Monday, February 11, 2008
2007 Honorable Mention Films - Part 1
Since I can’t think of anything else to write about and am sick of fighting with my home computer, more on that probably later, I will continue with my wrap-up of films of 2007. When I left off I talked about the 21 films that I considered above-average. The number of films per day will now get shorter but I’ll be writing more per film.
Today and tomorrow are the honorable mention films. These received serious consideration for top 20 status and only missed out due to a minor flaw or another there was not enough room at the top. Since 19 films made this level, I’ll discuss half today, and half tomorrow.
After the Wedding - Scandinavia is very good at producing films of fucked up families. The trailers can just read, "secrets were revealed, lives were altered, relationships were destroyed." Last year’s Oscar nominee from Denmark is that and a lot more. This film has a look that can be described as Dogma-lite. It resembles those films but doesn’t put adhering to those rules as gospel. It is directed by Susanne Bier who did this year’s Things We Lost in the Fire and maybe it is the female touch that sets this film apart.
The film premise is simple. A man who runs an orphanage in India returns to his native Denmark to secure funding for his charity. His future benefactor casually invites him to his daughters wedding while he is unaware that he knew the man’s wife years ago. The script is first rate with a number of twists that some can be guessed but some probably not. The characters react in ways that you probably wouldn’t but seem consistent and the acting is top notch by all. Noticeable are Mads Mikkelsen (Le Chiffre from Casino Royale) as the head of the orphanage and Stine Fischer Christensen (looking like Emily Mortimer) as the daughter.
Atonement - A very solid story that when translated to film resolves some of the problems I had with the book. Technically the film is excellent, the costumes are gorgeous, Keira Knightly has never looked more beautiful and Saoirse Ronan is a wonderful acting find.
The pre-war sequence is where this film is strongest. It very successfully portrays the same scenes from two different points of view that prove to be the fatal catalyst of the story. As it moves to World War II it is no less beautiful but it loses much of the emotional punch. It does end of a high note with the appearance of Vanessa Redgrave but I, as with the book, I question how much atonement went on.
Broken English - A real surprise as film by a Cassavetes that is light comedy, starring Parker Posey no less. One of a number of films featuring Paris in a romantic setting this year works due to Posey in a job she hates and the only person in her social circle that is not in a long term relationship. She has a few misses then she finds the perfect man but he is geographically wrong. If it was a Hollywood film it would rely too much on slapstick with someone like Debra Messing in the lead. This film is plays like they are normal people and works perfectly.
The Bourne Ultimatum - A highly entertaining film that’s main negative is being compared to the previous two Bourne film. As an action film this has some wonderful set pieces. The Waterloo Station sequence is one of the best ever put to film that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The New York cat and mouse game was equally entertaining but the chase in Tangier seemed to go a bit too long for me. At the end when the plot took over, it seemed too Rambo-ish and I really didn’t care about the ins and outs of the corrupt government. However, I would welcome a fourth film just to see Damon, Allen, & Stiles, who was very strong in this film, in these characters again and to answer the Bourne/Nicky Parsons history question.
Crazy Love - The first of the many documentaries mentioned from here on out. In 1959, a New York ambulance chasing attorney threw acid in the face of his 22 year old girlfriend in a jealous rage. Fifteen years later, thinking no one else would want a blind and scared wife, they marry. This is the stuff for E True Hollywood Story. But director Dan Klores, in his first theatrical doc, puts together a fairly captivating tale. He includes accounts from many friends and relatives, including New York icon Jimmy Breslin, that will come off to outsiders as more crazy New Yorkers. He skillfully edits between everything in a nice pace that is far more than the subject deserves.
Diggers - A nice small film that I might have been one of the few to see. Director Katherine Dieckmann expertly handles the familiar story of four close male friends who aren’t as mature as their age and the women that surround them. Set in a Long Island clam digging town during the 1970s it explores the backdrop of big business driving families out of what they have been doing for generations. But the strength is the real interplay between the actors. Paul Rudd and Maura Tierney are wonderful as brother and sister while Lauren Ambrose has a nice turn as the outsider; a rich girl from the city slumming it for the summer.
Gone Baby Gone - Maybe Ben Affleck has found his calling. Having read all of Dennis Lehane’s works I was worried it could be a mess. But Affleck understands the raw nature of the source material and puts together a film that is better than the glossier and more praised Mystic River. Casey Affleck, who had a great 2007, holds this film together as the detective who knows that streets who tries to do the right thing. Amy Ryan, who gets to breakout from The Wire, is excellent as the bad mother who starts the whole process.
Affleck shows South Boston in all its raw glory. Some complain he exploited the underbelly, but I disagree. He finds actors that you believe are at the lowest end of the economic ladder. Scenes play out like you are watching real people. Two in particular, coincidentally both are in bars, have such real tension you will find yourself sweating. You might put all the pieces together before the detectives but you have to agree it is some of the best twists in a crime whodunit in years.
In the Shadow of the Moon - Being highly interested in the space program I was looking forward to this and was not disappointed. It covers much of the same ground that countless other docs on the Apollo have already covered so the casual fan might not be as interested. However the visuals look great and this film is unique in being told completely from the astronaut point-of-view. I was glad to see it had them discussing the feeling of being so close to the moon but unable to go to the surface. The discussion of Armstrong landing the lunar module was very interesting, was it really that close a call? And something I never thought of but some mentioned being uneasy in being labeled heroes while colleagues were dying in Vietnam.
Manufactured Landscapes - Another good doc in a year with a number of strong documentaries. This is the one film I saw on DVD that I wished I had seen in the theater. The visuals are amazing beginning with the long 10 minute tracking shot of a Chinese factory. Both the artist profiled and the film pose important questions about why we have allowed things get so polluted. However they don’t delve as deep into the problems of the human condition. That is probably another film but as this is shot in China it is impossible to not think about that while watching. It is further brought out while watching the excellent DVD extras that highlight their governmental escort and the numerous places they were not allowed to film.
Margot at the Wedding - The American version of After the Wedding in terms of family dysfunction. Viewers might find it hard to connect with the relatively plotless film with no real beginning and a very abrupt ending. Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh are two sisters with a lot of baggage and history. We learn little of the history in the brief look at these characters. Kidman’s character might further alienate viewers. She plays one of the nastiest, self-centered, most manipulative characters in recent history. Ms. Leigh actually plays a fairly normal person who seems happy with her life until her sister appears to tell her she is wasting herself. Jack Black is actually very good, as is the entire cast, especially the younger actors. My only complaint is a clichéic plot development involving Jack Black that further screws up this family.
Today and tomorrow are the honorable mention films. These received serious consideration for top 20 status and only missed out due to a minor flaw or another there was not enough room at the top. Since 19 films made this level, I’ll discuss half today, and half tomorrow.
After the Wedding - Scandinavia is very good at producing films of fucked up families. The trailers can just read, "secrets were revealed, lives were altered, relationships were destroyed." Last year’s Oscar nominee from Denmark is that and a lot more. This film has a look that can be described as Dogma-lite. It resembles those films but doesn’t put adhering to those rules as gospel. It is directed by Susanne Bier who did this year’s Things We Lost in the Fire and maybe it is the female touch that sets this film apart.
The film premise is simple. A man who runs an orphanage in India returns to his native Denmark to secure funding for his charity. His future benefactor casually invites him to his daughters wedding while he is unaware that he knew the man’s wife years ago. The script is first rate with a number of twists that some can be guessed but some probably not. The characters react in ways that you probably wouldn’t but seem consistent and the acting is top notch by all. Noticeable are Mads Mikkelsen (Le Chiffre from Casino Royale) as the head of the orphanage and Stine Fischer Christensen (looking like Emily Mortimer) as the daughter.
Atonement - A very solid story that when translated to film resolves some of the problems I had with the book. Technically the film is excellent, the costumes are gorgeous, Keira Knightly has never looked more beautiful and Saoirse Ronan is a wonderful acting find.
The pre-war sequence is where this film is strongest. It very successfully portrays the same scenes from two different points of view that prove to be the fatal catalyst of the story. As it moves to World War II it is no less beautiful but it loses much of the emotional punch. It does end of a high note with the appearance of Vanessa Redgrave but I, as with the book, I question how much atonement went on.
Broken English - A real surprise as film by a Cassavetes that is light comedy, starring Parker Posey no less. One of a number of films featuring Paris in a romantic setting this year works due to Posey in a job she hates and the only person in her social circle that is not in a long term relationship. She has a few misses then she finds the perfect man but he is geographically wrong. If it was a Hollywood film it would rely too much on slapstick with someone like Debra Messing in the lead. This film is plays like they are normal people and works perfectly.
The Bourne Ultimatum - A highly entertaining film that’s main negative is being compared to the previous two Bourne film. As an action film this has some wonderful set pieces. The Waterloo Station sequence is one of the best ever put to film that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The New York cat and mouse game was equally entertaining but the chase in Tangier seemed to go a bit too long for me. At the end when the plot took over, it seemed too Rambo-ish and I really didn’t care about the ins and outs of the corrupt government. However, I would welcome a fourth film just to see Damon, Allen, & Stiles, who was very strong in this film, in these characters again and to answer the Bourne/Nicky Parsons history question.
Crazy Love - The first of the many documentaries mentioned from here on out. In 1959, a New York ambulance chasing attorney threw acid in the face of his 22 year old girlfriend in a jealous rage. Fifteen years later, thinking no one else would want a blind and scared wife, they marry. This is the stuff for E True Hollywood Story. But director Dan Klores, in his first theatrical doc, puts together a fairly captivating tale. He includes accounts from many friends and relatives, including New York icon Jimmy Breslin, that will come off to outsiders as more crazy New Yorkers. He skillfully edits between everything in a nice pace that is far more than the subject deserves.
Diggers - A nice small film that I might have been one of the few to see. Director Katherine Dieckmann expertly handles the familiar story of four close male friends who aren’t as mature as their age and the women that surround them. Set in a Long Island clam digging town during the 1970s it explores the backdrop of big business driving families out of what they have been doing for generations. But the strength is the real interplay between the actors. Paul Rudd and Maura Tierney are wonderful as brother and sister while Lauren Ambrose has a nice turn as the outsider; a rich girl from the city slumming it for the summer.
Gone Baby Gone - Maybe Ben Affleck has found his calling. Having read all of Dennis Lehane’s works I was worried it could be a mess. But Affleck understands the raw nature of the source material and puts together a film that is better than the glossier and more praised Mystic River. Casey Affleck, who had a great 2007, holds this film together as the detective who knows that streets who tries to do the right thing. Amy Ryan, who gets to breakout from The Wire, is excellent as the bad mother who starts the whole process.
Affleck shows South Boston in all its raw glory. Some complain he exploited the underbelly, but I disagree. He finds actors that you believe are at the lowest end of the economic ladder. Scenes play out like you are watching real people. Two in particular, coincidentally both are in bars, have such real tension you will find yourself sweating. You might put all the pieces together before the detectives but you have to agree it is some of the best twists in a crime whodunit in years.
In the Shadow of the Moon - Being highly interested in the space program I was looking forward to this and was not disappointed. It covers much of the same ground that countless other docs on the Apollo have already covered so the casual fan might not be as interested. However the visuals look great and this film is unique in being told completely from the astronaut point-of-view. I was glad to see it had them discussing the feeling of being so close to the moon but unable to go to the surface. The discussion of Armstrong landing the lunar module was very interesting, was it really that close a call? And something I never thought of but some mentioned being uneasy in being labeled heroes while colleagues were dying in Vietnam.
Manufactured Landscapes - Another good doc in a year with a number of strong documentaries. This is the one film I saw on DVD that I wished I had seen in the theater. The visuals are amazing beginning with the long 10 minute tracking shot of a Chinese factory. Both the artist profiled and the film pose important questions about why we have allowed things get so polluted. However they don’t delve as deep into the problems of the human condition. That is probably another film but as this is shot in China it is impossible to not think about that while watching. It is further brought out while watching the excellent DVD extras that highlight their governmental escort and the numerous places they were not allowed to film.
Margot at the Wedding - The American version of After the Wedding in terms of family dysfunction. Viewers might find it hard to connect with the relatively plotless film with no real beginning and a very abrupt ending. Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh are two sisters with a lot of baggage and history. We learn little of the history in the brief look at these characters. Kidman’s character might further alienate viewers. She plays one of the nastiest, self-centered, most manipulative characters in recent history. Ms. Leigh actually plays a fairly normal person who seems happy with her life until her sister appears to tell her she is wasting herself. Jack Black is actually very good, as is the entire cast, especially the younger actors. My only complaint is a clichéic plot development involving Jack Black that further screws up this family.
Labels: FilmReview
# posted by ChrisR @ 10:00 PM 
