"Precious. . ." Movie Review

With our best-of-the-decade list concluded we are now going to concentrate on potential Oscar hopefuls. First up is the dramatic film Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire ( R). In the film an impoverished pregnant teenage girl (Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe) seeks a way out of her dead end existence of living with her hateful mother (Mo'Nique) in Harlem in the late '80's. Paula Patton, Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz co-star in the film. Lee Daniels directs.

Ryan: On the heels of being nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Picture for a Drama and the fact that ten movies will be nominated for Best Picture, I feel that it is a safe bet that Precious will be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. It's the kind of intense indie drama that voters like going for. From the performances to the authenticity of the film it's definitely an Oscar worthy picture. I wasn't taken away with it completely (like a lot of critics have been) but I do recognize that it is an excellent movie.

Andy: Precious is a misnamed, or at least ironically named film. The book upon which it is based is called Push, which is a more accurate representation of what the film does. It grabs hold of you and shoves you into situations you’d rather not see, but somehow know you must acknowledge. This movie unapologetically pushes its audience to confront some of the ugliest issues humans confront (incest, abuse, blind selfishness, and basic failings of our society). What’s remarkable is how magnetic the victimized hero, Clarisse Precious Jones, remains throughout all the hardship we see her endure.

Ryan: All the performances in Precious are top notch including those by relative acting newbies like Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz. But there's no question that the two leads in the movie, Sidibe and Mo'Nique completely dominate the film. Mo'Nique has the flashier role but both she and Sidibe give seminal performances. I'm inclined to think that Mo'Nique has a better chance at scoring an Oscar nod simply because her performance is so intensely dramatic. But it is also an effective (and haunting) performance and one that audiences will not soon forget.
Andy: At the heart of what makes Precious work so well is across the board great performances. Gabby Sidibe is an absolute revelation as the title character. In her acting debut she has embodied a character that is complex, mysterious, tragic, and a beautiful ray of humanity in a mostly horrible situation. As her mother and foil, Mo’Nique gives one of the most emotive and threatening performances I’ve ever seen. Both seem likely to get Oscar nominations, and I’d be surprised if Mo’Nique doesn’t end up with the Best Supporting Actress statue. Also giving impressive turns in support are Paula Patton and Mariah Carey.
Ryan: Lee Daniels, the director, does a masterful job in framing the story in a manner that conveys the weighty emotional themes of the movie. His accomplishment is even more remarkable considering how uneasy it is in watching several of the scenes in the movie. But it's also that passion of the story that almost goes too far. Needless so say the trials and tribulations of the lead character, Precious, are almost too much to buy. The unfathomable nature of her burden, while providing the hope of the film, teeters on the edge of absurdity. Nevertheless the film endures this minor shortcoming as one of the year's best.

Andy: Perhaps the biggest flaw with Precious is that it is so intense, from the very first minute until the last, that it is exhausting to watch. That is certainly what director Lee Daniels was attempting, and he achieved it soundly. The problem is that it is very difficult to watch. The fact that it does give an uplifting look at a character that should be completely lost scarcely makes up for the harsh action and implications of the story. However, it is easily one of the most well executed and important movies of the year, and a movie that I strongly recommend.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire resonates long after viewing. Final grade: A-.

Best of the Decade, Part V

This week we conclude our look at the top films of the decade.

Andy: Number two on my list may come as a surprise to some people. 2003’s Lost in Translation (R) stars Bill Murray as an American actor filming a commercial in Japan. He meets a young American woman (Scarlett Johansson) who is experiencing similar emptiness and isolation. What really makes Lost in Translation stand up after repeated viewings is the way the director Sophia Coppola beautifully shoots the Tokyo landscape. Several of the scenes play out with the haunting soundtrack playing over the electric cityscape as the characters wrestle with their loneliness.

Murray gives what is likely the most powerful performance of his storied career. He brings disillusionment and mendacity to his performance that is still tempered with the decades of humor that are lying just underneath his every word, gesture, and look. For her part, Johansson also gives a performance that she’s spent the last seven years unsuccessfully trying to match. Her outward youthful innocence is betrayed by a much deeper restlessness that makes for a very complex performance. But the real star here is Coppola, who coaxes these amazing performances out while making the setting a crucial character in the story.

Ryan: Rounding in at number two on my list is Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood (2000). The movie came in at number three on Andy's list and when he profiled the film he made several key points. One There Will Be Blood is a beautiful film. It's certainly a terrifying beauty but there's no doubt that from a purely aesthetic standpoint There Will Be Blood is one of the most artistically shot films of the decade. Anderson constructs every scene like it's the film's most important scene and that attention to detail sets his movie's apart. Anderson's body of work is top notch but There Will Be Blood clearly shows him at the top of his game.

A second point that Andy alluded to is that There Will Be Blood “does not have much fun about it.” It's not that it's a difficult to film to watch or grasp. But it's a movie with a stark view of human nature. It's not a good-guy versus a bad- guy type film. It's more of a bad guy versus an even worse guy. Paul Dano's character, Eli Sunday is a religious hypocrite and Daniel Day Lewis character, Daniel Plainview, has been seduced by greed. When these two characters interact the results are far from pleasant. Let's just say that the title of the movie is aptly put.

It's impossible to talk about this movie without paying due respect to Daniel Day Lewis. He justifiably earned an Oscar for his performance and I would go even further and argue that it's the best performance of the decade. The power of the performance is that one is still captivated with his character even though he's clearly on a downward spiral into an emotional emptiness. One can't take his eyes off of him. It's a transcendent performance that makes There Will Be Blood a truly memorable film.

Andy: My number one movie of the decade is 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (R). One thing that propels this movie to the top of my list is the fact that I have probably seen this movie four times in the past six years, and it continues to get better with each viewing. The complex plot structure, written by Charlie Kaufman, the best screenwriter of the decade, is a key element of the movie’s success. A couple (Jim Cary and Kate Winslet) who have their memories erased after a bad break up. We see the love story in reverse, as the two try to piece together the shadow of memories that exist.

Part of what makes it work is the superb supporting cast that includes Tom Wilkenson, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, and Elijah Wood. All put in great performances, but the real stars here are the leads. Jim Cary has always been vastly underrated as a serious actor, and this is the best performance he’s ever given. Not to be outdone, the best actress of the decade, Kate Winslet, absolutely owns her performance. Director Michael Gondry pieces it all together in a movie that is entertaining, uplifting, tragic, and interesting all at once. For my money, it’s the closest this decade came to movie perfection.

Ryan: In this modern media age when one is a movie lover one can't help but to get geared up for new releases. It's almost always the case that one goes into just about every movie with a certain set of expectations. Unfortunately more times than not those expectations are not entirely met. But every so often a movie meets those expectations and sometimes--in those rare instances--a film will even surpass those conceptualized notions. And when that happens one knows that they have a true gem on their hands. With that said, my number one film of the decade is Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008).

This revelation might not surprise some people. Being a life-long Batman fan certainly does call into question my objectivity. But I feel confident--as a fan and as a critic--to label The Dark Knight as the film of the decade. Nolan's take on Batman (and that includes Batman Begins as well) is the definitive cinematic take of the Caped Crusader. As a Batman aficionado I can positively say that those movies brought to life in the most authentic manner the Batman mythos.

But I can also take a step back from fandom and see why The Dark Knight became such a cultural phenomenon. Not only is it an extremely well made film that is highlighted by the iconic performance of Heath Ledger (as the Joker) but it captured the zeitgeist of the nation upon it's release in the summer of 2008. The themes in The Dark Knight of good versus evil is as timeless as it gets but there was something so contemporary with it's manifestation of the battle that it instinctively struck the right chord with moviegoers. In an uncertain time while facing an unexplainable evil, an incorruptible yet ruthless hero was needed. Batman personified the type of hero that audiences were looking for. In this decade comic book movies dominated cineplexes but the relevant escapism of The Dark Knight propelled it to top of my list.

Now that our lists are complete, we will begin to look at this year’s Oscar hopefuls starting next week.

Best of the Decade, part IV

This week we move one step closer to our top films of the decade as we check in with our numbers four and three movies.

Ryan: Coming in at number four on my list is Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous (2000) (It was number seven on Andy's list). The semi-autobiographical tale details a young rock journalist profiling (the fictitious) band Stillwater in the 1970's. The film stars Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Billy Cruddup and Jason Lee.

For me the success or failure of most movies depend on this simple maxim—does the film work? In my view Almost Famous is a prime textbook example of when all areas of the filmmaking process work to create a memorable film. From the direction, to the screenwriting, to the acting, to the tone of the film Almost Famous is simply a movie that works. While it's a film of technical brilliance it's also one of those movies that is pure joy to watch over-and-over as well. It's a movie that never gets old watching and every repeated viewing reveals a new wrinkle to the coming-of-age story.

Almost Famous also resonates as a memorable movie for those moviegoers that are music lovers as well. Not only does it document the mid 70's music scene but it parallels the growth and maturity of a rock band with that of a teenage music reporter all the while set to memorable musically inspired scenes. Even the songs that were strictly written for the film (by Peter Frampton, Crowe and his wife, Nancy Wilson) help to solidify the credibility of the movie. There definitely was a concerted effort by Crowe and his company to make an authentic film—not just from a narrative standpoint—but from an emotional standpoint as well.

Andy: My number four is the John Cusack hipster rom-com High Fidelity (Ryan’s number eight). Released back in 2000 just three months into the decade, High Fidelity tapped an indie-mainstream crossover audience that would help carry many films in the subsequent years.

Two things really make this film work. One is the amazing soundtrack, which adequately bounces between cool and comfortable in a way that is a must for a movie that takes place largely inside an independent record store. The other is the superb performance from an ensemble cast that includes great turns by Jack Black, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joan Cusack, and Tim Robbins among others. Heading the list of performances is John Cusack, giving the best in his well documented career. His self-referential, speaking into the camera narration could have ruined the movie. Instead, it carries the audience along through an ugly break-up that is somehow funny and awkward at the same time. It is not flashy, and it is not grand, but High Fidelity is as near to flawless as date movies got in the past ten years.

Ryan: Number three on my list is another film that Andy included on his list (at number six). Up (2009) tells the fantastic story of an amazing journey involving two polar opposite individuals—78-year-old widow Carl Frederickson and Russel an 8 year-old aspiring Wilderness Explorer.
Initially Up looked like the film that might derail Pixar's wildly successful (both critically and commercially) ascending track record. The simplicity of the title and of the initial look of the movie just didn't spark my interest. But sometimes it's those simple concepts that are executed in beautiful manner that make for the most lasting impact. Up is a wonderful film that's emotionally rich both from a comedic and dramatic standpoint. In fact the montage scene at the beginning of the movie is the most emotionally textured scene of the decade and it's executed in a flawless manner.

I feel very comfortable having Up as three on my list and it resides there on it's own merit but I would be remiss if I didn't find myself looking at that high ranking as a symbol for Pixar's dominance of the decade. Pixar's movies have always been good but in this decade they progressively became great (Finding Nemo and The Incredibles) to artistic works of art (Ratatouille, WALL-E and Up). I only had one Pixar film on my list but there's no question that Ratatouille and WALL-E were knocking at the door. I don't think there's any grand secret to Pixar's success. There will always be a market for great storytelling and Pixar does it better than anyone else in the business.

Andy: Coming in at number three on my list is 2008’s There Will Be Blood. I remember being overwhelmed at the intensity of the movie when I first saw it, with the violent twists, jarring score, and flash-forward ending leaving me almost as unsettled as I was impressed. But upon a second viewing, There Will Be Blood proves to be complex, terrifying, and beautiful. Daniel Day-Lewis gives one of the performances of the decade as Daniel Plainview, a California oil man who will stop at nothing in order to succeed. With each success we see Plainview grow a little more evil. And to watch Day-Lewis make those leaps is to watch an actor at the peak of his craft.
There Will Be Blood is essentially a character study, but it does so much more than follow the life of one man. It can be read as an allegory foreshadowing the darkest side of capitalism in the 20th century, particularly in the field of fossil fuels. It is also technically appealing, with some of the most beautifully crafted shots of the decade, made all the more intriguing by the menacing story they are telling. Much credit goes to P.T. Anderson, whose only other movie of the decade, Punch Drunk Love, is widely underappreciated. There Will Be Blood does not have much fun about it, but it is movie making at just about the highest level that anyone reached this decade, and it is easy to imagine that time will only make it more poignant.



Next week we will finish off our decade review with our number two and number one movies.

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.

Best of the Decade Part I

With the decade coming to a close we’ve decide to get wistful and each take a look at our ten favorite films of the past 10 years. We will continue to check out some of the new releases, over the next couple of months, but as Hollywood goes into a relative off season, we’ll be counting down our best of the decade, each taking two at a time. This week we each talk about our number ten and nine films.



Ryan: My countdown begins with 2002's About a Boy (PG-13). Directed by Chris and Paul Weitz About a Boy is the modern tale of the unlikely bond between a rich unmotivated bachelor and a geeky heartfelt teenager. What sets About a Boy apart from most of its contemporaries is the movie's pitch perfect tone. It's a film with humor but it's not a comedic farce. It is also a film that deals with some heavy ideas (suicide) but it's not a dark dramatic film. About a Boy captures an authentic slice of life and presents a story with comedy and drama (and everything else in between). The movie is sentimental with it's themes of the importance of a family and the needing of meaningful relationships but it's translated in a manner that the audience can relate too. Additionally, while Hugh Grant never materialized into this era's Cary Grant, he does deliver a strong and winning performance in the movie. In some regard the film does play to his strengths but Grant strikes gold for crafting a character that--despite his negative traits--the audience has no problem rooting for. All in all About a Boy has matured into a modern classic.



Andy: Number ten for me is Knocked Up from 2007. The 2000s were a pretty good time for comedies, with really strong work coming from a few different directions. Will Ferrell had a nice run and some of Ben Stiller’s movies from earlier in the decade were very strong as well. But no one was bigger in the decade that super-producer Jud Apatow. Apatow directed just three movies during the decade, but The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up were both elite comedies: the kind that is actually a really well made movie as well. Either of them could have made my list. Both are surprisingly honest looks at the lives of real & believable people, but Knocked Up stands out in my mind for a few reasons. It is a little less gimmicky and feels a little more authentic than most comedies. It’s not afraid to get a little serious, and Katherine Heigle’s fine performance is a testament to the fact that comedy can work very well along side serious acting about serious topics. The writing is simply top-notch, with a father-son scene between Harold Ramis and Seth Rogen being one of the most touching moments in a movie I’ve seen in the last ten years. Ultimately Knocked Up is genuinely funny, very sharply written, and just as importantly, it feels like it covers a topic that had not been done very well in a movie for a long time.


Ryan: Number nine on my list is the James Bond reboot, Casino Royale (2006). What's utterly amazing about Casino Royale is that it shouldn't have worked at all. It bucked the successful formula of the previous (and monetarily successful) Bond flicks and the head scratching decision in casting Daniel Craig seemed like a peculiar decision. But the final product exceeded everyone's expectations. In one iconic swoop Craig became this generation's James Bond. His cool performance laced with coldness and detachment not only captured a part of the Bond mystique that was lacking but it also reflects the roughness and uncertainty of our times. Casino Royale succeeds not just as the best pure action movie of the decade but it enhances the mythology (while also deconstructing it) of the Bond franchise in a completely fathomable manner. Casino Royale didn't reinvent the action flick for this decade but it transcends its peers by being an action movie with a legitimate cinematic bravado.






Andy: My number nine goes all the way back to the year 2000, with Kenneth Lonergan’s You Can Count on Me. I’ve always been a sucker for a good, straight-forward drama, and no movie this decade has done it better than You Can Count on Me. The film flew somewhat under the radar as the rookie effort by playwright Kenneth Lonergan (disappointingly, he hasn’t made another until Margaret comes out later this year). The film centers around the relationship between a sister (Laura Linney) and brother (Mark Ruffalo) in a small town in New York. The relationship is complicated, and the two leads, both perfectly cast and doing the best work of their careers so far, are consumed by the tension around it. It is at times uncomfortable to watch it feels so much like real people living out their tragedies in ordinary and complicated ways, that it becomes both depressing and uplifting at the same time. Lonergan framed some tragic and beautiful scenes, while allowing the script and the performances take center stage. This film works so well that one can only hope the wait for Lonergan’s next film has been worth it.




That’s all for the countdown for now, as we will return with another look at a current movie next week before resuming with numbers eight and seven.