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The Year in Movies: 2005

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With awards season upon us, I thought I should give you my top ten movies of the year. Just for statistical purposes, I went to the cinema 60 times and saw 42 different films. The complete list of what movies I saw is available if anyone’s interested. I’m only including films eligible for this years Oscars in my top 10 list, since some of the movies I saw in 2005 already got their awards, and some of the movies I’ve seen in 2006 are still eligible, so, that being said, here’s the list (it should be noted that I have yet to see Munich, and that I don’t go see slasher movies or sophomoric comedies).

First, the honorable mentions, films that were good but did not make my top 10 (in no particular order):
King Kong
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Brokeback Mountain
The Producers
Sin City
Kingdom of Heaven
Batman Begins
Memoirs of a Geisha

And now for the top 10:

10) The Constant Gardener
– Though most people never saw this film, they should have. A story about one man’s quest to find out why his wife was killed and to get justice, not vengeance. Ralph Fiennes is a truly special actor, and one of the best in the business. Rachel Weisz is captivating as well. A small piece with big messages and a well told story.

9) March of the Penguins
– Most people know I’m biased towards penguins, and now they can see why. There is nothing cuter than a baby penguin. In addition to the warm and fuzzy feeling of the penguins, this movie tells a story of struggles and hardships undergone just to have one chick. Deeply moving, funny, and totally cute.

8) Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit
– Funniest movie of the year by far, and it can even bring a tear to your eye (if you cry at the drop of a hat, like me). Great sight gags, witty dialogue, and a wonderful story, this had it all. Any worries about the transition from short to long films were put at ease. If this film doesn’t win the best animated picture Oscar, then something is very wrong.

7) Rent
– I had never seen the show, though I had an opportunity to that didn’t work out, and I was truly amazed. This film has many messages to send about gay rights, AIDS, art, love, music, film, dance, anarchy, and so many other potent topics. The music is phenomenal, basically a string of show-stoppers. It’s easy to see why the play was such a success. Most of the original cast of the show was used for the film, which was wonderfully directed by Chris Columbus (of Harry Potter fame). The best musical since Chicago and one that will set the standard for years to come.

6) War of the Worlds
– Spielberg is a genius. This tense thriller has aspects of Jaws, Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan all in one. Despite Tom Cruise’s best attempts to draw attention to himself, he is still a great actor, and Dakota Fanning is amazing as well. The scariest movie I saw this year, and it will haunt you for a long time after. Some of the greatest effects as well. I will see every Spielberg movie until he stops making them.

The top 5:

5) Cinderella Man
– Boxing has always been inherently dramatic, at least on film. This is no exception. Russell Crowe dominates the film, and Renee Zellweger continues to show why she is so sought after. Paul Giamatti is excellent as well. True story movies either float or sink, there’s no in between. This year was a great one for truth in the theater, as 3 of my top 5 were based on true stories.

4) Walk the Line
– Joaquin Phoenix and Reece Witherspoon bring so much feeling to this film as Johnny and June, and not enough can be said about their performances. They did their own singing (something Jamie Foxx didn’t do) and sound remarkable. And the marriage proposal scene at the end is one of the best marriage proposals on film, ever. Truly a film not to be missed.

3) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
– Should a Harry Potter movie actually be considered one of the best films of the year? Absolutely. Scary, emotional, gripping, exciting, sad, funny, romantic… this film was everything. A huge step up from the other 3 HP films, this one upped the ante for the next 3 to come. The PG-13 rating helped Mike Newell add some weight to the film that he couldn’t have under a PG rating. The 3 leads are spectacular, and they have truly defined their characters in ways Rowling probably could not have imagined.

2) Good Night and Good Luck
– Basically a snapshot of a moment in time, this tells the story of Edward R. Murrow’s historic “battle” with Senator Joseph McCarthy. George Clooney directed, co-starred and co-wrote this film, and his ability is surprising. A short, calm, simple movie about a big turning point for television and politics. Everyone should see this film (don’t be afraid of it being in black and white).

1) Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
– Just for the record, I saw this 9 times in the theater, and for good reason. I know people think I’m biased and silly for picking this my #1, but it deserves it. In addition to being the most powerful film and powerful story of the year, it was one of the most well put together productions I’ve ever seen. It was practically flawless. Much has been said about the acting, but I’ll say this, it works. You may find Anakin annoying, but the character is played exactly as it should be. Ian McDiarmid is outstanding as Emperor Palpatine, and Ewan McGregor is perfect as Obi-Wan. Spectacular fights, spellbinding effects (the opening shot, over a minute long, is almost a ballet between starfighters), believable acting, magnificent direction, heart-wrenching emotion, beautiful sets, costumes and music, and the greatest story all make this #1. The Star Wars saga is one of the greatest stories ever told throughout human history, and no story has ever been told in as grand a fashion as this. George Lucas is a storyteller, not a writer, not a director. He sees everything (as all storytellers do) and can communicate it to us easily, no matter how complex or confusing. The symbols, the archetypes, the motifs… it’s a masterpiece, and it will take its place as the link that forms this amazing story. It will live on forever.

Lost and Survivor, it’s been a while

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Well, loyal reader, it’s been quite a while since I last updated this journal. One season of Survivor has ended and another is about to begin, and Smokey the monster made its first appearance on Lost. So here are my thoughts.

Survivor: Well, Danni won, and I’m glad. I always like to root for the underdog (GO PANTHERS!!!), and she definitely qualified, she outlasted all the others from her tribe who came into the merge, and she won the right immunities at the right times. And she didn’t stab anyone in the back. I do have to say, however, that Rafe was an idiot for letting her out of her promise to take him with her to the final 2. But oh well. I have to say that the gimmick for the new survivor “Exile Island” does not really do anything for me. I mean, it might be neat, I’ll just have to wait and see.

LOST: Much more to talk about here, though I’ll keep it brief. I like the addition of the tailies (the survivors from the tail section), I think they’re all interesting and that a great bond can be formed between the new characters and the old. We finally got to see the big monster, which it turns out is not a dinosaur but in fact an sentient tentacle/cloud of black smoke (the Abyss, anyone?). It has stared down Locke and Eko once each, and left both alone to continue their lives. It does seem to support the Purgatory theory of Lost, in that it judges those who should remain or those who should move on. However, I’m puzzled as to why it grabbed Locke a while back and tried to pull him down the rabbit hole. I guess we’ll get some answers eventually. We also found out that Jack’s wife/former patient left him for another man, and that he “always needs something to fix” (there’s a great oversimplified character summary). Oh, and we got to have a nice little chat with the Others. The scruffy guy, Zeke, is pretty creepy… (in the credits he’s listed as being named Mr. Friendly, though I don’t know how we know the name Zeke or the name Mr. Friendly). They warned Jack et al. to stay off their turf. They made the analogy that you don’t go to someone’s house for the first time and kick off your shoes and put your feet on the table, but also, if someone comes to visit your house, you don’t steal their children and shoot them, so I think that was a crappy metaphor. I hope Michael gets Walt back eventually, and that Sawyer gets to meet up with Zeke again. And I hope that Locke figures out the mystery, and that Jack gets some faith, and that Charlie and Claire get back together, and that Sun and Jin stay together, and that Sawyer and Kate get together, and that Jack and Ana Lucia get together, and that peace and harmony will live forever on the island/experiment/purgatory/planet/place. But I don’t think that’ll happen, and I can’t wait to see what does.

Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit

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Wow, so I apologize for the last review, I promise to keep this one shorter.
If you are not familiar with the series of Wallace and Gromit short films, SHAME ON YOU! You should immediately rush out to wherever you can find these films and watch them.
Wallace and Gromit are two delightfully-British claymation characters. Wallace is an inventor, and takes the term absent-minded to a whole new level. He has an obsession with cheese (don’t we all), and a kind soul. Gromit is his best friend and loyal companion and roommate. He is also a dog who never talks or makes a sound, in fact, he doesn’t even have a mouth. The series of short films about these characters have won 2 Oscars for best animated short film.
In this tale, Wallace and Gromit are running a pest removal service, which humanely removes rabbits from the gardens of their towns citizens. Their services are in high demand due to the upcoming giant vegetable contest. One of their clients is the Lady Tottington, whose suitor, Victor Quartermaine (a play on the adventurer Allen Quartermain, and voiced by none other than Ralph Fiennes), feels that the cute fluffy bunnies should all be shot.
As the contest nears, strange events start happening. It appears that there is a giant Were-Rabbit (like a werewolf… get it?) attacking everyone’s giant vegetables. Who else can stop it but the crazy inventor and his trusty canine?
Hilarity ensues, and the homages to horror movies come faster than you can count. The fun of this movie, however, is not in the silly story, the romance between Wallace and Tottington, nor in the sight gags or the bad puns. The fun of this movie is all in the relationship between the two main characters. Wallace is as clueless as they come. It’s a wonder his contraptions work, considering how spacey he is. It is up to Gromit, as it has always been, to keep him in line. If mute, claymation dogs could win Oscars, then Gromit would have it locked up. His gentle features express more emotion than an living actor could ever squeeze from even the juiciest dialog. As he constantly fixes Wallaces messes, and protects his master, he switches from hilarious eye-rolls, to loving looks of affection and friendship.
It’s no error that the creator’s fingerprints can be seen on the clay figures, especially Gromit. They have marked these characters as their own, and poured all the love they posses into them. This film took 5 long years to make, and, ironically enough, after topping the box office this past weekend, Aardman studios, where this film (and others such as Chicken Run) were made, burned completely to the ground, destroying everything inside. By shear luck, the Wallace and Gromit figures used in the film were not in the building at the time. The entire history of Aardman studios went up in smoke.
This is a film that anyone with a heart will love. And maybe the most sentimental of you will even squeeze out a tear at the end, with a touching scene between two best friends. If you want to smile, laugh, and generally feel warm all over, then you should not pass over this film.
A+

Oliver Twist

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I had been meaning to start writing movie reviews here, but have not had the chance until now.
Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of going to Roanoke to see the Roman Polanski film “Oliver Twist”. It had been nearly a month since I had been able to go to the cinema, and was thrilled to finally be back to one of the things in life that I enjoy the most. “Oliver Twist,” as we all know, is based on a novel of the same name by the great Charles Dickens. It tells the story of a boy with no family, raised in a orphanage where no one wanted him, who sets off to find himself a new life.
Oliver, as is obvious from the very beginning of the story, is different from the other children. He has an innocence that borders on unbelievable. He dares the anger of his keepers by asking for more gruel for supper, and is instantly branded as a troublemaker. He is dished off on the first people who will agree to take the boy, undertakers. He is given the job of following children’s coffins during funerals. He eventually runs away after an encounter with the son of the undertakers, and he sets off to walk to London, many many many miles away.
Oliver arrives in London with nothing, no food, no money, no shoes. He is befriended by a boy slightly older than him who is know as the Artful Dodger. Dodger takes Oliver to his home, where Oliver will be taken care of. And who should take care of him but Fagin, played wonderfully by the great Sir Ben Kingsley. Fagin is a decrepit old man who uses the lost boys of London to steal from the rich folk for his own gain. Fagin keeps the best items in a box under the floorboards, his secret stash. Though he acts like a horrible villain, he truly does care for Oliver and all of the boys. However, unlike most productions of “Oliver Twist,” in the film Fagin is not the warm loving father figure that he is often made out to be. This Fagin is a thief, and a villain, and possibly a pedophile, but certainly not a nice man, but he’s still the closest thing to a father that Oliver has ever known. Sir Kingsley does a remarkable job showing Fagin as what he was written to be; a complex, rich character with deep flaws and vices, but also with good attributes as well. And best of all, Kingsley does not judge his character, which is the sign of a truly great actor.
We all know the story from here, Oliver gets taken in by a wealthy man after the police mistakenly arrest Oliver for stealing. Oliver then truly learns what a home is, and what it is like to be loved. Fagin (and, of course, the evil Bill Sykes) kidnap Oliver away from this new home, in fear that Oliver would turn them in. Oliver is then forced into helping Sykes steal from Oliver’s wealthy adopted father, and Oliver is wounded in the process. Everything goes downhill from there, as those who love Oliver try to protect him, and those who fear him try to kill him.
Several scenes in this version of the story really stood out to me, and all are due to Roman Polanski’s phenomenal direction. Polanski, if you do not know, lives in France at the moment, having fled the US in 1978 after being accused of having sex with a 13 year old girl. His personal vices aside, he is a wonderful filmmaker, and anyone who does not believe that should rent “The Pianist”, for which Polanski won the Oscar for best direction several years ago. He adds his unique touch to several scenes, one of which was probably his own invention, and one of which is one rarely shown in film or on stage when telling this story.
The first scene occurs soon after Oliver runs away towards London. He comes upon a fork in the road (“When you get to a fork in the road… take it!” – Yogi Berra). To his left is a well worn path, used by carriages frequently. To his right is a path covered over by grasses, rarely used. This is an image that confronts each of us in our lives often, and has been the subject of many films/novels/poems. Do we take the path of certainty, or the path of uncertainty. Do we risk getting lost or encountering obstacles to reach our goals, or do we take the easy path and do what is expected of us? I will not tell you what path Oliver chooses, but it is a choice we all face very often.
The other scene that stood out to me occurs at the end. Oliver, reunited with his adopted father figure, decides to go and visit Fagin in prison, where Fagin is being held until his execution. I should mention that Oliver is played by 12 year old Barney Clark. With the exception of this scene, most of the acting required of him is fairly simple; smile here, cry here, look worried here. However this scene is deeply moving and haunting, and Barney plays it perfectly, feeding off of Kingsley’s despair. Oliver tries to console Fagin, who has gone somewhat insane. Fagin, after finally realizing that Oliver is with him, repeatedly asks Oliver to help get him out of prison. He does not want forgiveness for his sins, he does not want help changing his life, he only wants to live. A distraught Oliver falls to his knees and asks Fagin to pray with him, tears streaming down his face, but Fagin is too busy pleading with the guards to care. Oliver is left with no closure to that stage of his life, and must depend on his new father for comfort. It is a deeply moving scene, and one rarely shown. And few directors could pull it off like Polanski.
The film is remarkably well made. It drags in spots, but generally flows well. Kingsley’s acting is top-notch, though most of the other actors are good, but not great. The production design is amazing, as are the sets, the costumes, and the cinematography. Perhaps not the most entertaining film, but certainly an artistic and cinematic achievement.
A-

Late Survivor Update

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Yeah, so sorry it’s been way too long since my last post. The last week or two have been crazy. So yeah here it goes.

LOST: I didn’t get to see Lost last week, because I’m a retard and forgot to tape it… twice… but I read the update and it looked pretty awesome, and I guess I’ll have to wait for a rerun. But it turns out that Desmond ran away, that the “Others” encountered by the raft survivors are actually people from the tail of flight 815, and that they are complete jerks and liars. That’s all I can say about last week since I didn’t see it.

Survivor: Well the shakeup finally happened. I knew it was coming (and not just because the preview said it was). One tribe had been dominating so the producers had to even it up (though it’s still not very even). The reward challenge wasn’t really a challenge after all, but that’s ok, because it was all a setup for the juggling of tribe members. Gary got screwed, though. He’s now on the tribe with the sportswriter lady Danni, who totally called him out on being a former NFL QB. But he made the smart move and stuck with the lie, even though he’s an awful liar. Bobby John and Blake had a disgusting urinating alliance talk, followed by an even more disgusting handshake… ewwww… gimme the jibblies. In the end, poor Stephanie still lost, and perhaps she is cursed. In the end Brooke was voted out. She would not have been if Judd hadn’t been an idiot and flip-flopped on his original tribe. Now no one will be able to trust him, and he’ll still be the first one voted out of his “alliance”. Real smooth.

It Begins Again

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So, it is finally time to get back to writing. My novel has been put off for far too long. I will no longer put my dreams aside for schoolwork or sleep. Feel free to nag me about writing as often as you want, I can use all the encouragement I can get. It feels good just to commit to it again. I’d missed it so much, even though I’m not a great writer, I still love it. I love taking the characters I’ve created and helping them grow and interact. I haven’t created much in this world, and I love the feeling that these characters are truly my own, and no one can claim them from me. I say what happens to them and who they are, and that’s a wonderful feeling. So enough writing here, it’s time to write where it counts.

The Raft and The Challenges

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LOST: Last night’s episode of Lost was another good one. Many people seem to be of the opinion that the episode was a waste, and that it did not progress the story any. This episode was more important for mood than anything else. It allowed for two of the raft explosion survivors, Michael and Sawyer, to connect, and deeper develop their characters. The classic Sawyer moment came when he removed the bullet from his shoulder with only his fingers, without asking for help, as usual, and then he sarcastically asked Michael if he had a Band-Aid before he passed out. However, we’re starting to see a deeper side of Sawyer. He’s no longer the anarchist/rebel who cares for no one. He’s starting to attach himself to those around him, and reveal his inner self, without having to hide it so much. In this episode we also got a glimpse at the function of the computer down the hatch, and its connection to the numbers. It also seems that Desmond has been lied to, in that he thinks everyone on the island is sick, and that he’s probably been injecting himself with that stuff from the previous episode to keep himself healthy (or so he’d been told). Either that or there really is some disease or something on the island. But most of all, the next episode looks to be spectacular. Savage other survivors of the plane crash and a deeper faith exploration into why some find it so hard to believe and others find it so easy. Me, I’m a believer.

Survivor: So tonight’s episode of Survivor was rather short on tribal drama. That was not necessarily a negative for me. Drama at this point in the game is still rather uninteresting, though it will be better later. What I like most about Survivor are the challenges and the struggle for food/water/shelter etc. And as far as challenges go, tonight’s were awesome! The blindfolding challenge that they have every year is always a good one. This one was no exception. I loved seeing Judd whack his teammate in the head twice with a pole, and good planning by the challenge producer to make the ropes connecting the players shorter than the poles they were carrying. The 2nd challenge was one I’d been waiting for since the location for this season was announced. It featured one of the oldest team sports in all civilization, and the sport that greatly influenced basketball. It was so nice to see a challenge come straight from the culture surrounding the survivors. I have to hand it to the producers for making the tribes so even this season. Every challenge has come down to the wire and has been very close. Just when you think one tribe is doomed, they turn it around and win. It’s very exciting, and I can’t wait for next week.

Desmond Arrives and Morgan Leaves

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Well, here is the first of my television ramblings here. I only watch 2 shows on TV every week, and they are Lost and Survivor. (I used to watch Enterprise, until those jerks at UPN canceled it.) I know both shows are not for everybody, but hopefully at least someone out there who reads this watches one of the shows, otherwise I suppose I’ll be talking to myself. So anyways, on with my (brief) ramblings.

Lost: So yesterday was the season premiere of Lost. As you may or may not know, Lost is the best show currently on television, though it’s something you have to commit to in order to get anything out of it. The basic premise is that more than 40 passengers of a jetliner bound from Australia to LA crashed on a mysterious island in the south pacific (assumedly) which is inhabited by a ginormous beast, several polar bears, a crazy French woman who has been stranded for 16 years, the “Others” who like to kidnap people, and, as we found out this week, a Scottish guy named Desmond who lives surrounded by outdated technology (except for his washing machine) dozens of feet down a hatch found in the jungle floor with “Quarantine” marked on the INSIDE of the door. (Wow what a long sentence). Anyways, Desmond has met Jack before apparently, and advised him to “lift it up”, which refers more to his troubles than his injured ankle. And lo and behold, a miracle happened. I really love the direction that the show has taken in that Locke (my favorite) and Jack embody the faith vs. logic battle, and we all know that neither one will be the sole victor. Only a balance of the two ideologies and the two men will allow the survivors to continue surviving, and the mysteries to be slowly solved.

Survivor: So, lazy Morgan was voted off tonight. I think she deserved to go, since she apparently did no work around camp. Lydia, who was one of the options to go, is not as young as Morgan, but is probably no less strong, and is certainly smarter and more determined to work. I also think that ex-QB Gary should have owned up to who he is, since it is obvious he’s been called out on it. He’s only going to make things worse by lying. And it’s also only a matter of time before Jeff Probst brings it up at tribal council, which will happen when the producers think it will be the most entertaining. Ahh yes, reality TV. I don’t watch survivor for the reality, it’s just like a game show. Everything is still controlled, it’s just a tougher game than Hollywood Squares or Wheel of Fortune. But it’s still just a game show. And I love it.

Ok, so I imagine that was pretty painful to read, and if you’re still reading, then thank you, and let me know so I’ll feel better about myself ;). I promise I’m not just going to just this to talk about TV. I, of course, will be writing movie reviews every time I see one. Haha, but really, I’ll also talk about things that are more important. Such as my E-theory test that I have tomorrow that I’m going to start studying for now. So let me know what you think of my meager blogging skills, and I’ll see you soon.

P.S. I’m going to Richmond this weekend for the state fair. My sweetheart is showing a couple cows in the dairy show, so wish her luck and maybe she’ll get another blue ribbon. Plus it’s her 21st birthday on Sunday. So we’ll go ride rides and eat cake and such. Feel free to be jealous of the fun we’ll be having. 🙂

Arr, The Love Pirate Arrives

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Well mateys, I’ve finally done it. I’ve got a Livejournal. So plan on me to update in the next few days, weeks, months, etc. But now I’m going to watch Survivor. I’ll write more later, and maybe someone will read it.