Mr.Freeman
Smash Ace
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Movie Talk!!
- Thread starter Luigitoilet
- Start date
marthsword
Smash Ace
Just finished the Godfather trilogy! (on my epic quest to view and critique every mafia film ever). The big shocker was part III. There were some flaws, but the sum was greater than the parts, and also a wonderful end.
I'll be posting a lengthy review of III. Most likely.
I'll be posting a lengthy review of III. Most likely.
soap
Smash Hero
I'll prolly watch Black Swan
I've got a bit of a Natalie Portman crush
but if it's a great movie anyways, plus 1
Should I see Tron? I feel like if i'm gonna see it should be in theaters. But reviews I read confirmed what I was thinking. Flashy visuals with amazing daft punk soundtrack, but no script or good acting
I've got a bit of a Natalie Portman crush
but if it's a great movie anyways, plus 1
Should I see Tron? I feel like if i'm gonna see it should be in theaters. But reviews I read confirmed what I was thinking. Flashy visuals with amazing daft punk soundtrack, but no script or good acting
Pluvia
Hates Semicolons<br>;
To summarise this movie:
2 guys work together, fall in love, have gay cowboy sex and are happy for the first part of the film. Then society causes them to keep it secret.
Then comes some serious angst for 2 hours, where quite literally nothing happens but that, then an event takes place a few minutes from the end and then it's done.
I have a vague recollection of them trying to continue their relationship mid way through the film? But mostly it's them being bored with their wives and, more importantly, not doing anything. Plus the relationship isn't really a heartfelt Romeo and Juliet, one of the guys is an arse.
Yeah Pluvia, I get it, you barely watched the movie.
as for Tron, I'm really excited for it but I'm not expecting a super awesome story. I'm more excited to hear the soundtrack than anything.
as for Tron, I'm really excited for it but I'm not expecting a super awesome story. I'm more excited to hear the soundtrack than anything.
Pluvia
Hates Semicolons<br>;
Comon, don't just say I barely watched it, counter my argument by pointing out the things that happened. Say all the events that warranted a 5 out of 5.
I'm not saying your opinion is wrong or attacking you, just I really want to know what you think makes it warrant a 5 out of 5.
I'm not saying your opinion is wrong or attacking you, just I really want to know what you think makes it warrant a 5 out of 5.
Films are more than just a series of plot points.
You can make any movie sound like a piece of trash by summing it up like that
Citizen Kane is just some boring rich guy reminiscing about his sled and nothing happens.
2001 is just a bunch of ships floating around space and special effects, and nothing happens.
There Will Be Blood is just some rich oil guy with a mustache and a funny accent being a jerk and nothing happens.
etc. etc.
Brokeback Mountain covers about 20 years. The main characters realize this urge they have, which is something they have been taught to hate and fear their whole lives, and try to come to terms with it in their own respective ways. If you can't empathize with the pain of self-loathing that comes with this, and being forced to lie to society about your romantic and sexual feelings for your entire life, I don't know what to say.
Then also is the way the film portrays the differences between the two men. Ledger's character is cold and often seems emotionless, and the way he deals with his homosexuality is much more fearful and hesitant than Gyllenhaal's character, who is shown to be a very empassioned and affectionate person. These aren't "gay cowboy" stereotype cutouts, these are people. One of my favorite scenes is earlier on, with what starts off as playful horsing around with a lot of sexual tension, turns into violence. These men are afraid of what they are, and at first they deal with it by turning violent or "manly"
But then there's more, as the film doesn't stick solely to their emotional side of the story. It gives perfect validation to Ledger's wife, who finds out about their relationship early on and has to harbor that emotional torture for years.
This stuff is called "character development". Brokeback Mountain is a "character study" as well as being a general statement on society's fear of homosexuality and the self-loathing that comes with being gay especially back in the 60s-70s.
Why did I give it a perfect score? Because I found myself empathizing with these characters even though I cannot truly know the situation they are placed in and the feelings they deal with. I found myself cheering on the romantic scenes and being brought to tears by the hatefulness and pain. It is a fantastic film.
I don't care if people don't like it, but seriously, that is the dumbest means for critique ever. Even the trailer of the film has a lot more than "nothing" going on.
You can make any movie sound like a piece of trash by summing it up like that
Citizen Kane is just some boring rich guy reminiscing about his sled and nothing happens.
2001 is just a bunch of ships floating around space and special effects, and nothing happens.
There Will Be Blood is just some rich oil guy with a mustache and a funny accent being a jerk and nothing happens.
etc. etc.
Brokeback Mountain covers about 20 years. The main characters realize this urge they have, which is something they have been taught to hate and fear their whole lives, and try to come to terms with it in their own respective ways. If you can't empathize with the pain of self-loathing that comes with this, and being forced to lie to society about your romantic and sexual feelings for your entire life, I don't know what to say.
Then also is the way the film portrays the differences between the two men. Ledger's character is cold and often seems emotionless, and the way he deals with his homosexuality is much more fearful and hesitant than Gyllenhaal's character, who is shown to be a very empassioned and affectionate person. These aren't "gay cowboy" stereotype cutouts, these are people. One of my favorite scenes is earlier on, with what starts off as playful horsing around with a lot of sexual tension, turns into violence. These men are afraid of what they are, and at first they deal with it by turning violent or "manly"
But then there's more, as the film doesn't stick solely to their emotional side of the story. It gives perfect validation to Ledger's wife, who finds out about their relationship early on and has to harbor that emotional torture for years.
This stuff is called "character development". Brokeback Mountain is a "character study" as well as being a general statement on society's fear of homosexuality and the self-loathing that comes with being gay especially back in the 60s-70s.
Why did I give it a perfect score? Because I found myself empathizing with these characters even though I cannot truly know the situation they are placed in and the feelings they deal with. I found myself cheering on the romantic scenes and being brought to tears by the hatefulness and pain. It is a fantastic film.
I don't care if people don't like it, but seriously, that is the dumbest means for critique ever. Even the trailer of the film has a lot more than "nothing" going on.
Pluvia
Hates Semicolons<br>;
Right, though I generally dislike bringing up my sexuality, I'm gay, haven't come out, and come across as being straight to my peers. So though my situation is different to that of the guys in the film, I do know what they're going through.
It just seems that, while it seems to be getting off to a good start, after they stop working together the rest of the film just turns into people looking angsty until near the end. Like for example you mentioned that his wife finds out about it, and she has to live with that for the next 20 years. Well that's my problem, she finds out about it but doesn't do anything for 20 years, instead she just spends the whole film looking angsty.
Though I guess our sexualities is what makes for our different opinions. You saw a life from a different perspective and was affected by it emotionally, whereas I saw a life from my perspective but was bored by things I've already felt and know. It's like you watching a film about 2 people being straight and their feelings about it and the feelings of those around them, if that analogy makes sense.
But judging from your review I guess the film set out what it was meant to do, the reason why I never noticed it is because I'm not its target audience, so all in all that's actually quite a good thing. I never thought of it like that.
It just seems that, while it seems to be getting off to a good start, after they stop working together the rest of the film just turns into people looking angsty until near the end. Like for example you mentioned that his wife finds out about it, and she has to live with that for the next 20 years. Well that's my problem, she finds out about it but doesn't do anything for 20 years, instead she just spends the whole film looking angsty.
Though I guess our sexualities is what makes for our different opinions. You saw a life from a different perspective and was affected by it emotionally, whereas I saw a life from my perspective but was bored by things I've already felt and know. It's like you watching a film about 2 people being straight and their feelings about it and the feelings of those around them, if that analogy makes sense.
But judging from your review I guess the film set out what it was meant to do, the reason why I never noticed it is because I'm not its target audience, so all in all that's actually quite a good thing. I never thought of it like that.
That is a little different though. In the movie,
. Not to say that bigotry is absent from today's world, it is not as dangerous and disadvantageous as it would be to be a gay guy in Texas in the 60s.
For me, the true sadness was that true, consensual love would have to be something to be ashamed of. No matter the sexual orientation, it's tragic, and it makes for a good drama.
On the subject of the wife, that's an interesting point. It takes many years for her to finally admit to Ledger that she knows about him, but I think it's unfair to say "it's all just people looking angsty". Not every emotion or performance is going to be through dialogue. It's also unfair to expect the character to be able to just bring up something like that, knowing it would make her entire family fall apart. It's something you have to live with, when the man is the major breadmaker in the relationship. Especially back then.
I don't think sexual orientation has a lot to do with the enjoyment of the film. Saying that, I can understand some people finding the movie slow. It is very subtle, and there are only a few very melodramatic outbursts of emotion. Coupled with that, a lot of people don't like romantic films at all. Nothing wrong with that, it's just taste I suppose.
one of the men is beaten to death presumably because people found out about his orientation
For me, the true sadness was that true, consensual love would have to be something to be ashamed of. No matter the sexual orientation, it's tragic, and it makes for a good drama.
On the subject of the wife, that's an interesting point. It takes many years for her to finally admit to Ledger that she knows about him, but I think it's unfair to say "it's all just people looking angsty". Not every emotion or performance is going to be through dialogue. It's also unfair to expect the character to be able to just bring up something like that, knowing it would make her entire family fall apart. It's something you have to live with, when the man is the major breadmaker in the relationship. Especially back then.
I don't think sexual orientation has a lot to do with the enjoyment of the film. Saying that, I can understand some people finding the movie slow. It is very subtle, and there are only a few very melodramatic outbursts of emotion. Coupled with that, a lot of people don't like romantic films at all. Nothing wrong with that, it's just taste I suppose.
TRON: Legacy 2010
I'm disappointed.
I was incredibly hyped for this movie and the first half was totally validating the hype, but this movie totally goes down the crapper in the middle, and never recovers.
The basic story is that Jeff Lebowsk- er...Flynn Sr. has been trapped inside the Grid (I guess the same Grid from the first movie? i dunno) for 20 years and his son finds a way inside and...
hell, it really doesn't matter. 45% of the movie is characters sitting around explaining the backstory. There are a lot of really boring scenes. The lead actor kid is a black hole of charisma.
Jeff Bridges plays two roles, Flynn Sr. and a clone program named Clu. Clu is a CGI version of Jeff Bridges to make him look young. It looks kind of weird. Flynn Sr. acts and talks like The Dude, which is always good.
Olivia Wilde is gorgeous and is a really good fit to the sexy Tron aesthetic. She also does a pretty good job with what she's given, which unfortunately isn't much because her whole character is pretty dumb.
The first half of the movie is pretty awesome. The introduction scene to the Grid is amazing, and there are a good string of action scenes that justified the purchase.
Then the story gets in the way. And it's doubly sad because the film brings up some really interesting philosophical concepts and dramatic ideas, but never follows through. The ending is the definition of anticlimactic.
The 3D was pretty decent. Probably the best and most tasteful use of it I've seen since Avatar. It's not absolutely vital to the film, I imagine.
The score/soundtrack, by Daft Punk, did not disappoint. About half of the score is a more traditional Hollywood orchestrated type. It's not bad, but it's nothing very exceptional either. The other half is recognizably Daft Punk bangers. They are ****ing awesome. A couple of the songs had an interesting mix of both the orchestrated sounds and the electronic beats.
The best part of all of course was
. I was grinning like an idiot there because for some reason I just didn't expect it.
Overall, an enjoyable waste of time but probably not something I'm ever going to watch again.
2.5/5
I'm disappointed.
I was incredibly hyped for this movie and the first half was totally validating the hype, but this movie totally goes down the crapper in the middle, and never recovers.
The basic story is that Jeff Lebowsk- er...Flynn Sr. has been trapped inside the Grid (I guess the same Grid from the first movie? i dunno) for 20 years and his son finds a way inside and...
hell, it really doesn't matter. 45% of the movie is characters sitting around explaining the backstory. There are a lot of really boring scenes. The lead actor kid is a black hole of charisma.
Jeff Bridges plays two roles, Flynn Sr. and a clone program named Clu. Clu is a CGI version of Jeff Bridges to make him look young. It looks kind of weird. Flynn Sr. acts and talks like The Dude, which is always good.
Olivia Wilde is gorgeous and is a really good fit to the sexy Tron aesthetic. She also does a pretty good job with what she's given, which unfortunately isn't much because her whole character is pretty dumb.
The first half of the movie is pretty awesome. The introduction scene to the Grid is amazing, and there are a good string of action scenes that justified the purchase.
Then the story gets in the way. And it's doubly sad because the film brings up some really interesting philosophical concepts and dramatic ideas, but never follows through. The ending is the definition of anticlimactic.
The 3D was pretty decent. Probably the best and most tasteful use of it I've seen since Avatar. It's not absolutely vital to the film, I imagine.
The score/soundtrack, by Daft Punk, did not disappoint. About half of the score is a more traditional Hollywood orchestrated type. It's not bad, but it's nothing very exceptional either. The other half is recognizably Daft Punk bangers. They are ****ing awesome. A couple of the songs had an interesting mix of both the orchestrated sounds and the electronic beats.
The best part of all of course was
Daft Punk actually making an extended cameo in the movie itself.
Overall, an enjoyable waste of time but probably not something I'm ever going to watch again.
2.5/5
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Going see Black Swan again on Thursday since it opened up nationwide this weekend. If you can, go see it.
PolarBear
Smash Journeyman
Hmm, my brother said he enjoyed Tron: Legacy. His tastes are quite different from mine though.
Well, it's about that time for the best of the year lists. I'm excluding all foreign movies that were released in America in 2010 but their native countries in 2009.
1. Toy Story 3
2. Another Year
3. Inception
4. The Social Network
5. Greenberg
6. Please Give
7. Exit Through the Gift Shop
8. Four Lions
9. Of Gods and Men
10. Animal Kingdom
11. Buried
12. 127 Hours
13. The town
14. Shutter Island
15. Winter's Bone
Well, it's about that time for the best of the year lists. I'm excluding all foreign movies that were released in America in 2010 but their native countries in 2009.
1. Toy Story 3
2. Another Year
3. Inception
4. The Social Network
5. Greenberg
6. Please Give
7. Exit Through the Gift Shop
8. Four Lions
9. Of Gods and Men
10. Animal Kingdom
11. Buried
12. 127 Hours
13. The town
14. Shutter Island
15. Winter's Bone
I have not seen a whole lot of films from this year.
If I had to pick a best, it would probably be Social Network
that might change when Black Swan comes to my theater (I just found out it's coming and am so stoked)
If I had to pick a best, it would probably be Social Network
that might change when Black Swan comes to my theater (I just found out it's coming and am so stoked)
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I enjoyed Social Network a lot, but I really didn't find it being super amazing as a lot evidently did. I loved Jesse Eisenberg in it, but I really didn't take a whole lot from the movie like I did with others.
I rewatched Inception last night with a friend who saw it once and a friend who never saw it. Both had the exact reactions I did, which was awesome.
However, there was a rather glaring flaw:
I rewatched Inception last night with a friend who saw it once and a friend who never saw it. Both had the exact reactions I did, which was awesome.
However, there was a rather glaring flaw:
how did the bring the machines and drugs down to the next dream level? A lot of that can be explained away that we really have no idea HOW the machine works, but that was bothering me on this viewing. For example, Saito is put under in the train, and then put under in the apartment, but how exactly would drugs work in a shared dream?
Social Network is just an amazingly well-made film. That it had me completely engaged in such mundane things as coding is a testament to that. The acting is superb all around. Obviously Eisenberg did a perfect job, but the rest of the cast has been overlooked. Justin Timberlake was surprisingly REALLY good, and the guy who played the twins did just as well.
@ Inception. I really couldn't explain the mechanics of the dream-machine thing but that's the point of the movie. It is very under-explained for good reason, because really, who cares about the specific details of the technology? It's kinda arbitrary.
@ Inception. I really couldn't explain the mechanics of the dream-machine thing but that's the point of the movie. It is very under-explained for good reason, because really, who cares about the specific details of the technology? It's kinda arbitrary.
DerpDaBerp
Smash Champion
If you can make some sort of sense of it, you can trust it more as a story. That, for me, makes it more fulfilling to watch.
In many cases that is true, but the dream machine in Inception is simply a Macguffin. All that really matters about the tech is that it puts people into dreams. I think the mechanism/rules of the dreams themselves is much more important than how the machine works.
PolarBear
Smash Journeyman
@Luigitoilet: You know, I felt the same way when the movie came out, about their portrayal of the dream technology. I was expecting a lengthy explanation of science fiction mumbo jumbo on how the technology worked like they do in every super hero movie, but was pleasantly surprised when they took that time and devoted it to action.
@Getocoolaid: Go out and watch it now! lol I haven't watched it yet either, but it looks like it will be something you wouldn't want to wait for on DVD.
Some movies I want to see before the year is over that I haven't seen yet are True Grit, Black Swan, The Illlusionist, and The King's Speech, and also see some other movies over again. Then I could write a more comprehensive best-of list.
@Getocoolaid: Go out and watch it now! lol I haven't watched it yet either, but it looks like it will be something you wouldn't want to wait for on DVD.
Some movies I want to see before the year is over that I haven't seen yet are True Grit, Black Swan, The Illlusionist, and The King's Speech, and also see some other movies over again. Then I could write a more comprehensive best-of list.
Rychu
Thane of Smashville
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I wish I could go.
My local theater isn't interested in those kinds of movies though...
PolarBear
Smash Journeyman
Is that because its controversial or artsy? That's unfortunate, but yeah there's always DVDs to come soon. Sometimes if there is a movie that isn't playing anywhere near where I live I'll take the effort and drive through a few towns to get to one.I wish I could go.
My local theater isn't interested in those kinds of movies though...
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God, Black Swan is a damn great movie. There's a lot of layers to it, and so many points for discussion that would be worth topics on their own. Most notably,
I love this ****ing movie.
Thomas. Was he an evil person who wanted to corrupt people, or was he naive to the clearly broken emotion state of his dancers (actors, by trade, are schizophrenic, so add in a broken sense of reality) that he didn't realize how damaging he was to his women. Beth was clearly a broken person who wouldn't need much of a push, and the transformation of Nina was obvious, but Erica gave up early. Is she the result of what happens when you don't give completely but stop mid-transformation?
I love this ****ing movie.
Paris, Texas 1984
It's strange how my feelings on an entire movie can flip over on their heads with one scene. I was really not feeling this movie for the first 1.5 hour. It is strange, quirky and whimsical. Sometimes it feels quirky just for the sake of it, which always annoys me. The last 20 or so minutes, however, is incredibly emotional and perfect. It is one of the greatest monologues. It made me like the whole film before a lot more in retrospect.
The movie starts with a man in jeans and a baseball cap trudging through a desert in Texas. He has forgotten who he is, and does not speak a word. He stumbles upon a tiny trailer-hospital in the middle of everything and collapses inside. The doctor inside manages to get connected with the man's brother, who flies to Texas to pick him up.
Gradually, the mysterious desert man begins to grasp onto his old memories. It is never revealed what set him off into the desert until the very end, but it is really not that important. The movie is more about feelings, not mystery.
It's one of those movies I didn't necessarily like while watching, but I'm really glad I stuck with it.
3.5/5
It's strange how my feelings on an entire movie can flip over on their heads with one scene. I was really not feeling this movie for the first 1.5 hour. It is strange, quirky and whimsical. Sometimes it feels quirky just for the sake of it, which always annoys me. The last 20 or so minutes, however, is incredibly emotional and perfect. It is one of the greatest monologues. It made me like the whole film before a lot more in retrospect.
The movie starts with a man in jeans and a baseball cap trudging through a desert in Texas. He has forgotten who he is, and does not speak a word. He stumbles upon a tiny trailer-hospital in the middle of everything and collapses inside. The doctor inside manages to get connected with the man's brother, who flies to Texas to pick him up.
Gradually, the mysterious desert man begins to grasp onto his old memories. It is never revealed what set him off into the desert until the very end, but it is really not that important. The movie is more about feelings, not mystery.
It's one of those movies I didn't necessarily like while watching, but I'm really glad I stuck with it.
3.5/5
BLACK SWAN 2010
Finally! A film I can call, with no hesitation, my favorite of the year. This might be the "just got out of the movie" buzz but this is the best thing Darren Aronofsky's done yet.
Nina is a sheltered, frigid and emotionally stunted ballerina played to perfection by Natalie Portman in a perfect casting decision and performance. Nina is getting "old" (for a ballerina) but in many ways she acts very childish. She still lives at home with her mother who supports and coddles her to a sickening degree. She sleeps in what looks like a pre-teen girl's bedroom, adorned with stuffed animals and ballerina figures. And she's completely obsessed with her ballet dancing, so when her studio picks a modern reimagining of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake where both the White and Black Swan are to be played by the same dancer, she is infatuated with perfecting both roles.
The basic plot is fairly straightforward.......I think.
Truth is, this is one of those movies where you can't really pin down a single "reality". It is entirely from Nina's perspective, so all of the surreal elements and hallucinations are used interchangeably with the "real life". I can imagine some people taking issue with this because some people get frustrated when they can't "figure out" a movie. That's so not the point of Black Swan though, so it's not recommended to go into it expecting a puzzle that is there to solve. What it is is a terrifying and brutal approximation of Nina's psyche and a study on obsession.
Let me re-emphasize terrifying. The last third of this film has scenes that had me holding my breath, my heart racing in my throat. Two scenes in particular made me flinch a lot. It is intense. This isn't the same Aronofsky that just made The Wrestler. This is more in line with Requiem for a Dream or Pi, but much more emotionally intricate and mature.
Oh, and the opening scene is immaculate and should be studied in film classes.
5/5
The Terminator 1984
I haven't seen T1 since I was like 10. Aside from a lot of the SFX (Arnold's head after he loses his eye looks so paper-mache and some of the scenes with the skinless cyborg at the end look silly) this movie's aged pretty well! It's a helluva lot more brutal and "horror" than T2. I like it. I also really like Linda Hamilton in this. I'm so used to seeing her as Sarah in T2- this ****y hardass military fighter- that it's refreshing to see her as a regular damsel in distress type role. She can be really cute.
But dear god, 80s hair was so AWFUL.
4/5
Jurassic Park 1994
Yep, this movie is still the boss. As far as I'm concerned, this is probably the best Hollywood blockbuster ever made.
and the CGI still looks damn good.
Finally! A film I can call, with no hesitation, my favorite of the year. This might be the "just got out of the movie" buzz but this is the best thing Darren Aronofsky's done yet.
Nina is a sheltered, frigid and emotionally stunted ballerina played to perfection by Natalie Portman in a perfect casting decision and performance. Nina is getting "old" (for a ballerina) but in many ways she acts very childish. She still lives at home with her mother who supports and coddles her to a sickening degree. She sleeps in what looks like a pre-teen girl's bedroom, adorned with stuffed animals and ballerina figures. And she's completely obsessed with her ballet dancing, so when her studio picks a modern reimagining of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake where both the White and Black Swan are to be played by the same dancer, she is infatuated with perfecting both roles.
The basic plot is fairly straightforward.......I think.
Truth is, this is one of those movies where you can't really pin down a single "reality". It is entirely from Nina's perspective, so all of the surreal elements and hallucinations are used interchangeably with the "real life". I can imagine some people taking issue with this because some people get frustrated when they can't "figure out" a movie. That's so not the point of Black Swan though, so it's not recommended to go into it expecting a puzzle that is there to solve. What it is is a terrifying and brutal approximation of Nina's psyche and a study on obsession.
Let me re-emphasize terrifying. The last third of this film has scenes that had me holding my breath, my heart racing in my throat. Two scenes in particular made me flinch a lot. It is intense. This isn't the same Aronofsky that just made The Wrestler. This is more in line with Requiem for a Dream or Pi, but much more emotionally intricate and mature.
Oh, and the opening scene is immaculate and should be studied in film classes.
5/5
The Terminator 1984
I haven't seen T1 since I was like 10. Aside from a lot of the SFX (Arnold's head after he loses his eye looks so paper-mache and some of the scenes with the skinless cyborg at the end look silly) this movie's aged pretty well! It's a helluva lot more brutal and "horror" than T2. I like it. I also really like Linda Hamilton in this. I'm so used to seeing her as Sarah in T2- this ****y hardass military fighter- that it's refreshing to see her as a regular damsel in distress type role. She can be really cute.
But dear god, 80s hair was so AWFUL.
4/5
Jurassic Park 1994
Yep, this movie is still the boss. As far as I'm concerned, this is probably the best Hollywood blockbuster ever made.
and the CGI still looks damn good.
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@LT: any thoughts on my spoiler section? You nailed it across the board otherwise. This movie is Aronofsky at his best.
I think
the director was the "antagonist" of the film. To me, he represents the patriarch. A lot of the film seems to be an allegory for the Madonna-***** complex of society. Women are often expected to act as both a saint and as a *****. This is exemplified obviously in the casting of the White/Black Swan as one person. It drives the entire film-trying to conform to arbitrarily set standards by masculine society tears Nina apart.
His demanding stature as a director wasn't so bad, if a little insensitive. The motive of his sexual "advances" are a little unclear though. At times it appears he uses sex as a way to get the best performance out of Nina. I don't think he was totally a bad guy, but he himself showed a lot of obsession towards his work for better or worse.
His demanding stature as a director wasn't so bad, if a little insensitive. The motive of his sexual "advances" are a little unclear though. At times it appears he uses sex as a way to get the best performance out of Nina. I don't think he was totally a bad guy, but he himself showed a lot of obsession towards his work for better or worse.
PolarBear
Smash Journeyman
I really like how daring Aronofsky made the film. Describing her disorders through a visual medium wouldn't have had the same effect if it hadn't dangerously tread on the line between brilliance and convolution. However, I do think the film is not as ambiguous as it seems. I think most things can be explained by psychological disorders, and if you somewhat closely examine it, you can figure out what's real and what's delusion. Black Swan was a very good film, I'd put it behind Toy Story 3 as my favorite of the year.
Well, the whole point of the film is Nina's mental instability. It's not about trying to find what scenes are entirely real and what aren't.
For instance
Also, earlier on in the club scene
but to me, the film is more about the primal emotional effect. Bothering about what happens in a literal sense is pointless because we have an incredibly unreliable narrator.
For instance
the ending doesn't really make any logical sense. Nina apparently danced half of the ballet with a shard of glass in her stomach. It makes more sense to approach it from a simply metaphorical perspective. Her "death" could very well not be a literal "death" but rather a mental point of no return. She has completely lost her mind. Becoming both swans has effectively "killed" her.
Also, earlier on in the club scene
it is impossible to know exactly when Lily was really there or wasn't. It is explained that Nina never had sex with Lily, but implied that she had sex with one of the guys from the club. It's very hard to tell exactly where the "real" Lily disappeared. I would hazard a guess that Nina left Lily at the club and imagined her in the cab, because that is the first scene where Lily really comes on to Nina.
but to me, the film is more about the primal emotional effect. Bothering about what happens in a literal sense is pointless because we have an incredibly unreliable narrator.
Bamesy
Smash Ace
Toy Story 3 was good.
Obviously... no explination needed.
They knew the audience was growing with it and took it to a mature level, beautiful.
Inception was good.
It was a great concept and well done. Simply, he took an idea as far as he could go. There wasn't much more he could do with a movie based completely around that idea.
That's what I really liked about it. It was an extreme end of something (the concept of planting ideas in a person through dreams etc etc) and took it to its edge. There is so much that can be done around it, the idea of dreams and so on, but he stuck to one thing and went all the way with it.
Even Tron and this coming Sucker Punch thing are different directions into the 'Dream' type of movie, just more broad and generic with it. If Inception had detail on 'How it all worked scientificallly', it would've taken away from what the CONCEPT of the movie was supposed to be.
TS3 and Inception are my Movies of the Year.
Haven't seen Black Swan but sounds fun. Every movie has something at least mildly interesting, it's a shame they can't all just compile into a few AMAZING movies.
Like the movie The Tourist, it was purposefully awkward and weird the whole way through (you'd have to see it, it was a nice take on the general 'super spy' thing but as oddly normal as possible to seem almost uncomfortable, especially Depps role) and everything was a slight twist. Clever even up to the end, but SO much more could be done with it. If they took what made Tourist GOOD and took out what made it not any more good, replacing the 'not as good' part with GOOD from other movies... then we'd get a GREAT movie.
That goes for every movie.
Pixar and Momento know what's up.
Last Airbender and Rez Evil 4 for worst movies of the year.
I cried in them both due to laughing...
Sooooooo bad...
Obviously... no explination needed.
They knew the audience was growing with it and took it to a mature level, beautiful.
Inception was good.
It was a great concept and well done. Simply, he took an idea as far as he could go. There wasn't much more he could do with a movie based completely around that idea.
That's what I really liked about it. It was an extreme end of something (the concept of planting ideas in a person through dreams etc etc) and took it to its edge. There is so much that can be done around it, the idea of dreams and so on, but he stuck to one thing and went all the way with it.
Even Tron and this coming Sucker Punch thing are different directions into the 'Dream' type of movie, just more broad and generic with it. If Inception had detail on 'How it all worked scientificallly', it would've taken away from what the CONCEPT of the movie was supposed to be.
TS3 and Inception are my Movies of the Year.
Haven't seen Black Swan but sounds fun. Every movie has something at least mildly interesting, it's a shame they can't all just compile into a few AMAZING movies.
Like the movie The Tourist, it was purposefully awkward and weird the whole way through (you'd have to see it, it was a nice take on the general 'super spy' thing but as oddly normal as possible to seem almost uncomfortable, especially Depps role) and everything was a slight twist. Clever even up to the end, but SO much more could be done with it. If they took what made Tourist GOOD and took out what made it not any more good, replacing the 'not as good' part with GOOD from other movies... then we'd get a GREAT movie.
That goes for every movie.
Pixar and Momento know what's up.
Last Airbender and Rez Evil 4 for worst movies of the year.
I cried in them both due to laughing...
Sooooooo bad...
Jane
Smash Hero
i just saw inception for the first time last night and it most definitely lived up to all the hype. it was so ****ing good. great from the very beginning to very end.
im about to watch scott pilgrim vs the world
im about to watch scott pilgrim vs the world
Just got back from True Grit, and it was one of the best movies I've seen this year. The acting was superb; not only did Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin pull off excellent performances but newcomer Hailee Steinfeld did a fantastic job. The rest of the cast didn't fall short one bit, either.
Personally I enjoyed it even more than Inception, although it's kind of unfair to compare the two. Actually, it seems like they're almost on opposite ends of the spectrum. =P
Personally I enjoyed it even more than Inception, although it's kind of unfair to compare the two. Actually, it seems like they're almost on opposite ends of the spectrum. =P
soap
Smash Hero
Black Swan was reminding me of the anime Higurashi during a bunch of scenes. Some scenes screamed too much of Requiem. The talking pictures and the refrigerator requiem scene for instance, but that's not
so much a big deal. Phenomenal film
Also:
Mila Kunis + Natalie Portman > Megan Fox + Amanda Seyfried
I'm judging solely off the quality of the girl on girl action. I don't care if it wasn't real.
so much a big deal. Phenomenal film
Also:
Mila Kunis + Natalie Portman > Megan Fox + Amanda Seyfried
I'm judging solely off the quality of the girl on girl action. I don't care if it wasn't real.
choknater
Smash Obsessed
I just saw Tangled and was impressed 
So simple, pure hearted, refreshing.
So simple, pure hearted, refreshing.
Darren Aronofsky is a huge Satoshi Kon fan. I know he didn't make Higurashi but it goes to show that the guy probably likes a bit of anime. He owns the rights to Perfect Blue. He had to buy them to use a scene in Requiem for a Dream because it was basically straight ripped off from Perfect Blue.
The film is stylistically similar to Requiem though. I thought it was way better done. The talking paintings were much more horrifying and not so over the top as that fridge scene.
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2002
- Messages
- 28,983
Comparing it to Requiem isn't a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. That movie was a great character study.
soap
Smash Hero
My sister called it a blend of Requiem and Fight Club - On account of the split personality thing, and the killing of the other side.
That's not right though. Mila Kunis' character IS NOT
a figment of Nina's imagination or an alternate personality the same way Brad Pitt is in Fight Club. Her character actually exists, it's just Nina projects her onto other people/herself.
bumpz
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, 1975
"If I was a woman," her son says, "I couldn't sleep with anyone unless I was truly in love with them."
"How could you know? You're not a woman." she replies, "Goodnight."
Jeanne Dielman is a widowed mother. We watch her follow a rigid, daily schedule. She wakes up, she polishes her son's shoes, she washes the dishes, she makes the bed, she sits a neighbor's baby, she bathes, she cooks. Amidst all of this, she greets men at her door, takes them into her bedroom and sleeps with them. This seems to be her only source of income. It is treated as every other part of her daily routine is.
If I saw this movie a couple of years ago, I would have called it "difficult". It is 3 hours and 30 minutes long, with approximately only about 20-25 minutes of dialogue. There is no score, no dramatic monologues...in fact, there are no closeups of any kind, and the camera is always completely static. We just watch. Most filmmakers don't have the bravery to do this sort of film.
For example, one night Jeanne is making meat and potatoes. She begins to peel the potatoes. Most films would show you this for a second, then cut away to another scene. Here, instead, we watch her peel every single potato. We watch her knead the meat, bread it, set it on the stove. When she takes a bath, we not only watch her clean her entire body, but get dressed and clean out the tub with cleaner.
Some might see this as a pretentious exercise in monotony, and those people might be right...but, somehow, I really liked it. I was completely engaged the entire movie. The focus and repetition of these mundane tasks reveals Jeanne's true character in a very different way than most movies. I began to be enraptured by the tiniest of details. Jeanne tries to sit and relax with a cup of coffee, but something is wrong. She dumps the cup, and tests the milk to see if it's soured. It's fine. She makes another cup. Something is wrong. She dumps it out and brews another pot.
The poetry of all this comes to life through the acting. If it weren't for the lead actress, Delphine Seyrig, this movie might be unwatchable. It's an incredibly subdued but complex performance, and never once does she chew scenery or make things melodramatic.
I can't quite recommend it because I know most people would hate me if they tried to watch it on my recommendation, but I think it is very profound and poetic in a way you never really see in most films.
4.5/5
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, 1975
"If I was a woman," her son says, "I couldn't sleep with anyone unless I was truly in love with them."
"How could you know? You're not a woman." she replies, "Goodnight."
Jeanne Dielman is a widowed mother. We watch her follow a rigid, daily schedule. She wakes up, she polishes her son's shoes, she washes the dishes, she makes the bed, she sits a neighbor's baby, she bathes, she cooks. Amidst all of this, she greets men at her door, takes them into her bedroom and sleeps with them. This seems to be her only source of income. It is treated as every other part of her daily routine is.
If I saw this movie a couple of years ago, I would have called it "difficult". It is 3 hours and 30 minutes long, with approximately only about 20-25 minutes of dialogue. There is no score, no dramatic monologues...in fact, there are no closeups of any kind, and the camera is always completely static. We just watch. Most filmmakers don't have the bravery to do this sort of film.
For example, one night Jeanne is making meat and potatoes. She begins to peel the potatoes. Most films would show you this for a second, then cut away to another scene. Here, instead, we watch her peel every single potato. We watch her knead the meat, bread it, set it on the stove. When she takes a bath, we not only watch her clean her entire body, but get dressed and clean out the tub with cleaner.
Some might see this as a pretentious exercise in monotony, and those people might be right...but, somehow, I really liked it. I was completely engaged the entire movie. The focus and repetition of these mundane tasks reveals Jeanne's true character in a very different way than most movies. I began to be enraptured by the tiniest of details. Jeanne tries to sit and relax with a cup of coffee, but something is wrong. She dumps the cup, and tests the milk to see if it's soured. It's fine. She makes another cup. Something is wrong. She dumps it out and brews another pot.
The poetry of all this comes to life through the acting. If it weren't for the lead actress, Delphine Seyrig, this movie might be unwatchable. It's an incredibly subdued but complex performance, and never once does she chew scenery or make things melodramatic.
I can't quite recommend it because I know most people would hate me if they tried to watch it on my recommendation, but I think it is very profound and poetic in a way you never really see in most films.
4.5/5
Recently I watched Unstoppable and Inception movies.
Both are really nice and great movies. I like inception most, Nice animation and excellent story, Proper direction and great play role by all characters.
Unstoppable - 7/10
Inception - 8/10
Both are really nice and great movies. I like inception most, Nice animation and excellent story, Proper direction and great play role by all characters.
Unstoppable - 7/10
Inception - 8/10
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2002
- Messages
- 28,983
2010 in Film
I was feeling a bit pretentious and thought maybe someone would care what I thought of the movies of 2010. This is a repost from my Facebook, but no one here has me, so...
This year was an overall great year in movies. There was a Scorsese film, a Nolan film, and Aronofsky film, and a Coen Brothers film. A few disappointments/wasted money experiences, but all in all, I felt a really solid year. I am annoyed that despite my willingness to spend money on films, I get so few locally. Even a 2-hour drive won't offer much more in movies. The order below is in the order of release. Spoilers ahead!
Shutter Island - Great movie from start to finish. My biggest gripe was Scorsese stuck so close to the core material, as he usually does, that his great skills were basically invisible. Leo did a great job as the troubled lead, but I did prefer his role in Inception because it had a bit more depth (and proved he is an amazing actor by tackling a very similar role with a whole different approach). Mark Ruffalo deserves more lead time, and as the new Hulk in The Avengers, he should get it. Rating: 4.5/5
Alice in Wonderland - I don't like Tim Burton, but this was a great experience overall. Alice's actress was a bit limited, but her interactions with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter were interesting. Isn't much more to say, then it was pretty cool, and Burton's art-style really helped make the movie aesthetically pleasing. Rating: 3.5/5
Repo Men - So, I forgot why I went see this, but I think I had a headache and the other option was a 3D movie. Not really much to say, but Jude Law can play that funny guy pretty well, and RZA is always awesome. I think the entire ending battle was an homage to Oldboy, but the movie decided to take the easy way out and retcon itself with a dream ending. Yes, I spoiled it because this movie is a waste of time. The plot is all right I guess, but it doesn't really do anything other than make a huge attack on capitalism and privatized health care. Rating: 2/5
Clash of the Titans - Saw this on DVD with Riff Trax. As Kevin Murphy said "There is not a whole lot of clashing in this movie." It's a very boring affair that tries to be epic in its battles, and it comes off rather lazy and boring. A lot happens, but nothing really matters. I hate Sam Worthington and his lack of ability to act. He pretty much just got this role (and any subsequent roles) from his coasting through Avatar. I guess in theaters as a popcorn flick this movie would really work because it does have a good closed story, but overall, I like movies with substance. Rating: 4.5/5 with Rifftrax (1/5 without)
A Nightmare on Elm Street - Being a fan of the movies since childhood, I wasn't too sure going in if this would disappoint me or be worthwhile. It did exactly what it set out to do, and it did it pretty well. All in all, I'd consider it a good reboot, but I don't like the prospect of their being more in fear of them doing a Rob Zombie treatment. Rating: 3/5
Iron Man 2 - Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark/Iron Man 2, and I was pretty pleased with a great deal of the movie. First off, I ****ing LOVE Sam Rockwell and I really enjoy Mickey Roake. Both are amazing on screen, and do their craft well. Unfortunately, the story was less for building up Iron Man, and more for setting up The Avengers. The payoff better be worth it, because this movie was way too scattered after the first one, and did that movie a disservice. Rating: 3/5
Killers - Dragged to this film, kicking and screaming, and I was justified. Katherine Hiegl is a terrible actress, whose schtick is all about being a hot awkward girl. Only she could make Punk'd's Ashton Kutcher look suave. The movie was stupid, predicable, and boring. Rating: .5/5
Toy Story 3 - I grew up way too fast as a kid, so cartoons/animated movies, no matter the content really don't do it for me. Toy Story 3 is one of few exceptions. The movie works as the perfect closer to the trilogy (TS4 is already rumored though...), and it was a great emotional explication of the act of growing up. Rating: 4/5
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - Another rifftrax viewing. The commentary was as hilarious as the atrocious acting and writing. I really can't get how people can buy into the Twilight mythos despite all the obvious holes that I can see despite only watching the movies with people talking over it. None of the actors in the movie are remotely competent (with Harpo [the quiet vampire, who was in Last Airbender... I have no clue what his name is other than that] actually going back and forth between the most ridiculous Southern accent ever). They also murder a child (off-screen but heavily implied). And they also imply a gang ****. A gang ****. Rating: 0/5 without Rifftrax (4.5/5 with Rifftrax; Possibly the funniest one in their catalogue).
The Last Airbender - Sigh... This movie was so stupid that I felt insulted it existed. They would explain really cool things without showing it, the acting was all over the place, and the story was incomplete. It's clear they meant for a series, but thanks to M. Night being a terrible director, there will be no more. Rating 2.5/5 with Rifftrax... yeah, even they couldn't make me not regret watching this movie.
Despicable Me - As said before, I don't really like animated films, but this one was great too. Steve Carrell can always add a life to any delivery, and he did a great job with Gru. It wasn't trying to do anything more than entertain while giving a cursory message, but it did that well. Rating: 4/5
Inception - When I first saw the trailers, I was interested in this film. When I found out what it was about, I became hooked. I love dreams and study of dreams, and Leo, just coming off of another Scorsese movie, was the perfect choice. As stated before, while Cobb and Teddy Daniels from the aforementioned Shutter Island are similar, Leo expertly plays them completely different with subtle nuances. This may be Nolan's best movie to date, and the story manages to be complex without being confusing. The ending will be talked about for years. Rating: 5/5
The Social Network - I enjoyed this movie overall, especially Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, but the movie didn't leave as lasting of an impression as other films have. All the actors were great in their roles, the story was well-paced, but there wasn't much for me to take away from it. Rating: 4.5/5
******* 3D - Well, you know what you are getting when you go see this movie. The best part about it was the clearly sober Steve-O still trying to perform acts of stupidity to prove he can still do it. I think without the drugs, his looks of fear are even more entertaining. The ending credits were great for an exclamation point on this franchise where people just put themselves through Hell for our amusement. The 3D effects were stupendous, and the stunts were always great. Rating: 4/5
Paranormal Activity 2 - **** you, Hollywood. So, Paranormal Activity was a great movie to me because it broke the standard horror movie formula, of gore-porn movies like Saw, which were hailed as innovative and fresh, despite ignoring character development for the sake of getting a reaction. PA killed that by being a slow boiling movie with a climax scare, similar to Japanese Horror movies. PA2 killed that completely by repeating every single scare from the first movie (doors opening and closing happened once, maybe twice in the first movie, but in the second it happened repeatedly). Also, the movie decided to forego the entire only show footage when something happens, and wasted two or three nights on NOTHING. Nothing was shown, nothing special happened. The movie also retcons the first movie by creating the notion that Katie's brother-in-law passed the demon off on her, which makes no sense since Katie appears in this movie to talk to her about it, where her sister starts to question it, but nothing of that is mentioned in the first movie. It failed to excite, it failed to innovate, and it failed to scare. I hate being bored in movie theaters. Rating: 1/5
True Grit - What a film. The Coen Brothers are great with movies with real characters like this one. Everyone did their part extremely well, and I was enamored with the quality of dialogue, action, and settings. Jeff Bridges is a king, and Matt Damon is the next one, if he choses his roles correctly. If he can get a Big Labowski-esque role, he will be in the perfect position to prove he has the ability to perform. Josh Brolin is amazing as usual despite being in the film a grand total of 10 minutes. Rating: 5/5
Black Swan - My film of the year, by leaps and bounds. Aronofsky has made some of the most poignant movies that really press the audience to reflect on them after. After The Wrestler, I was pretty sure he was going to continue his forward push into more mainstream film making (not to say Requiem for a Dream and Pi weren't mainstream material, but the mainstream rarely buys into that). Instead, he went with Black Swan, a clear case of going back to his roots with wisdom and skill under his belt. This movie is raw, twisted, visceral, passionate, and conscious. Never in the film do I feel a meandering, just a story that knows its purpose and endgame with actors who are highly capable of getting there. Natalie Portman as Nina was a perfect choice especially with Mila Kunis as Lily. Nina was perfect in her portrayal of an immature, aging ballerina who is losing touch with what is real. Once her stress levels are ratcheted up, she starts to break, and the end result is something jaw-dropping. Rating: 5/5
Avatar: Special Edition - So, James Cameron got snubbed at the Oscars for his derivative film, Avatar. Despite ripping off countless other movies, the movie WAS sold on visuals, which is did pretty damn well. I guess as a "**** you" to the Academy or anyone who bought the DVD before, Cameron rereleased the movie A YEAR LATER with 8 minutes of footage. I know watching that movie I kept thinking "Can this movie possibly be longer?" Cameron is a douche.
In choosing the below list, I went by what interested me more than anything else.
Top 5 of 2010:
1. Black Swan
2. Inception
3. True Grit
4. Shutter Island
5. Toy Story 3
I was feeling a bit pretentious and thought maybe someone would care what I thought of the movies of 2010. This is a repost from my Facebook, but no one here has me, so...
This year was an overall great year in movies. There was a Scorsese film, a Nolan film, and Aronofsky film, and a Coen Brothers film. A few disappointments/wasted money experiences, but all in all, I felt a really solid year. I am annoyed that despite my willingness to spend money on films, I get so few locally. Even a 2-hour drive won't offer much more in movies. The order below is in the order of release. Spoilers ahead!
Shutter Island - Great movie from start to finish. My biggest gripe was Scorsese stuck so close to the core material, as he usually does, that his great skills were basically invisible. Leo did a great job as the troubled lead, but I did prefer his role in Inception because it had a bit more depth (and proved he is an amazing actor by tackling a very similar role with a whole different approach). Mark Ruffalo deserves more lead time, and as the new Hulk in The Avengers, he should get it. Rating: 4.5/5
Alice in Wonderland - I don't like Tim Burton, but this was a great experience overall. Alice's actress was a bit limited, but her interactions with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter were interesting. Isn't much more to say, then it was pretty cool, and Burton's art-style really helped make the movie aesthetically pleasing. Rating: 3.5/5
Repo Men - So, I forgot why I went see this, but I think I had a headache and the other option was a 3D movie. Not really much to say, but Jude Law can play that funny guy pretty well, and RZA is always awesome. I think the entire ending battle was an homage to Oldboy, but the movie decided to take the easy way out and retcon itself with a dream ending. Yes, I spoiled it because this movie is a waste of time. The plot is all right I guess, but it doesn't really do anything other than make a huge attack on capitalism and privatized health care. Rating: 2/5
Clash of the Titans - Saw this on DVD with Riff Trax. As Kevin Murphy said "There is not a whole lot of clashing in this movie." It's a very boring affair that tries to be epic in its battles, and it comes off rather lazy and boring. A lot happens, but nothing really matters. I hate Sam Worthington and his lack of ability to act. He pretty much just got this role (and any subsequent roles) from his coasting through Avatar. I guess in theaters as a popcorn flick this movie would really work because it does have a good closed story, but overall, I like movies with substance. Rating: 4.5/5 with Rifftrax (1/5 without)
A Nightmare on Elm Street - Being a fan of the movies since childhood, I wasn't too sure going in if this would disappoint me or be worthwhile. It did exactly what it set out to do, and it did it pretty well. All in all, I'd consider it a good reboot, but I don't like the prospect of their being more in fear of them doing a Rob Zombie treatment. Rating: 3/5
Iron Man 2 - Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark/Iron Man 2, and I was pretty pleased with a great deal of the movie. First off, I ****ing LOVE Sam Rockwell and I really enjoy Mickey Roake. Both are amazing on screen, and do their craft well. Unfortunately, the story was less for building up Iron Man, and more for setting up The Avengers. The payoff better be worth it, because this movie was way too scattered after the first one, and did that movie a disservice. Rating: 3/5
Killers - Dragged to this film, kicking and screaming, and I was justified. Katherine Hiegl is a terrible actress, whose schtick is all about being a hot awkward girl. Only she could make Punk'd's Ashton Kutcher look suave. The movie was stupid, predicable, and boring. Rating: .5/5
Toy Story 3 - I grew up way too fast as a kid, so cartoons/animated movies, no matter the content really don't do it for me. Toy Story 3 is one of few exceptions. The movie works as the perfect closer to the trilogy (TS4 is already rumored though...), and it was a great emotional explication of the act of growing up. Rating: 4/5
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - Another rifftrax viewing. The commentary was as hilarious as the atrocious acting and writing. I really can't get how people can buy into the Twilight mythos despite all the obvious holes that I can see despite only watching the movies with people talking over it. None of the actors in the movie are remotely competent (with Harpo [the quiet vampire, who was in Last Airbender... I have no clue what his name is other than that] actually going back and forth between the most ridiculous Southern accent ever). They also murder a child (off-screen but heavily implied). And they also imply a gang ****. A gang ****. Rating: 0/5 without Rifftrax (4.5/5 with Rifftrax; Possibly the funniest one in their catalogue).
The Last Airbender - Sigh... This movie was so stupid that I felt insulted it existed. They would explain really cool things without showing it, the acting was all over the place, and the story was incomplete. It's clear they meant for a series, but thanks to M. Night being a terrible director, there will be no more. Rating 2.5/5 with Rifftrax... yeah, even they couldn't make me not regret watching this movie.
Despicable Me - As said before, I don't really like animated films, but this one was great too. Steve Carrell can always add a life to any delivery, and he did a great job with Gru. It wasn't trying to do anything more than entertain while giving a cursory message, but it did that well. Rating: 4/5
Inception - When I first saw the trailers, I was interested in this film. When I found out what it was about, I became hooked. I love dreams and study of dreams, and Leo, just coming off of another Scorsese movie, was the perfect choice. As stated before, while Cobb and Teddy Daniels from the aforementioned Shutter Island are similar, Leo expertly plays them completely different with subtle nuances. This may be Nolan's best movie to date, and the story manages to be complex without being confusing. The ending will be talked about for years. Rating: 5/5
The Social Network - I enjoyed this movie overall, especially Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, but the movie didn't leave as lasting of an impression as other films have. All the actors were great in their roles, the story was well-paced, but there wasn't much for me to take away from it. Rating: 4.5/5
******* 3D - Well, you know what you are getting when you go see this movie. The best part about it was the clearly sober Steve-O still trying to perform acts of stupidity to prove he can still do it. I think without the drugs, his looks of fear are even more entertaining. The ending credits were great for an exclamation point on this franchise where people just put themselves through Hell for our amusement. The 3D effects were stupendous, and the stunts were always great. Rating: 4/5
Paranormal Activity 2 - **** you, Hollywood. So, Paranormal Activity was a great movie to me because it broke the standard horror movie formula, of gore-porn movies like Saw, which were hailed as innovative and fresh, despite ignoring character development for the sake of getting a reaction. PA killed that by being a slow boiling movie with a climax scare, similar to Japanese Horror movies. PA2 killed that completely by repeating every single scare from the first movie (doors opening and closing happened once, maybe twice in the first movie, but in the second it happened repeatedly). Also, the movie decided to forego the entire only show footage when something happens, and wasted two or three nights on NOTHING. Nothing was shown, nothing special happened. The movie also retcons the first movie by creating the notion that Katie's brother-in-law passed the demon off on her, which makes no sense since Katie appears in this movie to talk to her about it, where her sister starts to question it, but nothing of that is mentioned in the first movie. It failed to excite, it failed to innovate, and it failed to scare. I hate being bored in movie theaters. Rating: 1/5
True Grit - What a film. The Coen Brothers are great with movies with real characters like this one. Everyone did their part extremely well, and I was enamored with the quality of dialogue, action, and settings. Jeff Bridges is a king, and Matt Damon is the next one, if he choses his roles correctly. If he can get a Big Labowski-esque role, he will be in the perfect position to prove he has the ability to perform. Josh Brolin is amazing as usual despite being in the film a grand total of 10 minutes. Rating: 5/5
Black Swan - My film of the year, by leaps and bounds. Aronofsky has made some of the most poignant movies that really press the audience to reflect on them after. After The Wrestler, I was pretty sure he was going to continue his forward push into more mainstream film making (not to say Requiem for a Dream and Pi weren't mainstream material, but the mainstream rarely buys into that). Instead, he went with Black Swan, a clear case of going back to his roots with wisdom and skill under his belt. This movie is raw, twisted, visceral, passionate, and conscious. Never in the film do I feel a meandering, just a story that knows its purpose and endgame with actors who are highly capable of getting there. Natalie Portman as Nina was a perfect choice especially with Mila Kunis as Lily. Nina was perfect in her portrayal of an immature, aging ballerina who is losing touch with what is real. Once her stress levels are ratcheted up, she starts to break, and the end result is something jaw-dropping. Rating: 5/5
Avatar: Special Edition - So, James Cameron got snubbed at the Oscars for his derivative film, Avatar. Despite ripping off countless other movies, the movie WAS sold on visuals, which is did pretty damn well. I guess as a "**** you" to the Academy or anyone who bought the DVD before, Cameron rereleased the movie A YEAR LATER with 8 minutes of footage. I know watching that movie I kept thinking "Can this movie possibly be longer?" Cameron is a douche.
In choosing the below list, I went by what interested me more than anything else.
Top 5 of 2010:
1. Black Swan
2. Inception
3. True Grit
4. Shutter Island
5. Toy Story 3