10. Toy Story 3 -- I am one of a very small minority of people who did NOT like Toy Story 3. I found it mean-spirited, unnecessarily dark, and given the satisfaction of my nostalgia for the first two Toy Story films from years back, this latest installment - especially because it lacked the fun factor I was hoping for and expecting - felt like it was basically superfluous. Why ruin a good memory? Not sure why the Academy has this movie nominated for best film honors twice. It will win the Best Animated feature category running away. (I imagine Buzz Lightyear and Woody will also be presenters.)
9. The Kids Are All Right -- This is clearly the pure-politics nominee this year, a movie directed by a woman about gay women who like to argue about their place in the world of alternative lifestyles. I actually enjoyed this movie on its own terms. There are strong, engaging performances and the storyline has a couple of nice twists. I could have done without the sex scenes - there are other ways to give your movie a frank and honest tone, I think. Politics aside, I feel that this movie probably would have been lost in the shuffle; plenty of other movies released in 2010 were as effective and well-composed.
8. 127 Hours -- As someone who was put off by the excessive hype his previous effort Slumdog Millionaire received, I was very satisfied with the latest from Danny Boyle. James Franco is excellent in the starring role, pretty much carrying the film by himself - well-earned acting nomination for Franco. Boyle employs a lot of edgy techniques to tell the story, which make a movie about a guy stuck in a chasm more riveting than it likely could have been. Not what I consider Boyle's best, but better than his last.
7. The Fighter -- In a previous blog post I called this the 'year of the buddy movie', but having seen all the nominations now, I think there is an equally impactive theme of 'strong women' in many of these films (Kids is another, and see also Black Swan and Winter's Bone). Here, Mark Wahlberg's title role is a character ruled by an oppressive matriarch (Melissa Leo, excellent, one of two frontrunners for supporting actress) and the presence of numerous sisters. Christian Bale with a fantastic chameleon role. The super-charged relationships between the authentic characters are what make this movie work; the performances are top notch. The ending ruins everything.
6. Winter's Bone -- This is the hardest-hitting of the nominees. The realism and gut-punching grit of this movie outstrip all nine of its peers. It is a simple story. Like The Fighter, it is the characters that power the experience, centered around a star-making performance from Jennifer Lawrence (nominated for lead actress - if this weren't Natalie Portman's year Lawrence would win easily). Lawrence's turn as a principled, steady and determined surrogate mother carries the film and leaves you feeling raw.
5. The King's Speech -- This movie will win the Oscar for Best Picture this year. It is not undeserving. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are both outstanding, great story, fantastic visual style. A good dose of humor and a gentle touch make it a light and enjoyable experience to watch. For me, the innocuous and lighthearted tone are maybe a tad excessive to make for a lasting achievement; I think there is less to be said about what this film means than there is for many of the other nominees. I read somewhere that The King's Speech is like a Disney movie. I agree. And I mean it in the best sense.
4. Inception -- I read a great article in a recent issue of GQ magazine about how movies like Inception are so rarely found these days in the summer blockbuster months: a unique, original, engaging film that is a fun, enjoyable ride released in a season given over to tepid, lousy sequels, remakes, and other brand-name movies conceived by marketing departments. There are plenty of holes in the storyline of Inception, if you spend enough time picking at it, and some of the performances - Ellen Page especially - leave the viewer wanting, but Christopher Nolan should be revered as a steward for the new Hollywood, providing a moviegoing experience that can effectively satisfy the palate of every audience.
3. Black Swan -- Eventually, Darren Aronofsky should be given his due. Seemingly all of his films are best-of-the-year candidates but he always seems to be sitting and watching other filmmakers take home the honors. Too bad. Black Swan is a full-throttle mind-bending experience nearly more intense than the skillfully-conceived twists of Inception. Part sexy, taut thriller, part character study, part tragedy, as the movie unravels the more you see the less conviction you possess. The story hurls towards a high magnitude climax that leaves you breathless. One of the most intriguing aspects of this film is looking at it as a companion piece to Aronofsky's previous The Wrestler (2008). Both films engage similar themes and the contrast of the lead roles - Natalie Portman heads Swan in what is her best performance to date - is truly fascinating.
2. True Grit -- When I watched this movie I was initially underwhelmed. For the storied Coen brothers, this is one of their more straight-ahead, generic efforts. Their previous adaptations from literary classics-slash-remakes have yielded some uninspiring results and at first blush True Grit is a fairly standard western-genre romp. But this movie grows on you after viewing. Hailee Stanfeld, who will win the best supporting actress category, is great in what is actually more of a lead role. There is an enjoyable supporting turn from Matt Damon. The cinematography (which will also win) is stellar. The Coens' script is sharp and cunning and often hilarious, but also, as always, punctuated with a few jumps and due poignancy. The whole movie is held together and given its true spirit from Jeff Bridges, who is currently enjoying a renaissance in his career. He deserves it. Bridges's turn as a one-eyed ranger is a performance I consider unrivaled this year - I suspect people will develop fondness for it over time the way they do for Bridges's infamous Dude. Serious props are due for a guy who can create enduring characters like Jeff Bridges does.
1. The Social Network -- I had to watch The Social Network twice to fully appreciate what it accomplishes. Before the first time I remember reading comparisons in terms of cultural significance to movies like The Godfather, to which I turned my nose up. How could a movie about a stupid internet website rival one of the best movies ever made? After a second viewing I maintain The Social Network is not in that company, but I am now ready to give it the proper credit. People who hailed this as the best movie of the year in September, when it rolled out to enormous hype and praise, were not off the mark. This really is a monumental achievement, and the main reason is its excellence in being an example of simple, classic storytelling. For that, I will grant the comparison to the Puzo adaptation. Aaron Sorkin's script (which will win for adapted screenplay) observes the paradigms and conventions of screenwriting in addition to basic storytelling, and it incorporates several universal themes to deliver an effective dramatization of a very contemporary story. The interplay of the noveau content of the movie with the true and tested mechanics that bring it to life are what make this such a relevant, meaningful movie. The flawless technical aspects - direction, cinematography, and perhaps above all, music (Trent Reznor's score, nominated, guaranteed winner, is simply outstanding - I can't recall a soundtrack more apt and befitting the film it accompanies) make what could have been a cinematic trifle into something special. This movie could have been an afterthought, or demographic-specific, or overwrought, or sensationalized. It is not. It succeeds as the sum of its parts. The performances are not especially noteworthy - they are good, sometimes very good, but more than anything they are adequate and appropriate, not exceptional. That is all this movie requires. Sorkin likes to craft fast dialogue and leave scenes on zingers and one-liners. This gaves the movie pace and cadence, but does not define it. The relationship between the characters and the stuff of their world is what makes the story stand out. The story is perfectly logical: it proceeds from one scenario in the opening to its final act as a process of reaction. There is math to the plot development, a simple equation with a seed on one side and a blossom on the other, the same relationship that exists between the algorithm one character writes on a window and the world-dominating social entity it creates. Everything is equal. This movie is simple and neat as much as it is profound and provocative. The central character, Mark Zuckerberg, has an obsession with modesty and clean, straight lines; no clutter, no excess. That is The Social Network. It is the most deserving movie in this category.
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| "Oh shit - the Oscars are tonight??" |
I have seen 7 out of 10 on this list and only watched 'Black Swan' and 'Inception' more than once. I am in agreement with most of your sentiments on these films with the exception of 'The Social Network'. Perhaps a second viewing will change my opinion but as it stands now I can't find much about that movie that I liked. I disagree in regards to the soundtrack; there wasn't one moment where I found myself noticing it as anything other than appropriate. For a large majority of the movie I felt completely disengaged, from the dull opening at the bar to the end which left me completely indifferent. I hated all of the characters, they were completely unlikeable and Eisenberg's lack of range was once again apparent. But as I said, a second viewing is probably needed, who knows maybe I'll love it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, okay, fine - so what is your pick for the best of this group of movies, then?
ReplyDeleteIt is also worth nothing that The Social Network is probably the most authentic and true All-American movie of these ten - everyone involved is American and the content is an American story. Seeing as the Oscars are an American institution, should not the winner of the ultimate award from the Academy honor the most American movie?
I am pretty sure that The Social Network is all about alienation and disengagement. The feelings you got were intentional and accurate.
Perhaps the second viewing will change my perception and you're probably right about the whole All-American thing. I wouldn't be surprised at all if it won and it doesn't really matter in the end to me who does end up with the big prize.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed The King's Speech but I don't think I'll ever need to watch it again. Black Swan had, as you said, a high magnitude climax which was quite affecting and I liked the overall dark and disturbing mood of it. Inception is a great action flick and Nolan has set the bar high for subsequent summer blockbusters. It's not however Best Picture material. True Grit is the only movie I've seen on the list that has left me desperately wanting to watch again but that doesn't necessarily mean it should win. I'm not even going to say anything about Toy Story 3, you're words were enough.
As far as a favorite goes, as of this moment it's between Black Swan and The King's Speech. Who will win? You're making a very convincing case for The Social Network...
Only watched two of the above (4&1) so have no basis to judge the rest of the films. But my reaction to hearing other viewers describe King's Speech to me was uninterested, that I don't EVER watch movies for inspiration, just like I don't EVER read books for inspiration. Entertainment and intellectual stimulation are better reasons.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I really enjoyed your take on these films. And my likeliness to rent any and all of these will likely follow your recommendations in order, from True Grit (highly likely) to Toy Story 3 (shoot me first!). But Chuck, is this type of critical writing your other calling? I'll be recommending this article to my friends. And I think with your insightful observations you'll be building a dedicated following in no time. "A process of reaction"? Well said.