MrMovieETC's TOP 10 FILMS of 2011

While it might not be made incredibly apparent by this Top 10 list, I've often referred to 2011 as the "Year of the Comedy". I suppose I could have called it "Another Year of Terrible Remakes", but that gets redundant after a while.

Seriously, does anyone even remember that they released a remake of "Straw Dogs" in 2011? I thought not.

Anyway, after a careful process of elimination, only a small handful of said comedies made it onto this list, because while I spent most of time in the theater or at home that year laughing my ass off to "Horrible Bosses", "Our Idiot Brother", "Friends with Benefits", "Paul", etc., that doesn't necessarily equate to being a Top 10 choice, in my mind. I felt it would be a disservice to the films that did make the cut to exclude them all together only for the sake of what made me laugh. I'm far too picky not to have variety.

So, before I ramble on, here is my Top 10 list of 2011!:





10. CEDAR RAPIDS

This is the sort of raunchy, yet sweet low budget comedy that cannot help but stand out because of its seemingly oddball premise and the experience of Ed Helms and John C. Reilly. The premise surrounds an insurance award convention at an upscale Motel 6 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the unexpected shenanigans that ensue. Again, a majority of the laughs stem from low-brow vulgarity, but the jokes connect nearly every time and all the main cast bring their own contributions of heart to a story that speaks to the bonds that are formed after allowing one's self to live a little outside of the box. I've watched this one a few times now and I feel it gets better with each viewing.





9. CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE

I know, I never would have thought that I would have a romantic comedy mentioned in the same breath as "Personal Favorites of the Year". However, I must give this film its due praise. The all-star cast doesn't phone it in with likable and characters that can be related to , the story strays enough away from cliche that it stays engaging, and the humor is on point situation-wise instead of relying on obnoxious one-liners to carry all the weight. The pace of the plot and editing were tied together smoothly which comes in handy for a film that has multiple story lines.

The downside is that it is difficult to speak at length about comedies, especially ones like this. "Crazy, Stupid, Love" is a great one, though, and I definitely recommend giving it a shot.





8. DRIVE

2011 was good year for comedies, and it also didn't treat Ryan Gosling too poorly either. I can assume that "Drive" drew a lot of attention because of Gosling's return to the spotlight with "Crazy, Stupid, Love", you know, "Dirty Dancing" reenactment and stomach veins, etc. I'm also fairly certain that those expecting the same cute womanizer in this film received a hefty dose of reality - Gosling's character in "Drive" says a lot without saying much of anything, especially since his form of communication is driving places in a short amount of time and, oh yeah, bashing peoples' faces in. I've yet to see a movie since "Drive" that turned such a gut-wrenching 180 so quickly. The film does a great job of building the suspense subtly if you pay attention to it with Gosling (his character's name is unknown) quietly starting to lose his patience for the scum-driven brutality surrounding him and decides to take matters into his own hands. The result - brain crushing beauty. This is a lean thriller that will likely continue to leave fists and jaws simultaneously tightened for years to come.





7. WIN WIN

You'll have to pardon me on this one as I've only seen it once and that was back when it was new; however, I do have enough fond memories of how much I enjoyed that it still felt completely safe to put it on my Top 10. A financially down-on-his-luck wrestling coach (Paul Giamatti) mentors a rising wrestling superstar (newcomer Alex Shaffer) that comes from a nonsupporting home life. Fair enough, we've all heard plot parallels similar to that, but this is one of those dramedies loaded with passion from a cast and crew that sell that hell out of it. This is coming from a guy that has never enjoyed wrestling on any level, yet when I saw the previews for the film (prior to "Cedar Rapids", as it were) I knew that I had to see it and was glad that I did. I'll watch more than one film about the underdogs of life as long as they are done tastefully well. "Win Win" does that and much more, in my opinion, It is, for a lack of a better term, a win-win.





6. HUGO

This film is another that unfortunately falls into the same water as "Win Win" as I'm basing it off of one viewing over 3 years ago. Scorsese's adventure feature may not hold up steadily story-wise throughout its entire duration, but considering what he is commonly known for, this is a delightful film that should be given credit for its ambition alone. Truthfully, I'd find it hard to believe that any big movie fanatic would turn down a story that pays homage to one of the top silent film masterminds in history. Asa Butterfield and Chloe Grace Moretz do a fine job of carrying a bulk of the film's load as the two young leads, and Sasha Baron Cohen adds a colorful effect to his character, Inspector Daste. I've been meaning to look back at some of these 2011 gems, this one included, if only to revisit one of the more awe-inspiring contributions to that year.





5. THE DESCENDANTS

A family drama set in Hawaii. A family drama set in Hawaii starring George Clooney. The only other selling point I can think of is making sure to get it on blu-ray because it's a family drama set in Hawaii and the setting is expectantly gorgeous. Seriously, though, I expected to go into this film and see a good movie with an honest performance from Clooney at a minimum; what I ended up seeing was an excellent drama about the pain of loss, power struggles created by the loss, and finding redemption again through those around you that were the ones that mattered in the first place. This film felt like one of those that slipped under the radar, and I cannot recommend "The Descendants" enough.





4. THE RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Based on a statistic that I completely made up just now, it seems like about 90% of series reboots fail to actually gain any tread  and make an impact on current moviegoers. I wasn't joking about the making it up part, but that's the sense that I'm getting over recent years when trying to turn old classics into something new - it hardly ever seems to work. Not so much the case for "Planet of the Apes", however. To say the series could have used a face-lift from its Charlton Heston glory days isn't as much a negative connotation as it is an honest observation. Be that as it may, an undertaking such as this is risky business due to the justifiable expectations of the fan base. All I can say to that is, thank goodness for Andy Serkis! The man's motion capture acting abilities are second-to-none, and this is true and all the more apparent with his work portraying Caesar. Oh, and the rebooted origins story isn't half bad either. The film knew what it wanted to be and did the best possible job bringing that vision to light. I hope the series doesn't hit a creative ceiling because the ride feels like it's only getting started.






3. 50/50

For the comedies that did end up making this list, I have already spoken in volumes about the importance of the care each story received, the comic veterans that lead them, and that they have more soul than just silly laughter. Each one of this has lived up to my particular criteria, although "50/50" I felt was the absolute epitome from 2011. I don't care what anyone says, it takes some brass to try to make cancer humorous, even though that is the motto society tends to lend out about such things. If anything, it's a fine line; make it funny without being impersonal, and don't make it overly dour with a few chuckles to lighten the mood. A lot of credit obviously goes to the gifted chemistry between Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, but equally as much should go to director Jonathan Levine and writer Will Reiser for walking that fine line without wavering. The end result is the colorful sense of humor we have come to expect from the lead cast, but also a more sentimental side that is pulled off with a graceful wit.






2. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PT. 2

I realize that this looks like an overly safe pick, and it a lot of ways it is. If we're being honest though, to have a book series this big and influential on popular media turned into an exceptionally successful film adaptation series that spanned nearly a decade and managed to keep the same cast (mostly) throughout to a legitimately satisfying finale has to count towards honorable mentions. Granted, this is the series that spearheaded Hollywood's new annoying fascination with giving book adaptions unnecessary split finales, but in this case, I'm willing to forgive. All 8 films do feel like the best possible sum to a whole that could be made at this time, and while I would have been perfectly fine with a more drawn out battle of Good and Evil at Hogwarts, this version still fit the bill well enough to be enjoyed until the reboot.

Yes, I say that definitively because Warner Bros. is not above milking the cash cow.





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And finally, my Number One film for 2011 is . . .






1. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Oh yes. Ironic, isn't it? I take a jab at all the terrible remakes served cold and lifeless to the general cinema public on what seems like a monthly basis nowadays, and I go and choose a remake as my top film of 2011. You know what, though? I do not feel remotely guilty for doing so, because while my fan-crush on David Fincher is no secret by now, this was a film that was made with an abundance of style and panache that is custom to Fincher and makes "Dragon Tattoo" feel like a brand new film rather than something that was made in Sweden only a few years before. I've put it on my agenda to watch the original trilogy in the near future, especially since this version did not fare too well financially in the U.S. and the other two films are a mystery as far as any type of future. That being the case, I hope that doesn't lessen the value of this American take on the Stieg Larsson series because from the cinematography to the score, a sincere effort was put into this release and deserves more than the typical shunning a majority of remakes receive. For not having much prior experience, Rooney Mara completely owns the title role of Lisbeth, and Daniel Craig shows that he's more diverse than being just the new face of James Bond. In the end, even if its apples and oranges between the two trilogies, I do hope the American version gets rounded out because I feel these characters and the talented actors that play them have more to offer before all is said and done.




Thank you for reading, and see you next week for my Top 10 Films of 2010!

MrMovieETC's TOP 10 FILMS of 2012

Greetings, and welcome to Week 2 of my Top 10 movie countdown for the last 30 years!

2012 brings another list that I could have easily shrugged off for the sake of pure laziness due to having already created a list in January of 2013 on my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me86bOJbh0Y). However, 2012 also brought a full slate of tough decisions and I thought it only right to give the list a fresh look and see if I would have honestly kept it the same, or if some changes were in order.

After scratching down all the films I enjoyed from that year, I began the process of narrowing down as anyone would, and I found that, yes, indeed it was a little different. The influences include the obvious introduction of films that I didn't see right away that I felt deserved a place, and films that were previously on the list that did not quite hold up to their original placement after multiple viewings. All in all, I feel that I like this Top 10 above the original and was happy to have taken the time to restructure.

The new 2012 Top 10 is as follows!:




10. THE RAID: REDEMPTION

I had heard about "The Raid" throughout the majority of its release, however I did not pay it close attention due to the frustration from having recently viewed "Dredd" and brushed it off as one was a copy of the other and I don't need to see both. "Dredd", on one hand, was a fun popcorn flick and was greatly unappreciated with the type of visual style it flaunted; "The Raid", on the other, kind of kicks the Judge's ass - it's really not fair. The claustrophobia of the close hand-to-hand combat from "The Raid" is some of the best I have seen since the Bruce Lee heydays, and it adds buckets of brutality to make the viewers hurt in places they didn't know they could, and for that, not only does this film deserve to be in the Top 10 of the year, but one of the best choreographed action flicks in a year that was loaded with big budget action flicks. Big seal of approval on this one!





9. ROBOT & FRANK

Picture a live action version of "Big Hero 6" before the Disney platform had been set in motion, and instead of whiz kids turning themselves and a care-taking robot into superheroes, it's a retired jewel thief that trains his care-taking robot into assisting with a few "jobs" to relive his glory days. Also, keep in mind that this film is damn good and well worth tracking down. Frank Langella is spectacular as the film's main lead and thief in question. Truthfully, it's his vessel all the way as the supporting cast only drops in from time to time when the plot needs them to. Whether or not you buy into a robot developing concern for his human counterpart through A.I. will determine a lot if you end caring for this film or not, but sometimes a good story and a little sci-fi go a long ways.





8. LOOPER

Speaking of sci-fi, "Looper" might be one of the best I've seen in recent years and still has yet to be topped. I'm not saying it's the best ever made, and of course the film has those pesky time travel loopholes that need to be allowed to slide, yet it is a product of what can be done with genuinely good film making and dedicated actors willing to sell it. "Looper" succeeds in all of the above. Bruce Willis gives an *actual* performance for the first time in God knows how long, Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a heck of a job being a young Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt gets to reveal her inner asskicker. Oh yeah, and a little boy using his kinetic mind abilities to make bad guys explode - yes, that's also worth the price admission.





7. WRECK-IT RALPH

I assume I wouldn't blame some hopefuls for this film to feel a little disappointed as Disney did make it seem like many of the classic video game characters would be making a splash in "Wreck-It Ralph". It's not that they weren't there, they just weren't important for the most part. Although, while I admittedly would not blame them for feeling let down, that is not to say I necessarily understand why; I mean, how anyone would expect a cohesive story to be built around multiple video game characters from vastly different platforms and worlds is beyond me. Giving the film its due credit, it does manage to squeeze plenty of diverse characters into a story that is true to Disney - full of action, heart, and humor. Top that with fine voice offerings from John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, and Jane Lynch, and the finished result is, in my opinion, still the best non-Pixar release from Disney in the 2010's.





6. LIFE OF PI

I felt the only necessary reason to include this film in the Top 10 was for having some of the most awe-inspiring visual effects that I've seen since I can't even remember when. Only on extremely rare occasion do I seek out to see a movie in 3D and "Life of Pi" was one of those. Honestly, the scene where the luminescent humpback whale leaps out of the ocean nearly brought a tear to my nerdtastic eye. Nevertheless, I would not consider a film for the Top 10 based solely on eye candy. If that were true, all the Underworld movies and anything with Emily Blunt would make the list every time. No, "Life of Pi" is also lifted by a spirited on-screen rendition of Pi by Suraj Sharma, because as with "Robot & Frank", the story is all his and couldn't be upheld without a convincing lead. The story works just fine, though it may not be as deeply thought-provoking as it may think itself to be. I would be lying if I wasn't initially concerned with Ang Lee at the helm; not that I have anything against him, and he's made some great movies, though I also can't pretend "Hulk" never happened. Anyone can make a mistake, though, and "Life of Pi" adequately redeems.





5. MOONRISE KINGDOM

For all the Wes Anderson purists that to this day worship the ground that "Rushmore!" walks on, I may catch some flack for saying this, but oh well: In my mind, "Moonrise Kingdom" is hands down the best Anderson film to date. While the characters have the same quirkiness that one comes to expect, I felt they were utilized the best in this project, and the plot about young misfits using love to conquer their worlds was engaging beginning to end. In my summary of "Looper", I mentioned that it felt good seeing Bruce Willis put some stock into his character. As it turns out, 2012 was a great year for him as I'm sure Anderson would not have brought him on the set if he was going to merely "phone it in". Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward make their on-screen debut as the two young leads. I'm not sure if I'll be seeing them again in this capacity anytime soon, but they were certainly suitable for what this film asked of them. It's a great watch that I plan to revisit soon.





4. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Yes, I know it's the weakest in the Christopher Nolan trilogy. Yes, I know the message of the plot unravels a little more with each viewing. Yes, I know Christian Bale's "Batman" voice is somewhat obnoxious. Yes, I know one had to strain their ears occasionally to understand Bane. Yes, I knew it wasn't going to reach the heights of its predecessor, and if you honestly thought so, then you might have to Riddle Me That because I have no idea how the hell it could have. What I also know is that it was one of my favorite blockbusters of that summer, I thought Hans Zimmer laid a fine, suspenseful score, and with all the ways it could have screwed up big time, I felt "Rises" had a respectful finish to an otherwise outstanding trilogy that raised the Dark Knight from its own ashes. The popular joke is that this was the Batman movie without Batman, and while it's true that Batman didn't make nearly as many appearances, I was under the impression that was sort of the point and it was supposed to be more about Bruce Wayne - the man beneath the mask. Who knows? In the cinematic world, and especially in the comic cinematic world, there will always be conflicting viewpoints. What matters most to me is I enjoyed "The Dark Knight Rises" and fail to see where that will cease to be the case anytime soon.





3. ARGO

Ben Affleck may not *yet* be on my list of favorite directors but he's definitely making his case, and I would love nothing more than to see him keep swinging for the fences and knocking it out of the park, because so far, he's a perfect 3 for 3. While "Argo" may not rely as much on action as did "The Town", he creates a fantastic ensemble of characters and actors for this film based on true events, and after watching this movie a time or two, one would almost think he's been mastering suspense for years. The main downside to a story such as this, especially one about a hostage situation in hostile foreign territory, is that it can be slightly predictable and that's where the main challenge for Affleck would lie. That being case, as aforementioned, he still managed to completely draw every baited breath from the audience as they grip whatever their seat of choice is for dear life. I don't know if Affleck will be able to keep a perfect streak running, but "Argo" does not leave much for skepticism.





2. THE AVENGERS

Needless to say, MARVEL has had me on its hook since the first "Iron Man", so for a studio to finally take the leap of faith and make a live action version of this superhero combo against lofty expectations, it could have easily been a detrimental disaster that would have laid MARVEL Studios under a stone that read "Here Lies..." The sci-fi genre also seems to put a lot of faith in Joss Whedon, and while there's nothing that stands out that he was completely undeserving of such praise, his visions have not always connected ("Firefly"), so to say that "The Avengers" would be an automatic success because Whedon was behind the lens would be naive to a degree. That being said, Whedon may have taken a somewhat safe path, although in the end, it was the right path because he did "The Avengers" justice and then some. He could have easily made it boil over with convolution, yet instead he took already well-developed characters and let them do what they do best for 2 hours. "The Avengers" gave pure dazzling entertainment that satisfied but left just enough hunger for Phase 2.





And now, my Top Film from 2012:

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1. DJANGO UNCHAINED

After looking this list over about every way I could possibly look it, there was still no contest for the #1 spot; "Django Unchained" was my original pick for the top slot, and so it shall remain. Paying homage to the spaghetti westerns of the past, Tarantino brings his trademark flair to a 3-hour epic with a cast of greats that could not be contended with in 2012. Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, and Samuel L. Jackson all bring their A+ games that make said 3 hours feel like 90 minutes of over-the-top action violence, gore, and black comedy that has made Tarantino famous. I could honestly go on for pages about "Django", breaking down each scene and what I loved about it. Instead, I'll spare you the full afternoon and just tell you to go see it. Though, if you haven't already, I'm not sure I can really help you at this point.



See you next week for my Top 10 of 2011!

MrMovieETC's TOP 10 FILMS of 2013

As explained on my Facebook teaser post (3 or 4 weeks ago, my sincerest apologies), this year marks the Big 30 for me. In the grand scheme of things, that's not a huge milestone but one only gets so many after 21, so I'll take what I can get. Regardless, I decided it would be fun to countdown my Top 10 films from each year of my life, starting from 2014 and working down to 1985.

I suppose this starts on a bit of cheat since I've already done my list for 2014, which you can find here (http://mrmoviesetc.blogspot.com/2015/01/my-top-10-film-list-for-2014-part-1.html) and here (http://mrmoviesetc.blogspot.com/2015/01/my-top-10-films-list-for-2014-part-2.html); however, I did have to put some thought in 2013 because I never ended up making a list for that year. I did rank the 2013 Oscar films, although I can hardly count that because a decent handful of those films did not make it onto this list. There were some difficult delegations I had to make, but all in all, I'm happy with this final cut and I hope you enjoy it as well.

Let's begin!




10. MONSTERS UNIVERSITY

For well over the past decade, I have been an outspoken soldier for Pixar and have talked them up to anyone that would listen. Granted, Pixar has made billions of dollars so it's not to say they really need my opinions, but it still feels fulfilling to converse about a studio that had one of the biggest impacts on changing the shape of modern animation. I do concede slightly to the fact that the studio hasn't had a tip-top release since "Toy Story 3" in 2010. "Cars 2" is what it is, and "Brave" hit a majority of the aspirations they were aiming for, yet not quite all of them. "Monsters University" was Pixar's first attempt at a prequel, and putting aside that, no, it didn't need to exist, the film was a solid effort all the way through and nearly as enjoyable as the original. The same characters that made the first film great are all here and are just as dynamic, and some new characters are introduced as well to add enjoyable layers. While some films show all their colors too early, "Monsters University" easily saves its best for the Third Act, and for me, was well worth the journey getting there.






9. BEFORE MIDNIGHT

I would consider it impressive to make one film about a man and woman walking together in an exotic location and doing nothing but talking about life and love, and yet Richard Linklater does it three times over and, in my opinion, saves his best for last with "Before Midnight". This and the other two films do require some patience and are not for everyone, though Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have such an undeniable chemistry that it's a special treat to watch their characters' lives unfold over the span of a decade and then some. The concept may sound somewhat familiar due to the Linklater's most recent release, "Boyhood". While that film's premise is something different entirely sans the timeline, it never connected the same way that the "Before" trilogy did. The latter at its bones was more ambitious, and certainly had more to say. No pun intended. Each production was well worth the wait, and "Midnight" was a cap that elegantly brought it all together.






8. BLACKFISH

If there were ever a documentary that turned heads and changed minds in recent memory, the one that likely could come to the foreground is "Blackfish". In fairness, the film is not an easy watch, nor does it pretend to be, and all it sets out to do is emphasize the historic lesson that humanity refuses to acknowledge: Nature cannot be controlled and Nature will always find a way to break free. Personally, I've been obsessed with marine life for as far back as I can remember, and also have had a deep-seeded desire to visit SeaWorld so I could see these magnificent creatures up close - not so much anymore, at least as far as the latter is concerned. I have no doubt that the trainers at SeaWorld have the best intentions at heart, but raw footage doesn't lie and to see these huge Orcas so visibly distressed is heartbreaking. You can tell this film made an impact, because SeaWorld has been trying to publicly defend itself ever since. To make something like this knowing the repercussions takes heart and courage, and both manifest on the screen during "Blackfish".






7. THE CONJURING

I've been saying for the past few years that I feel James Wan could possibly be the new face of cinematic horror. He visions don't always connect, but when he's on, he's really on. If not for him, the "SAW" series would not be one of my top guilty pleasures and my horror collection would look rather pitiful. More to the point, what sets Wan apart is he just seems to "get it". Yes, you can make horror bloody and disturbing, but you can also make it suspenseful and intriguing, and that's exactly what he accomplished with "The Conjuring". What starts as a slow tension builder soon escalates into a fist-clenching climax in the likes of nothing I've seen come out in the last decade. Wan also realizes the value of a talented cast and bringing on Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga was a wise decision. For me, "The Conjuring" was a breath of long awaited fresh air.






6. BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR

I know what some of you may be thinking, "Gee, a highly sexually explicit film about the romantic relationship between two women - what possibly could have been the attraction??" Admittedly, yes, this film pulls no punches when it comes to sex in a way that I have never seen before (I say "never" because I refuse to count the pile of shit that is "Nymphomaniac Vol. I & II"). That being said, I also have consistently been of the opinion that those types of scenes, such as they are, can be a valuable weapon if used for the right reasons. "Blue" takes full advantage of that idea and makes a skillfully crafted, and frankly, beautiful work of art. I don't think the filmmakers were out to make a statement about gay rights as much as they wanted to show that these relationships are real whether you're willing to acknowledge it or not, and that they do come with their own set of trials and shortcomings. Even at its surprisingly long 3 hour run time, the film did a wonderful job at making every minute count.






5. NEBRASKA

I cannot deny the fact that I could be slightly biased towards "Nebraska" with it being my home state and all, but putting this in my Top 10, even Top 5 of the year, was an easy choice. I have a large soft spot in my cinematic heart for stories about the older generation telling the younger where to "stick it" when it comes to venturing out and finding a sense of purpose and independence. Alexander Payne has enough experience under his belt to find the right notes to hit as well to make this simple film about a simple man (played perfectly by Bruce Dern) going across multiple state lines to collect what he feels is his destiny. The subtle score and black and white filming was a nice touch, and really, the performances across the board made this quiet, yet mighty film a true pleasure to watch.






4. PRISONERS

If any film caught me absolutely off-guard from 2013, it was "Prisoners". The film was twisted. The film was brutal. The film was outstanding. Hugh Jackman makes one of his most emotionally charged performances of his recent career, and Jake Gyllenhaal turns in a fine effort about a small time cop that cannot quite fill the lofty shoes that hero status requires. One thing is for sure, the film's gritty nature rubs off, and if you don't feel slightly dirty and paranoid when the end credits roll, then the film did not do its job. Thankfully, I can't picture that being an issue, because while no one is the "good guy" in this story, you almost cannot help but be sympathetic towards their desperate situation. "Prisoners" was certainly my big surprise of the year and one I'll be happily revisiting in the future.






3. PACIFIC RIM

After going to the theater and watching what I thought was easily the best action blockbuster of the year, I was also certain that no film could push "Pacific Rim" from #1. For the longest time, that did end up being true, but once Oscar season rolled around, I delved a little deeper into what 2013 truly had to offer, and obviously by its placement, I found a few more films that I enjoyed more as a whole. Don't get me wrong, "Pacific Rim" was Del Toro showing off what he does best. There's no deep meaningful messages here, just pure rock 'em/sock 'em bliss between giant robots and giant monsters. To see its performance at the box office fall short is puzzling to me to this day, especially since it did right in one offering that the "Transformers" series has still failed to do with four. I certainly wouldn't turn away a sequel because watching Del Toro go bananas is the definition of fun in many ways, but I would be content just the same if "Pacific Rim" was able to stand on its own mountain.






2. HER

With the kind of output that Spike Jonze is known for, I can only imagine how many offers he gets to direct a film. I find that significant because Jonze really doesn't direct films too often, and clearly that's not a bad thing because in my mind "Her" is his best film to date and easily one of my favorite romantic dramas in a long time. Joaquin Phoenix was an excellent choice for the lead, and I loved how Jonze gave the film a modern, technological flavor to make it feel fresh and relevant. I don't suspect I'll come across another one of these in the near years to come, and with that, I also know I'll be looking back and re-watching this film many times over.








And finally, my Top Film from 2013.

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1. PHILOMENA

Alright, so probably not the most suspenseful reveal since I've done nothing but pour praise for this film every time it comes up in conversation. Honestly, though, I simply cannot help that because "Philomena" is a superb film. From the acting, to the writing, to the directing and everything else in-between, this movie gets it right. Steve Coogan and Judi Dench have a fantastic chemistry that I was not fully expecting given Coogan's comedic background, and they both bring humor to a story that, at its core, is morose enough to tug even the most stubborn of heartstrings. Having already done a full write-up about "Philomena" in the recent past (https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Journey-Through-Film/897875193561061?ref=tn_tnmn), I won't go overly long here, but I will say that if you have yet to give this film a watch, I hope you can trust me when I say that you are missing out on not only what I felt to be the best 2013 had to offer, but one of the best of the 2010's.





See you next week for my Top 10 Films of 2012!

MY TOP 10 FILMS LIST FOR 2014 - Part 2

Greetings once again!

No need for formalities this time around. It is time to conclude my Top 10 of 2014!


(#5-#1):


5. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

I realize that not everyone has been completely sold or even interested in this Marvel film experiment despite its continued success, and there's nothing wrong with that. That being said, if you're a fan of smart espionage action thrillers, you really are doing yourself a disservice by letting "The Winter Soldier" pass you by. When you think about it, when ignoring the fact that Chris Evans is dressed as the American flag, that's really what this film is and it's a damn good time. Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlet Johansson make for very fitting supporters, the action scenes are gripping and well shot, and the story doesn't wonder aimlessly, just to name a few more positive ingredients. The one drawback is that this sequel does have continuation in its plot from the original "The First Avenger", so it would be recommended to watch that film first.

Whether you're fan of Marvel of not, it's hard to deny Captain America as the next big action hero.





4. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

Try as they might, DreamWorks has never really been able to get out of Pixar's shadow. They have had strong efforts, of course, but nothing that has reached the same heights. Then, out of nowhere, "How to Train Your Dragon" was released in 2010 and caught audiences and critics off-guard with its gorgeous animation and wonderful storytelling in what could have easily been my favorite animated film of that year, except that was also the year "Toy Story 3" was released - so close, DreamWorks, so close. Be that as it may, a sequel was obviously inevitable, and I'm really glad DreamWorks took their time because "Dragons 2" is fantastic and well worth the wait. I've never been of the opinion that a sequel has to necessarily surpass its predecessor as I'd much more prefer it to be what it was meant to be as a worthy follow up and continuation of the story. DreamWorks hits that concept right on target with more breathtaking animation, a maturing of the coming of age story, and a villain that isn't to be reasoned with.

While Pixar did not have a 2014 release, it's possible that it may not have mattered. "How to Train Your Dragon 2" absolutely earns best animated film of the year.





3. GONE GIRL

This is the kind of mystery drama/thriller that I've been waiting to see for a long time now. A film that is already suspenseful up to the big twist reveal and decides, not to end it there, but to keep the story moving forward deeper in the game of cat and mouse. Ben Affleck turns in a good performance as the film's lead, but Rosamund Pike is the real game changer as his missing wife. As much as I would love to talk further about it, "Gone Girl" is so well crafted that giving too much away wouldn't be fair to anyone whom has yet to see it.

As a big fan of David Fincher, I am willing to say that this might be one of his best works yet.







2. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Yes, another Marvel movie, but seriously, what's not to love about "Guardians"? I mean, beside the fact that one of the best characters is a talking, gun-wielding raccoon? It is also not slightly impressive that one of the biggest blockbusters of the year featured really a whole cast of B-level bounty hunters that no one other than the more hardcore comic fans had ever heard of previously? Truth be told, "Guardians" clearly doesn't need me to defend it. The cast lead by the rapidly emerging comedian Chris Pratt is often hilarious together, the script is engaging and near-perfectly paced, and as expected, the special effects are Marvel-caliber. While it is a technical installment of Phase 2 and the final entry prior to "Avengers: Age of Ultron", I can think of no reason why "Guardians" couldn't be enjoyed on its own merit, even if you had no desire to see the other Marvel installments up to this point.

I would say to definitely check this one out!


And finally, DRUM ROLL PLEASE - My Top Film of 2014 is....

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....


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1. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Okay okay, unnecessary theatrics aside, I'm sure very few would find this surprising as I've seen "Dawn" on many Top 10 lists in the movie community already, and for perfectly good reason, too: "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" absolute deserves the kudos. After all the time I pondered what film would land where on my list, I couldn't think of any other I had more fun seeing in the theater this last summer. Not only that, but putting it at #1 this year was further crystallized for me watching it home a second time and loving it even more. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" laid excellent groundwork back in 2011, and luckily for us, the filmmakers didn't fumble away a good thing; instead, they took it by the reigns and made the sequel into a great thing. I will say this, if Andy Serkis doesn't walk away with some kind of hardware during the big awards season, then there's something incredibly wrong. Considering all the great live capture animation work that he's done up until this point already, I feel his work in "Dawn" is easily his best performance to date. What helps his case even more is the fantastic story about the shaken peace between man and ape, the highly entertaining action sequences in the Second and Third Act, and an antagonist that isn't made known right away and can still be sympathized with when their true colors are shown.

I'm not saying that "Dawn" is perfection beginning to end, but it certainly raised the bar the highest for 2014 releases and for its own franchise all at once. The apes are back!

MY TOP 10 FILM LIST FOR 2014 - Part 1

Welcome to my list that were, in my own opinion, the top films of 2014.

I'm not going to spend too much time complaining about the fact that 2014 did prove to a tough year. There were many good films, but unfortunately, there was a lesser lot to choose from this time around that really felt beyond good and ascended into the greatness level. This list of movies did feel to me like these reached that level in terms of how much I enjoyed them. I'm not saying they're flawless nor am I saying they will go down in cinematic history as classics, but I will say that out of the films I've been able to view so far this year (and there were so many still to see), these stood out the most to me.

Let's get started!

The first batch are the films that I have not been able to see yet but still plan to. In my mind, had I seen these films, they may have been up for consideration:

1. BIG EYES
2. BLUE RUIN
3. UNDER THE SKIN
4. JERSEY BOYS
5. THE RAID 2

Next up, here are the Honorable Mentions that I felt were quite good but just felt short of the Top 10:

1. CHEF
2. BIG HERO 6
3. LOCKE
4. BOYHOOD

And now, finally, the TOP 10 (#10-#6):


10. THE SKELETON TWINS

When I think Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, I automatically gravitate to a comedy frame of mind, and "The Skeleton Twins" definitely has comedy, but it's mainly there to sweeten what is nearly a straight forward drama about two paternal twins that are both defeated and directionless in their lives. To make it even more tense, they've been estranged from each other for the last 10 years and tried to commit suicide on the same day. I'm not sure if drama is Hader's and Wiig's strong suit just yet, but to ignore the fact that they were both pretty outstanding in this film would be completely unfair. Considering some of the depressing lows that "Skeleton Twins" explores, I found it pretty amazing that the film was still illuminated with charm that didn't feel forced, nor did it sugarcoat the fact that being true to one's self can have destructive consequences on the path to the greater good.

This is one I'll be happily revisiting in the future.



9. EDGE OF TOMORROW

I mentioned in my Bottom 5 list that I try not to be the guy that leans too much towards judging a book by its cover, or in this case, a film by its lead actor. Alas, I am not perfect, and "Edge of Tomorrow" proved that point. I do not hide the fact that I am not Tom Cruise's biggest fan, and when "Edge" made its theatrical debut, the fact that he was in it caused me to write it off completely. However, after many an urging, I decided to give it a chance, and let me say, I'm glad I was wrong. "Edge of Tomorrow" is a hell of a lot of fun with a "Groundhog Day" premise mixed with impressive special effect alien combat. Tom Cruise did well at what Tom Cruise does well, but the selling point for me had to be Emily Blunt whom continues to prove she can hold her own in a testosterone driven thrill ride.

There's really not much more I can say that hasn't already been said. This one kicks ass and takes names.





8. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

For Wes Anderson, it seems that the sky is the limit, and he is certainly trending in that direction. In the months leading up to the release of "Budapest", I wondered how Anderson was going to surpass the bar that he himself raised with "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and "Moonrise Kingdom". I wouldn't say this latest effort greatly jettisoned that momentum, but it easily kept it going in the right direction. The dialogue was quirky and witty among the all-star cast which has grown to be expected from Anderson, and the added hint of melancholy helped separate "Budapest" from his previous works. I agree with the general consensus that this film maybe won't bring any new fans to the table, but it should certainly satisfy the ones already there.

I'm anxiously awaiting the year I can put Anderson at #1.





7. THE LEGO MOVIE

Just when one might think that computer animated films were running out of tricks, here arrives "The LEGO Movie" to stamp out that pessimism. Great humor and quality voice acting is one thing, but completely going all out to make a world completely comprised of Legos and making it look amazing is another altogether. Let's just say, for how much I loved playing with Legos as a child, I'm glad I was able to just sit back and relax to watch the hard work the filmmakers went through to create this beast. Oh, and having a story that tells children to dive into their imaginations is pretty tasty icing on the cake.

It's awesome!







6. NIGHTCRAWLER

A film about a morally bankrupt man whom also happens to preach about the virtues of a hard day's work? If enjoying a movie like this is wrong, then I don't want to be right! Jake Gyllenhaal was fantastic as a petty thief that finds out there's good money in filming crime in Los Angeles and then selling it to the local news station; so good, in fact, that he successfully makes you feel a little bit dirty and grimy for anxiously anticipating what comes next. The film does move a little slowly at first, but trust me, the steady build up to the last 30 minutes is well worth the wait. Let me put it this way, just when you think the character has reached his limits, you are likely to be proven wrong.

One of the best of its kind this year!



COMING TOMORROW: Part 2 (#5-#1)

TOP 5 MOST DISAPPOINTING FILMS OF 2014

Happy 2015 Everyone!

It's that time of year to reflect back on all the new films released in 2014.

The trend seems to be that the Top 10 Best/Favorite Films are done first followed by the Bottom 10. I thought I would change it up slightly and do my bottom votes first. I didn't have 10 films to fill the list with so I opted to do a Bottom 5, or in this case, "Top 5 Most Disappointing". The reason being is that I try my best avoid any movies that look like a waste of time from the jump; however, it is not my intention to come off as a stuffy snob that would know better than anyone else. Over the years, I've learned to trust my gut feelings when it comes to movies, and I believe I have about a 98% success rate that helps me weed out the "I can't believe a studio funded this" type of film from my scope. The films on this list were the ones I had high, or at least some hope for, and they came either horrendously short or frustratingly short of being great.

So, without any further rambling, let's do this thing:


5. MALEFICENT

This probably isn't the greatest example of a "disappointment" worthy of this list because the bar shouldn't have been held that high to begin with. Yes, as a nearing 30-year-old man, I still hold Disney on a fairly tall pedestal due to their top quality works, especially in animation, Live action, on the other hand, I'm more torn on. Obviously, a company is bound to trend to where the money is, and the last three live action outings have proved lucrative; I just wish the quality matched the rewards. "Alice in Wonderland" from 2010 played as a sequel, and while it didn't catch everybody's fancy so to speak, I did enjoy that one quite a bit. "Oz the Great and Powerful" from 2012 was penned as a prequel to the original "Wizard of Oz", and I was intrigued by the idea overall, but the final product felt pretty flat when all was said and done. This year, Disney opted to do a prequel/parallel to "Sleeping Beauty" with 2014's "Maleficent" and placed Angelina Jolie in the titular role. As I stated in my review, Jolie did the best she could with what she had the work with, but even she couldn't save it from being terrible. The story was a boring mess, the animation was appallingly sub-par for a Disney product, and I'm still baffled how the filmmakers managed to make the three fairies so infuriatingly annoying. I'm glad I only spent $2 to rent this instead of going to the theater, and even then, I kind of wanted my money back.

Disney, you're better than this. Next up on the live action slab is "Cinderella". Forgive me if my excitement is on the tempered side.


4. THE JUDGE

As I mentioned in my review, I didn't hate "The Judge". Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall in the same movie is pretty difficult to condemn, and the film had it's upsides; unfortunately, that's the main problem. If a movie has the same amount of peaks as it does valleys, the average is a middle-of-the-road drama that sadly won't be too memorable due to the filmmakers trying to make it more than it needed to be.

A near miss, but a miss just the same.







3. 22 JUMP STREET

At least once a year, despite how much I tried to avoid it, I'm concluding that "22 Jump Street" making this list was a byproduct of me falling victim to the Hype Machine. Audiences and professional critics alike were giving it similar high praise to its predecessor (one I thoroughly enjoyed), and with the same cast returning to a premise where the big joke of the film was making fun of sequels in general, I couldn't help but get sucked in. "22" had its gut-buster moments to be sure, although they were much further apart than in "21" for me, and didn't nearly live up to what many people were making it sound like.

I don't know, maybe I was in an off mood that day, but I didn't really see what all the hoopla was about.




2. MUPPETS MOST WANTED

I will admit right away that, yes, in my initial review of "Muppets Most Wanted", I gave the film approval. Not long after that, I began to realize that my love for the Muppets jaded me and lead me astray. If "Most Wanted" doesn't make the naysayers of Jason Segel's fan project back in 2011 see it in a different light, then I can't imagine anything will. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and I'm not debating that, but at least Segel understood what he was working with and made an admirable finished piece; none of that can be claimed about "Most Wanted". Never, any in any circumstance, should the Muppets take the background in their own movie. Sure, the actors can have their time, but it's not supposed to be about them, that's why they were referred to as "guests" back during the TV show.

I believed and hoped that the Muppets were on the cusp of a comeback, and I still do hope that's the case. Just as much as I hope "Most Wanted" didn't stop that dead in its tracks.


1. NOAH

Addressing this right away, no, I was not disappointed with "Noah" because it didn't follow the well-known biblical story of Noah's Ark to an absolute point. I'm not sure whom in their right mind would go into a Darren Aronofsky film expecting it to be by the book; that's not his style, whether you find him and his films to be pretentious or not. My issue with "Noah" was after taking into regard the talented cast, the talent behind the camera, and the commendable special effects that the subject material called for, there was no reason for this movie to be as boring as it was. Hell, there were a few intervals this year where I forgot about it entirely. It wasn't until I sat down trying to think of all the films I watched earlier this year when it dawned on me that "Oh yeah, I saw 'Noah', too."

After "The Wrestler" and "Black Swan", I couldn't help but be dumbfounded by this one.


That concludes my Top Disappointing Films of 2014. Up next: My Top 10 Favorite Films of 2014!

A Love Letter to the Michael Bay(s) of Hollywood - Part 2

In "Part 1", while making the early note that I have found Michael Bay's overall career to be lackluster in the sense of an assured steady decline to the reaches of mind-numbing Hell, I really spent the first half of this ramble paying respects to his early work. I feel this is an art form slowing fading away, not only in professional criticisms, but all the way down to the social media outrages. Movie fans are far more content to fixate on the bad and ignore that the good ever happened. That's not to say the bad should be ignored and excused because the film maker at hand managed to grow one rose in a field of weeds. Bad is still bad, no matter how you look at it. The good movies should be remembered, embraced, spread around by word of mouth and adoration. I can't honestly believe it is, but even if it's just me, true creativity in Hollywood is fading rapidly. At least from the mainstream view. It's depressing and getting more and more difficult to ignore. The indie scene is still grasping onto what used to be the pride of Hollywood, thankfully, but for how long? What baffles me is how "bad", despite all the complaints towards its continuity and increasing commonplace in Hollywood, is succeeding.

On that note, the one particular cluster of such dumbfounding success is the recent Transformers movie franchise. Before I begin, no, I'm not going to pick apart these movies one by one and explain why I can't hardly stand any of them. That horse isn't going to get any more dead.

We all know them: Transformers (2007), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), and Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), so far. Here's all you really need to know, and then I'll get off that particular soapbox:

1. The robots, of which these films are named after and supposedly based on, take a back seat in their own damn movie. "...but it's about the people." Well, if that's true, it should have been called We the People, Shooting Guns, with some Robots and American Flags Filling the Background.

2. Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. No further explanation warranted.

3. Blatant racism is okay as long as it is presented as robots making bad, cliche puns.

Even though that last one is too tasteless to ignore, all could have been mostly forgiven if not for one major fact that every single one of those movies (except for maybe the last one, I haven't seen it yet but have been told I'm not missing much) have climaxes so poor that it is borderline hilarious. By hilarious, I mean in the saddest way possible. Climaxes that are so rushed and so empty, it almost feels like movie theater robbery.

"Here's two plus hours of build up for a foe that even the mighty Transformers may not be able to survive. What an epic battle that this surely will be!" (30 seconds into big, epic battle) "Wow, wait - that's it??"

And so it goes from there. Now, some may think that I, and those that have similar opinions as me regarding the Transformers movies, are taking it way too seriously and just need to lighten up. These movies are here for fun and not for life changing enlightenment. Trust me, I've taken that into consideration, and my only natural response to that is - No kidding! You have no idea (actually, I'm hoping a lot of people share this feeling) how badly I want to like these movies. How badly I wanted them to be good, even if it was just "Coca-Cola and popcorn rotting my brain cells" good. Not everyone agrees with this, but I love the design of the robots in these films! Being a prop in the background is disappointing, sure, but give them a great battle at the end and these movies are something to positively remember. Bad acting, bad dialogue, stupid plot, who cares?? Giant-Fighting-Robots!!!

Yet, in spite of these mistakes made time and time again, this franchise is making millions upon hundreds of millions of dollars in each outing.

My question is pretty obvious: Why?

I recently viewed a video by Bob Chipman. He's a movie reviewer on a website called The Escapist. If you haven't checked it out, I'd really recommend it. It's a nerd haven. Anyway, Bob made a video (http://moviebob.blogspot.com/2014/07/big-picture-leave-michael-bay-alone.html) commenting on the fact that critics and the public alike need to back off of Michael Bay a little bit because it's becoming almost a sport in the movie industry to call him out and slander him. That point I completely agree with (see "Part 1"), it was the latter portion I had trouble wrapping my head around. His main point was that the reason Bay makes films like this is because it's a proven successful franchise that he can make a hefty paycheck on and that it's what we [the general viewing public] want. He even goes to make an analogy about it is us that wants the junk food, he's just the one serving the french fries. This wasn't aimed at any particular demographic either. Bob even called himself out on it. Screw it, I call myself out on it. I own all 3 that are currently on blu-ray. I'll probably own the 4th on blu-ray because I'm a completest and have friends that like the movies. Once more, I digress. I like where Bob was going with it, but to me, it doesn't seem that simple.

My thoughts are, and I can personally testify to this, that even casual movie fans have a naive optimism that patience is a virtue and that some day, that patience will pay off and we will have the Transformers movie we deserve with the hundreds of millions of dollars already spent in good faith. Hell, even Bay has been recorded saying he was disappointed with Revenge of the Fallen and that Dark of the Moon was going to be bigger and better to make up for it. Well, it was bigger . . .

That also may be my naivety talking. Perhaps it's possible that people don't care anymore, and don't think their hard earned money deserves a hint of sustained quality in return, and that the true escapism of what going to movies used to represent has been reduced to a cheap thrill to help line the pockets of greedy corporate heads so they can milk the cash cow until it's blue in the face. I think in part of what Bob was saying is true, except said greedy corporate heads think so little of the general public that they truly believe we want their slop. Problem is, we're not doing anything to dispute that. Complain all you want, but when money does the talking, all that complaining might as well be that tree in the forest that no one is around to hear. We're partially responsible for the success of "bad".

Look, I don't know if I've made a successfully concise argument through all of this, and I don't want to make a "Part 3", so I'll wrap this up. I guess my point is, when Bay's career first started, he didn't butcher the box office, but at least he made films that gave audiences positive reflections instead of "Oh god,..." As any kind of artist, is that really what you'd want your legacy to be? That you made millions of dollars? That you supposedly just bent over and gave the public "what they want" or what you boss says they want? I, personally, would love to be a famous author someday. Famous, however, for my work. Not the ceramic statue in my garden that it bought. I know full well I could write my own 50 Shades of Grey called the Tits 'n Beer Chronicles (and with some illustration) that would sell really well to one demographic, and could also sell A Southern Yarn About How Both My Wife and Dog Got Cancer (and by the way, Here's a Box of Kleenex) to another, but I couldn't be proud of it. Ever. Just like I know Bay can't be proud of Transformers. I'm pretty sure he even said he didn't want to make a 4th, and yet here we are. It's hard to turn down those dollar signs.

I just wish we're not so consumed by the dollars and cents that we go back to have that and respect for the craft that got us here in the first place. We are capable of so many cinematic marvels in 2014 and beyond with technology and fresh creative minds, but it feels like we'd rather make millions and release Transformers: Who Cares, You'll Come See It or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (on steroids). Oh wait, crap, one of those is happening.