2009 Movie Reviews

Up In the Air

…takes the road less traveled. Not in an obvious way, but the direction that the film takes is not completely unpredictable and yet not what one would expect to see. It’s all very subtle and in no way draws attention to itself, which is why it works so well.

Ryan Bingham (Clooney) has a job most people would hate. 1) He travels 90% of the time and 2) he fires people for a living. Bingham’s character is very well rounded and not at all clichéd. It’s plain to see that he loves being on the road but you don’t get the sense that he necessarily loves the work. He doesn’t relish in his victim’s misery. In fact, he goes beyond his job description to provide the slightest hint of comfort for them. However, he lives out of a suitcase and that keeps him happy. He loves the isolation. He loves not being tied down with family or love, but he’s not cold-hearted. He loves being on the road, but he doesn’t mind a little company now and then. Coupled up with Bingham is newbie hot-shot Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) who, when compared to Bingham, is the polar opposite. Her new ideas for the company mean less travel time for the employees, which is threatening to Bingham’s setup. The two go on the road together as he shows her the ropes. She loves the idea of family and does not understand Bingham’s choice of lifestyle and it’s this contrast between the two characters that gives the film its “Odd Couple Road Trip” feel.

Bingham meets Alex (Vera Farmiga) who is the female version of himself. They orchestrate their schedules so that they will be in the same city at the same time. There is obvious physical and emotional chemistry between the two. They are both the product of a career’s worth of work and travel and they both seem to have come to a point in their lives where they might be wanting something a little more than what life on the road can offer. With a slight push from Natalie, Bingham decides to take it to the next level and makes a surprise trip to Alex’s home in Chicago only to find that she has a husband and kids. Bingham’s reaction is one of a quiet realization; sitting in an airport tram looking down at the ground contemplating his situation. Clooney plays his character at this point with the slightest trace of naivety and of one who has finally taken down the barriers and is now suffering the consequences. Bingham doesn’t go off the deep end and let this outcome justify his lifestyle. Neither does he over-react emotionally and denounce love altogether. Clooney plays the part of someone who has been heart-broken and who is now seeing the big picture. He is studying his whole life in hindsight, its effect on his relationship with his sisters, and how he’s missed out on a normal life.

This is why Up in the Air doesn’t follow a predicable path. It goes its own way. It’s not the best of the year, but is most definitely one of the best. There were some moments in the film that were meant to be funny that I thought missed the mark, although I laughed a good bit. Anytime you can watch a film starring George Clooney without constantly thinking about the actual person, George Clooney, then it’s a good performance. Kendrick is great as the naïve newbie with insightful words of wisdom. Look for Clooney’s Best Actor nomination and probably a Supporting Actress nod to Anna Kendrick and/or Vera Farmiga. In a year with 10 Best Picture nominations and about 3 movies actual worth the consideration, look for Up in the Air to be the frontrunner for a win.

Inglorious Basterds
…is set up quite nicely with a brilliant opening scene in which the German Nazi Col. Hans Landa and a French milk farmer have a conversation about whether or not there are Jews being hidden there. They wade through the usual Tarantino-style “Royale with Cheese” dialogue before they get to the crux of the issue. From here you have your classic Tarantino revenge story. We are then shown a small band of American Jews being sent to France to kill Nazi’s by their leader, Lt. Aldo Raine, but I couldn’t help but remind myself that it was Brad Pitt because he stands out. The film is called Inglorious Basterds, but you’ll only get to see this group at work for a few moments because the movie becomes overly fascinated with a more important military plot to end the war; a plot run by Mike Meyers playing a tweak of his character called Goldmember. The original story that was set up in the beginning becomes lost around the halfway mark, but still manages to pass as an exceptional storyline. Tarantino is a master at making us all laugh while we clinch our fists nervously with his casual dialogue draped over intense and suspenseful situations. However, “Basterds” is full of these dialogue-based scenes, except now they are overly-long and not as interesting; as if the film is aware it is directed by Quentin Tarantino and knows it must meet its quota of quirky dialogue. This causes for some pretty drawn-out scenes which make the scenes’ end slightly anti-climactic and also slows the story down. This film seems to rely on this trademark dialogue instead of being improvement by their timely and few appearances. Overall, the film is very good. It’s full of humor and surprisingly infrequent instances of gore, but every instance will satisfy your blood thirst.

Christoph Waltz as Col. HansLanda carries the film. He speaks 4 different languages throughout and his performance is patient, conniving and seemingly all-knowing; biding his time to release his wrath. Some of the minor characters were throw-away.

The Tarantino style and story-telling are very prevalent in the film. Technically, the film is amazing. Most scenes were shot on sets, so the film in general has a claustrophobic feel to it, which is fitting given the way it ends. In an effort to not compare Basterds to any other Tarantino film, in its own right, this film is very well done and I highly recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of QT.

District 9
...starts out as a documentary style retrospective look at one Wikus Van De Merwe, an MNU worker, whose mission is to present all of the alien inhabitants of District 9 with an eviction notice. These aliens crashed on Earth 20 years ago and are unable to leave. They are being quarantined by MNU. The camera crew follows Wikus around as we are given naration by a few interviewed persons involved with MNU and Wikus, himself. Something bad happens and Wikus is sprayed by alien juice. Just as things start to go wrong, this documentary miraculously turns into a regular summer blockbuster where the main character is Wikus and we follow him around like a normal movie. After the style switch we see just how corrupt MNU is when they do experiments on him and take him prisoner. He manages to escape and by some pretty uneven and selective editing, we see that he turns up back in Disctrict 9. After some dealings with a rogue Nigerian mob embedded in District 9, Wikus teams up with the alien, Christopher Johnson, who will be able to launch the space ship as well as cure Wikus eventually. They go on a suicide mission Rambo-style and end up in the heart of the MNU building. They dodge gunfire from all directions and retrieve the canister that they need. Another editing trick or two later and they pull into District 9 in a military vehicle that they have stolen. I'll skip over a the writer-interfered effort to elongate the plot and just say that there were a lot more action and gunfire right up until the end of the movie.

Despite the rave reviews, this movie is mediocre at best. Unique and with decent effects, the film has some identity issues. I get the feeling that it's trying to send a message, but the message itself is not clear. It's uneven, disconnected and poorly edited. What starts out as a unique and creative film with the same possible implications as that of The Blair Witch Project, sadly transforms into a, well, film comparable to Transformers.

Best Scenes of 2007

1) Fallng Slowly - Once

I don’t know you, but I want you.
True magic takes place in this breathtaking scene from Once. “Guy” (Glen Hansard) plays guitar in the street and “Girl” (Marketa Irglova) plays piano in a music store during slow business hours. The two meet and she takes him to the store where he shows her the music and lyrics to one of his songs. He plays it for her and she joins in on piano and harmony. As the song builds, you realize you are witnessing one of the greatest moments ever put on film. The scene (and film) is perfectly constructed and executed. The song, “Falling Slowly” is beautiful (Oscar for Best Song) and resonates within you for days.

2) Dunkirk Beach - Atonement

Dearest Cecilia, The Story Can Resume
This brilliant scene is a 4 ½ minute long single tracking shot through Dunkirk Beach during the retreat of the British and French soldiers from France during WWII. Joe Wright had virtually no other choice than to shoot the scene in one shot. He only had a few descriptive lines from Ian McEwen’s novel to work with for the scene. He also had the extras for just one day and the tide was to wash the set away that evening. The shot follows Robbie through the beach as horses are shot to make room for the return trip home, machines are sabotaged, and the wreckage of the town stands in the background as a battleship lay stranded on the shore. He takes us in a circle back through a gazebo full of soldiers singing a song that compliments the score beautifully. In just a few minutes thousands of emotions are whispered to us out of the desperate surroundings.

3) Strangling The Deputy – No Country For Old Men

The Ultimate Bad-Ass!
The deputy has just brought in Chigurh as prisoner. The deputy, in focus, sits at the desk with his back to Chigurh, out of focus. Chigurh is in the back ground standing straight up. Chigurh slowly lowers and raises himself, bringing his cuffed hands from behind his back to his front. As the deputy talks on the phone, Chigurh calmy walks toward him, drops his cuffed hands over the deputy's face and around his neck. Just as he hangs up the phone Chigurh pulls the chain of his cuffs in to the neck of the deputy, lifts him up and slams both bodies on the ground; Chigurh on his back and the deputy on Chigurh. The deputy is writhing, kicking and spurting blood. Chigurh is looking to the side and breathing somewhat heavily, but calmly. As the deputy's legs stop kicking, we see the scuff marks on the floor from his boots.


4) Baptism- There Will Be Blood & Bowling - There Will Be Blood

Baptism

Give Me The Blood!
These two scenes are put in the same slot because they must be viewed side-by-side like pictures of pelvic bones hanging on an x-ray light. The film itself, is one long pissing match between Daniel Plainview and Eli Sunday. Throughout the film, Plainview is constantly getting the better of Sunday by taking his land, taking the attention from his church members, not allowing him to bless the drill and beating the everyliving crap out of him in the mud. In this scene, Sunday sees his opportunity to finally get back at Plainview for his humiliation. In front of the congregation, Sunday forces Plainview to confess over and over again his sins, including the abandoning of his son. Sunday then makes him beg for the blood. He is then smacked and slapped for the whole congregation to see. After the baptism we see an incredible shot of Plainview and Sunday shaking hands, Plainview whispering something in Sunday's ear and Sunday with a look of dread on his face.

Bowling

I Drink Your Milkshake!
Plainview has not forgotten his baptism when Sunday comes by his mansion years later. Sunday has been destroyed financially and spiritually from the Depression. Sunday asks for the money owed to him for the land and tells of a portion of land that remains undrilled. Plainview proceeds to explain that all of that oil is gone because he drained it (drank his milkshake). He then puts Sunday through a sort of "anti-baptism", forcing him to confess, yell and repeat that his religion is nothing but a superstition. This is a mirror-image of the baptism scene. Plainview even tells Sunday to imagine is congregation in front of him. The roles are reversed, the bowling alley is the church and the oil is the blood of the lamb. A chase ensues where an angry Plainview is running after and throwing bowling pins at a frightened Sunday. At the time, this seems rather humorous until Sunday trips and Plainview bludgeons him to death with one of the pins (expect nothing less from PTA). At this point, the laughter dies and the jaws drop as Plainview ends this masterpiece with the instantly famous line “I’m finished.”

5) Hal Holbrook - Into The Wild

When you forgive, you love and when you love, God's light shines upon you.
"I had an idea. You know my mother was an only child. So was my father. And I was their only child. Now, with my own boy gone, I’m the end of the line. When I’m gone, my family will be finished. What do you say, you let me adopt you. I could be, say, your grandfather." Ron Franz (Hal Holbrook) says to Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch) as a tear forms in his eye. The scene takes place in his jeep just before he drops Chris off for his final adventure, Alaska. Chris replies that they'll talk about it when he gets back. It is here that we see Ron's heart break into billions of peices. This amazing acting job by Holbrook coupled with fantastic editing garnered him the Supporting Actor nomination.

6) Oil Drill Explosion - There Will Be Blood
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There's a whole ocean of oil under our feet! No one can get to it except for me!
H.W. is on a small landing above the drill watching its movement. Daniel is in his office yards away. The drill finally strikes oil after days of churning and sets the whole mechanism on fire. H.W. is blown back to the roof of a side room and Daniel's first reaction is to make sure he is okay. The score drums and ticks suspensefully as Daniel runs to the drill, picks up his son and embraces him as they run for cover. Once H.W. is laid down on a table resting in the office, and deaf, Daniel goes back to gaze at the drill "blowing gold" all over the place. He is mesmerized by the site of the burning drill spewing oil. This is the only thought that encompasses his brain at this point. Once he finds out that H.W. is at least alive, his priorities ajdust accordingly. Daniel's close advisor asks if H.W. is okay to which Daniel replies “No”. The advisor immediately leaves the scene, assuming to check on H.W., and the camera rests on Plainview as he is unmoved, gazing at the flaming drill.


7) Taxi Ending Credits - Michael Clayton

Do I look like I'm Negotiating?
For the duration of the film, Michael Clayton, a corporate janitor, has been beaten up by the big man corporation. Now that his good friend and coworker has been murdered, he is the only one with the information to bring down the corporate bad guys. All he has to do is prove it. He's a father, he's divorced and his brother is a low-life moocher. Michael is tired of cleaning up the messes of the higher-ups. He shows up at a shareholder's meeting where he pretends to negotiate with the chairwoman of the company but in actuallity is just buying himself time. He walks away as the Feds show up to bring them down. He leaves the building and gets in a cab. The ending credits role as the cab drives off and we see Clayton looking straight ahead. The look on his face speaks volumes. After seeing what he's just gone through, we know how he truly must feel by the look on his face and body expressions as he sits in the cab. Kudos to Clooney for this one.


8) Call It – No Country For Old Men

What’s the most you ever lost in a coin toss?
Anton Chigurh is a ruthless killer; that's been established. What we learn in this insanely intense scene is that Chirgurh doesn't just kill uncontrollably. There's a method to his madness. Oddly enough, he has principles and ethics to his ways. The flip of a coin. Chigurh enters the gas station to pay for his gas and peanuts (which in and of itself is interesting because why should a cold-blooded killer ever pay when he can kill) and then preceeds to ask the cashier how much he's ever lost in a coin toss...perfectly setting up the standard by which we view Chigurh the rest of the film. This standard also works to make him seem infinetely more scary. The cashier finally calls "heads". This was the correct answer because, much to the subtle eye-rolling of Chirgurh, he lives. Chigurh is the executioner, the coin is the judge and we're all in serious trouble.

9) Ratatoille Perspective - Ratatouille

…you know what I’m craving? A little perspective.
Anton Ego is the most feared food critic in France. He is heartless, dark and solely responsible for the loss of 2 stars from Gusteau's 4-star restaurant. Remy, the rat, is responsible for the recent rave reviews that the restaurant has been getting from other critics. The time has come for Ego to see what the buzz is all about and once and for all, end this reputation. He orders "perspective", which makes everyone in the kitchen freak out because they have no clue what wine goes well with it. Remy, pulls out the recipe for Ratatouille, a very simple peasant dish that is pretty much the worst thing you can serve to the biggest critic around. He prepares it and it is served to Ego who has been sipping his wine, looking bored and ready to leave. He cuts into the ratatouille and puts it in his mouth. Immediately, his eyes bug out and face tightens up and we are all sent into a flashback of a young boy being called into the house by his mother for supper. She has fixed him ratatouille. Perspective is exactly what he got. By one taste of the food Ego was shot into his past, digging up a memory he probably hadn't remembered in years. In a Proust sort of way, he recalled the moment in his life that stands for the whole basis of his love for great food. This is a scene that has stuck out in my mind throughout the year.

10) The Bathouse - Eastern Promises

I'm Just A Driver.
I'll try not to give anything away. Viggo is being tricked. Two hitmen have been told that he is someone else and that he's waiting in the bath house for them to kill. He is attacked and his towel falls off. He then beats the everliving crap out of and kills the two hitmen while completely buck-A-naked. He is vulnerable to the very literal sense. He is running, slipping, punching, stabbing and flopping all over the place. The gore matched with nudity make the entire scene unforgettable. A quick note: if you're looking at the part of the screen that you should be looking at during this scene, then you won't see anything "offensive"…depending on what you find offensive.


Other Notable Scenes
Green Dress Much? - Atonement

Come Back To Me
This dress has quickly gone down in the annals of costumes in film history; comparing it to the iconic black dress that Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast At Tiffnay’s. It’s absolutely stunning. The dark green with a sheek and shiny texture brings a little light to the darkly lighted (and written) dinner/night scenes in which it exists.

Race For The $$ - No Country For Old Men

You know how this is going to turn out, don't you?
The chase ensues soon after the film begins and stop just a few minutes before one of the greatest endings of all time. No Country contains scene after scene of a gut-wrenching game of very suspenseful cat-and-mouse.

The Letter - Atonement

In my dreams I kiss your- WHOAOA!!
It’s amazing how one tiny mistake can change your whole life and the lives of others around you. This sequence is shot beautifully, jumping back and forth from Robbie typing a letter at his desk to Cecilia smoking a cigarette at her vanity. We see what he types in one rough draft as a joke to himself and we see him type the real letter. We then watch as he inserts the former page into the envelope to be delivered.

Atoning - Atonement

Just do what we’ve asked of you. Write it all down!
This is another scene that is extremely well done, but this time with use of the actors’ blocking and body language. Brionny has to come apologize to Cecilia and Robbie, neither of which can stand the sight of her. Robbie realizes Brionny is there after he has walked out the door. After a moment, he reenters and then starts to go off.

Redgrave Pulls The Rug - Atonement

I’m sorry, could we stop for a minute?
Throughout the whole film I was standing on a beautifully crafted rug. It was colorful, well structured and very big. Out of nowhere Vanessa Redgrave walks up to the edge, kneels down and gathers a clump of the edge of the rug in both fists. She shakes it a bit to spread it out as I continue to stand in the middle and look at her with wonder. She stands up ever so slightly and yanks the rug out from under me. The rug flies towards Vanessa and I fly backwards, landing on my side.

Andy Griffith - Waitress

Oh I love living vicariously through the pain and suffering of others.
Nobody can describe a pie better than Andy Griffith. On old grumpy man who owns the diner and hates everyone but really doesn’t. After this speech you’re mouth and eyes are watering. This was one of the better supporting actor performances of the year.

When Your Mind's Made Up - Once

So, if you want something and you call, call then I’ll come running.
Glen gathers a few guys he knows that play on the street to help record his album. They go to the studio to begin. The sound technician is watching the inexperienced musicians setup. He is bothered by the amateurs and has other things on his mind, like cell phone calls and the newspaper, but as they begin the second verse and the drums come in, you sense the astonishment that comes over him as he realizes the talent and quickly begins to adjust the soundboard, hoping to fully capture the music.

Heath Ledger - I'm Not There

It's not about me anymore, it's all about him.
Heath Ledger is Robbie Clark, a movie star playing the role of Jack Rollins (Christian Bale) who actually represents 1 of the 6 Bob Dylan characters which includes Robbie Clark. Heath’s role in the movie is very well done. He meets a girl, falls in love with her, has kids, goes through the movie star trials, divorces her but still in love with her. A memorable performance.

Tin Foil - Bug

I Am The Super Mother Bug!
We see the horror of mind manipulation through something as natural as someone else’s paranoia. Agnes is thoroughly convinced that bugs have entered her body and are living inside her. She has adopted this theory because her lover claimed that the army experimented on him with bugs and the government is covering it up and trying to kill them. Since they had relations of the intimate nature, Agnes is now infected and believes she is harboring the mother of all the bugs. In Act 3 they line the whole of their house with tin foil, douse themselves with gasoline and blow themselves up because it’s the only way to rid the bugs living in their skin.

Waking Up – The Diving Bell & The Buttefly

I can’t speak? Why can’t you hear me?
This is a great scene because it is when Jean-Dominique Bauby finally comes to after his stroke. He cannot move or speak save his left eye, but he doesn’t know this because he’s answering all of the doctor’s questions and can’t seem to figure out why they can’t hear him. You realize with Bauby the nature of his injury, emotionally as well as visually because at the same time, you’re seeing what he sees; life through one eye, watery and fuzzy and blurry as if you had just woken up from a comma. Very innovative cinematography going on here.

CGI Birth – Knocked Up

Rear Your Child!
This birthing scene doesn’t stop above the hospital gown. It goes straight to the womb with baby crown poking right out there. Everything. And before you can look away it’s gone. To my knowledge it’s the first visual effect birthing scene.

Games With Ghost Children - Orphanage

Uno, Dos, Tres, Toca La Pared
In order to channel the ghosts of her former playpals, Laura dresses up like the old nurse and plays the old game they played when they were little. She closes her eyes, faces a column in the house, says “uno, dos, tres, toca la pared” and knocks 3 times on the wood. She then turns around where the children will have taken several steps closer. Now, the first few times she does it, nothing appears. Then, out of nowhere, the 3rd time she says it and turns around, you can make out the outlines of children in the dark. Each time she repeats, they get closer. It’s the scariest scene of the year.

May You Be In Heaven 40 Days - Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead

All of my parts don’t add up to one…one me.
…however, there’s one part that adds up to someone else…HELLO!! This movie starts off with a bang…no pun intended. The scene begins in mid-“getting it on” and just as you least expect it. No time to pull out now ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!!. They go all out complete with slamming pillows and staring at oneself in the mirror. Hoffman and Tomei seem to really be enjoying themselves. A startling scene to say the least.

2007 Movie Reviews

I’m at work. I’m surrounded by 3 ¼ of cubicle wall and a bunch of people who, unlike me, love what they do. I feel like Al Gore cutting the ribbon at the Yucca Mountain grand opening. It’s utterly nauseating to stare at this carpet-wall all day. If I had eaten chicken salad for lunch then it would be all over my monitor right now. But I didn’t, I had 46 Cheeze’Its. My imagination is steadily shrinking from the lack of use it gets put to. I can’t stay focused on any one thing for very long at all. I changed my pants this morning more times than Mitt Romney changed his mind on abortion…this morning. And for what? So it would match my shirt? I forgot to even wear a shirt!! One might say I have writers’ block, but for the mind. Sort of like how scissor packages say “Not for children under the age of 6 and…Brittany Spears.”, my brain box says “Not for anything creative, imaginative…or Brittany Spears”. Okay, maybe the last bit goes without saying, but the former portion is what needs to be addressed. It’s only healthy to create and imagine, but if this “Corporate America” trend keeps up, I will go off like Mike Gundy at a guess-your-age booth at the Payne County Fair. I turn from the window and the enticing four-story jump it holds and go back to my cubicle to do something productive for a change. I’m putting together my Top 10 Movies of the year 2007 and a few of the worst as well for fun. 2007 has been a great year for film-lovers. Week after week the theatres have screened what feels like too many movies to see. So, it’s pretty exciting to be able to write about it. I demote my pivot table and begin.

P.S. If you viewed P.S. I Love You in the theaters and didn't get carried out on a stretcher, you best exit now and go back to your daily dose of TMZ.com.

1. There Will Be Blood
We begin in complete silence save a very dynamic and dissonant score as Daniel Plainview digs his own underground silver mine. He blows up rocks with dynamite. He climbs in and out with sticks nailed to the rock wall and a pulley system lifts his home-made tools. There is no dialogue for about the first 15 minutes. This is the first stage in his evolution as an oil man. He has a son and business partner, H.W. Plainview. They go from town to town and pitch their skills as oil prospectors. They receive a tip from a young man, Paul Sunday, giving the location of oil in a town called Little Boston. The Plainview’s make their way to this new Promised Land to broaden their business. It is here that the story unfolds and grows. This film is epic, grand, dark and bold. It’s a character study, a rise and fall, a tour de force (a term which I very much dislike using). It’s an achievement in all aspects of cinema. Paul Thomas Anderson once again creates something that will stand the test of time by being both elegant and haunting at once. Based on the novel, Oil!, by Upton Sinclair, Anderson adapts for the screen, and still leaving traces of his own style for us to find, and directs it phenomenally. It has been compared to Giant, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and even Citizen Kane; all of which are valid comparisons. Robert Elswit, photographs beautifully the frontier and farmland, using appropriate opportunities to show off unpretentiously his skill in cinematography and long single shots. The most beautiful being the scenes where Plainview and is “brother” are surveying the land between Little Boston and the coast. Another incredible shot is the scene where H.W. returns from school. The camera shoots the length of the pipeline being laid and then rests on Daniel and H.W. as we study their new form of communication. Not only is the cinematography artistic and beautiful, but it has a purpose. It advances the plot beautifully by teaming with the very dark and brilliant score, which was written by Radiohead front man, Johnny Greenwood. The score repeats certain phrases and chords and mysteriously has us recall scenes from earlier in the film during which it played. Daniel Day-Lewis gives another magnificent performance. He is completely engulfed in this character, Daniel Plainview, who is unpredictable in every way except his lust for oil drilling. He is a volcano constantly on the verge of eruption. He jerks the audience around by showing love for his son, but then minutes later chooses his business as his priority. It is his love for drilling that ultimately alienates him from son, and everyone else for that matter. Plainview is a character to behold as we see his journey to power. Paul Dano plays the twin brothers Paul and Eli Sunday, the latter of which is the eccentric preacher of the Church of the Third Revelation in Little Boston and also, natural enemy of Daniel Plainview. By the end, the story bottlenecks and zooms in on the film-long boxing match between Plainview and Sunday. This film is a masterpiece and an instant classic. I can't wait to tell my grandchildren that I actually saw this film in the theatre.

2. Once
Imagine going into a theatre without any preconceived notions about a film and leaving completely elated. This is one of the best movies of the year and has, by far, the best soundtrack. Written & directed by John Carney and made for under $160,000, this modern-day musical stars Glen Hansard from the Irish band, The Frames, and co writer Marketa Irglova as their paths cross, musical talents merge and form the best film of the year. Once takes us through a few days of the character’s lives as they share their music with each other. It studies their short relationship and how their music has been influenced by their past. This is truly a songwriter’s movie and music and lyrics created in this film are nothing short of perfect. It is shot in a grainy, handheld-like format, some of which used with long-lens so that passersby remained unaware of the miracle that was being created around them. For a glorious movie experience, watch this. It is simple and a must see for film music/lovers.

3. Atonement
It’s hard to imagine that someone could envision this film prior to making it. 2nd time director, Joe Wright, did and it’s obvious that much thought was put into each shot that was made. This film adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel, Atonement is a period piece set during World War II. Wright adds his own style and artistic signature throughout with smokey, wordless scenes and beautiful cinematography all of which mix perfectly with the beautiful score. James McAvoy continues to impress and Kierra Knightley shows us that she can act without being obnoxious. Atonement is the story of how jealousy can direct someone to see something that wasn’t necessarily so, resent what one doesn’t understand and the drastic consequences it has on everyone else. Brioney, the girl who royally screws up the lives of Robbie (McAvoy) and Cecilia (Knightley), is played by 3 different women from her adolescence (Saoirse Ronan) to late teens (Romola Garai) and finally as an elderly woman (Vanessa Redgrave) telling her story to the world. It also addresses the concept of tweaking reality in one's writing to present the subject matter through a different point of view. The twist in this movie truly gives the audience the proper perspective of the difference in what could have been and what actually happened. The film presents perfect editing and it truly shows in the storytelling. I have to mention the amazing 5 ½ minute single tracking shot where the camera gracefully follows Robbie (McAvoy) on Dunkirk beach through a mass of British soldiers in a gazebo as they sing along with the score, a wrecked ship, destroyed buildings and even a ferris wheel. Wright takes period pieces to another level.

4. No Country For Old Men
What do you get when you mix the hardboiled, edgy wit of Raymond Chandler with the wide-open, epic cinematography and direction of John Ford? No, not “The Big Sleeping Searchers” and no, not “The Thin Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”. No Country For Old Men, that's what. The setting is Texas, 1980 and action-packed suspense from alpha to omega. The Coen's have brought back the old western style into a semi-modern time by adapting Cormac McCarthy's novel by the same name, direct, edit and produce their best work since Fargo. Roger Deakins photographs a beautiful film. The Coens continue to make the audience love horrible people. "Mucho denaro" in the form of $2 million-cash is stumbled upon by Llewlyn Moss (Josh Brolin) as he tries desperately to stear clear of the unstoppable and ruthless Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem); whose madness is based on principle and who also scares the bejesus out of everyone. Batting third is Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones). He’s smart enough to figure out what’s going on, but also realizes that times, as always, are changing. I can’t write this review without mentioning Kelly Macdonald’s performance as Moss’ wife, Carla Jean…it’s good too. If you want Hollywood to hold your hand as you watch a shootout of an ending and one that requires no thought, then please go see Michael Bay’s next fiasco. This film has meaning.

5. Juno
This movie mad an impact at the box office even before Oprah got her hands on it. Diablo Cody hits a grand slam with this first-time script by putting her clothes on, letting go of the stripper poll, and writing a screenplay that completely takes slang and witty dialogue to an entirely new level. Ellen Page is taking Hollywood by storm and Michael Cera, as always, has a quiet and reserved hilarity about his acting. Everything about this film is new and refreshing. Juno, directed by Jason Reitman, tells the story of a 16 year old (Ellen Page) who has just found out she is pregnant. She wrestles briefly with the idea of abortion until her picketing friend tells her that her fetus has fingernails. Buzzing from this double-shot of perspective, she finds a happy couple (Jason Bateman & Jennifer Garner) that will adopt the baby. The quick-paced, hilarious dialogue makes Juno the most well-written movie of the year. Mark my words come Oscar time when they announce Best Original Screenplay. It's the funniest movie of the year and it's a great time at the theatre.

6. Eastern Promises
David Cronenberg, as usual, presents another drama thriller that leaves us with more questions than it actually answers. Naomie Watts plays a midwife who stumbles across the diary of a young mother who has died during childbirth. She has it translated in an effort to find the family. Viggo Mortensen plays a driver for the Russian mob, the head of which upon translating the diary, realizes he must destroy the baby. Once again Cronenberg does something that’s never been done on film involving a bath-house, two Russian hit men and an incredibly nude and vulnerable Viggo Mortensen. Eastern Promises is visually striking but at the same time has simplicity about it. From the violence to the passing background during the motorcycle ride, Cronenberg sticks to his roots by being simple, yet stark. As the film comes to a close, it’s plain to see that Cronenberg barely scratches at the surface of what seems to be a very deep story. If you want Hollywood to hold your hand as they power-point you through until all questions are answered, then try License To Wed...and then die...

7. Michael Clayton
Michael Clayton is a film that gradually comes into focus throughout and not until the very end is it perfectly clear. However, it’s not confusing to the point of frustration and it’s not wordy to the point of pretention. Stephen Gaghan take notes…this is what Syriana should have been. Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is a janitor for a law firm. Not one that cleans toilets, but one that quietly cleans up messes for people in high positions; saving their reputation. Sort of like what Ted Kennedy must have used when he “accidentally” drove himself and Mary Jo Kopechne off a bridge in 1969. (“Errah, if you got a hooka in da cah, make shah ya drive her off da bridge errah”). Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), works for the same law firm as Clayton and has been doing work for a corporation for years when, after uncovering extremely unethical and fraudulent actions and information, builds his own case against the corporation and goes insane during the process. Tilda Swinton plays a very neurotic corporate spokeswoman that is well aware of the corporate scandals and also, quite a turn off looks-wise. You hate everything about her. Clayton, taking the evidence Eden has left him, totally sticks it to the man by exposing the corporation at a shareholders meeting. Hope I didn’t ruin it for you. This movie doesn’t try to dizzy you with the plot and script although one must pay attention to keep up. Michael Clayton is visually dark, sharply written and contains underlying themes involving his sons red book that I will not get into here. George Clooney does some of his best acting as the credits role (he neither bobs his head, nor smirks). He communicates, wordlessly, everything he’s just gone through and you believe him because you’ve witnessed the whole thing.

8. Waitress
The late Adrienne Shelly writes, directs and acts in a whimsical and quaint film that’s more independent than Ralph Nader was in 2004 and much more successful. This film made quite an impact at the Sundance Film Festival. Kerri Russell proves that she can hold her own as the frontrunner of a film by playing Jenna, a waitress in a small café. She has a different pie recipe for every mood she’s in, which is usually a bad one courtesy of Earl (Jeremy Sisto), her husband who’s abusive in just about every way. Jenna is driven to an affair with her doctor as part of a journey to find out what she really wants out of life. Andy Griffith gives an emotional performance (as usual) as Old Joe, the owner of the café. In his most brilliant scene he describes the texture and taste of a good pie...and it's never sounded so good.

9. Ratatouille
Brad Byrd (The Incredibles) writes and directs Pixar’s newest movie about Remy, a rat who loves to cook. Despite his family who has no food preference, eating mainly from the trash and who also have a hatred of humans, Remy finds a way to do what he truly loves to do; and that is to cook. Ratatouille is Pixar’s most mature movie. Even though the goal is to appeal to children, this film is geared toward adults more so than any other Pixar has done. There are parts in the movie where you wonder whether it’s animation or actual footage of Paris. Ratatouille truly magnifies the beauty and color of the city with wide landscapes centered with the Eiffel Tower and with the artistic style and color of Van Goh and Monet. The film relies on story, which makes it all the better.

10. Before The Devil Knows
Sydney Lumet shows us that, at 83 years old, he can still make a great movie. Shot in a style reminiscent of Network and Dog Day Afternoon, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead comes from the Irish Proverb, “May you be 40 years in Heaven before the devil knows you’re dead." Hank (Ethan Hawke) is the youngest of 3 siblings; one brother and one sister. He is divorced and months behind on child support. Andy (Phillip Seymoure Hoffman) is a payroll supervisor with a drug problem supported by the salaries of two imaginary employees. Inspired by this problem-in-common, the two band together and form a plan to rob their parents’ jewelry store. This plan seems foolproof because the insurance will take care of family’s losses and they will end up with hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hank carries out the mission with a hoodlum friend of his whom, not knowing any different, kills the mother who is working at the store and also gets himself killed. We view the movie through several different installments starting from different points in time and points of view of the characters, which makes for fascinating storytelling. The end is through the eyes of their father, Charles (Albert Finney). We follow him as he deals with the loss of his wife, his children’s problems and finally, solving the mystery of his wife’s murder and gaining retribution by stuffing a pillow in his son's face. Family quibbles always seem to work themselves out.

11th Place:
The Diving Bell & Butterfly – innovate & experimental cinematography. Great script & acting.
La Vie En Rose – worth seeing just for Marion Cotillard’s performance.
Into The Wild – character study of rebellious wanderer. Great performances
The Orphanage – the scariest movie of the year and it’s Spanish.
Charlie Wilson's War – Nichols, Hanks, Roberts, Hoffman, Adams…enough said. Comedic political retrospect that doesn’t take itself seriously.
Enchanted – Amy Adams outdoes herself, again. Disney spoofs itself, finally. Adults and children laugh at the same jokes for different reasons. Refreshing.
Sweeney Todd – Burton/Depp’s newest film. Violent to the point of nausea, great fun and great music.
Hairspray – for a great time at the movies. Great music, great dancing. Loveable.
The Darjeeling Limited – Wes Anderson needs Owen Wilson to keep folks interested.
Harry Potter OOTP – huge fan. Good adaptation, effects and of course, a great story.
I'm Not There – Todd Haynes abstract interpretation of Bob Dylan’s life. 6 actors portray Dylan. Blanchett gives another great performance.
The Bourne Ultimatum – Greengrass directs the best of the Bourne’s. Great action & spastic camera work.
Knocked Up – Realistic story and insanely funny.
Hot Fuzz – Quick-edit action flicks. I hope they never run out of ideas.
Grindhouse – it’s all about the experience. Needs to be viewed with all 4 trailers and both movies.
Dan In Real Life – a real comedy. If Dane Cook had to be cast, at least he’s subdued.
Sicko – Moore’s least controversial and most thought-provoking.
Gone Baby Gone – Ben Affleck’s first take at directing. Casey Affleck comes to his own as an actor.
Zodiac – Fincher’s newest tells the story of a killer. Visually stunning.
Away From Her – Julie Christie’s performance puts it on the map. Gordon Pinset opens your eyes to the world around you.
Bug – Hitchcock-y. The power of the mind when influenced psychologically.

The Worst
Basically, when I say “The Worst” I also include the most disappointing. These are the ones that started with a boat-load of hype and turned out to suck. These movies had every reason to be good, whether it be a director, script or actors and despite these advantages, still managed to disappoint.

1. License To Wed
This movie is one unrealistic misunderstanding causing one unrealistic reaction after another. If you didn’t write your own vows at your rehearsal dinner, your fiance’ isn’t going to walk out on you for it. And if she does, then good riddance biotch. Go find someone that can write vows, hope he makes you happy. License To Wed is just down beyond mediocre. Robin Williams’ needs an intervention for this. Mandy Moore gets an eternal pardon from crappy movies because that’s just her style. John Krazinsky is one “smirk-into-the-camera” away from being forever type-cast as a “30-year-old slacker who has potential and knows it but doesn’t fully use it because he doesn’t really give a crap”, character. Trust me; we don’t need another one of those. I was flying over Cuba while this movie was playing on the plane. I wanted to jump out and take my chances with the Marxist-Leninist-Communist way of life there.

2. Pirates of the Caribbean 3
I knew this movie was going to suck big-time because the 2nd Pirates sucked and, since they filmed both the 2nd and 3rd installments at once, I had no reason to believe this one would be any better. I was correct. This movie is an endless array of meaningless scenes that does not follow its own plotline. One gets the impression that the script was being written as the camera was rolling. As a matter of fact, it’s as if they just made up the story as they went along and with no script. The effects aren’t that great, but there are a lot of them so your basic movie-goer is automatically wowed by that. That’s the problem these days. The standard for movies is so low that audiences don’t recognize good or bad, just boring or “frickin’ sweet”. In my opinion in most cases, boring trumps “frickin’ sweet”. Thank goodness (don’t jinx it) this trilogy is over.

3. 300
What was the point? Oh, I know, to show off special effects. Wow, good job guys. Someone took a bucket of special effects, threw it all over the monitor and then took the mouse and wiggled it around some. There’s only so much slow-motion decapitating that one can take and 300 more than wears it out. I’ll give you a rundown of the movie. The leader says, “Sparta, Charge!!” and then the men go “YEA!! ARRGHH!!” No questions asked. This movie had fanboys crapping themselves all over America.

4. Transformers
Maybe this movie shouldn’t be on here because it’s Michael Bay and can you really expect anything more from this guy? John Voight fulfills his usual role of being a man of political power and corny one-liners who can also wield a shotgun. Shia Lebouf takes a quick blockbuster stop on his way to the top. Apparently, Hoover Dam is home to the evil Transformer who comes alive and starts a fight between the good and evil Transformers. The effects are cool, except when they start scrapping. They then turn into blurry objects rolling around crashing into buildings and what not. So, in reality, the special effects aren’t good and neither is this movie.

5. American Gangster
It’s more disappointing than bad. Washington and Crowe are two of my least favorite actors and here they play their usual type-cast selves. They play the same character every time and I can’t help but notice their personal mannerisms leaking through their characters on screen. This to me is a sign of mediocre acting. Director Ridley Scott tries with another swing and a miss. He hasn’t done a decent film since, some might say Gladiator, but I say Thelma & Louise or Blade Runner. Nothing happens in this film. It tries to take too much from other films with like-manner. Crowe tries to catch Washington. That’s it. He finally does and for about 5 minutes of the film they’re in the negotiation room together, which is actually pretty good stuff. The movie then ends with a “thought-provoking scene” with Washington being released from prison in a different time and apparently a different world. It provoked no thoughts from me.