Days of Heaven

DAYS OF HEAVEN - Dec. 30, 2010
Terrence Malick is best known for making some seriously beautiful looking movies, and on that level Days of Heaven  does not disappoint. Seemingly filmed entirely at either dawn or dusk, the film has a strikingly ethereal look, with almost every frame suitable to be enlarged and framed on your wall. It is a very good looking movie.  As for the straightforward plot; it’s fine. It gets the job done, but it’s fairly clear that had this film been directed by a middle-of-the-road director with no flair for visuals, it would have been immediately forgotten. There’s really nothing about the story or about the characters that particularly stays with you for very long after the credits have rolled. It’s really more the mood and tone that Malick manages to sustain that gives this film its power.  I liked this movie, but I can’t help but think that I would have absolutely loved it had the story been even close to being on the same level as the direction/cinematography.  ***

Tron: Legacy

TRON: LEGACY (2010) - Dec. 29, 2010
Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly a fairly sizable step up from the original, this was a decent enough film.  About the son of the protagonist from the first film, who gets sucked into the computer world and must find his way out, along with his father who has been trapped in there for years.  Though none of the characters are particularly compelling, director Joseph Kosinski obviously has an eye for visuals, and along with Daft Punk's memorable score, creates a film which is generally interesting to watch.  ***

Somewhere

SOMEWHERE (2010) - Dec. 28, 2010
Almost absurdly low-key, I enjoyed this film, though I do feel like it's Sophia Coppola's weakest effort.  About a disaffected playboy movie star who spends a couple of weeks with his daughter, the film was certainly well made and well acted, if a bit disappointing given Coppola's previous work.  I liked and felt for Stephen Dorff's Johnny Marco (and Dorff is probably better here than I've ever seen him), but the film did feel a bit aloof.  I'd definitely like to see it at least one more time before I fully pass judgment on it, but it does feel kind of like lesser Sophia Coppola.  ***

Winter's Bone

WINTER'S BONE (2010) - Dec. 27, 2010
About a determined young girl who decides to track down her father after she finds out that she'll lose her home if he doesn't show up in court.  The film unfolds at a fairly meticulous pace, but it remains compelling throughout -- there's something kind of fascinating about the insular, forested community in which everyone seems to be distantly related.  The performances are uniformly pretty great, particularly Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes.  I also really liked the sparse, almost hard-boiled dialogue.  Good stuff.  ***1/2

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2010) - Dec. 26, 2010 (Second Viewing)
Visually stunning and directed with a ridiculously kinetic style by Edgar Wright (who always manages to make sure that the style never overwhelms the viewer or overtakes the story), this was definitely a very good film, though I still don't think it's on the level of Wright's last two movies (particularly Shaun of the Dead).  I never quite had the emotional attachment to Scott Pilgrim and his chums that I did to Shaun and Ed, but this is still definitely a primo film, and more proof (in case anyone still needed it) that Wright is a serious talent.  ***1/2

Futurama: Into the Wide Green Yonder

FUTURAMA: INTO THE WIDE GREEN YONDER (2009) - Dec. 25, 2010
The last film in the four-film Futurama series, this continues the general descent in quality from the other films.  But still, it's Futurama, and even subpar Futurama is pretty sweet.  **1/2

True Grit (2010)

TRUE GRIT (2010) - Dec. 23, 2010
About a young girl who hires a surly gunslinger to catch the man responsible for killing her father, I think it's almost redundant at this point to say that this was masterfully directed, considering that this is a Coen brothers film.  It's also very well acted, with Hailee Steinfeld easily holding her own against Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon (who gives a scene-stealing performance as a conceited Texas Ranger).  I wasn't sure if this was a very good film or a great one when I first watched it, but the more I think about it the more I'm leaning towards the latter.  ***1/2

And Soon the Darkness

AND SOON THE DARKNESS (2010) - Dec. 22, 2010
An egregiously mediocre film about a couple of girls on vacation in backwater Argentina who find themselves in serious trouble when one of them is mysteriously abducted.  Seemingly cobbled together wholesale from about a dozen other movies, there isn't a single element here that feels original or fresh.  Of course, with a thriller like this, it's definitely possible to take a completely unoriginal premise and still do great things with it -- assuming that the film is well excecuted and exciting.  Alas, this was neither well executed or exciting.  Made without an ounce of originality or intelligence, the film was competently directed by Marcos Efron, who isn't the worst director ever, but who definitely lacks the finese to elevate a lacklustre screenplay such as this to anything particularly watchable.  There is really nothing here that particularly works -- the part establishing the two characters doesn't work, because both characters are empty cliches (the party girl and her uptight friend), the uptight friend's investigation is dull and pointless, because we're always two or three steps ahead of her, and the more action-heavy final fifteen minutes or so just feels perfunctory and anti-climactic.  Plus, all of the "twists" are almost laughably predictable (what?  That shady small-town cop was in on it all along?  NO WAY!).  It probably doesn't help that Efron is unwilling (or unable) to establish any kind of tension or suspense.   Blech.  *1/2

2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Dec. 21, 2010 (Third or Fourth Viewing +3)
It's 2001.  On the big screen.  70mm.  So yes, it was awesome, though it would have been nice if the screen at the Lightbox had been slightly bigger.  ****

I Am Love

I AM LOVE (2009) - Dec. 20, 2010
A meandering and fairly pretentious film that is saved by an amazing visual style.  Impeccably directed by Luca Guadagnino, this is without a doubt a beautiful film.  It's so well directed, but at the same time I was never particularly entertained beyond consistantly being dazzled by the visuals and the direction (including the really effective use of John Adams' music).  It's completely plotless, and Guadagnino always keeps the characters at somewhat of an arm's length, so it's really hard to get particularly involved in the film.  But it looks so good...  **1/2

Tron

TRON (1982) - Dec. 19, 2010
A surprisingly boring film about a programmer who winds up sucked into a strange world run by computers.  The film's special effects, though probably mind-blowing at the time, seem quant and dated by modern standards.  Though the dated effects are actually the least of the film's problems; it just isn't all that entertaining.  It's kind of sluggish, and it never really felt like there was all that much at stake.  The whole thing felt like an excuse for the elaborate effects; the story and the characters were pretty weak.  **

The Fighter

THE FIGHTER (2010) - Dec. 18, 2010
Well directed by David O. Russell, this was an enjoyable and well made film about a mid-level boxer who has to deal with his overbearing family while trying to re-launch his boxing career.  Under a lesser director this story easily could have made yet another generic feel-good sports movie, but Russell and the screenwriters ensure that the movie is always a bit more interesting than that.  Featuring really impressive performances all around, this wasn't quite on the level of some of Russell's previous films, but it was still a really solid drama.  ***

The Rocker

THE ROCKER (2008) - Dec. 17, 2010
Well, I was tired and looking for a movie that I wouldn't have to think about too much, and this fit the bill perfectly.  About an aging drummer who is still having a tough time getting over being kicked out of a band (who went on to be superstars) twenty years earlier, and who then has a second chance at being a rock star.  Featuring a fun, earnest performance from Rainn Wilson (between this and Super, it's definitely clear that the man can do more than just Dwight) and a whole bunch of funny supporting roles (including people like Jason Sudekis and Jeff Garlin), I'm a bit baffled as to why this flopped so hard.  I mean, there's absolutely nothing here that feels particularly fresh (you know where the film is going every step of the way) but it was an enjoyable enough way to spend 100 minutes.  ***

Monsters

MONSTERS (2010) - Dec. 14, 2010
Well made and fairly impressive, given the budget, this was about a couple of Americans traveling through a Mexico in which, a few years earlier, aliens arrived and are now a part of the habitat (in "infected zones").  Writer/director Gareth Edwards does a really great job of making this seem like a real, lived-in world, and I was completely sold on the whole premise.  His direction, too, was quite good.  Not-so-good was his writing; Edwards does a fairly poor job of getting us to care about the two protagonists, though it probably doesn't help that neither of the two leads are particularly good, and lack chemistry.  Scoot McNairy, in particular, doesn't have the requisite charisma to make us care about his character, and comes off as more of a jerk than anything else (I could see someone like Ryan Reynolds making the part work).  Despite that I think the film generally works if only for the direction and the atmosphere that it manages to create; if the script and performances were a bit better, it could have been great, but as it is it's pretty good.  ***

The Fast Runner

THE FAST RUNNER - Dec. 14, 2010 (Second Viewing)
Yep, not so good.  I definitely did not need to revist this film, whose almost universal praise is nothing short of baffling.  Overlong, with amateurish visuals which do very little to capture the majesty of the Inuit landscape (in fact, in many scenes it's obvious that the filmmakers just left their camcorder on automatic; the exposure changes in particular make this fairly obvious) and mediocre performances, not to mention a storyline that is far from fresh (love triangles, power struggles, etc.).  If it weren't for the unique setting, this film would have almost certainly been forgotten almost instantly.  *1/2

Black Swan

BLACK SWAN (2010) - Dec. 11, 2010 (Second Viewing)
Yep, this is a great film, and though I wasn't sure on my first viewing, I'm now fairly confident that this was just as good as (if not better than) the Wrestler.  It's interesting watching this for a second time -- on the first viewing, a lot of the focus is on the mystery of it all, and trying to figure out what is real versus what is imagined.  The second time, knowing that the film is ultimately a portrait of someone who is slowly losing her mind to the immense pressure that she is under, the film feels pretty different.  This is definitely a movie that demands and rewards repeat viewings.  There are so many great things about this film, from Natalie Portman's astounding performance to Aronofsky's direction to Clint Mansell's memorable score -- a flat-out brilliant reworking of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.  I kind of want to see this again.  Right now.  ****

Polytechnique

POLYTECHNIQUE - Dec. 10, 2010
Though this has obviously taken more than a little inspiration from Elephant (much like 2:37, another school shooting movie), this was still a fairly powerful and very well made film about the 1989 school shooting in Montreal -- though like 2:37, it's not quite in the same league as the powerful Elephant.  Featuring impressive black and white cinematography, as well as effectively austere direction from Denis Villeneuve, the film is quite well made though it never really raises to the level of the aforementioned film.  ***

The Fast Runner

THE FAST RUNNER - Dec. 9, 2010
Well, I can't really say much about this film since I spent at least a quarter of it asleep (and as punishment, I have to watch it again in the next few days, a horrifying prospect).  Exceptionally dull and ridiculously uncinematic, I guess I'll find out soon enough if this is really as bad as I think it is, or if I'm being too harsh.  NO RATING

Yella

YELLA - Dec. 7, 2010
A well made if somewhat odd film about a woman who leaves home for a job, only to find that the job no longer exists.  Features a strange, dream-like tone and a twist ending that kind of invalidates the entire film, but it was basically well made, well acted and I wasn't bored.  **1/2

Lola

LOLA (1981) - Dec. 3, 2010
Featuring a an above-average early performance from Armin Mueller-Stahl, this was an otherwise fairly dull film about a by-the-book government official who is ultimately corrupted after falling in love with a prostitute.  Though Rainer Werner Fassbinder's colourful, technicolor-esque direction was decent enough, the film just moves too slowly to ever be particularly engaging.  *1/2

Veronika Voss

VERONIKA VOSS (1982) - Dec. 3, 2010
A flawed but interesting film about a washed-up actress who is manipulated by shady doctors who keep her addicted to pain-killers to drain her dry.  Featuring some really nice looking high-contrast black and white cinematography, the film is decent but kind of overwrought.  I was entertained enough for the first little while, but the film ultimately lost me.  **

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul

ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL - Dec. 2, 2010
This film owes a great debt to All That Heaven Allows. In fact, in many ways it plays like a loose remake of that film; both films have roughly the same plot, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder was certainly never shy about his admiration for Douglas Sirk.  It’s not a bad film. I’m not entirely sure it deserves a spot on the list, but Fassbinder was obviously an important director, and this is one of his most accessible films. It’s well directed and (for the most part) well acted.  My biggest problem with this movie is that there just isn’t all that much chemistry between the older woman and her young lover. There are a couple of reasons for this:
1) Brigitte Mira is just too old — she was 64 when the movie was made, and she looks more like 74. In contrast, Jane Wyman was 38 when she made All That Heaven Allows, and I had no problem believing that Rock Hudson could be sexually attracted to her. That definitely wasn’t the case here.
2) El Hedi ben Salem gives an exceptionally wooden performance, and lacks anything even remotely resembling charisma. This meant that not only was I having a hard time believing that he could be attracted to her; I was having a hard time believing that she could be attracted to him, with his robot-like personality. Apparently Salem was one of Fassbinder’s lovers, which does explain things somewhat. There’s clearly a reason why the man never acted in any films that weren’t directed by Fassbinder himself.
All in all, they’re not a particularly compelling or believable couple, which is kind of an issue when the film is essentially a love story. I can see why the movie is on the list, I guess — it’s definitely well made, and it’s entertaining throughout. If you can buy into the romance, you’ll probably enjoy it more than I did. Oh well.  **1/2