CMFH Massive Missives

Festival of Native Film and Culture 2010

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:27:41 -0800

Oh yes, Oscars -- The Hurt Locker, Sandra Bullock, Avatar, yadda yadda. But what about great indigenous film? Where to go for that, you ask? Why, the Festival of Native Film and Culture 2010 in Palm Springs. Check out what the best in native filmmaking have to say about this year's festival.

Oscars 2010

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:10:10 -0800

BEST PICTURE Avatar • The Blind Side • District 9 • An Education • The Hurt Locker • Inglourious Basterds • Precious • A Serious Man • Up • Up in the Air Ten slots. Five more than usual, five more chances to acknowledge wonderful films which deserve recognition, like...Blind Side? District 9? AVATAR?? Save the blockbusters and movies of the week for the MTV Awards. What happened to the clout that goes along with an Oscar nomination? This should be the chance to acknowledge smaller films, artier films -- dare I say, good films! Out of the 274 films eligible, these are the very best? Missed options: Antichrist, Bronson, Cold Souls, Crazy Heart, The Damned United, In the Loop, Julia, The Limits of Control, The Messenger, A Single Man, State of Play, The Stoning of Soraya M., Tetro, Young Victoria Readily admitting I have not seen most of these, I still have to believe they are more deserving than anything Sandra Bullock breathes on. From the films nominated, A Serious Man is excellent, but may be too layered to be broadly appreciated. The Hurt Locker presents an engaging story of war told through the experiences and behaviors of three very different soldiers, and though it is more easily digestible to the general public, it is still thoughtfully done while being neither preachy nor vague. DIRECTING Avatar, James Cameron • The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow • Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino • Precious, Lee Daniels • Up in the Air, Jason Reitman What, exactly, is Mr. Cameron directing? Good acting should reflect good direction, and Avatar does not lend itself to that scenario. The other directors have diverse casts to control and meaty performances to help sculpt, but Cameron merely pushes his group through plodding dialogue until the special effects kick in. Up in the Air is a fine film, but how did it become the awards show starlet? It is almost disappointing that Reitman's most straightforward film is his most lauded, as with Tarantino and his very linear, albeit still Tarantino-gruesome, endeavor. Daniels guides a gritty drama that avoids being treacly, but Bigelow delivers subtle performances without showing her political hand. Either would make nice historical stepping stones, as the first black or female Oscar-winning director, respectively, but will have earned the spots in their own right. LEAD ACTOR Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart • George Clooney, Up in the Air • Colin Firth, A Single Man • Morgan Freeman, Invictus • Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker Freeman is undeniable as an acting legend, but alas, phones in this meant-for-awards performance, and his accent slip is showing. Firth's performance is subtle, sincere and beautifully reflective of a life suddenly appreciated. How sad that this film did not receive more accolades. SUPPORTING ACTOR Matt Damon, Invictus • Woody Harrelson, The Messenger • Christopher Plummer, The Last Station • Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones • Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds There is a fine line between milking a comically evil character and delivering a delicious role, and Waltz deserves the broken shelves he must have from all of the awards he has received this year. LEAD ACTRESS Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side • Helen Mirren, The Last Station • Carey Mulligan, An Education • Gabourey Sidibe, Precious • Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia As if Avatar was not already dumbing down the Academy Awards cachet, along comes pouty comic Bullock. And then there's Streep, a standby so often in the wings that even good performances come into question. The Oscar should go to a fresh face, uncontaminated by stale recognition. Sidibe delivers rough naïveté without hesitation, but Mulligan's performance is polished and knowing and she deserves to cap off a good year with this award. SUPPORTING ACTRESS Penélope Cruz, Nine • Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air • Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart • Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air • Mo'Nique, Precious A mixed category full of perfectly fine performances, though the only one displaying range is Mo'Nique. The range may be extreme, from dark abuser to suddenly repentant mother, but the efforts should be acknowledged. Besides, the award has already been engraved. ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY The Hurt Locker, Mark Boal • Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino • The Messenger, Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman • A Serious Man, Joel Coen & Ethan Coen • Up, Bob Peterson & Pete Docter A good group, though the inclusion of Up is questionable. Are they trying to prove they value animated films? When in doubt, the Coens Bros. always warrant recognition for their brilliant wordplay and clever plots. A Serious Man was seriously swept under the rug, despite deserving far more attention. Many were scared off by the Jewish theme, even though that was merely another layer to a wonderfully darkly comic film. ADAPTED SCREENPLAY District 9, Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell • An Education, Nick Hornby • In the Loop, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche • Precious, Geoffrey Fletcher • Up in the Air, Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner What? Films are not always from original sources? Ah, give it to An Education, then. FILM EDITING Avatar, Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua & James Cameron • District 9, Julian Clarke • The Hurt Locker, Bob Murawski & Chris Innis • Inglourious Basterds, Sally Menke • Precious, Joe Klotz Usually Menke makes creative cuts (granted, Tarantino's film often have the same circular structure), but here she goes straight. Precious is cut for a distracted audience, but The Hurt Locker cuts right to the chase. Hand it to Bob & Chris. CINEMATOGRAPHY Avatar, Mauro Fiore • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Bruno Delbonnel • The Hurt Locker, Barry Ackroyd • Inglourious Basterds, Robert Richardson • The White Ribbon, Christian Berger Avatar? AVATAR?? Again, give it to a solid film, The Hurt Locker. ART DIRECTION Avatar • The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus • Nine • Sherlock Holmes • The Young Victoria OK, I think there seems to be some confusion in what Avatar should be nominated for. Putting that aside, the trippy Imaginarium should get some props. COSTUME DESIGN Bright Star • Coco before Chanel • The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus • Nine • The Young Victoria I think Coco has an unfair advantage here. My first instinct is to avoid the period films, though they undoubtedly must sew the most tiny buttons. Eenie, meanie, minie Bright Star. MAKEUP Il Divo • Star Trek • The Young Victoria Hello, Italian political film. Where did you come from? Hmm, aging political figures versus space aliens. Aliens, it is. VISUAL EFFECTS Avatar • District 9 • Star Trek Avatar, this is where you belong!! Have at it! ORIGINAL MUSIC Avatar, James Horner • Fantastic Mr. Fox, Alexandre Desplat • The Hurt Locker, Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders • Sherlock Holmes, Hans Zimmer • Up, Michael Giacchino Horner, Zimmer -- there is little original left in your music. You've had your day; let Desplat catch up. ORIGINAL SONG "Almost There" & "Down in New Orleans", The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman "Loin de Paname", Paris 36, Reinhardt Wagner & Frank Thomas "Take It All", Nine, Maury Yeston "The Weary Kind", Crazy Heart, Ryan Bingham & T Bone Burnett For the love of God, no more Newman. Go for it, T Bone. SOUND EDITING Avatar • The Hurt Locker • Inglourious Basterds • Star Trek • Up SOUND MIXING Avatar • The Hurt Locker • Inglourious Basterds • Star Trek • Transformers 2 The Hurt Locker. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM Ajami (Israel) • El Secreto de Sus Ojos (Argentina) • The Milk of Sorrow (Peru) • Un Prophète (France) • The White Ribbon (Germany) Picking a name from the popularity hat, A Prophet. BEST ANIMATED FILM Coraline • Fantastic Mr. Fox • The Princess and the Frog • The Secret of Kells • Up Something so creatively wonderful about stop-motion animation, and between two great films, Coraline does dark well. BEST DOCUMENTARY Burma VJ • The Cove • Food, Inc • The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers • Which Way Home What, no Anvil? And did Michael Moore insist on the broad category again, or is the academy tired of Mr. Bring Down? Most Dangerous Man is excellent, but people can't stop talking about Food, Inc. BEST ANIMATED SHORT [Watch them here!] *French Roast, Fabrice O. Joubert • *Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty, Nicky Phelan & Darragh O'Connell • The Lady and the Reaper, Javier Recio Gracia • Logorama, Nicolas Schmerkin • A Matter of Loaf and Death, Nick Park BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province, Jon Alpert & Matthew O'Neill • The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner, Daniel Junge & Henry Ansbacher • The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant, Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert • Music by Prudence, Roger Ross Williams & Elinor Burkett • Rabbit à la Berlin, Bartek Konopka & Anna Wydra BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT The Door, Juanita Wilson & James Flynn • Instead of Abracadabra, Patrik Eklund & Mathias Fjellström • *Kavi - Gregg Helvey • *Miracle Fish, Luke Doolan & Drew Bailey • The New Tenants, Joachim Back & Tivi Magnusson Support your short-film filmmakers! 1. Attend the Palm Springs International ShortFest (*selections) 2. Seek out these films and demand them from your theatres! So there you are, the final word on the Oscars for the films of 2009. Here's hoping the Academy gets their act together before they cast their votes! [Oscars live on ABC on March 7, 2010]

Decade of film

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:43:03 -0800

Through the eyes of Sight & Sound, the film world makes sense. The British film mag put together a great list of hits from the past decade, bypassing bigger blockbusters that American mags tend to highlight. *Adaptation, Battle in Heaven, The Beat that My Heart Skipped, The Bourne Ultimatum, Colossal Youth, The Death of Mr Lazarescu, In Praise of Love, The Five Obstructions, The Gleaners and I, Hidden, Inland Empire, In the Mood for Love, Memories of Murder, The Holy Girl, A One and a Two…, Platform, Russian Ark, The Son, Spirited Away, Talk to Her, 10, There Will Be Blood, 35 Shots of Rum, Touching the Void, Tropical Malady, United Red Army, Uzak, Waiting for Happiness, Werckmeister Harmonies, Workingman’s Death.* Compare to Paste's Top 50 (listed below, 1-50): *City of God, Amélie, Almost Famous, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Beau Travail, Lost in Translation, The Son, No Country for Old Men, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Dark Knight, There Will Be Blood, Mulholland Drive, Up, Juno, Half Nelson, Memento, Syndromes and a Century, 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Elephant, In the Loop, Dogville, Traffic, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Pan's Labyrinth, Ghost Dog, Hidden, A History of Violence, Man on Wire, Once, Gosford Park, Ratatouille, Kill Bill, Little Miss Sunshine, Junebug, Millions, Billy Elliot, Donnie Darko, Spirited Away, The Departed, L'Enfant, The Last King of Scotland, In America , Hotel Rwanda, Whale Rider, Iraq in Fragments, Grizzly Man, Flight of the Red Balloon, High Fidelity, The Squid and the Whale.*

Golden Globes 2010

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:01:15 -0800

Wow. Avatar & Sandra Bullock??? That is all I have to say this year.

PSIFF 2010

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:30:09 -0800

Where has the month gone? To the Palm Springs International Film Fest, of course! Mariah Carey's drunken speech, China pulling their films over a Tibetan contender, super secret screenings, a fabulous Aussie film spotlight -- it's been one to remember. Hope everyone's enjoyed the spectacular array of international films & visiting filmmakers. PSIFF never disappoints.

Happy 2010!

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:20:39 -0800

Happy New Years, good people! Let's hope for a year of fabulous films and fresh filmmakers. Check out GreenCine Daily's collection of resolutions from the film world. A taste: "To have no shame: no 'guilty pleasures,' only pleasures; no wish for do-overs, only excitement re: the next opportunity." - David Edelstein, film critic, New York magazine "I solemnly resolve to wage a one-man war on people that text during movies. I don't wave a flashlight around in your face when you go to your church, so don't do it to me, or 44oz of Diet Coke has your name on it." - Dylan Marchetti, president of Variance Films; former THINKFilm director of distribution & marketing "Projects shot on cell phones, projects shot in 4K or film, more organized shoots, more chaotic filmmaking—2010 will be all about embracing the extremes in filmmaking, and working in both fiction and non-fiction is no longer enough..." - PJ Raval, cinematographer (Trouble the Water) and filmmaker (Trinidad) "After reading the new Robert Altman biography I resolve to make sure the next project has cinematic BALLS, even if it scares off the gatekeepers." - Craig Johnson, filmmaker (True Adolescents)

VHS will never die...

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:08:10 -0800

...thanks to the Found Footage Fest. Collecting the worst, er best, in videos that have found homes in thrift stores, they provide a dismally hilarious view of our pre-DVD world. And they're kind enough to share the best of those rare finds from their 2009 savaging. Michael Jackson striptease, painful 80s dating videos, and of course, babes with machine guns.

Film Comment's 150 best films of decade

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:48:27 -0800

Teasing us with a list which will be expanded upon in an upcoming mega-issue, Film Comment polled critics, filmmakers & those in the know for the best films of the Naughts. Director all-stars: 4 films: Claire Denis, Clint Eastwood, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Gus Van Sant, Lars von Trier, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Jia Zhangke 3 films: Arnaud Desplechin, Michael Haneke, Lucrecia Martel, Tsai Ming-liang, Quentin Tarantino 2 films: Lisandro Alonso, P.T. Anderson, Olivier Assayas, James Benning, Pedro Costa, David Cronenberg, Alfonso Cuarón, Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, David Fincher, Jean-Luc Godard, Todd Haynes, Bong Joon-ho, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Spike Lee, Wong Kar Wai, David Lynch, Michael Mann, Alain Resnais, Jacques Rivette, Hong Sang-soo 2009 films: The Headless Woman, The Hurt Locker, Police Adjective, Summer Hours, The White Ribbon, Wild Grass Here's what the cinematic hoi polloi came up with: 1. Mulholland Drive - David Lynch, U.S. 2001 (Wow, #1, eh? I dug it, but have to admit I'm surprised by this ranking.) 2. In the Mood for Love - Wong Kar Wai, Hong Kong 2000 3. Yi Yi - Edward Yang, China 2000 4. Syndromes and a Century - Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand/Austria/France 2006 5. There Will Be Blood - P.T. Anderson, U.S. 2007 6. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu - Cristi Puiu, Romania 2005 7. A History of Violence - David Cronenberg, U.S./Canada 2005 (Come on, this film was a joke by the end.) 8. Tropical Malady - Apichatpong Weerasethakul, France/Thailand/Italy/Germany 2004 9. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - Cristi Mungiu, Romania 2007 (A tough story done right.) 10. The New World - Terrence Malick, U.S. 2005 11. Platform - Jia Zhangke, Hong Kong/Japan/France 2000 12. Zodiac - David Fincher, U.S. 2007 (I never understood why this film was so ignored when it came out; seemed like an intelligent crowd pleaser.) 13. The Intruder - Claire Denis, France 2004 14. The Son - Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, Belgium/France 2002 15. Dogville - Lars von Trier, Denmark/Sweden/France/U.K./Germany/Netherlands 2003 16. Caché - Michael Haneke, France/Austria/Germany/Italy 2005 17. Kings and Queen - Arnaud Desplechin, France 2005 18. Elephant - Gus Van Sant, U.S. 2003 (Such a lovely film, so nice to see it on top.) 19. The Royal Tenenbaums - Wes Anderson, U.S. 2001 (Great to see this quirky mess in here, despite the Wes haters.) 20. Before Sunset - Richard Linklater, U.S. 2004 (Ugh, awful to see this sappy mess - how trite.) 21. Spirited Away - Hayao Miyazaki, Japan 2001 (What a great example of what an animated film can be, without the distraction of being the latest in flashy technology.) 22. The Gleaners and I - Agnès Varda, France 2000 23. Goodbye, Dragon Inn - Tsai Ming-liang, Taiwan 2003 24. The World - Jia Zhangke, China/Japan/France 2004 25. Talk to Her - Pedro Almodóvar, Spain 2002 (Always love seeing Pedro on the charts, but what about Volver or Bad Education?) 26. Inland Empire - David Lynch, U.S./France/Poland 2006 (It's the bunnies; they'll get you on the list every time.) 27. Still Life - Jia Zhangke, China/Hong Kong 2006 28. Colossal Youth - Pedro Costa, France/Portugal/Switzerland 2006 29. Russian Ark - Alexander Sokurov, Russia/Germany 2002 30. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence - Steven Spielberg, U.S. 2001 (Really? OK.) 31. In Praise of Love - Jean-Luc Godard, France/Switzerland 2001 32. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Michel Gondry, U.S. 2004 (Ah, Michel, I do love your crazy low-budget style.) 33. No Country for Old Men - Joel & Ethan Coen, U.S. 2007 (It's big, it's dark, it's beautiful.) 34. Werckmeister Harmonies - Béla Tarr, Hungary/Italy/Germany/France 2000 35. Grizzly Man - Werner Herzog, U.S./Canada 2005 36. Three Times - Hou Hsiao-hsien, Taiwan 2005 37. Café Lumière - Hou Hsiao-hsien, Japan/Taiwan 2003 38. Regular Lovers - Philippe Garrel, France 2005 39. Blissfully Yours - Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand/France 2002 40. I'm Not There - Todd Haynes, U.S./Germany 2007 (So many lives crammed into one good film.) 41. 2046 - Wong Kar Wai, China/Hong Kong/France 2005 42. In Vanda's Room - Pedro Costa, Portugal/Germany/Switzerland 2000 43. Los Angeles Plays Itself - Thom Andersen, U.S. 2003 44. Millennium Mambo - Hou Hsiao-hsien, France/U.S./Spain/Greece 2001 45. La Commune (Paris, 1871) - Peter Watkins, France 2000 46. The Hurt Locker - Kathryn Bigelow, U.S. 2009 (A war movie done right - thoughtfully.) 47. Million Dollar Baby - Clint Eastwood, U.S. 2004 (Major Clint love on this list. Nice films, but certainly not the best films.) 48. What Time Is It There? - Tsai Ming-liang, Taiwan/France 2001 49. demonlover - Olivier Assayas, France 2002 50. The Headless Woman - Lucrecia Martel, Argentina/Spain/France/Italy 2009 51. La Captive - Chantal Akerman, France/Belgium 2000 52. Esther Kahn - Arnaud Desplechin, France/U.K. 2000 53. Notre musique - Jean-Luc Godard, France/Switzerland 2004 54. Distant - Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey 2002 55. Saraband - Ingmar Bergman, Sweden 2003 56. The Holy Girl - Lucrecia Martel, Argentina/Italy/Netherlands/Spain 2004 57. Y Tu Mamá También - Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico 2001 (Before Cuarón went all Hollywood) 58. Brokeback Mountain - Ang Lee, U.S. 2005 (A quiet, thoughtful moment captured.) 59. Children of Men - Alfonso Cuarón, Japan/U.K./U.S. 2006 (Cuarón goes all Hollywood, recycles doom.) 60. Ten - Abbas Kiarostami, France/Iran/U.S. 2002 61. Silent Light - Carlos Reygadas, Mexico/France/Netherlands 2007 62. La ciénaga (The Swamp) - Lucrecia Martel, Argentina/Spain 2001 63. L'Enfant - Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, Belgium/France 2005 64. Star Spangled to Death - Ken Jacobs, U.S. 2004 65. Flight of the Red Balloon - Hou Hsiao-hsien, Taiwan/France 2008 66. RR - James Benning, U.S. 2007 67. The House of Mirth - Terence Davies, U.K./France/Germany/U.S. 2000 68. 25th Hour - Spike Lee, U.S. 2002 69. 35 Shots of Rum - Claire Denis, France/Germany 2008 70. Summer Hours - Olivier Assayas, France 2009 71. The Host - Bong Joon-ho, South Korea 2007 72. Adaptation - Spike Jonze, U.S. 2002 73. Lost in Translation - Sofia Coppola, U.S./Japan 2003 (More lessons in American directors learning to settle down.) 74. Gerry - Gus Van Sant, U.S. 2002 75. Private Fears in Public Places - Alain Resnais, France/Italy 2006 76. My Winnipeg - Guy Maddin, Canada 2007 77. Punch-Drunk Love - P.T. Anderson, U.S. 2002 78. Fat Girl (A ma soeur!) - Catherine Breillat, France/Italy 2001 79. The Departed - Martin Scorsese, U.S./Hong Kong 2006 (Come on, now - so overrated, even for an overrated director.) 80. Far from Heaven - Todd Haynes, U.S./France 2002 (A lovely, open twist on stylish melodrama.) 81. Donnie Darko - Richard Kelly, U.S. 2001 (Again, bunnies.) 82. Moolaadé - Ousmane Sembene, Burkina Faso/Morocco/Tunisia/Cameroon/France 2004 83. Woman on the Beach - Hong Sang-soo, South Korea 2006 84. Memories of Murder - Bong Joon-ho, South Korea 2003 85. West of the Tracks - Wang Bing, China 2003 86. Wendy and Lucy - Kelly Reichardt, U.S. 2008 (Thoughtful wins again.) 87. Trouble Every Day - Claire Denis, France/Germany/Japan 2001 88. Femme Fatale - Brian De Palma, U.S./France 2002 89. Songs from the Second Floor - Roy Andersson, Sweden 2000 90. Letters from Iwo Jima - Clint Eastwood, U.S. 2006 91. Gran Torino - Clint Eastwood, U.S. 2008 (Meh.) 92. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Andrew Dominik, U.S. 2007 (So beautifully shot, perfectly assembled.) 93. Last Days - Gus Van Sant, U.S. 2005 94. The Man Without a Past - Aki Kaurismäki, Finland/Germany/France 2002 95. When the Levees Broke - Spike Lee, U.S. 2006 96. The Best of Youth - Marco Tullio Giordana, Italy 2003 (6 engaging hours of a good story.) 97. Turning Gate - Hong Sang-soo, South Korea 2002 98. 24 City - Jia Zhangke, China/Hong Kong/Japan 2008 99. In the City of Sylvia - José Luis Guerín, Spain/France 2007 100. The White Ribbon - Michael Haneke, Austria/Germany/France/Italy 2009 101. La libertad - Lisandro Alonso, Argentina 2001 102. Nobody Knows - Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan 2004 103. The Pianist - Roman Polanski, France/Poland/Germany/U.K. 2002 104. The Duchess of Langeais - Jacques Rivette, France/Italy 2007 105. Pan's Labyrinth - Guillermo del Toro, Mexico/Spain/U.S. 2006 (How to mix fantasy with history - not easy.) 106. WALL·E - Andrew Stanton, U.S. 2008 (The moving animated film that actually lived up to the hype.) 107. Pulse - Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan 2001 108. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 - Quentin Tarantino, U.S. 2003 (QT rocks out a kick-ass film.) 109. A Christmas Tale - Arnaud Desplechin, France 2008 110. Time Out - Laurent Cantet, France 2001 111. Police, Adjective - Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania 2009 112. Secret Sunshine - Lee Chang-dong, South Korea 2007 (Much like this year's Two Lovers, I seem to be the only one who found this movie pompous and boring.) 113. Mystic River - Clint Eastwood, U.S./Australia 2003 114. Morvern Callar - Lynne Ramsay, U.K./Canada 2002 115. Va Savoir - Jacques Rivette, France/Italy/Germany 2001 116. Head-On - Fatih Akin, Germany/Turkey 2004 117. Tarnation - Jonathan Caouette, U.S. 2003 118. Hunger - Steve McQueen, U.K. 2008 119. Miami Vice - Michael Mann, U.S./Germany 2006 (Really? How is this film different from any other bland action flick?) 120. Los muertos - Lisandro Alonso, Argentina/France/Netherlands 2004 121. Eureka - Shinji Aoyama, Japan/France 2000 122. Irreversible - Gaspar Noé, France 2002 123. Black Book - Paul Verhoeven, Netherlands/Germany/Belgium 2006 124. The Lives of Others - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Germany 2006 (Oh yes - higher, please.) 125. The Secret of the Grain - Abdellatif Kechiche, France 2007 126. Oldboy - Park Chan-wook, South Korea 2003 (Definitely receiving re-hype, perhaps due to American remake rumors.) 127. The Piano Teacher - Michael Haneke, Germany/Poland/France/Austria 2001 128. The Lady and the Duke - Eric Rohmer, France 2001 129. The Incredibles - Brad Bird, U.S. 2004 130. Mysterious Object at Noon - Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand 2000 131. Death Proof - Quentin Tarantino, U.S. 2007 (Fun, but I actually preferred the Grindhouse half more.) 132. Let the Right One In - Tomas Alfredson, Sweden 2008 133. Ghost World - Terry Zwigoff, U.S./U.K. 2001 (Quirky awkwardness with good jazz.) 134. Waltz with Bashir - Ari Folman, Israel/France/Germany 2008 135. Dancer in the Dark - Lars von Trier, Denmark/Germany/Netherlands/U.S./U.K. 2000 136. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 - Quentin Tarantino, U.S. 2004 137. Spider - David Cronenberg, U.K./Canada 2002 138. Friday Night - Claire Denis, France 2002 139. Memento - Christopher Nolan, U.S. 2000 (Before Nolan went all Batman, he went backwards.) 140. United Red Army - Kôji Wakamatsu, Japan 2007 141. I Don't Want to Sleep Alone - Tsai Ming-liang, Malaysia/China/Taiwan/France/Austria 2007 142. Still Walking - Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan 2008 143. Paranoid Park - Gus Van Sant, France/U.S. 2007 144. Wild Grass - Alain Resnais, France/Italy 2009 145. Divine Intervention - Elia Suleiman, France/Morocco/Germany/Palestine 2002 146. Gosford Park - Robert Altman, U.K./U.S./Italy 2001 147. Collateral - Michael Mann, U.S. 2004 148. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - David Fincher, U.S. 2008 (Good special effects, ok story.) 149. 13 Lakes - James Benning, U.S. 2004 150. Dog Days - Ulrich Seidl, Austria 2001 A few missing: Brick - Broken Flowers - The Constant Gardener - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Frozen River - Half Nelson - Lars and the Real Girl - Persepolis - The Queen - Rachel Getting Married - A Very Long Engagement - The Wrestler

Golden Globes 2009

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:12:12 -0800

It's the end of the year, as the talk of Hollywood turns to the endless stream of awards nominations. Not one to get behind, the Golden Globes were announced, and things start to get serious. BEST FEATURE - DRAMA Avatar - The Hurt Locker - Inglourious Basterds - Precious - Up in the Air Hmm, quite the mix. Though there's no questioning that James Cameron's film Avatar has received quite a bit of buzz for busting another technological barrier, it does seem odd to see it in the dramatic group. Quentin Tarantino goes respectable with Inglourious Basterds, a film a little more linear and focused than previous cult hits, though it might be too bloody for consideration. The Hurt Locker is no surprise here, as it's been lauded as the untouchable film of the year -- and worthy of the attention. What is surprising is that its star, Jeremy Renner, is missing from the acting nods. Precious is also untouchable, least Oprah Winfrey strike you down. Everyone loves an underdog, and you can't get any lower than the star of this show. Up in the Air - the safe choice. Jason Reitman reels in the quirky in favor of an easy going film about a man who lives with no strings attached...played by George Clooney. Watch it win. BEST FEATURE - COMEDY/MUSICAL (500) Days of Summer - The Hangover - It's Complicated - Julie & Julia - Nine Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Zooey Deschanel meet and unmeet cute in 500 Days, and it's hard not to go along for the catchy-tuned ride. However, it didn't have the box office bang of its contenders. The Hangover is the most robust comedy, but may be too box office. Meryl Streep tag teams with It's Complicated and Julie & Julia, possibly canceling herself out. Nine has big production value and beautiful stars trying their hands at singing. And Rob Marshall's Chicago did it before (...granted, with a bit more polished story). ACTOR - DRAMA Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart - George Clooney, Up in the Air - Colin Firth, A Single Man - Morgan Freeman, Invictus - Tobey Maguire, Brothers Have not seen Brothers, though Tobey looks intense, as well as Crazy Heart which has received much delayed buzz. Who doesn't love Freeman, but his slipping accent and an undeveloped story should prevent him from taking home another Globe. Clooney is always great as Clooney, but the award should go to Firth's touching portrayal of a grieving man planning his final day. It's absolutely lovely. ACTRESS - DRAMA Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria - Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side - Helen Mirren, The Last Station - Carey Mulligan, An Education - Gabourey Sidibe, Precious I have only seen Precious, but I'm gonna give a what-the-hell? for Bullock and see the tight race between Mulligan and Sidibe, with Mulligan riding the (hopefully deserved) hype all the way home. ACTOR - COMEDY/MUSICAL Matt Damon, The Informant! - Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine - Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 500 Days of Summer - Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man Have not yet seen Damon or Downey's efforts, but I'm gonna root for the straightest of straight man roles by Stuhlbarg in the Coen's A Serious Man (a film notably absent from the drama & director categories, and probably far more suitable than Avatar). So good, so underrated. ACTRESS - COMEDY/MUSICAL Sandra Bullock, The Proposal - Marion Cotillard, Nine - Julia Roberts, Duplicity - Meryl Streep, It's Complicated - Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia Really? Another Bullock nom? She must have a great PR agent. And Meryl goes up against Meryl. Delightful - everyone wins. I have only seen Nine & It's Complicated (or, Oh It's So Complicated to Be Beautiful & Affluent, Part II), so I'm going to vote for the lovely Cotillard...knowing that Julia Childs is the shoo-in. DIRECTOR Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker - James Cameron, Avatar - Clint Eastwood, Invictus - Jason Reitman, Up in the Air - Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds Exes Bigelow and Cameron battle it out, mano a mano. OK, not really, but I think Bigelow should nab the Globe for creating a gritty but watchable film that delves gently into differing mental states of war -- not an easy feat (noting, I haven't seen Avatar, but I'm presuming most of the accomplishments are technical). SUPPORTING ACTOR Matt Damon, Invictus - Woody Harrelson, The Messenger - Christopher Plummer, The Last Station - Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones - Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds Damon and Tucci do their jobs, but the roles are not standouts. Harrelson finds a quiet grounding in his role, but the attention getter of this group is Waltz, who has already been ravaging festival awards (including Cannes) for his calculated portrayal of the "Jew Hunter" - what's another gonna hurt? SUPPORTING ACTRESS Penelope Cruz, Nine - Vera Farmiga & Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air - Mo'Nique, Precious - Julianne Moore, A Single Man Ah, two of my favorite actresses, Cruz & Moore, are up for small parts in which they both did their best for the role provided, but I have a feeling Mo'Nique will pull it down for her 180 turn from comedy to the world's most horrific mother in Precious. SCREENPLAY Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell, District 9 - Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker - Nancy Meyers, It's Complicated - Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air - Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds Another odd mix of anything and everything. Let's cut to the chase and give it to Boal for his impressive examination of three very different men as they handle war. FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM Baaria (Italy) - Broken Embraces (Spain) - The Maid (Chile) - A Prophet (France) - The White Ribbon (Germany) Samson & Delilah? In the meantime while I catch up on the others, let's give it to Pedro Almodóvar's Broken Embraces, because he can do wrong. ANIMATED FEATURE FILM Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - Coraline - Fantastic Mr. Fox - The Princess and the Frog - Up I have only seen the two stop-motion films, Coraline & Fantastic Mr. Fox, and both are wonderfully creative. It's a tight race between my love for Wes Anderson and Henry Selick, but I'll lean towards the dark Coraline for the win. BEST SCORE Michael Giacchino, Up - Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant! - James Horner, Avatar - Abel Korzeniowski, A Single Man - Karen O & Carter Burwell, Where The Wild Things Are Though Wild Things is more music video than film (no credit for Arcade Fire?), Korzeniowski's score for A Single Man was as lovely, stylish and moving as the film itself, and deserves the award. (Besides, Horner's had his fill.) Find out who gets the love on January 17, 2010.

Catching up with Bert Fischer

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:37:46 -0800

I had a great time interviewing actor Seymour Cassel, who is promoting his latest film, Reach for Me. I would have loved to talk more about his career, as he hinted at some great stories about misbehaving with his buddy, John Cassavetes. For another time. In the meanwhile, check our chat here.

John Waters dishes on 2009

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:23:29 -0800

When you ask for a best-of list from John Waters, you know he's going to be brutally honest, and definitely unique. No blockbusters here...except Brüno ("Sometimes audiences get what they deserve."). His top choice was Import Export, of which he says, "The miserable lives of Ukrainian immigrants in Vienna make this agonizing but brilliantly directed opus the cinematic equivalent of slitting your wrists. A new genre? Depression porn? Hey, I got off." Second choice? Antichrist. Well, yeah. I will, however, greatly disagree on his inclusion of Bobcat Goldthwait's World’s Greatest Dad. It deserved to be a bomb. Check out the full list at ArtForum.

Take the time to fox it up

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:07:15 -0800

Total Film breaks down great stop-motion moments in anticipation of the upcoming Fantastic Mr. Fox. Actually it's more in anticipation of Bunny & the Bull...which looks very similar in concept to Youth in Revolt (alternate personality having a bit of fun and all that).

Sincerest form of flattery

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:29:10 -0800

Criterion Collection DVDs are sleek, stylish & packed with cinephile goodies. Not only nice to look at on the small screen, but in the box. So much so that folks have become dedicated to mimicking the classy artwork of the packaging. WJS breaks down some of the latest copycats.

Inception

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:03:01 -0800

Christopher Nolan's (The Dark Knight) next film, Inception. Hmm, The Matrix meets Titanic? Summer 2010.

TCM Fest

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:46:07 -0800

Get retrained, Turner Classic Movie style. The lovely film channel is throwing their great films onto the big screen by launching a brand new film fest on April 22-25, 2010 in Hollywood (sorry, Atlanta): the TCM Classic Film Festival. It'll be fun to see what they put together.