Well we've come to the end of another year and that means it is time for the annual movie reviews. This year I saw 34 films at the cinema which is around average for me.
The good news is that there was a fairly consistent high level of quality with 17 of the 34 films scoring 8/10 or higher with another five scoring 7.5/10.
This year there were some simply outstanding performances, brilliant scripts and a fair bit of innovation, which is great at a time when we are seeing remakes and comic book adaptations running rampant.
So, without further ado here's the top five of 2010.
1. Up In The Air
I flagged this film in the first few months of the year as a contender for the top spot and here it is. Dripping with irony and an outstanding script, Up In The Air sees George Clooney play a man hired by companies to do the dirty work of making people redundant. He lives out of a suitcase and despises the thought of settling down. This film is a great example of what a tight script and no CGI can produce and it was definitely the best film of the year for me.
2. The Hedgehog (le Herrison).
One from leftfield. This French film (yes, you have to read subtitles) is an absolute gem and a stark reminder to us all about not judging a book by its cover. Renee is the concierge of an apartment complex and she is largely ignored by the residents. When a Japanese man moves into the building he treats her with respect and, with a suicidal young girl tagging along, slowly draws her out of the protective shell she has spent her life building. She's described as a Hedgehog - prickly on the outside but refined and classy on the inside. Loved it.
3. Buried
Want to feel really uncomfortable for about 90 minutes? This is the film for you. Starring Ryan Reynolds and no one else this is the story of a man who is kidnapped in the Middle East and buried in a wooden box with only a cell phone and a few minor items in his possession. Again, the script here is outstanding and the performance by Reynolds to hold the film on his own was flawless. It's claustrophobic, disturbing and utterly brilliant.
4. The Social Network
Who would have thought a movie about Facebook could be such a must-see movie. The story of Mark Zuckerberg's creation of the website used by more than 500 million people (including yours truly) is another sharp script, features a kind of chilling performance from Jesse Eisenberg in the lead role and you can't help but notice the irony of the man who brings together millions of people each day. You see, Zuckerberg is portrayed as a somewhat disconnected (socially) young man yet turns the social networking site into a huge success. Compelling, well written, well performed and an all round great film.
5. Inception
I'd say unarguably the most inventive film of the year and one so complex you really need to pay attention. Leonardo Di Caprio is actually very good in this film as a man who uses people's dreams to steal information from them. Stacked with special effects that will blow your mind, Inception certainly requires more than one watch (though I haven't had viewing #2 yet). I have my own opinion on where the ending went and I will keep that to myself. Another must-see.
Honourable mentions: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (best of the series so far), Invictus, Tron Legacy, Animal Kingdom, Scott Pilgrim vs The World and Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1.
Surprise of the year: the Australian musical comedy Bran Nue Dae. If you haven't seen it, grab the DVD, sit back and enjoy one of the feel good movies of the last few years. Great fun. (Runner-up Tron Legacy - so exceeded my expectations and was pretty awesome!).
Flop of the year: Lowest rated movie was Valentine's Day (5.5/10) though I really didn't expect it to be that great so the flop goes to Greenberg.
I really thought Ben Stiller could pull of a semi-serious role but either he was the wrong man for the job or the script just wasn't right. Still not sure there. It's the first time my 'comedians are great at serious movies' theory has failed me.
So there it is. It will be interesting to see what 2011 brings. The end to the Harry Potter series and the first half of what promises to be a very tricky fourth Twilight movie Breaking Dawn. Can't wait to see how they bring it to life.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tron: Legacy
It's the second last day of 2010 but we've certainly got a contender for surprise of the year in Tron: Legacy .
The focus is on Sam Flynn (a stunning Garrett Hedlund), the son of Kevin Flynn who when Sam was a kid was one of the world's foremost video game innovators.
Flynn (Jeff Bridges) disappeared, assumed dead, and Sam was left to grow up without a father and left wondering what happened. He also inherited his father's company and enjoys playing pranks on the board of directors at unfortunate times.
He is encouraged by his father's friend to check out a message coming from Flynn's Arcade and finds himself transported into the world known as The Grid.
When he is reunited with his father not everything is as it seems and The Grid seems in the midst of anarchy.
Father and son, along with a mysterious 'miracle' being Quorra (Olivia Wilde) set out to restore order to the grid and return to our world.
It's a visually stunning film, one that rarely lets up and continues to raise the bar. Significantly, the effects don't overpower the movie. While some of the dialogue is a bit on the 'what the..' side, it's not so corny that you lose interest.
While there are some well known names in the cast, including Jeff Bridges, Michael Sheen (who was outrageous as the deceptive Zuse and a cameo from Cillian Murphy, the star of the movie is Garrett Hedlund. I must admit I wondered who he was, I have seen Friday Night Lights but he didn't stand out there, but he definitely carried Tron well and really commanded my attention.
That's a great sign from the lead actor/character.
As I said, this is a very surprising movie. While I don't think 3D really brought it jumping off the screen it did add a bit to the race/fight scenes on The Grid.
The focus is on Sam Flynn (a stunning Garrett Hedlund), the son of Kevin Flynn who when Sam was a kid was one of the world's foremost video game innovators.
Flynn (Jeff Bridges) disappeared, assumed dead, and Sam was left to grow up without a father and left wondering what happened. He also inherited his father's company and enjoys playing pranks on the board of directors at unfortunate times.
He is encouraged by his father's friend to check out a message coming from Flynn's Arcade and finds himself transported into the world known as The Grid.
When he is reunited with his father not everything is as it seems and The Grid seems in the midst of anarchy.
Father and son, along with a mysterious 'miracle' being Quorra (Olivia Wilde) set out to restore order to the grid and return to our world.
It's a visually stunning film, one that rarely lets up and continues to raise the bar. Significantly, the effects don't overpower the movie. While some of the dialogue is a bit on the 'what the..' side, it's not so corny that you lose interest.
While there are some well known names in the cast, including Jeff Bridges, Michael Sheen (who was outrageous as the deceptive Zuse and a cameo from Cillian Murphy, the star of the movie is Garrett Hedlund. I must admit I wondered who he was, I have seen Friday Night Lights but he didn't stand out there, but he definitely carried Tron well and really commanded my attention.
That's a great sign from the lead actor/character.
As I said, this is a very surprising movie. While I don't think 3D really brought it jumping off the screen it did add a bit to the race/fight scenes on The Grid.
An enjoyable cinema experience with characters that are engaging and effects that are dazzling. A solid and surprising 8 out of 10.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Minor league wars
It has been an interesting 'holiday' period.
When I arrived up home I chipped away an old filling and was left with an uncomfortable hole in a tooth which required some work.
I was told I'd have no chance of getting a dentist's appointment at such short notice but, luckily, managed to get one 24 hours after I called up to inquire.
So one crisis averted.
After dealing with a nine-year-old nephew with a big case of the 'I want this's' while shopping (so not used to that), Christmas rolled around and I somehow managed to do a minor back injury.
It was just a recurrence of an old injury but was still pretty untimely. So I spent a fair chunk of Christmas Day in a bit of discomfort and laid up on the couch. Having a bunch of under 9s running around at lunch didn't help, but I suppose we weren't any different when we were that age.
With a couple of public holidays in the way I have to wait to get the back looked at by a physio. Fortunately it isn't too bad, and not as restrictive as it could be.
However, I have managed to catch up a bit on episodes of Dexter, what an awesome show, and Chuck.
I wonder what the New Year will bring?
When I arrived up home I chipped away an old filling and was left with an uncomfortable hole in a tooth which required some work.
I was told I'd have no chance of getting a dentist's appointment at such short notice but, luckily, managed to get one 24 hours after I called up to inquire.
So one crisis averted.
After dealing with a nine-year-old nephew with a big case of the 'I want this's' while shopping (so not used to that), Christmas rolled around and I somehow managed to do a minor back injury.
It was just a recurrence of an old injury but was still pretty untimely. So I spent a fair chunk of Christmas Day in a bit of discomfort and laid up on the couch. Having a bunch of under 9s running around at lunch didn't help, but I suppose we weren't any different when we were that age.
With a couple of public holidays in the way I have to wait to get the back looked at by a physio. Fortunately it isn't too bad, and not as restrictive as it could be.
However, I have managed to catch up a bit on episodes of Dexter, what an awesome show, and Chuck.
I wonder what the New Year will bring?
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Signals
I've had Signals, the debut solo album by Travis Caudle for a while and it continues to grow on me.
On first listen a few tracks stood out but having now had it on good rotation in my car this weekend I've started to get right into it.
Travis is the lead singer of WA band The Woodenelves, a band I discovered by chance a few years ago and that produced a stunning album called Trips Between Worlds.
Signals isn't quite as instantly listenable but it's a bit like hearing familiar songs and having pleasant memories of them. One thing that stands out is his voice. It stood out on the Woodenelves' album as well but Travis has stripped things back a little on most of the songs on Signals and his voice resonates.
On first listen a few tracks stood out but having now had it on good rotation in my car this weekend I've started to get right into it.
Travis is the lead singer of WA band The Woodenelves, a band I discovered by chance a few years ago and that produced a stunning album called Trips Between Worlds.
Signals isn't quite as instantly listenable but it's a bit like hearing familiar songs and having pleasant memories of them. One thing that stands out is his voice. It stood out on the Woodenelves' album as well but Travis has stripped things back a little on most of the songs on Signals and his voice resonates.
Unlike a lot of throwaway pop that is around these days, Signals is a positive yet reflective journey about life.
Take the title track for example. The following is a quote from his website regarding the song and some lyrics.
''The title track, Signals, is all about getting to a point where you get rid of all the things which don’t work in your life, understanding that by giving away some of your security you actually gain freedom.''
''It’s just something you feel, A point you reach somehow
You’ve gotta take the life you have now and throw it all away
To reinvent the wheel, send a signal somehow.
You gotta take the life you have now and throw it all away.''
''The title track, Signals, is all about getting to a point where you get rid of all the things which don’t work in your life, understanding that by giving away some of your security you actually gain freedom.''
''It’s just something you feel, A point you reach somehow
You’ve gotta take the life you have now and throw it all away
To reinvent the wheel, send a signal somehow.
You gotta take the life you have now and throw it all away.''
The first time I listened to Signals, the overall album, I put eight of the 12 songs straight onto my ipod. That's a pretty good indication of that familiarity the album has. And they have continued to grow on me. Away from the title track I very much like Out Of Your Depth and the last song, Rise.
Travis Caudle is an artist that there's a fair chance you haven't heard of before. It's a shame if that's the case. From the Woodenelves songs, which still get a lot of airplay at my place, to this lyrically fantastic and musically subtle solo effort, Travis has given me plenty of hours of entertainment. Well worth it, too.
Travis Caudle is an artist that there's a fair chance you haven't heard of before. It's a shame if that's the case. From the Woodenelves songs, which still get a lot of airplay at my place, to this lyrically fantastic and musically subtle solo effort, Travis has given me plenty of hours of entertainment. Well worth it, too.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Your wonderful life
If you want a bit of perspective, spend two hours watching It's A Wonderful Life.
Go away and think about all the people in your life and how you would be affected if just one of them were never there.
I don't think there is any doubt you'd be in a different place in some aspect of your life.
This is something we never consider.
For example, I've lived with the same friend for over seven years.
We met about 11 years ago. This person has been a source of great support in difficult times, has pushed me when I needed pushing and regardless off how we see it our lives have been intertwined in a way for much of that time. That just happens when you share a living space.
How different would my life be if we never met?
To be honest I hate to consider it. I don't see how I would be better off under the same set of circumstances.
And it's not the big things that are significant, it's the small decisions where you put other people in front of your own needs, hopes and dreams.
I'm guilty of not remembering that I have a wonderful life. Look around and appreciate everyone who chooses to be a part of your life - they are there for a reason.
Go away and think about all the people in your life and how you would be affected if just one of them were never there.
I don't think there is any doubt you'd be in a different place in some aspect of your life.
This is something we never consider.
For example, I've lived with the same friend for over seven years.
We met about 11 years ago. This person has been a source of great support in difficult times, has pushed me when I needed pushing and regardless off how we see it our lives have been intertwined in a way for much of that time. That just happens when you share a living space.
How different would my life be if we never met?
To be honest I hate to consider it. I don't see how I would be better off under the same set of circumstances.
And it's not the big things that are significant, it's the small decisions where you put other people in front of your own needs, hopes and dreams.
I'm guilty of not remembering that I have a wonderful life. Look around and appreciate everyone who chooses to be a part of your life - they are there for a reason.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader
Going into the third Narnia movie, The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader I didn't really know what to expect because I didn't read this book when I was younger. From memory I stopped at Prince Caspian, if I got to the end of it at all.
I wasn't much of a reader then.
So with the knowledge that, at the end of Prince Caspian, Peter and Susan can no longer visit Narnia it is no surprise that we pick up with Edmund and Lucy.
They are staying at their aunt and uncle's house while their siblings are in America. To make things worse they are forced to endure their cousin Eustace (Will Poulter) who is pretty much a spoilt brat.
I wasn't much of a reader then.
So with the knowledge that, at the end of Prince Caspian, Peter and Susan can no longer visit Narnia it is no surprise that we pick up with Edmund and Lucy.
They are staying at their aunt and uncle's house while their siblings are in America. To make things worse they are forced to endure their cousin Eustace (Will Poulter) who is pretty much a spoilt brat.
The trio are transported to Narnia through a painting of a boat that Lucy remarks looks a lot like a Narnian boat. Bingo!
They are picked up by Caspian, now King of Narnia, and his crew on board the Dawn Treader and in search of the seven swords that can rid Narnia of an evil presence.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by Dawn Treader, especially given the solid pannings it had received from movie reviewers who were obviously caught up in the first film, which holds plenty of childhood good memories, but less fussed on the subsequent book-to-film transfers.
There's plenty of CS Lewis's take home message in here - made very clear by Aslan late in the film - but there are also important lessons to be reminded of throughout.
This film doesn't have the mystique of the Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe but none of the Narnia stories will.
They are picked up by Caspian, now King of Narnia, and his crew on board the Dawn Treader and in search of the seven swords that can rid Narnia of an evil presence.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by Dawn Treader, especially given the solid pannings it had received from movie reviewers who were obviously caught up in the first film, which holds plenty of childhood good memories, but less fussed on the subsequent book-to-film transfers.
There's plenty of CS Lewis's take home message in here - made very clear by Aslan late in the film - but there are also important lessons to be reminded of throughout.
This film doesn't have the mystique of the Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe but none of the Narnia stories will.
The surprise packet was Eustace. You just wanted to give the ungrateful punk a slap around for most of the time. But, in true Narnia style, he grows. Think Edmund in the first one but not in an evil way.
Overall I enjoyed Dawn Treader, it had some light moments and enough action to keep you going. It will be interesting to see how they go with The Silver Chair. A 7.5 out of 10.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Standing and falling
We all have our ups and downs.
At the moment things seem to be on the up. I've just had an awesome weekend away, got to experience a few things I haven't done before (you know, how 'the other half' live) and hanging out with a great bunch of people I don't see often because of geography.
Now we're back to reality.
I've wondered quite a bit whether I'd like to live somewhere else, in a new city, and break away from what I've become used to.
And with Sydney I think it is a place you either relish or tolerate. Don't get me wrong, there are some great things about Sydney. But it's not exactly an easy place to live.
Perhaps that is the same of all metropolitan centres, I don't really know.
Maybe all this is just the hangover from an enjoyable time away in a place I find relaxing (somewhat) and certainly a nice change.
Sometimes there is still the sense of falling. Not so much literally, it's more like falling over as opposed to falling down.
Does everyone get that way from time to time? In a sense I'd like to think so. But I don't know how comforting that is because everyone's troubles aren't the same.
When I fall it tends to consume everything. Like I'm being sucked into a black hole that spits me back out periodically. The challenge is to stay out for as long as possible.
The even bigger challenge is to stay out indefinitely.
I'm not always good at picking myself up when I have fallen. I don't always let on that I have fallen. Maybe it's a guy thing, that you want to take care of everything yourself.
Maybe it is simply that I look in the wrong places or take the wrong approach to seeking help in those times.
Like I said, I'm standing now. I feel good. And it is okay to feel good.
As silly as it sounds.
Let the healing continue.
At the moment things seem to be on the up. I've just had an awesome weekend away, got to experience a few things I haven't done before (you know, how 'the other half' live) and hanging out with a great bunch of people I don't see often because of geography.
Now we're back to reality.
I've wondered quite a bit whether I'd like to live somewhere else, in a new city, and break away from what I've become used to.
And with Sydney I think it is a place you either relish or tolerate. Don't get me wrong, there are some great things about Sydney. But it's not exactly an easy place to live.
Perhaps that is the same of all metropolitan centres, I don't really know.
Maybe all this is just the hangover from an enjoyable time away in a place I find relaxing (somewhat) and certainly a nice change.
Sometimes there is still the sense of falling. Not so much literally, it's more like falling over as opposed to falling down.
Does everyone get that way from time to time? In a sense I'd like to think so. But I don't know how comforting that is because everyone's troubles aren't the same.
When I fall it tends to consume everything. Like I'm being sucked into a black hole that spits me back out periodically. The challenge is to stay out for as long as possible.
The even bigger challenge is to stay out indefinitely.
I'm not always good at picking myself up when I have fallen. I don't always let on that I have fallen. Maybe it's a guy thing, that you want to take care of everything yourself.
Maybe it is simply that I look in the wrong places or take the wrong approach to seeking help in those times.
Like I said, I'm standing now. I feel good. And it is okay to feel good.
As silly as it sounds.
Let the healing continue.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
About to reboot
After a bit of thinking about my blog and my lack of contribution aside from movie reviews, I've decided to put a bit more effort in.
Stand by....
Stand by....
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