Ranking the 25 Films I've Seen This Year

The Signal was the 25th film I've seen in 2008 (going by theatrical release date in the States, not festival or domestic release).

1. The Dark Knight

2. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

3. Frozen River

4. Flight of the Red Balloon

5. Chop Shop

6. In Bruges

7. Pineapple Express

8. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days

9. Snow Angels

10. [Rec]

11. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

12. My Brother Is an Only Child

13. Iron Man

14. Cloverfield

15. Paranoid Park

16. The Wackness

17. The Bank Job

18. The Signal

19. Funny Games

20. Baby Mama

21. Redbelt

22. Tropic Thunder

23. Married Life

24. The Strangers

25. The Ruins

The Signal [David Bruckner; Jacob Gentry; Dan Bush, 2008]

• The Signal is a rather muddled film, but with ultimately more good ideas than flaws
• broken into three "transmissions," the first and second are nearly exceptional in their own ways while the third breaks off into self-importance and leaves a bad taste in one's mouth by the end
• first transmission does a fair job of explaining the story without beating it through viewers heads, and is shot in a truly scary manner, dimly lit hallways and faces almost always too shadowed to make clear
• second act is a sudden but understandable shift to black comedy, and good comedy at that. everyone is crazy by now, some because of the signal and others because of the people with the signal. they're not that much different
• third bit isn't worth going too far into, it's loaded with dialogue and empty of importance. it's the final stage of delirium but that doesn't mean we want to see incoherent blabber for the last fifteen minutes

6/enough talent to be considered a success

Cloverfield [Matt Reeves, 2008]

• essentially taking the faux-doc subgenre that The Blair Witch Project pioneered and making its subject a monster comparable to Godzilla or the more recent The Host, dir. Matt Reeves and pen Drew Goddard think up and bring to life a hell of a concept
• the monster is effectively scary and realistic. the film's best and worst attributes largely relate to its medium, though. on one hand, pic's dedication to viewers watching a REAL videotape of the destruction is admirable in its switching between monster footage and interaction between the two leads who love each other shot a month before. however, flaws are revealed here as well. during the film, there are several occasions where scenes have obviously been edited together. it uses a good number of Rope tricks to appear continuous but there are still many unexplained stops and starts. and i wasn't looking for them through, hoping to report on it
• is engaging in its entirety, with a running time that is smart enough not to overstay its welcome
• unfortunately, the most sympathetic character in the film is....well, no one. for all the time and professionalism put into the special effects, a rewrite of the actual characters and dialogue could have made the picture absolutely epic. there's an arguably daring choice to make the camera holder a socially awkward character...but he's just annoying and rarely funny. the central love story pulls no emotional strings for me as I was only given about a two minute intro to get to know them and judging by everything afterwards, they aren't very interesting. in essence, i enjoyed the ride, just not who I was sitting next to throughout

6.5/creative, contrived monster movie

Redbelt [David Mamet, 2008]

• from beginning to end, Mamet's latest is implausible, stacking up plot contrivances that are ridiculous not because of implausibility but because of stupidity.
• film is largely a character study, and i understand that, but Chiwitel Ejiofor is the ONLY character among a large cast that gets any kind of development. Ejiofor's wife, played (rather badly) by Alice Braga, is shown only as a whiny bitch. Tim Allen is an action star (stretch!) and mainly just a McGuffin. We're supposed to care about Ejiofor and Emily Mortimer's relationship but we don't because we don't have a clue who she is
• between the stupid opening involving Mortimer and a suicide, the picture is pretty engaging, as Ejiofor is given room to work. everything afterwards is muddled, and the ending is laughably bad...I'm not going to bother going into it
• pic is however more entertaining than it is good, as Ejiofor is fun to watch in anything and the fight scenes are often very cool. easily the worst Mamet pic (script or direction) i've seen to date, though

4/implausible and dumb

Iron Man [Jon Favreau, 2008]

• solid, at times intriguing superhero movie that seems more interested in its characters than in plot, for a change. unfortunately, these characters aren't incredibly deep. this is made up for, though, by the always fantastic Robert Downey Jr. and an optimistic return to big movies for Gwyneth Paltrow. The former is perfect for the role, at times hilarious. Aud can relate to him better than Bale's Batman, and he's a lot cooler than Maguire's Spider-Man. Paltrow looks beautiful and has great chemistry with the much older RDJ
• there is minimal action scenes prior to the inevitable final battle, both impressive and puzzling. the exposition and general plot are an entertaining ride but not particularly ambitious. Terrence Howard is disappointingly restrained but Jeff Bridges chews away as Obediah, intriguing especially because of his high voice and intimidating stature
• aforementioned final battle is worth the wait, not terribly clever, but well edited and technically cool. final few minutes are a great wrap-up but certainly leave one desiring more, especially in regard to the RDJ-Paltrow relationship (and tongue-in-cheek reference to Howard's possibly expanded role).

7/effective popcorn pic w/ great perfs

Frozen River [Courtney Hunt, 2008]

• one of the most veteran-seeming debuts in recent memory, Courtney Hunt helms a feature that carefully straddles the line of drama and thriller, neither falling into any genre nor conforming to its cliches
• Melissa Leo mans the film. there's not much reason the role couldn't have been played by a male, but one is thankful it wasn't. thesp bears resemblance to Helen Hunt's character in Pay It Forward without any of the Hollywood buzz or spoon fed character traits. she doesn't ask us to like her, or root for her, but we do because we can see the desperation in her wrinkled hands and weathered eyes
• expert cinematography from Reed Morano, who like Hunt as no previous film credits but possesses a great eye for detail in the film's icy suburban setting
• i feared momentarily that the film's ending was spiraling into the ordinary, but is saved by Leo's last minute change of mind. this sacrifice isn't presented as self-righteous, but as logical and appropriate. pic ends with a great set piece that offers recollective poignancy

9/great, uninfluenced performance piece (and then some)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona [Woody Allen, 2008]

• Spain has undoubtedly inspired a new (or, revived) type of Allen film, always observing its characters, but with sympathy more than cynicism
• the three central characters, played by Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, and Javier Bardem, are all flawed but captivating characters. Hall, in the only role I've seen from her outside of playing a period character in The Prestige, is wonderful, playing out her indecisions in tangible fashion
• narration is at first off-putting because of Christopher Welch's irritatingly casual tone, but is written beautifully. the connection of the opening and closing narrations perfectly encompass the complexities and simplicities (not in that order) of the picture
• Allen smartly goes to the native Javier Aguirresarobe (Talk to Her) for lensing, capturing the language in characters' eyes as well as Barcelona's streets with equivalent excellence
• Penelope Cruz enters the picture with only about forty minutes to spare, and her presence is immediately felt. all characters are affected and the influence adds so much more to the film. She is both beautiful and detesting, innocently manipulating Johansson with grace
• believe it or not, Vicky is as liberal a film regarding relationships as he's ever made. the hypocrisies of "relationship rules" are broken down quickly through the Americans' culture shock while this free perspective is in turn criticized
• note: in one scene, at dinner with fellow good-intentioned snobs, Hall's husband begins a joke about Indonesian rugs or of such but the audio goes silent while Hall contemplates the dullness of her future. Patricia Clarkson is also adequate in this sense as swiftly adding an element of falling out of love with someone you marry thru boredom

9/classic Allen, updated

In Bruges [Martin McDonagh, 2008]

• In Bruges is a neo-Shakespearian tragicomedy disguised by advertisements as a crime thriller. characters live longer than disbelief can be suspended for, there are contrived coincidences, and a great moment of self-awareness ("don't be stupid. this is the shootout"). trust in the material or allow its effect to be lost on you.
• Colin Farrell finally finds a balance between drama and comedy, forgettably stiff and embarrassingly free. he is often hilarious, managing to be a douchebag, but one we like. Brendan Gleeson is great, especially when his role gets larger in the second half. Jordan Prentice is hysterical.
• i've heard that Americans found this film offensive, which is crazy. most of the best lines come at the expense of such cliche American stereotypes as being fat and getting our ass beat by Vietnam (cleverly flipped in the "Canadian" revelation).
• when Ralph Fiennes arrives in Bruges, the theatrical surrealism begins. characters' voices are no longer restricted by their bodies, fate will be carried out regardless of plausibility. in any other film, Gleeson would have shot down Fiennes from the belfry tower just as he was about to kill Farrell. it's so foggy, though, that it's almost like a fairy tale. Gleeson can't see anything, and instead sacrifices himself on a whim of saving his young friend. the film opens and ends with a monologue, continuing the theatrical theme and smartly concluding in ambiguity of Farrell's fate

8.5/hilarious tragicomedy

The Wackness [Jonathan Levine, 2008]

• props first of all for Levine not beating viewers over the head with its slang or hipness (cheap shot at another Thirlby film?!). i know what purple haze is, and yes, white people do say "peace out" regularly. Nothing over the top.
• the slimmed down Josh Peck gives a good performance, though its Ben Kingsley who, not surprisingly, molds the most interesting character. most of the comedy goes through him and without the comedy, this could have gone seriously wrong.
• soundtrack excellently captures the hip hop influence of '94, but becomes overused to a point; the great "i like my girls brainless.." line would've been a lot better if we weren't beaten over the head with Biggie's music throughout the film. still, it's refreshing to hear an Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Niggaz song in a film that isn't named Belly or Waist Deep.
• tiny roles from Mary Kate Olsen, Method Man and Jane Adams are all memorable. Famke Janssen however is miscast or at least underused, only breaking free in a scene toward the end.
• pic really falls off the map in the last thirty or so minutes, dry out of themes to revisit and instead decides to experiment with drug use for the hell of it. nearly every relationship arc in the pic falls apart here and only Kingsley is around to keep us interested.

6.5/promising premise, confused prestige

Snow Angels [David Gordon Green, 2008]

• '07 Sundance film that didn't see its theatrical release until March (ideally it should've been released around October, the probable and important setting of the pic)
  
• excellently paced, developing characters through short cuts that observe the subtlest bits of behavior, while every once in a while taking a moment to admire the beautifully white town (camerawork a la the great Tim Orr, who's yet to receive Academy appreciation for his talent)
• standout performance belongs to Sam Rockwell, who continues to stack his pile of great performances that (will) ultimately be forgotten come awards season. young thesps Michael Angarano and Olivia Thirlby give wonderfully mature performances in their pivotal role as the only working relationship in the picture
• Angels is most admirable for its refusal to shy away from the emptiest depths of human relationships, and its small town realism. Rockwell's Glenn is probably the most sympathetic character in the movie yet he not only disappoints those around him, but the vi hopeful ewer, too. 
• what could've potentially ranked with George Washington and All the Real Girls, pic disappoints in its last ten minutes once the viewer realizes where its going and how unnecessary it is. really, a near-perfect film up until that point, so its quite disappointing.

8/affecting storytelling

The Bank Job [Roger Donaldson, 2008]

• heist film that's unique in its focus not on the robbery but rather its consequences.
• paints a descriptive picture of the hostility between police, government, and blacks in Britain in the '70s
• serviceable acting around the board, with no real stand-outs save Saffron Burrows looking stunning [probably not difficult, but i digress]. a case for Statham's need to stay across seas is strengthened but alas Transporter 3 hits in November
• first 45 minutes of pic is set-up and probably too much; if you must overbear the viewer with information, you need the pace of Zodiac or All the President's Men. pic's final act is smart and exciting, though
• ending is somewhat ridiculous, or at least queer. if your husband robs a bank and cheats on you in the process, one would hope it'd take more than a couple days to get over it. perhaps if implied she was a gold digger, however...

6.5/sharp, reasonably interesting thriller

Straight Out of Brooklyn [Matty Rich, 1991]

• back on my grizzy, young money where ya at // two tables and a mic tell the dj run it back
• in contrast to the swelteringly hot NYC of Spike Lee's '80s films, Straight Out of Brooklyn puts forth a chilly Red Hook, in the weeks just before snowfall
• directed by Matty Rich, a 19 year old who dropped out of NYU Film after a month, pic is quite obviously low budget and direction is framed more by the heart than the head
• the "plot" of the film is as simple as can be, but only about five of its eighty minutes are concerned with plot. rather, the action of S.O.B. (apt acronym) takes place in character's eyes, between dialogue and in contemplative silence. one impressive scene of many is one in which the kids are getting their gun from an older friend. upon receiving it, Kevin smiles and is satisfied. he's forgotten something, though, and the older man returns with a case of bullets. Kevin's smile disappears momentarily, as he now realizes they might actually need to use the weapon. 
• the film's conclusion seemed inevitable from the start. the money brings much more good than bad, and one is left to imagine what ultimately happens to Dennis and his sister. the film ends perfectly, though, with the message "First things learned are the hardest to forget. Traditions pass from one generation to the next. We need to change." Still applicable today.

8.5/pivotal culture cinema

Close-Up [Abbas Kiarostami, 1990]

• There are perhaps no films that stay with me quite as much as those that challenge genre, audiences, or film itself--and Close-Up manages to accomplish all three.


• Questioning the criteria of what's documentary and what's not, Close-Up is essentially a re-enactment of actual events, mixed with live documentary footage and an artistic shot or two as well.


• What I found most fascinating about Close-Up was its suggestion that filming reality is simply not possible. The main character(?) is asked by the court whether or not he is acting, as the camera is on him. One wonders, though, whether or not this is the documentary footage or a re-enactment?


• In reference to the "artistic shots" mentioned above, there is a rather wonderful long take in which a can is tossed off a pile of garbage by one person, and the camera follows it rolling down the street. Later, another person kicks it in celebration. Not particularly impressive in description but it references Kiarostami's interest in long takes and the rewards one can receive from them.


• Bit with Makhmalbaf at the end is rather affecting, and rather daring [or couldn't it be helped?!] decision to include the footage with constantly interrupted sound due to faulty mic.

10/masterpiece

The Darjeeling Limited [Wes Anderson, 2007]

[spoiler-full]

• Pic begins roughly, much of the material teetering on the edge of self-indulgence more than anything, but loses self-interest once the trio gets off the train for the first time.
• What seems to be going down nearly the exact same path as Life Aquatic makes a dramatic turn for the better when the three jump into the a river to save drowning Indian boys. No coincidence; Brody is the only one who fails to save his child and like with his father, experiences his death first-hand. The funeral that follows goes beyond any Anderson material to date, many silent sequences which include Brody's coming to grips with fatherhood [of which he's about to experience].
• The control freak and brutally honest words of Wilson are reflected by his mother, Huston, but he has not completely followed in his mother's footsteps. Whereas she has run away from her family, Wilson insists on reunion.
• Materialism is an important theme in Darjeeling, ironic considering Anderson's always glossy set pieces. Wilson constantly complains of his expensive clothing being borrowed or stolen, which directly contrasts the simple lives of the Indians. After they're kicked off the Limited, Wilson's laminating machine falls off and breaks--the beginning of the end of their materialism as the Satyajit Ray and Powell/Pressburger elements set in at the Indian boy's funeral.
• This motif is also key to both the beginning and end. Bill Murray races to catch the train but is ultimately weighed down by his large suitcases, and misses the train. The somewhat obvious metaphor of luggage equaling emotional baggage is revealed in the end: the brothers are forced to ditch their suitcases and bags in order to catch their next train. They've successfully let go of the burden of their father's death.
• Who is Bill Murray's character and why is he included both in the beginning and the inspired "curtain call" of minor characters portrayed in train compartments? He's the men's father. Notice the look Brody gives Murray when their racing to the Limited, and remember that he's "looking through his father's glasses." Is it a coincidence that their father was killed by a taxi, and Murray being held up by his taxi in the beginning? I think not. Thus in that important scene when the three brothers and their mother "communicate without words," Brody is imagining Murray as having made the train--a sense of closure.
• Cinematography is top notch especially a poignant scene towards the end when Schwartzman stacks rocks upon a feather in a pyramid structure. The camera pulls away to imply that the three are in fact that little stone on top of the enormous mountain: the world doesn't revolve around them.
• Probably the best soundtrack of the year, Darjeeling combines The Kinks' "Strangers" The Rolling Stones' "Play With Fire" with original scores from Satyajit Ray pics. Music is a staple in dramatic Anderson scenes and he continues to choose his songs perfectly.

8/great

Syndromes and a Century [Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2007]

• split into halves like the previous Tropical Malady--but a significant improvement upon the style. Whereas Malady's second half was a brilliant idea drawn out for the sake of equidistance, Syndromes elaborates on its first half completely. We receive the opportunity to watch the same characters at the same age in two hospitals, one forty years earlier and the latter present day. The effects of modernization are subtle, implying both growth and reluctance [portrayed most in a scene in which a doctor replies with silence to the proposal of moving into a futuristic urban business center with his girlfriend].
• The sound, as in Malady, stands out. The film is mostly scored by birds chirping and the wind blowing through trees, but a slow love song that helps bridge the two narratives [or lackthereof] is especially affecting.
• The visuals of both nature and city life are astounding, the camera working in long takes both static and wandering. In the beginning, the camera wanders away from its characters and rests upon an open field, a more interesting subject to Weerasethakul. Later, a woman stares into the camera while a colleague attempts a spiritual healing method on a patient. With her long direct eye contact, the nurse seems to demand viewers to follow the instructions as well.
• The ending suggests further advancement in time; the small aerobic class of 40 years earlier performed static stretches, then in the second half a now larger class jogged down the halls, and then finally in the last shot, a group of fifty or so people perform caffeinated dance moves to a hyperactive techno track.

Experimental stuff is never easy. Let me dwell on it.

Lars and the Real Girl [Craig Gillespie, 2007]

• modern day fable balances sentimentality and comedy well, never indulging itself in too many sex jokes or emotionally manipulative climaxes
• screenplay is incredibly basic and unpretentious: everyday language and characters familiar to small town residents [such as myself]
• Gosling escapes into the title role, playing Lars intimately in a role radically different than that in Half Nelson or Fracture. Paul Schneider and Emily Mortimer, especially, are fantastic in supporting turns. Patricia Clarkson is gorgeous as always and Kelli Garner shines in her dorky role.
• use of Talking Heads' "This Must Be the Place" is wonderful; David Torn's musical score is exceptional in the bowling scenes, and the ending.

7.5/very good

Lust, Caution [Ang Lee, 2007]

Because paragraphs are overrated...

• standout debut performance from Wei Tang, she pulls off seduction, sympathy, guilt and mystery effortlessly; per usual exceptional perf from Tony Leung, creating an intimidating, complex character
• I never lost interest in its 160 minute running time, but the plot did lollygag a bit
• The sex scenes are indeed the film's best moments. Intensely shot by Rodrigo Prieto, intercourse likely wasn't simulated. The passion is tangible.
• Ending seems a bit rushed, but the scenes preceding it are the best besides the Lust ones.

8/great

Strangers on a Train [Alfred Hitchcock, 1951]

Released in 1951, Strangers on a Train was a rebound from more forgettable films such as Stage Fright and Under Capricorn. Hitchcock wastes no time developing his two title characters with a clever opening: Guy's plain black pants and shoes are contrasted by Bruno's striped slacks and spotted shoes in continuous shots.. Our protagonist is the rather plain, even boring, tennis star played by Farley Granger, who looks like a bit of a young James Stewart stand-in. The owner of the flamboyant wardrobe is Robert Walker's Bruno, who looks uncannily like Robert Mitchum.

The movie quickly becomes an analysis of obsession, led by Walker's powerhouse performance that seems to have in fact influenced Mitchum's in Night of the Hunter. As usual, Hitchcock invents new ways to heighten suspense, including the brilliant use of glasses to reflect an image. However, some of it doesn't quite work: the would-be nail biting tennis match nearly kills the suspense for a while until the climax on one of the best set pieces I've yet see Hitchcock use: a carousel.

Overall, I wouldn't quite put Strangers on a Train up with pictures like The 39 Steps or Shadow of a Doubt but would compare it to the success of The Lady Vanishes. Still, "above average" Hitchcock is better than most directors' magnum opi [I think I made that word up].

8/great

Contempt [Jean-Luc Godard, 1963]

I don't think my radically different impressions of the two Godard [the other being Breathless]films I've now seen are owed completely to difference in quality. I probably would have reacted the same to Contempt two years ago, so I'll credit both experience and education in terms of film as to why I'm so incredibly impressed at this picture's depth--and greatness.

As much as my enlightenment and love for film has grown, I must admit there was still so much that went over my head here. I'm rather proud of myself to say I immediately realized the following: while essentially a film about filming an unfilmable story, Godard instead allegorically adapts The Odyssey, the temptation of movies being the Trojan War. There are also a slew of Greek references throughout; one I picked up on was Paul's wearing of his towel like a toga. Another example, which I unfortunately didn't connect, was Prokosch's tossing of film cans like Olympic discusses.

The more I've read about Contempt since finishing it, the more impressed I've been. Godard uses several techniques to imply that the main couple in fact represents himself and his wife (Anna Karina). And from what I've read about the man, and seen (Breathless), you'd be surprised to see Godard take the woman's side of a marital strife, which is just what he does here. The second act of the film that, using long static tracking shots and quick edits, implies real time, is the film's peak as far as greatness goes. Paul's insecurities provoke Camille's psychological playfulness, until Paul's paranoia causes Camille to actually become what he had feared.

Contempt is so richly complex, not to mention visually breathtaking, that I could keep going for a long time, but would be largely borrowing from other more studious observers. That being said, I have taken on a radically new view of Godard, and can't wait to see more of his works.

10/masterpiece