Stranger Than Fiction

I really expected this film to be amusing, possibly charming but ultimately disappointing. How could they possibly explain, in a satisfactory way, the device at the center of the plot? I was asking wrong question. The team behind this film asked the right one: Why explain how a writer and the character she writes about exist in the same reality? It’s not important. How the two of them discover that they occupy the same space and then deal with it is. Just wonderful. I enjoyed every minute of this film from the opening sequence through the closing credits. The writing, the acting, and the cinematography are all top notch. Will Ferrell is a delight as the staid auditor. I had no idea he could play so quiet so well. All the rest (Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah, and Tom Hulce) are just as terrific. The film has a great visual style that takes full advantage of Chicago’s architecture (both the beautiful and the not so beautiful). I was really taken by many of the shots in this film: sitting by the river under a yellow umbrella, chatting on the double-bus in the center pivoting seat, all the opening shots explaining Harold to us, and standing in front of the bodega. Especially the shot from the hospital room, as beautiful as the shot in Match Point from Chris’ new apartment over the Thames. Stunning and amusing all at once.
Favorite moment: The cookie scene.
82

The Departed

Only just remembered I saw this film.. which is shameful because it is amazing. I never saw the source film so I can’t offer an opinion on the reinterpretation. This Scorsese film is great and had me holding my breath at times as the two “rats” circle each other. I loved this cast! It was great to see Martin Sheen doing something non-presidential. It’s been too long! Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio are very good, but Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg steal the show. Oh yea and that Nicholson guy… he is frightening as Frank Costello and refreshing as he doesn’t do a typical Nicholson reading of the lines. There is way more going on this film than I can remember and I want to see it over and over.
Favorite moment: The jaw-dropping sequence where Costigan trails Sullivan to get a peek at his face. Holy Crap! This was thrilling for both the heightened suspense and the visual feast.
81

Borat : Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Subversive masterpiece or racist, sexist, anti-Semitic waste of time? Masterpiece, hands down. Yes this film contains all those bad behaviors and yes as they were exhibited I burst out laughing. I laughed and laughed both from amusement and discomfort, but through it all the film is endearing at its core. Sacha Baron Cohen and his co-writers along with director Larry Charles (responsible for many hilarious episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm) have created a classic comedy which totally pushes right past and rips up the envelope of taste. But even as I groaned and muttered “oh no” to the screen, I found myself rooting for Borat on his mission to understand America which turns into a quest to find his princess. “Awkward” doesn’t do justice to some of the situations he ends up in but hysterical does apply to most of them. I loved this film and grew to love this character. I am a bit in awe that he pulled this movie off without getting seriously hurt or killed or ending up in jail. I have to respect this movie at the very least for his fearlessness as a comedian. Finally a box office smash (on less than 900 screens) I enjoyed seeing!
Favorite moment: Saying goodbye to Luenell after a night on the town.
80

Tenacious D in “The Pick of Destiny”

There is something enlightening and amusing about seeing Satan drop the F-bomb. Especially after you’ve seen 90 minutes of F-bombs and varied vulgarities. Satan made me chuckle as he expressed his frustration with a simple four letter word when I expected him to just use his dark powers against the boys. That is basically the essence of this movie: swearing and general nastiness camouflaging a smart clever comedy. It’s not a classic but I did laugh throughout the screening. Both Jack Black and Kyle Gass are very funny and endearing. There is a supporting cast full of fun cameos, fun references to other films, interesting songs and great interlude graphics.
Favorite moment: Little JB’s duet with Meatloaf
79

The Queen

Stunning. Stephen Frears always brings a humanity to his films that is seldom matched by other filmmakers. See Dirty Pretty Things to experience one of his many examples of this. The story of Queen Elizabeth II and Tony Blair in the wake of Diana’s death is told here and Frears has crafted a lovely drama. No one is stereotyped or squeezed into a simple little package for the movie goers to digest. We are shown people we think we know via the media, and slowly see that we don’t have a clue as to what their daily lives and more importantly what their emotional inner lives are like. Frears successfully combines actual footage from the period with film of his actors. It works seamlessly and I felt immersed in this world. It is rather striking to see this film and Marie Antoinette so close together. In both films geography plays a huge role. It serves as a barrier to reality. Luckily for the more modern monarch she had access to a phone and people who cared enough to tell her the true feelings of the Street. The dramatic conflict hinges on her ability to listen and learn.
Favorite moment: The Queen stranded in the forest with a much needed moment to herself.
78

The Prestige

Oh how sad I was when this film ended. It’s a case of that eternal argument: book vs film. Unfortunately the book kicked the film’s ass. I really enjoy Christopher Priest’s fiction and was looking forward to Christopher Nolan’s treatment of this work. The film lacks any of the punch of the book’s storyline and when it does try to punch it missteps on the timing of the reveal as it were. The actors are solid, the sets and costumes are very detailed. The story unfortunately drags and drags and emphasizes minor points that should have been left in the background. One nice surprise was the opportunity to see a non-CGI (and non squinting) Andy Serkis as a supporting character. A wonderful actor who needs to be seen more. Overall a great supporting cast trying to prop up a weakly crafted retelling of a great story.
Favorite moment: Alfred speaking with his daughter from behind prison bars.
78

Marie Antoinette

This film really threw me. As I sat in the theatre watching it I was entranced and in awe. The next day I really did not know if I liked it, but I could not stop thinking about it. How do I feel about it now? I loved it. I love the quiet way Sophia Coppola sets a scene and with Versailles as her visual palette she sets some awesome scenes. In costume and set design the film is definitely a period piece, but in music and attitude it is modern. Though these two should clash they work very well together. Recently I tooled through an exhibit of Rembrandt sketches at the Metropolitan Museum of Art while listening to a mix of David Bowie, Oasis, Elvis Costello, Pulp and more on my MP3 player as others around me listened to the museum’s narrative about the Master’s works. I had one of the best museum experiences ever looking at the works for what they were while being immersed in music I love. This film does the same thing but with far more thought in linking the two. The anachronistic soundtrack totally complements the visuals and the narrative. I am a big fan of Lost in Translation and her short film Lick the Star. Coppola is doing something new in film storytelling and it’s very refreshing.
Favorite moment: The opening credits and sequence.
77

Man of the Year

Not a big fan of Barry Levinson films, but this film has convinced me to give him another try. Not a classic by any means, just a simple romantic comedy that tip toes into being an ode to political thrillers. The marketing unfortunately confused my expectations (one more reason to not watch trailers) and I thought I would be treated/subjected to Robin Williams doing running comedy rants on politics. Not so. The film does offer some in the beginning but soon becomes a quieter political commentary then a romantic comedy and then a thriller. The overall product may be confused but I actually enjoyed the transitions and came away feeling warm and fuzzy. Robin Williams and Laura Linney have a very nice chemistry that I would not mind seeing repeated in a future film.
Favorite moment: Eleanor and Tom at Thanksgiving.
76