10. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army- I originally had Benjamin Button here, but after rewatching the first 30 minutes of HB2, I couldn’t keep it off. Del Toro’s visuals create a believable world for these unbelievable sights to exist. He really shows that practical effects should not be a dying art form. The script is a great blend of action and humor.
9. Snow Angels- Alot of people really loved Revolutionary Road. I was not one of them and upon exiting the theater I said to my dad “If I’d wanted to watch a film about a dysfunctional family, I’d just rewatch Snow Angels”. Snow Angels is anchored by its performances (Rockwell was amazing), and it’s these performances which create a connection between the characters and the audience. Snow Angels proved that you can have a depressing movie that has more of a story than just “suburban life sucks.”
8. Tropic Thunder- A great comedy for anyone who likes movies and how they are made. TT hits all the Hollywood stereotypes and also manages to make Matthew McShirtless enjoyable. I was expected more hilarious set jokes, and yet it was the subtle dialogue moments that really worked best for this film. It’s hard for me to believe that this wasn’t my number 1 comedy of the year.
7. Redbelt- I had no idea what to expect going into this movie, and I left recomending it to everyone. Ejiofor is great, as are all the stunts. The story is a little convoluted, but it still works in a Mammet world. The ideas of being a warrior and how that translates into today’s modern word really resonated with me days after watching this film.
6. Iron Man- This was the movie that launched the Marvel Universe on the big screen and changed the way that comic book movies are done. It showed that some of the more ridiculous comic book properties can still work if you put great actors in all the roles and get a director who knows what he’s doing. Downey was born to play Stark. The movie is hilarious, quirky, and packed with action. Let’s just overlook those third act problems…
5. Frost/Nixon- I saw the preview for this movie before Burn After Reading (don’t get me started), thought it looked horrible, and got angry at them for using The Fountain score. When it came, I heard good things so I went to see it with my pop, and was absolutely floored by how good it was. It’s interesting, has great performances (another shoutout to Rockwell), and is just good film making. It’s simple, but very very good.
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall- You have no idea how much it hurts me to have this movie as low as 4 on this list, because I love this film. Not only was it the funniest film of the year by far, it also has layered characters that we have a connection with. Segel captures the emotions involved in a break-up so well, that you’re not sure whether to laugh or cry during the first 20 minutes. The dinner table scene is one of my all time favorite comedy pieces. The story is extremely predictable, but it is told in such a way that no one cares.
3. Doubt- This is another film that I saw the trailer for and thought it looked dreadful. I was blown away by how good it was when I finally saw it. I heard it described as “this year’s There Will Be Blood” and I won’t say it’s as good as PTA’s masterpiece, but it elicits alot of those same feelings. Great actors going at each other and getting to watch that is always a treat. Just knock it off with the dutch angles and tell the story.
2. The Wrestler- Oh Darren Arronovsky. I’m back on the bandwagon. You are a genius. This film works on so many levels. The wrestling scenes are gritty and graphic and a pleasure to watch. Rourke is perfect for his role and we truly feel as if we are watching the story of “The Ram”. This movie is both heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. The fact that DA took a profession such as wrestling to make a commentary on life is so random, but it works so well; it’s genius.
1. The Dark Knight- Anyone who saw this film should know why it’s here at the top spot, and if they don’t, nothing I say here will be able to convince them. I will never be able to describe the feeling I had watching TDK on my first viewing. It restored my faith in movies and I don’t know if it will ever be knocked off the top of my favorite movies list. Spinal Tap said it best, so I’ll leave it to them. On a scale of 1-10, this movie goes to 11 (or maybe 1,011)
No comments:
Post a Comment