The Lives of Others

What a touching film.

This is was one of those Netflix movies that had been sitting on my t.v. stand for months. I was just never in the mood for a German language film set in the eighties in East Germany. And really - who ever is? I had even started it once, got about 45 minutes in, and fell asleep. High praise, I know.

But trust me, give it a shot. It really is lovely. Admittedly, it has a slow start and our protagonist takes some warming up to. But the plotting is so intricate, the character motivations so complex, it's well worth the watch.

I suspect it was on my Netflix queue in the first place because it won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film a few years back - and it was well deserved.

The story centers on a man in the Stasi, the State Police of East Germany who monitored all the rebellious thinkers back in the day. He's a master interrogator, he can spot a liar from a mile off, and he knows how to catch the guys on the other side. His transformation and the consequences of his choices are a delight to watch unfold.

Honestly, there is a lot of heart in this film despite what you might think in the first hour. If you aren't afraid of subtitles, I highly highly recommend The Lives of Others.

The Social Network (2010)

Best Screenplay of the year. By a long shot.

I've gushed once about how great The Social Network is. But a friend of mine wasn't interested in seeing "The Facebook Movie" so it became priority one for me to prove her wrong.

We saw it in a near empty theatre and the print was scratched. MAN is that annoying. But she enjoyed the film and I felt vindicated.

Since seeing it the first time, I've become well acquainted with the score and I enjoyed listening to it as accompaniment to the film. My friend and I also realized that the little kid from Jurassic Park is in The Social Network - all grown up and nerdish. My friend was like, "Who IS that?" and I was like, "I feel like maybe he used to be a kid..." and then we got it. Weird how people tend to grow up...

I love so much about that movie. How hacking is made to look exciting, how funny the twins are, how awesome it is when Eduardo finally loses his temper. Andrew Garfield is terrific.

This is one movie I whole-heartedly recommend to everyone. I can't wait to own it.

Home Alone (1990)

Christmas requires multiple viewings of Home Alone. Review one is here. I'm sure they'll be at least one more.

This time around, let's contemplate the slapstick nature of the stunts. By my estimation, several of Kevin's little traps would have offed the poor Wet Bandits. Perhaps the most lethal: the various falls down icy stairs and the long swing into a brick wall. Heads slamming into concrete can be messy.

The paint cans to the face could also have been lethal - and if they survived the cans themselves, the subsequent fall down the stairs may have crushed a vertebrae or two. An iron to the face would probably cause at least a concussion and maybe a broken nose. And man, that nail in the foot, while perhaps the least lethal trap would definitely hurt. And bleed. As would the glass christmas ornaments. Die Hard anyone?

Imagine if Home Alone had treated these moments with complete realism rather than cartoon humor. Joe Pesci lies unconscious and bleeding from his skull in the McCallister's front yard when mom gets home the next morning. Daniel Stern leaves bloody footprints all over the house before breaking his back falling down the stairs. Kevin, in shock, doesn't speak for years.

Yeah - that would have been a different movie.

Black Swan (2010)

Wow.

Black Swan is intense.

It stays incredibly close with the protagonist, Nina, fantastically portrayed by Natalie Portman. She deserves all the buzz she's getting. We're with her - tight - the whole time. What she sees (whether it's real or not) we see. What makes her squirm or makes her jump makes us squirm or jump. If she's confused, we're probably confused. It's quite a feat of filmmaking - visually unique and incredibly creepy.

However, while I completely acknowledge the craftsmanship, I was incredibly on edge in an uncomfortable way from beginning to end. I realize that the viewer is supposed to be uncomfortable this way, constantly braced for what's to come, but truthfully, I find it exhausting and not so enjoyable to be so wound up.

I think I might appreciate it more a second time through when the jumpiness is neutralized. I think without the constant fear of surprise, I might better take in the obviously stellar visuals and superb performances.

It's a movie to be seen, for sure. I'm just not so sure it's a movie to be enjoyed by everyone.

Home Alone (1990)

Okay. Here we go. Home Alone - the original of course - is great. Quotable for eternity (Look what you did, you little jerk. / This is my house, I have to defend it. / You guys give up? Or you thirsty for more? / I wouldn't let you sleep in my room if you were growing on my ass. / I'm over here you big horse's ass / Is this toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association?) and well crafted in its complexities, Home Alone is a modern masterpiece.

So you know the storm the night before they leave for France? It's everything. The perfect setup. Fate. It knocks out the power - making them late. Screws up the phone lines - making it impossible to call Kevin. The kid who is miscounted for Kevin (Mitch Murphy is his name) - he's crazy funny (How fast does this thing go? Does it have automatic transmission? Does it have four wheel drive?) His amusing nature makes his slightly contrived existence more than forgivable.  Kevin's fear of the neighbor prevents him from opening the door to the police. The McCallister's calling the neighbor for help (who isn't home because rich people are never home for Christmas) alerts The Wet Bandits to the McCallisters' still being in France. It's just all so perfectly built and logical. Je'adore.

On top of all that stuff - Macaulay Culkin really is fantastic. He was ten (probably actually nine when they filmed) and he carries the entire film. His precociousness, the degree to which he actually understands where the humor, it's very impressive. As his father says near the end, "What a funny guy!"

I think I've made my love of Home Alone pretty clear. It also has a fantastic Christmas soundtrack and, much like It's A Wonderful Life, it makes snow look gorgeous.  If you haven't seen it lately, check it out.

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

We decided to watch It's A Wonderful Life after Thanksgiving dinner because one of the roommates hadn't seen it before.

What can you say about this movie? It's sweet, it's well made, and it conjures nostalgic feelings of Christmas. I think this movie makes snow look better than almost any other movie. There's a kid named Zuzu, a guy who says HeHaw and talking stars.

It's funny - if you said to someone "Tell me what It's A Wonderful Life is about," I bet they'd say it's about a guy who gets to see what the world would be like if he had never been born. But the never been born bit is only the final act of the film. It may just be the film with the most setup on the planet.

Anywho, it's great. And if you don't at least get a knot in your throat, I judge you.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)

Opening night. A theatre full of Potter fans. Second to last time we get to do this dance. I'm going to miss it.

I very much enjoyed the movie. It's slow and mournful, beautifully shot and lovely to watch. It is incredibly focused on the three main characters. It was bold to focus so tightly on the trio. But they carried it off wonderfully. And the animation - how gorgeous was that?

Hermione is perfect in this film. I normally don't think she's quite right, but in Deathly Hallows 1, she's spot on. I adored the dance scene. And the Christmas graveyard scene. And poor Dobby. Man. How often to CGI characters make you cry?

I'll have a better grasp of my thoughts upon a second viewing. Check back later!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009)

I think Tom Felton pretty much steals this movie. And, since I haven't given him a ton of credit thus far, Daniel Radcliffe is pretty good in Half Blood Prince as well.

Despite its ending, it's the funniest of the potter films. Between Ron's lovesickness and Harry's drunken ways on Felix Felicis, its got a lot of charm.

I'll also mention that it's the Potter film I've seen the fewest times. So I don't have a TON to say.

Thank God, right?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Order of the Phoenix is my least favorite of the novels. Lots of people love Harry's angsty teenage ways, but I find this character shift forced. I don't believe Harry, the Harry we've known for four "years" now, would behave the way he does is Order. There's no impetus for such a drastic turn into douchehood.

However, Helena Bonham Carter is brilliant as Bellatrix. She's definitely my favorite villain. And I do think the movie improves on the ministry sequence at the end. They cut out the weirder elements (baby heads? flesh sucking brains?) and make it look pretty damn cool.

I'll also mention that The Weasley Twins are my favorite characters and I'm glad their exit is well represented. The score of this film is also one of my favorites.

I wish there had been more Tonks and more flashbacks, but as I keep being reminded, we can't have everything we wish for. That's what the novels are for.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

Goblet of Fire is my favorite. Favorite movie. Favorite book. I want my wedding to look like The Yule Ball. I love almost everything about it. The twins are at the height of their wit, Hermione actually seems to like Harry and Ron again, the champions are all well cast, and the challenge sequences are fun and exciting.

The plot does have the one tiny hiccup of irrelevance. Barty Crouch Jr. could have just shown up as MadEye, thrown Harry a smelly old shoe portkey, and bob's your uncle. No need for the whole Tri-Wizard Tournament thing. Details!

I also love the Quiddich World Cup, the tiff between Harry and Ron, Moaning Myrtle and Neville, Draco as a ferret, and of course the grave yard scene where we get to see Voldemort - full force - for the first time. Harry's parents' appearance at the end gets me every time. And Cedric asking to have his body brought back - sigh.

I could gush forever about Goblet. I have nothing bad to say about it. It's magical.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Prisoner of Azkaban takes the top spot on lots HP lists for both the film and the book. However, I have one major issue with it.

The time travel is wrong. I am a stickler for time travel rules. There's a way in which to do it, and a way in which human's have no choice and paradoxical world ending implications are prevalent. You cant have the things that happen after the characters go back in time happen the first time 'round. That's just wrong. What if they didn't do it the second time? What would happen then? It has to be that when you go back in time, you rewrite the subsequent future. Not just live it from a different perspective.

Whatever. This is a point I've made many times to many people and, for the most part, they don't care. But it's my biggest problem with Prisoner. That, and I think they upped Hermione's snob quotient so high, she's completely unlikeable and nothing like Hermione. "RONALD!"

Sirius is fantastic though - and Gary Oldman is fantastic at making him fantastic. Lupin too. And David Thewlis too. Neither of them get enough play in the later films.

It also has the best ending. And it's the last one that isn't terribly depressing. It's one of the better Harry Potter "films" but it's not one of my personal faves.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Chamber of Secrets. Well, when it came out, I thought it was considerably more exciting than the first. These days, I can take it or leave it.

I enjoy Kenneth Branagh. It's a funny role for a guy who has made a career being pretty much as pretentious as possible. And in retrospect, with an eye toward Horcrux lore, it lays some interesting groundwork. I also like Christian Coulson as Tom Riddle. I wish they would have used him in Half Blood Prince. But my general feelings toward Chamber of Secrets are quite lukewarm.

In fact, I think in the Harry Potter film franchise, this one is weakest. It's a long, winding story and the trio runs into a lot of dead ends. Aragog is a dead end. The Polyjuice Potion is a dead end. Dobby randomly tries to kill or maim Harry a few times but to no real end.

Three is a big step up. Can't wait to talk about that one!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

I remember how crazily excited I was when Sorcerer's Stone was first coming out. I was sixteen, I guess. I went with my best friend and her entire family. And, if I remember correctly, I was a bit disappointed. Something about the film seemed slow to me. For such a quick read, the movie lagged.

Now, after six years of education related to film production and screenwriting, I can say it was the expositional nature of the film that bothered sixteen year old me.

These days, I enjoy the film. As a matter of fact, I enjoy it a great deal. I think it's mostly a nostalgia thing. I would never argue it's the best made Harry Potter film, or the most exciting. But the kids are so young, the story is so soft and magical, and Richard Harris is there.

I can probably thank ABC Family for this, but the first two movies feel like Halloween to me. The third and fourth feel like Christmas. And five and six are decisively summer. I look forward to attaching seasonal significance to seven when it arrives.

You Can Count On Me (2000)

You Can Count of Me is one of my favorite movies. It also contains my hands down favorite Mark Ruffalo performance.

It's a story about a brother and sister who have grown into very different people from the same tragic upbringing. The Oscar nominated screenplay is by playwright Kenneth Lonergan. His writing meshes seamlessly with the performances delivered by Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney. The characters are incredibly well defined and real. There are amazing contrasts drawn between them, but the similarities are there too. Beyond all their clashes and irritations with one another, their love, their sense of family is nearly palpable.

The story is simple and straight forward. The chemistry between Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linny is fantastic. This also happens to be Rory Caulkin's first real role and his scenes with Mark Ruffalo are pitch perfect and touching.

I really can't say enough great things about You Can Count On Me. I highly recommend it.

13 Going on 30 (2004)

I have a soft spot in my heart for 13 Going on 30. Romantic Comedy is probably my least favorite genre. Very rarely am I charmed by the things that others find charming in Rom Coms. For example, I do not enjoy When Harry Met Sally. I feel like a more fitting title would be "Billy Crystal Does Stand Up Routines for a Cute Blonde."

But 13 Going on 30 is just so damn sweet. And Mark Ruffalo is one of my favorites. It has a clever little plot and plays the kid-in-adult-body scenario differently than Big. It's actually a fast forward rather than a kid transforming into an adult. I also find Jennifer Garner completely charming. The scene where she hits on a twelve year old makes me laugh every time. As does the scene where her hockey player boyfriend does his little strip-tease. Judy Greer is great in her old familiar role as the BFF. And I can't help but be amused by Mark Ruffalo's attempts at the Thriller dance.

The one thing I really don't like is how silly her magazine redesign is. She redesigns what's supposed to be a Cosmo type magazine into Teen. No one would be pleased. Alas.

It's not a ground breaking movie. It's not a cinematic masterpiece. But personally, I find it entertaining and adorable. And it's one of only three rom-coms that I own.

Kick Ass (2010)

Kick-Ass was kick ass. I bet I'm the first one to make that little quip.

Hit-Girl, seen above, might be the most awesome character ever created. Who wouldn't want to watch an eleven year old girl kick major ass? 

Aaron Johnson, who is just the sort of fellow I adore, has pretty much the best hair on the planet. It's Groffien.  I mean, yes, they amped up the nerd effect for authenticity, but focus on the tresses. 

I know, this is a pic heavy post. But Kick-Ass is very visual, so I think it's fitting. This is not a kids movie. It's not really even a comic book movie (which is sort of what I was expecting). It's a dark comedy of sorts with lots of killing and gore. Occasionally, the realism is brought into sharp focus. Occasionally, realism is thrown out the window. It's an interesting movie, and undeniably unique. I've watched a few of the hit-girl scenes over and over, they're that entertaining. If you're an adult, check this out. Unless you've read the graphic novel, I can almost guarantee, the flick is not what you think. 

Let the Right One In (2008)

Let the Right One In is fantastic. If you haven't seen it - see it. Seriously. You won't be disappointed. But let me warn you - it's slowish and Swedish, two things most people don't typically love in movies. Nonetheless, it's a great story and Lina Leandersson is so fantastic, I went back and forth from IMDb so I could spell her name right for you. That's how good she is.

I've heard the American remake, Let Me In, is almost identical. I haven't seen it. I have seen the trailers and they make it look like a horror film. I would not call Let the Right One In a horror film. There's no slasher element, no copious amounts of gore. Don't get me wrong, there are some moments of horror and some moments of blood, but if you wanted me to place this in a genre, I would say it's a coming of age tale. Coming of age tales are my fave. And this one is brilliant.

From a plot perspective, it's subtle and seductive. It doesn't explain anything - it makes us watch - and I adore that about this film. It has the most creative ways of revealing the rules of being a vampire that I've ever come across. And it stands up to multiple viewings; always engaging, always entertaining.

I recommend this movie most ardently. It's foreign - don't forget that. It has its foreign sensibilities. But it's worth the languid pace, I promise.

Scream (1996)

Scream is brilliant. Scream 2, Scream 3, and I'm guessing Scream 4 take the meta to heights that are a little ridiculous, but the first one hits the nail on the head. It's funny, it's light, and there is much slashing.

Kevin Williamson of Dawson's Creek fame knows how to make teenagers sound witty and smart and unlike any teenagers actually sound. It's part of his charm. Scream moves at zip-bam speed and if you aren't really listening, you'll miss all the clever quips and horror movie jokes. My fave, of course, is director Wes Craven dressed up as Freddy Kruger (and named Fred the Janitor) as he swabs the floors. My secret belief is that it was really the disgruntled janitor that offed Fonzie.

Back in the day, Scream was also unique in it's early slashing of its biggest star, Drew Barrymore and it's delightfully twisty and humorous reveal that there are two killers. The last ten minutes of Scream are still my favorite and I have to admit, I prefer my serial killers sexy as opposed to grotesque or masked.

Scream is one big meta mocky slasher film of fun and it's very smart. I'll watch it again and again.

I'm Here (2010)

Okay, first off, click here and go watch I'm Here. It's 30 minutes long and I don't think you'll be disappointed. Go ahead... I'll wait.

You back? Great. What did you think? I feel like maybe Spike Jonze sat down and thought, "Hmm. I wonder if I could make two robots feel more human than most humans feel." Isn't it a lovely little film? I feel like it could be analyzed into oblivion. One could discuss: Discrimination against robots. True love. If machines can be programed to love better than humans can. If you can train a machine to be more selfless than a human would. What truly differentiates humans from machines. Maybe machines will take over the world because they learn to love, not because they'll learn to kill us. 

But I like to just smile and think, aww. How sweet.

Plus, who'd ever think Andrew Garfield and Sienna Guillory could act through all that robot-ness. It's mostly voice acting and it's done very well. It's all pretty awesome. And aren't their mouths cool? What a neato effect. Anyway...

It reminded me of The Giving Tree. Ya'll remember that book? It's where the mommy tree gives everything she has to the boy? I'm Here is sweeter than The Giving Tree because the boy in The Giving Tree is a dick. But the similarity is there.

I've always believed the key to a great short is an incredibly simple story told well. A story that makes you smack your forehead and say "Why didn't I think of that?" This is such a story. It's got a beginning, middle, and end and there's a mini-journey along the way. I'm Here is a true delight.

Never Let Me Go (2010)

Never Let Me Go was lovely. I don't want to spoil it - more for those who plan to read the novel. The novel keeps you in the dark longer than the film and that mystery is half the fun of the book.

I enjoyed the novel a great deal, and narratively, the movie stayed fairly close to the source material. Thematically, it strayed quite a bit. The film decided to focus entirely on the love triangle between its three central characters. This was a wise decision. Everyone understands the desire to have time with the person you love. It's in the novel but it IS the film and it changes the characters in subtle ways that allows them to be better understood by the audience. 

Keira Knightly and Andrew Garfield were unbelievably good. Carey Mulligan was also quite good, but hers was an understated performance that did not scream to be noticed the way the others did. The visual style was perfect. The subtlety throughout fantastic. I hate to talk in cryptics, but lots of people have an issue with this film. They don't understand why the characters do not run away. I think it is a valid point considering the movie as a stand alone film. This issue is addressed in the novel, and with an eye toward the answer, you can feel it in the film. But I suspect it's only there for the novel readers. Nonetheless, It's a lovely looking film with fantastic performances. I would recommend reading it first, but I believe it's a film worth seeing either way.