Best Film Stuff... 2009

I'll have a top 15 below and below that will be some individual accolades. Some films may have been out in 2008 in some places and some may not see wide until next year. I thought it was a strong year, but it was strong outside of your typical big movies or award baiting dramas. And no... I didn't see everything.


TOP 15

15) The Hurt Locker



A very tense portrait of a bomb squad in Iraq, this one has the best direction and set pieces of the year. A truly thrilling film that deserves a look from everyone. It doesn't completely gel as a narrative, but the few snapshots present will make you sweat.

14) Thirst



This almost plays as Twilight for adults. An interesting tale of vampires featuring a priest. Not Chan-Wook Park's best (director of OldBoy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance), but a nice little film with a director that is always worth watching.

13) Fantastic Mr. Fox



Wes Anderson's stop motion adaptation of a Roald Dahl book. Really timeless and bizarre... exactly like Wes Anderson's other films. This is his best film since the Royal Tenenbaums.

12)World's Greatest Dad



Maybe the darkest film on the list... and it is hilarious. Best advice would be to watch it blind, watch no previews as they give too much away. Robin Williams stars in one of his occasional films that matter. Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait.

11) Gomorrah



OK, maybe this film is darker than the one above... as this film has no laughs. No traditional narrative to be found here. Just a handful of characters that are involved or within reach of the Italian mob and quick peeks into their lives. Brutal and real, this is a post modern look at the mob. No romanticism or lovable characters, just the ugly truth.

10) Bronson



A film that features one of the best leading performances of the year (if not the best). A TRUE story about Britain's most infamous prisoner. Tom Hardy disappears and delivers a truly singular, visceral performance as Bronson. I really enjoyed this film, even if it doesn't have much to say other than just putting Bronson out in front for all to see.

9) Drag Me to Hell



Sam Raimi returns to his horror comedy roots and shows no one can do it the way he does. Great atmosphere and direction, it is rare that a movie can invoke huge laughs while still being able to turn on the tension. All a credit to Raimi's skill and knowledge of the audience.

8) In the Loop



So funny. So true. Which makes it so sad. A laugh til you cry look at politics and the people who are in charge of things... it seems so ludicrous. But we all know all to well that it is unfortunately the truth. As for laughs per minute ratio, this is probably the highest of the year. And it is incredibly smart to boot. Walrus.

7) UP



Pixar always delivers and Up is no exception. Poignant and beautiful, Pixar are the masters at delivering stories that anyone at any age can enjoy and take something away from after viewing.

6) The White Ribbon



I am still mulling this film over. Does it belong on my list... and if so... where. I put it here for now. It could go up or down. It is without a doubt deft film making. The story of a small German village just before WWI and how certain elements can rot a society. I don't think it is alluding to one specific thing (the to come WWII), but can be applied to many things including the human condition. Not overly complex in its symbolism and allegory, yet so much going on and with a huge cast it gives you plenty to consider. Wonderfully shot, each shot composition reinforces the narrative. If you can handle a long, non scored black and white film with subtitles and enjoy thinking about your consumed art... Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon is highly recommended.



5) District 9



An absolute stunning film. A first time director who made a more endearing "big" film than anyone else who released one this year. The film does massive amounts with a modest budget of $30 million (modest for this size film). A lead you've never heard of delivers an incredible performance and the pacing never lets up. A few tiny things keep this one from being perfect, but it is good enough that it will be around forever. Delivers a haunting look at certain issues with an allegory as simple as refugee aliens. Brilliant.



4) Observe and Report



I consider this film pretty much to be perfect. I don't think it is for everyone, but for what it is and what it wants to do, it does it flawlessly. An incredibly dark film, but also very funny... it is akin to a comedy version of Taxi Driver. Great film making.

3) Where the Wild Things Are



This movie hits pretty hard. It also talks down to no one. It paints a three dimensional view of a child, which is rare in any medium. The film shows a rare and small time in anyone's life... when even your personal havens are no longer safe. A movie that shows the raw power of cinema and how it can transport you.

2) Moon



Hmm. This film ended up higher than I would have guessed. I love it. I think it is fantastic sci-fi. A small film that is carried by Sam Rockwell more than any other film is carried by its lead (that I can think of off the top). Fantastic acting coupled with a very smart script that leads to some truly haunting emotions for you the viewer. Special mention to the Clint Mansell score, guy does killer work.

1) Inglourious Basterds



Amazing writing. Killer direction. An ensemble cast that destroys on every level. A level of fun and excitement rarely reached. Just fantastic. I adore this film more than I care to write about. One of my most watchable and favorite "me" movies ever. Special mention to Christoph Waltz who delivers one of my favorite performances ever as Landa. This may be Tarantino's best film ever. Truth. It will not revolutionize cinema the way Pulp Fiction did, but as a stand alone no baggage piece of work... it may be the best. Time will tell. Regardless, amazing film.


Honorables:
Up in the Air, Anvil! The Story of Anvil, Coraline, Public Enemies, Watchmen Director's Cut

Best Individuals

Direction
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Screenplay
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Editing
Bob Murawski, Drag Me to Hell & The Hurt Locker
Chris Innis, The Hurt Locker

Score
Clint Mansell, Moon
Hans Zimmer, Sherlock Holmes

Cinematography
Chung-hoon Chung, Thirst
Larry Fong, Watchmen

Special Effects
District 9
Where the Wild Things Are

Best Actor
Sam Rockwell as Sam Bell - Moon
Tom Hardy as Bronson - Bronson

Best Actress
I thought it was a pretty awful year for lead women in film... can't pick one out of all the films I have seen. I hear Michelle Monaghan is very good in Trucker. I will check it out this coming week.

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz as Col. Landa - Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress
Mélanie Laurent as Shoshanna Dreyfus - Inglourious Basterds
Anna Kendrick as Natalie Keener - Up in the Air

Best of 2009 (non-film)

Here is the stuff from this year that I enjoyed... sans films. Look for a top 15 of those around the new year.

Music

Best Single

Depeche Mode - Wrong




Runner Up

Massive Attack - Splitting the Atom



Best Albums

5) Metric - Fantasies



Super slick synth pop perfection. That is pretty much what this album boils down to... yes, it is glossy, but man is it good. Three albums in my top five have ten tracks. This is one of them.

4) Pearl Jam - Backspacer



One of Pearl Jam's absolute best albums... coming in 2009. Yes. This is a band with legs. A fantastic album that has more energy and punch than any of their other albums. The ballads take a back seat on this one, which is a bit of a reversal for a PJ album.



3) The Horrors - Primary Colours



Ten tracks. All great stuff. For my money, this is one of the best albums to come out in this genre (sort of a indie gloom rock) in a long, long time.

2) Silversun Pickups - Swoon



A fantastic album from start to finish. Ten tracks and not a single one is filler or wasted. This feels like how albums should be done. They take many cues from when Smashing Pumpkins mattered (SP, get it, though they are named after a liquor store)and deliver a memorable and extremely well crafted album.

1) Mastodon - Crack the Skye



Heavy and beautiful, Mastodon released one of the best heavy album of all time with Crack the Skye. Only 7 tracks long, yet it clocks in at 50 minutes, an epic album that fits together perfectly. The heir has finally become apparent in regards to heavy music.

Honorable Mentions

Morrissey - Years of Refusal, Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue, Blakroc - Blakroc, M Ward - Hold Time, Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures, Jay-Z - Blueprint III, AFI - Crash Love, Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, La Roux - La Roux

Videogames

Man, I wrote a lot in 2009... and I also played a lot of video games. Geez. Anyways... here are the favorites I played. Based mostly on fun I had with them. Didn't get to some (Uncharted 2, for example). Here are 3 I really liked... no explanations, but a video to show you about it if you are unfamiliar.

Brutal Legend


Demon's Souls


Batman Arkham Asylum


Books


With all the gaming and writing... and the usual film viewing... I did not read as much as I wanted to... but I still read several books this year. My favorite below.

The Death of Bunny Munro - Nick Cave



This book really snuck up on me. I didn't know if I liked it for at least the first 25% of it. But by the end I was really on board and felt it was a great work. Some really nice character work and some things I can't even mention structure wise, or else it would spoil. Definitely check it out. Bizarre, crude, and yet somehow heartfelt.


Comics

I read some, but it was largely an off year for keeping up with the comic universe. I did come across a new series that is absolutely fantastic. Imaginative, currently vital, literary, and intelligent. A series I can't recommend enough to anyone who likes a good story... which means everyone.

The Unwritten



Written by comic veteran and great Mike Carey, this series is fantastic. The first collected volume hits in a few weeks for only $10. Get on board with something great.

Television

I haven't had cable for two years now... I have no idea what is great beyond network TV. I still think Lost is one of the best shows around (ever). Supernatural has been really great. I watch a lot of cartoons. The only new show I would recommend is Glee. But that is sugary and bright... so, know that ahead of time... all you lovers of realism and gloom.

Avatar reaction....

This may be long.

Avatar is the latest James Cameron film and one that has been getting a huge amount of buzz and positive word of mouth. I am responding to the film and people's reactions to it.



The short of it... the film is decent. It flirts with being good a few times, but decides to reside in tepid territory. As a film, you know... because that's what it is, it barely passes. Barely.

As an FX demo reel it is pretty good. As a 3D tech demo reel it is amazing. That is what Avatar is good at... that is all.

It is recommended over other big fare... like the films of Michael Bay, Roland Emmerich, or Stephen Sommers. Cameron is good at what he does. The film is intelligent even if it is sort of a "behind" the actual script and story intelligence. There was obviously a lot of thought and care put into it by very smart people.

Go see it in a theater if you care to see it.

So, on to more in depth stuff. Score following the text on a few points.

Story/Characters

The film is a compilation of a million things you have seen before. All story points and characters are recycled and completely unoriginal. Every character is a "that guy" character that are expected to be in a film such as this. There isn't a single non-cookie cutter character in the film. And no character really has any depth. It is disappointing.

6/10

Script

See the story section above. Characters come off ridiculous and their dialog reflects this. Might as well be twirling their mustaches if they are bad guys.

6/10

Actors

Do what they can with what they have... which is cartoon characters or cliches. Everyone pulls their weight, even if it is feather light. No one stands out as bad and no one gets a chance to be good.

7/10

Direction/Pace

Putting these together since it is all under Cameron. The film is Cameron's best and worst qualities times 10. The direction is compelling enough, but he seems more interested in extended montages of native life (both the wildlife and the way of life) than any real weight in the storytelling. But he is good at what he does and this is why the film succeeds the best it can given its ludicrous plot cliches.

7/10

Design Work

I am giving this a separate section as it is one of the main points of the movie. Mild spoilers. This is less about personal preference for the designs and more about just what is. Looking at the flora and fauna of Pandora is one of (if not THE) best thing in the movie. Seeing a bevy of newly created things is quite fun. All is not rainbows though, as there are some problems. Everything is just a riff of some Earth creature which dampens the creativity a tad. The design philosophy is uneven... most critters have 6 limbs and breath out of their chest cavity (which makes sense from an energy stand point). But the Navi are 4 limbed and breath from the nose. This is really for audience connection, but it is an obvious design flaw. It was done for the old rat vs squirrel argument (which was wonderfully mentioned in Inglourious this year).

Also, very annoying is the direct copying of Native Americans for the Navi culture. Lame.

8/10

Digital Effects

The Navi and planet look good. Not fantastically awesome ZOMG this is so much better than anything ever made like so many people like to say. But solid. You never feel like the creatures are real, real. At least I never did. I thought Davy Jones from PotC Dead Man's Chest was a MUCH more convincing character in terms of photo realism.

(compare that to the blue folk above)

Pixar films even have fairly photo real backgrounds. Backgrounds are easy these days. This film also cheats by having humans rarely appear near or next to Navi. So, it makes it easier for your brain to accept. That being said, still very solid and impressive work. Just not groundbreaking or leaps above anything else out there.

8/10

3D Tech

Ah... something the film does astoundingly well. This is the best aspect by far, but that is a real shame. As it is a gimmick. One that won't carry any weight away from a nice theater. This is some of the best 3D work I have seen. Easily the best for live action. Coraline from this year also has fantastic 3D. This isn't tons better than that, but it is still fantastic tech.

10/10

Score

The music is so/so. Which is disheartening. I was hoping for something great. When it goes too native sounding, the score flounders. When James Horner does what he does best and doesn't try to invoke Native Americans, the score soars.

6/10

That will be it for scoring sections. As a film you (assuming you are intelligent and actual expect quality story telling) get a barely passing, but fun ride.

Film
6/10

As a theater experience in 3D it gets an upgrade. If you have ANY interest in seeing the film, see it in theaters. This film will not hold up. In 5 years, this will be a forgettable film.

Theater Experience
7/10

The film is decent. A bit tepid. Which is a shame for the most expensive movie ever made and one that has been gestating well over a decade. Any real weight in the story is just glossed over. Ask yourself... what Cameron film is this better than? Exactly.

Also, I'll end with a point that have been making the rounds on the net. This film could only be made by a white person. This mechanic is so tired and outdated (part of the overall generic story), colonization bad. We bad. But WAIT... only one of us can save you. Only the turncoat who comes to see the error of his ways can save the silly savages. Ugh. Go away, stories that use this ridiculously outdated mindset and device.
Read more here... What I was telling you before...

Beat down.

Have gotten some small things done over the last few days. Have the latest (hopefully last, at least in terms of story revisions) draft printed. Will be some dialog changes dependent on actors. Built a small camera utility yesterday.

The holidays were going to keep me busy as it was, but some bad family stuff has been going down and this has exhausted me and will make it hard to get many concrete things done until afterwards. I do have some meet ups scheduled with work people, so there is that at least. More show and tell.

My 15 Films of the Decade...

I figured I would make a best of the decade list for films...

This is the decade that saw me transformed me from someone who thought they were fun to someone who thinks about film almost constantly and studied it extensively. Weird to think about. These are my personal favorites... I think.

It is almost impossible to make a list like this, but this is composed of things I liked, passed my critic test and felt were important. Honorables in the comments.

15) Mulholland Drive



I can understand why some don't like this film, but this along with Blue Velvet are two of the things from David Lynch that I love through and through. Things that I love as much as about any piece of art. This one has a great vibe and air of mystery throughout. The cast delivers fantastic performances all around... this movie is just very special and can deliver feelings that few other films can. You may have to watch it a handful of times to decipher something out of it, but that is half the fun.

14) 25th Hour



Spike Lee's best film? Maybe. This is a film I feel is hugely important. It was made by a New Yorker very soon after 9/11. Other films tried to capture a panic type feeling from the event or not even bring it up... in this one the reality of the situation is just a part of the characters' everyday lives. There is some truly haunting imagery that comes with the story of a man who messed up and is now trying to figure out if he has any options left in his life. I think this film is overlooked a bit. Everyone should watch this film.



13) Memento



This film would announce the arrival of Christopher Nolan. Of course he has had a killer decade, but this film is really special. True, it loses a touch on repeat viewings... nothing really compares to sitting through this one for the first time, but with incredible direction, writing, editing, acting, music, cinematography, and more... it is a fantastic film. The writing is incredibly tight... absolute awe on my part. This film also seemed to be part of a really nice neo-noir set that was emerging, which seems to have since cooled in many ways. Shame.



12) City of God




A film that has probably sworn me off of going to Brazil forever... incredibly real with its depiction of life in the slums of Rio De Janeiro, it shows what paths are open to some youths and how no option is really a "good" option. Forget last years Slumdog Millionaire, this is the real deal. A much more powerful and real portrait which ultimately makes it one of the decade's best.

11) The Incredibles



Brad Bird's (Iron Giant, Ratatouille) first film at Pixar seems like the perfect film from that studio. A fantastic superhero film with a great score and so many homage's to old Bond films makes for a throughly entertaining film for all ages. The family dynamic presented here is very true to life and each character is three dimensional and feels very real. Just a complete joy from start to finish. This along with Wall E, Ratatouille, and UP show just how universal and endearing to all that Pixar's medium can be.

10) OldBoy



I don't think a director had a better decade than Chan-Wook Park. This guy is an insane talent and he absolutely killed this decade. In terms of a director of the decade award, it is either this guy or Darren Aronofsky. JSA, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, OldBoy, Lady Vengeance, I'm a Cyborg but That's OK, and Thirst. All in the 2000s. This is probably his most liked and well received film. I love it and what it does with traditional anti-hero archetypes. This is sort of a Man with No Name meets the Count of Monte Cristo. Incredibly powerful, disturbing, and thought provoking.

9) Inglourious Basterds



This is one of my most fun, favorite films ever. If that makes sense. I just have a blast watching this film. The writing is the usual stellar Tarantino dialog we expect. The performances are out of this world (Christoph Waltz for best supporting actor!)... bringing so many unique and colorful characters to life. A WWII film that changes history and laughs as it does so... so cry about it and you cry alone. As for its style, a balanced homage to Spaghetti Westerns and French New Wave wraps it all up in a way that lovers of film should squeal about. Some people have tried to rain on Quentin's parade since he changed cinema in 94. This is his best movie since then (and I really like all his films period) and shows that he will be around to annoy his detractors for a long, long time. Oh... and a David Bowie song piping in at full blast = win.

8) Lord of the Rings trilogy



A bit of a cheat having all films in one spot. But it is what it is... truly epic film making on a scale that is rarely seen. These films definitely have more in common with Lawrence of Arabia than other films that share the "fantasy" tag. A completely believable world brought to life with considerable care and love by the whole cast and crew. Great pacing for such a long epic... just astounding work. A huge gamble that paid off creatively, financially, and critically.

7) Spirited Away



The master Hayao Miyazaki's best film? Probably. Which certainly means it is in the conversation for greatest animated feature of all time. Very beautiful and very poignant with its emotional attachments, the film brings a hugely fantastical look to an awkward time in a little girl's life. A+ work from every single angle. I love getting swept off to this land that has been so vividly brought to life.... over and over again.

6) Amelie



This film absolutely makes my heart soar. I love the director and this film is just so full of the idiosyncrasies that he and his characters are known for... love it. Expertly made with cinematography that makes me giddy... actually the whole film makes me giddy. So in love with life and all that it entails, this film is for everyone. Expertly showing that bravura storytelling can be saccharine, but still possess the upmost artist merit. I get so sick of women who try to defend Twilight as something "for them"... so lay off... no. No. No. Terrible is terrible and there are too many examples in art, such as Amelie, where something can be made for the hopelessly romantic and still produce stellar results with true merit. Thank you, Jean-Pierre Jeunet. I look forward to your newest film, Micmacs... which is coming soon!

5) The Departed



Based on a Chinese film (Infernal Affairs) that could have just as easily made the list, the Departed is Martin Scorsese showing that he knows best. A thrilling ride with proper twists and turns that is assembled as only a true master could. Scorsese returns to the genre that made him famous and shows no one can do it better. Loaded cast delivering a great script to you. Be grateful. Enjoy this ride again and again. The film also has an amazing use of music, showing why in addition to theme and style, others such as Tarantino and Mann have also learned from Scorsese's deft use of "modern" music. Anyways, a fabulous tale of the lengths the good will go to take down evil.

4)The Fountain



A film I did not have the pleasure of seeing upon release... something I regret massively. I want to see this on the big screen so bad. This film is beautiful. Just, tear inducing. The visuals are astounding. The message and emotion present... heart breaking. The Clint Mansell score can make me tear up all on its own. Maybe my favorite score of the decade. Crushing. This film I had skimmed some reviews of before release. After viewing the film, most of the reviews were dead wrong on everything. Absolutely off point. The film is incredibly small in scope, there are some large visuals and themes present, but it is a very intimate story. The best kind of storytelling. It never holds your hand and deals with things that everyone secretly fears and thinks about. A piece of art so raw and honest in its emotional delivery it can be hard to watch without want to look away.


3) No Country for Old Men



An absolute mind blowing film. Richly layered with great themes that really seem like universal truths. I feel like this film is oft misinterpreted, even by those that really like it. One of the most thrilling films I have seen and one that comes by everything very honestly. Almost no score is present throughout its entire duration, so you know the tension is truly present and earned. The Coens are masters of so many genres and this film is their crowning jewel. Weirdly, all Coen films feel like the Coens no matter how different they are... great talents.

2)Let the Right One In



A taut and small film that really deals with some universal subject matter in interesting ways. The film centers on a young boy and his encounter with a vampire. The film is fabulous. I really like films that deal with the awkward stage that the lead character is in, and this film delivers. When all you want in the world is a friend, but you don't have a lot of experience in that area... how do you behave. A great coming of age story that shows the power of friendship and loyalty. This film along with Thirst and the upcoming Daybreakers show that there is still a lot of creative material to be mined from vampire lore... despite the vampire's current vogue status and apparent creative bankruptcy.

If you have yet to check this film out, please do so... but a HUGE word of warning. There are two subtitled versions running around in the retail sector. If you get it from a rental store, Netflix, or even a retail store... you will probably get the bad one. You have to search for the one that says subtitled (THEATRICAL) on the back to get the good one. The correct version came out later... so look for the theatrical subs.

1) Children of Men



Yup. This is my favorite of the last 10 years. A movie that has some amazing contrast and visuals. A movie set in the near future that deals with a world where child birth is impossible. This film absolutely hammered me. A simple premise anchored by an incredibly weighty performance from Clive Owen and rounded out with great performances from all. This movie is about hope most of all... including the lack of it. Some see it as bleak, but I see it as incredibly bright and the length humanity will go to preserve hope. The music in this film is amazing... another score I listen to regularly. The direction for this one is out of this world. If you have an appreciation for film making, you will have your jaw on the floor.

This film is also part of a seeming sci-fi resurgence. But it leads the pack there and amongst most others. It is a true example of what cinema should strive to be.... tight, emotional, gripping, ambitious, beautiful, real, intimate, intelligent and large in meaning.

Finished?

I pretty much finished the script for good Saturday. I think I want to add one element, but it is very minor.

Now that I can officially put the script in the done pile, I can focus on other things. I think this week I will be building some items that will be useful for filming.

On top of this, I will be working out my "effects" shots to make sure I have how to do them all worked out well in advance of shooting.

Also will start to work on a few costume elements. Character design is ongoing... starting to work on something really cool.

After the holidays, I hope to add a few additional cast and crew.

Way too much to do.

Here is a sketch by M of our friend Jason who is playing a role... cropped for a reason.

Blargh.

Back, after a month of settling in...

Lots and lots of good stuff has happened. Almost none of which I can talk about.

Over the past few days the ending of the screenplay presented itself to me... so I am spending today working on that. Then I think it is pretty much done, done. And on to the next thing.