12. The American
The first assassin film I’ve seen that is paced languidly and evenly rather than hyperactively. And it works so well because this is not a plot-driven story, it’s completely character-driven and everything, from the camera to the editing, reflects the character’s personality and demeanor. Even with the steadier pace, it still manages to be as heart-stopping as any action movie but in addition, we have so many beautiful shots (thanks to the Italian scenery) and framing (thanks to Anton Corbijn, the director, primarily being a still photographer). I loved the scenes of Jack building and enhancing his rifle- seeing his dextrous, assured craft and hearing the metal parts being connected. George Clooney plays it muted and ascetic, which comes off as deeply complex, rather than just looking tough and angry.
11. Exit Through The Gift Shop
Banksy does to the documentary film what he does to other conventional art forms like paintings and sculptures- he respectfully follows the formula to the tee while adding a prankster’s flippant smirk and wink. Whether it’s real or not, Banksy pulled off another art form and still made it his own, all while saying something significantly daring about the nature of art and its ridiculous paradoxes.
10. Carlos (3-part miniseries version)
At 5 and a half hours, the portrayal of Carlos the Jackal, one of the world’s most notorious terrorists, is extensive, thorough, drawn out, and not one minute of it felt unnecessary. The film reveals his successes and failures, his highest highs and lowest lows, as we follow him through all his pursuits, both political and personal. I love how it spans nearly the entire globe (there are a total of 8 languages and Edgar Ramirez speaks 4 of them himself!) and it just feels so massive in scope and size, while remaining a single character study.
9. The Fighter
What a performance Christian Bale gives. This was the same guy that had a frog stuck in his throat while wearing a black cowl? Talk about embodying the role- every inch of him is Dickie and really, the movie belongs to him (sorry Mark). What really strikes me is that Mickey’s battles are actually not in the ring, they’re at home with his family. That’s the heart of the drama, of the story, and that’s what makes all the difference for this boxing movie.
8. 127 Hours
Leave it to Danny Boyle to come up with the most inventive ways of telling the story of one man in one place, who happens to be stuck underneath a boulder. Boyle pulls out a lot of tricks but doesn’t go so overboard that it starts to feel gimmicky. Every stylistic choice (and there are many, considering the limited content) serves the story and draws us right into Aron Ralston’s experience in both his physical constraint and his emotional rollercoaster. An awesome performance from James Franco who holds nothing back.
7. Black Swan
Another film from Darren Aronofsky that is about an obsessiveness to the point of self-destruction. With this one, Nina is so engrossed with the ballet that her and her life start becoming the art itself and all the film’s elements come together to push that theme along. There’s Natalie Portman’s fearless performance, there’s Matthew Libatique’s roaming and of course, balletic, camera, and there’s Aronofsky’s direction- it’s a great return to dark subjective filmmaking since “Requiem For a Dream” except this time it’s in the vein of Roman Polanski. There’s also some great sound design (all the subtle laughing tracks dispersed throughout) and Clint Mansell’s terrific interpolation of Tchaikovsky’s score.
6. Shutter Island
Another display of extraordinary filmmaking and craftsmanship from Martin Scorsese. Were it another director, it would have just been a campy, predictable, and tired B-movie. But in the capable hands of Scorsese, he elevates it to high art with mood, atmosphere, and really great performances from the whole cast. I love the reveal at the end and I love the entire build up to it.
5. Inception
Christopher Nolan has become great at making highly entertaining blockbuster films with actual brains. And this one demands your mind to work as much as it is a popcorn flick. I really like that Nolan’s challenging moviegoers to be more active in their viewing rather than just be passive seat-fillers. So much investment, care, and precision was put into this action thriller, which is a genre usually made more sloppily and carelessly. I mean, the entire climax lasts for over an hour and it is consistently climactic all throughout.
4. True Grit
Another year, another Coen Brothers film in my top films list. This one is as riveting, involving, and heart-warming as a beautifully written hymn- which fill the beautiful piano-centered score. It has an old-fashioned feel without being antiquated. The overall ensemble cast is definitely the best of the year- they all disappear into their roles, especially Jeff Bridges who always feels like Rooster Cogburn, not Jeff Bridges playing Rooster Cogburn. The Coen Brothers have a very pure and distinct visual style but they also have a magnificent ear. The dialogue is musical in how its written, layered, and delivered. And there’s a whole lot of dialogue. These two brothers are too good at what they do and I hope they keep doing it for many more years.
3. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
I thought Watchmen was the most faithful adaptation of a graphic novel, but here Edgar Wright comes to prove me wrong. This film is the most faithful adaptation, not just of a graphic novel, but of any book, that I’ve ever seen. It somehow captures the exact tone of Brian Lee O’Malley’s drawings. Wright even managed to encapsulate the videogaming, pop culture-saturated, geeky contemporary culture. The movie is an extravaganza of visual fireworks (fight scenes, Wright’s signature swooshing cameras and cuts, brilliant color palette, vibrant costumes) and stunning sound (the AWESOME soundtrack by Beck, Broken Social Scene, Metric, and Nigel Godrich, the videogame sound effects). This is a movie that appeals and speaks directly to my generation. And it is endlessly rewatchable because it is packed with so much.
2. The Social Network
David Fincher, Aaron Sorkin, and the stellar cast make this true life story (albeit with embellishments) remarkably exciting and engaging. The dense dialogue-heavy script pulls you in rather than detracts and the meticulous direction moves the story dynamically rather than making it a boring, painstaking affair. Think about the scene when Mark first comes upon the idea of Facemash and codes the html while blogging- what is really an arduous and boring process that requires careful attention to detail with constant trial and error is turned into a thrilling joyride that is paced like a heist scene with all of its dramatic turns and twists. The way this scene is so skillfully done is telling of the entire film that runs at a lean 2 hours. Not even to mention the portrayal of characters’ motivations and deep insight into their psyche, insecurities, ambition, and hunger for status. It is an epochal film that marks the turn of the century in terms of our internet culture and changing world.
1. Mother
I love watching genre films. I love them because genres require a strict adherence to rules and forms- restrictions that really test an artist’s skill because they force you to be imaginative, creative, and think outside of the box to avoid tired cliches and predictability. It’s really the films that break convention and flip the genre on its head that achieve something special. And Bong Joon-Ho has become a master at flipping genres around and bending them to suit his own tastes. He’s done the monster movie (“The Host”), the crime procedural (“Memories of Murder”), and now he’s done the mystery/thriller. But everything about “Mother” screams iconoclasm. From casting a middle-aged woman as the protagonist, the least likely star in a thriller to the way the plot unfolds. Even after seeing so many movies with twist endings, this one still had me guessing all the way up to the very end, which left my jaw wide open. What I love about Bong-joon Ho is the way he totally messes with audience’s expectations. He understands that after seeing so many movies, the audience is used to the same old hints and can guess that certain scenes or cinematic flourishes will always point to a certain outcome or hidden plot point. But he takes those expectations and uses them against us to completely surprise and shock us. And he doesn’t do it in spite of the genres, he does it in honor of them. The way he switches tone, from comedy to dark thriller, is a marvel to watch, sometimes doing it within a single scene, with the mood shifting at a hairpin turn. Won Bin, pretty-faced drama star, is almost unrecognizable as a mentally handicapped and naive man-child and Kim Hye Ja plays her role like she was born for the part.
Notable films:
The Town - Ben Affleck scores another one with this solid action/drama. He understands that in order to make a great action movie, you need great characters with depth, and everyone is fantastic, especially Jeremy Renner who embodies his role with brutal force.
Micmacs - Whimsical, imaginative, and creative. The color palette, the weird idiosyncratic characters, and the playful scenarios make it the spiritual sequel to Amelie, this time focusing on a family, rather than a single character.
I Saw The Devil - The violence in this is downright operatic (though yes, gratuitous and excessive) while waxing philosophic on the nature of vengeance, evil, and insanity. It’s kinda like Picasso’s “Guernica” in that it shows brutal carnage with technical and artistic virtuosity. Both Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik show why they carry such devastating screen presences.
How To Train Your Dragon - Breathtaking flight scenes and lovely relationship development between Hiccup and Toothless.
Favorite Male Lead Performance: Jeff Bridges in “True Grit” - just watch the way he gets out of bed, it is a masterful performance filled with subtle nuances.
Favorite Male Supporting Performance: Christian Bale in “The Fighter” - that last pep talk he gives to Mickey in the ring will clinch him the Oscar win.
Favorite Female Lead Performance: Emma Stone in “Easy A” - her comedic timing is impeccable and she turned an ordinary, likable teen movie into something really special and laugh out loud funny.
Favorite Female Supporting Performance: Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom” - easily the most frightening performance of the year. She uses a feminine softness to portray bone-chilling menace.
Biggest Letdown: Never Let Me Go - Man was I looking forward to this movie… It had all the ingredients: amazing director, beautiful book, and fantastic cast. But alas, even with the stunning images, great performances, and subtle tone, I felt that it omitted the complexity of the relationships between the three main characters and ultimately, it fell flat for me.
Person I’m Afraid of Getting Sick of: Natalie Portman - Let’s count ‘em- Black Swan, Thor, No Strings Attached, The Other Woman, Your Highness… you’re telling me this girl managed to act the leading part in 5 separate films AND still managed to get pregnant and engaged??? She’s gotta have clones of herself stashed in her basement somewhere. I feel bad for the one that’s having the baby.
Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Your Highness (stoner comedy and fantasy genre mash-up? heck yes, milord), Tree of Life (have you SEEN the gorgeous trailer?), The Green Hornet (excited to see what Michel Gondry does in a big action movie), Haywire (Gina Carano kicking ass in a Soderbergh flick), We Need To Talk About Kevin (finally, Lynne Ramsay is back! oh how long I’ve waited since “Morvern Callar”. cinema needs you Lynne!)
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annemarchgrowsinqueens said:
see…there’s a huge rush of natalie portman stuff because now she’s gonna be too busy being preggers! that girl thought ahead!
and TREE OF LIFE TREE OF LIFE!!
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ahnmin posted this
