why it gives the film a whole other dimension.

When you leave the theater or turn off your DVD player (without spoiling anything) you will be most likely feel really depressed about the situation of the world and desperatley feel bad for Clooney's character. This is not an uplifting film. Nonetheless, seek it out.

Hopefully this review has shown why it got the number 2 spot on my best of 2009 list.

Martin.

Important Thing: Movie Review Updates.

I've been regretfully behind on reviewing some films that I've seen recently. This is unfortunate but also good for you because you get to receive a plethora of movie critiques all coincidentally around the holiday season!

I just got back from seeing Avatar however I don't want to review now until I see it in IMax (more on my reasoning in the review).
So until I see it in IMax we'll all have to wait.
In the meantime, some films that will be reviewed shortly are:
-Up in the Air
-Fantastic Mr. Fox
-Manic
-Top 5 of 2009
-Top 10 of the decade
-Top 5 Christmas movies of all time

Happy Holidays, I hope you spend it with the people you enjoy (or try to enjoy) and give to ye' ol holiday spirit.

Bah humbug.

Martin.

Geekdom: NEW TRAILERS, good and bad news.

On the Geeky side of trailers there's been quite a number. Two that have caught my eye have been the new Alice in Wonderland and the new Iron Man 2 trailer WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT IRON MAN 2?!?!??!??!??!?!?! That's right. Iron. Man. 2. Trailer. Oh. My. Holy. Lord.
These two come with good and bad sides.

The good side is (thankfully) the Iron Man 2 trailer because OH MY GOD does it look fantastic.
We see everything: Mickey Rourke as Russian villain Whiplash, S.H.I.E.L.D operator Nick Fury played by Samuel L. Jackson, Scarrlet Johansson (oh my god) as Black Widow, Don Cheadle as the new Jim Rhodes/War Machine, and some speculative soldier robot things that Iron Man fights. I have much faith in this film. Jon Favereau did a fantastic job with the first one and the cast looks outstanding. Take a look: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/ironman/

On the otherside...there's the new Alice trailer. And to be honest...its underwhelming.
The first one looked cool enough but now....ugh...Its difficult, because I really don't know how to react. On one hand the atmosphere looks cool, on the other, some of the animation (march hare, big dog thing) looks cartoonish. Also, his revisions tend to be very weak (see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Planet of the Apes).
Also with all the originality that comes with a Tim Burton film, also comes some unoriginality.
Oh, Johnny Depp is in a Tim Burton film? Oh, he's kooky and has an awkward, annoying, high pitched voice? I've never seen that before...




Anyway, yah, Iron Man 2, Awesome, Alice, Weak.

Martin.

Movie Reivews: Do Movie Critics Matter Anymore?

I thought about the idea of this post after seeing the New Moon boxoffice. New Moon, is the latest in the twilight (ugh) "saga", I say "saga" because four shitty books is hardly a saga. Anyway, the New Moon numbers were outrageously high, which was, to be expected. This was DESPITE critics bashing the movie and DESPITE critics bashing the first "film", I say "film because two abercrombie models complaining and playing vampire baseball and then having a contrived climax is hardly a film. I pose the question, do movie critics matter anymore? Well, yes and no. Mostly no.

No, is evident from not only the twlight "saga" but also from things like Tyler Perry movies, or Uwe Boll flicks, or Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer movie, movies (date movie, epic movie, disaster movie). All of these filmakers, no matter how universally hated by universal movie critics, continue to find money and reap money for the drool they put out on screens (with the exception of Uwe Boll, he hardly makes any money). I think the downfall of movie criticism started with the death of Gene Siskel. Siskel, was part of the famous movie review duo Siskel and Ebert. When he died of complications from surgery due to brain cancer, there were several review shows that tried to follow their infamous claim to fame. Sadly, none succeeded. Maybe people stopped caring what critics said, and they'd see it and see if they'd like it.

Yes, is evident by the fact that there are people like me. People, who review films on YouTube or other sites or on TV who review it because they WANT to. Because they love movies. And because they enjoy to show their opinions.

I do know that I don't write reviews because I want to show people how to think, I just write it because I love reviewing movies and I love film. If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing it.


Kisses.

Martin.

PS: Look out for the next film review: Fantastic Mr. Fox, as well as the next Top Five.