2007 Film List

Re: 2007 Film List

Eh... I fet the same way about that one. A relative "meh".

About your recent screenings:

The Passion of Joan of Arc probably tops the list of best movies that I never want to see again.

I feel the same way about these movies. I hadn't seen Frankenstein and Bride "thereof" at the time either but I doubt it would have made a difference.

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H

Re: 2007 Film List

Passion is a beautiful film, masterful direction. I've watched it several times and enjoyed it each time. It and Sunrise are signs of how silent films were just peaking when sound rolled through.


The Simpsons
7.5 of 10
I got enough laughs out of it and thought the story was decent enough to enjoy it, but I was disappointed for the most part. Too many misses, not enough clever humor, at least to be the best of what The Simpsons can and has been. I'd prefer to watch 2 hours of season 4 or something. I suppose I'll buy the DVD. Too bad this wasn't what it could have been.

Stardust
9 of 10
The Princess Bride comparison is pretty good, except the humor is reduced. But it's inventive, lightly romantic and full of tons of varied settings. At worst it might be a little stiff in spots, hardly enough to detract from enjoying the film though. The characters are likeable, Gervais is hilarious in his small part and the fantasy logic all comes off as pretty sound despite being more outrageous than Potter's world.

It also seems to hide the adult humor enough to remain family friendly I think. As a non-parent I can't say for sure but it never stuck me as overt or blue. The natural comparison is to the latest Potter film and on that count I thought this was definitely better (I enjoyed Potter 5 too).

Re: 2007 Film List

I gave it a full 2 points for the last shot alone!

Re: 2007 Film List

Superbad
8.5 of 10
Similar in plot and humor as Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin (including having sex in order to get good at it for when it matters), the film falls just short of those 2. The raunch didn't bother me but it was over the top and unhelpful in many instances. What makes it a great comedy is the strong blend of outrageous situations and truly sincere emotions behind the lead characters, again similar to the 2 previous films.

The result can best be described as a quality version of American Pie or a 2000's version of the classic "one night as a teenager" formula comedy. Seth Rogen again steals the show along the way.

Re: 2007 Film List

Chris,
I did laugh at the last shot of NxNW. Hysterical.

A new one:

Ali
Enthralling and fantastic to look at, the film never really explores the subject or the times too deeply. I understand the criticisms, but I still found it fairly powerful. I thought Will Smith was good, if not spectacular. The filmmaking was top-notch. Some outstanding sequences. And the boxing bouts were incredible. 8/10

Re: 2007 Film List

Across the Universe - 9 of 10

There are four films opening this weekend that I want to see, and I managed to work in this one, I may catch up with the others during the week.


Across the Universe is a terrific film. It's not just a blend of songs in an extended music video, as some feared, there is a real story involved here and it develops the characters beautifully through song and their interrelationships and dialogue. Standouts include I Wanna Hold your Hand, I Get by with a little help from my friends, I've just seen a Face, Let it Be, I am the Walrus, For the Benefit of Mr. Kite (omg!), While my Guitar Gently Weeps, Blackbird, Hey Jude, and All you Need is love, but the many other songs used or referenced in the films are quite brilliant. I think only one song fell flat for me, and I can barely remember which one it was (there are a TON of numbers. The choreography and design of the film are nothing short of sensational, but it'll piss off some people (like my brother) that can't stand anything wildly out of place with reality (which the film only does occasionally with some of the design elements which have the flavor of theatre to them).

I really want to see this film again if only because the reworking of I want to hold your hand and Let it Be (my two favorites in the film) are so incredibly fucking good as to almost be new songs, it doesn't replace the beatles originals, by any means, but instead illustrates how versatile and powerful their art truly is to be open and enriched by new interpretations.

I really want to see it again, best movie about/involving music since Almost FAmous, and since that's a top ten film for me, that's high praise indeed, after one viewing I wouldn't go putting this in my top hundred, but it's definitely under consideration, and there's room for improvement. I spotted what I felt were about two, maybe three cuts where numbers were abruptly shortened--I very much want to see the full original cut Taymor delivered, so I'm hoping for an extended version on dvd.

I cannot get the sound of Bono's I Am the Walrus out of my head, or the visuals of for the benefit of Mr Kite (and Izzard's GENIUS performance of it) clear from my minds eye. Those were incredible.

A short run down on the story. Jude is from England, the bastard child of a US serviceman he's never met, he quits his Yards job and heads for America to meet him, where he's a Princeton janitor. Max is a disaffected Princeton student, who isn't a very good student, his younger sister Lucy is still in high school (something the movie seems to forget), and when Jude runs into Max they hit it off, and Jude and Lucy fall hard for each other. meanwhile, they head to New York, where their landlady, Sadie, a nightclub singer, gives them a bargain apartment. Also converging on this spot of real estate is Jimi, (I honestly can't remember what his name is 'supposed' to be, it's easier simply to call him Jimi--because that's who he is), leaving Chicago (I think, maybe Atlanta) after his little brother was killed in a riot, and to top things off, one evening Prudence comes in through the bathroom window to escape the man she'd been shacking up with. Right about this time Ken Kesey (Bono) and his magical mystery tour shows up, just as Sadie is about to get a record deal, Lucy arrives to live with Jude and Max in NYC and Max gets his drafted letter (since he dropped out), they taste the koolaid and trip it all the way out in the country to Mr Kite/Leary (Eddie Izzard). They make their way back to NYC, and as Jude continues to drift, Lucy starts getting all righteous and radical. Things tumble and converge and develop from there quite naturally, the film is immensely fun, and a lovely story to boot, the use of the songs is superb, and almost always successful.

Re: 2007 Film List

Hey Chuck, I'm not dissuading your participation here, but I wanted to make sure you know that this is the 2007 Films list, not Track the Films You Watched. I'm fine with you still commenting on these other films, especially since it kicks off some discussion among the few of us that hang here, but in the end you might try to mark 2007 films different from new viewings of older films ala the Track thread.

At first I thought a new film called Ali was on the radar. And I do love that film for Mann's style. I think it was a little underappreciated. Foxx and Mann are a great pairing so far.

Hot Fuzz
8.5 of 10
To be honest the rating was running a bit lower than this simply because the sarcasm is laid on so thick that it's easy to mistake the film for being somewhat sincere in it's action aspects. I thought it was light parody but with a more serious underlying story until the final 20 minutes roughly. At that point it got so silly that I realize the whole thing had been in no way serious. The quick editing was more referential than I realized, the situations, the whole thing.

It might seem like "well duh" in terms of a moment of insight but it's consistant with some reviews I saw except that it never did hit some reviewers I think. I think the issue is that the lead role is played very serious here with little room for comedy, but that this is in fact the joke. Instead of being serious in mind but foolish in action, here the parody plays it tight to the joke and has him serious in action as well. He's made fun of, but it's by fools who don't know better.

Only at the end did I really get that joke and then reflected on just how heavily referential the whole thing had been all along; I started identifying all the differnet cop flick scenes it had used (beyond the Point Break and Bad Boys references that it clearly presented). That bumped the score up a bit, and from that view I think a 2nd screening would be funnier to me.

Re: 2007 Film List

I absolutely screwed up that connotation between the threads. I was just throwing everything in here. I'll get in the right threads from here on out.

I'll put Syriana in the other thread, and the right film in this one.

The Kingdom - 8/10
I had high hopes for this one, so I took in the sneak preview on Saturday night. It's decent, and above average for a Hollywood thriller. But at it's heart, it's pretty much only a well-done Hollywood techno-thriller. Good performances by the major players, solid direction from Berg, and an OK script. It does have an incredible title sequence, one of the better ones I have seen. I do recommend the film, but it's more standard than you expect. With a few surprises.

Re: 2007 Film List

Away From Her - 8 of 10

Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent are superb in this film about seperation enforced by a nursing home and the startling rapid progression of alzheimers. Sarah POlley does an outstanding directing job, the film is far more compelling and watchable than the relatively slight story would suggest, a very intimate film that is finely put together.

Re: 2007 Film List

Forgot to add No End in Sight

A bleak, unflinching look at the conduct of the war in Iraq. The doc does not question the decision to go to war, rather, posits that the current quagmire is a result of a series of bad decisions by the Powers That Be. Interviewees are almost exclusively administration officials and military brass who were on board at the beginning, and have since become disillusioned with the realization that the war was being run from the very top by a handful of clueless ideologues stubbornly blind and deaf to the advice of their subordinates on the ground. The rest of the interviewees are a couple of soldiers and Iraqi civilians. With perhaps the exception of the latter, there were no anti-war interviewees that I can recall. This is a point worth making, lest this thing be lumped with the more partisan and inflammatory treatments of the subject matter.

While there is little here in terms of big picture that will surprises news junkies, the thoughtful analysis and poignant interviews from insiders will shed a new chilling perspective onto old facts and highlight the deadly mix of naiveté and incompetence which lead to the title of the feature.

Of note is Philip Glass's haunting score which serves further to elevate the material beyond what you would see on PBS.

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H

Re: 2007 Film List

Once - 8 of 10

It's clear to see why this film has been such a critical darling, it has wonderful music and a lovely romantic story, but the leads aren't terribly compelling and the story is kind of slight, so it's saved by the excellent direction and standout music. I wasn't the biggest fan of the photography, it felt on the fly and cheap, even though this is a film about downtrodden folks playing roughshod music it could have used a little more polish, and while I know women that will melt at the abandoned-and-wounded-puppy-look perpetually on Glen Hanssard's face, a little variation in his face and demeanor would have helped the film tremendously.

I was very annoyed that the barnes and noble next to the theater didn't have a music section, I would have bought the soundtrack.

Re: 2007 Film List

Blades of Glory
5 of 10
Just not that well directed or written. Ferrell is still great, by far the best part of the film, but otherwise this is Beerfest or Balls of Fury or any number of other "sports" comedies that neither get the sport nor really know what exactly they want to parody. There are some really funny bits, thus the 5 for entertainment value, but this is well below even the chaotic everything-and-the-kitchen-sink Anchorman as an overall film. Maybe 2nd half of Old School at best.

Re: 2007 Film List

Once in a Lifetime (2006 film...sorry Seth!)

If you love the Beautiful Game, or good documentaries, you must see this. An absolutely enthralling documentary about the New York Cosmos and the North American Soccer League of the late 70s/early 80s.

Nearly brought me to tears when Pele retires, and also at the end when you see how soccer came oh so close to achieving mainstream status in American sports, but ultimately came up short.

9/10

Re: 2007 Film List

Eastern Promises - 9 of 10

Excellent film from Cronenberg, with an outstanding performance from Mortenson. Probably the best knife fight in the history of film. And the photography and script were excellent.

There's such a glut of promising/interesting films in theatres in LA right now I have a very hard time choosing what to see.

Re: 2007 Film List

In the Valley of Elah - 7 of 10

This film is stellar for about 90% of its runtime, a great murder mystery with solid central performances and an excellent supporting cast, but the wrap up and resolution of the murder feels out of tempo with the rest of the film. There's also a bit with the flag that is particularly annoying. This is a case where we're told too much, and the confession scene should simply have been cut and written around, because while it's conceivably quite real, it doesn't feel like part of the story, doesn't seem true to what we've already been through--and that makes it feel especially unrealistic and frustrating.

Re: 2007 Film List

Bumped Eastern Promises up to a 9 of 10, that film sticks with you and gets better the more you think about it.

Re: 2007 Film List

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - 9 of 10

A darn near perfect film, until it sort of loses steam in the denoument, which is still quite elegant and in keeping with the rest of the film.

Stunning photography and terrific performances all around. The accents are spot on perfect, and Canada does a convincing job of standing in for Northwestern Missouri. Beautifully told and all around a great movie.

Frank and Jesse James are living legends in America, more famous than Mark Twain, they embody the spirit of rebellion dying across the country with the taming of the west, the rise of vertical and horizontal monopolies and the exorcism of the Confederacy. Bob Ford has been enamored with their exploits since he was a young boy, and now, with all of their gang arrested or dead, the James Brothers round up a bunch of rural ruffians to pull one last train job. Bob's brother, Charlie is one of those roughnecks, too far north to be a baldknobber, and long before the Klan, he's just a good ole boy looking for a fun time and a chance to get ahead, and he brings his brother along on the job.

Bob is offputting, he's got a funny way of speaking, and an intense gaze that doesn't know when to look away. He soaks in everything, and as Frank James says, 'you give me the willies.' But Jesse is only amused by the boy's hero worship, and when the James boys scatter the rest of the gang, Jesse keeps him around for an extra day or two to help out. As things deteriorate and the law closes in Jesse gets more paranoid, Bob gets more frustrated with his life, and James gang member Dick Liddle, a southern gentleman and womanizer in the Doc Holliday mold, gets mixed up with the James' cousins. Jesse stalks those he thinks might have betrayed him, bringing them into an intimate fold that is surprising in how enveloping it is at inducing terror and awe in his compatriots.

Casey Affleck is outstanding as Bob Ford, and Brad Pitt is excellent as James, and Paul Shneider's Dick Liddle is an superb foil to both men. Sam Rockwell completely disappears into Chalie Ford, you completely believe this is a man a little less clever, but with strong street sense, who is simply out of his depth in the game that Bob and Jesse are playing, and simply trying not to drown.


Sequence after sequence are elegant and breathtaking, playing out a perfect tempo and leading into the next logical progression of the story, even though very little actual story is told. This is a story of character and relationships more than it is of events, and the tension that builds in the titular scene is quite spectacular. Because the denoument is so unsatisfying in real life in comparison to the the real life exploits of the James brothers and the build up to Jesse's death, it iss also somewhat an unsatisfying conclusion here as well--but it also feels completely right and true to the story.

Not quite a masterpiece but an outstanding film nonetheless.

Re: 2007 Film List

Into the Wild - 6.5 of 10

Great photography, fascinating story, fabulous acting, interesting editing. the director was too close to the actors for my taste though, every scene with people and dialogue is almost always shot with the camera cutting off the hair and the chin. This works for the first scene in the diner, but it's very tiresome after a while. And the photographic method used to get into Alexander's head, is to shoot him that close looking mysterious, or looking at the world in awe.


Warning Spoiler! Click to show

Adam

Re: 2007 Film List

Adam, I like your reading of McCandless and mostly agree. Btw, he was in Alaska from April to August. Even he was was not dumb enough to try that stunt in the winter .



--
H

Re: 2007 Film List

Death At A Funeral - 3.5 -4

I'm amazed I've seen no discussion thread of this movie.

I wondered if it would be as funny as reviews said, and indeed it was. I laughed out loud more during this film than I have at any comedy in years. I enjoyed this much more than Knocked Up or Superbad, the latter of which was indeed funny. I'm sorry, but the sexual angst of teenage guys just goes so far for so long with me.

DAAF is a very different kettle of fish. Frank Oz directs a stellar cast of Brits and a couple of Yanks in this indie farce by relative newcomer Dean Craig. True to form, it takes a little time for the set up, for the characters to be introduced and for the various dilemmas to be developed. But once it gets rolling it keeps building and piling up laughs to a riotous climax. The fun of farce is not to keep hitting you with surprises - despite the twists you will likely anticipate what's coming...but therein lies the beauty of the thing, the getting there is more than half the fun and Oz knows how to deliver the payoffs to his various plots.

This movie would never have worked had it been set in the US. But set in an English country home during the wake of the family patriarch, the characters' desperation and futile attempts to hold the lid on the mahem are very funny indeed. Stiff upper lips will not be enough to get anyone through this day. Anyone who's been to a disastrous family gathering will appreciate the humour, which ranges from dry (not so much) to outrageous (lots and lots).

The 13 member ensemble cast is the star here, but special kudos must go to Matthew Macfadyen (nearly unrecognizable from Mr. Darcy or MI-5) as the responsible, thirty-something nebish son trying to give his father a dignified send-off while keeping wife Keely Hawes happy, an hysterical Alan Tudyk (Serenity, 3:10 to Yuma) as the solitor fiance who takes a mislabeled valium (in fact a desifner drug halucinogen) to calm his nerves and ends us sans clothing on the roof, Daisy Donovan as his long-suffering intended, Andy Nyman as a panicky hypochronriac and Peter Dinklage as a mysterious guest with a revelation about dear old dad...a secret he'll be glad to keep quiet in exchange for...

...you'll have to find out for yourself.

I had so much fun at this flick I saw it twice in theaters. It'll be the first recent comedy DVD I'll uby in a long long time. It's still playing at some art houses and opens in Canada this week. See it while you can - it's moer fun with an audience. The theater I saw it in had about 2/3 full house - it inspired a spontaneous round of applause at the end.

Oh, and stay for the first part of the end credits, where the actors are introduced in short individual outtakes.

Re: 2007 Film List

Well, I just had the best movie weekend I've had in a long time. Saw 4 films, the least of which was Elizabeth: The Golden Age, which was, shall we say, overripe, but entertaining nonetheless. But the other three are almost certain to make my top 10 at the end of the year:

Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton, is a astonishingly assured directoral debut, and is about as good as mainstream Hollywood filmmaking gets.

Sean Penn's Into The Wild is a bit sloppy at times, and perhaps holds its subject in a bit too high esteem, but Penn's passion for the material is unmistakeable. This and a boatload of great performances make for a fascinating & ultimately moving experience.

As good as the above two were, Andrew Dominick's The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford was the best of the weekend, and is, IMHO, a masterpiece. How good is it? Let's say it actually earns its ponderous title. Career-best work from Brad Pitt & Casey Affleck (both Oscar-worthy) anchor a perfect cast. And of course, another brilliant piece of work from the great cinematographer Roger Deakins, who simply HAS to win the Oscar this time. I will accept no other outcome.

Re: 2007 Film List

Michael Clayton - 8 of 10

Extremely solid film that is beautifully made and photographed. Excellent at all levels, Tom Wilksonson and George Clooney are especial standouts. I was not as impressed with Tilda Swinton, but I think the script holds us back from really understanding her character better. That and her face is so unappealing, not the nicest thing to say, but it's how I feel, Meryl Streep would have been phenomenal in the role but would have overwhelmed it. Susan Sarandon would have been perfect.


Clooney has a really incredible moment with his son after they encounter his washed up brother Tim, possibly the best thing in the entire film, and if he gets nominated, will be the clip they use for the oscars. Superb.

Michael Clayton is a janitor--a fixer--for a major NYC law firm. This lawfirm is defending a agrigiant whose name is not Monsanto. not-monsanto's weed killer that is not Round up is the subject of a class action lawsuit representing hundreds of people for 3 billion. Tom Wilkonson is the lawyer/janitor that has been heading the case for NYC firm for the last 6 years. He's manic depressive and he's just discovered some evidence that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that not-monsanto willfully distributed a product they knew to be especially disasterous to human health. he goes off his meds and has an episode during the deposition of one of the defendents who he's grown attached too. Tilda Swinton is not-monsanto's chief lawyer, and interfaces with the NYC firm. Michael Clayton is brought in to clean things up, but Swinton is worried that he may be just as untrustworthy as Wilkonson.

Re: 2007 Film List

I've got to agree with Craig re Jesse James, that movie really really sticks with you. I'm tempted to see it a second time in theatres, and I may very well do that. I only rated it a 9 but it may be better than that. if there was one drawback it's that there was a tad too much overnarration.

One interesting thing about the narrator, he's either the editor or assistant editor. Editor's and AEs routinely temp in all the narration for shows and films themselves, that they liked the superb narration in the rough cut so much says a lot that it remained in the final product, an unusual circumstance reminescent of the temp score for 2001 becoming the final release product.

Re: 2007 Film List

I second the praise for the title sequence...it mesmerized me.

Re: 2007 Film List

Was entertained yet disappointed with Elizabeth but liked Across The Universe. Not that interested with Rendition anymore. Just think there's an overload of midde-eastern related movies coming out and they all seem to have the same Hollywood anti-war message.

Re: 2007 Film List

Caught The Darjeeling Limited last night as my excuse to check out the Coolidge Corner theater. Easily the best first viewing of a Wes Anderson picture that I've ever had, but probably the one with the least to offer in subsequent viewings. (I skipped the Life Aquatic, which trusted sources told me had little to offer period.) This movie is worth seeing for the cinematography alone. Yeoman's vibrant, anamorphic technicolor cinematography is probably my favorite work of his career. And the film has my favorite opening of the year.

Re: 2007 Film List

Couple of quick reviews:

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: 10/10. Haunting, mesmerizing, perfectly paced, wonderfully acted, beautifully shot and scored, it really is one of, if not the, best film I've seen this year.

Rendition: 8/10. Just so-so. Nothing really to get excited about...nothing about the film stood out to me. Gyllenhal and Witherspoon seemed a bit wasted in their roles. And, of course, the treatment of rendition was shallow.

We Are Marshall: 7.5/10. A decent script marred by some truly jarring editing decisions. There is a good, solid 9/10 film somewhere on the editing room floor, I think. It does pull at your heart strings, but one minute I'm crying and the next minute I'm scratching my head over the editing.

Re: 2007 Film List

Added the following from this and last week:

(stars out of 4)

Michael Clayton
Much gushing in the discussion thread.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
A powerful film that conjured up some emotions that I don't quite know what to make of. Will take some time to fully sink in. But I am not looking forward to a revisit -- not sure I want to feel that way again. Affleck's performance is the best I've seen all year. I wonder if the studio will sell it as lead or supporting. I vote for lead.

Lars and the Real Girl
If you can buy into the immensely silly premise (and accept that everyone in the film does as well), you will have a good time. I did. The lead is peculiarly endearing. Gosling continues to impress. And Bianca is hot.

Gone Baby Gone
Whoa. "astonishingly assured debut" indeed. Craig S used that expression to describe Michael Clayton but I am even more impressed by this utterly engrossing police-ish drama. This was adapted from a book by the author of Mystic River. IMO this is the superior film (I only did see the excellent Mystic River once. I guess a revisit is in order).

Ben Affleck needs to quit acting and just direct full time. What's funny is that I would take the two Cassey flicks that I saw recently (Jesse James and GBG) over Ben's entire filmography (30 or so flicks) if it weren't for Chasing Amy, Good Will Hunting, Changing Lanes and perhaps Forces of Nature.

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H

Re: 2007 Film List

Southland Tales - 2 of 10

Wow. Incredibly bad, I'm not sure if Kelly was going for Rocky Horror type of a film. I know there are funny bits and good lines where I definitely laughed, but the film is so random and haphazard and herky jerky from moment to moment and scene to scene that it never establishes any consistency it just gets more and more pathetic as it goes on and on (and on) until you're praying for the film to hurry up and end. Kelly provides a self-pastiche in a way that is more than a little sad and quite pathetic, actually.

Boxer Santorous is confused. he's a movie star, married to the daughter of a texas senator and he's writing a screenplay that he wants to be his directorial debut.

That's the most coherent the film ever gets, and that is only coherent because that paragraph is exemplary sample of the dialogue in the film. And you get about ten people in the film to say that particular bit of character description throughout the film so it's really hammered home.

The rest is simply horrid. Randomness about homeland security, time travel, new sources of power, a mega-zepplin, post traumatic stress, porn stars, and neo marxists. None of it is very well pulled off though it's all intricately tied together. Boxer is writing his screenplay with a porn star turned reality/parishiltonesque retail line star who is working for the neo marxists some of whom are working for the silly-costumed neo power moguls who may or may not be working for said texas senator (who is running for president) and they're all stabbing each other in the back as the neo power mogul tries to bring his ocean power plant online and also launch his megazepplin ship.

Did I mention this is incoherent? Man is it bad. Fans of Ed Wood should make an effort to see this.

Re: 2007 Film List

I attended the Boston critics' screening of Juno Thursday. I'm almost sorry I accepted the free T-shirt, because that suggests they bought my four stars and they definitely did not. It's got a very similar vernacular to movies like Napoleon Dynamite and Ghost World, but the characters are much more relatable. Ellen Page deserves Oscar consideration for her performance in the lead and Michael Cera, Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons all do really terrific work. Like His Girl Friday, the dialog moves at a rapid (almost impossible) speed and throws delightful surprises to the audience with regular abandon. The characters are far more likable though. I could see this being a breakout hit in the same vein as Little Miss Sunshine if the dialog doesn't scare the masses away.