A German film with a predominantly Irish/UK cast. I liked this one very much. Although it didn’t avoid the cliches from this type of film, I thought it did manage to avoid much of the treacle that often accompanies them. Great performances by the two young leads and Andy Serkis. (I fully expect to see Aisling Loftus do some wonderful work in the future.) IMDB gives it a 6.5. I say 7. (running time 1:37)
So, okay–I’ve been watching movies, but been falling down on the job of reviewing them. I thought that in order to keep things moving here, I’d post some of the old Facebook reviews I did, as they come up in my history. In most cases, they’re not as long as my usual ones, and I don’t think I always give them a number rating, either. I’d do so now, but I don’t even remember some of them that well anymore. Take the case of this one. I obviously liked it, but can barely remember it.
“The Wonder Years” meets an “Afterschool Special.” It was a little syrupy, and a couple of times I wondered which of those two it wanted to be. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. We’ve all had our Mary Clears, Mr. Simons, and Big G’s, I suppose. It’s not terribly deep or complicated, and the lessons presented are done so in fairly broad strokes, but it’s a good movie for a weekend afternoon…and you can watch it with your kids! (Middle-school age or above, I would think.) IMDB puts it at a 6.8, which is right about where I’d put it, too. (running time 1:41)
I’m late again this year with these, but I wanted to see some of the films I hadn’t had a chance to see. (And I still missed a number of the ones I wanted to view.) Here they are, in countdown order:
14. Train to Busan (2016): A cross between 28 Days Later, Snowpiercer, and an old-fashioned Irwin Allen disaster film. With the exception of one unbelievable moment, one of the best zombie films to come down the pike in years.
The zombies themselves are exceptionally well done. They’re fast, aggressive, and “turn” fast. They also have a unique way of moving, which combines the lurching of a zombie with the jerkiness of an Asian horror ghost.
They never stop, like a river overflowing its banks. Visually stunning, and expertly directed, it also makes us care about these characters, which is an oft overlooked aspect of horror films.
13. Little Men (2016): If all you read of this film was the plot—two friends try to weather the increasingly fractured relationship between their families—you’d likely end up missing out on this gem, which is so much more than that. Great performances by Greg Kinnear and Paulina Garcia as the feuding parents, and Theo Taplitz and Michael Barbieri as the title characters.
12. Arrival (2016): Everything here feels like we’ve seen it before—the “first contact” scene, the shady government agent, etc.—but at the same time seems fresh. The plot is difficult to discuss without giving away too much. However, I don’t think I’d describe it, as others have, as having a “twist,” ending. We are manipulated, albeit it very capably, by Villanueve, but the film will stay inside your head for at least a couple of days after you’ve finished it.
11. Tower (2016): This film is, at various moments, tense, hopeful, uplifting, and heartbreakingly sad. In telling the events surrounding the shooting from the clock tower on the University of Texas, director Keith Maitland chooses to completely ignore the role of the shooter, instead choosing to focus on the victims and heroes of that day, reminding us that even though today we might feel as divided from our fellow man as we ever have been, when tragedy strikes, some goodness inside of us sets aside those differences and says, “I want to help.”
10. Christine (2016): It’s a shame that the best performance of the year wasn’t nominated, and probably won’t be seen by many, but Rebecca Hall’s turn as Christine Chubbuck, the 1970s television reporter who committed suicide on-air, is about as good as it gets. Hall deftly infuses every scene with the spectre of Chubbuck’s struggles with depression, while avoiding the clichés so common with those characters.
9. The Edge of Seventeen (2016): a heartfelt, quirky (and quite a bit darker than ‘80s John Hughes’ versions) coming-of-age film about a teen who feels the world is out to get her while ignoring her own hand in shaping her misery. In other words, your typical teen. Haley Steinfeld is the best part of this, especially her scenes with her teacher, and unwilling lunch/conversation companion, played by Woody Harrelson.
8. Demolition (2015) (released 2016): I’d never think to put Jake Gyllenhaal in my list of favorite actors, yet he consistently finds his way onto these lists of mine. (Nightcrawler, Enemy, Prisoners) A quirky, sad, and often funny performance this time out as Davis, a man trying to find his footing after the death of his wife. Highlights: the scenes between Gyllenhaal and Judah Lewis as the outcast teen, Chris.
7. Everybody Wants Some!! (2016): More meandering storytelling from director Richard Linklater, who has a knack for making the mundane meaningful. This time, it’s the story of a group of college baseball players in the ‘80s trying to come to grips with adulthood. Although the narrative seems to go all over the place, it’s a fascinating trip.
6. Hacksaw Ridge (2016): Mel Gibson returns, and dishes out an old-fashioned war picture, updated with some of the most beautiful and shocking violence you’ll ever see. Based on a true story, it has all the rises and falls you’d expect from the tale of a conscientious objector who becomes a hero while staying true to his non-violent beliefs, thanks, primarily, to Andrew Garfield and Sam Worthington, who carry the film beyond its clichés.
5. The Handmaiden (2016): South Korean director Chan-wook Park scores again with this steamy, gorgeous mix of Hitchcock, Rashamon, and a con picture like House of Games. It’s worth a watch for the set design alone. A fascinating take on love and the long con.
4. Manchester by the Sea (2016): I didn’t know what to expect from this film, but I liked what I saw. It’s full of complex characters and relationships, thanks in part to great performances from Casey Affleck and Lucas Hedges, and it’s hard not to like anything with Kyle Chandler in it.
3. Green Room (2016): A taut, claustrophobic little thriller elevated by some great performances, including Patrick Stewart as the leader of a white supremacist group. A word of warning: a little gorier than most.
2. Sing Street (2016): This film clicks on just about every level. The story is sweet and heartfelt without being syrupy, and there are a number of genuinely funny moments. One of my favorites has Conor playing on the school stage with the band, but imagining what his video should look like, in an ideal world. And not only will the soundtrack awaken your inner 80s’ child, you’ll likely be surprised to find that a few of the songs original to the film are really good, too. Director John Carney delivers a film liberally peppered with “moments”—details that make you realize how much care he’s put into the film. This is a great little film that just wants you to love it, and if you’re like me, you will. There’s just something about it that registers with the part of us that remembers the best times of our youth.
1. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016): I think this was the film I most enjoyed watching this year. I often found myself laughing out loud, and then minutes later, wiping a tear from my eye. Great performances by and chemistry between Sam Neill as the crotchety outdoorsman, Hec, and Julian Dennison as rebellious foster kid Ricky Baker. Not much new storywise, but the execution is marvelous.
Honorable Mentions: Deadpool (2016), Hell or High Water (2016), Blue Jay (2016), Moonlight (2016), Morris From America (2016)
Biggest Disappointment: Toni Erdmann (2016). I really wanted to like this after reading the reviews, but just couldn’t get into it.
Unfortunately, the best performance by an actress in a motion picture this year probably won’t get the Academy Award. It probably won’t be nominated, even. Hell, you likely won’t even see it, unless you take my advice and seek out Rebecca Hall’s performance as tragic news reporter Christine Chubbuck in 2016’s Christine. The film itself is well made, if low-budget, but what elevates it above the crowd is Hall. She is magnificent, giving as strong a portrayal of depression as I’ve seen, in that it doesn’t play into convenient scenes and stereotypes; the illness insinuates itself into every scene, every aspect of her life, from dealing with her mother, whom she lives with, to obsessively analyzing a video of herself, and wondering if she nods too much. Even her gait makes her seem that she’s uncomfortable in her own skin. It’s a heartbreaking portrayal, and often difficult to watch. Continue reading
I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, but there should be a few coming soon, as well as my “best of” list from last year. I had a number of films I wanted to see that I thought would be contenders, and was loath to put the list together without seeing them.
Holy fuck. Sorry about the profanity, but that just about sums up my feelings after finishing The Autopsy of Jane Doe. You should know that I generally don’t get scared at films, but this one…this one scared the crap out of me. This is how I expected to feel after watching It Follows, but never quite did. In retrospect, I know this wasn’t all that original, but boy, it sure felt like it at the time. Director André Øvredal (2010’s excellent and underappreciated Trollhunter)pulls out all the stops here to keep us holding our breath on the edges of our seats. The premise is simple: a half-buried, naked woman (Olwn Kelly) is found in the basement at a bloody crime scene. Why is she there, how did she die, and what—if any—connection does she have with the events of the floors above? Continue reading
(from July 5, 2013)
Visually stunning, but I wish they had put a little of that CGI money into hiring a better writer. The acting is a little off, but I really think it’s more the result of the writing than anything else. (I felt there were multiple cringeworthy lines.) The characters aren’t quite developed enough, either, although there are some very nice moments. (I loved nearly all the scenes with the China Doll.) And yet, overall, I enjoyed it. The 6.6 at IMDB is maybe a couple of tenths high. (running time 2:10)
When is a “talkie” not a “talkie”? When it’s done completely in Ukrainian Sign Language. And I mean completely. No talking. No translation. No subtitles. On the one hand, it feels like a gimmick, and keeps the audience from getting to know much about these characters, but on the other it forces us to become a much more active audience. Even paying attention, though, you’re still not going to get everything. Continue reading
So I’ve been trying to work my way through all of the “brand name” films, trying to put together my end of the year list, and I thought I’d take a break and slide this film in as a sort of “palate cleanser” with no hope of it being anything more than that. Wow, was I wrong. This might be one of my favorite film experiences this year. It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for films from Down Under, and although this one might benefit from my bias, I feel comfortable recommending it to anyone. It’s not a film filled, like so many others this year, with heroic action sequences, stylistic camerawork, witty dialogue, or over-the-top violence. It’s a film about believable, real characters dealing with an, unfortunately, all-to-real situation. And I can tell you, as I sit here writing this with a tear still on my cheek and a smile on my face, it will make you care about these people. Continue reading
I’m not sure how to describe this film, except maybe to say imagine if Logan’s Run was written by Woody Allen and directed by Terry Gilliam (or maybe Wes Anderson). Colin Farrell, who I normally don’t think much of, gives a nice, understated performance here as David, a newly-single man from a mildly Orwellian future, who is shipped off to stay at a hotel (Room 101!) where denizens are all single, and must find a mate within 45 days or be turned into an animal of their choosing (in David’s case, a lobster) and released into the forest. He’s got nerdy glasses and a paunch, and (perhaps because he’s relying less on his looks) I don’t think I’ve seen him better. Continue reading
Who Cares What You Think? 