Best of Decade, Part III

This week we continue our look at the films of the decade with numbers 6 and 5 on our lists.

Ryan: When people say they don't make them (movies) like they used to they almost exclusively are referring to the golden age of Hollywood. But that mantra could also be applied to other film eras-- more specifically the anti-hero morality tales of the '70's that helped to define that decade. Michael Clayton (2007), which comes in at number six on my list, plays like one of those classic films from the '70's. In the film George Clooney stars as a “fix-it” lawyer on the cusp of a mental breakdown. He's a broken man who reluctantly gets drawn into a class-action lawsuit against a corporate chemical company but along the way and he's provided the opportunity for moral redemption.

On the surface Michael Clayton is a smart legal thriller but upon repeated viewings it becomes clear--that for what it sets out to be--that it is the most perfectly executed film of the decade. It is technically—from the direction, to the screenplay, to the acting—as flawless of a film that somebody is going to find in this decade. (It only comes in at number six on my list mainly because I just happen to like better the other movies on my list). The film also transcends it's genre by delving into issues of the decade. The tagline of the film, “The Truth Can Be Adjusted,” unfortunately defines much of the national political leadership of this decade and the notion of an evil greedy corporation resonates with the economic uncertainty that has gripped this era. I'll concede that on the literal level Michael Clayton doesn't have the scope of a truly great movie but ultimately it resonates with a perfect blend of timely and classic themes that are executed in a brilliant manner.

Andy: I’m admittedly leaning pretty heavily on the early part of the decade on my list, but one movie I saw this year has resonated strongly enough in the five months since I’ve seen it to check in at number six on my list is Up. The Pixar films dominated the animated scene in the decade. Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and WALL-E are all outstanding films. Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo are already classics, but as the decade has worn on the Pixar films seemed to become as much about making a good, interesting movie as they were about being appealing to kids. They have managed to make sophisticated movies that are about things kids enjoy watching. The culmination of this is the film Up.

Upon watching Up you know after the masterful first fifteen minutes that this is not going to be like an ordinary children’s movie. An almost completely dialogue free trip through the entire life of the unlikely hero, Carl Frederickson, the start of the movie is some of the best story development I’ve ever seen. By the time the movie really gets going, you know everything important to this man. It seems like it should be a cheap literary trick, but it is executed so beautifully that you don’t care, you just want to make sure your watching when things work out for this guy.


Ryan: Number five on my list is a film that made Andy's list a few weeks ago. Sideways (2004), directed by Alexander Payne, details two best friends (Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church) on a bachelor party journey in Southern California wine country. During their venture they come across two single women (Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh).

On Andy's write up he alludes to the fact that he's not a fan of fine wine but that he was nonetheless completely drawn into the story even though the movie centers around people who love wine. I completely agree with that assessment. I'm not into the wine scene but Sidways is such a well-done film that in the end it doesn't really matter if one is into wine or not.
I was also struck, upon re-watching it, with how generationally specific the film is. The movie is basically about four adults having midlife crises and thus one might assume that the movie might not have that strong of an appeal to a younger audience. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Again this film is such a strong movie (with its themes of finding oneself and finding love) that ultimately it resonates with any audience willing to give it a chance.

Alexander Payne deserves loads of credit for crafting (directing and adapting the screenplay) a film that only gets better with age. It should also be pointed out that Sideways contains four career defining performances for its leads. None of the performances won an Oscar (only Church and Madsen were even nominated) but that does not factor in at all when evaluating these performances. In fact I would say that the performances—especially Giamatti's and Madsen's—are two of the most authentic, heartfelt performances of the decade.

Andy: For my number five film, I’m looking at last year’s The Dark Knight. Repeated viewings have me convinced that it is easily the best film in the Batman franchise. It is also the most lasting film from 2008, highlighting how ridiculous it is that the movie was not even nominated for best picture. Also of note, this is the best film from director Christopher Nolen, who was quite possibly the director of the decade (Momento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, and The Prestige are his other efforts) in spite of never being nominated for best director.

It’s appropriate to talk about how Nolen’s script (co-written with his brother Jonathan) is one of the best action film scripts of the decade. Or how Christian Bale solidified himself as both the definitive Batman and Bruce Wayne. Or even how, in spite of being a movie about a superhero, it felt and still feels culturally relevant. But everyone knows that this movie achieves greatness because of the transcendent and terrifying portrayal of the Joker by Heath Ledger. Even if he had not died before the movie came out, Ledger’s Joker would have likely been the most iconic movie character of the decade. But viewing it with the knowledge that this was the brilliant end to a short and impressive career makes it all the more tragic and compelling. The Dark Knight is a very good movie by any measure, but Ledger’s performance ensures that it will be remembered as a great movie.

"The Men Who State At Goats" Movie Review

This week we are going back to a new release with The Men Who Stare At Goats (R). Ewan McGregor stars as a reporter researching a secret government program that fosters the creation of psychic warriors during the Iraq war. George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey costar, and Grant Heslov directs.

Ryan: One could easily make the case that George Clooney is the film star of the decade. From crowd pleasers (O Brother Where Art Thou? & The Ocean films) to critical fare (Syriana & Michael Clayton) Clooney has successfully navigated the cinematic spectrum. He's got box-office hits to his name as well as Oscar gold. But he's not been without his misfires (Solaris and The Good German) and regrettably The Men Who Stare at Goats would fall into this category. I wouldn't classify it as a bad film but it leaves a lot to be desired.

Andy: There is no question that The Men Who Stare at Goats is not up to the unreasonably high standards of a movie that George Clooney movie. It is pretty decent, but it seems to be unsure what kind of movie it is supposed to be. The ad campaign made it seem strictly like a ridiculous comedy, but in actuality there are several moments where the film takes itself very seriously. Instead of playing like a dramedy, it comes across as disjointed and lacking focus.

Ryan: By it's nature The Men Who Stare at Goats is a quite an absurd movie but that does make for some humorous moments. At times the film is engaging but unfortunately those scenes of worth are few and far between. The filmmakers are unable to aptly execute the full potential of the film. With an A+ cast and an intriguing premise the recipe for a successful movie was there. But it just doesn't pan out that way. This is just one of those films where the final product doesn't measure up to the parts involved.

Andy: The title of the movie suggests that this is going to be a comedy. Coupled with the fairly hilarious shot of Clooney staring down a goat that was the centerpiece of the ad campaign, it seemed like this was going to be a straight-up farce. It turns out that the scene the title was referring to was supposed to be one of the more serious parts of the movie. Ultimately movie’s funnier scenes work better, but they don’t quite hold the narrative together as well as you’d like it to.

Ryan: There's no doubt that the cast involved was the major selling point for the film. I've already talked up Clooney but it's not challenging talking up Bridges, Spacey or McGregor as well. But while there are flashes of (some) brilliance--for the most part--the performances in the film are of the uninspired variety. Bridges is basically playing a watered down version of The Dude (from The Big Lebowski). Spacey has phoned in most of his performances of this decade and that pattern continues here. And Ewan McGregor as a Midwestern news reporter---just not happening.

Andy: The cast is very recognizable, and they do an okay job. Clooney seems to really enjoy doing comedies, and he is definitely the highlight here. I thought McGregor did an okay job, but there is something a little strange about McGregor making repeated (ironic?) references to Jedi in a movie that isn’t actually about Star Wars. Bridges and Spacey are certainly lackluster, and the rest of the cast is merely adequate.

The Men Who Stare At Goats ends up being an interesting movie, but not quite as good as it seems like it should be. Final grade: C+.

Best of Decade, Part II

After a look at the calendar, we realized that in order to finish our decade review and look at the Oscar hopefuls at the end of the year, we do not have time for a new release this week. With the films coming out of Hollywood this week a little questionable anyway, we continue our look at the best films of the decade with selections number eight and seven.

Andy: Number eight for me is the 2004 drama Sideways (R). Alexander Payne directed this film based on the well regarded Rex Peterson novel of the same name. Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church are on a bachelor’s week in California’s wine country before Church’s wedding. The two display various modes of irresponsibility, eventually meeting up with two women, played by Viginia Madsen and Sandra Oh.

Sideways is a movie about people who love fine wine, and I don’t love fine wine at all. After watching the movie again recently, I was struck by how much I was able to connect with this movie in spite of so much of the action centering around something I don’t really care about. Part of the appeal is that the movie is beautifully shot by Alexander Payne. The composition is impeccable, with Payne juxtaposing the beautiful rolling vineyards and mountains with the awkwardly authentic used car lot on the highway the main characters walk by each time they visit their favorite wine-tasting restaurant. In addition to the well constructed visuals, the acting is top-notch all the way around. Paul Giamatti did not even receive an Oscar nomination that year, and that is probably one of the biggest oversights of the entire decade. The Academy tried to make up for this by nominating him the following year for his supporting role in the largely forgettable Cinderella Man, but the more difficult and nuanced performance was clearly in Sideways. Virginia Madsen did get a well deserved Oscar nomination. In a key scene about half way through the movie, she explains why she fell in love with wine in the first place, and it is probably one of the best-acted monologues from the past ten years.

Upon first viewing, Sideways does not seem like it is a great movie, but it grows on you. The ridiculousness of the story combined with great directing and acting make it a movie that has virtually no flaws. It is clearly one of the best pieces of filmmaking this decade.

Ryan: High Fidelity (2000) scores the number eight position on my list. In the film John Cusack stars as a snobbish record star owner trying to deal with his messed up love life.

I kept trying to think of reasons to leave High Fidelity (directed by Stephen Frears) off my list. It's a film that I've always really liked and I kept feeling that my subjectivity was trumping my objectivity when evaluating the film. If one considers themselves a music elitist or a habitual list maker or a person who over analyzes every aspect of their life, especially with regard to romantic relationships, then High Fidelity is a movie that hits close to home and consequently it did with me. But upon reviewing it two things struck me. One, it's an extremely well-made film that holds together stronger than (almost) any other romantic-comedy of this era. And secondly, and this is what really sold it for me, High Fidelity succeeds as a swan song for the '90's. It was based on a 1995 Nick Hornby book (of the same name) and was in production and filmed during the late '90's. So subsequently it captures the zeitgeist of the '90's (at least with regard to hipsters) while also tapping into the self-absorbed attitude that permeated throughout the decade. Some movies just have it with regard to reflecting a specific time, place and feeling and High Fidelity definitely delivers on that premise.


Andy: Speaking of films using music to reflect a time period, Almost Famous (2000) cracks my list at number seven. Much like Ryan’s dilemma with High Fidelity, I kept thinking that this movie would not make my final ten, but in a recent viewing of the film it became clear that this is one of the most epic movies of the decade. Cameron Crowe wrote and directed this loosely autobiographical tale of a young rock writer (Patrick Fuget) on assignment for Rolling Stone Magazine. He has to interview a rock star (Billy Crudup) while managing his relationship with a “band-aide” (Kate Hudson), and his mother (Francis McDormand).

What is perhaps most striking about Almost Famous ten years later is the impact it has made on Hollywood as well as on me personally. Cameron Crowe had a pretty rough decade for a director, but he started it off with what I have come to think of as his best movie. There are so many memorable aspects of the movie that it seems almost impossible that it is even from this decade. Stillwater’s (the film’s fictional band) song “Fever Dog” might as well actually be a 70s rock anthem. Catch phrases abound from “It’s all happening,” to “I am a golden god!” The ensemble cast is much more recognizable now than when the movie came out. Zooey Deschenal, Jason Lee, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Jimmy Fallon have all seen their star rise since this movie came out, and Rainn Wilson (The Office) even makes an appearance. From a personal standpoint, I don’t think any movie from the past ten years has invaded my vernacular quite like Almost Famous, from Jimmy Fallon’s refrain of “respectfully,” to Rolling Stone’s Ben Fong-Torres saying “cray-zee…,” there are things that I say so regularly that it’s hard to believe they came from this film. And if a film stays with me that well, there is no way to keep it off the ten best of the decade.


Ryan: Coming in at number seven on my list is Alfonso Cuaron's dystopian sci-fi thriller, Children of Men (2006). Set in the not so distant future Children of Men (starring Clive Owen and Julianne Moore) imagines a world where women are unable to bear children. Needless-to-say the fabric that holds society together unravels in a world without children and a world without a hope.

Children of Men cracks my list because it's an immensely powerful film. It works not only as a great piece of science fiction--challenging audience members while also entertaining them--but it also reflects current societal problems as well. Throughout the decade it was (mostly) the genre pictures (also think of V for Vendetta and Batman Begins) that best dealt with the challenging philosophical questions of our contemporary society. But it was Children of Men that best processed those fears and questions into a fully realized fable of our times. Cuaron deserves immense praise for crafting a movie that's modern in its storytelling and filming techniques but timeless in its exploration of the human condition. Clive Owen also deserves a lot of credit for the film's success as it takes a special kind of actor to effectively appear in (almost) every scene in the movie.


That’s all for this week. Stay tuned in future weeks for the remainder of our countdown.